In the News

Throughout the years Lucile's has been mentioned, reviewed and raved about by local and national newspapers and magazines. The Boulder Daily Camera has consistently awarded Lucile's the "Best Breakfast in Boulder County" for the past decade. Several other prestigious awards Lucile's has received are "Best Creole Restaurant" by Westward Magazine, "Five Star Review" by The Boulder Daily Camera, and "Best Breakfast/Brunch" by Boulder Weekly Magazine.

Recent Reviews

Elle Magazine - "Top Secrets"

"An Elle photographer, recently returned from Colorado, was duly impressed by the mountains, but she reserved her raves for a small, unassuming restaurant called Lucile's Creole Café. For those with a taste for New Orleans, the chef dishes us hearty A.M. specialties: the Cajun breakfast of red beans, and poached eggs is served with steaming hot grits or potatoes, and a rich buttermilk biscuit."

American Way Magazine - "Readers Choice"

"In Boulder, Colorado, one block off the Pearl Street walking mall, is Lucile's Creole Café (303-442-4743). The setting is an old two-story home with a porch. It serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch, and the best beignets outside of New Orleans. And the buttermilk biscuits are addictive."

New York Times - "Where to eat in Boulder, Colorado"

"At Lucile's (2124 14th Street, 303-442-4743), in a quaint little house just steps from the center of town, start with an order of beignets ($3.45) and then try the Eggs Jennifer, poached eggs with heaps of spinach and avocado ($8.45) or Eggs Sardou, with creamed spinach and shrimp ($8.40). Don't be alarmed by the enormous slab that arrives on a separate plate - its just the customary biscuit."

MSN City Search - "User Review"

"Best Breakfast in Denver"

Food	9.4
Ambiance	9.2
Service	8.8
Value	9.2
Overall	8.6

Lucile's Creole Café serves an array of gourmet and delectable breakfast and lunch items. Our mouth-watering menu is simple but varied and our large portions are guaranteed to leave you satisfied. Come on in and enjoy a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice or a cup of Southern Louisiana style Chicory Coffee. Try the beignets - New Orleans style donuts served hot and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Choose from a selection of breakfast items such as Eggs Benedict or a Four Cheese Omelet. Whether you are in the mood for something Creole or just a fantastic breakfast or lunch, Lucile's has it! And don't forget to check out our daily breakfast and lunch specials!

Boulder

Map to Boulder Restaurant 2124 14th Street Boulder, CO 80302 303-442-4743 303-939-9848 Fax Hours of Operation 7am-2pm Monday through Friday 8am-2pm Saturday and Sunday Call-ins accepted on weekdays. Form of Payment - Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or cash. (Sorry, no checks.)

Denver

Map to Denver Restaurant 275 South Logan St. Denver, CO  80209 303-282-6258 303-282-6289 Fax Hours of Operation 7am-2pm Monday through Friday 8am-2pm Saturday and Sunday Call-ins accepted on weekdays. Wine and Liquor served at this location. Form of Payment - Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or cash. (Sorry, no checks.)

Ft. Collins

Map to Ft. Collins Restaurant 400 South Meldrum Fort Collins, CO 80521 970-224-5464 Hours of Operation 7am-2pm Monday through Friday 8am-2pm Saturday and Sunday Call-ins accepted on weekdays. Form of Payment - Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or cash. (Sorry, no checks.)

Longmont

Map to Longmont Restaurant 518 Kimbark Street Longmont, CO 80501 303-774-9814 303-772-8560 Fax Hours of Operation 7am-2pm Monday through Friday 8am-2pm Saturday and Sunday Call-ins accepted on weekdays. Wine and Liquor served at this location. Form of Payment - Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or cash. (Sorry, no checks.)

Steamboat Springs

Map of Steamboat Location 2093 Curve Plaza C-101 Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 970-871-6977 970-879-1121 Fax Hours of Operation 7am-2pm Monday through Friday 8am-2pm Saturday and Sunday Call-ins accepted on weekdays. Wine and Liquor served at this location. Form of Payment - Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, or cash. (Sorry, no checks.)

