Lucy's Fried Chicken

Even though most people would not associate good Asian food with Texas, it really does exist.  There is a sizable Vietnamese population in certain cities.  However, we didn't travel down to Texas for pho, so it was not on my to-eat list.  With that being said, we were getting bogged down by the amount of meat we were eating.  Therefore, we attempted to try some ramen as a break from BBQ.  But just like it is everywhere else, there was an excessively long lineup which didn't interest us at all.  So our backup plan was to go back to the well and eat heavy in the form of Lucy's Fried Chicken.

Although the place looked rather roadhouse-like and not particularly kid-friendly, it was completely the opposite.  My son loves Fried Chicken and we got a basket for the table.  This consisted of mixed pieces that included both dark and white meat.  This was some pretty solid fried chicken as the skin was nicely rendered, well-seasoned and crunchy.  Underneath, the meat (including the breast) was moist and tender.  For adults, we tried the Deep Fried Chicken Livers marinated in Lucy's "secret buttermilk blend".  Usually, I find most places cook livers until they are rock hard.  Not here though as the livers were tender and juicy.  The aggressive batter on the outside was crunchy and not overly greasy.  On the side, there was a creamy and lightly spicy chipotle ranch dip.

Viv decided to try the Wood Fire-Grilled Texan Oysters topped with house chorizo, garlic butter, house jalapeno salsa and pumpernickel crumbs.  These were surprisingly good featuring buttery soft oysters that were appealingly briny and sweet.  The combination of chorizo and jalapeno salsa added a noted kick and light tang.  Of course, the garlic butter did its thing with an aromatic punch.  Providing a textural contrast, the pumpernickel crumbs were crunchy and stood up to the moisture.  Since I knew my daughter would've wanted to sample the West Texas Red Chili, I got a bowl even though we had more than enough food.  Consisting of ground beef only (as authentic chili should be), it was hearty and rich.  There was a low-rumbling heat that was smoky and flavourful (without being salty).

For her main, my daughter was brave enough to order the Fried Chicken Spaghetti.  Topped with a piece of fried chicken, the whole thing was actually a casserole consisting of spaghetti and chicken in a creamy cheese sauce topped with melted cheddar.  Naturally, this was rich and heavy.  It was a bit goopy as the spaghetti had absorbed most of the moisture and had become overly soft.  There was the mildest amount of spice to go with the ample cheesiness.  For no apparent reason other than I love French Fries, I got a basket for the table.  These hand-cut fries were pretty good, being lightly crispy and possessing plenty of potato goodness inside.  They were tossed in mildly spicy seasoning salt.

Lastly, my son really wanted a side of Mac n' Cheese despite the amount of food we already had on the table.  It was a good choice though where the noodles were still firm while completely coated in a lightly sharp cheesy sauce.  I would've liked to see a bit more salt, but the mac was not devoid of flavour either.  So Lucy's wasn't our first choice of eats, nor was it even actually on our original list of restaurants.  However, it was a bit different and the fried chicken was solid.

The Good:
- It doesn't look it, but it is kid-friendly
- Good fried chicken
- Other proteins we had were done right

The Bad:
- Well, not that it is a surprise, but food is heavy
- The spaghetti was meh