Luke’s Local

If Luke’s went out of business, then sorry. If Luke’s still exists, you guys hit my pet peeve — closing early… You’re supposed to be open till 11am — Asshats! I adjusted my entire morning to be at Hillsdale by 1030 to get myself lunch and dinner before work. I arrived at 1020 to find locked doors and no sign of humanity. I won’t be back to the Hillsdale location and I won’t buy your burritos from Whole Foods. Bye bye Luke’s.
Heck, if you ran out of every scrap of food, you could have stayed open until your posted hours and maybe I could have had some Blue Bottle Coffee, but nooooo, you closed early. Then you effed up my day because I ended up at work too effing early with no food. So, if you are out of business, which I can’t tell by looking at your website — then «sorry», but if you are still in Hillsdale: Luke, go suck it!

I’m down in hillsdale 3 days a week and I commute on caltrain from SF, so i look forward to my coffee and breakfast from luke’s local on those days. If you’ve seen this place and never tried it, go ahead and try it. The coffee is delicious and the breakfast burritos (or veggie or chirizo or late night burritos) are all delicious. I have yet to try the packaged dinners, but if the burritos are any indication they’ll be great too. So yes, please go and try this place, i think it’s wonderful.
That said, i’m writing this review today b/​c for the first time today (friday) i got a bagel with cream cheese. To the fella who prepared my bagel.
PLEASE CREAM CHEESE BOTH SIDES OF THE BAGEL.
I hate when places only cream cheese the one side. You can’t eat the bagel one half at a time, but are rather stuck eating a rather dry bagel sandwhich. So please fix that going forward, as I and your other customers will greatly appreciate it. I’ll order a bagel next time i’m there, and if you guys decide to start cream cheesing both sides, i’ll gladly raise the star up back to where I would want it to be given my like for your place.
thanks!

Had the organic breakfast burrito!

I’m frustrated and cranky because I’m going vegan for a month. (Long story) but I used to come here semi-​regularly on any normal day. Going out of my normal style BC my rating is pretty simple. Normally the food is really good. That being said.
One star docked because 90% of the time they happen to be out of what I want. My visits here have become less frequent because of this. Usually its the vegetarian bfast burrito or a bagel.
One star docked because they are surprisingly lacking of vegan breakfast options. (or for that matter. Any vegan options) Yes. They have fruit. But they aren’t responsible for the production of it. And again. Since they are always out of bagels. Not really counting that either.
Will I still occasionally be late for work to come here? Of course. Because at least 10% of the time I get that amazing breakfast burrito slathered in the trader joe’s jalapano hot sauce.

Amazing healthy yummy in my tummy food!!!

As an almost daily CalTrain rider I pass through the Hillsdale station on each trip to and from SF. I’ve seen the sign for Luke’s Local and have wondered what it was like inside and how good the coffee would be (I’m usually disappointed). For a Wednesday doctor appointment in Foster City I decided to park at Hillsdale and take the train to /​from SF, which meant I’d get to visit LL. Wow, what a great place — simple for sure — but full of tasty goodies for breakfast and lunch, as well as Blue Bottle Coffee. I had a cup of decaf and it was strong and delish! Nice scone and bought the beet salad. All very tasty. And the service by the gal working there was fantastic. She was very warm and friendly and made a fine cup of joe. I’ll be back next Wednesday, too! Yay! :)

The coffee from Luke’s Local beats anything else you can get near other Caltrain stations. One tip… if you are getting a cup of decaf, it will take a couple of minutes for them to grind the beans and make the cup. Regular coffee is often already made at the busier morning times.
I also love the blueberry scones for $ 2 that they have at Luke’s.
My husband and I have also had several of their take-​out meals for dinner including the crab mac n cheese and several meat dishes. They take about 15 – 20 minutes to heat up at home and cost around $ 7.99 each. Besides their shop at Hillsdale station, the meals are sold at the Whole Foods in San Mateo.
Unfortunately, I recently saw that Luke’s is no longer open in the evening, so, its harder to pick up their premade meals for dinner after getting off the train. I guess business wasn’t brisk enough.
We love you Luke’s! You make Hillsdale a much more pleasant station!

