Mama Lu's

My absolute favorite spot in town for authentic Filipino food! Everything is cooked & made with love by the cutest kindest Filipino grandparents ever. When I lived in the area (2017-2020) I would stop in at least once every week, some times twice or even 3 times. When the "quarenteen" happened they had to close the inner diner area and went to take out only through a side window. I moved mid 2020 and dont come by as often as I would like to. Honestly its been a year or 2 since my last visit. As soon as I walked up to the window today "Ma" recognised me and asked how I had been. It was nice to catch up. It was also a bit sad to see that the inner dining area still wasnt open, but that home made food made my day so much better.

Great food and very decent price. Very fresh. Only take aways at this location. And they are closed on Tuesdays. We tried their house special fried rice and Bihon. Bihon was really superb. And good quantity. Lumbia and Chicken wings were good too.

Reasonable price and portion size, I ordered a bunch of random stuff, and i dont remember what everything was pictured. Honestly, you can't go wrong with lumpia, some things i liked more than others. If you want to be adventurous, try this mom stop. They dont do dine-in only pick up. there's only 3 parking spots. i hope the owners see this so they can add descriptions to the menu items i asked what do many things were lol

I'm not sure why I don't visit Mama Lu's more often. Could it be because it's tucked away on St Johns Bluff, making it easy to overlook? Possibly. Is the parking situation a bit challenging? Definitely. But let me tell you, the effort is absolutely worth it for some of the best Filipino cuisine in the city. I found myself swerving into Mama Lu's cramped parking lot just for a quick bite. I ordered chicken adobo and dinuguan with white rice. The chicken adobo is insanely delicious. Their dinuguan, typically a savory stew made with pork offal, was made with chunks of pork instead, and the gravy was rich, thick, slightly sweet, and utterly delightful. If you're on the hunt for fantastic Filipino food, don't hesitate to give Mama Lu's a try.🙌

My favorite place to get Filipino chicken adobo. The lumpia and pancit are delicious as well. Call ahead and order for pick up. You can also select from the already prepared dishes and create a combo plate with two entrees and a side. Wonderful service, great prices, delicious Filipino food and definitely worth the trip for carryout. I'll definitely be back with my family.

Take out only but the wait is brief. Best Halo Halo in the area with lots of toppings. Diniguan was very well seasoned too

Local Philippines restaurant. One woman operation. I have been trying to get lumpia here for over 2 months. She was always out. Finally got some yesterday. It was pretty good. She uses sweet and sour sauce. The pancit wasn't very good. Plain. Can't find any really good Philippines Food in Jacksonville. I would eat here again just to try other things in menu.

The customer service was very good. I tried the veggie pancit and veggie eggroll they were both good but my only suggestion would be a little more seasoning to it but I enjoy the freshness of my meal I would probably give them another try and I would recommend.

I'm filipino and no one cooks better filipino food than my mom... so, take my review with a grain of salt. I've been here a few times now and feel I can comfortable make a review. As many people have said, you can only pick up food here. Call ahead because there are some menu items that will take a little longer than others. I've been here a few times for lunch and the portions leave a lot to be desired. One time I went I was given two pieces of longanisa and about 5 peices of lechon. I didn't even eat the longanisa because it smells awfully old. The lechon was okay. I have tried the kare kare which also wasn't too bad, as well as the chicken adobo. There's not much going on in this area of town when it comes to filipino food, but this place will probably hold you over until you are able to get to another area of town further south. On the plus side, service for me is always welcoming just like it is when I see my own aunties!

The food is good even though it takes a while to prepare it from scratch, but the fact that you have to wait outside because they don't have inside seating is one of my turns sometimes you just feel like you wanna sit down and enjoy your meal

Mama Lu is friendly and her food is soul-satisfying...lumpia is crispy and fresh, soup felt like it had healing pproperties and the adoba was smooth. The quality and quantity are amazing for the price points. I was the first customer so I could avoid what I heard could be a parking nightmare.

They have variety of Filipino foods, like sphagetti, pancit, tocino, chicken adobo, it's a quiet restaurant and friendly , Service is Awesome

My new go-to for Filipino food. Portions are big and food is delicious. I can't wait to try everything.

Pros: The price and amount of food can't be beat! Fried rice and lumpia are really good!! Their lumpia is the best thing on the menu, that I've tried. Cons: They're almost always out of lumpia! Not sure if you have to get there early or what? I've even tried calling ahead before 5pm so I think it jsut depnds on the day. The pancit bihon is good but almost all noodles with hardly any meat. I'd pass on bourbon chicken next time

I made it back and this time we ordered beef steak, chicken adobo and palabok. I didn't call ahead so it was about an hour wait since palabok is cooked to order. I ran a few errands while I waited.

