Wow. This restaurant is fabulous. Â I have been here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Â And it never disappoints. Â The service is phenomenal. Â And the food is delectable. Â I love their turkey sandwich. Â I also have enjoyed their egg dishes. Â And some sort of noodle, tofu, thing. Â It was soooo good. Â I love bringing out of town guests here because it's my favorite restaurant around. Â I am glad they are still thriving! Â I highly recommend a visit here. Â You won't be disappointed.
Review Source:We came here with my broker/dad and my mom for a post-closing celebratory lunch. Â This is a great little neighborhood spot that has been consistently solid for several years, and a perennial brunch fave for us. Â Our lunch was very good. Â The only complaint we had was that our waitress spoke so softly that none of us could understand a single thing she said to us - and it wasn't even crowded or loud.
Review Source:I visited Lula's Cafe with a large group of friends. Immediately, after walking in, I was excited about the cozy, intimate atmosphere.
The wait staff was very patient as we indecisively ordered our drinks and food. The noise level was average and perfect to have quality conversations were we could actually hear one another, but not have to feel awkward about loud blurbs of laughter.
The presentation of the food was nice, I had the duck with quinoa. The flavor profile was good, but it was overcooked.
Upscale place with upscale entrée prices, but the entrées are not quite deserving of the upscale prices. I would recommend ordering from the café menu. I hear Lula's has excellent brunch so I would go back to sample items from their brunch menu.
I have been here many times, way before it expanded.
I have always liked this place they have always done good things with food.
Their menu has definitely gotten a little bit more frilly over the years but it all still tastes good, and that's what really counts.
The last time I went here our server seemed a little off put by all the questions we were asking about the food. It would be weird if I happened to know that quark was a kind of cheese or that hanger steaks were a cut from the plate.
A good server should be excited about the food so I am more inclined to buy it. I ended up ordering the hanger steak and got a quite bent steak knife, she also did not seem happy that I complained about it, but I was not about to struggle through my meal cutting on a curve.
Would definitely come back and I would recommend their cocktails. I always go with their cherry manhattan or whatever drink they have that is the closest.
We happened upon Lula after we got off the L at Logan Square. As soon as we walked in and I saw the fresh, colorful food everyone had before them, I knew this was our spot. The wait time was pretty long, so we put our name in and they told us they would call our cell phone when our table was ready. This was great because we got to make a loop around the neighborhood and check out a few shops.
The interior is charming, big windows face the square, and the staff are welcoming (also an extremely good looking, trendy bunch). The menu offers so many good options it was nearly impossible to decide. I ended up going for the Beet Bruschetta with baby kale and goat cheese, and IT. WAS. INCREDIBLE. Mind you, kale, goat cheese and beets may be my 3 favorite foods of all time, so take that as you will. My date got the breakfast burrito and don't think for a minute I wasn't eyeing that up. Our server was easy going and attentive.
Overall, such a pleasant experience and great, great food.
If you're getting off the Logan Sq CTA stop, you'll be a little lost. Walk towards the little island of land in the middle of the roads (aka Logan Square). Walk around it and you'll find N. Kedzie. Once you arrive at 2537 N Kedzie, there will be two doors. Go with the more obscure, left one. And you're in! Â
Lula's an urban, chic establishment where the staff is super friendly and cool with each of their distinct style. Order the Brioche Toast. Three slices of thick, sweet french toast with cinnamon and sugar powder sprinkled all over the plate.
5 stars for their great presentation, phenomenal food, and exceptional service. Their brunch menu looks AMAZING. I WANT A LULA IN BOSTON!
I was in the neighborhood and used Yelp to find a brunch restaurant. Â I am so glad I found this place. Â We will definitely be back to try the several other menu items that sounded great. Â We started out with the Pastry trio $10, which was very good. Â My husband had the classic burrito and I had the breakfast sandwich made with fish, slaw, an egg, and some other yummy ingredients. Â They were both really good. Â The potatoes were awesome. Â It was a Saturday afternoon and we waited 30 min to be seated, but it was well worth it.
Review Source:I had a roast chicken this afternoon sitting by the bar, with sparking water, the ticket was $23 (not include tip.) The roast chicken was highly recommended by the server--however it was only ok--maybe a little better than the Boston Market. It tasted like supermarket Purdue chiken, definately not high quality bird. My neighbor had a sandwich and a cabbage dish--it looked very "California"---designed to be fancy. I should have gone across street to the Michelin stared "Longman and Eagle." The fried chicken in L&E tastes ten times better (maybe a free range bird) and much reasonable priced, too. However Lula does have better open atmosphere.
