The location is pretty hidden between tall buildings, but I'm happy I discovered it! First and foremost, the staff was extremely welcoming and nice. As far as food, the sandwich I got was great and they had a nice bottled drink selection. Finally, the outdoor seating area is fantastic! read more

Lou's Cafe - LLB Special Sandwich - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place has the best sandwich--the Ami-Cado! It's always incredibly fresh and affordable for FiDi. Highly recommend stopping by this tucked away cafe in a building lobby. They also have a selection of drinks and chips to compliment your sandwich. The only downside is ordering during the lunch hour can take some time given this place's popularity, but you can call it in or just wait it out. It's worth it! read more

I was craving a sandwich for lunch and came across Lou's randomly on yelp. Ordered the chicken pesto sandwich and the pastrami sandwich. Both sandwiches were so good. Their soup and salad selection is a bit limited. Tons of sandwich options ranging from $9-11. They're super busy - so make sure you know what you want and you're ready to order quick. It felt rushed, but they're so incredible small and busy - totally understandable! A hole in the wall kind of place- so easy to miss. read more

Lou's Cafe - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is great if you want a hearty sandwich while on your lunch break in FiDi. It is definitely something I look forward to. It may be worthwhile to order ahead (if possible) - usually, the lunch rush results in a wait time of ~15-20 minutes which is valuable time. The sandwiches are worth it and there's a large selection of chips & drinks to supplement. My go-to is the Roma Club but have always wanted to stop by in the mornings for a breakfast burrito or sandwich. Maybe I need to branch out more, but I'm confident that this is one of the best sandwiches in the area :-) read more

Food was delicious! Hidden little gem. Out side seating. Mostly carry out. Friendly service. The Rachael was fantastic!

This was the spiciest tuna melt I've ever had in my life. And the question that is haunting me is WHY? Also the food was mediocre, the wait time was egregious, and somehow 3 years into a pandemic one of the workers couldn't figure out how to properly wear a mask and that it should cover not just his chin and bottom lip, but also his upper lip and nose. read more

Great option for your lunch break. Fast service, hard workers, unique options, and reasonably priced. read more

Lou's Cafe - Kick'N RB with Pepperoncinis added - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

They moved back to their old location. I ordered a risky business over the phone and it was ready in 5 minutes. If you want a quick, filling and delicious sandwich, this is the spot. read more

Totally agree with the other review. The lady at the cash register is super rude. Also takes way too long even at 1045 AM

I started a new job in the FiDi at the beginning of the year and Lou's was my go-to. Fast-forward 4 months and it's getting harder and harder to rationalize going here for lunch. First off, $18 for a sandwich is absurd. What makes it worse is how skimpy they have become with their portion sizes. If you are going to significantly increase your prices, at least consider increasing the amount of meat and toppings. Look at the sandwich I paid for, SO SKINNY! Secondly, online ordering wait times are also crazy. Why am I waiting 30+ minutes and when I go into the store there's nobody in line or waiting for their order. I am past my limit, I will be taking my business to Subway. read more

Lou's Cafe - Hot Pastrami Sandwich - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

I recently started a new position around the corner from here and was craving a delicious sandwich that was higher quality than a basic sandwich from an establishment like Subway. After a quick Yelp search, I found Lou's Cafe about 0.3 miles away. The photos posted by other Yelp users instantly convinced me to try this place. When I approached this establishment, I found that it was tucked within a building, but the signage was visible from the Main Street. Once, I was at this shop, the atmosphere was not what I expected. There was an impressive courtyard with seating areas to enjoy your meal. I ended up getting the pastrami sandwich and it did not disappoint! I will be making regular visits here. The sandwich was impressive in size and bursting in flavor. I was concerned the jalapeño sauce would be over powering but it added a nice, subtle kick that left my mouth happy. 5/5 would recommend with no hesitations! read more

Great staff, best place to get lunch, easy walking distance from my office! Staff is very attentive & friendly

Great sandwiches made with quality ingredients- today there is a line out the door! It's a bit hard to find- look for the sign! Then walk up and read the menu- or you customize your sandwich. The sandwiches are big enough to share. Or there are salads and sometimes specials. To finish off your selection get a drink, I like a bottle of ginger beer. Small seating area inside, but local open space seating nearby. I'm so hungry thinking about all the choices: getting a Veggie- Licious: eggplant mushrooms avocado, gotta have Leo's special sauce! YUM! And there is Soup: today's Chicken Tortilla. read more

Lou's Cafe - This Ginger Ale is Great - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Usually my favorite place to get lunch. Unfortunately it has taken a turn for the worse. I waited 5 minutes at the register, with four workers behind the counter no one acknowledged I was even there. Won't be coming back. Lou's lost a good customer read more

