Daniel B.
Yelp
While a dinner at Lucille's still has its highlights, Saturday night's visit was disappointing on multiple levels.
While the Lucille's on St. Catherine is being renovated, I noticed the branch on Monkland has started taking reservations. I booked a table for 3 at 7:45pm on Saturday night. We get there at 7:40 and every table is packed. The maitre D could barely grunt at us while burying his head in a full sized Apple MacBook for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, we're standing in the doorway and nobody is telling us when we will be seated or what the problem is. Some eye contact or even an explanation would have been nice, but Mr. Maitre D was too busy looking important and officious. The only words uttered to us by the staff were "could you move out of the way so we can pass by?" More people started arriving and seemed to be seated before us. After about 8-10 minutes of the silent treatment, I was just about to go check out Taverne Monkland or Local 75 down the street when they called our name and sat the 3 of us at a table that was barely big enough for 2. In fact, the entire night, the doorway of the restaurant was jam packed with people who had to wait to be seated.
The waitress informed us that Lucille's was offering oysters for 1$ each the entire month of February. I wasn't planning on getting oysters, but at 12$ for a dozen, what the hell, right? Big mistake. Lucille's should be ashamed of themselves. You get what you pay for. The first oyster I tried to eat wasn't detached from the shell. Of much greater concern however was the fishy and funky taste. Something didn't taste right. My wife and her sister both agreed that something was off. Clearly, Lucille's was serving oysters that they had no business selling. Thank god we didn't get sick. I think I had 3 or 4 oysters. Maybe 1 of them tasted right. We could have been very sick. What's worse, almost every table was ordering a huge platter given the price. If you're wondering why I didn't complain, it's because that's not my style. Yes I know they likely would have replaced the dish or not charged for it. It doesn't change the fact that subpar food is being served in the first place! The restaurant is called Lucille's Oyster Dive after all. You would think that they know their way around an OYSTER!
The shrimp cocktail was quite good as was the salmon tartare. I opted for the rib steak which at about 55$ is on the pricey side, but worth it given Lucille's sterling reputation for dry aged beef. Unfortunately, the steak that was served to me was a few steps down from what I had previously ordered at this restaurant. The steak used to be quite thick. This time however, it was cut thin to about half of an inch. This cut is usually reserved for run of the mill delis and diners; not restaurants who claim to be specialists in steak. Yes it was tasty and cooked to my desired medium rare. That said, they had previously broiled it with a crispy and almost sweet outer caramelization. Think Ruth's Chris. This technique was nowhere to be found this time. The "chimichurri" sauce served with the dish tasted downright weird. (Try Tuck Shop for a proper chimichurri. Hint: It's not supposed to be completely soupy and yogurt -like ) Given the small cut of meat, and the pedestrian cooking technique, the price tag on this dish is about 10-15$ overpriced. It was still enjoyable, but I remember being absolutely blown away by their steaks in the past. This steak was a large step down from what they used to serve.
Finally, while service was friendly, it was also somewhat lacking. I ordered a Red Stripe beer when I first sat down. As my main course was served, I pointed to my beer and asked the waiter for another. Thirty (30) minutes later, she comes by and says they are out of Red Stripe and would I like something else. I've already eaten my dinner. Of course that didn't stop me from getting a second one, but she should have been back to tell me that in about 3 minutes, not 30.
When Lucille's first came onto the scene in Montreal it was a huge success. It's still completely packed, but from my perspective, it's slipping. You cannot cut corners and expect to get away with it in the longterm. Moreover, you cannot call yourself an Oyster Dive and serve rotting, old, decrepit oysters no matter what you are charging. It's a matter of public health.
