Lucky Duck by Square One

Entering Lucky Duck the other night, I was prepared to be less than wowed, as many of the newer restaurants are — in my opinion — loud and have poor service and variable quality cuisine. So I was pleased to be really, really wrong.
First off, it’s not insanely loud like newbie — and insufferable — Alimento or the more established Bottega Louie. The atmosphere at Lucky Duck is warm and a well-​stocked bar stretches the full length of the eating space. Let me first start with a cocktail, which are mainly wine based at Lucky Duck. I can certainly recommend the Kitty-​something (OK, I enjoyed it too much to recall the name). It was red wine mixed with ginger syrup and seltzer with a lemon twist. Wow. I want to make it for Thanksgiving and get everyone pickled.
Please do order the deviled schaner farm eggs, which are topped with pickled mustard seeds and toasted prosciutto. Delish potato chips are generously piled on the side. Yum, yum, yum! I wish I could tell you that we had a bunch of appetizers, but after the deviled eggs, we stopped at the french fries (which were amazingly good, but very filling, so watch out).
I decided to have the restaurant’s signature duck breast. I’m always a little leery of ordering duck, because it’s too often greasy and slightly gamey — and not in a good way. This duck was extremely moist, with not a hint of grease, and very full flavored. Each bite had me groaning — my friends couldn’t stop laughing at my ‘experience’. The duck is accompanied by a mix of farro, pomegranate, lemon and frisee. Really nice, clean, organic side dish that is tasty without overpowering the main dish.
Another great dish was the cod special — really moist and flavorful, with a sweet corn side. I didn’t have a bite of the pork chop, but it looked nummy, which was confirmed by one of my friends.
Dessert brought butterscotch and chocolate budinos — Italian pudding — with cream on top. Again, fantastic. We also had the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies — not excellent, but very good. Then we realized we ate too much and wanted to die.
Service was great — not oppressive, not inattentive, and very friendly (again, unlike some of the other new restaurants in Silver Lake, where a snide attitude is apparently part of the ‘experience’). The prices are high, but the portions are very generous. I’ll be back to try other dishes.

We absolutely loved the atmosphere of this place. It’s cozy and on the small side, so I’d definitely recommend having a reservation. My husband loved the food but not the drinks as they are strictly wine, beer, and wine inspired cocktails.
4 out of 5 dishes were pretty stellar. We had the cauliflower with bread crumbs and feta (amazing), the deviled eggs with chips, and the red leaf lettuce salad. Definitely get the chocolate chip cookies for dessert. The only thing that wasn’t great were the chicken wings — they were just generally bland. The waiter brought us some tabasco which made a big difference, and gave us our dessert for free for our trouble.
Food was generally great, service was pleasant, and the atmosphere was delightful.

Sadly, I will not be drawn back to this place. You can only get a glass of Chardonnay (at brunch!) for $ 14 (I could understand $ 8. to $ 10). If the smallish glass had been more than a third full that would at least have seemed less greedy. When will non fancy restaurants realize that the consumer knows the restaurant is paying about $ 1.50 to $ 3 a bottle for said wine ?
Additionally, the service was very unattentive and lacksadaisical. I had to keep asking the buslady for a waiter.
Finally, the food was excellent ! But that wasn’t enough to overcome my other 2 objections.

I pass by this place all the time on my way home and finally decided to try it on a whim.
It’s a good place for a date and slightly pricier than it should be, but delicious nonetheless. We got the cauliflower, Duck and Gnocchi. All very well prepped and presented.
The cauliflower was really good. It had a nice texture and felt like an avalanche of WTH-I-didn’t-expect-this in my mouth.
Duck was on point. Cooked medium-​rare, I was afraid of contracting salmonella but I said «hell with it» and continued inviting it in my mouth. Only to be started down by the woman I brought with me for finishing ¾ of it before she got a bite. It was worth it.
The Gnocchi was decent, not a mind-​blowing experience, but a good dish to even out the rest. Sometimes you don’t want everything to result in a joyous choir ringing in your head with every bite. It gets exhausting I tell you.

