Brisket Pho (Photo courtesy of Lucy’s Vietnamese)
Lucy’s Vietnamese has arrived at 649A Grand Street! Owner, Johnny Huynh, named Lucy’s after his grandmother Lucy, who’s original recipes from her home country of Vietnam serve as the foundation for Lucy’s menu. Lucy raised Johnny on her own, working three jobs to do so. This work ethic inspired Johnny, leading him to start working in restaurants at 19 years old. He eventually opened a stall at Smorgasborg centered around Vietnamese street food and brisket. In 2015, Johnny opened Lucy’s Vietnamese’s first location in Bushwick. Then, with the help of partners Don, Kyle, Mike and Ryan, the team opened locations in Williamsburg, Bedford Stuyvesant, and now here on Grand Street! At the core of Lucy’s dishes is its brisket which is smoked for 14 hours. This can be had in Pho, Banh Mi, or a Vermicelli Bowl. They also offer other proteins including chicken, vegan chicken, and tofu.
Owners Don, Kyle, Mike and Ryan don’t describe themselves as restaurateurs. They all have different backgrounds in various industries including computer science, engineering, small business management, and real estate investment. Don describes these backgrounds as unique advantages, allowing the team to think outside of the box. Before Lucy’s, Don worked in server maintenance in an IT department; he calls the two industries very similar, saying the end goal of both is to make your product/service as efficient as possible. In both industries, you’re constantly working to fix new problems that arise and make sure the ship stays afloat. Although Lucy’s menu is founded on traditional Vietnamese comfort food, they tweak original recipes with their own flair and are constantly trying to innovate with different ingredient and flavor combinations.
(Photo courtesy of Lucy’s Vietnamese)
During the earlier days of the pandemic, Lucy’s partnered with local hospitals to donate food to frontline workers. This line of work continues in the way owner Don carries himself. He’s most passionate about building relationships with customers and the community around him, using food as the connector that bridges people together. He and his partners chose Grand Street as their newest location “because the neighborhood has a lot of charm and character”. We can’t help but agree! Stop by Lucy’s Vietnamese on 649A Grand Street to say hi to Don and try some of their delicious Vietnamese comfort food!
From left to right: Kyle, Chu, Don, Ryan, Alvin and Benny