Affordable, no frills, and just flat out tasty sandwiches! Lou's cafe is the ultimate lunch spot! Say goodbye to the over priced lunch places and say hello to Lou's. For about 9 to 10 dollars, you can get a pretty hefty sandwich! I usually go with the roast beef and mushroom sandwich, but their risky business (pastrami sandwich) with a generous serving of avocado leaves me speechless! What I also appreciate about Lou's is you can order ahead of time and there is seating right outside it. Whether you're in a hurry or just trying to relax, Lou's is the perfect lunch spot! read more

Lou's Cafe - Roast Beef and Mushroom! - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

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HUGE sandwiches! Phenomenal. Warm toasted. Melted cheese. Other than Turkey or PB&J's sandwiches should always be warm with the cheese melted over the meat. Lou's does this perfectly with killer Boars Head meat, great fresh bread and then takes it to another level with Lou's special sauce and jalapeno spread. Absolutely delicious! The line can be long at noon but the staff is always smiling and the food is well worth it! Great chips selection and Italian soda's! read more

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I'm not big on sandwiches, but decided to give this spot a try after it came up on Yelp as being a highly rated lunch spot near my office. They're primarily a sandwich shop, but they do have a limited selection of salads and soups as well. You can either build your own sandwich, or select from one of their existing creations. I'm extremely picky when it comes to sandwich ingredients, so I opted to build my own. I went with smoked ham and roast beef on dutch crunch with tomatoes, lettuce, and Lou's special sauce (some kind of garlic aioli). The basic sandwich with two meats will set you back $8.35, which isn't bad for FiDi prices. It was a 5-10 minute wait for my sandwich after placing my order, which wasn't terrible. I do recommend going before or after peak lunch times. The line was pretty short when I went at 11:45, but in the 15 minutes or so I was there, it grew substantially and there were at least 10 people in line when I left. The sandwich itself is a decent size, enough to fill you up. I appreciate that they cut the sandwich in half to make it easier to eat and also that they were generous with the deli meats. You can see in my cross cut shot that they don't skimp on the meat! I really enjoyed my sandwich and finished it within a couple minutes. There is a small seating area at the restaurant if you wanted to eat there, but most people opt for takeout. read more

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The best CLAM CHOWDER. Iced coffee is also really good. Sandwiches are big and packed. They do not skimp here. I order from here weekly and it hits the spot every time. read more

I'm back in the office after being home for 13 months Almost all the places near my office have closed! I tried Lou's because it's a 5 minute walk from my office . All I can say is wow !! What an amazing sandwich! I made my own Turkey Swiss on sourdough Yummm the sourdough was perfectly toasted and the jalapeño spread was so so good! I can't wait to go back and try something else ! If your in SF Fidi do yourself a favor and visit Lou's Deli (which just happens to be my dads name as well lol ) !!!! You will not be disappointed ! read more

Delicious sandwiches! I got an interesting (and really yummy) combo of crab salad and pastrami. Would definitely go again! read more

Lou's Cafe - Risky Bizness Sandwich - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was an average place. I had the Risk Business. It was bad, but it was not "knock my socks off" good either. Parking...It's in the FiDi of SF. So you already know it is super packed. I will give them the 3rd star for being affordable. Maybe I need to try something else next time read more

The most decent sandwich you can get around the area. Very tasty in the meat they use and definitely worth trying if you haven't already.

I love Lou's. I was first introduced to their Richmond location, and when I found out there was one in FiDi I was excited to try it! I always get their dutch crunch with turkey, pepper jack, and no onions/pickles. Their special sauce and jalapeño spread is so good! When you ask them to toast your sandwich, the bread is perfectly crispy on the outside and soft/chewy on the inside. Their prices are very reasonable too, averaging $10 after tax. If you come at prime lunch time, definitely expect a line! read more

Food here is really good! They have a variety of sandwiches. It gets really crowded by lunch time so order ahead to save some time.