Never disappointed when I come here!! When you come here expect to get your money worth, the portions are big! The pancit alone feels like it weighs 5 pounds of pure deliciousness!! The service is always great if you are in a rush I suggest calling your order in because the food here is made to order and super fresh. If you don't mind the wait then just pull up and order but either way it goes you will leave this place happy!!

I don't know why I don't go to Mama Lu's more often. Is it in a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" spot on St Johns Bluff? Yes. Is the parking a little tricky to get in and out of? Yes. Is it absolutely worth doing NASCAR-like evasive maneuvers to get some of the best Filipino food in the city? Again, yes. I was doing some last-minute Christmas shopping and made a hard left turn into Mama Lu's tiny parking lot for some lunch. I got some chicken adobo (left), dinuguan (right), and white rice. The chicken adobo was so good and reminded me of my grandma's. Dinuguan is a Filipino savory stew usually made with pork offal and simmered in a dark gravy made with pork blood, vinegar, garlic, chilies, and other spices. Mama Lu's forgoes the offal and goes with chucks of pork, and the pig blood gravy was rich, thick, a little sweet, and delicious. If you're looking for great Filipino food, go check out Mama Lu's. #filipino

If you don't mind overspending . The prices have jumped since the pandemic like most businesses but they haven't haven't returned to a reasonable price. $15 for pancit is just wrong and $10 for 10 Lumpia is too much.

The sweetest workers!! And can you look at this box of food!!!! This weighed about 10 pounds I had 3 meals out of it!! Delish pancit and I also got lumpia but ate all those before I could take a pic. Take out only!!

Excellent delicious food!! oh my this is food cooked with love! Don't let the exterior deter you, it looks like a small house but whats coming out of here is such yummy food! *Big Tip here is CALL ahead!!* The food is cooked at order so it takes about 30 minutes to make everything. We got: Chicken bbq sticks- served with white rice these were big nice chunks of marinated dark meat chicken, tasted great! Chicken pancit- my sis cant eat shrimp or I would have got the combo pansit, but the chicken version was great too, lots of veggies, delicious noodles, seasoned perfectly! Lumpia- always yummy!! The classic staple of Philippine food This is not the cheapest version of these foods but I felt the quality was there and really enjoyed everything we got! Will return and make sure I order ahead!

Mama Lu's is located on the other side of St. John's Bluff Road passed Atlantic Blvd. from The Town Center. It's a little Mom and Pop shop that serve delicious Filipino food. We just discovered this place a couple of months ago, but we were informed that they've been there for more than 7 years. Not too late for us that's for sure! We have been here several times already in that 2-month span and we've ordered quite a bit and they were all good. Wish they're close to our home though, but still worth the drive to have a home cooked meal. Yummy goodness we've had include: *Kaldereta - Filipino beef stew *Menudo - pork stew *Tortang Talong - eggplant omelette stuffed with ground beef *Papaitan - soup dish mostly composed of cow or goat innards *Chicken Adobo - chicken cooked in vinegar and soy sauce *Pork Adobo - pork cooked in vinegar and soy sauce *Lechon Paksiw - pork stewed in vinegar *Bistek - beef slices braised in citrus juice, soy sauce, onions, and garlic *Pinakbet - mixed veggies cooked in fish or shrimp sauce *Bopis - minced pork or beef lungs and heart *Tocilog - fried cured meat, fried rice, egg

This is the BEST place to get Filipino food. My personal favorite, adobo, is always on point. From breakfast to dinner foods it's all wonderful. Short wait times and smiling faces.

Can I say: DELICIOUS FOOD?! Wowza. They only have food to-go right now. I ordered two pansit meals, two veggie egg rolls(no pictures-we forgot to snap a shot), four lumpia's. We hurried home to enjoy what we were about to consume. Only if there was a "Smellavision" app. The car had a wonderful aroma. One pansit would of been enough for two people. I have left over for lunch tomorrow. Everything was very delicious, just as we anticipated. I can't wait to return.

My husband and I can't believe we only discovered Mama Lu's early this year! We were truly missing out! Thank goodness our good friends and fellow Yelpers Redner S. and his wife Vanessa S. informed us about this place! Once we tried their food, oh man we are hooked! So far EVERYTHING we have tried was absolutely delicious! They all tasted like home cooked meals! We had kaldereta, Tortang Talong, Bistec, Lechon Paksiw, Afritada, Adobo, Tapsilog, etc. Our favorite is their Bopis! Perfectly cooked and so good with rice! Their combo meal is reasonably priced except if you purchase them individually. I would suggest getting the combo meal so you get to taste 2 different types of Filipino dishes! We have been wanting to try their Pancit palabok, unfortunately every time we visit, it's not part of their hot menu. Oh well, we wouldn't mind coming back again..and again lol!

