Jason Campbell, managing partner at Billy Yanks and The Lucky Well, said the two organizations wanted to have another project in Hamilton and had been looking at different spots.
The Lucky Well is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 4 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and the kitchen shuts down an hour before close. Campbell said the plan is to expand the hours in a couple of months to include a Sunday evening and maybe a Saturday brunch.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Restaurant General Manager Mat Wells, who worked at Billy Yanks before being moved to the new restaurant, said the crowds at both restaurant include a lot of the same patrons, even though the menu is different. Campbell said it’s likely because of Wells, who “has a tremendous following” in the city having been the Billy Yanks mixologist and bourbon bar manager.
“Billy Yanks had been a fan favorite over there (on Main Street), and I think The Lucky Well be a fan favorite on this side of the river,” Campbell said.
Though the same type of crowds can be seen at both restaurants, Campbell, whose been an executive chef for more than a decade, said the menus are completely different. The Lucky Well has what he calls more Irish-inspired dishes.
“We took some traditional Irish stuff with my twist,” he said.
Wells said the capacity of the restaurant is 120, and eventually would like to have outdoor seating, but they would like to have a cordoned area, similar to what Basil 1791 has east of The Lucky Well on High Street. It’s advised to call for reservations because despite there has not been much publicity outside of the announcement of the hotel and restaurant project, they’ve been busy many weekends, Wells said.
“It’s full Fridays and Saturdays,” he said, adding reservations can be made on OpenTable. “Reservations are definitely recommended.”
The price point for an entree is ranges between $16 to $23, with the highest being a New York Strip steak for $32. Top sellers a few weeks in are the fish and chips and the steak, and the top appetizer has been the Reuben eggrolls. Wells is a fan of their French fries, calling them “bangin'.”
The bar has six beer taps and bartenders can make most any drink. “We’re an Irish restaurant, but we’re a lot farther from Ireland than Kentucky, so we got a great bourbon selection with our great Irish whiskey selection,” Wells said.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Espresso martinis are a best seller along with Irish beers including Guinness, Harp and Smithwick’s.
The one hurdle is parking. Though they are in partnership with the hotel, that parking lot is for guests only. Campbell and Wells said they are trying to work out an agreement with a neighboring property, but for now, “it’s wherever you can find it.”
“It is an urban setting,” Campbell said, and there would be street parking available. “There is public parking close.”
“Right now, the city’s fantastic,” said Campbell with Hamilton’s restaurant options. “We’ve got lots of different options and a lot more coming. Hopefully, it just continues to bring people down and hopefully on this side (of the river) we get more foot traffic and people will stop on this side.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
MORE DETAILS
Location: 10 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton (attached to the Well House Hotel)
Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 4 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (kitchen shuts down an hour before close)
More information: Visit www.theluckywellhamilton.com, search The Lucky Well Irish Pub & Eatery on Facebook, or call 513-737-2100
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