Mama Lu's — Restaurant in Jacksonville

Mama Lu's is located on the other side of St. John's Bluff Road passed Atlantic Blvd. from The Town Center. It's a little Mom and Pop shop that serve delicious Filipino food. We just discovered this place a couple of months ago, but we were informed that they've been there for more than 7 years. Not too late for us that's for sure! We have been here several times already in that 2-month span and we've ordered quite a bit and they were all good. Wish they're close to our home though, but still worth the drive to have a home cooked meal.

Yummy goodness we've had include: *Kaldereta - Filipino beef stew *Menudo - pork stew *Tortang Talong - eggplant omelette stuffed with ground beef *Papaitan - soup dish mostly composed of cow or goat innards *Chicken Adobo - chicken cooked in vinegar and soy sauce *Pork Adobo - pork cooked in vinegar and soy sauce *Lechon Paksiw - pork stewed in vinegar *Bistek - beef slices braised in citrus juice, soy sauce, onions, and garlic *Pinakbet - mixed veggies cooked in fish or shrimp sauce *Bopis - minced pork or beef lungs and heart *Tocilog - fried cured meat,...

My husband and I can't believe we only discovered Mama Lu's early this year! We were truly missing out! Once we tried their food, oh man we are hooked!

So far EVERYTHING we have tried was absolutely delicious! They all tasted like home cooked meals! We had kaldereta, Tortang Talong, Bistec, Lechon Paksiw, Afritada, Adobo, Tapsilog, etc. Our favorite is their Bopis! Perfectly cooked and so good with rice! Their combo meal is reasonably priced except if you purchase them individually. I would suggest getting the combo meal so you get to taste 2 different types of Filipino dishes!

We have been wanting to try their Pancit palabok, unfortunately every time we visit, it's not part of their hot menu. Oh well, we wouldn't mind coming back...

I'm not sure why I don't visit Mama Lu's more often. Could it be because it's tucked away on St Johns Bluff, making it easy to overlook? Possibly. Is the parking situation a bit challenging? Definitely.

But let me tell you, the effort is absolutely worth it for some of the best Filipino cuisine in the city. I found myself swerving into Mama Lu's cramped parking lot just for a quick bite. I ordered chicken adobo and dinuguan with white rice. The chicken adobo is insanely delicious. Their dinuguan, typically a savory stew made with pork offal, was made with chunks of pork instead, and the gravy was rich, thick, slightly sweet, and utterly delightful.

If you're on the hunt for fantastic Filipino food, don't hesitate to give Mama...