Georgetown Readers—remember Jerry Honnell? Jerry and his wife, Coco, owned The American Bistro restaurant on Leander Road. You know—the place where everyone raved about the burgers, along with everything else Honnell cooked; the place that was situated in a strip center directly beside, and unfortunately shared a ventilation system with, a smoke-filled bar; the place that closed in 2014 because although diners loved the food, they “just couldn’t handle” the smells wafting through the air-ducts.
Fortunately for Williamson County, Honnell isn’t a quitter and decided rather than retiring his spatula and apron, it was time to find a better location. Later that year, he bought Round Rock’s Chicago-themed restaurant, Lucky Dog, just off IH-35 in Hester’s Crossing. Since then, he re-christened the restaurant Lucky’s Chicago Style Grill, and offers “all things Chicago” from every manner of Vienna Beef Hotdog to “wet and dry” Italian beef sandwiches. In simplest terms, what Honnell has done at his new restaurant is, first, “made everything as good as it could possibly be,” and second, expand the menu.
“The key to good food is simple,” explains Honnell. “Start with good ingredients and you’ll get a good result.”
Honnell most definitively practices what he preaches. Chicago food lovers will appreciate the fact that almost everything in his kitchen originates from The Windy City. “If you’re going to claim to cook Chicago style, you better be using Chicago ingredients,” asserts Honnell.
A true restaurateur, Jerry understands that Texas is the burger capital of the world, and makes sure his Texas-at-heart customers feel understood and appreciated. In terms that would melt any Texan’s heart, he describes his burger, saying, “Every burger starts with fresh ground chuck. Then I add just enough seasoning to bring out the meat flavor, and put it on a top quality bakery-style bun.”
In this writer’s humble opinion, Jerry Honnell is one of the best cooks in Texas. He may not wear the hat, but he has the skill set of a top quality chef. A trip to Lucky’s Chicago Style Grill should definitely be on your radar. Find out more online at LuckyDogChicagoStyle.com.