Lucho's

We visit family regularly who live walking distance from Lucho's, and we go there every time we visit. Always excellent food! Plus great, friendly service. Each of us has a different favorite menu item - everything is so good and delicious. I almost always have the pancake - either their menu item pineapple upside down pancake, or the day's special pancake. The peach pancake I had today, with a special homemade syrup, was sooo good I had to write a review. It was amazing - fresh thinly sliced peaches, light but flavorful syrup, fluffy pancake - words do not do it justice! Neither does my picture. Literally the best pancake I have ever had. Other family members love the pozole, chilaquiles, spicy fried chicken sandwich, bunuelos, and breakfast burrito. Not to mention the mimosas! We love Lucho's!

Luchos is a good Mexican restaurant for breakfast, brunch, and lunch which is located on Ocean avenue at the Lakeside Village in San Francisco . There are limited tables available but a good early meeting place for family, friends , the brunch bunch, the squad, et cetera . They serve different types of foods like empanadas, omelets, pancakes ,and tacos. My go to here are chilaquiles with the runny eggs. They also serve all kinds of beverages.

Grab some Champagne by the glass or bottle,
Try the chilaquiles with a side of avocado

Came by Sunday morning and was able to get easy and free parking along Ocean Ave. There was no line when we arrived (around 10:30 AM) and we were able to grab the last indoor table, but a line quickly formed behind us and there was a crowd waiting outside after. The service was great, they seat you and you order at the counter, they still checked on us throughout even though they were quite busy.

We got Mexican coffee, a half order of chilaquiles, and a sausage breakfast burrito. We really enjoyed everything! We got the Mexican coffee with cream and we didn't find it too sweet. The chilaquiles were still crispy and went great with the orange hot sauce on the table. The burrito was hefty and filling. Would definitely come again to try some of their sweet breakfast items when we're in the area!

Food: 3/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Overall: Meal was pretty standard fare

The extended review...

Food:

Pineapple Upside Down Pancake - 3/5 - I liked what they incorporated but the base was standard fare.

French Toast - 3/5 - it wasn't quite as fluffy as I would have liked it to be. Pretty standard fare.

Service: 3/5 - Standard fare

Ambiance: 3/5 - There's some indoor seating but limited. There is outdoor seating!

Small spot with a good sized menu serving up some great breakfast options!

Everything on the menu from sweet to savory sounded really good, seriously wish we could've tried so much more, but ultimately we went with the half order Chilaquiles and added chorizo, and the birria eggs Benedict to share.

While both were good, the Chilaquiles were the star of the morning. Seriously delicious, and oh so filling - for real, that half portion is huge. While we only added the chorizo, I think I'd add a couple more items on next time and just go with that because it was so good.

You order and pay at the counter, then food gets delivered to your table. Service was friendly and quick, they definitely try to turn those tables around, but don't make you feel rushed at all.

As much as I love going out to dinner, whether it be with friends, family, the gf, or solo, it's not quite as sweet (somewhat literally) as getting brunch. I mean, it's simply the best meal of the day - the blending of breakfast and lunch, sweet and savory, in guilty yet entirely acceptable ways. The only problem? The vast majority of people out there are also fans. So much so that waiting for a table is essentially part of the experience at nearly every good brunch spot in the Bay Area. However, even though they're not exempt from drawing a crowd, just about everything else involved with coming to Lucho's is about as pain free as you can get!

While a lot of what Lucho's does is terrific, it's even more impressive when you consider how small this place is. Somehow, they manage to fit four workers in the tiniest of kitchens and about eight tables inside, though they have just as many (if not more) set up outside on the sidewalk and their parklet. What's more, they put out a bunch of interesting Mexican-American dishes across both their weekday and weekend brunch menus, ranging from staples like French toast, two eggs & bacon, and burgers to chilaquiles, pineapple upside down pancakes, and benedicts with a variety of unique proteins, like beef birria and cochinita pibil. Plus, their chalkboard inside updates regularly with whatever specials they have to offer on that given day.