Review Source:Lula is like a good friend that happens to cook great food. Each time I'm here it's delicious and the service is relaxed. You need something, they get it for you, you have questions they have no problem answering. Nothing like an open and honest friend - or restaurant in this case - that you can come back to again and again and you can pick up where you left off.
Review Source:I like going to Lula for a couple of reasons. Â I've been there for breakfast, lunch and dinner ... not on the same day, though.
I enjoy their draft beer selection. Â Lula usually has only 6 or so draft beers at one time, but I can usually find 2 or 3 that are really interesting and new to me. Â While the vibe can be a bit on the hipster side, the bartenders are typically super nice and have made me very comfortable when tasting the various draft beers to decide what I wanted to drink. Â Whoever selects the draft beers is doing a great job! Â Recently, I particularly enjoyed a Corsican ale which was lightly yeasty and a bit spicy. Â I hope they have it again when I return.
Breakfast is fun, again with a bit of a hipster crowd melding with suburbanites coming to check out the City. Â We went with our kids, and felt that they were welcome, but definitely not the center of attention. Â I would say that Lula is kid friendly, but not a kid destination.
I don't have much to add to the other reviewers take on dinner, excpet to chime into say that the food is well worth traveling for.
I'll be back, especially for breakfast and drinks.
I've had an unfinished review of Lula Cafe languishing in my Yelp account since 2008--touting it as the best breakfast place in Logan Square. Â This remains unchanged even with the development of the neighborhood and influx of competing restaurants. Â It's evolved to become a place to go at any time of day, and at any time you're sure to find a meal of impeccable quality with an ever-changing seasonal menu. Â In 2008, it was a tiny spot with good food with a similarly tiny patch of outdoor seating, but has since expanded to include a full bar serving craft cocktails (sans-snobbery) and even a bakery. I'd make a food recommendation, but the menu is pretty different each time I visit this spot. Â Definitely check this place out if you're in the area, and if you live in the area -- hopefully those folks don't actually show up to increase your wait times.
Review Source:We finally drove over to Lula Cafe from Rogers Park today for a quick brunch - well the quick didn't happen as much as the brunch did - but it was enjoyable none the less.
Walking into the cafe this past Sunday around 1:00 PM there were people standing all around the front half of the restaurant - and this is me assuming that there is a back half, as I saw people being taken back there with menus and I figured they weren't just providing them with bathroom reading material. Â While I figured it would be busy, I didn't think that there would still be a 45 minute wait, but the place is popular - I get it. Â So I put my name down and asked her what the deal with the bar was and she said it was first come first serve -wonderful! Â I stood around the bar and some seats opened up immediately, but my partner was still parking the car so I stood back and let another complete party beside me grab the seats instead (I have manners...sometimes). Â My partner came in shortly after and we stood there together just staking the bar out, devising plans on where to go. Â Who "devises" plans when it comes to finding bar seats? Â We do - we were hungry. Â Then we spotted seats at this high top communal table to the right of the bar and upon asking the host we figured out that everything around the bar was first come first serve as well. Â The host said "go grab them" and so we did... quickly. Â In my opinion, we grabbed the best seats in the house - I love little nooks and the communal table was big enough so that we didn't even feel like it was actually communal. Â Plus, we were sitting next to the pastry area and at one point a whiff of chocolate ran under our noses - ah, yum! Â
For drinks, I ordered a chai latte and my partner ordered a spiked cider. Â My chai was unexpectedly very tasty and the spiked cider was strong and flavorful. Â For a starter, we ordered the apple and goat cheddar crostata - so good! Â They had three different pastries and you can either buy one for four dollars or three for ten dollars. Â After the first bite of the crostata I wished that we had chosen the three for ten! Â We went back and forth on the different main dishes on the menu for a bit longer than we normally do - we typically pick one savory and one sweet to share, but there weren't as many sweet dishes to choose from as there were savory so we ended up picking two savory instead. Â Following the recommendations from our server, we ended up choosing "The Royale" (Lula Breakfast Sandwich Series) and the omelet. Â
"The Royale" - tamarind glazed chicken thigh, bread and butter pickles, smoked gouda, caper aioli, sunny side egg on a potato roll. Â This was my favorite of the two dishes. Â Everything about this sandwich made my stomach smile. Â It is difficult to say what my favorite component was, because I genuinely liked everything about it. Â Â
Omelet - venison sausage, fennel, winter squash, kale, pumpkin seeds, ricotta. Â This was like no other omelet I have ever had. Â While it wasn't my favorite, it was my partner's favorite - she thought that it tasted like autumn. Â I loved how all of the components tasted together and I agreed that it tasted like autumn, I just personally wouldn't be able to eat the whole omelet if I tried. Â Maybe it had something to do with the omelet being savory and sweet, I'm not really sure, but it was definitely a try once and once only type of dish for me. Â
I really enjoyed our brunch at Lula Cafe and I will definitely be back, but only if I'm in the area - the drive plus the wait isn't something I would choose over the great brunch spots up north where I live.
