After a particularly brutal week, I recently revisited a place that holds a special place in my heart. It had been a few years since I'd eaten and even longer since I last posted on Lucky's, that little former Chinese restaurant, cum diner, cum greasy spoon, to me a steady, dependable beacon in the ever changing North Park scene.
Once you enter; you know....this ain't hipster central.

From the rather tacky, now considered "retro" Chinese restaurant décor, to various bits and pieces of the history of Lucky's, which in turn is probably the history of North Park, the place has grown on me.

Just sitting for a breakfast on this morning; the customers were like characters from central casting....a young couple, a hipster in his 'hat with 'tats", two older guys grumbling about how the bus is always late. Like I said in my first post a decade ago, "I'm sure thousands of stories have echoed off the walls" of Lucky's.
And the prices? Yes, this is North Park, where you can get a $17 bowl of pho a few blocks away. And yes, this is 2018.
Four bucks for two eggs with bacon, hashbrowns, and toast. Don't forget to finish your toast....Lucky doesn't like waste. Lucky sees everything. If he sees that you've finished your toast, he'll ask if you want more.
The coffee....well, it's "authentic"......100% Folgers. Still under a buck.
This is a one man show, Lucky has no wasted motion, he moves with deceptive efficiency and my breakfast is on the table within minutes.
The eggs are a perfect easy over, the toast is great for sopping up all the drippy egg yolk......the hash browns are SYSCO heavenly and the bacon crisp. This cost me $4.10 mind you. Also notice the bottle of Tabasco. I recently went to Island Style Café and just like Leilani's Café they didn't have Tabasco. Except that instead of telling me they didn't have Tabasco, when I asked for it, they just silently dropped off a bottle of Sriracha.
I mentioned having Tabasco to Lucky, who told me that even though he could get a gallon of Tapatio for the same price of a couple of bottles of Tabasco, things just wouldn't be right without it. I like that; it just "wouldn't be right".
Eating at Lucky's always remind me of the places Mom took me to, we didn't have much money and didn't eat out much. It was always a treat. To me, eating at Lucky's is a treat.
And then there are always Lucky's "words of wisdom"....not too much on this day; though he did encourage the young lady to butter her toast since butter was "good for your complexion".
And to file under the "Lucky sees more than you realize". After I paid my bill; Lucky always rounds things off, he told me "you haven't been here in a while" and handed me this.

World Peace & Happiness...….in recent months, I've heard, folks at work, and even some friends of mine surprisingly spout some of the most hateful and resentful rhetoric. We could use some peace and happiness....as usual Lucky has hit it on the nose.
As for the fortune cookie?

I hope so...…
Lucky’s Golden Phenix
3804 Grim Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
Hours:
Mon - Sat 730am - Noon
You can read a wonderful post on Lucky in Eater.
Happy Sunday!
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