Great cafe girls are fun to talk to cool place to to have some tea and watch a game ladies make you feel your with friends

Went in during a weekday at night. There were about 3 girls working. Our waiter was nice and informed us that there is a $5 dollar charge for the green tea water if we do not order anything from the menu...not a big deal. Drink was good and we got refills on our water constantly without asking. But it really was not what i expected. It was rather boring and most of the girls were hanging out at a table in the corner with some guys taking shots from what it looked like....hmmmm. One of the girls was obviously hammered. Probably wouldn't come back unless I was with a huge group of guys lol ..... FYI cash only read more

We came here with confused expectations, and left with smiling faces. Not just the men, but the girls as well. Natalie(owner) and the ladies there all gave A++ customer service. Even before we mentioned my buddies birthday the service started outstanding, so after we told them that's when things started popping off lol. We were playing games on the machine, drinking coffee, and tea all at once. Also, we got pictures with Natalie and the lovely girls. We felt special today all thanks to the excellent service cafe lu provided. Please come to cafe lu, cause you will not be disappointed. I'm surprised how negative the reviews are on here. Some people are ignorant thinking this is a place to study. Please look at the Yelp reviews before coming here expecting a Starbucks. Keep on trucking cafe lu! read more

My friend had always advertised how great this place was so decided to bring my friends over for a first impression. Girls were pretty but inattentive even with tips. Looked like they were just hanging out with their friends and maybe coworkers that came in off shift to keep their friends company while they worked. Tea was nice but we didn't go for the tea. Probably never going back nor asking my friends to go. read more

Since we was passing through and heard about the famous cafe we had to stop and see for ourselves. With social media shopwing how much fun this pace is I think it was over rated or maybe I just happened to stop in at the wrong time and day. It was a Saturday around 1pm as we walked in, the place it was empty with maybe 3-5 patrons adn 4-5 servers or waitresses working. We were seated along a wall and few minutes later a waitress serves us iced tea and a drink menu. Looking at the menu there wasn't much choices as some items was crossed off and a selection of smoothies and Vietnamese coffee. Got our order put in and a couple girls comes and sit next to us and socialize. I do admit they were friendly and beautiful and talking to us. Maybe thats their way of working for tips. Only 3 stars due to not much selection of food and prices. Will come back again if I am in town. read more

It's been a while since I went to cafe lu.thair beautiful girls.friendly.nice to talk to.i met Cindy my waitress she's gorgeous and I met Mimi she has beautiful eyes. Very curvaceous woman long black hair.fell in love instantly. Yea.i would visit again. read more

2nd visit to this type of place. Had Vietnamese Coffee 'light' which was cream and sugar, but good coffee. Ordered the Buffalo Wings, which were really good fried chicken. Excellent,actually. Staff was attentive and attractive, the server sat and made small talk for about 2 minutes twice in my visit. The eye candy servers in lingerie were circulating and mostly talking to customers. Hooters vibe with servers somewhere between Hooters and strip club. Security guard at the door. A good place to get a table and lap top during the day when you're on the road, but I didn't notice the plug situation. read more

I've heard a lot of hype about this place. It was even on TV. When I moved down to Huntington Beach from LA, my friends took me to check it out. Here's my honest opinion: The girls are very attractive, but their attitudes are shitty for the most part. I hate to paint all the girls with the same brush, but unless you roll in with an expensive car and park in the front- you're not going to get a smile. Don't believe me? The first time I came here, I pulled up with my prius. Walked in to a semi empty crowd and was greeted. I was surprised about the talent, they were easy on the eyes. But no smile, no hi, no B/S chit chat- only: what do you want to drink? My initial reaction was: "Wonderful, I have to pay for attitude". I get that for free at work. I told myself I would not come back. My brother (who's lived in OC a few years longer than I have), gave me the run down on how coffee shops work. I thought he was full of shit, so I had to test his theory out. Second visit, I came during the same early afternoon time frame like the first, but I drove my 997 911 GT3. Whadda you know, the same girl greeted me with the biggest smile. Still, reluctant to give my brother credit for his would-be wisdom, I gave the young girl the benefit of the doubt. It was only two days since my first visit. Maybe she was having a bad day, maybe it was that time of the month. Sure enough, the first thing out of her mouth was: "nice car, how much was it". Ok, Ok, I know what you're thinking... I'm writing a review about ONE person. Hear me out. So I said it was my brothers and that I drive a prius. I'm not surprised that she never came back. But the review is for all the girls, and for both times. My opinion is that a place like this offers a service so to speak, I make my way over, buy some drinks, shoot the shit, hang out with my friends, enjoy the scenery, pay, leave a tip and leave. Just like anything else. If someone at starbucks asked me: "whadda ya want?", I would kindly reply: "venti americanno, hold the attitude please". But that generally that doesn't happen. So why does it happen with Lu Cafe? My gist is that the girls are accustomed to a certain kind of clientele in the area. They do have a huge clientele base of supposed and actual "ballers", gangsters, and business professionals. I'm not saying all the girls are bona fied gold diggers. I'm just saying that stereotypes are based of certain truths. My apologies for any of the young women who are genuinely there to offer nice customer service and a friendly smile while half naked. To you, I have to say this: "you work with mean people". read more

