Lou’s Cafe

Oh Lou’s. *insert heart eyes emoji here*
I’ve been a recurrent customer at the Geary location since my undergrad days with it being just a couple minutes drive from the old stompin’ grounds. Many self induced food comas were formulated here thanks to their hearty portions set at very reasonable prices. Thanks Lou’s, you’re the real MVP.
I was pleasantly surprised to find this location and am happy to report the quality is just like I remember it to be. Parking is eh, manageable. Taraval is a busy street, so if you’re a frequent flyer to the avenues, you’d know how street parking goes. On this particular day, there was no line and our sandwiches were made in a timely manner.
We got the Turkey Cranberry, Veggie-​Licious, and RB Mushroom (not pictured). The Ami-​cado and Crabmelt were always my go-to’s back in the day as well. Not to sound like a broken record, but their secret is most definitely in their Lou’s special sauce and jalapeño sauce combo. Also… dutch crunch all day with these sandwiches… and Maui chips. Hashtag, no contrition.
I’ve tried the competition, trust me. IMO it’s hard to tell if anything stacks up next to Lou’s. Will always return when I can.

One of the best sandwiches I have had. I want to say it’s their lou’s sauce that makes it taste so good.
I have tried all the vegetarian sandwiches on their menu and the soup they were delicious !

First time here — late lunch today, kind of glad I missed the lunch rush.
Plenty of places to sit, sandwich made to order.
Had the chicken pesto sandwich — very fresh — really good flavors with just a slight kick from the jalapeños.
I would come here again, lots of sandwiches to try.

Sublime sandwiches. They will transport you. Sauces are great and unique. Glad there is one this side of the park.

Great portions & high quality. They use high-​quality meats from Boar’s Head! There are also soo many options that it’s a bit overwhelming.
Bf tried the Risky Business sandwich and it was jam-​packed with hot pastrami and crab salad. While this sounds like an odd combo, it was actually reallyyy good.
The salads here are also solid — fresh ingredients and good portions. I’ve tried the Greek salad with grilled chicken ($ 6.99 + $ 1.5 for chicken). The chicken was a teeny bit bland and honestly nothing really special, but it filled me up!

Probably the best sandwich I have ever had. Yes, I said it. We had my daughter’s soccer game just a few blocks away and were early. So, we dined in.
Hubby got the Kickin RB, kids got grilled cheeses and I got the Risky Business; pastrami and crab melt with bacon, avacado, lettuce and tomato on Dutch crunch. Their bread was excellent– it didn’t leave the roof of my mouth sore. The sauce, omg!!! It is to die for!
All the workers there are super nice. This place is really clean too!
I am going to come back for sure to try their other sandwiches!!!

If they are out of Dutch crunch your not going to get the full experience. I will admit it’s a pretty dam good sandwich and the the sauce adds a nice touch.

I had the hot link today and I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. There’s one problem they don’t go that extra step and peel off the skin. When the skin is left on it makes it really hard to eat and takes away from the sandwich. My other issue is the lettuce that they use. I prefer iceberg lettuce in my sandwich.
This place is an above average sandwich shop but at the same time over rated in my opinion. They also use Boars Head meat which I am not a fan of. I be leave you can’t get 5 stars using that meat. It seems that everyone now days uses Boars Head. It also seems that all these new shops can’t make a simple, fresh, good sandwich. They have to get all crazy with different shit all up in them. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy crazy shit in my sandwich, but some times all I want is a simple good sandwich and that’s is hard to find.
I base all my sandwiches on Submarine Center. Their hot link sandwich called the hot smokey and they peel off the skin and use iceberg lettuce. I say that Subs makes best sandwiches of all time. A sandwich should have fresh ingredients, good meat, iceberg lettuce and simple.

Good sandwiches at reasonable prices. Serves breakfast sandwiches all day. The sandwiches did not have enough sauce. Not as good as other famous sf sandwiches. However, a very good option if you are near by. A few vegetarian choices are available.

Pretty delicious sandwiches. They are efficient unlike Grubbin’. Their Lou sauce and jalapeño sauce is pretty legit and does make everything taste better. Only bad thing is they don’t pick up their phones. So don’t bother calling to place an order.
My favorites are LLB Special, BBQ chicken, RB mushroom and risky business.
They should really subscribe to eat24 or order ahead to increase their clientele.

