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Lou's Cafe

4.4 (233 reviews)
InexpensiveSalad, Soup, Sandwiches
Closed • 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

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Business Info

LOU'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Lou's Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Roma's Club Sandwich
Valerie Z.

Love these sandwiches--appropriately priced at under $14. The people taking the order at the counter have never messed up my sandwich but I do get a little upset at how long it can take to get your food. There are a lot of online orders which seem to be prioritized and sandwiches can take as long as 15 minutes to get if you're ordering at the counter during the lunch rush. I love that there is a comfortable outdoor eating area with comfy chairs and set off from the street.

Carmen G.

A small cafe serving up salads and sandwiches in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Hopped in here to grab some lunch with some teammates and they had a cute patio seating just outside of their storefront. The patio itself was all the vibes, with heaters and clean tables. The cafe was small but had a lot of people waiting around for their food. Food did take a while to come out, understandable though, since it was prime lunch rush during a weekday. I opted for their Asian salad that came with iceberg lettuce, clementines, wonton chips, and almonds. The salad was tasty and fresh, portions were huge! I wanted something light for lunch but felt like I should have ordered a sandwich instead since everyone else's sandwich looked so much better than mine! Overall, a solid spot if you're looking for a light bite during your workday!

Exterior
Sarah C.

I'm not sure you could call Lou's Cafe a hidden gem, given the number of nearby office workers that get lunch here. However, it is tucked back off the street so you might not see it, and is certainly a gem. The shop itself is quite small, with grab and go fridges and a bustling staff behind the long counter. Place your order to the right and wait for it to be prepped. I wouldn't say they're particularly fast, but given the volume they're dealing with they're not slow either. There is standing room inside, or you can enjoy their awesome exterior patio, which includes tables as well as outdoor couches AND heaters (!). I got the tuna melt on dutch crunch bread and it was absolutely perfect, nailing my craving. I think it was $12.50, which seems like a heck of a deal for SF. My lunch group got various other sandwiches and salads and also seemed to be pleased. I'd definitely come back!

Tuna Melt Sandwich
Alex Z.

The definition of a 'hidden gem', Lou's is tucked away in a small alcove that's easy to miss. In the middle of the Financial District, it's the perfect place to grab a lunch - just make sure you come before noon to avoid the rush. Due to the small staff, it can take a bit of time to get your food. The sandwiches themselves are fantastic, with a wide range of options from classics like the Roma Club and Tuna Melt to the more adventurous Hot Link and Loquito sandwiches, you can't go wrong. Make sure to get everything on it, including the Lou's special sauce, which is what elevates the sandwiches above your standard fare by adding a savory/sweet/spicy kick to every bite. With each sandwich being around $13, it's also a great deal for the size you get, especially in SF. If you're looking for the next lunch spot to impress your friends and coworkers, this is it.

Suraj P.

Really delicious sandwich and super fast service. I ordered ahead on DoorDash and it was done well before the estimated time. Make sure to go up and ask someone as they keep the online orders in a different area. I loved how much toppings they put inside, will definitely be going back!

Turkey and avocado on Dutch crunch
Steven W.

I had a turkey and avocado with everything on Dutch crunch. The flavors were great. I liked the little kick of heat from the jalapeno spread, and everything worked well together. But the Dutch crunch bread was more chewy than crunchy. The top of the bread was soft, not crisp. And bread is an important part of a sandwich. (Dutch crunch should have a crunch.) Lou's makes a good sandwich. But not a great sandwich. If I worked in the area, I could see eating here regularly. But while I had a perfectly good lunch, this wasn't a destination sandwich. Service was friendly. There is some seating outside, which looked nice, but I took my sandwich to go.

Arthur L.

Lou's is of my office's favorite sandwich spots near and comes highly recommended. Lou's is on the ground floor of an office building with easy access from the street. The server was super nice and helpful. Most recommended the Risky Bizness sandwich, and with my favorite crust of all time, Dutch Crunch, it was an easy decision to make. The sandwich itself was packed with everything and super delicious. It was so good, that the next time I went, I just automatically choose the same!

Kelly H.

This is a solid sandwich place for sure. We got the veggie sandwich and it was really tasty and satisfying. It was packed with a lot without having to widen your mouth a bunch for a bite LOL

Roma's Club Sandwich
Angel L.

