Editor’s Note: Fork & Dagger is 828newsNOW’s anonymous restaurant review series, written by our independent Grub Scout—no freebies, no press perks, no agenda. Grub Scout pays full price, visits unannounced, and takes notes on food, service, atmosphere, and value. Each review reflects a recent, honest experience rated on our 1‑to‑5 fork scale. We aim to help you discover standout dining spots—from casual diners to white‑tablecloth affairs—one bite at a time.
I was craving a burger and decided to visit a place I’d not been to in several years. When Juicy Lucy’s opened in 2012, I was living in Shiloh, so I visited frequently and very much enjoyed it. Turns out, it has stood the test of time.
It’s a fun NFL Sunday type of environment. Great for families or casual hangs with friends. The decor is a mix of sports bar and chain steakhouse, but the spirit is local, as it’s owned by the family that runs Cornerstone, a wonderful local institution of an eatery.
There is a large cocktail menu and quite a few beers on draught. They also have a wacky adult milkshake menu, which is not my cup of tea, but it is apparently very popular.
We chose the Dark and Stormy and the Foothills Jade IPA. Both were tasty.
The appetizers
The cornmeal-crusted fried green tomatoes topped with pimento cheese, apple wood smoked bacon, screamin’ sauce, paprika and basil were absolutely delicious. Truly a perfect dish.
The Greek salad was diner-style, with iceberg lettuce, but with lots of olives and a ton of feta, so I loved it.
The burgers
The burger menu is pretty wild — the most extensive I’ve seen. There are several specialty options, or you can build your own. You can upgrade your beef option to a brisket or a local bison or beef for a minimal upcharge. They even let you choose chicken or a veggie pattie instead, if beef is not your thing. There are a dizzying number of options.
I chose the Hole-E Swiss, a brisket burger topped with Swiss cheese, portobello and button mushrooms, caramelized onions and arugula. I was expecting a standard mushroom Swiss, but this was exceptional. The bun was delicious, and the spice from the arugula really set this burger apart. The French fries were also quite good.
She went with Lucy’s Reuben, house-made corned beef and turkey, topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut on a pretzel bun, served with a side of thousand island dressing. It’s a delicious classic, and that pretzel bun adds nice character. The dude she chose was green bean fries with Chipotle ranch dip. These are my fondest memories from coming here long ago and still wonderful.
Unfortunately, we were too full from the amazing food to try any dessert, but it will happen next time.
All in all, I had no complaints here. The food was good and reasonably priced, and the service was great. For a basic and traditional American meal in a lively setting, you really can’t beat it.
