SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Lucky’s Drive-In is now serving customers in Sacramento.
The business, which specializes in burgers, hot dogs and house-made sauces, opened Oct. 3 in the Curtis Park neighborhood.
When doors finally opened, co-owner Willow Eskridge said it was “a refreshing change and a relief” after the eatery had been in the works for three years.
“So many welcoming comments... and meeting the people that live around here,” Eskridge told ABC10 in a phone interview. “When you ask people, ‘Do you live around here?’ They were like ‘Yep, we’ve been waiting for you to open. We’re so excited that you’re here.’ Just a lot of positivity. It’s been really great.”
After having success in Parkland, Washington, Eskridge and Michael Feagin announced plans in September 2021 to open a Sacramento location, their second diner under the Lucky’s Drive-In name.
The diner was originally estimated to open in late December 2021 or early January 2022. The opening date was delayed to three years due to getting permits and electrical infrastructure approved.
Lucky’s Drive-In in Parkland, Washington started as a walk-up window and eventually expanded with a dine-in area. The Parkland location opened in 2015.
“We didn’t want to change the name from Lucky’s Drive-In to just Lucky’s or something else like that because it’s still a part of who we are and what we do here,” Eskridge said. “It’s more of the sentiment or back to the kind of mid-century gathering place.”
Following the success in the state of Washington, the two owners decided to expand to California, particularly in Sacramento.
“The weather, mostly, the sunshine and the dry heat and the warmer temps,” Eskridge said. “People think the weather is just a little too hot, but we enjoy it.”
Lucky’s Drive-In offers a “simple” menu including a variety of burgers choices, hot dogs, fries, milkshakes, lemonade and iced tea. Eskridge said the lemonade and iced tea are both made in house.
“We have our Lucky Burger, it’s our most popular burger,” Eskridge said. “It’s a classic burger with special sauce, pickles, onions, lettuce, toasty bun, American cheese.”
For those who want a healthier option, Lucky’s Drive-In offers a veggie burger, burger salad, a “bun-less” burger and BLT.
Despite the name, Lucky’s Drive-In has an indoor dining space that can fit up to 40 people along with an outdoor patio.
“I would like everyone to come have a taste and catch the vibe and check out our place,” Eskridge said. “We’re planning on having cruises with old cars and we’re excited to share what we have with everybody that’s around here.”
Lucky’s Drive-In is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 2565 Franklin Boulevard.
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