Lou’s Takeaway

Our favorite “treat yo self” lunch spot. Do not come if you’re seeking a “quick fix” for your hunger. Good food takes time to prepare. The care & creativity of the takeaway plates have always satisfied our deepest cravings. Thank you to Lou & the team for always preparing such good meals for the soul. Also, sometimes the owner comes out to greet us as we’re waiting in line. Little things like that make it a true neighborhood joint.

Our family is obsessed with Lou’s, the food, people, quality, and menu variety is always absolutely amazing. A true Marin gem!!

Overpriced for this food & even no dine in. Why is it so expensive and over-rated? This place is not bad. But also NOT GOOD!!!! Just soy sauce or similar flavor food with some spring mix salad, you can grab the similar food at the panda express with dining in and better price!

An awesome little takeaway place with large portions. Wasabi chicken was amazing, not very spicy just a little background heat. Both our chicken dishes could have used a little more sauce. Definitely going back to this place. Update... Thanks for the fast reply to my review. It shows you truly care about what the community is saying. Next time I will ask for extra sauce. Since it was my 1st visit I just rolled with the standard. Top notch food and service.

My fiancée and I eat here about 2/3 times a week. First and foremost, we would like to say that this food has changed our life! We are enamored by the offerings. The incredible flavors, attention to detail, technique and passion come through in technicolor waves that delight, enchant and satisfy. Lou’s creativity and quality is unmatched in the way it nourishes our bodies and feeds our souls. 10/10

Everything about this place merits FIVE STARS ⭐️. It’s a uniquely DELICIOUS experience. Hector was very personable and fun - genuine positive energy, even gave me a sample to try before purchase (first time customer). The food is extremely fresh with an authentic signature taste. This little unassuming food joint is filled with big things: positive energy, exemplary customer service, easy parking, adequate portion size, the food is prepared with loving intention, and you can taste it!💕

The food is amazing but it’s $23 for 5 shrimp. Rice and lettuce are cheap. Maybe they didn’t plan properly and ran out. But I’ll def never get it again due to the poor value. Rest of the food is great! I will always come back for the chicken and pork. Also I don’t understand why their rice is the best on earth

It took a pandemic to get us out of our Saturday lunch rut. We'd been wanting to try Lou's and suddenly it was the only place nearby to get a meal. We've hardly eaten anywhere else since ! The flavors! The freshness, quality, and overall deliciousness! Generous portions and great service. This kind of excellence is truly rare!

This is a neighborhood gem that has been discovered by many outside of the neighborhood as well. All of the food is always made fresh, the menu is posted each day a few hours before they begin taking orders. You do have to be pretty good about calling and getting your order in as they do sell out. This is my go to spot when I'm looking for a salad and protein, but want to have a lot of flavor packed in. if you are sensitive to spice, definitely ask them about spice level when you place your order as some of the food can be spicy.

I still love the food. I think it's incredibly creative, constantly evolving, and a really good value for the food you get. What I think is completely insane and to be frank, outrageous, is the whole phone ordering system. At 11:15am for lunch and 4:15pm for dinner, you're expected to sit and war dial their phone number over and over. 99% of the time it goes straight to their voicemail. The 1% of the time it goes through and rings there's a 99% chance nobody picks up and you go to voicemail only to start all over again. After trying again today with 149 calls, I finally got through. I love the food, but is any food really worth this amount of trouble? Why not have a call queue so whether the call gets answered isn't simply left to chance? Oh and 4 of the past 5 times I've called, the items I wanted were sold out because it took so long to get through by phone. If you go in person, you won't have this issue of course. That's all I can recommend for now. Avoid doing takeaway, which is funny because it's in their name lol