#ThankfulThursday My shout out goes to Mama Lu's and her amazing food. FABU-LU'S !!! Mama Lu's foods reminds me of my late mom's cooking, almost similar in taste. So each time I get the chance to visit this place and per each bite I take, flashbacks of my mom and her cooking comes to play. I miss her dearly. And one thing I feel that will bring my mom out of her grave is through my honest confession that Mama Lu's Shrimp Palabok taste more delicious than hers. Sorry mom. I speaka a truth. And what separates Mama Lu's from all other Filipino Cuisine shops in Jax is that they also serve Breakfast items, which you can get any time of the day. All in all, great food. Even though the drive to Mama Lu's is far...it is definitely worth the trek. MARVE-LU'S !!!

Ahhh-may-zingly delicious! This is my "all time/go to" favorite Filipino small business establishment. Definitely LOVE coming here at least every 2 weeks and sometimes weekly with my husband for pick up. I have many favorites here and all of them are just simply delicious just like my dear mom and dad's and in-laws cooking in Charleston, SC, our hometown. Mama Lu's is far from our house in Bartram Springs, roughly a 25-30 minute drive but well worth it as I know it's going to be delicious! We are one of her many regular customers over the years as you can see. She has us spoiled as I am sometimes very picky too. Lol. She is so nice as she makes many of our dishes and desserts via text/phone call request 24-48 hrs in advance like our fresh veggies lumpia with fantastic home style peanut sauce, pancit bihon with shrimp, seasonal upo ginisang (squash) desserts, and lumpia with perfection all just to name a few. Definitely recommend if you are looking for something specific to call in advance as sometimes she doesn't have the ingredients on hand that same day. As of latest, they are just take out and closed on Tuesday. Thank you Mama Lu! LOVE it all. Rey and I will see you real soon! :)

Only being a take away service really detracts from enjoying what could have been very good Filipino food. Food never travels well in Styrofoam. General flavors of the Pork Adobe and tender pork saved the whole order. The Bicol Express was missing the kick of a little bit of chilies. The Beef Caldereta was tender, but a bit too sweet and missing some veg. The Pork Paksiw tasted like smoked Pulled Pork without any Filipino spices. We wished it were a sit down restaurant, as the menu looks Ike's better than most so-called Filipino restaurants in JAX. I would be back

Plentiful and flavorful. Just like Lola's. It is a tiny take out place and parking can be tricky but worth it! Diniguan, lechon and pork adobo is spot on! Go!

I have never had any Phillipine food...ever. But if this is what it tastes like it's amazing. Delicious flavor , awesome portions.. phenomenal. I wish I could tell you whether it was good compared to other Phillipine food but I can't...but what I can tell you is the food is fantastic and tasty. I love supporting the local businesses. #BuddhaReview

Never knew this place existed but apparently they've been around for years. Happened upon this place after searching for a restaurant with Filipino food to pick up for my parents. We had just left the town center and this popped up as a suggestion. I'm so happy we decided to try them out. I had no idea what to expect. When we pulled up, we were met with what looked like a little pink house with a walk up window and menus posted on the glass. I picked up a whole fried tilapia and two combos to include beef steak and pinakbet and sisig with Bicol express. Prices are very reasonable and the food was packed and served quickly. The true test was having my mom taste and say that everything was delicious. I'm happy to have this place now when needing a quick pick up for my parents. We will definitely return.

We had dropped by bere 2x. First, it was close. Coming from another state, we wanted to try the food as they said it was good. Serving, 5/5; Food quality 1/5; Rice 5 quantity, 5/5. Good for sharing. If you were born and raised in the Philippines, I won't recommend this place. Food came out with so much sauce and it lacks real flavor of the dishes.

I didn't eat at this place, it looked shabby, the service was rude, when I arrived I spoke to the attendant I didn't feel like it was worth paying anything at that place, I don't recommend it even for cockroaches

I cannot give a good review to a dingy and not very clean looking place, where I can't see the cooking and prep areas. The place has no menu with actual prices, just sticky notes attached to the window of things one could order, if you know what it is ! But again, no pictures, no prices, I even think it's illegal to do business like that. The food was terrible, not fresh, but plenty greasy. The service was also weird, since I could not understand the woman. I left. You want good food, don't stop here!

