LuLu: Exciting South of Market ambience near Moscone Center
Written: Jan 28 '00 (Updated May 11 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very good food served family style. Great roast chicken.
Cons: Noisy, slightly haphazard service. Parking requires an effort.
The Bottom Line: Visit LuLu for very good food served family style in a lively, exciting South of Market venue.
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| jsquarejj's Full Review: LuLu Cafe |
Ever since it opened, I have made an annual Christmastime pilgrimage from Santa Cruz to San Francisco to LuLu to eat California eclectic cuisine served family style. At first, the dining experience was superb, a combination of great food lovingly prepared, excellent service, and ambiance that is simultaneously chic and homey. It would have taken extraordinary dedication to maintain that level of quality over the years, and unfortunately, LuLu has not managed to do it.
Don't get me wrong. The food is still very good, especially the seafood platters and the signature rotisserie chicken, and the menu continues to offer an interesting combination of traditional (mashed potatos, pizza) and unique (could be just about anything) dishes. The sad thing is that the kitchen has lost its edge--preparation and presentation are not what they used to be.
There are two real problems, though. First, the service has become downright catch as catch can. Once the wait person takes your order, all bets are off. The dishes will arrive at your table promptly, but special requests--like a glass of water--most often go unfulfilled. You'll probably also have trouble getting your check at the end of the evening. The second problem is noise. The large room, abundance of hard surfaces, and lack of partitions create a sea of noise that's difficult to talk through. When the food and service were great, that was just a minor annoyance. Now, it's a reason not to come here when there's a crowd.
Will I go back this year? Probably not. But I still think you should try it once.
By the way, there seems to be a bit of confusion about LuLu. There is LuLu restaurant, and immediately next door LuLu Café, also known as LuLu bis. The blurb at the beginning of this topic seems to describe LuLu Café, but most of the reviews, including mine, describe the restaurant.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jsquarejj
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Jim J
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Reviews written: 190
Trusted by: 78 members
About Me:
#7 in Personal Finance, #14 in Travel. My goal? Saving you money.
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