This place is adorable, and the service was great, but I had some serious issues with the food. Not to put on my Top Chef judge-sounding hat, but everything I tried was interesting in concept, but lacking in taste and execution. Everything on the menu sounds good and imaginative and sadly, it just doesn't taste that great.
The app I tried was the pork belly, with cornmeal cakes. The presentation was cute -- like mini breakfast, with little pancake-like cornmeal cakes and pork belly cut to look like little pieces of bacon. It was okay --cornmeal cakes kind of bland -- and the other stuff on the plate seemed there purely for decoration and didn't go with the dish at all. Pickled sweet potato? Â Really didn't go. Looked pretty, tasted like it belonged on another dish.
I tried the lamb shoulder for an entree. For $27, there was not a lot of meat. The cuts were small and fatty. There was an overpowering salty jus all over the plate, and various incarnations of celery: fried celery root, braised (really just sad and wilted) celery. The menu descrip had mentioned black olives and these were, like the pickled sweet potato on the app, totally not integrated. I had to hunt to find the few pieces of dehydrated olive on the plate and they tasted gross. Not a complementary flavor at all. This dish needed something else in terms of texture and flavor -- a starch, maybe, or even just a puree to tie it all together somehow. Meat and some celery didn't cut it.
My boyfriend got the winter dumplings. They were okay. The stuff in the dumplings was tasty -- the dumpling wrappers themselves seemed kind of amateur and were not evenly cooked. Side of kale was too salty.
Desserts were an improvement, best part of the meal. The cranberry chestnut tart was delicious. The chocolate pudding cake was decent.
Finally, the wine list was....bizarre. For reds, they had three different pinots, several Rhone blends, but mysteriously, no Cabs, merlots or Bordeaux-style wines. Also, the wine and the wine glass it came in was super cold! Â I was drinking red to warm up and while I know it's correct to serve reds slightly below room temp, these were too chilled.
The window into the prep line revealed a number of young, hip chefs wearing colorful bandanas. They even looked like Top Chef contestants. But they really should start tasting their food, simplifying their flavor profiles and just honoring their ingredients a little more. No one wants food that's creative in appearance and concept but not tasty.
I've come, very slowly but inevitably, to the conclusion that Lula is my favorite restaurant in Chicago. No, I haven't been to every trendy palace of gastronomy in the city, but there's something so endearing about this place. The atmosphere is fashionable yet causal; the prices are confusingly affordable; and the food is so, so very consistent and delightful.
On my first visit, it managed to be dressy enough for a birthday dinner with parents. On my second, it was somehow casual enough for a stopover lunch with a group of college students. I love the versatility of the cafe and dinner menus. How can a fresh, locally-sourced meal be just $10? I pay that much for shitty neighborhood Thai food. It definitely feels like a more expensive experience, even if I'm just getting a sandwich. Actually, the Tineka sandwich fundamentally changed how I though I though about the generally uninteresting food item. How was it so simple, yet so delightfully layered?
I've enjoyed everything I'e order. The beet bruschetta and the spinach salad have always tasted fresh and bright. The satay noodles are obviously not something authentic, but hell, authenticity clearly isn't the intention. And yeah, the pasta yiayia is completely unexpected in it's sweetness, but the rich feta cheese and long, straw-like bucatini noodles are delicious even if you don't have a point of reference. My only regret was once going for the Tineka even though they were still serving bunch, which I've never tried. But I suppose that gives me a reason to head down there on a Sunday morning sometime soon.
All of my experiences with the service have been pleasant. I've both made reservations and walked in during peak times and always was treated promptly and politely. If you don't make a reservation, you're going to wait, but uh, isn't that pretty par for the course for any popular restaurant? The servers are always knowledgeable about the menu, and the service has a good cadence for conversation: not too fast, not too slow. Enjoy your meal, take your time, and really savor the efforts in front of you.