Just visiting family in Jacksonville and needed to grab Filipino food. We drove 25 to get to this place and it was worth it. I ordered halo halo and it was good. I would've love a small of flan on it but it's okay. My dinuguan and adobo was delicious. Rice was not as fresh I thought it would be since they just opened but it was fine. The BBQ sticks aren't the traditional bbq sticks. They were saucy- wished it was more flavorful. I'm overall happy. Would try it again next time we visit.

So freaking good! If you're nearby definitely try this place! Service was great! Food was hot and yummy!

This was a really tough review to write, probably my toughest so far. I wanted so badly to fall in love with Mama Lu's but for now I'm only in like. Mama Lu's was first recommended to me by my Airbnb hostess before I moved to Jax. She specifically said they had really good pancit and the previous reviews seemed to back her up. After trying a few different Filipino places since then, today I stopped by for my go-to order, pancit and lumpia, my litmus test for all foods Filipino. The restaurant feels like it's someone's home. From the exterior, it almost looks like a lilac house, down to the entrance that is literally a residential door. Once inside, my first impression was yup, I was definitely in someone's home. We all have that one relative, usually someone like a great aunt or auntie, whose house you go to and there's just...stuff everywhere, with no rhyme or reason as to how its organized. An older gentleman was rocking a small child to sleep in an area that can only be described as a makeshift daycare center, complete with a crib. A couple of signs were posted reminding customers to wear face masks and all orders were takeout only. Mama Lu herself (I'm guessing), however, wasn't wearing a mask, which would have been okay if there was a plexiglass shield or something similar in place between her and customers. With that being said, she was really sweet and welcoming upon learning it was my first visit. She explained you can get a combo with two items and a side of rice for 8.99, or you can order off the menu. Because I was already in the mood for pancit and lumpia, I went with the menu but will definitely try their combo next time. Because I ordered off menu, she advised my food would be ready in 15 minutes which was reasonable to me. To be very clear, Mama Lu's pancit and lumpia are good, just not as great as some of the previous places I've tried. I prefer the stronger garlic flavor I've experienced with other pancit. This pancit was a lot lighter on the garlic flavor. It was also lighter colored and less fried or sauteed, I'm guessing. I'm not picky so much about how it looked as I am about the lighter flavor and less greasy and oily texture I look forward to in the dish. So in this case, it's a matter of personal preference and nothing ill towards Mama Lu's version. On the other hand, the lumpia was on par with others. It came with a sauce more similar to sweet and sour sauce than anything else I've had. I detected a slight strawberry flavor to it that's not found in sweet and sour though. But the consistency and color was the same. It's fair to say that Mama Lu's is worth a second visit and likely more once I try a combo. The food for the combo was a variety of traditional dishes so I'm sure to find something I'll love and come to crave at Mama Lu's in due time. With so many options for pancit in the area, I call this visit a draw and look forward to updating my review soon. *Update: For my leftovers, I added a little soy sauce and it gave me that familiar umami flavor I was craving. My tastebuds will be happy to order pancit again from auntie's cozy lilac home! :)

Brought a hoard of kids and friends to this joint after church today and we found the place all to ourselves. There were 20 of us and it was really convenient that the food was "turo-turo" style so no wait required! The joint is small with very limited parking. They have a nice TV playing a continuous loop of karaoke videos while we dined. Was the food "just like Lola's"? Nah, never. But for those of us that never learned to cook the dishes of our ancestry, this place is a good resort. Returned today (a year later) and ordered solely off of the 'ready to eat' bar. While the food was ok, it wasn't as good as when we ordered cooked to order options. The $6.99 combo comes with 2 entrees and rice... some items are extra like the whole fried fish (+$1) and kare kare (+$2.50).

Pork adobo was tender and so flavorful. If I'm ever in Jackson's again this will be a must stop.

Wow this was a trip to the islands. Totally low key lunch counter. Tried several different meat and vegetable stews and some fried crab fritters. Good fish sauce based condiments to dip into. Try the lumpia!

Definitely a "hole in the wall" location with super-limited parking. The walk-up window to order is also a little different. However, the food was worth it and delicious. I had the pork adobo and dinuguan. Both were very flavorful and delish. Will return to try other things on the menu.

I was really excited to try this place because it's near my house and I LOVE Filipino food. Im sad to say that it was a bust& made me sick. We ordered Chicken Pancit, about 10-15 lumpia& the orange chicken. My mom& I both felt sick after eating it. The pancit was bland, the lumpia tasted like it was cooked in really old oil& the orange chicken had a strange sesame flavor and was not good or particularly orange in flavor, even the fried rice which we paid an up charge for was oily& bland. I love supporting small businesses& I was hoping this would be fresh authentic food. We ended up paying $39 for terrible stomach aches & sadly threw away a lot of food.

