Lucille's Bad to the Bone BBQ

Price: $$$
Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
Quality of Service: 3 out of 5
Food Overall: 4 out of 5


You’ve heard me speak of BBQ by now, and of the several reviews I’ve posted to date, there are a few I would say ‘You REALLY need to stop here.’ Well…welcome to Lucille’s Bad to the Bone in Boca Raton, FL.

The atmosphere takes you to one of those sort of ‘Barnyard hootenanny meets a Nawleans swamp house’ vibes. It’s quaint, with that feeling of this-could-get-rowdy. They’ve got this massive wall of hot sauce that you can use to kick it up a notch, but be warned: That top rack is muy caliente. The staff is friendly and they’re quick with your order.

Ok now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into the meat of our review with the…uh…meat of our review.

My wife and I ordered the Pit Platter IV: A half rack of Baby Back Ribs, and your choice of two meats: We both opted for the pulled pork and brisket, and I had the baked beans and coleslaw (hey, I know that’s my usual side order, but a true BBQ joint stands by the quality in their accompaniments, and these are just staples that need to be done right). Oh yeah, and a corn muffin.

Ribs: My goodness. These were some of the most tender lip-smacking ribs I’ve had in a long time. Fall off the bone, and just the right amount of fat to tenderize them through the slow cook process. You could actually taste the love put into these things, like they had a salt shaker full of it back there. Nicely sauced without trying to hide the smoke.

Pork: Again, another success story. Juicy, succulent, and with a nice rub flowing through each bite. This is a quality butt they’re using here, and it shows in the layers of texture (some bites have a little chew, while others have that melty tendency you get from the fat-side up method of cooking).

Brisket: This stuff was ridiculous. I mean, insanely good. This is the cheerleader your tongue wanted to take to prom. Fantastic rub (and you’ll note when you go that the rub isn’t really generic across the board; you taste subtle differences in each animal sacrifice). It was shredded fine and tossed in their house sauce, but again, you were able to taste the bar-be-que in addition to the sauce.

Coleslaw: Nice and tangy, with a hint of sweet. Definitely get points for doing this one up right. Not overstated, not run-of-the-mill. It’s the side dish that brought the beer to the party. Yeah, that guy.

Baked beans: Another hit. Loaded with meat pieces and some fatback to add that bacony flavor to them, with a distinct brown sugar undertone that reminds you that the road to Tasty Ville is just a few feet up the road.

Corn Muffin: Honestly, it’s a corn muffin. Good, but nothing special, but it’s a must for some bread-like product to hit the plate in a BBQ joint. Interestingly enough, they put a slice of white bread beneath your pork and brisket. THAT’S a true sign of an official BBQ place, friends.

So if you’re in that mood for some down home, love intensive, meat devouring BBQ, swing on by Lucille’s.

After all, it’s just Da(m)n Good Food.


Lucille’s Bad to the Bone BBQ
3011 Yamato Road
Boca Raton, FL. 33434
561-997-9557
http://www.badtothebonebbq.com/