The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Featured image via Lucille’s – Facebook

The American/Mexican restaurant has stood its ground on Road 9 for many years, but does that necessarily mean it’s still the best? Lucille’s array of dishes was tempting enough for us to go and see how the menu and flavours have developed over the years. Before heading home, we went for an early-night burger run at Lucille’s, but then we decided to dine in to get a full-on experience.

We settled on a couch right next to the door, across from the kitchen, which wasn’t a very convenient area to be seated, because the frying and cooking smells were very powerful. We would not recommend sitting there if you are easily bothered by those sorts of smells. We took the menus and started browsing for a filling appetiser – we got the Mile High Chili Cheese Fries (78.50LE) – French fries topped with homemade chilli, grated cheese, red onions, and sour cream. This was a great chilli cheese fries dish; the cheese had a delicious creamy texture, and the chilli was perfectly spiced and balanced.

We opted for a burger to share, the Mushroom Burger (99.50LE) – a burger patty smothered in fresh mushrooms, grilled onions, topped with melted Swiss cheese, with French fries and a salad on the side. Despite having a great char, the beef patty tasted bland; it had no seasoning whatsoever, which was unfortunate. Even if the target is to let the toppings do all the work, seasoning the meat gets the juices and flavours running. The downside was that the toppings didn’t have sufficient taste to elevate the bland patty; hence the burger was mediocre. On the other hand, the salad was incredibly fresh, and the fries came in hot and crunchy.

After some deliberation on what our second main would be, the staff recommended a new addition to their selection that was yet to be on the menu. It was the Rib-Eye Steak (196LE) – we ordered the ribeye medium, with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy, along with carrots and broccoli. This steak dish was controversial to say the least; the steak itself was not medium as we ordered, and it was mostly inedible fat. Rendering fat properly during cooking is essential in some beef cuts because the fat needs to melt – or else you cannot really eat it. However, the mashed potatoes were decent, the carrots had a subtly sweet taste, and the broccoli was cooked all the way through. We did not return the dish because we didn’t want to wait for another plate, but the staff were extremely grateful to receive our comments.

Before calling it a night, we were recommended to get the White cake (45LE) for dessert – a piece of white sponge cake with chocolate ganache. For us, it was high up on the sugar metre, but then again, it differs from one palate to another. The cake was sweet and spongy, and the sugary chocolate ganache was in the middle as well as on top, so it made each bite one extreme sugar rush. Therefore, if you are a fan of sugar rushes, this cake is for you.

Returning to Lucille’s was pleasant, yet it had its cons. It is not uncommon to find some mishaps in the kitchen when new dishes are being added to the menu, but it is crucial to catch them early. Other than that, seasonings and sugar levels are debatable, depending on each person’s preferences.