By Carter Frye
The Grand Haven Tribune

GRAND HAVEN — Downtown Grand Haven may have a new go-to spot for fish and chips.

The Lucky Bucket, a walk-up seafood concept from local restaurateurs Jim and Karen Avery, recently took the place of the former Mr. Kozak’s gyro shop at 38 Washington Ave.

“We actually were huge fans of Kozak’s, so we’re very proud to be in there,” Jim said. “We thought it’s a great spot for a restaurant, and we hope that it will always be a restaurant rather than something else.”

The Averys also own the Toasted Pickle sandwich shop and Pump House dessert parlor, both downtown. Spending much of their time in the area, they long wondered why there wasn’t a place to get fast, fresh fish.

“People want something that’s quick and easy, right? They want something that’s fresh and not really processed,” Jim said. “There’s a lot of great food in Grand Haven, but not a lot of quick fish.”

In addition to their signature beer-battered fish and chips, the Lucky Bucket features a rotating menu that currently includes grilled shrimp po-boys, New England clam chowder, and Serrano cheddar hush puppies served with remoulade sauce.

The Lucky Bucket typically receives a shipment of fresh seafood daily. Right now, a selection of wild-caught cod and walleye from the Atlantic Ocean, Great Lakes and Canada is used for the fish and chips. The Averys plan to add lake perch and other seafood varieties in the future, depending on what is in season.

Keeping things as fresh as possible has always been the top priority for opening a seafood spot, the Averys said.

“A lot of people will opt for getting fish that’s frozen, which is fine, but there’s really a difference in the texture and the taste,” Jim said. “We have a couple of different suppliers that fly it in and get it to us fresh. We keep it in the cooler, we cut it ourselves, and it goes right into the fryer.”

While maintaining a high-quality standard and making everything on the menu in-house, the Averys are also using local ingredients to perfect their fish. Oddside Ales, located across the street, provides their Beer Me lager as the base for the Lucky Bucket’s beer batter.

One of the most popular dishes on the menu has been an elevated take on the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish. The Lucky Bucket version includes a hand-breaded patty made with fresh whitefish, shrimp and lobster, topped with cheddar cheese, pickles, tartar sauce and lettuce.

“People have been really responding to that,” Jim said. “It’s a totally different fish sandwich than anyone’s had anywhere else. We’re the only ones that do it that way.”

Another sandwich now on the menu is called the Krusty Cod. The dish is unique among their other sandwiches as it uses a potato chip crust instead of a more traditional breading.

Past weekly specials include fried shrimp, a salmon burger and fish tacos.

Many of the recipes at the Lucky Bucket are inspired by Karen Avery’s upbringing and the time the two spent living in fishing hotspots like Louisiana and Seattle.

Jim said that bringing a walk-up seafood spot to Grand Haven was “a little scary.”

“One thing that we’ve learned is to listen to the feedback and figure out what people really like,” he said. “We think that the magic is in bringing some of those influences, but also combining that with what people in Grand Haven like and what Midwesterners like.”

The Averys purchased the building in 2022 after conducting rigorous recipe and equipment testing to make sure that their dream was feasible at the old Mr. Kozak’s location, which closed in 2021.

“We wanted to prove that we could get the food out fast enough, so we had to do some work to get the timing right and figure out, ‘Could we get the equipment in there? Do we have the space?’” Jim recalled. “So, it took a little while for us to know that it was, in fact, a good spot.”

The indoor dining space in the building was removed to make more room for the kitchen and maximize efficiency, which can still create close quarters behind the counter.

“It’s like you’re living in a submarine, and you’ve got to be able to get along with everybody because it’s not like you can go to another part of the restaurant and avoid somebody,” Jim said. “I’m very fortunate that everybody really gets along.”

The little restaurant launched a soft opening in April before expanding to seven days a week in May. It is now open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.

During mealtimes and weekends, Jim noted that they’ve had lines of people wrapped around the block, and have even run out of fish on a couple of occasions.

“At this point, we’re cruising right along,” he said. “It’s been nice and busy.”

The Lucky Bucket name stems from a couple of reasons.

“The name comes from the idea that when you go fishing, you take along something that brings good luck – for example, a bucket,” Jim explained, “along with our view that if you’re in Grand Haven … you’re already pretty lucky.”

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The restaurant’s fish and chips dish is also served in a paper bucket.

Located on the edge of the downtown’s social district, Lucky Bucket customers may eat nearby at the restaurant’s red picnic tables, find a seat on Washington Avenue or take their food into OddSide Ales across the street.

Dogs are also welcome to visit the Lucky Bucket, and Jim hints that there may be a treat at the window for furry friends. Branded knit hats, baseball caps and T-shirts are available as well.

The latest updates to the menu can be found on the Lucky Bucket’s Facebook page.