And yeah, I can totally see how Lula could be written off as pretentiously trying too hard, seeing how it's really quite fun arguing about anything that could be taken as hipster fodder. But honestly I see a sincerity in Lula's attempts to fully embrace the seasonal, local food movement. And in my experience, it works pretty damn well.
I live just down the road from Lula's Cafe. I wouldn't say that I am a regular customer but it is defiantly one of my favorite spots to treat myself or my friends. Every time I have been there the food has been full of unique flavors and deliciousness, and the service prompt/ polite. I highly recommend this restaurant either for a causal date or a weekday breakfast.
I think the only down side is that they don't take reservations and it can be quite a popular spot especially in the summer. It could be worth the wait but generally as personal rule I would rather be sat right away and wont wait more than 10 or 15 minutes.
Cheers!
I really wanted to like this place.
HA! Lie! I really wanted to start a review with that since its the most common review sentence.
And I wasn't even wanting to like it I was just in a "whatever" sort of mood.
It's located in kinda an out of the way place and if you're hustling from the Loop or the NE for dineso it can be a hassle. Plus my dining partner was 35 minutes late. Anyways.
When he arrived we were sat immediately. Strange environment. Crowded, many couples, and few on double dates with infants in tow. The decor didn't really impress me; it's cramped and the chairs and tables are uncomfortable.
Small menu of seasonal items and specials with locally sourced ingredients. We ordered:
Savory Apple Soup w black quinoa, baby turnips, matsutake mushrooms, curry oil, pine cream and bonito.
Turkey sandwich with avocado, chile aioli, sprouts, lettuce, onion, and bacon.
Gunthrop Farm pan roasted chicken with olive oil fingerling potatoes, herbs, and a sherry breadcrumb vinegarette.
I was not impressed. He really thought it was the cat's pajamas. I don't know what I'm missing here.
My favorite restaurant in Chicago was robbed by the Michelin guide, absolutely should have received a star, in my opinion. I've been wowed every time I've been here and would go every day if I could. I love the seasonality of their menu.
The cocktails are strong and tasty, desserts are well thought out and very intricate. Dishes are well-conceived and very well executed, I love how playful they are, like a skate "shank," which was skate stingray meat, wrapped around the bones of the ray. Beautiful dish w/a lot of complex flavors.
Overall, go here. As much as you can. Just know there will be hipsters galore.
The food at breakfast was good. I enjoyed my steak omelet and it's obvious that they use fresh, simple ingredients. I went with a group of three other women at breakfast time on a Friday. We shared the pastry plate (3 pastries - one savory crostata, which was delicious, one sticky bun which was good, but a little too sweet, and one chocolate chip scone, which was good but basic).
I found the waiter a little odd - he literally didn't smile once throughout our entire meal and left all of us wondering why he would even choose being a waiter as a living since he clearly found such little pleasure in it. I would go back to try dinner there since I have heard such great things about it, but I hope I don't get the same waiter again.
The prices were a little bit expensive, but not crazy.
I would not come again for breakfast because of the lackluster service.
Still a solid brunch experience!! (Somehow I still have never been here for dinner...) You will almost always have to wait unless you go before 10am. They expanded the restaurant in mid-2012 which has probably cut down on the wait a little bit. The renovation is really nice, though the other half of the restaurant seems pretty much unchanged: hipster, eclectic, non-matchy (new word for your Webster dictionary).
Their changing menu is dependent on the available seasonal ingredients. Inventive, fresh dishes. Good drinks. Always a good decision to come here. Go Lula! Go Lula!
I went for brunch one weekend. Â The food was good, but I just don't understand the rave reviews. Â These "farm-to-fork" restaurants at one time were hard to find, but now this is just one of many. Â If you live in the area, make sure you go. Â You'll love it. Â But it's not worth a detour.
Review Source:Really nice brunch spot!
Long wait.. and note that being told a 30 minute wait (the Sunday before Christmas at 11am) really means about 45 minutes. But I love the laid back feel of the place, how jolly and warm it feels compared to the dreary Chicago cold.
MUST-HAVE: Chilaquiles!!!
DISAPPOINTMENT: Eggnog griddle cakes.
* Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding 'French Toast' - 4.5 stars
pic: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4i1Ny2zIE1VJSU9gLMkHqg?select=HXSmM77rFn7VHnAzubQp8A#QKCCq9UrhUiJgQUwiop5ng">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
(caramel apples, oatmeal raisin crumble, black walnut, whipped cream. $11)
Fantastic! Very sweet - so you'll need a sweet tooth to enjoy this. It's just on the verge of being too sweet with both the syrup and the sweet drizzle over it, but is still really well done. The crumbles were fantastic and added a great crunch, the apples added a tiny bit of tartness, and the toast itself was incredibly soft and moist.
* 'The Royale' (Lula b'fast sandwich series) - 4 stars
pic: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4i1Ny2zIE1VJSU9gLMkHqg?select=HXSmM77rFn7VHnAzubQp8A#HXSmM77rFn7VHnAzubQp8A">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
(pulled pork, creamy slaw, potato chips, a 'classic egg on buttered texas toast. $13)
Nice! Trust them when they say the toast is buttered - it's REALLY buttered. But that's probably what makes it so flavorful. It's a little oily but is toasted just enough. The pork is fantastic and tasty. The slaw is really strong as well - so if you're not into that pickled flavor, be careful how much you have in each bite.
* Chilaquiles - 5 stars
pic: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4i1Ny2zIE1VJSU9gLMkHqg?select=HXSmM77rFn7VHnAzubQp8A#3i1MSQe5dENEquX-MQgGkg">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
(salsa roja, refried pinto beans, roasted winter squash, spiced pepitas & peanuts, queso fresco, sunny side egg. $10)
I seriously loved this so much and was jealous I didn't order it myself. Good thing my friend was cool about sharing and kept letting me pick off his plate! This was legit spicy, all the flavors worked so well together, the soft egg yolk was a GREAT addition, and the toasted pumpkin seeds & peanuts topped it off really well. Even though the chips were in salsa, they retained enough of their crispness as they were pretty thick but got just soft enough.
* Eggnog griddle cakes - 3 stars
pic: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/4i1Ny2zIE1VJSU9gLMkHqg?select=HXSmM77rFn7VHnAzubQp8A#VjB18ptH6wKd3T3fryO4MQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
(banana, bourbon butterscotch, gingersnap crumble, spiced creme anglaise. $12)
Sad that I ordered this. Big disappointment. The flavors were a bland kind of sweet and really could have used a counter tartness (blueberries or blackberries would have done wonders), the cakes were overly soft & soggy to the point that each one almost blended into one big cake. Not surprisingly, this was the only dish we did not finish at the table.
Brunch menu: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lula-caf%C3%A9-chicago-2?select=Cx41TmtFaU4cvihCZzkQlw#Cx41TmtFaU4cvihCZzkQlw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Regular menu: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/lula-caf%C3%A9-chicago-2?select=Cx41TmtFaU4cvihCZzkQlw#ujArksvlXw0j_fjla0BdJA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Not sure what the big deal is with this place.
I feel like hipsters do this thing where they see a high rating on a restaurant and they've brainwashed themselves into thinking it's better than it is because Mother Hipster said so.
Nothing blew my mind.
It took me a while to order because I really didn't see anything on the menu that sounded above what I could make myself that would be just as tasty.
I ended up with the breakfast tacos.
Meh.
Service and bar was nice though.
Dropping three stars on Lula Cafe is like spitting into the sea, but I want to make two specific notes, one for the service and one about the food.
Most importantly: Â Lula does accept reservations. Â Their Yelp profile states that they do not, so we didn't make one. Â I knew that they are a popular place known for long waits, so I advocated an early dinnertime. Â Our group of six showed up at 6pm on the Saturday evening of Christmas weekend and were quoted a two-hour wait. Â Two hours! Â "But half of the restaurant is empty." Â "Well, we have a lot of reservations coming later." Â Wha? Â So apparently they do take reservations. Â And they take so many that they can't (or won't) accommodate walk-ins even at 6pm. Â I told the hostess about the discrepancy with the Yelp listing, and she didn't seem too concerned. Â Nor did she apologize or try to soften the blow at all. Â A comment like "Oh, I'm really sorry about that; we're really busy tonight but we would love to have you guys back another time" would have gone a long way.
We were prepared to decamp for a more hospitable local option as soon as our first-arrived friends finished their drinks, when one of my them talked the hostess into seating us in the bar area. Â So around 6:30 the six of us gathered around a pair of conjoined two-tops, right by the door, Â where half the seating was an angled bench with no back. Â Sigh, thanks but no thanks Lula. Â Call me cranky and high-maintenance I guess, but either give us a real table or graciously let us go on our way to another establishment. Â I did not care for the second-class treatment.