Affordable delicious lunch spot for people who work in downtown sf or want to grab a quick bite! You can also call ahead to order if you're in a hurry. It's nestled in a spot that might be hard to find. There's plenty of outdoor seating. I had the Roma's club sandwich and their house sauces are so delicious! Adds a creamy and spicy kick to the sandwich. Love their Dutch crunch bread too. Will be back everytime I need a lunch spot :-)

Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Andrea T.

I got the chicken pesto sandwich and it was so good that I accidentally ate the whole thing even though I was only going to eat half. I was sooo full afterwards but didn't regret it. They put a sauce in the sandwich that gives it an extra kick. The part I like most about this sandwich is that even though it is large, the bread is not too thick, and it is toasted to perfection. I like this location because the cashier is very friendly and the ambiance is modern. You may need to wait awhile for your food because they have many orders. Seems like they might let you order ahead, but I haven't tried that yet.

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6 months ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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2 months ago

Love getting lunch from here when I can. I order pick up to avoid the lunch rush though. Everyone is so kind and efficient.

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10 months ago

Good food, fast service and reasonably priced. They are busy so call ahead. They are in a kind of strange location but worth hunting down.

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1 year ago

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9 months ago

Delicious, consistent and reasonable! Great seating area outdoor and your sandwich is ready fast.

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1 year ago

Had the hot pastrami. Prices are fair and portions are good. Food was very enjoyable; would go back

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Yuji

Yuji

4.7
(86 reviews)
1.8 mi

Came here to celebrate my husband's birthday and thoroughly enjoyed our Bar Kappo experience! This…read morehas definitely made my top 3 omakases I've tried in the Bay Area so far. The restaurant can be a little hidden, but it's pretty easy to find with the instructions they send before your reservation. It's located above Fermentation Lab. Just head up the stairs and you'll find it inside the old Ichi Pub space. The restaurant is small and intimate, with only 9 seats at the counter. When you arrive, walk through the Yuji curtain and check in directly with the chef since there is no host. My biggest concern with set menus is always whether I'll feel satisfied and full afterward, but that was definitely not an issue here. My husband and I were both very satisfied after the meal. Every dish was delicious, and you could really taste the quality of each ingredient. Highlights for me were the bluefin sashimi, which was so buttery and soft that it literally melted in your mouth. The skillfish was rich and decadent, and the citrus and ginger balanced the flavors. The fried fish was another favorite as it reminded me of the savory Japanese rice crackers I loved growing up. Since it's located in Japantown, parking can be challenging. We had to loop around several times looking for street parking and even had two cars take spots we were waiting for, so definitely give yourself extra time before your reservation. I would highly recommend this place! The chef changes the menu periodically based on what's in season, so it's a great excuse to come back and try something new in the future. Total spent for 2: $462

Really hidden spot with no signage -- we had to ask neighboring restaurants for directions, but it…read morewas absolutely worth finding. The chef was incredibly warm, smiley, welcoming, and attentive throughout the meal. Every ingredient tasted exceptionally fresh, with careful selection of only the best cuts and portions. Highlights included the otoro, wagyu beef, spot shrimp, caviar, green eye fish, and hotaru ika. The omakase was perfectly portioned and thoughtfully paced from start to finish. A truly memorable experience.

Photos
Bar seating
Bar seating
Chilean sea bass with piece of truffle and pickled ginger on top
Chilean sea bass with piece of truffle and pickled ginger on top
Matcha crème brulee

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Matcha crème brulee
Sobakatsu

Sobakatsu

4.4
(293 reviews)
1.6 mi
•$$

We got here around 10-15 minutes before opening on a Wednesday and there was already a line…read more Luckily we were still seated within the first round. There is only a small seating area fitting around 6 small parties or so, you go in and order on a kiosk and they will call your number when your meal is ready to pick up. I got the Zaru Soba Surimiten with cold soba and the Warabimochi. The cold soba was super refreshing especially on a hot day and after waiting in line. I loved that everything is homemade from the soba and tempura all the way to the soba dipping sauce. The tempera was delicious, it came with a different variety and some that I never tried before. I would highly recommend coming early and getting in line before it opens to be able to get in first, but definitely worth the try for some authentic Japanese soba!

I came here alone on a weekday a little after lunchtime and there were only a few people ahead of…read moreme waiting for spots. It's a tiny spot with about 11 seats inside. You have to claim a seat first before you can start ordering at the kiosk. I tried the hot scallop soba, which came with little bay scallops that were tempura fried really well. The portion sizes were decent and everything came out hot and pretty quickly. I also ordered the chicken plum karaage as a side. It was all white meat and surprisingly tender and juicy. It didn't have a ton of flavor, but the texture was good. You can watch the chefs working right behind the counter, which is kind of cool. The whole meal came out to a little over 40 dollars after tax, so expect to pay a bit more for the experience. Overall, it's a cool spot to get fresh clean soba and it's close to Super Mira.

