Luella's Southern Kitchen — Restaurant in Lake View Township

Dear Luella’s Team,

I want to start by saying how amazing the food was at Luella’s. Unfortunately, the delicious food was not enough to compensate for the poor service my family experienced.

As first-time patrons, we were unfamiliar with how the restaurant operated. When we walked in, we weren’t sure if we were supposed to wait to be seated or find a table ourselves. We asked a staff member, who eventually responded, “Yes,” and also asked if it was our first time. When we said yes, he briefly explained that after picking a seat, we could go to the counter to place our order. No other instructions were provided.

At the counter, we ordered our food, and I noticed a cooler near the register with jugs of water and other items. I asked for water and was simply instructed to grab it myself—again, with no additional guidance.

We sat at our table with our order number and the jug of water. A few minutes later, someone brought the coffee we ordered, but we had to flag someone down to ask for sugar and cream. After receiving those, we realized we had nothing to stir the coffee with, so we had to get someone’s attention yet again. At this point, I was also wondering—do we need to ask for cups too? What about silverware?

Looking around, I noticed the other three occupied tables had cups, silverware, and napkins. Meanwhile, my family and I were left without the basics. Someone had come to our table three or four times but never noticed or corrected what was missing. My mother even waved her hand for several minutes before a staff member finally acknowledged us. However, as he started walking toward us, he noticed a group of white patrons outside. Instead of continuing toward our table, he turned to greet them, invited them inside, and went straight to the register to help them—completely ignoring us.

At this point, I was frustrated. I had been trying to stay patient, considering it was our first time visiting, but this was unacceptable. I finally got up and asked, “Are we supposed to get our own cups?” Before I could finish my sentence, the staff member quickly said, “Oh, I’ll bring them.” The cups arrived, then the food—but we still didn’t have silverware.

If your restaurant operates with a self-service model—where guests seat themselves, order at the counter, and retrieve their own water—that’s completely fine. However, that is not the standard for most restaurants, and it should be clearly communicated. A simple chalkboard explaining the process would be helpful, and your staff should be trained to fully explain how things work when they learn it’s a guest’s first time visiting.

The food was wonderful, but the front-of-house service needs serious...

Soooo. I was there for a party and I was pretty excited about going and supporting my friend and just being around good vibes. We all got there thinking it was going to be a really good experience. Why didn't anyone tell us that this was a, " you're on your own" establishment! Not even their website says anything about it being that type of restaurant. I mean, damn! They could've at least had a rules for eating here board. We were all sitting there at least a good 10 min waiting on a waiter and ended up asking a couple near us were we supposed to go up and they said, yes. I should've known something was different when they brought my receipt to the table and looked like they were expecting a tip on the receipt, sans food, service, even the simplest of table condiments. And I tip well...for service. We had to do everything ourselves except cook the food. Honestly, I was tight after that. We all ended up ordering and for the prices I would expect a level of restaurant service not food truck service. I had the salmon cakes with Mac and cheese and green beans. A couple of people had the shrimp and grits. Oh, that was funny though. One of my friends said for 23 dollars and they gave her a easy bake oven portion 🙄😂 they liked the taste though. No, it didn't come with anything. The whole menu is al a carte damn near, no real deals. I'm not a price girl. I don't go places I can't afford but when I took the time to actually see what we got, the non service that we got...nah, I'm good. The chicken looked good even though I didn't have it, the ones that did really liked it but said the waffles were too sweet. My meal... I just don't have any words. I'm sorry, but they won't be nice. My lady's food, well, let's just say she had to get a refund. If you ask for scrambled eggs hard why would you bring a plate of runny eggs? And her bacon was fat back bacon but cooked so poorly. Fat back is supposed to be crispy and chewy with the rinds, and I don't know what that was. This review in my opinion can't even be a mixed bag because too much wrong outweighed the good from jump. I usually try and give places the benefit of the doubt but I won't be back. I can't. I would've had a better experience and food at an IHOP and I don't even eat supper food at IHOP. It's not real southern cuisine and I felt hoodwinked, bamboozled. Batter & Berries is calling...

Recently, my daughter and I chose to try Luella's for an early dinner based on several recommendations we received. The atmosphere had a cozy vibe, though we felt it could benefit from a bit more energy to enhance the dining experience.

We arrived just before opening and were the first guests inside, yet we ended up being the third in line to place our order. This was a bit surprising, but we remained optimistic about our meal.

We opted for the buttermilk fried chicken, choosing a breast, a wing, a thigh, and a leg each, and paired it with a variety of sides. I selected collard greens, while my daughter went with sweet potatoes. We also decided to share the cornbread skillet and macaroni and cheese. For beverages, we ordered sweet tea, looking forward to a Southern classic, and we were intrigued by the Louisiana beignets, though they turned out to be a bit underwhelming in flavor.

When the food arrived, it was visually appealing and had a delicious aroma. Unfortunately, I found the collard greens lacking; they were somewhat watery and fatty, missing a depth of flavor that could elevate the dish. On a more positive note, the macaroni and cheese was a standout—rich and well-seasoned, with pasta shells that added a nice texture.

The fried chicken showed promise, especially the thigh, which was light and crispy with a well-seasoned crust. However, I did encounter some pink near the bone, which made me hesitant to enjoy the chicken fully. The sweet potatoes were alright, but a hint of nutmeg could really enhance their flavor.

The cornbread skillet was undoubtedly the highlight of our meal—warm, moist, and very satisfying. Unfortunately, the sweet tea did not meet our expectations, lacking the sweetness that one would typically expect in a Southern beverage.

While we appreciated the small, cozy setting, we found the service to be an area in need of improvement. The staff seemed a bit overwhelmed and occasionally appeared frustrated by simple requests.

In summary, Luella's offers promising Southern soul food but has significant opportunities for growth, particularly in the areas of food execution and service. Overall, our meal was decent, but we left feeling that with some refinements, it could transform into a truly...