Lulu B’s

Came here during lunch on a Thursday. It’s a cute little house that’s been turned into a restaurant but they were very short staffed. The girl at the ordering desk was sweet but she really needed some help. Food was alright, but not the best.

Great little place. Authentic, great food and great value. And the great Austin charm from all who work here!

By far the best Banh Mi I’ve ever had. They were a little understaffed when I was there, but any wait was worth it!

Drove by this place time and time again and finally got around to going in. Not sure if it was the long wait time or just the general disorganization of the service but the vermicelli was just OK. Maybe I should have stuck with my gut and got the Bahn Mi but was having a hankering for some Bun Thit. the BBQ pork was on point but something about the noodles and whole peanuts vs crushed peanuts just seemed off. And for $ 9? Forget about it. One of the great things about Vietnamese food is that its a great value. This unfortunately was not the case.
Any who, I’m glad I gave it a try. If I come back I’m going straight for the Bahn Mi.

Hair in the spring roll. And our whole table all had cold vermicelli noodle bowls and the noodles were ice cole, slimy, soggy almost like slippery moosh. What the heck is going on with this place! They only serve cold goods?

I am Vietnamese and have been in search of a decent Vietnamese place since I’ve moved to Austin. This restaurant is right by my boyfriend’s apartment so we decided to give it a try. The place is small and a little run down. Between the four of us we ordered a couple banh mis, a couple vermicelli bowls, bubble tea, and I had some goi cuon (rice paper wraps). The first thing we noticed is how utterly rude the person who took our order was. You place your order at the front before you sit down. We didn’t realize it was cash only and when I took out a credit card she looked at me like I was an idiot. I think nicely saying, «I’m sorry but we are cash only» would have been the more acceptable route. She also gave my boyfriend a total and when he took out cash, she changed the total. He was like, what? You just said something else. She kind of gave him a surly look and said I forgot to charge you for the xyz. There are much better ways to go about this. Oh I’m sorry, I forgot to charge you for your bubble tea, the total is actually… Not act like it was our fault for not knowing you made the mistake.
The next thing we noticed is that stuff was dirty. The table, the water jugs. I was thinking, if the stuff that is out for people to see is dirty, what must the kitchen look like? We ate our food and I had no complaints. It was reasonably priced. But honestly, with other options, why would anyone choose to go somewhere that they are treated like the dirt on the water jug? If the place wasn’t dirty, I might have gone back and gotten take out so I wouldn’t have to deal with mean girl, but now that Phở Please has opened on Riverside, I prefer to go there. They are always crazy nice and super polite.

Yippee, they are getting their groove back, hoping to add that 5^th star with a little more consistency!

Honestly, one of my favorite restaurants in Austin! They have delicious food and a lovely staff. Conveniently located on S. Congress, Lulu B’s has a wonderful vibe and is totally what I think when I think of Austin comfort food. Just typing this is making me hungry. I suggest it to anyone interested in trying something different for lunch or dinner!

This place is pretty legit, and by far the best Vietnamese you’ll find in south Austin. I had the lemongrass chicken banh mi with avocado, and my husband and I split the lemongrass tofu summer rolls. Both items were incredibly good, and the jasmine green tea was so delicious I almost asked for a roadie. The ambiance isn’t great, and sure, the staff may be a little checked out, but it is what it is. A lot of reviews mentioned this place being cash only, but they’re equipped with Square now.

I think this place is still new so the service is a little slow but not bad. I didn’t realize they had two different menus, there was one for lunch which is what I really wanted to try and another for dinner. The food was good but a bit more than I would of wanted to pay.

I used to LOVE the Lulu B’s food truck on S. Lamar. This place though… meh.
«Is the lemongrass tofu banh mi vegan?» my boyfriend inquired. «I don’t know what that means,» responded the hostess/​server (who, by the way, seemed to be a 20-​something year old American woman).
I never thought I’d have this interaction in Austin – of all places – in the year 2015. The server then seemed completely disinterested in finding out if it was vegan or not. She shrugged and just seemed very confused and out of her element. We settled for asking her to just make sure there wasn’t any mayonnaise on our banh mi. She seemed quite confused by this too.
I was also disappointed with the lack of bike parking. They had this huge, empty parking lot and not a single structure to lock a bike to.
The banh mi was average.
The food truck was always bustling whenever I went, and the people who worked there knew what the word vegan means. The restaurant, on the other hand, is located on a rather sad stretch of SoCo, far from anything else cool, and as a result was almost empty at a Saturday lunchtime. Bring back the food truck please!!!

This is my favorite place in town. My boyfriend and I eat here multiple times a week. I crave the tofu summer rolls. He gets the pork bahn mi. This place is a hidden treasure.