However, we had all been excited to try the restaurant, so we settled down and tried to get into the mood to enjoy their wares. Â For the record, our waitress and the food runners were wonderful and attentive all night, so I have no complaints about that aspect of the service.
The fare was mostly very good: Â three of the dishes that I ate were outstanding--the spicy sesame slaw, the chickpea tagine, and the sticky gingerbread dessert. Â But my entree of gnocchi with wild boar sausage was a terrible miss.
First, they should serve this in a smaller vessel because it looks undersized, barely covering the bottom of the dish. Â Or maybe it IS undersized and they should include more. Â Second, there were merely three (3) one-inch pieces of wild boar sausage. Â Third, and most egregious, there was some kind of bitter green mixed in which was completely wrong. Â It didn't complement the other flavors, it didn't lend an interesting accent, it didn't provide counterbalance to other elements--it brutally overwhelmed the dish with bitterness. Â Yuck, yuck, yuck. Â Gnocchi, sausage, fennel, chicory, and cheese were all well matched. Â Those greens were an abomination. Â It was so jarring that I couldn't believe that this came out of a professional kitchen; it seemed like a failed experiment. Â In a word, those greens ruined the whole entree.
If you can brave through thre wait, this place is worth it.
I usually go here for brunch... A couple of bloody Mary's usually get me in the mood for their food, since unless you show up right when this place opens, you will have one on weekend mornings. Â
for brunch i recommend the the chilaques or the omelet, and if I am in the mood for something sweet then the French toast hits the spot.
For dinner, the pork shoulder is great, and the scallops are also very good.
Also important to note, this place has vegan options in case you or your friends don't eat meat. Â Great place if you have a need for both.
I'd been to Lula Cafe once in a previous life, when I was dating a vegan. Â Lula Cafe was date #2, which was a big upgrade from Cheesecake Factory, where he'd worried aloud whether the mayo that accidentally found its way onto his sandwich would give him diarrhea. Â Que romantico!
What I remember about that visit could fill a very small pocket on a small vest worn by a baby mouse. Â Which is to say, I don't remember much. Â I knew they did not take reservations, which was confirmed by my husband's survey of the Yelp listing prior to our recent visit, which I do remember. Â
But wait! Â When we arrived and checked in with the hostess, our party was told they couldn't seat us for two hours despite a wide open dining room. Â Our friend pointed out the open tables and was told there were reservations lined up for them. Â !!! Â Apparently, they started taking reservations "about a year ago." Â Would. Have. Been. Nice. To. Know. Â What was nice? Â Having a friend who could charm his way into a table...small and by the door. Â Not ideal, but we were glad to stay there instead of walking to Plan B in 20 degree weather. Â
Moving on. Â
There are two menus - a regular and then a cafe menu. Â Not sure what the real difference is, or why they couldn't print everything on one. Â I found my item on the cafe menu though, so fingers and toes crossed that they don't take it away. Â
Our party had a variety of entrees, and one couple had the vegetarian tasting menu. Â The servers did a good job timing those items (I believe 5 plus dessert) to coincide with the rest of the table. Â The service otherwise was just fine. Â
My entree, and the reason for the four stars, was the chickpea tagine. Â I love chickpeas, so I was partial, and the idea of a tagine was perfect for the aforementioned cold-ass night. Â It exceeded my expectations: it was a lot of food, it was four simple elements, and it was so good my husband tried to eat more of it than his sausage gnocchi. Â In addition to the chickpeas, there were maitake mushrooms, a few slices of cooked sweet potato, and a two crunchy plain crackers (those came in handy because those chicks had heat). Â For $10 (seriously!) I had dinner and lunch, twice. Â
Â
The other two things I ate were the cole slaw (which is described as "spicy sesame" but was not spicy and I missed the sesame) and dessert. Â Our dessert was the sticky gingerbread cake with coconut sorbet. Â Good, but neither of those things are in my top five favorites, so I was pleased but not over the moon. Â
There are other goodies to explore on the menu, so I hope to visit again soon. Â I will probably need to get the chickpea tagine again but will branch out on the appetizer or dessert front. Â And will skip the dreaded wait by making a reservation. Â Overall, a 3.5 but am rounding up in chickpea solidarity.
