The honest answer first: Lucille's does not publish a chain-wide military discount the way some barbecue chains do. Across roughly 25 restaurants, what you get depends on the location and often on the manager on shift. This page covers how to find out before you order, what to bring, and — because a percentage off a $30 plate is worth less than ordering well — where the money actually goes furthest on this menu.
Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que prices at a glance
The prices referenced on this page, collected up front. They vary by location and change without notice.
| Order | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| BBQ Rib Tip Appetizer | $13.99 | Same meat as a $23.99 rib plate |
| BBQ Half Chicken & Two Meats | $23.99 | Three proteins, $6 under the two-meat combo |
| BBQ Beef Ribs, 7 bones | $31.99 | $4.57 a bone against $8.33 for three |
| Hot Link Sandwich | $10.99 | Cheapest sandwich on the menu |
Why there is no simple answer
Lucille's Smokehouse Bar-B-Que started in Long Beach, California in 1999 and has grown to about 25 restaurants, most of them in California and the Southwest. That is a small chain by barbecue standards, and small full-service chains tend to handle discounts locally rather than through a national program. Compare that with Mission BBQ, which was built around military service and treats it as a chain-level commitment — a different business from the ground up.
So the practical position at Lucille's is this: a discount may well be offered at your restaurant, but it is not a policy you can rely on sight-unseen. Anyone telling you a fixed percentage applies at all 25 locations is guessing.
How to check before you go
- Call the specific restaurant. Not a regional number, not a corporate line — the location you will eat at. Ask what they offer for active duty and for veterans, because those are frequently different answers.
- Ask when it applies. Some discounts are dining-room only, some exclude holidays, some exclude the bar.
- Ask before the check is printed. This is table service, not a counter. Tell your server at the start of the meal, not after the bill lands — reprinting a check at a busy full-service restaurant on a Friday evening is a genuine imposition.
- Bring physical ID. A military ID, VA card, DD-214 or a state driver's license with a veteran designation. Expect the ID to be looked at.
What a discount usually will not cover
Lucille's is one of the few barbecue chains with a full bar, alongside Famous Dave's and Sonny's, and that shapes the fine print almost everywhere it is offered:
- Alcohol is normally excluded. Cocktails, beer and the bourbon list generally sit outside any food discount.
- Discounts rarely stack. If a percentage off is honored, do not expect it to combine with a happy-hour price or a promotional offer.
- Gift card purchases do not count. Standard across the restaurant industry.
- Tip on the pre-discount total. Your server did the same work either way, and at a table-service restaurant that convention matters.
Veterans Day
Veterans Day is the one date where individual Lucille's restaurants most often run something — a free or discounted entrée for those who served. It is announced locally and close to the date rather than months ahead, and it is worth calling in the first week of November rather than assuming. Expect a wait: this is a 25-restaurant chain with a 4.4 average rating across roughly 26,800 reviews, and the dining rooms fill.
Where the discount goes furthest
A percentage off is only half the equation. Lucille's sits at the premium end of chain barbecue — a pulled pork sandwich is $11.99 against $8.39 at City BBQ — so ordering well is worth more than most discounts:
A 10% discount on the $29.99 two-meat combo saves three dollars. Ordering the BBQ Half Chicken & Two Meats at $23.99 instead saves six, discount or not — and it comes with more food. The same logic drives the group ordering on the Lucille's catering page, where a shared-platter order beats the $124.99 family feast by about forty percent. Full prices are on the main menu page.