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    Lou's Cafe

    4.3 (238 reviews)
    InexpensiveSalad, Soup, Sandwiches
    Closed • Closed

    Order Lou's Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    Lou's Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    LOU'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Lou's Cafe

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    James R.

    Learned about Lou's Cafe on Infatuation and while my brain still can't justify a sub costing over $10, I guess Lou's price is a bit reasonable for the financial district. Service was great and the sub itself tasted really good. I love me a good Dutch crunch. I'll likely come back when I need something light to eat as the sandwiches aren't exactly filling, just enough to get you fed and not be in a food coma coming back to your desk.

    Ami-Cado Sandwich
    Hanna H.

    Such a delicious spot! Deli vibes + decent prices (for SF). I recommend enjoying at a park! Ami-cado: great sandwich, perfect meat to topping ratio, really delicious pastrami Roma's Club: a great flavor profile + came with avocado and bacon without a bunch of extra charges which is rare in the city! Can't wait to come back and try more specialties!

    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!

    RB Mushroom sandwich and Enchilada soup of the day.
    Rachel W.

    1st time visit to Lou's Cafe. Picked it for a quick lunch of a sandwich and soup. Picked the RB Mushroom and the Soup of the Day was Enchilada. The soup was excellent and came with two slices of a cheese bread which was also very good. Total came to about $24 before tipping, which feels fair for SF prices. The location is nice too as it has light foot traffic and good indoor seating. The service was great and the team members who helped me out were very kind and helpful with my questions. Their turnaround time in getting orders out is quick and easy!

    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

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    4 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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    1 year 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

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

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Lou's Cafe

    I believe this location is temporarily (possibly permanently?) closed? Can anyone confirm?

    They Re-open for business On June 7, 2021

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    We ordered the Rompiballe Pizza and we loved it. Served hot and ready to devour. The meatballs were…read moreso tender and delicious. It's a must order!

    We were on a short vacation to the City and stayed in a favorite hotel two blocks away from…read moreLimoncello. In researching places near where we were staying, we learned about the Italian deli and shop. We were looking forward to stopping by to check out the store and grab lunch. The store itself is very cute and charming, full of so many items - fresh meats and cheeses, imported olive oils, pastas, desserts, wine, and liquor to name a few. There is an area where you can get coffee drinks and there is a deli area for ordering sandwiches, pizzas, specialty dishes, and salads. The variety of options is plentiful. I ordered an iced coffee beverage, which was great. My significant other and I ordered a sandwich to go, which we were splitting for a light lunch back at the hotel. The person helping at the counter was not very friendly or helpful with questions. We asked for our sandwich to be made on the Dutch Crunch bread, as we were looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately, when we got back to the hotel, it turned out that the sandwich was made on a regular ciabatta roll, which was not fresh. Additionally, the sandwich was mostly mixed greens. For the price, I expected more meat. With so many great food options in San Francisco, it is likely we won't stop by on future visits to the City.

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    Deli Board

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    4.3(2.1k reviews)
    1.1 mi•SoMa
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    10/10 The foundation of a great sandwich is bread. The…read morebread was so good. Soft but with a chew. Stood up to a 30 ish minute ride back on BART. Tons of meat. So much I was worried the ratio would be off. Told a friend that I didn't think it would be good. It would just taste like meat. I was wrong. Coleslaw wasn't too creamy or too sweet. Just right. Only thing I would change is asking for more peppers, they were so good so bright. Waffle Fries were great waffle fries, but the Mick Sauce was beyond great. To me it was like the best tartar sauce I've ever had. Maybe better. I would probably get an extra Mick Sauce and use it on my Sandwich. Friend got the Bradly and gave it top marks. All three meat flavors came through, jalapeños had great flavor that added to the sandwich. It's not cheap, but it's damn good. Be prepared to wait in line. I arrived around 1:50 and ordered around 2:20. I'm sure there are busier times. 100 percent worth the wait. They played CAKE and the employees were fantastic.