I don't know how I haven't written a review yet! What I think I like most about Lula is that they can suit any palette. Conservative eater who only eats eggs and toast for breakfast? Lula has you covered. Vegetarian? Not a problem. Adventurous palette? They can still surprise you. I am middle of the road in terms of taking risks with my food. It seems the more hungry I am the less experimental I am willing to be. But no matter what I am feeling, they have it. I think I have had several things on the menu, all of which were great from the Classic Lula Breakfast Burrito and Ham and Raclette Panino to the Pasta YiaYia and Brioche French Toast, I think I have a mild addiction to the Baked French Feta. I dream of the creamy hot feta, and the hand toasted baguette slices and salty olives. I would eat it every day if I could.
Great beer selection. Cool with asking for picky things like having your bacon extra crispy.
I really wanted to come here for brunch, but I settled for dinner instead. However, I was not disappointed.
Lula Cafe has a rustic and eclectic ambiance. It has a very farm-to-table feel and apparently has seasonally-changing menus. Though the menus aren't large by any measure, there are, nonetheless, ample quality dishes. The Bay Scallops from George's Bank were a delicious appetizer. As for an entree recommendation, I'm a huge fan of braised meat. I'll have to admit that the Braised Veal Cheeks were the best braised meat dish I have ever had.
FYI, definitely check out the spiked ginger apple cider. It's a warm concoction of cider and gin with a kick of ginger -- surprisingly delicious.
This restaurant is usually pretty busy, so I'd recommend making reservations. Do note, however, that reservations are not taken for weekend brunches.
I went on a weekday, so there wasn't a line. It's VERY busy on weekends.
Design: The exterior is not fancy, so it was a bit hard to find at first. I love the atmosphere. Beautiful interior design.
Service: Amazing! I thought the soup was a bit too acidic for my taste, so I left it aside. The waiter came up to me and offered to take the soup off the bill. When we were about to pay, they even differentiated what my friend and I ordered. Very considerate.
Food: I think it was very good. It's absolutely better than most brunch places, but it's not "WOW! This is the BEST thing EVER."
Overall: Very good. I am planning to visit again.
My 3 y.o. loved their Heirloom winter squash soup - she ate the whole bowl - I was so proud of both her and the chef who made it!!!
I was dumbfounded by PASTA 'YIAYIA' ... and it's hard to impress me. I mean who combines bucatini, cinnamon, feta, garlic, brown butter? A culinary genius!!!
Met up with a local friend for dinner here on a cold, rainy night. Parking seems pretty terrible around here anyway, but trying to find parking in the rain really sucked! We finally found a pay lot about a 1/4 mile away, sigh. Parking rigmarole aside, this turned out to be a fine place--even with a 2 year old (my nephew)! At first glance this cool hipsterish joint (moody ambiance, interesting art, hard furniture, filled with aging hipster types) doesn't seem like it'd be very child-friendly, but wait staff was on it with the booster seat and a sippy cup of water. They don't have a child menu, but we were OK with letting the little guy eat our stuff. They had a cafe menu (less expensive, smaller items) and a dinner specials menu. We ordered:
- chip & dip (sunchoke custard, crispy root vegetables, black truffle)
- caesar salad
- quesadilla (hen of the woods mushrooms, caramelized winter squash, fromage blanc)
- baked French feta
- pasta 'YIAYIA' (bucatini, cinnamon, feta, garlic, brown butter)
- spaghetti (sweet and spicy chile 'salsa rossa,' bacon, queso fresco)
- slow-roasted pork shoulder (fried oysters, illinois ginger, brussels sprouts, burnt orange aioli, dark rye)
The portions may not look huge, but they were good-sized and it was definitely enough food for 4 adults and 1 child. I thought all the food was good, but probably my least favorite item was the Pasta YiaYia--I didn't care for that particular combination of sweet and savory. The spaghetti was excellent, as was the quesadilla. They had a good craft beer selection as well. It was a fun, interesting place to dine for a special occasion (meaning, it wasn't  cheap).
Lula cafe is another option for the non-traditional breakfast/brunch fare. Every item on the menu is unique with fresh farm raised ingredients that def come thru in flavor. Try the Lula Royalle that features an egg with country gravy, persutto, thin fried onion rings, cheese, in a crispy biscuit sandwich. Comes with a side of dried greens ala sea weed. Only knock on this is the American cheese in it...didn't really work.
