Lulu’s Midtown

If you have no where to go, all day to wait, never want to get the food you ordered and be greeted by not so bright waitresses, Enjoy!

First time here. Quick and friendly. New Orleans style coffee was potent and sweet. Just like I like it. Highly recommend!

I have been here the last three days in a row and two of those I received friendly service & good coffee (hot white mocha) but today was different…& not in a good way! I ended up only taking two sips of my coffee and then throwing it away because it was honestly not drinkable. The espresso tasted more like…{dare I say it… Starbucks over pulled crap} I’m bummed because I didn’t get my coffee fix & more importantly because I threw away my money! :(

I will preface this review with two pieces of relevant information: 1). I have moved to Santa Cruz only six months ago and 2). I have moved here from a city, that shall go unnamed, but suffice it to say that it is a city which Santa Cruzians more often associate with its famed dietitians than its culinary contributors and chance to remark caustically on its impressive traffic density rather than its equally impressive cultural density.
That said, it is with great joy that today I discovered a drive-​thru coffee spot in an unassuming grocery store parking lot, one with a breadth of options and an impressive speed of service. In the parts from which I hail, the drive-​thru window is akin to the Seagulls of Santa Cruz, they are dependably everywhere and nowhere at once, and taken for granted. Here in Santa Cruz, the drive-​thru is viewed as some sort of anachronistic spasm, or a slovenly reject banished to the outer edges of Surf City and treated with the disdain of a blemish on an otherwise resolute city planning track record.
But not so here with Lulu’s, dear Santa Cruz! Lo’ how it sings out in the ocean breeze! With a varied selection of unique brews (even chicory, yes an iced New Orleans!)– and all from a fine local purveyor, not some strange dogmatic behemoth from the North.
You have won here, Santa Cruz, with little Lulu’s drive– thru, and you have won me over. For a moment there I forgot I wasn’t in LA, and that for me is a high complement.

What’s up with this establishment’s employees? Airheads? Potheads? They could not get a simple order for a latte correctly. I asked for latte to be flat (no foam) and ended up having foam up the ying yang. What a waste of $ 4.25. Should have gone to Stabucks and paid less.

Oh boy do I hate giving bad reviews based entirely on poor service but the two geniuses working today earned one. They just could not figure out how to use my debit card. They told me there was a problem with the card so I offered to pay with the PayPal app. When I brought up the business in the app and showed them the instructions they had no clue what to do. They just stood there blankly staring at me with stonery eyes. So I called my bank to see if there were any issues with the card. Nope. None at all.
I asked the girl to try one more time to see if there was maybe an issue with the magnetic strip. She rolled her eyes and said ‘sure.’ But unless it takes less than 5 seconds to run a transaction there’s no way she actually tried again.
Frustrated I walked to Whole Foods to see if there was anything wrong with the card and sure enough, it was fine.
Maybe this place is great if you live in Santa Cruz and can handle employees with blood shot eyes that act like zombies. As for me, I’d rather order coffee off a McDonalds self service screen than put up with this crap again.

I’ve gotten coffee from these guys at the various farmer’s markets and then just recently saw this tiny little hut, haha. The staff are always super friendly and the thing that keeps me coming back is that they’re one of the rare places that serves New Orlean’s style coffee with chicory. Iced New Orleans is my jam; try it!

Today was my first time using the Drive-​thru window here. The employee was SO nice, I loved him! That’s worth the two stars.
Unfortunately, my coffee is icky. I ordered a mocha… Does not taste like mocha… Tastes like regular coffee that’s been sitting out for a few hours… No flavor except for the bitter aftertaste. Really bummed, as there aren’t any other coffee places near where I’m staying currently. I’ll just have to go without in the future!
I’d go back for the service, NOT for the coffee drinks!

Quick easy walk up coffee. Friendly staff Andrade my poor description of what I wanted easy to create my yummy coffee.

The little Lulu’s coffee drive thru is so excellent. The people that work there are all friendly, and they really hustle, as it can get quite busy in the mornings. The coffee drinks are superb, particularly the soyale. Dogs are welcomed, and they often get treats. I recommend all of the Lulu’s establishments. The owner works at each of them periodically, and he seems like a great person who knows how to pick staff that are good at what they do and quite pleasant.

