Albany restaurant offers pizza, subs, good times and golf

Even though I’ve been living in Albany since 2019 and drive by Lucky’s almost every day, this is the first time I have had the pleasure of eating there. So, last week after work, I decided to stop and check this restaurant out.

The decor inside reminded me of a retro diner with its checkerboard tile floor and vintage-looking booths. Since the menus were in full view on the main counter, I grabbed one and started by looking over their specialty pizza selections — all of which sounded delicious.

But, when I noticed that the menu also offered some entree choices, such as chicken Parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs, I decided to order a pizza and spaghetti.

The pizza I chose was “Lucky’s Delux.” The toppings included pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, banana peppers and black olives.

I didn’t have to wait long till my order was ready. By the time I arrived home, all the food was still nice and hot and ready to be served.

The spaghetti was baked in a round tin, contained the pasta and four meatballs, and was topped off with a nice layer of mozzarella cheese. Plus, it came with a side of garlic bread and a medium-sized salad.

My meal was absolutely excellent! The portions were so generous that I couldn’t finish everything in one sitting, which in my opinion, is a very good thing!

As for the pizza, my man couldn’t stop raving about how great it was. The way he put it was, “You know how some pizzas are just dough with cheese and a few toppings sprinkled on top? Well, this pizza was the exact opposite of that.”

He went on to say that Lucky’s is one of the few places around that serves pizza that seems more like a real meal than just a snack.

All in all, I spent a little over $30 on my order. But, when you consider all the leftover food we ended up with, that is a good bargain.

The previous day, I had stopped by and gotten to know the owner of Lucky’s, Jeff Sparks. If that name sounds familiar, Sparks used to work for the US Post Office and delivered mail on Court Street for 32 years.

Previously, Sparks co-owned Lucky’s in downtown Athens, across from the old Athens News office on Court Street. During the COVID pandemic, he decided he needed a change.

“I decided to get out of the bar business and focus just on food,” he said. “So, my business partner and I went our separate ways, and I moved the business to Albany.”

The building that houses Lucky’s was built in the 1970s. It was once the site of Dale’s Tractor Shop.

At first glance, this building that houses Lucky’s looks awfully big to house just one restaurant. When Sparks gave me a tour of his business, I was amazed to discover that — besides their kitchen area — Lucky’s also has a party room that can seat 70-100 people.

“Right before the last Super Bowl, I decided to offer the party room at a special rate,” Sparks noted. “Because the room has TV screens, that meant it would be a great place for a large group of people to meet up, eat some pizza, and watch the game.”

Ten minutes after Sparks let it be known that the party room was available for a Super Bowl party, it was already booked.

A unique aspect of Lucky’s is that it offers two back rooms featuring “Trackman Golf.” This famous golf simulator allows golfers to play indoors and monitor their performance and scores on a wide flat screen.

Golfers can also play in virtual tournaments on a widescreen or challenge other golfers worldwide to compete against them.

Sparks explained that “TrackMan is used by members of the Pro Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) as a practice and training tool. This is the same program major tournaments use to simulate golf games on TV.”

During winter, Lucky’s holds TrackMan golf tournaments where different local teams play against one another. Sparks added that golfers can play TrackMan as part of a team or on their own.

Sparks shared, “When I decided to move Lucky’s from Athens to Albany, my goal was to sell high quality food that only used the best ingredients.”

After my experience dining at Lucky’s, I have to say that Sparks is a man of his word!

Also, if you’re looking for a part-time job, Lucky’s is currently looking for someone to work 15-25 hours a week at the restaurant. Anyone interested can send a text to (740) 591-8804.

Currently, Lucky’s offers delivery service. To place an order, call (740) 698-3456. For information on Lucky’s Pizza & Subs, visit its official Facebook page, facebook.com/luckysofalbany.