Photos
Inside
Inside
Tenzaru Soba: Shrimp + Veggie Tempura w/ chilled soba noodles | $19.25
Tenzaru Soba: Shrimp + Veggie Tempura w/ chilled soba noodles | $19.25
Cold soba + tempura

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Cold soba + tempura
HINODEYA Ramen Japantown

HINODEYA Ramen Japantown

4.2
(2.3k reviews)
1.8 mi
•$$

We are writing to express our strong appreciation for the exceptional Umami Creamy Tan-Tan-Men soup…read moreand to respectfully request its permanent return to the menu. This dish stands out as one of the most memorable and flavorful offerings we have experienced. The rich, creamy broth delivers a perfectly balanced umami depth, harmoniously combined with subtle heat and aromatic spices that create an indulgent yet refined dining experience. Both my partner and I were thoroughly impressed by its complexity and comforting warmth, and we have continued to crave it long after the winter season. The Umami Creamy Tan-Tan-Men soup represents a true highlight of your culinary repertoire. We believe it deserves a lasting place on the regular menu, where it can be enjoyed year-round by loyal patrons and new guests alike. Its removal has left a noticeable gap, and we are confident that reinstating it as a signature item would be met with great enthusiasm. Thank you for creating such an outstanding dish. We eagerly await its return and look forward to ordering it on our next visit.

Truly stellar ramen at Hinodeya!…read more A few friends and I were in San Francisco for the day are were carving ramen after a morning of strolling around. We were recommended a spot in the Japantown Center Mall, but settled on Hinodeya after checking Yelp. It turned out to be a great choice. We were greeted upon entering the restaurant and someone rang what to believe to be a gong?! It was a very fun addition to our experience. We were shown to a table and started browsing the menu. The interior was very clean and neat. There are plenty of options, including some for vegetarians/vegans. My two vegetarian friends ordered both of the vegan/vegetarian ramen options and were raving about them. I ordered the Hinodeya (house) ramen and it was delicious. The broth was so flavorful and the noodles were perfect. The table is set with crispy garlic or onions (can't remember) and a chili blend which were yum on top of the ramen. My friends ordered the spicy miso ramen and was satisfied despite it not being very spicy. We had great service the entire time and the prices were very reasonable. Hinodeya is a gem I will be revising on future trips to San Francisco!

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Inside restaurant
Inside restaurant
Spicy Miso Ramen
Spicy Miso Ramen
Chicken Karaage and Green Gyoza

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Chicken Karaage and Green Gyoza
Hed 11

Hed 11

4.4
(125 reviews)
1.8 mi
•$$$$

I really enjoyed the food, ambience, and service. The 11-course tasting menu was beautifully…read morepresented, tasty, and very creative. I could still taste authentic Thai flavors, but elevated with a different level of inventive preparation and cooking techniques. Overall, it was an excellent dining experience. I will definitely return, and I'm looking forward to trying their lunch menu next time.

