A day after an excellent meal at Michelin-starred restaurant, I wasn’t feeling like fancy fare. The 1950s-style diner on the corner of Powell and Sutter streets hits the spot.
Lori’s Diner has a lengthy history in San Francisco. The first outpost opened in 1986 at 336 Mason St., around the corner from Union Square, though it closed permanently in 2016 after 30 years in business. Four other locations sprouted up between 1993 and 2008, including one at San Francisco International Airport. The current location, which is the last Lori’s standing, originally opened in 1993.
Serving classic American diner fare, such as pancakes, omelettes, burgers, club sandwiches, meatloaf, milkshakes and more, Lori’s is perhaps most well known for its all day breakfast, sparkling red booths, and vast array of rock n roll, Coca-Cola, Elvis and Marilyn Monroe-themed memorabilia.
Not only did this store possess all of the nostalgic trappings of the others, it also featured a bigger menu and a lot more space. This location is famous for the all day breakfasts and great burgers, proved to be an even greater success with its classic dinners and desserts.
To top it all off, it was then equipped with a 43 Allstate motorcycle, 59 Edsel, and an enormous collection of vintage radios. And being steps from large hotels and the Union Square shopping district isn’t too bad too.
Hand Churned Vanilla Milkshake
It tasted just as described – vanilla ice cream and milk, whipped together by hand. And I liked the fact that they gave you the entire canister so that you can top up the sundae glass.
Lori’s Signature Burger
A juicy 1/3 Pound 100% Black Angus ground chuck burger topped with bacon, balsamic caramelised onions & Swiss Cheese served with lettuce, tomato, onion & Loris’s sauce with choice of French fries, coleslaw, or potato salad. I picked the coleslaw and left it pretty much alone. My helper can make a better coleslaw than that.
But the burger was delicious, with a patty that had been beautifully charred on the outside and juicy, flavourful on the inside. Very heavily salted, you need to balance it with the delicious milkshake.
The food here is nothing short of classic American cuisine, nothing to shout about. After all, American cuisine is all about diners, drive-ins and dives, and they all tasted like processed food. However, Lori’s Diner represents nostalgia for many tourists, who often return with memories of prior visits here or elsewhere. And that Lori’s gave back in spades.
Lori’s Diner
500 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Tel : +1 (415) 980 1950
Visited Apr 2024
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