Sandwich was ok. $15 for rye bread, boar's head pastrami, swiss cheese, and nothing else was too much. There was a machine that said to turn towards cashier so they can stamp my virtual card. I did that and the cashier yelled at me for turning it. Put up a sign if you don't want the machine turned. Please teach your employees to be polite especially the ones talking to customers. read more

This place is a gem in my opinion. I've been ordering sandwiches from here for a while and have never been disappointed. The bread is always crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, the ingredients are all super fresh and they have the best jalapeño house sauce. I've also come across a few issues with GrubHub where the order got sent to the wrong Lou's cafe which has been frustrating but the employees at this Pine location have helped me by making my sandwich for and calling the other store to have my order canceled. The workers here provide amazing service and are super nice to me every time I come in. read more

They left a white piece of plastic in my bread. I almost choked. Never coming back here. read more

Lou's Cafe - They left a white piece of plastic in my bread. I almost choked. Never coming back here. - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

Coworkers was raving about this place so finally decided to come here for lunch and ordered the Buffalo Chicken sandwich. It was surprisingly pretty good, chicken wasn't dry. It has bacon and i sub for Peppered Jack cheese and their special sauce was delicious. This is one of the better places for sandwich if you work in this area. I tried the corned beef hash and it's pretty delicious. It's packed with beef and egg (prob 2-2.5egg) and hash brown! It is very heavy so I got this right at 10am before they stopped serving and wasn't hungry for the rest of the day. Breakfast is about $7. Cheaper than their lunch sandwiches! I recommend the corned beef hash over the original breakfast sandwich (I only order it with bacon but both (bacon and ham might've been better?). Its just a different type of meat. This is located inside a building on 100 Pine St., walk all the way to the end and it's on the left. Don't forget to get a stamp card. I wish that all places would just use an app or use your number to collect points as I hate carrying an extra card with me. read more

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Sweet Lou's .. a place I've had bookmarked for a long time. I finally realized that the reason I had not visited is because it's sort of hidden. No signage from Pine street. A quick google search indicates there are 3 Loui's cafe's in the City, one on Pine, Geary and Taraval (all signature streets in SF). The reason I say this is because typically if I walk , bike or drive by a place a city I haven't been to and see signage a light bulb will go off and I'll think to myself "oh I've been meaning to go there". Since this place has no signage outside it's easy to overlook. This is located INSIDE of the 100 Pine St Building just past the lobby front desk. The appeal here is the price and the custom sandwiches. I went with a Chicken Pesto on Dutch crunch and it was very good and the price around $10 was good for SF standards. I elected t I can see why this place has a following. I'm curious to try the salads and will have to try the healthier choice on my next visit. Follow my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews) read more

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Now I don't have to travel far for a yummy sandwich! I've the other Lou's bookmarked but since this opened, I'll just come here. I got lost coming here because I didn't know where it was. It's hidden inside the building but you can enter from the alley way on Front St. Nice outdoor seating by a small waterfall. There wasn't a lot of people but since there's only 2 people making the sandwiches, it took a while. Got a crab melt $9.50 and the sandwich is huge for a small eater like me. I enjoyed eating my sandwich. Bread was good. Ingredients were fresh. Sauce was yummmm. I'll definitely be back for the other sandwiches! If you don't like their set sandwiches, you can always make your own for $7.24. read more

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Tucked away behind an office building near a hidden POPOS, you probably wouldn't stumble upon this place randomly. A bunch of cold cut options offered in various configurations. I was trying to pin down what made me like this place more than the many generic sandwich options in the FiDi lunch scene. The meat and cheese are nice, but not really stand out on their own. I think it has to do with (1) Lou's special sauce, (2) the jalapeño spread and (3) the extremely fresh bread. Hot Pastrami: Thinly sliced, not thick chunks. Warm, taken directly from a slow cooker. A decent portion to fill you up, but not stuff you. Loved the soft and crunchy Dutch Crunch roll. The jalapeño spread added a nice kick. Not quite Wise Sons or Tommy's Joynt quality pastrami, but very solid. Ultimate Club: Ham, turkey, roast beef, salami and bacon. A little reminiscent of Jimmy John's J.J. Gargantuan, but more of a healthy appetite than a coronary bypass portion of meat. The cold cuts were nice, but the bacon was a bit "meh" since it wasn't crunchy at all. Once again, the default jalapeño spread added a nice kick and unique flavor. The soft and chewy roll was perfectly fresh. read more

Lou's Cafe - Hot Pastrami - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Thought I'd try Lou's Taraval shop because all my "don't get out much" friends recommended. Went today and was VERY DISAPPOINTED! I basically got a Bread sandwich! Hardly any meat was put in my sandwich! What a joke. Folks better sandwich options available in SF and the peninsula than this skim-per place!! read more

