After success with a food truck and being part of CO.A.T.I., a downtown food hall, Luchals’ owners introduced their third venture with their own brick and mortar location in Fountain.

Thus, “Soulful Seafood” is not just a catchphrase for Luchals; these two words best describe the restaurant’s well-received cuisine.

The emphasis on well-prepared, Southern-influenced fare hasn’t been lost in the expansion — although the new space is expansive.

Lexi, our enthusiastic server, was happy to talk about the menu, offer recommendations and provide excellent descriptions. The latter is what led us to order the crab fries ($20, can change based on market price).

Hand-cut fries dusted with Parmesan are topped with shredded blue crab with house-made “pink sauce” drizzled over the top. The sauce is a combo of mayo and hot sauce; it was creamy and not overly spiced. This is a substantial serving with no skimping on the crab.

Most menu items are gluten-free; even though many items are hand battered and deep-fried, no one needs to miss out on the crispy appetizers and entrees.

I’m pretty sure Lexi was disappointed that we did not order the Triple Threat ($30), which she explained was the best way to try a variety of the house specialties. It includes a choice of fried or pan-seared catfish fillet, a half-pound of shrimp and six wings tossed in a choice of sauces or the house dry rub. Our ultimate choices were not meant to disrespect her, and she did have good things to say about what we ordered.

The fried chicken platter ($22) features two hand-battered thighs and a choice of two sides. The golden-brown chicken, on a bed of mixed greens, had a nice crunchy layer encasing the juicy dark meat. We opted for macaroni and cheese along with fried okra. Again, the latter was due to Lexi’s encouragement. A longtime friend once said okra is something that should be had once a year whether you want it; I tend to agree.

Popcorn-size nuggets of the fibrous vegetable had a light cornmeal covering. They weren’t my favorite part of the meal, but very few remained by the time we finished eating. The mac and cheese was much more to my liking: creamy corkscrew-shaped pasta dusted with Parmesan and dried parsley. Both sides were served in faux cast-iron pans, which made for overall impressive plating with the chicken.

Shrimp and grits ($18) seemed a good thing to order at a place that boasted “Soulful Seafood” and it was not disappointing. This was, however, much spicier than anticipated thanks to a Cajun cream sauce that was plenty sharp. It did not detract from the cheesy grits, sauteed shrimp and medallions of sausage, though. This generous serving meant leftovers the next day.

Grits, fries, salad, red beans and rice, Brussel sprouts and vegan or turkey collard greens are available sides; other seafood items include salmon, crab cakes, oysters, calamari and snow crab. For soulful, consider fried green tomatoes.

The large dining area and dark decor don’t reflect the attention to detail in the food.