Lucile's Restaurant was established in 1980, by myself and my mother, Lucile Richards. We developed a Creole menu shortly thereafter and shifted the restaurant's goals to becoming the nation's premier brunch restaurant. Lucile's first chef received his training from the famous New Orleans restaurant, "Commanders Palace." A breakfast and lunch restaurant serving a Creole theme had never been attempted before in Colorado. However, within a brief period, Lucile's had made its mark with such unique meals as "Cajun Breakfast" (red beans, poached eggs, hollandaise and grits) and "Eggs New Orleans" (fried eggplant, poached eggs, creole and hollandaise).

Over the years, Chef Mickey Samuels has developed both the breakfast and lunch menus into culinary delights. He continues to enrich the daily selections by using only the freshest produce, meat and seafood available each day.

It is under Chef Mickey's culinary direction that Lucile' s has received the following prestigious awards:

• "FIVE STAR REVIEW" - The Boulder Daily Camera
• "BEST CREOLE RESTAURANT" - Westword Magazine
• "BEST BREAKFAST IN BOULDER" - The Boulder Daily Camers
• "BEST BREAKFAST/BRUNCH" - Boulder Weekly Magazine

We have also been honored by having a song entitled "Breakfast at Lucile's," written and performed by our frequent customers, "The Little Women Band."

Lucile's expanded by opening a second restaurant in January of 1996, located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Fort Collins restaurant is run day to day by Tony Hanks, a born and bred Creole from Louisiana. Longmont Colorado came just one year after the Fort Collins location and the Steamboat Springs location was just recently opened in spring of 2003. The future for Lucile's is to open new locations across the United States using the same formulas that have worked so well in Boulder, Fort Collins, Longmont and Steamboat Springs.

In addition, we have developed our own food products and signature items. We create and sell our own Creole seasonings; we use only Chef Mickey's homemade jam, we are well known for our private blend of "Lucile'sCoffee" and we have established an excellent catering service.

Lucile's has made a commitment to be at the forefront and cutting edge of breakfast and lunch cuisine, offering our high standards and consistent and efficient service.

After twenty-three years Lucile's is still providing the best breakfast we can find. As a family establishment Lucile's has always strived to provide a comfortable and unique atmosphere as well as excellent food. The original restaurant in Boulder Colorado resides in a small Victorian house painted our signature pale yellow. The menu is adorned with a photograph of the owner and his mother Lucile, the restaurants namesake. The Lucile's theme is "Lucile's Creole Café, Exploring Creole Cooking from Around the World," through which we have created an ambiance unlike any other breakfast restaurant. Zydeco, jazz or Cajun music is constantly floating through the dining room reminding you that we have taken a journey to New Orleans. The Mardi Gras beads, alligators, masks and Creole posters we use as decoration are there to remind you of the culture and life behind the food we serve at our restaurants. Lucile's is a community focused restaurant and we would like everyone to feel welcome in our small corner of Creole culture no matter where the restaurant is located.

At Lucile's our mission has and always will be to develop gourmet breakfast at reasonable prices. Through offering large portions and using only the finest ingredients we are confident that our customers are always happy. We want happy customers everywhere and are always looking to grow. With four locations and a blossoming product line Lucile's is constantly looking for good people that are interested in our company. For partnership information please contact the owner and President Fletcher Richards.

Phone - 303-442-4743
Fax - 303-939-9848
Email - Info@luciles.com

Store Coming Soon

Fletcher's Board

Welcome! I'm Fletcher Richards, the owner and President of Lucile's Creole Café the "Best Breakfast in Boulder." I started Lucile's in 1980 and am proud to have had the opportunity to watch my company grow over the past twenty-three years. Our food is excellent and our restaurants are open 363 days a year! So come on in, put your feet up and relax with a Creole Bloody Mary and a few beignets. I guarantee Lucile's is nothing like any other breakfast restaurant in the nation! Laissez les bon temps!