My goodness is this place amazing! I was driving by and just noticed it as I passed, I made a U-turn and I'm glad I stopped in. I had to lumpia in a pancit and I must say they are to die for. I live in Saint Augustine but it's definitely worth the drive.

Chicken Adobo is so tender it puts a smile on your face, literally falls off the bone if you haven't tried it you're really missing out.

This place is so good! I got shrimp fried rice and lumpia and it was good enough to make me wanna go back. Will defitenly be frequenting this place. It does take a bit to get your food though and it is take out only so order ahead if you don't like waiting. In my opinion it's worth the wait though.

This place is the BOMB! I decided to try a local small business as I was close by and man did they not disappoint! I had the Bourbon Chicken, Fried Rice, and Vegetable Spring Rolls. Everything was AMAZING! Bourbon sauce smothered the chicken which made for an awesome sauce for the rice to be soaked in. If you like chinese, this is the spot!

Went here with my son for lunch because of the high reviews and it didn't disappoint!! My son had chicken adobo off of the pick two lunch buffet and I had chicken with broccoli - both were amazing although I tried my son's chicken and was sad I hadn't gotten it too!! Oh, and the lumpia appetizer was awesome too. Definitely a hole in the wall that you'd probably keep driving past but you'll be sorry if you do!! After our meal, I decided to try the Halo-Halo due to the comments from another reviewer. (It's not on the menu board so you have to ask for it!) Good stuff. Go ahead a splurge. It's worth it!!

My go to spot for home cooked Filipino food in Jacksonville. Food was absolutely delicious and the service was great. I felt at home here. It's a small restaurant with limited parking, but very comfortable. Will definitely return to try more dishes.

I tried the Tapsilog and I loved it. I haven't had a proper Filipino breakfast in a while and this place definitely hit the spot. They also have a number of other Filipino dishes that I am sure are just as amazing. I am excited to come back for more breakfast food and to try the other items on the menu.

Food was piping hot , extremely flavorful and delicious! Called ahead to order my food-- still had to wait upon arrival --which was disappointing. Had concerns about only receiving 2 shrimp in my order of pancit but the cook kindly offered to cook 3 more for me (20 min wait) . Overall wait times were a bit longer than desirable but great customer service and authentic Filipino food made it worth the wait!

Definitely wouldn't have stopped at this place ... but was so glad i did ! everyone was so nice there and the food was delicious ! the prices are reasonable and i can't wait to go back

This place is the textbook definition of mom and pop hole in the wall establishment. Their halo halo is so good, I added it to my list of things I would eat as my last meal on Earth. Yes, such list exists.

First place where I have found a pancit that tastes just like my mom makes. I have found my go to place for pancit. The lechon was tasty with crispy skin and great flavor. The bistek was just okay, a little tough, but okay. Probably my go to place in Jacksonville for pancit!

Mama Lu's has great authentic filipino food. This is the only place I go to get my lumpia and pancit and I'm never disappointed. And I never leave without getting Halo-Halo as my go to dessert. The owners of this restaurant are very sweet and personable and always make sure you get quality food. So, don't let this place slip through your fingers. It may not look like a high end restaurant on the outside but you get high end service and food on the inside.

Visiting the area to catch one of the cruises out of port, and saw this restaurant nearby. After checking out the menu and seeing Crispy Pata and Lechon Kawali on the menu, I knew that this place was going to be good. It did not disappoint! The food was authentic, Filipino soul food; the type that you get when you visit your aunties and uncles. We left with full bellies, and enough food for later as well. If you are looking for amazing, authentic Filipini food, look no further!

Was excited after reading the reviews to try. I love lumpia and pancit. The plates are 12-15 dollars wayyyyy overpriced. I expected the food would be delicious and perhaps that could be why it was priced so. No it was sub par. Didn't get any sweet chili sauce for the lumpia, menudo was NOT menudo. Tasted nothing like it. Meat was unseasoned. I won't be eating here again. Gave it a try though. General Taos was pretty good. Also, the food took 40 minutes too. I had such high expectations. It had every indication of being a great spot.

This place is the go to for halo-halo! I've tried all of Jacksonville's Filipino restaurants and this place is by far the best! And I'm hard to impressed when it comes to Filipino food because I came from a long line of Kapampangan family that loves to cook.

Food may not have been fresh as it was heated in the microwave before serving it to us. I paid cash. Owner had no change for me. He has to give me change all in coins. Unacceptable. I don't think I would return and I don't recommend it. I have had better filipino food in Jacksonville.