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    Lou's Cafe

    4.4 (2k reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Lou's Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Lou's Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    LOU'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Lou's Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Helen L.

    No lines on a foggy morning. Score. 4 people working, then 5 at exactly 9 am. They are ready for the crowd. I'm overwhelmed with choices on the board. Good thing I narrowed it down to roast beef and eggs. Four choices. Didnt want too spicy or too plain so settled on RB with bacon and mushroom roast beef with jalapeños spread on Dutch crunch roll $14 and ultimate Sammie with hash brown on sourdough $10. $25 for two hugh hot sammuws. Two of these weighs 5 pounds. Delish before watching Toy Story 5. Staff was friendly and they seem to like each other.

    LLB Special Sandwich
    Smith T.

    Yo! If you are looking for a top-tier sandwich in SF, you have to stop by Lou's on Geary. I've heard the hype for a while and finally went in to try their Special Sandwich. The sandwich was fire. What really sets it apart is that "Lou's Special Sauce" it adds a kick that you just don't get at your average deli. The bread was perfectly toasted (not too hard, not too soft) and they definitely don't skimp on the meat. The staff was super efficient and friendly. Even though there was a bit of a line (which is expected for a place this good), they moved through the orders quickly. The cafe has a great, classic SF neighborhood vibe.

    Becky V.

    Chicken pesto sandwich seems popular and I chose it for the first thing to try here. It came out warm on my Dutch crunch bread choice. Has avocado, melty cheese and chicken. Already cut in half for eating some now and keeping some for later (or sharing with someone else to spread the joy!) Kind friendly service. Casual small spot, no chairs or tables to eat inside. Lots of drink selection in fridge

    Shelley P.

    The line was so far out the door the day we went that people couldn't figure out where the end was! It was a rare hot day in SF and I think everyone had the same idea to grab a sandwich and picnic in the park. I'd wait an hour again for Lou's! We got the ami-cado and LLB special and both were stuffed full of fillings and flavor (packaged nicely in classic Dutch crunch). And they have voodoo chips!! (Also, so much respect and gratitude for the staff - there was absolutely no AC in there so it was boiling, and they were all working like mad to get the orders out!)

    Ami-Cado
    Jean T.

    I came here for lunch on a Saturday because I was in the area and I had to stop because there was a line and I wanted to check out what it was for when all of the other businesses surrounding it were a bit dead. There was a bit of a wait to order and a bit of a wait to get the sandwich but it did not disappoint! I ended up going with the AMI-CADO on Dutch crunch and it was amazing! I'm usually not a huge fan of sandwiches unless it's on dutch crunch and the jalapeno spread makes it 10x better. There wasn't any seating available at the store front but we were able to walk over to a nearby park that had tables to sit and enjoy the sandwiches. I'd definitely return if I'm in the area!

    Evan K.

    Had the pleasure of trying Lou's Cafe on a work trip and we originally didn't have this spot on our radar, so glad we stumbled across it last minute. We came during a week day during peak lunch hours and it was so packed. We waited about 30 minutes for our sandwich which is no biggie. I would assume it's less packed on the weekend due to less walking traffic from work. Ordered the LLB Special and my gosh that Lou's Special Sauce paired with that Dutch Crunch is amazing. The portions here are big too so you will be left full. I would definitely recommend this spot, there also isn't too much seating inside or outside.

    Na'ilah G.

    The BEST sandwiches in sf. They have dutch crunch and that's kind of rare to find so that's why I go here, but aside from that their sandwiches are bomb. My friends and I all love coming here.

    outside
    Helena L.

    tldr local sandwich spot serving up some of sf best sandos at an affordable price! ordered the popular chicken pesto sandwich over the phone - ready in 20 mins on the weekend. sandwich was super fresh with avocado, thinly sliced chicken, american cheese and all the regular fixings on a crunchy but soft roll. very tasty! it was a bit salt for my liking but had a great filling to bread ratio and stayed warm on my 45 minute bus ride home. the sando i could split with one other person as a light snack since it was pretty sizable. service was friendly and i was in and out of there in 5 minutes. total came out to about $13.6 after tax so very great! overall i would highly recommend lou's for a tasty affordable meal! food 4.75/5 service 4/5 ambiance n/a with take out value 5/5

    Top: Hot Pastrami Sandwich Bottom: Roma's Club
    Maya R.

    I've been coming to Lou's for about 9 years now, and it's my go-to whenever I'm craving a sandwich. The bread is always toasted to perfection, and the sandwich has the perfect amount of sauce. There's usually a line on weekends, so I recommend calling ahead! I usually get the Roma's Club, and my boyfriend gets the Hot Pastrami. The Hot Pastrami is consistently good; however, he wishes there was a bit more meat. As for the Roma's Club, it hits every time too. There's a slight kick, which really separates this sando from any other turkey avo sando. Today, I decided to try the Crab Melt, and it will definitely be added to my rotation. It was a tad spicier than Roma's--but in a good way. I love imitation crab, and this had the perfect flavors combined with it.

    Chicken Pesto
    Josh S.

    They are among the top in SF. I have been several times in the past but stopped by this weekend for a chicken pesto sub and was very happy with the choice. Probably the only reason keeping this from a 5 star for me is that I prefer sandwiches that are super generous with the sauces. I like it dripping but that's a personal preference. I can't remember off the top of my head the other sandwiches I have had, but I've never been disappointed. One pro tip if you are planning on going, the wait time can be hit or miss so I recommend to call in advance. I have been before with minimal line and also been another time and had to wait over an hour for a sandwich. It's all based on how good the weather is and weekend hours etc. Great spot overall and you won't be disappointed.

