New Lucky's Customer Parking
he sign for New Lucky's has been elusive in a number of ways. I first saw it on
Back to Oakland, but described as "new Ricky's" and wondering if it was related to Rickey's Sports Bar in San Leandro. It took me a while to find the sign itself, at 496 23rd St. behind the
Rock Paper Scissors Collective on Telegraph. I noted it on
my map, but my research on what establishment it was for turned up nothing. I discovered when I actually went to take a picture of the sign that it's "New Lucky's", not Ricky's, and armed with that info I was able to turn up more info.
New Lucky's was a bar at 2268 Telegraph, more formally known as Burnett's New Lucky's. I don't know if it's still visible, but I found a photo of
a faded sign on the back of the building. I also found pictures of some glass ashtrays from New Lucky's, one with a
drawing of the front, the other listing the
phone number as HI4-5708 (HIghgate=44).
I even found a picture of
a lighter from New Lucky's -- clearly the heyday of smoking. The named telephone exchange suggests sometime between the 40s and 60s, which fits with the smoking.
My grandmother worked as a waitress here back in the late 60's 70's... all i remember is her bosses' name was RUBY and I think she was an owner...
ReplyDeleteMy father was the chef Tony Falconio
DeleteCool bit of personal family history!
ReplyDeleteCindy, your grandmother's name wasn't Tammy, was it?
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely still open into the mid-80s because my family used to eat there. I was in my teens and I used to always order their shrimp louis. You entered by going down the stairs from the back parking lot. I don't remember that the front door was in use at all - it might have been blocked off.
ReplyDeleteThe interior decor was very gangster/speakeasy -ish. Low lighting, big red booths, and the wallpaper was blood red with a plush, velvet texture that was completely awesome.
I always felt like we had stepped into a gangster movie when we entered Lucky's.