I’ve been a fan of both Square One and Gingergrass for many years, I was eager to try Lucky Duck only to my dismay it turned out to be one of those nights when you wonder «Is something is wrong with ME?’… because 4 out of 4 dishes were completely disappointing.
The uni with grapes sounded like an interesting appetizer. But we quickly realized that uni and grapes do not actually compliment one another. Also uni needs to be super fresh to be delicious, and this uni was definitely not super fresh. The dish also lacked acid, balance and seasoning.
The $ 14 burrata appetizer contained about a teaspoon of cheese, we wondered if some sort of mistake had occurred. I’m not one to complain about small portions, but this plate was laughable. It also lacked seasoning.
The seafood did not taste fresh. It’s especially sad (and shocking) when this happens on $ 14 appetizers and $ 30 – 35 entrees. The fried snapper was presented with practically no seasoning in or on the fry batter and was served with a tiny… and I mean TINY amount of sauce. A reasonable amount of sauce would have greatly changed how this dish was received because the only flavor component I managed to taste on this dish was fry oil. As it was served, there was only enough sauce to dip 2 bites of an entire fish into. No joke.
Drinks are really overpriced here, I’m talking $ 10 for a 12 oz glass of beer — you’ll get the same glass anywhere else for $ 6 and it will also be 16 ounces!
The service was clunky. The food runner who was also the bus boy (weird) informed us that our 4^th and final entrée was mistakenly delivered to another table before that same plate came to ours… something a diner never wants to hear. I guess it was the bus boy/​food runner’s way of explaining in advance why the dish was so late, cold and looked possibly touched by another diner. Gross. So when it arrived, it didn’t taste good — not after that info and not after being preceded by 3 failed dishes.
Someone is making a conscious decision to cut corners here at Lucky Duck — to stretch food and not train staff properly. And while they may be saving in the short run, experienced diners like myself will mostly likely never return, so in the long run their cost cutting is really going to hurt them. It may even kill them.

The food was fantastic. No question there. But the service was not as exemplary as expected. Bottomless mimosas turned into two for many at the table. Do I need ten? No. But to be asked a little more frequently or topped off would have been solid.
Again, suuuuper good food. That can’t be over-​stated.

This is a 3.5, but since Unilocal only allows me to do a 3 or a 4, I chose 3. The food is excellently crafted. My qualms though:
* Coffee. They have Intelligentsia which is far too bold for my taste. When I’m brunching it I prefer a good old fashion cup o’ joe, not an overpriced cup of extra-​African boldness.
* Service. During our meal we ordered the unlimited mimosas and I was only served 1. We ended up having to eat really slow so we could eventually get more. The problem is an easy fix. Most champagne brunches I’ve been to enable the server to actually take a bottle to the table and fill up the patrons glasses vs the server being dependent on the bar staff (jams the pipeline).
*It’s pricey.
The food was good, the décor was really cool. But the entire package was just not there for me today. Worth a visit though.

Just got back from a satisfying brunch at Lucky Duck. It’s a beautiful space, very comfortable and filled with light. The flow of customer traffic was perfect — we didn’t have to wait, but every table was filled and everyone was happy and content, good noise control.
I ordered the cured salmon plate that came with a slice of delicious wheat toast, slathered with herbed goat cheese, shaved fennel, onion and arugula. The salmon was gorgeous — lots of small heaps and the green accoutrements were artfully and effectively scattered so each forkful was a perfect balance of flavor and texture.
I had a bite of my sister’s pork sofrito with eggs and plantain which in my opinion could have been salted a bit more — if only to set off the pre-​existing deep, rich flavor. Plantains are always a delight and these did not disappoint. They were dusted with a spice I couldn’t put my finger on. I also had a bite of the fried chicken sandwich. It’s one of the less expensive menu items ($ 11), but definitely one of the best. It comes perfectly fried, with aioli on an unpretentious seeded bun.
The food took a little while to come to our table, but it was actually nice to sit and chat with my dining companions before digging in. We were also encouraged to stick around and have another drink even though we were done with our food.
All in all, it’s definitely a new brunch spot I will encourage others to try, and perfect for taking your parents or friends from out of town.