-- CHILAQUILES - House Made Corn Tortilla Chips tossed in Eggs, House Tomato Sauce, House Habanero Salsa, and Cheddar Cheese topped with an Egg over Medium and Cotija Cheese...$9.25 (Half Order)
This is definitely one of the more impressive chilaquiles I've had so far. The chips still had a bit of crunch, and it came topped with a good amount of eggs and cheese, but the mixture of the sauce and the kick from the salsa is what really sets this dish apart.

-- BREAKFAST SANDWICH - Egg, Cheese, and Tomatoes...$9.25
Not that I'm complaining, but I didn't expect this to be so filling! The sausage (+$4.75) was meaty and delicious, the eggs, cheese, and tomatoes blended together really well, and I loved the ciabatta bread that they used.

-- BEEF BIRRIA BENEDICT with Two Eggs, English Muffin, Hollandaise Topped with Cilantro and Onions...$21.75
Nowhere else have I seen a Birria Benedict offered, so trying this was almost a must! The beef is tender and super flavorful while the eggs were poached perfectly. The hollandaise was a little rich, but otherwise, this was awesome!

-- QUESABIRRIA TACO - Six Inch Tortilla with Beef Birria, Jack Cheese, Onions, Cilantro, and Consume...$8
I got this to share with my friend based on ho good the benedict was and it didn't disappoint. While I do wish the tortilla had been a bit crispier, the filling was terrific (so meaty and cheesy) and tasted even better with the consume.

-- SPICY FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH - Spicy Fried Chicken, Avocado, Habanero Aioli, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Seeded Brioche Bun...$16.75
Not quite what I had in mind, but still not bad. The chicken has a nice bit of spice to it and I liked how moist it was, but the batter looked really dark (old oil?) and the bun was a touch on the dry side. The fries were great, though.

As far as service goes, all of the workers I've interacted with have been super friendly and nice. The servers that float around do a good job of checking on tables and clearing plates while the workers at the register (you order before sitting) do a good job of answering question or explaining dishes (the server made a point of telling my friend that the Mexican coffee is sweet, in case it affected her decision). What's more, aside from the typical wait on weekends (lines move quick), I love how convenient everything is about coming here - it's easy to get to (right off 19th Ave) and parking is a breeze (there's a wealth of both metered and non-metered spaces nearby). All together, even though Lucho's isn't the best brunch spot I've tried in SF, it's definitely one of my new go-to favorites!

FOUR AND A HALF STARS for the food alone, but rounded up for everything else.

I got the Chile Relleno for $12.75

First time having Chile Relleno at Lucho's! It has scramble eggs, cheese, Pasilla pepper, cabbage slaw, radish, cotija cheese, black bean, sour cream, and nacho chips. This tasted super healthy and clean, it didn't feel heavy at all. The pepper was a bit spicy, I ate most of it but it got too spicy towards the end. Definitely going to order this again next time.

I love that you can half or full size of the chilaquiles! It was the perfect amount for me. There was salsa and sauces on the table that I added for a little extra spice!

The pancake was sooooo good! Also love that you can get it as a side. It comes with one and it was perfect portion for me. Chunks of pineapple, butter, syrup, powdered sugar-- sounds like a lot of sugar and sweetness but it honestly wasn't overwhelming.

The food came out pretty fast too!

I wish I had listened to the warnings before stepping into this restaurant. The food might be passable, but the owner's behavior makes the entire experience unbearable. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was tense, and it was clear why-- the owner, Kelly, is incredibly rude, both to her customers and her staff.

During my visit, I witnessed her yell at one of her employees for something so extremely trivial. The poor employee looked mortified, and I can't imagine how difficult it must be to work under such conditions. She seems to always be in a bad mood, snapping at people over the smallest things, creating a stressful and uncomfortable environment for everyone.

This woman should not be the face of any business, let alone a restaurant where people come to enjoy themselves. Her attitude is a terrible look for the place, and it ruins what could otherwise be a decent dining experience.

Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this place. I regret not heeding the advice I was given to avoid it. The owner seriously needs to rethink how she treats others and how her behavior impacts her business.

Got the breakfast burrito with bacon and it was delicious and had a hot tea and sat outside with my dog