Lunch for two under $25? We tried this new Sacramento burger restaurant on a budget
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Explore Sacramento on a budget
Bee reporters explore Sacramento through one of your favorite affordable activities every month — all on a $25 budget.
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Can you get lunch for two at a local Sacramento burger joint for under $25?
We set out to see.
Welcome back to The Sacramento Bee series “On a Budget,” where we check out activities and restaurants around Sacramento and see what we can do on a $25 budget. We’re Camryn Dadey and JJ Juarez, audience journalists with The Bee.
Our first stop together for the return of the “On a Budget” series was Lucky’s Drive-in Sacramento, a retro burger restaurant in Curtis Park.
Mike Feagins and Willow Eskridge opened Lucky’s in October 2024 in the spot previously occupied by Hideaway Bar & Grill, which closed in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The drive-in’s sister location near Tacoma, Washington, has been open since 2015, according to its website.
The suggestion to try Lucky’s came from Sacramento Bee reader Adrian Rehn, who had never been but was interested after hearing about the menu. So were we!
If you have suggestions for other places for us to try around the Sacramento area on our $25 budget, email us and the rest of the “On a Budget” team at servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
Our visit to Lucky’s Drive-in
At 2565 Franklin Blvd., Lucky’s isn’t far away from The Bee’s office. We headed down there for a bite around noon on a Wednesday. Its website states that order ahead isn’t an option, but we were happy for a field trip anyway.
Parking was free and easy — there were a ton of spots available in the huge lot. Signs outside advertised that Lucky’s is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, with one sign joking: “If eating burgers is wrong, I don’t wanna be right!”
Stepping inside the restaurant was like taking a time machine to a 1960s diner, with retro wallpaper, a neon “Sacramento” sign on the wall and vintage-style chairs and booths around the dining area. It was fairly busy for lunchtime on a Wednesday (which seemed like a positive sign).
The menu had a range of options: a few different burgers, plus hot dogs, chili cheese dogs, veggie burgers, chicken burgers and a burger salad. Sides included fries, chili and chili cheese fries, and there were four choices of housemade sauces. Shake flavors included classics like vanilla, chocolate and Oreo — or you could step out of the box and order blackberry or root beer. Rounding out the drink menu is Lucky’s housemade lemonade, which can also be ordered with strawberry, blackberry and lavender.
How we used our $25 budget
After much deliberation and staring at the menu, we decided to try:
The Lucky burger, for $6.54
The bacon ranch burger, for $7.82
A small fry, for $2.28
A small Oreo shake, for $3.98
The spicy ketchup and garlic aioli sauces on the side, for $0.49 each
Including tax, we spent $23.49 (before tip). It only took about 5 minutes of waiting before our name was called and our food was ready at the counter.
We decided to take our food and go sit outside on the patio, which had plenty of seating (like the inside) and was dog-friendly (unlike the inside).
A giant double-decker bus parked on the patio caught our attention, and we spent a few minutes checking it out. A sign on the bus said it was being renovated so diners could eventually eat inside. When we peeked in, it was empty save for some old, deconstructed bus seats. The 1960 model from England, according to Lucky’s website, used to be a San Francisco visitor’s center.
Once we sat down, it was time to dig in. We split the burgers in half so we could each try both, and we shared the fries and shake. Here’s what we thought:
Camryn: I loved the Lucky burger — the special sauce, a Thousand Island-type dressing, added flavor. Though it did get pretty messy with the sauce dripping everywhere, it was worth it! I also was a fan of the bacon on the bacon ranch burger. Next time, I’d add bacon to the Lucky burger to get the best of both worlds.
My favorite by far were the fries dipped in the garlic aioli. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and the garlic aioli was creamy and flavorful. The spicy ketchup was also a good option when I felt like switching it up. I’d say these are some of the best fries in Sacramento!
The Oreo shake, served with your choice of a spoon or a straw, was a nice dessert to top off our lunch. The spoon was helpful with the chunks of Oreo, and I enjoyed the vanilla cream flavor of the shake.
JJ: I will second Camryn on the fries dipped in the garlic aioli. In my eyes, they are definitely some of the best available in the capital city.
While Camryn enjoyed the namesake Lucky burger, I preferred the bacon and ranch. I would have loved some more vegetables, but Lucky’s only adds tomato upon request. The extra protein added by the bacon left me feeling satisfied, though!
The burger was perfectly cooked for me, and by the owner I might add! I always find it comforting when the owner is the one preparing food, as I know I’m getting the truest version of the dish.
The meal ended up being a bit messy, especially since we tried every combination of food and sauce possible. Camryn and I went through napkin after napkin, but the flavor was worth it!
Is Lucky’s Drive-in affordable?
We’d say yes! We were able to both get a burger and share fries and a shake with our $25, and we both felt full after our lunch. There were plenty of other food options that could have fit in our budget, as well, if you’re more interested in the hot dogs or the non-beef burgers.
Not only did we enjoy the food, but it was a fun place to stop for lunch. Being able to sit in the double-decker bus once it’s renovated is enticing for a future visit! Thanks, Adrian, for the idea!
Got suggestions for a future “On a Budget”? Let us know in the form below or email us at servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