This place had been on my list forever and I finally got around to getting in! It's a bit difficult to find at first, you need to head into the ground floor of the office building on the corner and go way into the back, and there's no signs prior to that, but it's pretty easy to see once you get inside. There wasn't much of a line when I went in and service was quick. There's not a lot of space for eating inside the cafe but there's an open courtyard right next to it. For the sandwiches listed on the menu, there's two vegetarian options (one of which is vegan), as well as the option to create your own. Their main claim to fame is their jalapeno spread. Normally not something I'd get, I decided to get it on my sandwich, although I did leave out the pepperoncinis. Their sandwiches are quite large and full of a wide range of toppings and spreads. Mine came out quickly after I ordered and the price was about what I'd expect for the area. Despite being stuffed to the gills, the sandwich held together nicely and I was able to eat the entire thing (although I didn't want anything else to eat for a few hours afterwards). Fresh, tasty and quite unique, this was one heck of a sandwich. I'll definitely be back, as it's way better than a chain sandwich shop! read more

My friend saw this on Check Please and accidentally walked past it this morning, so we went. Arrived around 11:45am and there was a line of about 7 people ahead of us. Seem like there was only one gal taking the order (and she's awesome- she did not even have to write it down) and making them. There are two other guys next to her, heating up sandwiches and wrapping/bagging. I went with the Design Your Own: Dutch Crunch (of course you have to), Chicken Breast, no cheese, Everything on it, and added Pesto aioli, Toasted. $6.74 plus tax = $7.33 The bread had a nice crunch to it. There was definitely more than enough meat in the sandwich. I only ate half and will save the other half for dinner LOL or after my run so I won't feel too guilty. The sauce makes the sandwich so don't skip it. read more

Lou's Cafe - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here the other day upon the recommendation of a coworker who swore this place was the best sandwich place ever and that it would blow my mind. With such high praise, there was no way I could not try this place out. Following my colleague, he initially confused me by bringing me to an office building. However after entering the lobby, I saw a huge line forming at the back of the lobby which I knew must belong to this magical sandwich place called Lou's. Since we came around noon, the wait was a bit long. However the sandwich ordered was definitely worth the wait. I decided to try out the famous ami-cado sandwich, since who can say no Pastrami, salami, avocado, pepper jack cheese, and Lou's special sauce, all on a sweet and soft (but toasted and slighty crunchy) roll. Having tried this place once, I naturally did not need much convincing to try this place again the next day. This time I decided to try out their Tuna Melt, which was even BETTER than the ami-cado! Although simply consisting of tuna, cheese, special sauce, and all the fixings (lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, jalapeno spread), it was heaven on earth to bite into that delicious sandwich. The only downside being that all that deliciousness induced a serious food coma afterwards (don't tell my bosses). Each sandwich came out to $10.22 after tax, which is pretty much the norm for a sandwich in SF downtown. Try to come around 11am to avoid most of the lines. read more

I am a huge sandwich lover and so when I found Lou's Cafe...let's just say now I have 3 favorite sandwich places. (#1 Ike's #2 Board & Brew (SoCal) #3 Lou's Cafe) My friend doesn't like sandwiches enjoyed her Buffalo Chicken Sandwich as well! I recommend the LLB Special which has roast beef, turkey, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone cheese, and Lou's special sauce on dutch crunch. And, all sandwiches include lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles and jalapeno spread unless you tell you them. Prices are reasonable as well. The line can be long during lunch hours. read more

Lou's Cafe - LLB Special Sandwich!!! - Salad Near Me - San Francisco, California

Stopped by here for lunch today. It's super close to our SF office, just a quick 5 minute walk. Unfortunately I was rather disappointed. After hearing so much about Lou's (though mostly the Richmond location), I was thoroughly underwhelmed by my sandwich. I ordered a chicken pesto with everything on it. Took it back to my office and scarfed it down. This confirmed that I really do only like American cheese on burgers. Overall a decent sammy, but nothing to write home about. Will probably give it another try as I hear the breakfast sandwiches are amazing. read more

I had the best sandwich yesterday! Chicken pesto w avacado on dutch crunch. It was huge, was going to save 1/2 but, was so good, I ate the whole thing! You may have to wait 5-10 mons for your sandwich but, worth the wait! read more

Thought I would try a new place today and picked Lou's based on the reviews. I ordered a tuna salad sandwich; the cashier asked if I wanted a tuna melt. I said "no, not a melt, just tuna." They they gave me a tuna melt anyway. I just took it because I had already waited forever---it was almost 1:30pm when I ordered, but they were still swamped with customers. Maybe too busy for their own good. Sandwich was fine. Check your receipt if you go. read more

I've been going to Lou's for many many years when working in the FiDi. I had a sandwich from here the week before Covid shutdown everything. I was excited to see them on DoorDash so thought I'd give it a try. Unfortunately it was a terrible experience. There was very little meat and clomped in the center of the top large French roll. Way too much bread and not fresh today. I ordered without cheese and there were a few slices half melted orange waxy cheese. I hope they figure out that just because I'm not standing in front of you doesn't mean quality should suffer. What a disappointment and a rip off. read more