LuLu Cafe and Bar — Restaurant in Milwaukee

Updated review, 5/15/2019: I had an extremely disappointing experience at Lulu over the weekend. I reached out on April 25th via their website contact form, requesting a reservation for Mother’s Day, May 12th at 12PM for 4 people. The manager responded: “We actually only do reservations for parties of five or larger. I’m guessing that you won’t have much of a wait at that point, if any.”

So, on May 12th my significant other and I went to Lulu early, hoping to get a table before his mother arrived. We were told they were full until 2:30PM and they were in fact reservation only. When I mentioned I had emailed requesting a reservation and was told I wasn’t able to make one as our party was too small, I was told somewhat rudely “well, I’m the manager so I would have been the one to email you, and I wouldn’t have said that”.

It was extremely embarrassing – the comment she made was completely unnecessary – a simple “I’m sorry for the mix-up” would have sufficed. I’m very glad my significant other’s mother was not present at the time. We rebounded and ended up making a quick reservation somewhere else and had her meet us there instead. Our brunch ended up being very nice, and the good customer service was welcome after our previous interaction at Lulu. 1st review, 7/2/2018: Lulu is one of our favorite staples in Bay View. We stopped by this weekend for dinner and as usual, had some delicious food and good service.

My go-to is always the Falafel Pita; the falafel is fantastic and the sides (homemade chips and to die for Asian slaw – go for the half and half to have both!) are delicious as well. It’s always hard to decide between the Falafel Pita and the Sesame Chicken Pita, another great option. My significant other had the Heart Attack burger, and said it was excellent. We tried the Hummus Deluxe appetizer, which was good; Lulu’s pita bread is delicious. My sister had the Calypso Tuna Salad so I also tried a bit of that – the tuna steak was seared perfectly and the house-made citrus vinaigrette was phenomenal.

We had a larger party, and not only was the service still good, but everyone in our group enjoyed their food. The prices are good and the portions are excellent; you really can’t go wrong with anything...

The only real issue with the atmosphere is that there are no soft surfaces to absorb sound. We went to an early dinner - arrived between 4:30 and 5:00 and it was very pleasant. Hardly anyone there yet. But as it filled up it got louder and louder with all the conversations bouncing off hard surfaces. It is definitely a nice place and feels cozy, it's just a volume thing.

Our server was great. Very friendly with a just the right amount of bubble to her that she was doll to have, but not over the top to be obnoxious. She was helpful when we had questions, checked on us just the right amount of time, and didn't hover so we could eat and talk comfortably.

The food is outstanding. I had this week's special - Pepperjack Pub Melt, and Mom had the Mediterranean Steak Pita. We both opted for the little bit of each on the choice of House-made Potato Chips and Asian Slaw. Portions are definitely NOT an issue. There is so much food I was almost full just LOOKING at the plate. And let me say it is ALL super delicious. I wasn't really sure about "just having a burger," but the special was intriguing. Served on toasted bread, with pepperjack cheese, and had slices of fresh avocado, with a side of pepperjack mayo that was just the right amount of kick. Of course you can increase and decrease the kick by how much you put on the sandwich. Perfect. The chips with the bleu cheese dip, and the Asian slaw are equally tasty. Very nice flavor combinations. Could only eat half and have the rest in the fridge at work for lunch today. So excited.

Check them out if you haven't. Just know they have TWO doors. The one to the north is unlocked for the...

I’m changing my five star review for Lulu’s because consistency is key in the restaurant business. Some of Lulu’s sandwiches are great, and some of them are tasteless. The felafel pita and the Mediterranean steak pita are filled with multiple layers of deliciousness, while the East Indian Chicken pita and roasted vegetable pita have little flavor. It’s hit or miss. The same goes for the service at Lulu’s. Some of the wait staff are with it, tending to your needs, while others are spacey, not quite comprehending, off in their own world of “what shape is the earth? It must be flat, or we’d fall off.” I like Lulu’s, but I’m better off ordering the same thing every time and asking for a server’s ACT scores before sitting down. ———————-

My friend and I were doing some drinking at the Voyager, and suddenly he started talking about food. It was a Monday night, around 8:40, and there weren’t a lot of places open. He isn’t the type of person to express his needs overtly, and I wasn’t hungry. “Do you need to eat?” “Aren’t you hungry?” “No, I ate lunch.” “You don’t need to eat?” “No, but if you need to eat, we better hustle.” “Well, I haven’t eaten anything since lunch, and”……. “Bartender, the check please.” We ran across two streets and bolted into Lulu’s 10 minutes before closing. They agreed to feed us although no one else was in the place. After grabbing two seats at the bar, we had a nice drink and a beer. Our two delicious pita sandwiches arrived with excellent chips. The sandwiches were large and gratifying. I really liked Lulus, and will be sure to return. Next time will have more...