Lou's Luncheonette — Restaurant in California

NOTE: This review was written during COVID-19 so I'm definitely going back and updating this review.

That being said the food did not meet expectations for this lovely roadside restaurant in picturesque Sonoma. There is ample parking and a large outdoor seating area with views of Valley of the Moon. We ordered the following:

FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH. Although the fried chicken breast was perfectly cooked and was crispy and juicy. The lack of garnish was disappointing. Two paltry slices of their house made bread and butter pickles seemed more of an annoyance rather than an element to elevate this dish.

SMOKED BRISKET SANDWICH. This was another example of execution not meeting expectations The Beef brisket was beautifully prepared ( tender, juicy and bearing a beautiful smoke ring) All the hard work, love and time put into preparing the brisket was diminished in it's final presentation.

SIDE OF BORRACHO BEANS You could definitely tell that these beans were slowly cooked and simmered for hours as the beans were soft and flavorful but perfectly intact. The seasoning was a good blend of sweet with the right amount of heat

SIDE OF COLLARD GREENS Tender but not mushy. These greens were swimming in a piquant smoky broth with some bacon (although I would have liked to seen some bits of smoked ham hocks as listed on the menu) They were excellent nonetheless

DEVILED EGGS There was nothing in particular that was good or bad about this dish except the lack of garnish.

SIDE OF BISCUITS We were EXTREMELY lucky as we ordered these as a batch was coming out of the oven! The biscuits were absolutely gorgeous! Perfectly golden brown top with flakey layers of flour and butter! The dough was not overworked so they were tender as well. The organic apricot jam we ordered was amazing!

BANANA PUDDING The banana pudding was okay. I will definitely have to give it another try.

HORCHATA MILKSHAKE NOTE: besides this shake flavor they have several other options. There is also an extensive list of locally produced craft beers and wine This shake was wonderfully satisfying. Creamy, smooth with the perfect amount...

Great little spot if you're in the area and well worth the drive if you're in Napa or Sonoma. I went at 1pm on a Thursday in early June and while there was a small line, they move it quickly and we only had to wait about 5 minutes to order. This place has an order counter where you pay and then you sit at your table till they call your number when it's ready. It was busy, nearly every table full, but not too crowded. The tables are picnic benches with umbrellas for shade and a large pack of alcohol wipes to sanitize the table and your hands. It only took about 10-15 minutes to get our food and it was DELICIOUS! We ordered the Gold Rush Burger and the Classic Chicken Sandwich, both with fries on the side (I'm not a fan of the collard greens that come with the chicken, but they are more than happy to swap for any other side) and a Basket of Biscuits with Jam to start. They were making a fresh batch of biscuits when we ordered, so she informed us it would be about 20 minutes, if we still wanted them. We did. WELL WORTH THE WAIT! They are a bit pricey at $6 for 3 and an additional $1 for jam (the one thing I could complain about was that at this price, the jam should be included) but they were HUGE, buttery, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. SO yummy and we stuffed ourselves, since we didn't get ours til we were almost done with our meal. The burger was not spicy, which we assumed it would be due to the jalapeños, but it was cooked perfectly medium and their homemade ranch is TO DIE FOR! The fried chicken is tasty and crunchy with lots of pickles and the fries are nicely seasoned and crispy, get a side of the ranch...it's green and you won't regret it. We couldn't finish the fries and had to overindulge ourselves just to finish 2 of the biscuits. Along with 2 bottles of root beer, our whole order came to less than $40 and we left extremely happy and will DEFINITELY...

Been coming here since Freemont Diner in 2012 and up until late 2023 it has been a 5 star establishment that we’ve visited a minimum of 2 times per month.

I hope management and ownership take note of this: Lou’s has always over delivered on price and quality. It has everything going for it to be a thriving business. Great location and the only real southern esque chicken and waffles type place in the area.

Lately quality has been sliding in ways that make it feel like it is not a priority. The maple syrup served with chicken and waffles used to have butter and real vanilla, now it is watered down sugar syrup that doesn’t look dark or taste like maple. A side waffle now costs 8/9$ and only 2 months ago was 5. Even a breakfast sandwich that was on the smaller side for 7/8 is now 11/12. An abrupt rise in the cost of food. I’m aware labor and costs have been rising everywhere for the past few years but to do it so abruptly makes me wonder if anyone was watching costs of goods or they are just raising prices to gouge.

Lastly the tables outside are in horrible condition. A few years ago the business spent a lot of money to pour a new concrete patio for outdoor seating that looks really nice. Now after 2 wet winters uncovered seating outside is at rickety tables that are water logged warped and completely flimsy with the finish peeling off. Please re invest into this business! I want to keep supporting it. Especially when you have poured so much time and money into your great new pizza place, Bucks...