Dungenese crab Mac & Cheese, Blue Bottle coffee (yeah, I’m a tea lover, but this is an exception along with Davidstea’s Matcha Latte), and a scone. Twelve bucks total; $ 2 each for the coffee and scone, the rest is the Mac. SCORE!
Yes, they sell Blue Bottle coffee and it is to die for! And considering I don’t very much care for coffee, as stated above, this particular cup of Joe really took my vote. I will definitely be coming back to try their other prepared meals and goodies, probably when I’m not freaking out bout missing my train.

Let’s face it — people in the Bay area doesn’t know how to catch public transport. After moving here five years ago from a city where everything and anything is accessible by an awesome train-​every-​two-​minutes metro station, I was in for a culture shock. «Wait, what? People drive their car to the next building?»
So for the first four and a half years, I have forgotten how to catch a public transport. Until certain changes in circumstances and increasingly brutal traffic on 280 and 101 got me to buy a monthly Caltrain pass.
Still, catching a PT isn’t always a pleasant experience — what with the spotty train schedule. At best, when all trains are running on time its regular intervals are once every twenty. Otherwise, on the days where it hits 120deg such that the metal tracks becomes malleable, everything runs behind schedule because they don’t want the heat generated from the speed to mess the tracks up even more. Or, when an ‘accident’ (PM me for the reason why I put this last word in apostrophe as I don’t believe it is suitable for public consumption) happens, the trains may not even run at all.
Today, though, I found a reason to look forward to my morning Caltrain commute: Luke’s Local’s delicious Blue Bottle drip coffee and Sandbox Bakery’s banana and nut muffin — both are reasonably sized (I’m very much against muffins which look like they’re on steroids).
While it wouldn’t make the trains run faster or more on time, or the ‘accidents’ less frequent, it sure gives me the jolt of caffeine needed to tackle the brutal day ahead!
And oh, their packaged lunches /​dinners are great alternatives to the tired selections offered by Whole Foods. My favorite? The tender roasted pork tenderloin.

I’m a native San Matean and I was so happy when Luke moseyed into town. The Hillsdale Depot was desolate and forsaken for long enough. The Blue Bottle coffee should bring you in, and the great people and food should keep you here.
2 bucks for a cup of joe that outshines any of the other coffee in the area is a steal. Get the drip if you have more than 3 – 4 minutes to spare, if not settle for the french press. Luke and co. are always accommodating and offer some great fresh food.
They have a nice selection of baked treats as well. (The ham and cheese croissant mmmm, I still dream about the flakey morsels of pastry and the slightly salty ham and cheese goodness.)
Their breakfast burritos are really good. I unfortunately rarely get to see Luke’s open when I’m on my way home, but it is the best stop I could possibly make on my way into work in the morning. The Blue Bottle is my panacea.
Support the little guy.
Luke’s is awesome.

Blue Bottle coffee from down to earth friendly people.
Every day I get off the train here, grab a cup, and wait for the next train — just for the coffee.

What a treat to have great food to go! My hubby stopped in last night to get some dinner to go and brought home delicious, well made food. It’s true– you must get the mac n cheese with crab! It’s flavored perfectly and the crab is nestled in every macaroni noodle. We also tried the Moroccan chicken with jasmine rice and beef satay with couscous. I am in love with the saffron couscous with golden raisins and diced veggies. Go for the a.m. coffee but come back for the perfect dinner. Great work. Thanks!

Blue Bottle coffee and organic fruits and veggies, plus a good selection of healthy, freshly prepared meals. All within a stone’s throw of the Hillsdale Caltrain station. Great idea, great food and friendly service. Thanks Luke! Now get there earlier! I take the 6:16 bullet and NEED coffee!

