luella

09/18/08

Great food!

by Kimby22 at Citysearch

Had dinner here with some girlfriends and have nothing but wonderful things to say about the place. The hostess was very welcoming and our server had great suggestions for food and wine. The prix fix menu is great, and the artichoke soup was to die for! Highly recommend it!

09/25/07

wow!!!

by inkognitoinboulder at Citysearch

We were walking through Russian Hill this morning since it was our last day in town and we wanted to check out all of the row houses and climb a few hills. We came across Luella's and my husband decided we should check it out for dinner. WE ARE SO GLAD WE DID!!! The food, the service, the neighborhood are all absolutely incredible! He ordered the coca-cola brazed pork shoulder and he didn't even need a knife to cut it. Yeah, it was that tender. Amazing! I ordered the New York strip and it was wonderful! We didn't really have room for dessert, but ordered it anyway. We had the orange ricotta fritters, and oh my gaaawd!

• Pros: food, service, ambience, neighborhood

06/23/06

Great food; An ideal Russian Hill Restaurant

by r3r at Citysearch

Right away, the neo-retro living-room-like vibe makes a good conversation piece. Although we made a reservation, we probably didn't need to on this Thursday night. Most tables were full, but there was no wait. Staff was very friendly.

We ordered the mini ahi tacos w/ mango salsa (delicious) and the grilled portabello mushroom (also very good) for starters. Other tables seemed to be getting good service, but our waiter was not attentive...and would disappear for 10-15 minutes at a time. Actually, the chef brought one of the starters himself, which I guess says a lot for the team work factor.

The beef filet and halibut entrees were both incredible. The fillet wasn't the best cut I'd ever had - a little fatty - but mostly tender, juicy, and flavorful.

Overall a great experience aside from the underperforming server. For groups of 5 or 6, I would recommend reserving the big green booth. Luella is a great spot for a social dinner.

• Pros: Cool, casual ambiance. Great dishes.
• Cons: At least one inept server works here

03/28/06

One of my Faves!!!

by issa at Citysearch

In addition to indulging in frequent wine and appetizers at Luella, it is one of the places that I take guest when they visit San Francisco. From the warm friendly staff to the great food and an amazing wine list Luella exemplifies what a dining experience in the city is supposed to be like.

03/22/06

Fine affordable dining, with magnificent service

by lilyvc at Citysearch

My boyfriend and I have had the pleasure of eating at Luella several times - and each time we have had a great dining experience. The service was impeccable, and thankfully helped us navigate through their wine list (we are not experts with th grape juice, so we needed their assistance each time), and they accomodated a last minute party of 10 that we thrust upon them at 9 pm. The food was delicious - Ahi tuna tacos - amazing - Coke braised Pork shoulder - melts in your mouth. And come back again, and try all the desserts!

• Pros: Food, Service, ambiance

03/12/06

great bang for buck

by bolsey at Citysearch

For the price, Luella is way ahead of the competition. For $30-40 you can feast on flavor-rich foods. The steak, the tuna tacos and the chocolate dessert are my favorites but everything I have treid has been great. The service is always on top of things and very knowledgeable about the food. Overall a great experience.

• Cons: parking

02/23/06

Love it...and easy to get into

by littellsf at Citysearch

Been here 5 - 10 times and really love this place. Usually don't need a reservation and I actually perfer to sit at the bar - better ambience and all.

Drink: the red wines are terrific and while pricey, are worth it.

Food: I usually go for Tuna taco's (extremely tasty) and either the Coca-Cola braised Pork, or a steak. The Pork is consistently great, and I just had their Filet and it was out of this world.

Have had the chicken before (heck, it was good enough for Mick Jagger - who we heard stopped by while in town for recent concert) and I liked it, though the portion isn't too big.

GREAT place and I highly suggest it.

02/17/06

a fabulous supper !!!!

by nikkikb at Citysearch

Just entering the restaurant I was instantly soothed by the calming colors and modern interior. The food was presented beautifly and the flavors of every dish were well integrated and spetacular! Not to mention the staff and owners were super friendly and bent over backwards to our every whim! My fiance and I agreed that this was our new favorite spot!

• Pros: great music, nice wine list

02/15/06

not worth the trip...

by 2004redsox at Citysearch

Went to Luella for a pre-Valentine's Day dinner and was disappointed. The only highlights were the appetizers (leek soup, ahi tuna tacos). The scallop dish was way too salty, and the lamb potpie came in a serving big enough to serve maybe 2 toddlers at most. While the service was gracious and charming, the kicker for me was when the staff turned on the dishwasher behind the bar while we were still eating, bringing down the ambience to zero for me. It was after all only 9:20pm (the restaurant closes at 10pm) -- we got 2 cycles of the dishwasher. I thought it was in really poor taste. Something I'd expect from a diner, but not a restaurant where you pay $17 for potpie. If you're looking for a nice dinner out, keep looking...

11/07/05

We Had A Good Time

by mcpete at Citysearch

As tourists, we walked in off the street on a Thursday night without expectations. We sat at the bar and got great service. I ordered a Pinot Noir, but the young bar tender had me try it first. He then recommended a comparably priced one that was much better. Thanks! The Coca-Cola pork shoulder was quite good and the panacotta was awesome. Because it was raining, it was nice to watch for cable cars and time our exit so we could jump on one when we were finished. We'd go back.

• Pros: Panacotta, Service, Quiet