I was back in town and the first placed I had to eat at was Lou's Takeaway. I checked the dinner options once it posted to their website and so many of the meals sounded enticing. Luckily I would be eating with friends so we were able to order a few and eat it family-style. I started calling a little after 4 pm and after a fee busy signals, someone was available to take our order. We chose to try the d10 style belly balls (house grind of duroc pork belly w/Vietnamese seasonings), West Indies stewed pork shoulder (a savory herby island style sauce), and soy-braised duck. The pickup time was set and I was excited to try more of Lou's creations. Pickup was a little bit after the set time but who am I to rush the kitchen. While waiting I heard the evening meals sold out. I tried all dishes and again Lou is a master at combining flavors and building a nice balance. I think the star for the night was the West Indies pork shoulder. The meat was tender and the flavor was well-developed and scrumptious. It had a had just the right of heat. The pork belly balls were moist and had a nice sweet sauce. The roasted peanuts added a different texture to the dish and were a nice addition. The pickled daikon and carrot was atop the green salad and gave a nice crunch to the salad. The soy-braised duck was cooked to perfection and was tender and delightful. I also think the salad side green salad needs a mention. I believe it's a spring mix and possibly some arugula. Anyway the salad was fresh and the house-made dressing is light and tangy. Again the balance of flavors is spot on. I bet the salad could be sold as a separate dish, yes it's that good. Lou's is a special restaurant and I give my compliments to the staff and chef.

My coworkers picked up takeout from Lou's and I'm not gonna lie - they put me on!! I've never had it and they recommended I try the chicken cutlet. First of all, the portions?! - I love a restaurant that isn't stingy. I can tell the service is amaaazing. Everything on the plate was DELICIOUS! I was told their menu changes every day and I'm excited to try another dish next time.

Lou! You are a mastermind behind insane flavors. I am constantly thinking about you and my next visit. This is a to-go spot and there's a cute outdoor seating area if you need to get into your meal right away. I completely understand the need to rip open the containers ASAP! Tuesday through Friday *lunch from 11:30 am - 1 pm *dinner from 4:45 - 7:30 pm Menus are available each day online and you can walk up or call ahead. I called ahead on a Friday and I'm glad I did because there was already a line for pick up at 4:30 pm. Pro tip: you can call ahead early to secure your goodies. I had an incredible fried shrimp plate served with rice and salad. Everything was seasoned and so damn good. Lou is making magic in a tiny kitchen. With one oven and two induction burners, the food comes out fast and hot. The produce is from the local farmers market and you can tell from the quality of the meal. Lou makes creative sauces and spicy oils that rotate daily. In fact, the menu is constantly rotating and keeps you wanting more. Don't sleep on this tiny spot. You'll be addicted with each bite.

I want to be cynical - a casual restaurant run out of a small shack in a grocery store parking lot serving high-quality cooking, with a highly-recommended, nearly-five-star-average-on-Yelp, beloved by the Chronicle reputation - I was prepared to be disappointed. And yet... I was surprised. Look, it's not the BEST FOOD IN AMERICA. But this is exactly what it claims to be - a high-quality, easy meal, in an unconventional space but serving impressive dishes. I had an excellent pork riblets dish. The salad was as good as any you'd get in a pricier spot, and the meat was seasoned perfectly. Perhaps a bit too much rice, but I let feeling satiated. The hours are atrocious, it's a complicated ordering process, and it's out of the way (I live in San Jose!). But yes, five stars.

Kowloon fried chicken was so good! Called right at 4:30pm to schedule a pick up for dinner later. I was browsing the website and luckily saw that they advise doing this since they're so popular and only have one phone line. Arrived promptly at pickup time, but still had to wait 15-20 minutes for the food. The portion of the fried chicken was huge. I think it was chicken thigh? Must've been a ginormous chicken! I did wish they were more generous with the "kowloon" seasoning/sauce. It barely covered the chicken, so there wasn't any to accompany the rice. However, the chicken was impressively juicy that it didn't really need the sauce anyway. Half the container was a salad. Usually I'd just pick at the salad but wow that dressing was delicious! I'm proud to say I (almost) finished the whole salad by myself. Call ahead for your next dinner! You won't be disappointed.

The food is always fresh and delicious. The services is excellent. Just remember to order early to get the dish you want. It goes fast.

I've always wanted to try Lou's, but never had the opportunity to do so until recently. We called Lou's right at the open time, and were able to lock in a time slot for pick up. We tried both one of their fried chicken dishes as well as a pork belly dish. They were both super flavorful and well made. The food offers a variety of textures, and the food was great even taken home to eat. The portion size is generous as well, likely able to fill most appetites with each entree. I look forward to my next order from Lou's!