Cute quaint place for great food! Must visit if in Austin. Shrimp roll and viet coffee were my favorite

Lulu B’s has wonderful food. I think there is little doubt about it. The lemongrass bahn mi is out of this world! If I was rating only food quality, it would be five stars.
However, the business hours are constantly changing. I’ve walked up to the door of the restaurant at least three times and the business is closed due to changed hours.
I highly advise calling in advance to make sure they are open.
I also wanted to add that they now take card – an awesome plus!

For cheap and cheerful Vietnamese in a happy environment you will not do better.
Johnny Cash playing. A cold Topo Chico. A lemongrass vermicelli bowl that is full of flavor. All for not much $. It’s a happy place and I have never had anything that wasn’t good there.
They sometimes close early — so call if your heart is set on it
We went last night and it was empty. I worry it will close. Go support local, nice ladies who make fresh, tasty food!

This was the absolutely worst food experience I have had in Austin. Gross food and gross people. Some man came walking in from outside and went into the restroom. Came out and started fussing through the door of the kitchen with one of the ladies. Next thing I knew, he went in and started picking at the food and eating. The whole shack is sketchy. No one will ever be there I assure you. It was very empty when I went. I walked right out disgusted that I paid for my food. This place should be SHUT DOWN!

I’ll preface this with I typically frequent Vietnamese hole-​in-​the-​walls. I love the flavors of authentic Viet food because it reminds me of my mom’s cooking. This place smells like it may be authentic, but something’s are not on-​point. I felt like the fish sauce (nuoc mam) was a bit off. The portions are only ok, but the prices are high. Everything was just OK.

Best bahn mi in south austin. Only bahn mi in south austin. Right, except eliz st. I wanted to like this place but was disappointed. Compared to Tam Deli up north, it just isn’t there. Food is more expensive and not as good.
The fact they didn’t have hoisin for my bun bowl killed me. I kept pouring fish sauce on and sriracha too but I didn’t just want it to taste like a sriracha bowl. Meat was good, I would prefer basil to the mint leaves but it was different, that’s fine.
Bahn mi was good. No paté, which bummed me a bit. Bread was not as good as other really great french bread bahn mi bread at other places.

Let me start by saying the food was delicious. The bread wasn’t your typical banh-​mi bread. Reminded me of Cuban bread. My roll was delicious and the peanut sauce is probably the best I’ve ever had. The Bubble Tea was good but I prefer 888’s bubble tea.
However, the staff is sub-​par at best. Two young girls were working (that I saw) and the girl greeting had a terrible and angry face, she never smiled once and then proceeded to add money onto my bill after she had already given me a total. All the tables were dirty, there were no cups for water and the water jug top was filthy (literally could see the dirt). We also were never once asked how our food was, nor if we needed anything…
My recommendation would be to DEFINITELY try their food, but suggest to either get it delivered or take-​out.

The best place in town for Vietnamese Sandwiches! I’ve tried several places before this restaurant and none of them come close! This will be my first time at the restaurant location but I’ve been many times to the food truck location.

I want to give this place a 5 star rating so badly… I really do. If it was based on food alone I probably would but because I am so big on service I just can’t.
Let’s start with the positive… GREAT food, very small menu but I don’t care because I love the vermicelli bowls so much! You can pretty much choose from a noodle bowl or a a bahn mi sandwich. And you can add summer rolls as well. They offer a lot of meat options including pork, chicken and tofu, of the lemon grass or Chinese bbq variety. I personally suggest Chinese bbq pork or lemon grass tofu! The tofu summer rolls are what keep me coming back. The peanut dipping sauce mixed with the perfect light crunch of the tofu is unbelievably yummy.
Pricing is awesome, they do accept cash only. But I think they give you a good amount of food for the cost! Hopefully plastic is in their future for convenience sake.
On to atmosphere, it’s cute and quaint. Very eclectic array of tables and chairs, all kind of out in the open. Not very intimate by any means, but I love the Thai/​Asian feel. It can be dirty and not well kept at times. I feel like there is a ton of room for improvement here. The outside patio alone could be adorable. Just need to put some money into bettering the place.
Now on to the service… it could be SO much better. I visit here often and am not impressed by much of the wait staff. They kinda act as though they are doing you a huge favor if you ask for anything extra. Even asking for a spoon or for them to refill the water jug seems like a danting task to these service folk. A smile and a kind attitude never hurt nobody!
Overall I really love this place! I hope as time goes on service improves a bit and the yummy food doesn’t lose it’s touch. It’s time to upgrade to at least Square and put some money into the joint. I recommend giving it a try if you enjoy a nice Thai flair.

I thought this was was great! Me and my daughter visited here today while my truck was being worked on next door. I’ve never been here before and was a little confused when I looked at the menu. However a gentleman who was running the front made some suggestions. We had a couple sandwiches and some rolls, both were delicious! To top it all off the service was friendly and fantastic. We will definitely be visiting here again.

