Lulu Cafe Is Still a Winner

LuLu Cafe & Bar. Photo by Cari Taylor-Carlson.

Before Bay View became a dining destination, there was LuLu Cafe & Bar, a few steps off S. Kinnickinnic Avenue on S. Howell Avenue. You might say the owners were pioneers in a neighborhood yet to be redeveloped and with few restaurants. That was back in 2001, when Lulu opened with a small dining area, mainly counter seating, and a couple of tables.

Now they use the original space for takeout and special parties as they expanded into a much larger room with a full bar and multiple tables. They have a dedicated cadre of diners that date back to 2001, and that includes me.

One thing has remained the same and let us hope they never cease making are the gigantic house chips and the crunchy Asian slaw. When you order from the sandwich menu, Burgers, Pitas, Melts, and Baguettes, your sandwich comes with chips or slaw or a little of both. That “little of both” is relative because even in a split, the portions are generous. You will want to add the blue cheese dip, a mild accompaniment to the chips because you can, and they charge a mere $.50 for this dipping sauce.

When you order a pita, and there are several choices, be prepared for a pita stretched to its limits with a filling guaranteed to please. The Roasted Vegetable Pita, for example, has an entire vegetable garden roasted to perfection and served with a refreshing cucumber sauce. If you are willing to forgo the chips and slaw, you can have the roasted veggies in a salad with spring greens and tossed with red wine vinaigrette.

Three personal favorites come in baguettes: the Mooney Tuna, the Moroccan Chicken and the Faux Banh Mi. The Mooney Tuna has been on Lulu’s menu since they opened; only the price has changed. They season a six-ounce yellow-fin tuna steak with a Cajun mix, grill it to perfection somewhere between pink and well-done, and set it on a toasted roll with lettuce, tomato, and blue cheese sauce. Or you can order that tuna Asian-style with sesame oil, rice wine vinaigrette, and a side of wasabi mayo.

On a recent visit, my Faux Banh Mi was so delicious that when I finished it, I did not mind wearing some of it on my clothes. Tender grilled flank steak was set on an Asian-style slaw, topped with cucumbers and hot chili sauce, and served with a side of wasabi. The baguette was soft; the wasabi mildly spicy; and the rest added umami to the pleasing, albeit messy mix.

My companion’s Moroccan Chicken, another sandwich in a baguette, was plump and well-seasoned with lemon and coriander, along with a hint of sweet from a touch of honey. Boursin cheese added tang to the juicy chicken and a toasted baguette completed this non-traditional chicken sandwich.

A week later I returned for flatbread pizza. There are five on the menu including Pizza Margherita and Pear and Gorgonzola. My margherita was thick and juicy with sliced Roma tomatoes and several slabs of fresh mozzarella. Basil chiffonade added fresh flavor to this pizza, a favorite at Lulu. My companion’s Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza was flawless. The pear slices were tender and there was a lot of funky cheese and caramelized onions along with more than a sprinkle of toasted walnuts. The chef finished it with a balsamic reduction to round out the flavors and to balance the sweet pear and caramelized onions.

You want to ask about the Daily Soup. My companion enjoyed Creamy Onion topped with crispy fried onions which were also present in the soup and a unique twist on the usual French Onion. It was delicious. The addition of a hard roll completed this light meal.

You can also get a burger, a half-pound of Black Angus available five ways: The Classic, topped with gorgonzola and bacon; topped with cheddar, bacon and onion; topped with Chihuahua cheese, black bean salsa and avocado; and for vegetarians, The Impossible Burger.

It’s good to know there are Weekly Specials such as the Turkey Reuben and the Wasabi Tuna Salad with that perfectly grilled yellowfin-tuna steak. Both were on the menu for a week in late May.

Lulu is often my go-to when a friend says “Where should we go for dinner?” At Lulu the prices are reasonable. There is a full bar. The servers are friendly. The food is always good. After a meal, you may concur with me: this is exactly what a neighborhood restaurant should be.

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• Location: 2265 S. Howell Ave.
• Phone: 414-294-5858
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon-Thu, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri-Sat
• Neighborhood: Bay View
• Website: http://www.lulubayview.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lulubayview
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuLuCafeAndBar/
• UM Rating: 4.25 stars (average of Yelp, Trip Advisor and Zomato)