When it comes to soul food, not much beats a visit to Luckey Charms.  Mrs. Luckey has run this converted house restaurant for over 10 years.  The decor is not much to see and probably turns many people away before they even step into the door.  Inside the converted porch is filled with mismatched tables with plastic lawn chairs.  The wait staff, if you can call them that, are used to experienced regulars placing their order and can seem a bit short if you don’t know what you want.  This can be a problem, considering Luckey Charms doesn’t have a printed menu.  Regulars likely know what the rotation of entrees is and are not shy about asking if they have a certain entree available.  For the neophite, a visit to Luckey Charms can be quite intimidating.  When you step up and ask, “What do you have today?” the response is a rapid fire list of soul food favorites and the uncovering of every slot in the small steam table they serve from.  The best bet is to listen closely to the entree and pick one that you like and then look at the steam table for your sides.

While you can’t go wrong with anything at Luckey Charms, there are a few favorites that you shouldn’t miss.  Their “hot water cornbread” is a fried cornbread fritter that is the definition of southern soul food.  If you like greens, their turnip greens are perfect.  Their creamed corn is always a winner.  My meal (pictured to the right) paired the turnip greens, corn, and “hot water cornbread” with the fork tender smothered steak.  With a huge glass of just sweet enough iced tea, this was southern soul food perfection!

Luckey Charms is a bargain, with great food and more than generous portions.  I have heard they have wonderful desserts, but I have never saved enough room to try any of them!  The only downfall of Luckey Charms is the location – Carthage, TX.  It’s a long drive from Katy (4 hours!) but if you are in the area (like preaching a revival at Blossom Hill UMC, for instance) it’s a great place to grab a bite with an old friend.