Ten Reasons Lucky's Market Is Better Than Publix

It seems impossible, but it's true — the almighty Publix has been knocked off its pedestal. We didn't expect to love Lucky's Market this much, but it happened. Out with the old, in with the new. Sorry, Publix, but you're just no match for what Lucky's has to offer. 

On March 23, Lucky's Market opened its first South Florida location, at 9200 Wiles Road in Coral Springs' Royal Eagle Plaza. The organic grocery chain that got its start in Colorado has been the talk of the town since. A second location is planned to pop up in Plantation later this year, and if the Coral Springs location's success has been any indication, there should be many more to come. 

Here are just a few reasons why soon enough everyone in South Florida will soon be driving by ten Publix's to shop at Lucky's.
10. Lucky's Market beers you at the door.
It's jarring, really. At first glance, your eyes aren't totally sure the message they are sending your brain is correct — everyone is full on clutching a pint of beer. We came across this couple sipping from their pints before we even had a cart. Lucky's offers shoppers two-dollar pints of any beer they have on tap at the moment, and not only are you free to take it away from the bar, you're encouraged to do so. At Publix, cashiers look at you side-eyed if you dare break a six-pack.
9. Lucky's makes its own bacon that makes Boars Head look like Oscar Meyer.
When Lucky's opens a new location, it cuts a ceremonial slab to celebrate the opening, and for good reasonzz: because they are the bacon people. They cure and smoke enormous sides of bacon right in the store, slice them thick, then sell them to you by the pound. At all times throughout the day, there is a chafer full of bacon pieces next to a tub of toothpicks for customers to stab and give different flavors a try. Publix is not doing this. Nobody is doing this. This is craziness. 6. Lucky's has butchers that do on-demand butcher stuff
Ever been to a Penn Dutch? It's sort of like that at Lucky's, only without the Dexter-looking backroom. Lucky's, like Publix, will cut a slab of meat into any form you wish; just ask. What sets Lucky's apart in this area is it was supereasy to flag down a butcher for help. Few people ask for this service at Publix, so butchers are rarely available, usually choosing to hide in the back where no one can get their attention.
5. Beer aisle? Hahahahaha! Beer hanger! 
Publix is straight up disrespecting us. It's 2016, yet it still carries so much hobo beer. Lucky's has an entire dedicated wing of the store, almost a VIP section, dedicated to alcoholic beverages. Think Total Wine, but condensed to the most popular things people buy. Local breweries are well-represented, and wine selections are on par, if not better, than any Whole Foods. Publix makes you pay, then go next door to its actual liquor store; that also sucks. Advantage Lucky's in a landslide.
4. Lucky's literally introduces you to its employees.
This was Fanny, she's from Paris, and her best talent is singing. You know how I know that? Because it was right there on her name tag. The same information is on every employees' name tag. Maybe it's related to the fact that everyone is carrying a beer and feeling pleasant, but the Lucky's employees all genuinely looked happy to be working the day we visited the Coral Springs location. You probably see the same lady at Publix every time you go, maybe for five years now, but do you even know her name? Do you know that she loves to dance? Nope. If you went to Lucky's, you'd know.
3. The sandwiches are better. You heard me.
Listen, we all love a good Pub sub, but I'm here to tell you it's time to move on. Lucky's isn't using Boar's Head meats; it makes its own meats. Want bacon on your sandwich? Cool, because that's free. All sandwiches are $5.99, and you can get them on a variety of breads such as sourdough, rye, hoagie, multigrain, or panini. You can get them toasted, pressed, oven-baked, whatever you want. Pictured above is a turkey-bacon-Swiss on multigrain with an avocado spread. It was delicious. The star was undoubtedly the bacon, which tasted more like some sort of mini-peppered-steak than it did bacon. Publix subs are so 2015. Stop eating breaded chicken covered in boring veggies topped on the same old bread you've been eating for a decade. 2. Lucky's has a smoothie station. 
Lucky's will put almost anything in your smoothie. If it sells it, it will smoothie it — just ask. When we stepped up to the smoothie bar to order, the Lucky's employees were surrounded by fresh ingredients and filling containers with pre-made smoothies customers can buy on the shelves. In addition to smoothies the station doubles as a juice center that offers an assortment of freshly squeezed juices that certainly will be healthier and tastier than anything you'll find in the Publix produce department. All that stuff fell off a truck somewhere in North Florida after it was probably on a plane — who knows? Apple juice at Lucky's was an apple ten seconds ago, until you pointed at it and demanded it become juice. 
1. Lucky's is making its own pizza
Homemade pizza? Yup, Lucky's does that too. Not only does it do that but it offers it insanely cheap with an accompanying beer. For five bucks, you can get yourself two slices of pizza and a pint of craft beer. You can't get that sort of deal at a brewery, much less a Publix. The pizza at Lucky's is noticeably freshly made, not reheated or stored in a cooler for a week. Employees are in the open kitchen adding toppings, smacking dough into shape, and putting pizzas in the oven, just like you would see at a normal pizzeria. Publix has a freezer section. Lucky's has a pizza restaurant that sells IPAs. It's not close. 

Lucky's Market is located at 9184 Wiles Road, Coral Springs. Call 954-603-9139, or visit luckysmarket.com.