I had been following this place for a few months on Facebook and was looking forward to going. The hype is better than the experience... I go in and I seat myself. Ok I can handle that. Next the server wearing the silver g-string comes up to me and asks what I want. No "Hello" or "Welcome, what can I get you?" Still I will let this slide because it is a Vietnamese business and they are not known for being friendly to customers. I get a menu and ask if the coffee-avocado smoothie is any good. She just nods but does not answer my question. Luckily I get some water while I wait for my order which came swiftly. The whole hour I am there no one comes up to me other than to fill my glass with water and walk away. That is all they know how to do around here. I notice the servers are at the counter texting away on their phones. I go up to the counter to pay and get the surprising news: $13 for the smoothie! No wonder they have no prices on their menus. I didn't know there was a cover charge... In short, this place is lame! The girls do not do their job because they do not think they have to just because of the skimpy underwear, the place is filled with second-hand smoke when there are "No Smoking" signs, and the prices are ridiculous. I will give them a star for quality because the smoothie was in fact good and a star for the ass and tits, but this place is lacking in customer service and does not deliver a good overall experience to the customer.Maybe if I would of walked into the joint holding a stack of bills in my hand they probably would of treated me better than they did.... read more

I'm Vietnamese, a daily coffee drinker and love BOOBS! But I wasn't impressed by Cafe Lu. It was a Saturday night and there were only a few people here. My girlfriend and I were the only girls besides the waitresses. First, their coffee was $7 and it was smaller than the smallest size at Starbucks! Vietnamese coffee is supposed to be strong, but I felt sleepy during the drive home to San Diego! Yeahhh NOT strong coffee at all. The avocado smoothie was good and our tea was constantly refilled. It's funny that they have huge "No Smoking" signs but everyone smokes in here. It makes me wonder how all these beautiful girls will look in 10 years... second hand smoke kills...and gives you wrinkles! =) There were 3 waitresses working. I thought I would be paying $7 for the "entertainment" (hot girls in bikinis) but as soon as the girls were finished with their orders, they would go behind the cash register and talk to each other. They didn't hang out or really communicate with the costumers. In conclusion, my gf and I found Cafe Lu really BORING! We even got hit on, but still found it boring! Haha. I rather go to Hooters or a bikini bar. Maybe it's true what they say about coffee shops... don't hit on the girls there, because their gangster boyfriend is sitting in some corner watching chuuu! Hahaha. Yeah, I have no other explanation to why the girls weren't interacting with people. I expect good costumer service and interaction even at regular restaurants, it just didn't happen here. read more

A typical Santa Ana coffee house experience at Cafe Lu is summarized below: [ OMG are those sweater puppies real?!? ] |||||||||| |/ (@ @ ) [ Would you like coffee or smoothies?] ( 0 ) ( *_* ) |/ []=======[] []==(__)(__)==[]c[_] l____l | | l l l /___\ |__|__| | | Yep, the scantily clad Vietnamese and Persian servers have certain "assets" that put them in a different class than Starbucks. Their attitude is probably worse than the local Starbucks though. Who can blame them though when their main clientele is chain smoking Asian males in their 30's? It's a bit larger, more crowded, and smokier than competitors such as Di Vang. In an odd way, the decor feels kind of classy for a sleazy establishment like a high class strip club. Remember to tip well guys, because cosmetic surgery doesn't come cheap. PROS: - Some of the hottest coffee servers in Little Saigon. - The jackfruit smoothie here is pretty good and actually has slices of real jackfruit on top. CONS: - These hostesses are pretty slow on the tea refills. read more

