The heat of the summer sun, the smell of the grill cooking a slab of ribs, the plaid-covered picnic table with side dishes ranging from potato salad to Jello, and the sound of laughter of family and good friends are just a few reasons why I love barbecue. And with summer around the corner, it's time to start thinking about it. Yet Nebraska weather is not always predictable, so a restaurant becomes more appealing than being soaked to the bones while huddled over the grill. I'm not talking about those chain restaurants who claim to have the best cuts around; I'm talking about real, corn-fed beef smoked in hickory chips with homemade BBQ sauce and ribs where the meat falls right off the bones. Something like dad used to make on the Fourth of July, something simple.
Where can you find such a place? Lucky Chuck's Pool Hall in Eustis, Nebraska. Although the restaurant has only been re-opened with its new owners since Super Bowl weekend, business is booming for the small agriculture-centered town of 464 people. Located in south central Nebraska, this little joint is getting big attention.
People come from hours away just to get a taste of the BBQ and the homemade nachos. I had the opportunity to eat there a few weeks ago, and I now understand why it's worth the trip. When we first entered the restaurant at 7:30 p.m., it was packed with people. A waiting list was delayed for 30 minutes. While we waited, I got a good look at the restaurant.
The pool table had been removed from the floor to allow more seating, but the pool sticks still hung on the wall. A giant moose head stared across from the oak wood bar. The gleaming wooden floors matched the bar perfectly. The high ceiling still had its molding from the 1930s and was painted black. The east wall was painted a dark maroon color, while the west wall was the original brick. On the east side, several planks of wood burned with the brands from local farmers hung on the wall. Nebraska Cornhuskers gear and black and white pictures of Eustis in the early 1900s hung on the walls. The south wall, opposite of the glass front entrance, had a big screen TV with the boys state basketball game on. The lights were low, the chatter was high, and it was cozy. Simple.
After being seated, I ordered the freshly made pink lemonade. It came in a mason jar and tasted better than any store mix. I ordered the beef brisket sandwich with a side of baked beans as my entree and the Pool Hall Nachos as an appetizer. The nachos were so simple, but they tasted anything beyond that. The strips of fried flour tortilla shells were soft, yet crunchy, and it had a slightly sweet taste. It was similar to a chalupa shell. The chips were covered in bright yellow nacho cheese and dark green jalapeno peppers. This simple combination on any other chip would have been alright, but there was something about these chips and how they were softer to the touch yet strong enough to hold up to thick nacho cheese sauce that stuck to your fingers like glue.
The beef brisket sandwich came in a red plastic basket and was lined with a plaid printed wax paper. The sandwich, a pickle spear, a small cup of baked beans, and a wet napkin packet laid inside. Plain pickels are no friend of mine, so the boyfriend got an extra treat. The beef brisket sandwich was like the nachos, simple, yet there was something about it that kept you wanting more. The meat was tender, slightly tangy and had an orange tint to it from the homemade sauce. It was piled high and held between a soft, buttered split-top bun made from a baker in McCook. After just one bite I could feel the goo of the sauce running over my fingertips and spilling onto the table below. And the baked beans, they were nothing that I had tasted before. The beans were covered in a thick, dark, tangy and spicy BBQ sauce. They were served hot, and the spice and heat radiated in my mouth. It had just enough kick to feel the heat of the spice, but it wasn't so spicy that you couldn't taste the other BBQ flavorings.
For two BBQ sandwiches and an appetizer of nachos, our bill rang up to about $20. Not bad. The service was good, considering 10 people were cooking and serving for around 70 customers. The atmosphere was busy with people, yet laid back. This restaurant not only feeds its local residents, but the town's economy as well. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is craving BBQ with all the sides on a rainy spring day with the homemade taste of something dad would make of the Fourth of July. It is definitely worth the trip. When it comes to BBQ, keep it simple, and Lucky Chuck's Pool Hall does just that.