Meeting a friend for lunch at their house, they were going to takeout food from their favorite place in their city. They sent us the menu that morning and asked us for our lunch selections. On this Friday, the menu listed six entrees selections, a lemon-grass roasted chicken, spice-roasted chicken, King salmon ginger scallion poke, fried chicken, smoky roasted jumbo prawn skewer and jasmine chicken rice porridge. Our choices: Fried chicken - the large fried chicken cutlet was sliced and topped with a pineapple bonito infused soy reduction over a bed of medium-grain white rice and side of mixed green salad. The batter was crispy and the chicken was flavorful and moist. Smoky roasted jumbo prawn skewer - the prawns were marinated in garlic chili and topped with a creamy green herb sauce with medium-grain white rice and green salad sides. Five large prawns on a skewer were perfectly roasted and not overcooked. Very tasty and there is a little kick to them probably from the garlic chili marinade. Now I know why our friends wanted us to try the food from Lou's. This food from this takeaway place is delicious and will definitely want to try again. Looking forward to another lunch get-together with our friends.

I had high expectations based on the reviews. I'm thoroughly impressed. Call early or you'll miss your shot at some amazing food! Chicken Cutlet is probably the best I've ever had, and I've had a lot in America, Korea and Japan...

I've come to this place 3 times now, and all 3 times it was closed. It said it opens at 4:45pm, waited till 5pm and nobody shows up. There's boxes of produce in front of his place getting spoiled, hope he doesnt serve those .

Always fresh and inspiring, these large portions of delicious comfort food (usually with Asian influences) are the reason people drive from all over Marin and Sonoma for Lou's Takeaway. Ask Alice Waters, who came from the east bay!

Awesome place with the best fresh food. Lou does an excellent job with fresh produce and meats and fish. You can't go wrong with any of his meals. Must try.

Another great week at this spot Quick edit on previous review: Only open on WEEKDAYS, not weekends

The food from such a tiny outlet is amazing and super delicious. I want to try every item on their menu.

As always, Lou knows what's up! Best grub in Marin! Big back portions at a reasonable price. Really can't ask for more! Today's aloha inspired faire was excellent. Shoyu, garlic fried in butter, grilled shrimp skewers, poke, the works! I work the markets and can verify that Lou is always out there sourcing the tastiest highest quality ingredients. Unlike some of the places that claim to do this, Lou is seriously walking the walk and talking the talk with that new dad grin from ear to ear. Love supporting good people? Yeah you do, go here! Pause. Take a few bites on the patio. It's casual and open. With every bite you too will embrace a goofy grin and you'll make some friends who also love rad things!

Just had the fried chicken cutlet. Amazeballs! The sauce and salad are on point. Chicken was crispy and tender-juicy. Blown away, what a lunch.

Food looked Amazing and was very flavorful. They give generous portions of their food, mostly salad, but still. Friendly service. Only complaint was that there isn't a dining area, you take your food away. But overall, great place either way

First time here and I got the fried chicken cutlet. Did not disappoint! The cutlet was perfectly fried with drizzle of garlic mayo and with a kick of spiciness. Under the cutlet, came with rice and salad. They change up the menu daily so check their website to see the updated menu. They sell out fast of the other entree that I wanted, but you can give them a call beforehand. Didn't know about this and I would definitely call ahead next time!

If your into good quality comfort food this is the place to go. The food is fresh well prepared and very tasty. The service excellent by a young Hispanic man . If I owned a biz I'd want him as an employee . I think his name was Hector. I had a combo plate w/ chicken and prawns with a salad . Flavorful and not greasy and a good salad dressing . It's not French Laundry (haha) food but top quality comfort food. Someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing at Lou's . It's all "ToGo" but there are a few seats on their porch area. I would go back in a heartbeat to try more selections cause this was my first time . I recommend it .

My top favorite comfort food! Whatever menu they will cook, it's tastes amazing! Our week will not be completed without Lou's takeaway food!