    Italian Special Sandwich

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    Sooooooo much yum. Fabulous sandwiches! Great portions and prices. They have become a favorite.

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    Lou's Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Lou's Cafe

    What's in the special sauce?

    It is like aioli…garlic + mayo & some seasoning/herb

    How does Lou's Cafe compare with Ike's?

    I think Lou's is better - Ike's is really messy and feels heavier/more unhealthy to me. Lou's also has a really nice kick to it because of that great jalapeno sauce!

    Has anyone tried their buffalo chicken sandwich? Thoughts?

    Yes, highly recommend

    Does the special sauce contain dairy?

    Yes

    View All 7 Questions

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    Irving Subs

    Irving Subs

    4.3
    (566 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    This is probably the only place where the sandwiches don't taste like the store's essence…read more I mean, don't get me wrong, a store's essence from any given deli/liquor store definitely adds unique character to the sandwich and sometimes I want that in a sandwich. But when you want a sandwich that only tastes like its ingredients, Irving Subs is the spot. Their Dutch crunch is famous for being fresh and actually crunchy. Their lettuce is shredded but fresh and crispy. The salt content is just enough to bring out the flavors. And the overall composition of their sandwiches are very well proportioned. You're not getting skimped, but you're also not biting into a mouthful of a packet of deli meat. They definitely know what they are doing. Service is good and ambiance is a small humble shop on the corner of 12th Ave.

    Ordered the Nearly Reuben on sliced sourdough, toasted, with house garlicky mayo and brown mustard…read moreon DoorDash. Double pastrami, horseradish, havarti, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, pickles, and pepperoncini. A lot going on, and it all came together. The horseradish and havarti gave it enough personality to stand apart from a standard pastrami sandwich, and the garlicky mayo tied everything together. The one casualty of DoorDash was sogginess by the time it arrived. That's not a knock on the sandwich, it's just the reality of ordering something like this for delivery. At $14.50 it's a hearty sandwich at a fair price. I'd recommend it, but eat in.

    Photos
    The   Turkey Bacon  Avocado  Lettuce Tomato    Pure awesome
    The Turkey Bacon Avocado Lettuce Tomato Pure awesome
    Turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato on Gluten free bread. Yummy.
    Turkey, avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato on Gluten free bread. Yummy.
    Giant's Sub (left) 
 Fratellino (right)
 with Potato Salad
 Yum :)

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    Giant's Sub (left) Fratellino (right) with Potato Salad Yum :)
    Limoncello

    Limoncello

    4.7
    (1.9k reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    Wow! In a bit of a rush and was in need of something quick as take-out. Pleasantly surprised by the…read moreMafioso. Amazing quality of freshcut meats and a very hefty sandwich. Ordered and walked out in the span of 10 min. Very italian deli with tiramisus and cannolis. Tons of italian snacks and puff pastries, and a convenient location to pickup anything from beers/wines to premade cannoli shells and gelato. One thing to note is you cannot customize the sandwich, not sure about the pizzas, which smelled delicious. They only make speciality sandwiches on their menu, but surely can't go wrong with any of the choices. They're packed with a sizeable amount of meat as well as greens. The half was enough to fill me up and they were kind enough to wrap them separately.

    my friends and I stopped by for sandwiches at limoncello after seeing all the rave about it online…read more there were so many options and we were also excited to see the deli was actually part of a larger italian grocery store and grabbed some italian sodas too! we were a bit disappointed by the sandwiches themselves- for $18, we felt that the proportions were a bit off. it still tasted great and ingredients were high quality, but there was a monstrous amount of meat and lettuce so it was hard to get any of the other flavors. the portions were huge though, which is a plus. overall, the store was very cute, clean, and seemed like it stocked authentic italian ingredients. the service was pretty quick since we just ordered at the counter, and they are all very friendly.

    Photos
    Entrance is so cute
    Entrance is so cute
    Siciliano Sandwich and Goodfella Sandwitch
    Siciliano Sandwich and Goodfella Sandwitch
    CANNOLI 3X PACK

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    CANNOLI 3X PACK
    Deli Board

    Deli Board

    4.3
    (2k reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$

    I wanted to see what the hype was about. What I got was a pretty damn good sandwich, chill staff &…read morenot too long of a wait at all. I got the Carzle and the meats are definitely the star of the show here; the brisket and pastrami were so juicy, smoky and complimented all the veggies great. However, of course, it is incredibly expensive; even sharing a half with a buddy puts you at $15 each after tip/tax. While tasty, it's a little less than expected/underwhelming for that price point. I don't see myself really coming here too often unfortunately, so many other cheaper and just as delicious eats in the city. Seems like this place definitely caters to a certain crowd in the area that are more than happy to make this their daily lunch spot so I don't see that changing any time soon

    If you're in line and near the entrance of the pizza shop, you're at about a 35-40 minute wait. Is…read moreit worth it? YES. I don't even like pastrami and the 49er was delicious. But more than just the sandwich- the owner and all of the employees are incredibly kind and clearly care about their community. I read in another review that they saw the owner usher in a homeless man and I saw a similar act of kindness. The regulars also have a great rapport with the owner and they honestly just give GOOD VIBES. The good vibes must have been contagious because we were behind a Romanian father and his two sons who ended up paying for the older woman in front of them. Def worth the visit if you're in the area!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Chairman's corner (from left to right): thweethead, RLMB (02/2026)
    Chairman's corner (from left to right): thweethead, RLMB (02/2026)
    Mick

    See all

    Mick

    Lou's Cafe - coffee - Updated July 2026

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