Probably *the* prettiest girls & *the* best drink I've had at a Vietnamese coffee shop! My milk tea with condensed milk was deliciously sweet & not so caffeinated that it made my heart flip-flop in my chest. So yummy, I wanted another one! The guys got smoothies. Slices of real bananas & strawberries float on the surface of their fruity drinks. There were about four Asian girls, all outfitted a little differently, but all very sexy! Victoria Secret push up bra paired with tiny cotton boyshorts. Yup. Nightie with barely-there g-string. Yup. Corset & lacey, rouched bottoms. Yup. And, the icing on the cake...3/4 had implants & they were good ones, too! Not obscenely big, no rippling, you know the ones. Discreet smoking--yup, they have that, too. Most amusing part of our hour there was when MamaSan walked out & shoo'ed all the girls onto the floor & off of their cell phones. They cowered & scattered under her powerful presence. 'You fill their drinks! You check on that mang there!' No lie, MamaSan was like 4 feet tall. I hope to wield that kind of power someday! read more

I came here twice the place is loud due to the music they have lots of TV's the girls are ok they are in bikinis but really don't pay attention to you as much unless you wave their attention or are a regular customer last night most of them ignored us pretty much the whole time almost the same as the previous trip. So most likely will not be back unless i know someone working there. Oh smoothie was ok too. read more

What can I say, I was curious. With all the recent press about these coffee shops, I wanted to see for myself. On a recent weekday afternoon, it looked like we pulled into just another nondescript strip mall. But this strip mall parking lot was just about filled to capacity near one side. The dark side. From the outside, the place just looks dead. But once inside, it's like stepping into an entirely different dimension. Second hand smoke immediately punched me in the face, then the third and fourth hand smoke kept jabbing me as I sat down. You ask, Is there such thing as third and fourth hand smoke? Inside here, I believe it. The waitress asked us what we wanted to drink, and it felt as though it was such an inconvenience for her to ask. I didn't want any coffee, so smoothies came into mind. I stopped myself from asking her what flavors they had, and if she could give me a "Peach Pleasure." Jamba Juice, this was not. I blurted out strawberry. When the waitress brought out a near neon pink colored smoothie in one of those milkshake glasses with a straw sticking out, I couldn't help but cough in a manly manner and puff out my chest. Though secure in my masculinity, I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't try to suck down that $7 smoothie down as fast as I could. I glanced around, everyone was drinking GREEN smoothies. Yes I know, avocado. The place was packed to the brim with dudes of all shapes and sizes, young and old. Aside from the periodic bursts of laughter in a large group in the corner, the mood was serious. Dark. Gloomy. Obviously everyone is there to see the girls. I already expected the girls to be fembots, but when you experience it in person, it's such a downer. Mannequins have more personality. But I get it, it's all about the eye candy, and there's a wide variety. Some are curvier than others. Some managed to crack a smile, some show a lot of crack, while others seem like they don't know a crack of English. Some have less to wear than others, like a LOT less. I saw one completely naked (or so it looked like, the smoke started tearing up my eyes) girl with some incredible body art. That alone, was worth the price of admission, just not the price of smoky lungs. read more

Whatever luster this place had in its glory days is long since gone. Maybe some people get excited about 19 year old girls in their underwear, but I guess I'm getting to a point where this just smacks of exploitation. For starters, the girls working in this particular location were not what I would consider gorgeous. Couple that with the fact they're all constantly texting on their cell phones and just seemed completely uninterested I taking care of customers. On another note, there is virtually no food to order. How do you run a food and beverage establishment without food? How does this place make money? The owner was working that night and all she did was keep her nose in her phone. She runs the place more like a Madame than a manager so it's no wonder the place was pretty empty. The novelty of scantily clad teenagers wears off in minutes and is replaced by a sense of boredom and tension. The drinks consist of Vietnamese coffee and a few smoothie selections, so you really come here for the ladies But what's missing is a sense of fun, festive decor and high energy. If you've ever received bottle service at a club, that's the type of energy that this place needs to shine. I think they can pull it off with new management, but for now, one visit was enough to satisfy one's curiosity. I hope the owner will add food, festivities and a more dynamic atmosphere. If she does, this place could return to its former glory days. Best of luck. read more