$ 7 for a Banh Mi? Seems usury.
It’s a decent sammich, but not $ 7 decent.
Pork was good, veggies, too. Bread, meh.
And the place is a wreck.
Floors dirty.
Not a clean table in the house (are these the ones from the dirt lot on S. Lamar? Time to upgrade, Ya’ll…)
Just seems a little dingy and neglected for a freestanding «restaurant.» (Dingy neglected… what the dirt lot on S. Lamar felt like.)
Look to the left.

LuLu B’s has a great grilled Pork Bahn Mi.
I grade the pork an A.
The veggies an A.
The bread an A.
One of the better pork bahn mi’s I’ve tasted and the Best Pork Bahn Mi in Austin because of the slightly charred pork (just how I like it).
I am anxious to try more of their menu and for whatever reason, their bahn mi is better than when they were in a food truck.
The Best Bahn Mi is still at B10 in Houston.

LuLu B’s has a great grilled Pork Bahn Mi.
I grade the pork an A.
The veggies an A.
The bread an A.
One of the better pork bahn mi’s I’ve tasted and the Best Pork Bahn Mi in Austin because of the slightly charred pork (just how I like it).
They take credit cards now.
The Best Bahn Mi is still at B10 in Houston.

Man, oh man, was I excited when they moved into a brick and mortar building right across the street from where I work. We have a severe lack of tasty things on this side of SoCo… I mean, unless you like the lunch buffet at Expose. However, as most reviewers are saying, they have some definite kinks to work out.
1. It was fairly cold outside when we went the first time and they didn’t have the heating on inside. CMU walls + metal tables and chairs = frigid. The ambiance was definitely lacking.
2. Cash only. Since they have an ATM, it’s probably going to stay that way. I understand why, but it’s such a bummer.
3. Took a while for the food to come out and the quality of the meat was no where near the same. My coworker got the banh mi and complained of chewy, gristly meat. My vermicelli bowl was good, but the noodles to everything else ratio was definitely off. A lot of noodles, a little of everything else.
I want to love you Lulu B’s, but you’ve got to get it together.

Let me start by saying that I have been a supporter of the original Lulu Bs food truck since the days when the skyline of S. Lamar was free of condos and afternoon traffic was only reasonably bad. Naturally I was excited to learn that the trusted oasis of Vietnamese food in south Austin was getting a brick and mortar.
So today I ventured upon the restaurant, now located at the previous site of Flaco’s on south congress. The interior is charming, with a refined yet casual Décor. The menu is simple, with rotating specials — an exciting development for long term fans of Lulu’s cuisine.
Today I decided to order my all-​time favorite, the lamb summer-​roll, with an iced coffee. I am pleased to give the edict that with all the extra space and accoutrements afforded by a full restaurant, Lulu B’s has brought already-​excellent food to the next level. The marinade has an impeccable flavor, and the fish and peanut sauce are arguably superior to anything on the north side of town. The attention to detail and quality of ingredients is far above average for affordable Asian food in Austin. Hints of fresh mint expand around tender thinly sliced strips of lamb — a perfect choice if you are trying to avoid bread in your diet.
If not, do yourself a favor and try the Banh Mi — about half the price of Elizabeth and twice as authentic. Looking forward to returning and trying more specials.

THANK THE BAHN MI HEAVENS that my favorite place for bahn mi’s in Austin (for the last 4+ years now) has got a brick and mortar off South Congress!!! I am SO thrilled to see Lulu B’s transform to a place where I can 1) sit inside, 2) order more than my share of bahn mi and spring rolls, and 3) actually not have to walk in mud, rocks, or park damn near illegally in Office Depot’s parking lot to get what I want for lunch!
Yes, guys and gals, IT’S CASH ONLY here just like it was (at the beginning of their days in the trailer) before they moved over. I can understand why there isn’t a fancy ipad or even card reader setup here after looking at the amount of reception I had on my iphone 6 when I came here to eat. There has to be some sort of dead zone in this area for sure. I don’t blame Lulu B’s asking for you to carry and bring cash with you. Just ‘checking in’ on Unilocal was a struggle.
It can only get better for Lulu B’s here and I ain’t talking about their food (they’re food is consistently amazing and fantastic & if you don’t think so, well, you are probably ordering the wrong thing!). Sure it was a little sparse in terms of people eating here when I was (who takes a 2pm lunch break?!) while I dined, but hey, after the trailer spot and waiting in the heat for my bahn mi, I am a happy clam sitting in the a/​c. The view out of the windows has me sadly acknowledging all of the eye sore/​sights around (condos across the street, Ruta Maya no longer slinging coffee across the street — RIP Ruta Maya, a strip club, etc etc.), but it doesn’t deter me from not getting my bahn mi.
Also — you do know there are maybe 1 – 2 cooks in the back, at most, making your food, right? One of them is the owner herself, ya punks! Tip the waitress and your cooks — they deserve some positive acknowledgement from your hungry stomach and some appreciation.
Lulu B’s I love you and everything you have to offer me. Keep it real always with your bad self and your picture of Elijah Wood visiting your space. Frodo Baggins knows where to get a damn good (and cheap!) bahn mi in this city.