Lucille’s Fresh Catch Kitchen Opening April 7 - Kingwood

The moment we’ve all been waiting for…Lucille’s Fresh Catch Kitchen will hold their soft opening for lunch and dinner in Kingwood on Monday, April 7. A grand opening is planned for a later date. 

Kingwood.com was honored to receive an invitation to their pre-opening, mock service, and the food was incredible!

We started with appetizers including the BBQ Shrimp & Grits. The BBQ sauce is not like any BBQ sauce you have ever tasted. It’s more like a thick, seasoned gumbo roux. The dish includes Gulf shrimp in a smoky butter sauce, served over creamy, cheddar cheese grits. It was mouthwatering and delectable, making my taste buds stand at attention, as was the Shrimp & Crab Au Gratin. A mixture of shrimp and crab in a spicy cheese sauce served in a delicate bread bowl. The thickness of Au Gratin was superb! We also tried the Corn & Crab Bisque. Born in the cast iron pots of Louisiana, these ingredients are a marriage of rich crab stock, white crabmeat and sweet golden corn. It’s creamy, hardy and has a Cajun kick. Let’s not forget the maple butter to spread on fresh, mini cornbread muffins! YUM!

Next came the entrees, Mississippi Farm Raised Catfish and the Seafood Pasta. The catfish was the freshest I have ever tasted, yet not fishy. The batter was a delicate blend of spicy corn meal and flour making it crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The beer battered fries were the perfect side dish to complement the fried catfish. This dish is also served grilled. The Seafood Pasta was just the right combination of ingredients. The garlic was not overpowering and the lemon, garlic butter was the perfect consistency to accentuate all the different flavors without making it soggy. The large shrimp and crab meat were cooked to perfection. My absolute fav was the Deep Fried Platter. A generous portion of fried shrimp, oysters and catfish served with beer battered fries and your choice of the soup of the day or a house salad. You can also substitute gumbo or bisque for an extra buck fifty.

Other side dishes that are a must are the Mac & Cheese. Thick, cheesy and creamy, the hubby said it was the best he’s ever had, and don’t forget the Red Beans & Rice. An old Southern tradition, they’re rich and creamy with spicy sausage.  

Dessert anyone? A variety of desserts are available on the menu, but the must have is the Bread Pudding. The dessert of the south is very fluffy, not soggy and mingled with cranberries and white chocolate, topped with a whiskey sauce. They will feature different kinds of bread pudding weekly, a specialty of the Louisiana born chef. It compares to the one at Brennan’s in New Orleans. 

The atmosphere was very cozy. The restaurant is conveniently arranged in sections to maximize the space, which also breaks up the noise.

Be sure and go hungry. The portion sizes are huge, yet responsibly priced.

So, plan to stop by Lucille’s Fresh Catch Kitchen (they’re name says it all) Monday to welcome them to Kingwood. Frank Burk, general manager; Melisa Edwards, assistant manager; Dean Boelens, executive chef and Tiffany Kriston, assistant chef along with other staff members will greet you with a warm welcome and a smile.  They will offer a lunch menu for weekdays and are building a bar that should be open soon, complete with TVs and more of Lucille’s fishing memorabilia.

Lucille’s Fresh Catch Kitchen is located at 1522 Kingwood Dr. next to Chelsea Deli. They’re hours of operation are Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. You can also visit them on line at www.LucillesFreshKitchen.com.