We stopped at Lulu’s after camping in the mountains and heading out of town early. For two weary road trippers this place really hit the spot!
The décor is hip and pretty without being too much, prices are average and they have free WiFi. The espresso is amazing, and the Batista made my coffee according to my specific requests (America needs to learn what a long black is!) with a smile on her face, no attitude as you might get in SF. I also had a breakfast sandwich: bacon egg and cheese on a sourdough roll. Delicious! It looked small but really was perfect and the bread was really fresh.
Overall, super friendly staff and comfortable atmosphere make this a favourite café. I just wish it was in my city!

Love the walk-​up and great coffee and food. Super friendly staff and locally roasted coffee beans. Locally owned is a great plus.

I love the coffee there but there a lady worker there that is kinda rude. She always seems to be in a bad mood or has a smirk on her face. The other employees are very nice and courteous.

Awesome service with a smile. Great coffee and food. I love this place!
The andouille sausage sandwich is especially good, and the house– made eggnog. :)
I’ll see you guys soon for another mocha. :)

Confession: I’m a complete sucker for a drive-​thru coffee shop.
They are quick and consistent. And they acknowledge and appreciate a tip — and I appreciate that!

«Many kinds of monkeys have a strong taste for tea, coffee and spirituous liqueurs.»
~Charles Darwin
It is really unfortunate that the mere mention of Charles Darwin’s ideas are so controversial in some circles. Thankfully I don’t run in those circles, but these Wal-​Mart shopping, bible-​thumping, conservative idealists seem to believe that Mr. Darwin came up with the idea of evolution.
He didn’t.
He merely formulated an algorithmic process that explains nearly all natural phenomena. It goes a little something like this: «If entities are subject to varying conditions; and if resources are limited, resulting in a struggle for survival; and if characteristics of individuals are passed to future generations; then a process will occur in which entities adapt to become more fit for the environment in which they need to survive.
At this point you’re probably wondering what the hell this diatribe has to do with coffee… bear with me for a second. Remember back in the 90s when that little old lady visited a drive-​thru to get her McCoffee fix and spilled the boiling contents on her lap scalding her nether regions beyond repair? Yeah, Darwin award recipient right there.
Luckily drive-​thru coffee bars have learned to adapt to become more fit for their environments. They now take the necessary precautions to serve their coffee with lids that more difficult to pop off and scald old ladies’ genitalia. This paved the way for me to enjoy a delicious Lulu’s double cappuccino and scone in my vehicle in the morning without the fear of incinerating my junk.
Thanks Lulu’s for inadvertently looking out for my junk.

Love coming here! It is convenient on my way to work and their coffee is so delicious. They also have a lot of good options for quick breakfasts. Today I had the peach and berry scone which sounded unusual but I am so glad I tried it. I have tried other baked goods and have not been disappointed.
I haven’t even started telling you about their breakfast burritos! They are amazing and fresh. I want to know where the sausage comes from because it is so good. And I love that there are beans and tons of cheese in the burritos.
One more thing, the staff is always really friendly and attentive even when there is a line and they are rushing to fill orders.

Delightful staff. Easy walkup if you’re in the Whole Foods lot or there is a drive through. Good coffee. There is a small patio area in front of the building, but otherwise, get your coffee and be on your way.

I’m not sure my mobile App got the right location but I was in the Rotunda LuLu’s.
There isn’t anything really special about the coffee here. It is average but what I liked was the total Santa Cruz vibe you get from the moment you walk in the door. Greeted by a hip college student who made genuine small talk with me as I decided what to order. I am all about keeping it real and good customer service.
A mocha took awhile to get to me but that’s okay because I am a professional people watcher. This place delivers without fail. As a comedian, I am constantly writing material based off of my observations. Let’s put it this way, I couldn’t type any faster on my iphone notes App fast enough to keep up with the show inside this joint :)
FREE WIFI TOO.

Lulu’s Coffee + Drive Thru = Genius.
After the old drive thru coffee joint called it quits, Lulu’s which has two locations downtown decided to tease me with a drive thru that is conveniently located near where I shop for produce (not necessarily Whole Foods).
9 AM wake up call. holla!