Lulu's Lunchbox — Restaurant in Andover

I’m giving yall 5 stars because I believe in constructive criticism and I think this restaurant has a lot of room for growth, but there is a lot that needs to be dialed in. Starting with the menus, they’re different on every single ordering platform and your websites menu is different than the menu that you have in house. Coming from someone who’s ran a ton of kitchens before, get one menu and mainstream it throughout all of your social media, websites and apps. Having different menus and different offerings that all differ from each other can be confusing and lead to difficulty trying to figure out allergens and other foods to possibly avoid. I ordered the chicken shawarma wrap and for some reason yall had no wraps at all. Nothing. Just sub rolls. I said it was fine. When I got it I started eating it and noticed it was mostly chicken and I could have sworn I read that it came with lettuce tomato and a few other things. I went in to ask and the young man working there was extremely nice and let me know that it was different than the online menu and that it only came with chicken. Here’s where I’d offer some real criticism. 15-16 dollars plus tip for some grilled chicken on a sub roll is absolutely absurd and down right insane. The food costs on that is like 5-6 dollars and that’s being very very generous. Not too sure if you use thigh or breast, if it was breast I’d assume it’s about a 5 dollar food cost but if it’s thighs?! It’s more like 3-4. I understand food prices are sky high right now but there are plenty of ways around this. Putting vegetables and other low cost foods into this sub or wrap would help you use less chicken, lower food costs and it would add more flavor and balance to your wraps/subs. The seasoning was great, but that’s all I tasted and it got old quick. It needed something acidic, something sweet, something to offset the palate and refresh. This sandwich should cost no more than 12 dollars with JUST chicken. You could cut the chicken portion in half and put tomato, pickle, onion, tzatziki and charge the same 15/16 dollars and actually make MORE. It would be a much more balanced tasteful wrap than marinated chicken and bread. There’s a ton of room for improvement here and I hope some changes come along because this place could be absolutely booming given the location and how good their chicken is alone. I want to reiterate the young man working there was very kind, very nice and even offered me a free salad. Very good...

Lulu’s Lunchbox is hands down one of the best spots in the area for a quick, high-quality meal. Their coffee is excellent—smooth, rich, and made with ethically sourced, fair-trade beans. The lattes are especially good and always perfectly made. Their food is just as great. The chicken shawarma is my go-to for lunch—flavorful, fresh, and reasonably priced. But what really impressed me were the pastries. I once ordered a selection of cakes and pastries for a family birthday, and everything was beautifully made and absolutely delicious. The pistachio baklava was the highlight—so good that people were literally competing for the last piece. I used to live in this neighborhood a long time ago and have seen a lot of businesses come and go in this little corner of Ballardvale. Lulu’s is easy to miss since it’s near the train tracks, but it’s absolutely worth finding. The family who runs it is incredibly kind and welcoming—once, I was late picking up an order because of traffic, and they stayed open just to make sure I got my food. That kind of service is rare. It’s also great to finally have more diverse food options in the Andover area, and Lulu’s Lunchbox is a fantastic addition. If you’re looking for a spot with great coffee, delicious food, and a welcoming atmosphere, definitely...

Myself and two friends were watching & photographing trains at the Ballardvale MBTA station on Saturday 3/23/24. a Very nasty, rainy day. We decided we were getting hungry and, and noticed a pizza shop across the tracks. None of us really wanted pizza, but we headed that way anyway. As we got closer we saw the sign for LULU's LUNCHBOX next to the pizza shop, and decided to check it out. Best decision ever!!!. I had never even heard of a Shawarma before, but they offered both beef & chicken. A Shawarma is very much like a wrap sandwich, but huge. The young girl in the shop told us that everything was made fresh daily, and this was evident as she cooked the beef & chicken fresh for us. I got the Beef Shawarma, and I have to say, it was absolutely delicious. Both of my companions got the Chicken shawarma, and it theirs looked just as good. The Lunchbox is small with one table, and extremely clean & friendly. I finished my shawarma, and even though I was full, my taste buds wanted more. I regret not ordering one to go for dinner. This place is a hidden gem, and I highly recommend giving it a try. Bob V....