I haven't been here in years but I am glad I decided to visit. Had a friend down from Dallas and they wanted to visit the infamous OC coffee shops with the pretty girls. I told em... Perfect spot... CAFE LU I don't know about these previous reviews but the girls were really friendly with me. Do you guys expect them to greet you with a bj or something? Come on, they're servers that just so happen to be in a bikini. I don't know what you expect when you go there but if you trying to spit lame pick up lines, they probably heard a 1000000 and counting. If they like you, they would hang out and talk for a minute. That's the same for ANY restaurant. Most of these bad reviews come from females who seem more jealous than that evil queen hating on sleeping beauty. Some people complaining about the quality... Come on... these coffee shops are'nt known for superb world famous coffee. It's a spot for guys to talk, do business, hang out with pretty girls walking around. Don't apply the same grading you would for a family restaurant. So enough regulating on the haters, lets get down to the reviewing... The drink: I ordered a hot coffee with condensed milk. I usually drink double shot espresso's and pretty dark blends. I've always drank cafe su dah's(vietnamese ice coffee) but I never knew that vietnamese hot coffee would be a dose of cocaine, meth and heroine all into one. This coffee was so strong, I had one at 4pm, had me wide awake and working till 3am. Cafe Lu's hot coffee makes red bull seem like a weak little can of soda. The environment: Hot babes = beautiful scenery The service: Girls so friendly, I made two new friends :) veronique and harmony. Despite what haters say, they are pretty. I put my money where my mouth is and will be having them come on board for some up coming projects in my films (no not porn you assholes but close enough, comedy) I am not a regular at this spot because it's far but I recommend it to all. I think it's a great spot to do business, hang out with friends, watch sports, run away from angry ex girlfriends and see some nice eye candy. read more

I've lived in so-cal my entire life and never went to any of these notorious gogo-ish cafes before. My buddies and I heard a lot about them so we decided to hit Cafe Lu since we were in the area. We were here on a Thursday night and it was extremely dead. Drinks average about $7 and you have a variety of smoothies and coffee (cafe sua da probably being the most popular). The place was full of old men sitting alone. Quite depressing really. There were several groups of guys huddled in the corners and vapeing amongst themselves. 3 girls were present and they were cute however, all those cellulite injections(just speculation) in their butts cause em to look a little like cottage cheese, shame really. There are several TVs and while I was there, a Laker's game was showing but no one was really paying attention to the game, since you probably come for the eye candy. Maybe I'll try comming back with some bi female friends as company and see if it's any different, I doubt it though. I guess this place is more targeted towards insecure guys trying to flex their libido or old men trying to get their's back but it's not really my cup of tea. I would say I'm too old for this sh*t but (haha) everyone there was probably older than me. If you like this kind of stuff though, you'll probably have a better time at a strip club or something I suppose. read more

I just want to say to the girls: "what would YO parents say!?" You have got old men(that could be your father) gawking over you. I feel uncomfortable just walking by a construction site with a coat on and everything. I guess these girls must have really thick skin and strong lungs to not be bothered by the leery eyes and smoke all around. Well as long as they are able to support themselves doing what they do. read more

Such a Tease!! in a bad way... I thought hey FRI night, I'll bring my asian loving guy here so he can get an eye full. Disappointed.... Maybe they are cuter in pictures.. Maybe I came at the wrong time... What we got was an unfriendly waitress in underwear bringing us a smoothie. I don't think they are allowed to talk to the customers.. or so it seemed. The smoothie did tasted alright. It was getting late so it wasn't very crowded, thank goodness because its small in there and they smoke. Sadly disappointed... read more

Mr. Koala Bear - aka Mr. Innocent Little Boy who shall be corrupted by me tonight for bringing you into this sinful coffee parlor: First, allow yourself to be lost in midst of the infamous Santa Ana, no, no need to panic for you shall not be harmed by those lovely street walking ladies. what? those suspicious looking dark-skinned wanderers? Nya~ they will never solicit you for money or grab your wallet when you are not paying attention. Second, park your car and fully divulge your essence into the unassuming strip mall. Remember; hide all your fancy GPS, stereo system and MP3 players inside your trunk while no one's looking! Well, while you are at it, you might want to punch a few dent on your fancy Beamer so it doesn't ask for unwanted attention. Now, with money in your pocket, knock-off Rolex on your wrist, you are fully-equipped to step inside that Adult Disneyland. Remember, raise your innocent big head and take a deep breath of that dull yet alluring mixture air. the misty smoke-filled room might cloud your vision at first, but that combination scent of tobacco, human flesh, perfume, and faint aura of jasmine flower; doesn't that just deliberate your memory right into the love-making scene of Marguerite Dura's the lover? Turn to your left, Mr. Koala, you got some blondie waitress with face of an angel and a busting measurement of 34 DDD approaching from 3 o'clock. She is approaching you, slowly swinging her hip in a perfect drawing motion of number 8, the dainty belly button tear-drop ring jingles with exotic charm of the far east, the muscle of her calves tightened with visible sign of veins due to that 6-inch stripper heel, you like her? I know I do. ~ what?!!??! She didn't smile while taking your order? its okay, you only want to stare at her boobs anyway. Now turn to your right, dear. See that petite brunette waitress sitting there in a thong? Isn't she lovely the way she tosses her hair and puckers her collagen-injected lips? Let's both stare at her for a few seconds and have our imagination run wild while drinking this tap water mixture of whatever. ~ what??!! Her fakes lashes and make up is too heavy you couldn't see "windows of her soul"? What the eff is wrong with you? Even I know those pair of $3,000 special package weigh more than my soul any day of the week and much well-worth to look at!! Fine, Mr. Koala, we are out of here and I will sign you up for eharmony next time. read more

