Lucille B. Smith was a pioneering Black entrepreneur and food innovator who created the first commercial hot roll mix and served her chili biscuits at the White House. Her great-grandsons, Chris and Ben Williams, opened Lucille's in 2012 in a 1920s mission-style house a block off the museums, and those biscuits still open most meals here. Chef Chris Williams, a James Beard Award finalist, cooks Southern food with polish: oxtails braised until they collapse, shrimp and grits with real depth, vegetables from the family's own 1913 Farms. Brunch runs Friday through Sunday with live entertainment on weekends. The old house setting makes it feel like Sunday dinner at a relative's, if the relative could really cook.
What to expect
- The 1923 Mission-style house is airy and modern inside.
- A patio adds tables, and weekend brunch music often plays out there.
What to order
- Famous Chili Biscuits
- Shrimp and grits
- Braised oxtails
- 2012Since
- Chris Williams, James Beard Award finalistChef
- Lucille B. Smith (1892-1985), the founders' great-grandmotherNamed for
- 1913 FarmsFarm