If restaurants were about food only, this one would be excellent. But sitting at the bar reveals what a cramped mess it really is – and they keep it far from shipshape. It suffers for ambiance.
There are often stacked boxes behind the counter, and I’ve seen tall beverage dispensers plopped on the ground behind the hostess station, and staffers even spreading out their work at the bar. The cramped environment overall holds the place back; when there’s, say, a toddler in the space, it’s hard to see anyone else, and I’m guessing that toddler I see sometimes may belong to the staff too.
A little underprepared yesterday and likely because of all the spatial chaos too; I weirdly got about ten nickels in some change. I think I’d rather pay $ 6 for a glass of wine than $ 5 and forty-​four cents with tax anyway.
Also, I’ve been here about five times and never been waited on by the same bartender twice. They’ve all been friendly; none have stayed, for whatever reason. Yesterday’s did not look dressed appropriate to any kind of service.
I think the guy who did this restaurant also did the old Picholine not far from here, which also had great food. I am guessing from the way it’s laid out that this restaurant was made by a cook or cooks and not funded by investors; for example, I do notice when sitting at the bar that the kitchen is generously sized, maybe overly so. They probably should have cut into the kitchen space a little, maybe even created a closet office or certainly more storage.
A shame, because the food is excellent and I have a feeling this place is even trying to be LA’s version of what Paris’s Aux Charpentiers was years ago; a place where the staff was excellent and that served haute cuisine to unpretentious workers. But food comes at the expense of comfort all over the restaurant; it may simply be too tiny a space.

Disappointed.
Was excited to hear that Square One was opening up another place closer to our neighborhood. Sila Bistro use to operate in this space, and it was great to see another restaurant have a go at it.
Ordered the burger, med-​rare. Was interested in it because it features american cheese and shishito relish. An interesting mix of classic and modern burger components. American is the perfect burger cheese… save your fancy stuff for cheeseboards.
Food took about 20 – 25 minutes to come out. Not a major problem, and understandable since they are new and the restaurant was packed.
When the food arrived I was crestfallen: pretty sure they subbed my american cheese for something else. There is no mistaking that plasticy american classic, and it definitely wasn’t the cheese that was on my burger.
Cutting into the burger led to even more disappointment. My two, small, hard hockey-​puck patties were easily med if not med well. Not a trace of pink to them and on the dry side.
Shishito relish tasted like chopped up charred shishitos. It was interesting, and I like shishitos, but I’m not sure what ingredients made it a relish.
Bun was too big for the patties… lots of bread around the edges. Fell apart toward the end of the meal.
Thought about sending it back, but really didn’t want to wait any longer to eat.
No one would consider a burger and fries to be health food. And when I order the dish I am hoping the splurge was worth it. If it’s not, as with this place, then I feel fat for no reason. I don’t like feeling fat for no reason.
If the patties were cooked even close to order than all of the other negative aspects wouldn’t have been such an issue for me. But when the primary part of your dish is cooked this incorrectly, especially at a premium of $ 14, how can I see past that? Sorry guys, wish I had something more positive to say.

Have only been for brunch because there are more vegetarian options, but totally loved it. Hard to tell from the outside but very cute inside, and the staff was very attentive and helpful. Good music, great food, nice people– what more could you want? I had the fried green tomato benedict with stewed greens and Tabasco hollandaise and my boyfriend had the ricotta toast with eggs and tomatoes and we were both very happy with our choices. Looking forward to checking out other menu items in the near future. Dangerous that this place is in walking distance but so glad to have it in the neighborhood!

Been here a few times and I must say, Lucky Duck is becoming one of my favorites in the neighborhood.
I’ve had their grainy hamburger before which I absolutely loved. I went to Sunday brunch, the dishes are unique and delicious. A Benedict with lamb? Loved it. Very good.
Tonight, the Uni Ceviche had a confluence of flavors that showed how much effort the chef put in to creating a delightful dish. I try anything with sea urchin, and this one was very good. My hangar steak with baked potato was delicious. The wine selection is eclectic, not just California… In fact I wish they had more California choices. I support my state! Now, I saw a whole red snapper being served that looked amazing. Fried but that won’t discourage me. They change the menu frequently, so hopefully it will be available next time.
The service is consistent and very friendly. This is a great place. Try it!!!