Cafe Lu is probably one of the greatest cafes I've ever been to. The ambiance is amazing, and I really enjoyed chatting with the girls. I enjoyed every minute of talking to Selina. She is bae. 10/10 would come back, 11/10 would come back for her. read more

You have to check it out! So that was the consensus. And I went, along with 2 guys. The place doesn't look like much from outside with all the doors and windows tinted or covered up. It actually looked like it was under construction. So deep breath and in I went. And that was the last deep breath I was able to take for a while. It was so smokey inside that it was suffocating. Standing at the door waiting for someone to greet us, I took a quick scan to see the place full of men of different ages, playing cards and smoking away. There are "No Smoking" signs on the walls but no one paid any attention. I was told they smoke at their own risk of being fined, and at the risk of so many others of getting lung cancer. It was awkward enough being the only girl in the establishment not wearing a thong or a bikini (besides the old lady owner), but it was worse just standing inside the door not knowing what to do. No one really came to greet us. So in the end I just flagged down one of the waitresses to ask if we could sit anywhere. Yes you sit anywhere. Next, a waitress came to ask for our orders. I asked for a menu. There was none. They only served coffee and smoothies. I asked her what kind of smoothies and she started going down the list. Ok, awkward enough, so I made a quick decision to ordered a strawberry smoothie. It tasted pretty good! Most of the time in there I spent staring at the girls. It was very difficult not to. Only 1 or 2 were hot. I might be biased being a girl myself but my guy friends agreed. But the one girl that was hot, I could not stop staring at her cute behind in her lacy black thong... That was the highlight of the trip. The room was cold and smokey (!). I was freezing as I sipped my smoothie and wondered how those girls could stand it, walking around with almost nothing on. We didn't stay long, I barely got through half of my smoothie before I was desperate for some fresh air. I guess I could say the smoke was another highlight of the visit since my asthmatic friend started snoring loudly every night starting then for the rest of our vacation. Personally I would not go back. The place looked shady... men playing cards, smoking and staring at half naked girls. But like me, YOU HAVE TO CHECK IT OUT! read more

This is one of the better coffee/tea shops of this type around. However the girls are iffy at all of these places. Reason being, some just are there to look pretty and not work it. Most of them do not understand that a little pleasantry goes a long way and raises that tip significantly. None the less I was here a couple weeks ago with a few friends. We were just cooling our heels and talking about the world going by. I was enjoying some lemonade and tea (separately together, so like a split Arnold Palmer). The lemonade was very tasty. The tea was very thin and with a cup filled mostly with ice, its almost like water allowing you to drink a bit more to stay hydrated, especially on a hot day. PRO TIP: Bring a deck of cards, some dice, or a game of some sort to play while enjoying your drinks. Like most of these Viet coffee/tea, the tea is free and refilled often by the roaming waitresses. The other beverages are not free and some are better than others. They run the full gamut from hot and iced coffees, juices, blended beverages, and some other similar items. Definitely a number of tasty choices. However, do not expect to eat anything here. PRO TIP #2: They have a lotto machine here for all of your last minute lotto needs... Smoking happens, but if they are raided you will be fined as the signs point out on the walls all over the place. The ventilation here is pretty good and that makes the smoke a very minor issue. They have multiple internet stations along the walls allowing you to enjoy a drink and work on whatever you need to. I will say it is a bit disappointing when only one waitress was willing to talk to our group of 10 guys at all. read more

After following them for a few years on their ever so popular Facebook page, I was thrilled to finally pay this place a visit during a trip to LA. I came in on a Sunday around 3PM. I recognized maybe 2 of the girls from the internet while the rest were just average. They obviously like to advertise their better girls. Bad time? Not sure... There was NO interaction, no smiles. Most of the time the girls were behind the counter on their phones, etc. They were however, extremely attentive with refilling your iced teas. I figured drinking our iced teas faster would get them to come out of their cave hahaha...which worked haha! Got 3 Vietnamese coffees. Total was $18. Would I come back? Unless I was in the area and needed a $6 Vietnamese coffee and eye candy. Cafe Lu is much better than any other Vietnamese coffee shop I've been to. Less "dirty" and on average better looking girls in terms of stature and fitness. None of that ghetto SJ girl feel. However, I did expect a lot more from this place judging from the internet. As in, more americanized and not your typical coffee shop with the whole smoking indoors. But you can't have those expectations for a coffee shop now can you? read more