I consider myself an expert on Caltrain and its stations. I know which ones are centrally located to important things like food, phones, major roads and intersections and which ones aren’t (big tip: don’t ever get off at Bayshore or San Antonio stations without set plans; different environments, same chance of getting stranded). However, Luke’s Local sets a new standard for a grab and go stop that is miles ahead of your average hot dog cart.
This friendly simple shop offers natural, local and organic selections of food and beverages. Blue Bottle Coffee is the star attraction for their perk me up drinks and all sorts of sweet and savory snacks line the limited shelf space. The cooler inside holds varieties of water, juices, natural sodas, snacks and prepared meals just the right size for lunch or dinner. Right outside the door are organic fruits and vegetables of better quality than most markets, chain or otherwise.
Best of all, not only is everything they sell of great quality and healthy/​natural, its at better prices than most health food/​specialty shops (Whole Foods, Mollie Stone’s Lunardi’s, etc). I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a replacement for grocery shopping but its nice to know that I can make a tasty impulse buy and know my money is going somewhere good.
If the rest of the staff is as chill as the guy who was working when I popped in, then I can safely say the environment matches the staff. I have a pretty good feeling that it does. He was spraying down the produce out front (the asparagus out front looked fantastic) and was fun to talk to as I got my organic root beer. If I had to get off/​meet up at Hillsdale, I would make room for a few extra minutes on my commute. Located on the south side/​El Camino Real side, Hillsdale station is on most Caltrain line stops including the Bullet train. Recommended.

Local, fresh, natural, convenient, friendly, fairly priced… what else?!
Right off the Hillsdale caltrain station, is perfect to grab lunch on the way to work or dinner on the way out.
A very nice place like we wish we had more of!

It’s true. You can find full-​bodied delicious Blue Bottle in San Mateo. The only thing Luke’s Local is missing is the steamed Clover’s Organic Milk.
Everyone’s very friendly and the last time we went, they were giving away samples of their steak with green salsa (if I recall correctly). YUM.

I’d love to review this business — heck, I’d love to «sample their wares!» However, every time I stop by (…and I’ve been by on three separate occasions, on different days and at differing times), the place is closed. Adding to the frustration is the absence of any signage indicating when, in fact, they are open. What’s up with that!!! The reviews that have been written all appear very positive. But based on the erratic schedule, I’m surprised they manage to stay in business.
If the owners read this, how ’bout posting your days/​hours on the door…

Foodies of San Mateo, rejoice! If you want an amazing to-​go meal, stop in at Luke’s Local. They serve pre-​packaged meals to-​go. Tonight I sampled their grass-​fed beef braciole, and it was amazing. The beef was so tender it melted in my mouth. And so flavorful, I can’t stop thinking about it.
Here’s the thing, their «Chef Jesse» is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu and has worked at Michael Mina’s RN47 and Quince. The food is local, organic, sustainable, and deliciously gourmet. Check Luke’s Local’s website to see what they are serving that night.
Oh, and if you’re a morning commuter (since this is steps away from the Hillsdale Caltrain), then you can enjoy the delights of Blue Bottle coffee by the cup. Blue Bottle coffee is hands-​down some of the most fragrant and luscious coffee I’ve ever had. I’m so glad they decided to carry it!

Blue Bottle Coffee for $ 2 a cup at the North end of the train platform. My morning commute just got so much more awesome. All I need to do now is ensure that I get to the station with a couple minutes to spare so I can get a cup and still get my bike on the train.
Well done! I really hope this new business sticks. Looking forward to trying one of the prepared meals next week, and I definitely think the convenience of picking up a few fresh veggies for dinner is going to be great!

I purchased two prepared dinners from Luke’s Local and was very happy with them. The price seems a bit high until you see the size, and the (I had a pasta dish) cheese and spices were well balanced. By adding sides at home I easily served two using a single order. Hillsdale Station looks like a tough location to attract walk-​by traffic, though — I hope it works out!