Also try the avocado, egg, and cheese burrito with potatoes and a nice green sauce.
Great spot literally across from Logan Square that offers outdoor seating in the warmer months. Service is very good too that makes this a place to try.
Lula cafe is another option for the non-traditional breakfast/brunch fare. Every item on the menu is unique with fresh farm raised ingredients that def come thru in flavor. Try the Lula Royalle that features an egg with country gravy, persutto, thin fried onion rings, cheese, in a crispy biscuit sandwich. Comes with a side of dried greens ala sea weed. Only knock on this is the American cheese in it...didn't really work.
Also try the avocado, egg, and cheese burrito with potatoes and a nice green sauce.
Great spot literally across from Logan Square that offers outdoor seating in the warmer months. Service is very good too that makes this a place to try.
This place is packed on the weekend - for good reason. After being discouraged by the crowds of Saturday/Sunday - I stopped in almost at opening on Monday just to give this place a try. Sat at the bar - had one of the best bloody marys ever along with a lovely spinach & cheddar frittata that came with toast and seasoned cubed potatoes on the side. They had a specials menu - which obviously is what everyone should always aim to order from - but I just wanted some eggs that morning, ya know? Anyway - cute inside, friendly host, really nice bartender, a little pricier than a diner breakfast - but you get what you pay for and all aspects of my meal were great.
I only took a star off because of selfish reasons - i hate crowds (not a 5 star place if i have to avoid it 2 days a week), and for all the talk of being vegetarian... Â I mean, it's not like they had fake bacon on the menu -which is obviously the necessary thing to blow me away.
This place is really hopping on summer brunch days. Just be sure to send someone early to put your name on the list. I was that person and my friends showed up an hour after I got there (11:30 is when I put my name down). As long as you get that down, you're all set!
Every dish that went by our table looked fabulous. Choosing is the hardest part of going to Lula Cafe. I ordered the omelet that day with duck, cauliflower chutney, and mushrooms. It changes seasonally. I also ordered the pumpkin and rosemary scone, which was the highlight of my meal. It came out warm and tasted delicious with the fresh butter.
My girlfriends ordered the tofu and vegetable scramble, a selection of the other pastries, and a chilaquiles type of dish. I got to sneak of bite of everything and it was all so yummy! I'll have to go back to check out the winter menu items. But I'm sure the wait will be longer with no lovely outdoor seating available in the cold months. :( Bummer.
Oh well, another great brunch place to add to my list! Go check it out.
Of all the restaurants that had a sandwich make the Chicago Magazine's "Chicago's Top 50 Sandwiches", I'd say Lula Cafe and Birchwood are damn near tied for my favorite. The long ass wait was no surprise when we saw the culinary delights that Lula boasts. Â It doesn't stop at the food. Â They have a great drink menu as well. Â Tons of specialty cocktails to get rocked of your ass on a Sunday afternoon if getting plowed is your thing. Â
Lula's Ham and Raclette Panino bestows pride to the #11 spot that it occupies. Â The bold flavor of the ham and the pickled onions combined with the fried egg and greens are astonishingly complex, but easy to navigate. Â I was finished before I knew that I had started. Â Service was top drawer and everyone that I could see with my one good eye looked like they were having a grand time of it.
I used to come to Lula frequently. It was one of my favorite brunch places for years before I moved to Lincoln Square. Sadly, my visits tapered off due to distance.
I was first brought to dinner here about 12 years ago by a friend who lived nearby. After that, I was hooked. Last night, after a long hiatus, I returned for a nice dinner with the hubby. I was not disappointed. It's become a little fancier, though it hasn't changed so much from the place I so loved and had such nostalgia for.
The "chips and dip" was very good, though I wish there were more dandelion greens and fewer actual chips. The greens were perfectly, delicately fried. Amazing. The sun choke custard was less up my alley. Three pasta yia yia was better than I remembered and my hubby loved his ham panini.
We won't wait so long to return!
Wonderful brunch place - if you are prepared for a loooong wait on the weekends!!
Met up friends at Lula's for brunch on Sunday. And it was a daunting hour and a half wait. Am glad we stuck it out because the food was totally worth the wait.
We ordered the breakfast burrito, the mushroom quesadillas, polenta with roasted squash, frittata, eggs and a pork shoulder sandwich.  Every dish was well made and tasted phenomenal. The best dish was the polenta with the roasted squash - it was just major YUM!!! Also  - the beets, do NOT leave this place without tasting some beets!!
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