My friend and I came here for a girl's lunch to enjoy their $45 special. I was pleased to see there…read morewas a vegan option here and was excited to try it. My friend ordered the duck. I ordered the Lion's Mane Mushroom. *A lovely note for the vegans and lactose-intolerant: there is a dairy-free option for the Thai iced tea (made with coconut milk). Given that this was a Michelin guide restaurant, we had certain expectations of the place and sadly we were disappointed. While the service was friendly and the server knowledgeable on the menu, the service itself was severely lacking in detail you'd expect from a $$$$ type of place. Our drinks came out first, followed by the appetizer, then came EVERYTHING ELSE all at once. Papaya Salad Daikon Soup Trio of rice (purple, brown, white) Curry + protein (duck for my friend, lion's mane mushroom for me) We tried to tackle the soup first. It came in an artsy looking bowl with undulated/rouged edges that was awkward to drink from but equally awkward to spoon the soup from. The daikon was VERY WOODY. Both my friend and I awkwardly spit out splintery fibers and left them on our plate. Some of my daikon chunks were fine but my poor friend had double the amount of woody mass collecting on her plate which was really unsightly, especially when you're supposed to be at a nice place. I can't say I've ever encountered this with daikon before at a restaurant. It's pretty easy to see which parts of the daikon are too mature to use. Next we tried to get on to our entree as that was cooling quickly. Unfortunately the curries were already somewhat congealed by the time we made our way to it. The vegan one was pretty good, but again, I had some woody bits in my food. I don't know if that's from the mushroom or if it was from another ingredient but the splintery clumps amassing on the side of our plates was not what we had imagined we'd be doing at a Michelin guide restaurant.... My friend's duck wasn't much better. She complained about the awkward texture and wound up spitting out half of that one her plate. -not to mention, her meal was served to her without a steak knife. After waiting for much too long, she got up to go request a knife and walked the knife back to the table like a psycho. I'm not trying to sound entitled here, but when a restaurant is supposed to be "nice" and has "$$$$", you sort of expect a certain caliber of service. Having to go ask for a knife when you ordered a chunk of meat does seem like a miss. For what it's worth, the curries for both of us had a unique blend of flavors. My friend had a penang currty sweetened with lychee. I don't remember what kind of curry mine was, but it was tasty with a kick in the end. Curry to rice ratio was perhaps 1:3. We had to ask for extra curry to accompany the protein and rice to balance everything out. It would have just been so pasty and dry otherwise (you know, since everything was already congealed...) By the time we got around to our papaya salad, it had gone from chilled to room temp. While it was tasty, it wasn't as refreshing as the salad could be. We're not sure why all courses were served at once, or if that's how this specific lunch service goes? The best course of the day was 100% the dessert. Order the vegan dessert! "Mango-sticky rice ice cream". It was a homemade mango ice cream with coconut milk base. It sounds basic but these ingredients were masterfully put together to create something truly unique. Not sure where the rice was in this whole situation, but who cares! This dessert was incredible! Lightly sweet, creamy and freshing. It arrived like a piece of art, like a glossy, glimmering mango sculture. The way that chilled mango puree spilled over, coating the ice cream underneath... It clung on to the ice cream layer just barely coating it for most perfect combination of sweet and creamy. It was unfortunate I got the last one for the day. My friend had the cheesecake which she said was tasty but not mindblowing like my mango ice cream. It also was... not so glorious. In fact, it looked small and flat, like a half used stack of mini post-it notes. All in all, it was a fun experience. The dishes were familiar favorites with a creative twist. For $45, it wasn't bad but I don't know about coming back for the $$$$ dinner experience based on this visit. Maybe we'll be back for the $40-$45 prefixe again in the future.

Photos
Inside
Inside
Thai coconut pancake with caviar | @wha.eva.eats
Thai coconut pancake with caviar | @wha.eva.eats
Yuzu sake and lemongrass pandan

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Yuzu sake and lemongrass pandan
Bangkok Street Thai Street Food

Bangkok Street Thai Street Food

4.2
(846 reviews)
1.7 mi
•$$
Locally owned & operated
Vegan friendly

My husband and I visited the Cherry Blossom festival in Japantown, but finding a place to eat was…read morechallenging due to the crowd. We decided to explore the nearby area and found this Thai restaurant with outdoor seating, which was perfect for us and our dog. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the menu was intriguing. We ordered the Thai spicy egg noodle soup, green papaya salad, and Thai drunken noodles with seafood. Each dish was delicious, but the spicy noodle soup stood out as our favorite--one of the best noodle soups we've had in a while. To conclude our meal, we ordered the Thai coconut milk dessert, Ka-nom-tuay, served in a little porcelain cup. It was equally delightful. My husband and I were so impressed with the food that we're already planning our next visit. Highly recommended!

This place is a hidden Thai gem in Japantown. Def hole in the wall vibe, but it's unique and has…read moresome interesting eats. My go to right now is the wagyu boat noodle soup, which is harder to find, and more of an acquired taste. Been twice recently for lunch. It's no frills, with one guy waiting on all the tables. Food is good though. So when Im in the area, question is now: ramen or wagyu boat noodle soup?

Photos
Bangkok Street Thai Street Food
Papaya Salad and Waterfall Pork Salad
Papaya Salad and Waterfall Pork Salad
STREET Dish : Crispy Corn Whole Fish, Thai Crispy Seafood Pancake, Traditional Thai Basil, Sweet & Sour fish crisp

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STREET Dish : Crispy Corn Whole Fish, Thai Crispy Seafood Pancake, Traditional Thai Basil, Sweet & Sour fish crisp

Lou's Cafe - salad - Updated July 2026

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