Lulu’s has recently been given a lot of pub by making an appearance on the popular show “Man Versus Food” when they visited the restaurant on the 2009 season premiere to see how they make their cinnamon rolls. Lulu’s was one of those restaurants that are a standing favorite and I was working my way to talk about them, and it was the fact that it was my roommate’s, Serrano Aaron, birthday that we decided to go pay Lulu a visit.
Lulu’s is a diner in the classic sense: it is open 24/7, has a bar that you can order and eat at, and of course has the black and white checkered floor. They also serve up some of the best home cookin’ that you will find in San Antonio, and a lot of local celebrities frequent the diner for that good food (the waitress informed us that the deputy was dining at the bar just across from us and that we should be on our best behavior; I have also heard that Shaq likes to go to Lulu’s when he is in town playing the Spurs).
If you are on a diet, don’t bother showing up to eat, because the item that you must have is the chicken fried steak. It comes in two sizes covered in cream gravy, the smaller size is still as big as your head, along with two sides and a roll. I always opt for the mashed potatoes and fried okra.
As Tom Petty says, “the waiting is the hardest part”; this is not because they are slow, but because you should have been gearing up for the meal by getting really hungry before going to Lulu’s. By seeing all the delicious plates of food coming out of the kitchen, your stomach will begin to growl in anticipation of the feast that it is about to receive.
The reason I love the chicken fried steak is because the batter is light and flakey; that is the key to a good chicken fry in my mind. As you cut into the main course, you can hear the crunch that is associated with having that flakey type of batter. The cream gravy equally compliments the chicken fried steak and the mashed potatoes (heck, even the fried okra too!). The roll is pretty dense (upon picking it up my roommate was shocked at how heavy it is), but it is still soft at the same time. It is even better dipped in the cream gravy….
So for several bucks, take you and your Texas sized appetite over to Lulu’s. You will probably not only walk out full, but there is a good chance that you are going to have a box of leftovers for the next day!
Value: 10/10 (one of the best in the city)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (I am a sucker for the old time diner feel and checkered floors)
Service: 8.5/10 (when they get busy, it can be tough to get refills)
Taste: 10/10 (my favorite chicken fried steak in the 2-1-0)
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