Lori's Diner, San Francisco

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The ambience of this restaurant takes you back in time, in my case, before I was even born. It's like Back to the Future without Biff or Marty McFly and actually the restaurants are even decked out better than the one used in the movies.

I have a love for American milkshakes like the ones they make here.

This is not the kind of restaurant that you can find in any American city, but luckily, if you're looking, San Francisco has 4 of them and there are 3 others located just outside the city at San Francisco's International Airport (in 3 locations).

Are you game for a bit of 50's nostalgia? Well, don't go to Lori's Diner because you'll be disappointed. I didn't know that video games were around in the 50's? I know pinball machines were around in the 50's but couldn't they find any pinball games from the era? And I couldn't find a jukebox anywhere in the restaurant. Or why they would play the soundtrack from "Grease"? It was released in the 70's. Maybe they thought nobody would notice? Maybe they thought they'd get away with it because it sounds like 50's music and is reminiscent of the 50's? I mean couldn't they find any actual music from the 50's? Are there no CD's out there of 50's icons? The waitstaff are somewhat dressed from the era. I mean, male staff wore their little soda fountain hats but that's it, the female staff weren't dressed in anything from the era. No long skirts and bobby socks, no hair in a ponytail. At least the booths and the brightly lit restaurant with neon signs are some sort of reminder you're in a 50's diner. Maybe it's me, because I was expecting too much nostalgia? I was thoroughly disappointed.
As for the food, it was ok. Prices are a little high but the sandwiches are packed. I had the house club sandwich which was very good. The wife had the philly cheese steak which she described as average.
Service was a little slow and our waitress was nowhere to be found for long stretches of time, although the restaurant was very busy.
There are 5 Lori's Diners in San Francisco and 2 at SFO. We went to the one on Powell and Ellis, maybe the others are more nostalgic to the era because this one failed miserably.
Each diner has different hours of operation.

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Lori's Diner was a good pre-flight option for food on a rainy night. The restaurant is a 50's style diner that serves typical diner fare: burgers, BLTs, Milkshakes, etc. The diner was right down the block from our hotel and not too far of a walk in the rain.

The diner wasn't too crowded and we were seated at a nice booth. I was in the mood for a BLT and Liz wanted a grilled cheese. The service here was very good and so was the food. We managed to get a good hot meal before catching a cab to the airport.

50's style decor. Quite big dinner room. If you are on your own they tend to put you at the counter, which is fine.

Favorite Dish: I ordered a chili con carne and when it arrived I thought this was the veggie version: where was the meat?

All I could see was beans, lots of them. The staff tried to argue that the beef was "ground, so you can't see it" but I know the difference between a good ground beef chili and one where ther's 99.99% beans and a token gram of beef to justify the price.

I'd say this was a total rip-off and would not advise anyone to eat here on that basis!

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With nice view over the bay we enjoyed our breakfast here before heading to Pier 39. The omelette (which wasn’t very good) plus a fresh natural orange juice and an American coffee costed around 16 dollars so what we payed was actually the view :) The interior is dedicated to the 50s so we felt like we were inside a movie of that era, somewhat kicth but funny for us (there’s even a car coming out of the wall, pic 3). We wouldn’t eat here again though, they have to improve the quality of the food.

There is a big variety of ommeletes, pancakes and salads. Later you can try hamburgers, sandwiches or hot dogs but it was too early for us to try these things.

The restaurant is open Sunday-Thursday 8.00-21.00 and Friday-Saturday 8.00-22.00

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This is another place we tried for breakfast. Lori's Diner sort of pays tribute to the traditional American diner - it's not a real diner by any means, or at least it didn't feel like one. There are four different locations in downtown San Francisco, three near Union Square and one at Ghirardelli Square. One thing we enjoyed about this place was the fast and very friendly service. Breakfast was just OK: I had a cheese omelette and it came with some hashbrowns that tasted kind of watery. I would have expected a bit more for the price. I'd love to say that I enjoyed the atmosphere, but with the big jukebox and old 1950s car, it all seemed a little Disneylandish. Coffee was pretty good, though!

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There are a few Lori's Diners in San Francisco, and we went to the small one on Mason Street one morning for breakfast. The diner was pretty full but we managed to grab a couple of stools at the bar.

Service was great - really enthusiastic and friendly. The staff all seemed to be having a good time yet still were very efficient.

Favorite Dish: A quick perusal of the endless menu and a decision was made - Lori's Country Breakfast for him (pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs & hash browns), and Lori's Special Omelette for me (minus the onion and mushrooms).

The food arrived quickly and servings were generous. Wasn't really a fan of the omelette - I guess I prefer a more 'gourmet' type that is less cooked and more gooey.

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A cutoff 50's car, shiny interiors, stripes, jukebox, hashbrowns = Diner. Lori's is your typical American diner. Hubby wanted fastfood breakfast nearby so headed for Lori's (corner of Sutter and Powell). I am not impressed with service. We needed to ask at least twice for a couple of things before they were brought to our table. The resto was not even half full or half empty.

Huge portions for my appetite but then again that's a matter of personal preference.

Favorite Dish: Sorry, cant recom any.

There was nothing really special about this place. They served good food, typical from what you expect from a diner. The decor is the classic 50s diner. I ordered an eggs benedict which was delivered by quickly by an attentive waiter but I've had better. Nevertheless, it's located near Union Square and its a good place to cure those hunger pangs if you are in the mood for a quick meal.

This review is for the one on Mason St.

Went to Lori's diner for the first time in my 5th trip to SF. The first four every time I got there there was always a long line so I skipped. Maybe I ordered the wrong item but I wasn't impressed:

Food - average
Ordered the vegetarian omelette that was very bland. Ordered their "famous" biscuits for sides and that wasn't good either; was soft and warm instead of hot and crunchy.

Service - average
Nothing to complain about - I sat at the counter

Price - poor
$19 (incl tip) for omelette, biscuits, coffee and orange juice. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind paying near $20 breakfast but I just don't think I'm getting my money's worth!

Overall - average
Maybe it is hyped too much; maybe it's the expectation after seeing such long lines all the time.
I wasn't impressed though and I'll take my $19 elsewhere next time.