So happy Lou’s is in the Sunset now. Geary is just too far when one is feeling lazy.
Chicken Pesto is my usual. Plenty of chicken breast slices, avocado, tomato, pesto sauce, and of course on a Dutch Crunch makes everything tasty and crunchy. I decided to get a Loquito one time, and while it’s just as good, I don’t recommend saving it for the next day. The tortilla chips gets soggy.
Big selection of sandwich combinations, and you can make your own if nothing sounds good. A stamp card is available, so make sure to get one.

Not your average sandwich… the Lou’s sauce and jalapeño sauce combo add a great kick to your meal. So many choices to pick from… all types of bread, cheeses, meats, and toppings. The service is great as well and the owner is super friendly.
If you’re looking for a nommy sammy, I would definitely recommend this place. Another great sandwich café to add to my list!

Excellent sandwiches! I got the risky business with both spreads and everything on it and the husband got the Italian minus all the spicy stuff. As big as the sandwiches were we both finished. My husband was surprised I finished since he almost couldn’t manage! Newbie haha
The only negative for me was that the filling in the risky business wasn’t consistent. The ends were empty so I ate those parts first.

With over twenty different sandwich styles to choose from, Lou’s surely doesn’t disappoint when it comes to balancing flavors and offering a great deal for portion size. Sandwiches are huge and filling, averaging $ 8 or $ 9.
So far, I’ve tried their Chicken Pesto, Ami-​cado, and Risky Business. The Chicken Pesto has a nice and creamy pesto aioli that isn’t too rich or heavy. There’s just enough spread to moisten the soft and fluffy sweet roll without it becoming too soggy. Lou’s Ami-​cado (pastrami, salami, avocado, and cheese) is one of their most popular sandwiches, with smokey pastrami and salty salami meats balanced with the buttery and creamy fresh avocado. The Risky Business (pastrami brisket, imitation crab salad, bacon, avocado, pepperoncini, cheese) gets a little messy with all those ingredients, yet it’s deliciously salty from the meats, creamy from the crab salad, and buttery from the avocado. If you’re in for sandwich adventure, try the Risky Business.
Lou’s jalapeño spread has a mild kick to it, but it’s not too spicy and definitely doesn’t linger. All sandwiches can be altered to your liking, ie: eliminating or adding extra ingredients, swapping one bread roll for another, etc.
The original Lou’s is in the Inner Richmond, but I’m glad they opened a second location in Parkside. It makes a great addition to the heavily-​residential neighborhood. Lou’s is definitely one of my new go-​to shop to satisfy my deli-​meat style sandwich cravings.

Same goodness as the Geary location…
except they keep calling me SUSAN here. Please stop doing that. It’s not my name and I fcking hate it.

Tried Lou’s today for the first time and split the Ami-​cado with my boyfriend. There was only a few people there, so I got my sandwich pretty fast, in and out in around 10 mins. The workers seem a little confused because the lady that took my order didn’t give me my number/​receipt, therefore I didn’t know when to pick up my sandwich. However I do understand that the place is new and I guess they’re still getting the hang of it and working out the kinks.
I loved the sandwich! I got the ami-​cado on dutch crunch instead of the soft and sweet roll, and the dutch crunch was delicious! Didn’t cut up my mouth either, like some sandwich places do. The jalapeño spread added a small kick to it while the creamy avo cooled my mouth down. :D The only disappointing thing was that my sandwich wasn’t as big as I expected from the pictures I’ve seen on Unilocal!It wasn’t stuffed with meat/​veggies, instead it was pretty flat. I was impressed by the taste but definitely let down by the size. Maybe next time the sizes will be more consistent /​:
Lou’s is a 3.5 for me but hopefully it’ll increase to a 4 the next time I visit! There’s still a lot of sandwiches I wanna try, so i’m glad it’s close to my house!

I gotta give it them. You definitely don’t want to skip out on the jalapeño sauce and the Lou’s special sauce together, yes together!
I got the Hot Pastrami on Dutch Crunch. They got my order wrong. I said no pickles and I got pickles. I said pepper jack cheese and I got cheddar cheese. Ummm???
Nevertheless, hot pastrami was peppery and salty — pretty tastyy. Sandwiches are a good size. Dutch crunch bread was a bit stale. Lettuce and tomatoes were fine. Service is quick here.