Our loyal customers are constantly reminding us how much they enjoy their experience at Lucile's. Here are some of their comments!

"The flavor combinations will impress you! Great non-corporate atmosphere and attentive staff"

"It's the absolute best food, Cajun or otherwise in Boulder."

"The food and the ambiance are excellent, I go to Lucile's at least once a week!"

Let us know what you think! Good or bad we would love to hear your opinion. Email Fletcher at luciles@msn.com

Creole Board

The Distinction Between Cajun and Creole

The Cajuns trace their heritage directly to the Acadian French, who upon being expelled from Nova Scotia by the English, eventually relocated to south Louisiana. The Creoles trace their heritage to the French, Spanish, the Africans, the Italians and any other people who chose New Orleans as their home.

The Creole 'culture' finds its roots around the early 1700's. At that time, the French began settling la Nouvelle Orleans with Jean Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville (founder of New Orleans) governing the territory. During the French colonial period, the food was characterized by traditional French sauces. This means that the food was mild in flavor yet complex in preparation.

Meals were prepared by African cooks, who brought their distinct knowledge of food with them from Africa. Gumbo comes from the African word Gumba, which means okra - hence, okra gumbo. Slow cooking over a low flame for more intense flavors also attributed to the African slaves.

The Choctaw Indians, who were here, revealed the secrets of the indigenous food products, such as bay leaves and file˘ powder, to the French settlers. Most corn dishes characteristic of south Louisiana, such as sagamite and macque choux, can be traced to the Indians.

The Louisiana territory was traded to Spain in 1763. Basically, the Spanish made three contributions to Creole cooking. First, they began mixing meat and fish in one dish. Until this time, a sausage and shrimp jambalaya was not common. Second, they began serving food over rice, such as beans or gumbo over rice. Finally, the Spanish cooked with hot peppers and prepared highly seasoned dishes to suit their tastes. The three Spanish contributions combined with the complex French sauces, using indigenous products, comprise the base of Creole food.

After the Civil War, Creole food took a turn to the right, with the influx of Italians to New Orleans. They brought with them red tomato sauces and delicious pasta. Soon after, the Irish and German immigrants arrived and contributed the best of their food to the Creole foundation.

The term 'Cajun' comes from the corruption of the word Acadian. The Cajuns came originally from France, specifically Normandy and Brittony, and settled around Nova Scotia in 1604. In 1755 English acquired Nova Scotia and the Acadians were forced to leave.

The Acadians wandered for the next thirty years. Some returned to France where they were not accepted due to high unemployment and the French/English war. The Acadians were not French loyalists. Others headed for the thirteen American colonies but these did not provide the home the Cajuns sought. Over the years, groups of the Acadians found their way to southern Louisiana. Finally, in 1785, the Spanish Crown recruited the remainder of the displaced Acadians to settle the Louisiana territory. The Spanish desperately needed people to settle this territory and the Acadians desperately needed a place to live. The Cajuns were allowed to choose the area of the territory they wanted to settle - New Orleans or the swamps. Being country people by nature, the Acadians chose the country instead of the city. The rich swamp areas of southwest Louisiana provided the Cajuns with a bounty of fresh and wild game. The rich soil produced delicious fruits and vegetables.

Like all other people coming to south Louisiana, the Cajuns quickly learned to cook with available ingredients. To add excitement to their food, the Cajuns experimented with herbs and spices to find the best and hottest flavors. They cooked with the knowledge they had brought over from France in the early 1600s but adapted this to the indigenous products.

The distinctions between Creole and Cajun are subtle yet important. Creole dishes incorporate much Italian influence. A red jambalaya (using a tomato sauce) is characteristic of the Creoles while a brown jambalaya is typical of the Cajuns. Pasta dishes are rarely found in a purely Cajun cookbooks. Today we are seeing both cuisines evolve and change along with the cultures. A gentle merging of Creole and Cajun food can be detected as communication and travel between the two increase.

Mardi Gras is March 4 so get ready to celebrate and come indulge in some good old fashioned New Orleans style food!