I was super excited to check out Lucky Duck after sampling their delicious Salmon tartare pancake with ikura at the LA Weekly Pancake Breakfast. The parking lot was packed on a Thursday (most likely from the Pilates Plus) but found a meter close by. Walked in to a casual, intimate space for a perfect summer meal. I’m pretty certain the menus change frequently so YMMV (Your Meal May Vary.)
The price was amazing compared to the quality, thought, and gargantuan portions. A girlfriend and I decided to forego individual entrees and order 5 starters to share. However we were bamboozled by the size of each starter and way too full to finish the final two plates, much to my chagrin.
The good:
STEAK TARTARE pickled shallots, anchovy, pinenuts — I could not detect any anchovy or pine nut flavor, and the pickled shallots were a bit too sweet, would have liked more acid/​brine. However I’ve never seen so much steak tartare in my life on one plate. Sadly this was one of the last plates we ordered so we were unable to finish it. Also it came with 3 slices of bread which was way too little bread for that ungodly amount of tartare. We would have been happy with ¼ or even ¹⁄₅ of that portion.
The even better:
SALMON RILETTES peach, spring onion, buttermilk biscuits — Smoked salmon lovers rejoice! I could have eaten 3 biscuits with this creamy spread, but alas we were allotted 2 biscuits — 1 biscuit each! The biscuits were okay, but that spread topped with thin slivers of peaches takes peaches and cream to another level.
SHISITO PEPPERS brown butter, lemon, bonito flakes — Wish the stems had been cut off for us, but that’s just me being lazy. I thoroughly enjoyed this blend of spicy, savory goodness, although the mushy texture and heat of shishito peppers may not be for everyone.
UNI CEVICHE shiso, grape, orange, white soy — This was exactly the frou frou, delicate, flower of a ceviche that I was expecting. But should have definitely come with a serving spoon, helloOo~
RED LEAF LETTUCE nectarines, lemon cucumber, buttermilk dressing — Dude… so this looked like a hot mess but tasted so well put together, I can’t even explain. I should have taken pics, but there was no room at our tiny table for 2 given the ginormous portions! Just order it and thank me later. My gf even boxed it to-​go even though we had literally one bite left.
HALIBUT CRUDO vietnamese dressing, plums, serrano — Yes, fresh crudo done right. I love raw fish, but halibut can be a bit of a snooze. Not the case at Lucky Duck. The long lean white fish slices tasted clean with pizzazz.
My two cents:
My one suggestion is that the portions be pared down to match the bread, or give more bread for the salmon rilettes as well as the steak tartare, and for serving spoons to accompany the starters and a change of individual plates.

Recently got invited to dinner by a friend and she suggested Lucky Duck. I rarely dine in the Silverlake/​Echo Park area so I was highly surprised by this place. Its located in an unassuming mini strip mall next to the cleaners. You can recognize the building by its painted duck logo on the adjacent wall.
For the appetizer, we shared the Stone Fruit and Burrata. This was soooo good! As stone fruits are currently in season, everything was super sweet and juicy. The creamy burrata made the sweetness even creamier. The acidity of the balsamic vinegar just tied everything together to well.
For my entrée, I ordered the Duck. Since the place is called Lucky Duck, of course the duck dish should be amazing. It was perfectly done! The duck fat was oozing into the farro and the tomato’s sweetness cut through all the grease.
For dessert, we shared the churros. The warm churros with the cream on the bottom were a perfect touch to end the evening.
Service was great. Our waiter came by often to check up on us but not too often to interrupt our conversation. Our water glasses were constantly refilled, even after we paid the bill and stayed to chat for another 45 mins.
Parking: Free parking in tiny lot for the strip mall and street parking.

When you walk into a restaurant in LA 10 minutes after closing time on a week night and they still seat you: Five stars! period…
Everything on the menu reflects a creative mind behind it and, though the dishes may be small in some respects, they are flavorful with truly unusual taste combinations.
My compliments to the Exec and his willingness to offer such a varied and innovative treat for your palate.
Try the communal table and meet some new friends…
Note: They recently added duck to the menu, which kind of refutes the name. After all, that is one duck that ain’t so lucky!

Just finished one of the best brunches of my life. We started of by tasting the Pinot noir rose and petit Chardonnay. They were both delicious but decided on the Chardonnay!
There were three of us and decided to do the $ 38 «For the Table» option. There were 10 decent sized deliciously moist pieces of chicken perfectly breaded and fried, two stacks of the best silver dollar pancakes I’ve ever had, crispy on the outside/​fluffy on the inside biscuits, and perfectly cooked scrambled eggs. You can get the 6 eggs cooked however you like. There was also gravy, hollandaise (my least favorite), greens, pickles (so good), kimchi, and collard greens. Everything was so amazing and at a great value!!!
There were a couple hiccups:
1.The menu said that waffles would come with the meal and we got pancakes instead. NOT a big deal because the pancakes were the best!
2. Gravy wasn’t brought out right away and when we asked they said they didn’t have any because they didn’t get the chicken livers to make it with. Also, NOT a big deal because there was so much food but it would have been nice to know beforehand. The manager checked on us, we told her about it and that it wasn’t a big deal. Less than five minutes later, she came out with freshly made gravy. They used pork sausage that I guess they had on hand. It was amazing. The fact that the situation was rectified so quickly and effortlessly in addition to the best food ever makes this experience a 5 for sure!
Give Lucky Duck a go! Haven’t been there for dinner yet but cannot wait to try it!