Other than the Vietnamese waitresses dressed in spandex and lingerie and 6 inch clear hooker heels, I was probably the only other girl here besides one other chick with a table full of guys. I was always curious to see what the ruckus was about these Vietnamese coffee shops so I had to check it out with a friend. It's dark and smoky and filled with Asian men (and some white guys) ranging from age 18-70. Some of the girls were really pretty and others were so-so. The big hair, fake lashes, fake tits (not all of them) and underwear as an outfit helped bump a girl from a 5/6 to a 7. Our waitress was actually very nice and had a cute face. She was really sweet and smiling all the time. She reminded me of those cute anime girls. (I mean this as a compliment) The tea was whatevers but the coffee was strong! I only had one glass but I was wired for the rest of the night. I have to say 5 bucks for a small glass of coffee filled mostly with ice is pretty expensive but I was told you drink the tea in between each sip of strong coffee. I didn't know this and downed the coffee in less than 5 minutes. hahaha! oops! That one glass kept me up til 1am when I planned to sleep by 10:30pm. (Yes I'm an old lady) I liked all the TVs everywhere and playing card games at almost every table. It was a chill place to go to but I don't know if I would go there anytime soon. I felt like I was trespassing at a Boys Club Asian Edition. I hated smelling like cigarettes the rest of the night and felt my lungs were blackening. read more

I feel like even a 2 star review is a bit undeserved for this place. A big group of my friends had been wanting to come here for quite some time and had been hyping it up. Because it's close to an hour long drive, it took awhile for an opportunity to come up, but eventually we made the trek to the OC just to experience Cafe Lu. First impressions, the exterior isn't even lit up and windows are covered up (naturally). Upon stepping inside, you immediately smell cigarette smoke. It actually smells very similar to a strip club, which isn't very pleasing to me. One waitress took all of our drinks. It's odd. There are no menus and she could hardly remember everything they serve. I later realized that there are no menus because drinks are extremely overpriced. ($5 for a small coffee, $7 for a "smoothie". I had a mango smoothie - nothing to praise, actually pretty bad compared to what's available in the SGV. Each person is given a glass of tasteless iced tea which never goes empty. I'm confused as to why people come here - perhaps I'm not easily impressed by scantily clad women. Looking around, the customers are 99% old asian men either smoking and playing cards or just "casually" admiring women. My opinion? Go to a tea/drinks spot if you want that or go to a strip club if you want to see TnA. Never coming back even if it were down the street and drinks were free. read more

After my recent bday eve Viet dinner we stopped into this coffee/card club/men's club. Wow, what a sensory overload. Beautiful Asian waitresses walking around in all of their Victoria's Secret glory, 100 mostly Asian men smoking and playing cards, music blaring, and flat screens a-flickerin. Oh, and drinking really strong coffee, and tea as well, at the same time. The tea I believe is comped, but you make up for that by giving out well deserved tips for the, uh, um, great service. Steven N coached me on the drill: drink the tea quickly so the ladies come by more often, drink the coffee slower cuz your paying for each refill of that. Alrighty, I got it down and cant wait to try out my newly learned skills soon! Downsides: there is no booze, and I don't often drink caffeinated bevs, and as a result did not get to sleep till 1:00, on a school night. Careful with this shiz. Yikes! Its mostly a guy hang out, and lots of smoke. Otherwise an interesting place worth checking out at least once. Even though I was the oldest, and one of the few non-Asians, I did not feel uncomfortable as I have at other smaller Viet coffee joints. Worth a stop for those that are adventurous and looking for a dif experience. read more

Finally made it out to Cafe Lu. Weird thing is I ended up going with wifey. I remember seeing dudes on the internet complain about how the girls are stuck up and this and that but I totally didn't have that experience. There were only 2 girls there when we went and they were both very friendly and attentive. But Raquel was especially nice and a super sweetheart. She came and sat with us and shared stories about her life with us. She was very insightful and made me feel more comfortable about being there with my wife. As far as coffee goes I had the VN iced coffee it was bomb but comes in teeny tiny cups that I finished in 2 gulps. read more

