Lucian’s Caribbean Grill
1035 Clear Lake City Blvd.
Houston, TX 77062
If you dream of visiting one of the beautiful Caribbean Island Nations but cannot make it out to them, there is a great restaurant in Clear Lake that represents the Caribbean very well. Lucian’s is owned by a man with Jamaican and Saint Lucian roots and is one of the best places to get the food I have enjoyed around the Caribbean. Caribbean food has many different influences just as the countries themselves had. The colonialism from countries such as England, France, Spain and other European powers and the slave trade created a culture heavily influenced by Africa, Europe and Latin America. Countries like Trinidad and Tobago also have a heavy Asian influence in their culture as they have had many people from India and other Asian nations immigrate there. The wide variety of produce (many of them unique to the area or originated in other areas of the world that you can’t find in the US) and spices available has created the amazing fusion of spice, flavor and dishes that are the food of the Caribbean. Lucian’s is where you can go to broaden your food knowledge and experiences!
Our Experiences
We eat at Lucian’s very often and have tried many of the different dishes. Like in the Caribbean the menu is a fusion of food from different Caribbean Nations and some American favorites with a Caribbean twist. There are dishes for people for any different spice tolerance. Our personal favorites are the Jerk Chicken or Pork that is very flavorful but not overpoweringly spicy. We love the Caribbean Rice and Peas that has a bit of spice to it that we find is a staple on the tables of Caribbean nations. The Peas are actually kidney beans so don’t expect green peas in your rice! The fried plantains at Lucian’s are fried where there is a bit of crispiness with a nice sweet taste. You will find Fried Plantains in nearly every Caribbean nation. The greens area great as well and is another side pretty common to the Caribbean. We have tried the Jerk Burger and its great as well as the Rasta Pasta that has a kick. They also have a great Roti’s that are kind of like a large Caribbean burrito that uses an flat bread originally from India and can contain different meats and curries. Its once again part of the great fusion of food and people in the Caribbean. The Roti is especially common in Trinidad and Tobago. They also have Caribbean style Seafood and delicious Ox Tail!
Another aspect of Carribean Cuisine is the many fruits they have. Through my travels in the Caribbean I have found so many different kinds of fruits and juices like Soursop (a white fleshy and very sweet fruit), Tamarind (a pod type fruit that looks a brown green bean pod that can be found also in Latin America), Sorrel (a type of hibiscus), and even drinks made from Seaweed. We have not tried the seaweed based drink but all the others are amazing. Sorrel is mainly a Christmas drink that reminds me of a cold version of European Mulled Wine. You can taste the spices in the drink. Lucian’s is working to add to its already large list of Caribbean drinks with beers and other alcoholic drinks. Some of my favorite beverages are the Carib Shandy’s from Trinidad and Tobago and Kalik Radler’s from The Bahamas. The Carib Shandy’s are low alcohol content drinks with flavors like Sorrel and Ginger. They are very refreshing and I look forward to getting them at Lucian’s versus flying all the way to the Trinidad or a nearby country to get one. Coffee and Chocolate are grown all over the Caribbean and we have had some of the best coffee we have ever tried from The Blue Mountains of Jamacia, Puerto Rico and Dominica. Lucian’s is looking to create a Caribbean Coffee Bar in the near future.
The atmosphere at Lucian’s is great for anyone with Caribbean classics like Bob Marley playing quietly in the background and plenty of small and large tables to handle parties of any size. They have flags from around the world people have brought to represent them on the walls. If you have not tried true Caribbean food or if you have traveled the Caribbean and would like to remember great memories like I do then head to Lucian’s!