Go here. This food is ridiculous and they try to be as local as possible, which really comes out in the flavors. The lamb ribs and roasted chicken are life-​changing. Oh, and my search for a great lambrusco is over!

Had a wonderful meal here at Lucky Duck on my birthday. Reserved our table via Unilocal,worried that it might be pretty packed on a Friday night, but seating wasn’t an issue. We had looked over the menu when this spot first opened, and things looked a little too … weird … for our tastes. Weird and expensive. They’ve updated their menu since then, and the picks are a lot more solid in our opinion.
Of particular highlight was the pork chop with fresh grilled peaches on the side. The peaches were impeccable, and the dish as a whole was wonderfully simple.
For dessert, the strawberry milkshake was absolutely insane. So, so, so good.
Service was great, our water was filled consistently, and our waiter was engaging and funny. Really love to see this spot evolve a bit, and their offerings were all enjoyable. Made for a wonderful capstone to a great birthday. We will most certainly be back again.

Matt B. and I love Square One, so we were happy when Lucky Duck opened in our neighborhood. We went for dinner on a Friday night and were able to get a reservation with no notice. I wonder a little if this place isn’t doing as well as anticipated. The $$$$ Unilocal designation probably doesn’t help, and it’s inaccurate. Lucky Duck’s price point is in line with like Barbrix and Cliff’s Edge, which are both supposedly $$$.
The place was cute and intimate, with a small dining room and an outdoor patio. The ambiance was warm and romantic, and the décor was pretty, with hanging lights and a window into the kitchen. Service was good, friendly and attentive. A full liquor license would be nice, but I liked my wine. I had a glass of Zelig-​Caravant «Ellipse». Matt had a Mission Blonde Kolsch-​style ale.
The food was good. Small menu, mix of small and large plates, about what you’d expect. We started our dinner with oysters and cheese. There was no actual oyster selection, just Kumamotos that night, which, fine by me. We got a half dozen and they came with mignonette and lemon, very fresh and tasty. The cheese plate came with two cheeses, sheep’s milk Etorki and Glacier goat brie, as well as fresh honeycomb, some good crusty bread, and housemade butter, which was pleasant but gratuitous. I didn’t know what it was at first and swallowed a knife’s edge of pure butter.
The entrees were solid – hearty New American fare in sizable portions. I ordered the grass-​fed burger, medium rare. The patty was juicy and very flavorful, made with top quality beef. It got topped with smoked gouda, harissa aioli, tomato, lettuce, and grilled onion. The burger was really excellent. Even the lettuce was buttery and beautiful. The burger came with housemade potato chips, which were well done. We also ordered a side of the duck fat fries. These were very thick-​cut, not far removed from straight potato. We didn’t come close to finishing them. They were fine, though, topped with a nice herb salad with duck cracklin’ and a smooth caramelized onion jam on the side. Matt had the pork chop, which was nice. It came with honey and a crisp brussels sprout and apple slaw.
I don’t know that Lucky Duck stands out in particular, but it’s a quality restaurant with good atmosphere and a delicious burger. I hope it gets enough business to stick around.

Overpriced for what you get.
Great location, chic and minimal interior… but the FOOD. ugh. Yeah, the most important part.
The menu does a good job romancing the food, but when it comes out, it is sadly disappointing… and when the bill arrives you will be extra sad.
$ 12 for a small bowl of deep fried bits of what seemed like left over bits from the chopping board: bitter squash, squares of pork with un-​rendered hunks of fat.
$ 12 for the crudo: four nickel-​sized portions of fish. I have uploaded the photo, I am NOT exaggerating the portion sizes. It is hilarious-​sad.
The mains were sloppily presented and should have been flawless looking for their mid $ 20’s prices.
We went on a friday night and were still left waiting for 30 minutes even with a reservation. BOO.