Lou's is a great place. But you must call quickly when they start taking calls or they do sell out. Great Food Great Value for the money

Lou's is in our weekly rotation. It's consistently awesome. They also hook it up for us spice heads. Can't go wrong with any menu option, but every so often a dish blows me away. This week it was Veracruz style fried prawns. In the past it's been tikka-style rabbit, thai-style duck leg, or even a spicy braised pork belly (first dish I ever had and still in my mind). They always keep it fresh and interesting, even if you eat there 50+ times a year!

Delish Order ahead. They're popular , and have food that hits and at a reasonable price too! Have you ever had a meal that was so delicious, that you can't stop eating it despite being full? That is this chicken. It was perfect. The salad was too.

Delicious and so unique. Interesting food and boutique walk up. I love that you can order ahead.

This place is literally a pick up your food and go type of place. There is an area where a total of half a dozen patrons can eat on stools. There was a menu online, but note that they don t actually serve everything at the same time. They only offered two items when we went, and you have to ask what is on the menu for the day. We ordered chicken soup and the chicken dish of the day. The soup was alright. Both dishes had unexpected flavors. I personally like having options. For those of you who want the food choices made for them, this is the place. The service was fast. Nothing really to rave about. Maybe I would go again in hopes that they are serving something I would have chosen myself.

I've been wanting to come here for ages and finally got the chance. It def lived up to my expectations (places rarely do). It doesn't look like much in the photos, but the flavor was phenomenal. The pork belly was perfectly cooked: a crispy, thin crust and then melt in your mouth in the middle. The chicken was also incredibly tender and beautifully seasoned. Not the cheapest place, but then what is in the Bay these days.

No words to describe the food here! If it's your first time, say something. Food sells out quick, so get there fast! Unbelievably melt in your mouth pork belly. Drooling just thinking about it!

I went here around 1:15 on a Tuesday and got the spicy jumbo chicken wings with salad and rice. The plate of food was enough for 3 meals. And boy were those wings spicy. I don't know what type of spice was used but it wasn't a heat I was familiar with. The stand out of the dish for me was the rice. The rice itself was moist and then it had chicken wing sauce on it. The salad was fresh, but again the dressing had an unfamiliar taste to me. Look how big those wings were compared to the child size utensils that they provide. For left overs I had some steamed kale and grilled onions and added one spicy wing and it was delicious.

They take some usual items like chicken, shrimp, pork belly and salmon and then reinvent them into amazing dishes! The ingredients are fresh and the combination of seasonings and spices takes your palate to the next level. The menu changes daily so you might be disappointed if you don't get your selection. Not to worry though, there's always a delicious replacement.

Damn. I live so close and had no idea what I was missing. So awesome and so fresh and so tasty! 1. I wish they would Door Dash 2. Completely understand that they don't. Just go there and be on time as they sell out. The food is EPIC. We had the roast chicken and salad and rice. Amazing.

Re-review a year later. I didn't count the number of times my friend said "OMG" while chowing down on the pork belly. The fried chicken was like the best Taiwanese night market popcorn chicken seasoning meets crispiest tonkatsu. The salad was the perfect pairing. The rice had the perfect texture. Absolutely delicious

This review is based on the spice-roasted chicken which I've had a few times. It's hard to branch out and try other dishes when this one is SO good. The flavors in this dish are subtle and balanced. I was expecting them to be strong but I was happily surprised. The chicken is so tender and its savory flavors match well with the slightly sweet salad dressing. The chicken is not heavily sauced but there's a small kick to it from the jalapeños. I'm not sure if I liked the chicken or the salad with tarragon dressing better! The flavors of this dish change slightly each time it's on the menu but I can't imagine it being anything less than delicious. The rice is sticky and cooked perfectly and they don't skimp on it. Portions are generous for lunch. This is comfort food elevated. There's always parking and it usually only takes about 10 minutes for the food to be ready after walking up to order.

Though Lou's takeaway is small and is a hole in the wall type of restaurant, it is def a place you will keep coming back to once you try it. It was my first time going here and lou was so welcoming and willing to give me a run down if the menu and where his food is locally sourced from. I told him that i was stuck between trying two items so he went out of his way to give me the option of a combo. I was blown away with how good and authetic the food is! I will definitely be back to try this place for dinner

Amazing comfort food with fresh ingredients, and new items everyday, you can't go wrong. Friendly service and homey atmosphere, small seating area but it's called "takeaway" for a reason. It's a blessing to have this place, and it deserves all the hype.