Lou’s is one of my favorite sandwich shops in the city! They have fresh quality ingredients, a killer secret sauce, and creative combinations that’ll make your head spin. Their sammies and menu concept are similar in style to Ike’s.
Their new location has capitalized on all the uncontrollable downsides their sister shop on Geary has. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only person who was annoyed by the cash register being literally feet from the door, creating an instant line and a road block for people trying to get out. The chips are also visible before you order, instead of hiding on the other side of the counter, and there is more parking, seating, and space at the Taraval location. Diggin’ the cheerful orange walls too!
I’ve never met a sandwich I didn’t like here. Honestly, just order whatever strikes your fancy from their giant menu, and you won’t be disappointed. But if you’re still having trouble, here are some of my favorites:
1) Ami-​Cado
2) Hot Pastrami
3) Lou-​Ben
4) Buffalo Chicken
The first time I was here, they forgot to switch my requested bread to dutch crunch, and the second time, they ran out of torpedo bread for my breakfast omelette sandwich, but their sandwiches are so yummy that all is forgiven. The staff are always super chill and friendly and they have punchcards if you’re a frequent fatty sandwich eater. If it’s a nice day, I highly recommend picking up a ginger beer along with your sandwich and enjoy it down at Ocean Beach!

I snuck in a few minutes before closing and the staff were so friendly to make our sandwiches. I’ve had the Geary location bookmarked for awhile, but glad to see that they’ve opened up in the Sunset.
It was a hard choice since everything looks so good, but I went with the Hot & Sweet. The hot & sweet comes with hot links, pineapple slices, cheese, teriyaki sauce, alongside the usual Lou’s fixings (I omitted pickles and the jalapeño sauce). He went with the chicken pesto. The chicken pesto came with chicken breast slices, cheese, avocado, and pesto sauce (with the usual Lou’s fixings, omitted pickles) Both were listed on the menu as under different breads but we both love Dutch Crunch so we asked for it that way. It only took a few minutes to make and they were hefty!
My sandwich was so messy, but so tasty! Hot links weren’t really spicy but plump and juicy. The teriyaki and pineapple worked well with the Lou’s sauce. The dutch crunch was nice and chewy. The quality in the sandwich is here. His chicken pesto was great too; as the pesto wasn’t too strong. I liked the little subtleness of the jalapeño sauce.
We still love Little Lucca’s but Lou’s Café is a great deli and affordable in the area (sammies under $ 8), so 5 stars for location, quality ingredients, affordable prices and tastiness! Yes, I like Lou’s way better than that SF now Bay Area sandwich king, Ike’s!

Excited Lou’s opened closer to home! This location is more spacious & a lot brighter than their Geary location. In addition, there are more seats for diners & parking is easier.
Since Lou’s closes at 7:00 p.m., I called in to place an order. Ordering via the phone was extremely easy and the person I spoke to was friendly.
Ordered the following gourmet sandwiches:
Ami-​Cado — This sandwich comes with pastrami, salami, avocado, pepper jack cheese, and Lou’s special sauce on a soft roll. It also comes with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, red onions, and jalapeño spread. The sandwich is flavorful, but the pastrami and salami makes it a bit too salty. Good thing Lou’s special sauce and the jalapeño spread kicks the flavor up a notch as it has just the right amount of spice.
Although I enjoyed my sandwich, I wished they gave me dutch crunch, which was noted when I placed the order. Unfortunately, the person making the sandwich didn’t follow the order correctly. Hence, I’m taking away a star.
Hot Pastrami — Parents enjoyed it.
Risky Business — Hubby thought it was just okay.
Overall, great selections, affordable prices, good portions, convenient location, all wrapped into a pleasant experience.
Note: make sure you get a Lou’s Sandwich Club frequent buyers card. After buying ten, the next one is free.

Finally. After many months of waiting we’ve got our own Lou’s in the neighborhood. Yippee.
More spacious than the one on Geary. Plenty more seating. And easy street parking although walking distance for me. And an unisex restroom.
Order a named sandwich off the board or design your own. We’re lazy so we ordered a named one. We ate in. This being the grand opening day, we were nosey neighbors. We wanted to see how many folks were coming in while we ate. Lots!!! This is going to be a frequent eatery for us.