A friend was visiting from out of town and we were having dinner together. He suggested a burger place in Adams Morgan. I soon found out that Lucky Buns has the best burgers in DC.

Lucky Buns was started in 2017 by chef and owner Alex McCoy, along with his friends Hunter and Marc. The restaurant spun out of Alex’s Asian restaurant Alfie’s, and Lucky Buns does show Asian influences as well as some British ones as well. Alex is also responsible for another of my favorite DC restaurants, Duke’s Grocery. Besides its flagship location in Adams Morgan, Lucky Buns can be found at the Wharf and Union Market in DC and at Fells Point in Baltimore.

Appetizers

I arrived before my friends did and was pretty hungry, so I ordered an appetizer. Lucky Buns has several. I decided to go with the Mumbo Nugs, fried chicken pieces served with Mumbo sauce and topped with peanuts and herbs. Mumbo is the official sauce of Washington DC. It is a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, often served with chicken as it complements poultry well. The Mumbo Nubs’ chicken is crisp and tender and the sauce has a little kick while not overpowering the dish. Highly recommended.

Once my friends arrived, we ordered some more appetizers. They were: Cheesy Chips (chips is the British word for fries), Curry Chips , and the Cadillac Nachos. While I enjoyed the nachos, I absolutely loved the Chips. The curry is quite mild and reminded me of a Japanese style curry. The Cheesy Chips were oozing with a rich, delicious queso sauce. I highly recommend both of these appetizers.

Burgers

The heart of Lucky Bun’s menu is their burgers. The menu has six types: Lucky Bun, Bogan Bun, Royale Bun, El Jefe Bun, Alfies Bun, and OG Bun. All come with two beef patties, either Angus or Creekstone Farms but differ in the toppings. All but two come with Gouda cheese. The El Jefe and the Royale come with American. The Lucky has: “Lucky sauce” (similar to Thousand Island), pickles, arugula, and red onion. The Bogan adds bacon and bacon jam. The Alfies has the Creekstone beef patties, beetroot, pineapple, and a runny egg. ( Named after the Thai restaurant that Lucky Buns spun out of). The OG is similar to the Lucky but has less exotic toppings: pickles, mustard, garlic aioli, and shredded lettuce instead of arugula. Also on the menu are four types of fried chicken sandwiches.

Our group all ordered burgers. Unfortunately, I neglected to take note of what they were! Two people had burgers with eggs. I believe one was the burger with the pineapple (the Alfies) and another was the Lucky with the egg added ($1 extra). It also looks like one person got the OG burger. I’m not sure what the burger with the single patty burger is. Perhaps another Lucky? Whatever they were, every burger garnered positive reviews.

I had the El Jeffe, but not in a bun. After eating a lot of appetizers, I had enough carbohydrates. Wanting something lighter, I was thinking of getting a side salad and I noticed you can get the burger on a salad instead of in a bun. And that is what I ordered. Big mistake! I found that I could not eat the burger with its toppings. Next time, I’ll get the salad on the side. The burger itself is fabulous! It is exactly what I want in a burger: big, juicy, and tasty. The salad is also delicious. It has lots of fresh lettuce and plenty of cheese and vegetables. With a choice of buttermilk ranch, walnut vinaigrette, and green goddess, I chose the green goddess. It is quite good.

Cocktails

I arrived during happy hour and decided to get one of their cocktail specials, a crush. The crush was not strong, but it was light and refreshing and I liked the taste. There was a lot of ice in it, but that is the kind of drink I ordered.

After my friends arrived, I ordered Lucky Buns’ signature drink: a Hurricane. A Hurricane is a rum based fruity cocktail that I have only had before in New Orleans. Lucky’s version has a lot of flavor. It also packs a big punch. I had no need for other drinks after this one.

Atmosphere

As we were there early on a weekday, Lucky’s was not crowded. It is not a big space, but they have a fair amount of seating both inside and out. The waiter mostly left us to ourselves, but always immediately came when signaled. Our orders came out without any undo waiting. Overall, Lucky Buns has a nice atmosphere with good service.