"Lucille, Honey Is That You?"

In the case of Lucille's Smokehouse Barbecue, it is!  Don't believe me?  (Shame on you) but visit lucillesbbq.com  Or go over to her house at 21540 Hawthorne, Torrance,  We paid her a visit last week.

It's a big sprawling place with a bar in the center, outdoor tables shielded under umbrellas; another big room filled with banquets and apparently  back, private dining room/s.  As we waited for our food, about 25 or 26 firemen in their blues passed our table in an orderly line bound for it apparently.  They didn't look particularly jovial but they didn't look sad (a funeral afters.)   I muttered, "Union meeting," to Richie.  We'll never know and it certainly doesn't matter.  They weren't carrying hoses either.  I wanted to say to one of them, "Helluva kitchen fire, eh?" but they were gone before I could.

Instead of chips and salsa, Lucille gave us a pair of biscuits with a little dish of honey butter.  Tasty but Beware the Biscuits - they are so flaky that they practically explode at being buttered.  use your gentle hands,  don't get a grip on the knife like Grim Death.

Richie, apparently feeling parched after a visit to the audiologist, ordered a Firestone 805 small beer ($8) and I had water

We started with an order of  deviled eggs with smoked bacon and green onion ($4.99 and the yolks had been fluffed up to cloud size.  The bacon was tossed around them on a bed of shredded lettuce. ($4.99)     I cannot resist onion straws so we got a half order ($6.99)

For mains, put him down for the pulled pork place, side choice beans ($10.99)  and I went for the burned ends brisket ($13.50)  In my childhood, in Kansas City, occasionally my father would stop off  on his way home from work and pick up a pound of burned bits and I still remember these fondly.  Lucille's wasn't" shack by the road" burnt ends.  They looked burned, they were tender (not chewy like beef jerky)  but they were fatty which is anathema to any right person's thinking.  My cole slaw was quite good.  Cole slaw has as many variations as spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, or pizza toppings.

Lunch came to $44.47 before tax and following their suggestion, added a 20% tip of $8.89.  Throw in the tax and lunch for two came to $48.69.  Considering we had leftovers for dinner and still  have plenty of meat left -- not bad.  Lunch and dinner for two - $22.00  Certainly reasonable, Lucille.  Honey, you done did good, heah?