This place is ridiculous and delicious! Went here for the first time last week and are coming back again this week. They do everything right, chicken, veg, salad, spice, dressing. Great place to grab dinner and take it home and chow!

I fell head over heels in love with Lou's Takeaway following an article written by Soleil Ho as they segued from SF Chronicle restaurant reviewer to editorial/opinion writer. I visited Lou's for the very first time and they asked me immediately if it was my first visit and I got a huge cheer from the whole team welcoming me as I placed my order. Every single time since they remember my name when I approach the window to order! The food is so comforting! From the fried chicken to the pork belly. It's always fresh, innovative and just delicious. Everything I've had so far comes with yummy Japanese rice. I've fallen in love and I can't stay away from Lou's Takeaway!

The flavors are incredible and we love the changing menu and easy pick up. My only recommendation is to add a few kid friendly simple dishes - otherwise Lou's offers culinary perfection!

The braised pork belly was a star. It tasted like the authentic Chinese "red braised pork". The rice was delicious with the sweet and savory sauce. Short gain, chewy rice. The shredded cabbage salad was delicious too, and extremely fresh. We were also gifted the mochi muffins as a complimentary treat as a first time patron! It was sweet and chewy in the middle and slightly caramelized on the surface. So, so good. Get. Definitely coming back for Lou's other culinary surprises. There is very limited seating, and outdoors only. Like there's a total of 4 bar stools in the adjacent shed.

It was my first time trying Lou's Takeaway. The menu changes daily and is updated by Lou on his website. The food goes quick so be sure to call immediately when they open back up for dinner. We got the fried sea bream plate ("Lou's pick") and the pomegranate molasses braised pork belly that I believe many previous reviews have raved about. I also wanted to get the chewy corn muffins but unfortunately they ran out even though we called immediately when they began taking calls at 4:15 PM. However, the food we did manage to get did not disappoint! The ratio of food was phenomenal and the flavor was all there. The food was so comforting tasted home cooked (in the best way possible) and was one of a kind. As a foodie who's pretty conservative with her five star reviews, this place deserves it! The concept of the restaurant is also super unique and I love how Lou is a guy who is passionate about sharing delicious food and who can REALLY cook. You won't regret trying Lou's!

Lou's is just the absolute best. The food is incredible, Lou and the team are awesome. We have loved every dish that we have tried (pork bellies, fried chicken, roasted chicken, mochi banana bread, etc), and at this point it has become a weekly go-to

Excellent neighborhood gem in Terra linda, great service always, all the food is yummy, and mostly we love the pork belly!

Best food in Marin! Fresh, yummy and unique. Nothing in the Bay Area like Lou's!!! So goooood.

My favorite restaurant in Marin! Food is always flavorful and the portions are generous.

Epic. A go- to ...often. Takeout with personality and quality. Best to go in-person to order. Things do sell out so plan ahead when possible. Everything is delicious. It's a high-quality, small menu. Pork belly is a classic and something we get almost every time time since it's not spicy. Spice level is a concern when ordering for people who like non- spicy foods. Soups are always amazingly tasty. Their salads are super fresh and the dressing is always 10/10. Sauces are complex and comforting. Love the depth and simultaneous simplicity of Lou's food. We are hugs fans!!

Phenomenal comfort food. Everything is delicious - impossible to go wrong. Friendly people. Best to call and order ahead but usually not a long wait if you just show up. Fried chicken is great, as is the mochi cake desert.

This place is definitely on our list of best new places to go. Very unexpected and perfect. Our order was taken quickly by a very polite and knowledgeable young man and the food came out quickly. Please Please Please don't let this place change, they definitely deserve to succeed. We had the moroccan chicken and the pork belly, both were perfect. The spice was just right and cooked as they should have been. Thanks guys, see you again real soon.

Great food, great people, new menu every day. Never had a bad meal and have eaten their food 50 times.