So I was hoping this place was going to be a cool hangout spot with pretty girls that would talk you up for big tips and trick you into buying mediocre drinks which I would be totally fine with. The only parts of that being true are the girls are definitely pretty and the drinks are mediocre. It took us almost an hour and a half to get there. We went in excited and we left a bit depressed. It was the afternoon and the only people that were there were creepy old guys. The more weirdos that came in the more we did not want to be there. The girls are not personal at all. They don't talk to you. They don't even say basic waitress phrases like "how is everything?" or "can I get you anything else?" They only come by to pour you more water which we were not really drinking. They don't even want to look at you. All the girls were most of the time in the kitchen probably instagraming. I guess if I worked there and the only people that came in were old perverts I would not want to talk to anyone either. They don't have food even though the menu has some listed. Supposedly when football season starts they will have food and beer. They only have smoothies and coffee at an outrageous $7. You got to pay to stay if you only came to window shop. I mean sure the reason we came were for the girls, and yeah we follow them on instagram, and yeah we wished they had talked to us and made us feel special, but I swear we are not creepers!!! So to recap: The cons: dark inside, smells like cigarettes even though there is a sign saying no smoking, nothing but old men and creepers, girls won't talk to you because they think you are just another creeper which you probably are. Shame on all of you!!! The pros: Good music (a bit loud), Lots of tv's with sports, and hot girls. One of the girls told me (I was surprised I paid attention since I was lost in her... eyes) that it is more fun and poppin at night. I guess we went at the wrong time when the weirdos come out. I might give this place a second chance. read more

came to a place like this for the 1st time. I thot they were suppose to be half naked! lingerie does not count! they are full covered minus their legs. go to cafe miss cutie: http://violetkim.com/2011/01/30/visit-to-cafe-miss-cutie/ and read my review for cafe miss cutie on yelp. read more

What it do Cafe Lu!? I bet you think all these men are bugaboos? I didn't come here to bug the boos Or even stare at all the boobs ( 0 Y 0 ) I came here for coffee that was really strong It was just an added bonus for the ladies in thongs Double Ds on Vietnamese serving ice teas Got all these dudes saying, ooohh baby please! Was in the area so had to see what all the hype was about. It was A-OK. Asked the ladies if they could take a pic with our 16 year old cousin and they said they charge 20 bucks for a pic. Passed on that. But I did take plenty of mental snap shots for him! If I'm not in the area, I don't think I'd comeback. I'd comeback if I was in the area. read more

It's was okay. food wasn't bad the only thing that was bad was that nun of girls came to our table. we just sat there while seeing them from far. I would go again if I had nothing to do read more

Every time we have visitors from other States, Vietnamese Coffee Shops are always the place to go. There's nothing quite like it if you are not from So. Cal. You spend less than $5 for a cup of coffee. If you don't drink coffee, they also serve smoothies, and teas. They even have food if you are hungry. But you don't come here to eat or drink coffee. It's more of girl watching. They walk around in the bikinis or lingerie. I think it's better than Hooters. read more

This review will be short and to the point. There are smart coffee shop managers and there are the coffee shop managers who really don't give a shit anymore. Cafe Lu is a prime example of the latter. After sitting down and waiting, and waiting, and waiting you will quickly realize that customer service is not on the radar, at all. Eventually, you will be approached by a lady with all the personality of a manikin, most likely suffering from a broken jaw because nearly none of them speak, and your overpriced coffee or smoothie will be delivered "sometime" after that. If you come here thirsty for the tea you might want to consider bringing your own, because refilling your tea requires effort on the manikins part and she will most likely be too busy standing behind the counter reading/sending text messages. There are MUCH better coffee houses in the same area that offer MUCH, MUCH better service. However, if you must experience the morgue-like excitement of Cafe Lu I suggest buying a Maxim magazine and brewing your own coffee at home. The girls in the magazines actually have more personality ;) read more

Went to Santa Ana to visit my cousin's dessert shop so I decided to stop by this place since I've heard so much about it. EXPECTED: Hot girls (not sure Asian or not because of the heavy makeup) in underwear walking around pouring tea, super strong Vietnamese coffee, many TVs surrounded, and 20:1 ratio of old man to hot waitress. *Check* UNEXPECTED: EVERYONE stared at you when you walked through the door (Is it that weird that me and my cousin are the only girls here???), after sitting down and they STILL stared at you, coffee was actually pretty good but freaking expensive ($7) for a TINY cup (me=caffeine addict), Cartoon Network was on one of the TVs (I guess they try to make it kid-friendly lol), they have a menu and serve food, and WHYTF are they still staring???? Time to get out. *Check* It is one of those places that you gotta try once when you're around the area. Other than that, i don't think it's anything special. Don't forget to tip. Girls gotta make a living! 2013/#95 read more

