Fort Mill’s new gastropub, The Lucky Duck, opens in former Six Pence Pub spot
Fort Mill residents who are missing Six Pence Pub’s European pub vibes, hearty foods and rooftop views won’t have to reminisce any longer.
The Lucky Duck, Baxter Village’s newest farm-to-table gastropub, opened quietly over the weekend and will celebrate its grand opening tonight. A two-month renovation transformed the space from a British-inspired pub into a hangout with an Irish vibe. Gone are the green panels and British flag, replaced by a solid, deep gray exterior. The London-inspired phone booth remains on Market Street, offering the familiar pop of red that signifies you’ve arrived.
Locally grown food
Owner Greg Bauer also owns Charleston-based CO restaurant, which has Charlotte locations at Park Road Shopping Center and Waverly. His team of chefs created a menu using local products, homemade items and even a couple of popular dishes from CO.
“Rather than standard fried stuff, we make everything in house,” Bauer said. And he means everything: The restaurant smokes its own meats and offers house-cured bacon and salmon. Even the salad dressings and dumplings are made in-house.
CO fans will recognize the pork and ginger gyoza and curry laksa, both on the current menu at The Lucky Duck.
Executive chef Josh Chapman moved to Charlotte from Asheville, where he was executive chef of the Corner Kitchen. Chapman’s favorite menu item at The Lucky Duck is beef pie, cooked in a beef broth, red wine, thyme and mushroom sauce and placed inside a house-made puff pastry. The wings are also worth ordering, he said. “Everything is unique and special.”
Pastry chef Rachel Taylor, former pastry chef at BLT Steakhouse, has created a Key Lime Mousse pie for the current menu. She described it as “not as dense as regular key lime pie,” with blackberry and blueberry sauce on the bottom and coconut streusel and fresh berries on top.
The craft cocktail menu was partially developed by CO’s bar manager in Savannah. Order a Cilantro Paloma, with Herradura tequila, agave, lime, jalapeno, fentiman pink grapefruit tonic and cilantro, or an Emerald Isle, with Muddy River coconut rum, melon liqueur and pineapple.
The menu will change seasonally. The restaurant will be open for dinner to start, with brunch and lunch hours added eventually.
The rooftop patio and bar, with views of Baxter Village, is expected to open after renovations to the outdoor space are completed. The phone booth may get a fun renovation as well — stay tuned, Bauer said.
Bauer recently bought a home on 15 acres near Lake Wylie, where he plans to grow some of the vegetables that will be served in the restaurant. “My wife has adopted a couple of nearby ducks, so we figured The Lucky Duck would be a suitable name,” he said.
The Lucky Duck
993 Market Street, Fort Mill
This story was originally published May 27, 2019 at 10:01 PM with the headline "Fort Mill’s new gastropub, The Lucky Duck, opens in former Six Pence Pub spot."