    I'm glad I finally checked out deli board, but imo for how hyped it is, I thought the actual…read moresandwich was kinda mid. Maybe I didn't order the right thing? I ordered the 49er and it just seemed like a greasy goopy mess. It felt like the bread congealed into a mushy paste due to all the dressing and wetness? Also my sandwich was 1000* even after walking back to my car and letting it cool with the wrapper off it was still way to hot to eat for a long while and burnt my mouth. Maybe they intentionally make them super hot to withstand long distance takeout deliveries... I dunno. Plus standing in a long line with a velvet rope baking in the sun, long wait, lack of parking, navigating skuzzy neighborhood to go there (literally saw a guy going #2 on the corner on my way out)... overall I wasn't that impressed with Deli Board compared to all the rave reviews I have heard over the years. SF lacks truly awesome sandwich places so I will give give this another shot and report back with updates, perhaps I hit it on an off day.

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    The Boys’ Deli - Sanfranpsycho Sandwich

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    1.3 mi•Polk Gulch, Russian Hill
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    Nowadays, everyone offers Dutch crunch bread, so I wasn't expecting much…read more I was pleasantly surprised that the bread was not only flavorful but also incredibly crunchy and dense, one of the better sandwich spots around the city that I will recommend from here on out. The San Franpsycho was incredibly decadent, full of sauce that made the sandwich rich. It got a little overwhelming near the end, but it's still worth it for the price. Can't wait to go back and try the other sandwiches they have to offer

    Finally made it to The Boys' Deli after my buddy hyped it up for years. It's an unassuming market…read moreon Polk with a sandwich counter in the back that is absolutely popping off. Three people working a tight space with three toaster ovens, and everything comes toasted by default. Their DNA is from pizza making, and it shows. The menu has around 40 sandwiches, so I asked the guy behind the counter for his two favorites and started there. The Godfather: Genoa and pepper salami, oven gold turkey, provolone, and garlic spread on Dutch crunch. Great texture, warm from the toaster, and the garlic spread ties it together. A San Francisco classic done right. The San Franpsycho: it normally comes with honey turkey, but they had rotisserie chicken on the spit so I swapped it in. Gouda, bacon, pesto, garlic spread, and remoulade. The pesto comes through right away and the chicken tastes like real rotisserie. Fair warning: it is messy. It drips. Do not eat this in the car. I could not find a clean way to eat it and ended up taking half home to finish. In their defense, I went rogue with the chicken order so that might have messed up the flow. If you're a sandwich person in SF, put this on the list. I'll be back soon.

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    The Boys’ Deli
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    Molinari Delicatessen

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    4.4(1.6k reviews)
    0.6 mi•North Beach/Telegraph Hill, Russian Hill
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    Molinari is an iconic Italian delicatessen that absolutely anyone that comes to San Francisco must…read morevisit. There's a very good reason the lines are out the door. For starters, its atmosphere is very iconic. Meats hang from racks, the store is filled with unique Italian ingredients like pastas, pickled vegetables, wines, and candies. The staff are always happy, and seem like they love what they do. In terms of their food and selection, they are unmatched. They have some of the best cured salamis, prosciuttos, and other meats that I've seen. In terms of their sandwiches, what I've seen looks good, but I also haven't tried any myself, as I mainly come for the actual delicatessen.

    Came here with my date to get some good ol' deli sammis, and we were NOT disappointed. We showed up…read moretowards the closing end of the restaurant hours so we were unable to get the focaccia we originally planned on, but we were presented with amazing, fresh, options that all sounded wonderful. We settled on a nice rosemary roll that was large and fragrant, getting the Italian combo with fresh mozzarella, no mayonnaise was in stock so we were offered a basil pesto compound butter that was made in house, and it was phenomenal. Great selection of meats, even got an Italian Coke that tasted divine. The sandwhich portions and the freshness of ingredients will have me coming back for SURE. Solid price, around 30 bucks for a large sandwhich and a couple of drinks and candy's. The candy was delicious as well! You can't go wrong here. Great service as well.

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    The entrance

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    Lou's Cafe - salad - Updated October 2026

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