I was really disappointed with my first visit here today. I was immediately greeted when I walked in. I grabbed a seat and was waited on by two of the waitresses. After one of them took my order, which was just a cup of hot Vietnamese coffee. They couldn't decide who was going to serve me. One of them asked me who I wanted to serve me. I said, this is my first time here. I don't care; whoever makes the best coffee. After a few minutes one of them comes back with my coffee and I never heard from anyone again. I wanted to order some other food and drinks. I just walked to the counter and paid for my coffee. The coffee wasn't made good either. I've had Vietnamese coffee before and this wasn't close to what I've had in past as far as quality from other restaurants. There was maybe 10 customers and it didn't appear to be busy. The waitresses weren't paying attention to anyone. They seem to be socializing with each other at the counter. I believe in second chances, so maybe I'll try another day to go there again. I was there on a Saturday around 5pm. I don't remember the name of the girls that worked there that day since they didn't really help me. read more

Been here a couple of times last year, but I never got a chance to write a review for this place. First of all, this place a great to hang out with your boys, watch sports, and chill. I don't know about these negative reviews about this place getting bad service, but they are friendly to me. They're servers in bikini and I don't know what you expect from these girls, but if you're trying to spit game then you're dumb because they heard that shit millions of time every single day. And if you're cool, they'll probably stay and chit chat with you for a little bit and that goes for any place. Coffee and drinks is okay. This place a great place to hang out, talk business, and watch sports with pretty girls walking in bikinis. I give this place a 5 star. read more

Went there around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Only two waitresses were working and they totally ignored my friend and I. After 30 minutes of waiting, one girl takes our order. 30 minutes pass again... "what was your order again?" The drinks then come out at 8:15 p.m. I ordered a coconut smoothie and my friend ordered an orange smoothie. It was loaded with ice and tasted like a slurpee from 7-11. Hardly any milk in it at all. I think the girl was named Sarah. This is my first visit to this place since they remodeled it. I was enticed by their facebook postings and updates of girls like Amy, but apparently they only work on weekdays? We then departed and left a $2 dollar tip. Sarah came running from another table when she was snacking on some Cheetos. Amazing! She ran faster to get our tip than to take our order. I was much happier at Cafe Di Vang!! Better service, tastier drinks, and sexier girls. Those girls really deserve a $5+ tip. The interior of Cafe Lu is dirty and filled with smoke. Almost like a strip club environment. Its not any better than the mall its located in. Probably won't go back again. read more

Checked this place out last night for the first time and it was OK. The girls working there were good looking, the tea/water was refilled pretty quickly and your drink orders are served fast, but without a smile :o( For a Saturday night, I thought it would have been packed, maybe it's the day before Superbowl Sunday had something to do with it? I don't know, but there was only 4 other parties when we arrived. If checking out hot chicks in bikinis, drinking a lot of non-alcoholic drinks, smoking inside a closed room, listening to loud club music, watching random sports on TV, playing checkers, cards or video games with your buddies is your thing, then you'll probably really enjoy this place. Don't expect the girls to be super friendly and ask how your day was, remember, this is not a strip bar. I think they are only friendly to people they know or maybe the regulars who tip very well. For 2 people, we had 2 tea/waters, 2 iced coffees, 1 fruit smoothie came to $25 + $10 tip, meh it was alright, I don't know what all the fuss is about. read more

First time having Vietnamese coffee at Cafe Lu was a wonderful experience but 2 stars at best. I loved the cute Asian waitresses serving the coffee and unlimited ice tea, but this place is very awkward. It didn't help that I visited during the week. Cafe Lu has that strip club vibe without the lap grinding and resulting blue balls. The coffee was about $7 or so, served in a high ball class(or slim jims for you slick bartenders). The waitresses continuously walk around in high heels with very skimpy outfits, lingerie and bikinis and quickly topping off your free ice tea. Seriously, you take a sip, and they refill it. By the time I left, I nuts were filled with so much iced tea that I was tasting when I burped. There is really nothing to do there except stare at the girls. Im totally for that but after 10 minutes, meh! I would like to return during football season cause I think it would be fun to watch games and chill with hot Asian chicks. However, this place is for youngsters. I am not Asian so there is only soo much 20year old gawking that I can handle. Of course the girls are gorgeous but they are supposed to be, right? Being Hot isn't enough. So what is next...the expensive coffee? or the unlimited iced tea? You can do better, Cafe Lu. How about serving food, nothing crazy but sandwiches and appetizers. How about a bakery to serve some breakfast treats. Great idea but could be better. Im totally spoiled by places like Sam's Hofbrau in Dtwn LA. That is the bar that I measure guys spots against. Cafe LU is in the Hooters fun category but can get dull very quick. If you do go to Sam's, Darling Darla will blown your socks off compared to any Cafe Lu guaranteed! 5 stars...Rookie! read more