Lingba Lounge
Categories: Nightlife, Thai [Edit]
Neighborhood: Potrero Hill1469 18th St
(between Connecticut St & Missouri St)
San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 355-0001
Lingba now serves brunch on saturday and sunday from 11…
Announced 13 days ago
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Music: DJ
- Best Nights: Tue, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
221 Reviews for Lingba Lounge
One of Lingba Lounge's Favorite Reviews
Now this is good Thai food. I was very impressed by the service, the ambiance and of course the food. I ordered the tofu special and was blown away by the myriad of tastes and spices in this dish. I asked for extra spicy and was pleasantly surprised that they got the level of spice just right. I also ordered their Thai spring rolls which were very tasty and not too greasy. Like most people who have reviewed Lingba, their drinks are fabulous. Try the guava cosmo. Their lounge/bar area was also great. Nice vibe, cool music and not pretentious at all.
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I never liked the food here, too fried and greasy...
Cocktails were decent and the set up has comfy couches, booths and a bar. Good for groups.
Best part was that on a packed monday night, the girls and I set out for Goat Hill's community night which exceeded a 30 minute wait so we walked to this joint to grab a bottle of wine, expecting to imbibe in record time. Not so. Gave the waitress our charge card to reserve the table with bottle and glasses, and came back after eating to continue our drinks. Ask and you shall receive!
Good tip from fellow patron: order take out pizza and bring to lingba-they allow that too!
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I've been coming here for a long time-when it used to be called Lilo Lounge. Infact, I preferred the Tahitian feel of Lilo with the fans on the ceiling. The food is ok and drinks are expensive. I think Cody serves up the best cocktails in the city though, no joke. Now all they need is happy hour and I'll be a regular!
Went here for dinner as part of a bachelorette party. We had a fixed dinner per person price of $29 that included multiple courses. It started with a huge appetizer plate. The best things on the plate were the spring rolls (veggie & shrimp) and the corn cakes (corn cakes were great and I'd almost say order them on their own instead of combo plate). Since one of the 10 of us was a vegetarian, they brought out a smaller platter of totally vegetarian appetizers.
After the appetizers, they brought out a few salads and a soup for the vegetarian. We had three papaya salads (one was tofu instead of shrimp), two crying tiger salads and tom kha soup. The crying tiger salad was especially tasty, the beef was tender and I highly recommend it.
Our next round was two plates of the sake marinated black cod. This is another great dish that I endorse.
After the cod they brought out two plates of chicken pad thai and one plate of tofu special. The pad thai was ok, but the tofu special was great, especially the cashews that were in it.
The last course was two plates of lamb panang curry with jasmine rice. Good dish though I liked the tofu special, crying tiger and cod more.
For dessert, they brought out two chocolate fondue bowls over tealights with mango, pineapple and banana.
We had a variety of cocktail drinks. I had their homemade ginger beer, which was pretty good (not to overwhelmingly ginger-pungent or super -sweet) and the lychee martini (good stuff-not overly sweet and they put two lychees in it).
All in, the bill came to about $620 (that inlcuded about a 2 cocktail/per person average and 18% gratuity along with the $29/person dinner charge).
My tips for getting the most out of this restaurant are the following:
#1-DO NOT walk from BART to this restaurant. Drive, muni or cab it (I made the mistake of BARTing in from Berkeley to 16th & Mission, thinking I could just walk, as BART said it was just 1.5 miles away, but BART failed to mention that you had to cross 101 to get there and this was some steep hill territory)
#2-I think it'd be better to order just a few plates if you're with a group instead of the per person dinner deal. We had SO much food and they gave us two big bags of leftovers to take home (which wasn't so useful since it was a bachelorette party--we couldn't really divide up leftovers and with all the wedding stuff and honeymoon, the bride and all won't really have use for the massive quantity of leftover food). Also, I did the math on our order and we really didn't save that much(if anything) by doing the per person dinner deal. The portions were so huge that just a few plates would be a better deal
#3-strongly consider if you really want to buy drinks there. Drinks cost $10+ there, which is a bit steep and that's what really got us (we ended up paying around $70 for dinner). Maybe get food here and drinks elsewhere.
Service was attentive and the decor was beautiful, but the cost is largely why I'm rating it with 3 stars. If money is no object, then add a star and spend away.
I don't really venture into Potrero very often, but when I do I always try to steer the direction of the night towards Lingba because I love the food here. I know they've got fancy stuff on the menu, but it's the simple things that are executed so deliciously. The fried rice and fried noodles are never greasy and always taste amazing and fresh.
And now that they've got brunch, I've got even more reasons to go. If you go for brunch, start with the Mission Standoff (my vote for cocktail of the year) and have the buckwheat pancakes. The pork hash is quite good as well. I'm so used to Thai for lunch and dinner, that Thai for breakfast was a welcome and delicious change of pace.
Returning from a recent Friday night visit, this place has totally gone down hill. OUr waitress went missing for a good 20 minutes so we had to go ask the hostess for the bill who quickly ran outside to chat with friends.
The food took over 45 minutes for 2 simple dishes...and was just above marginal.
horrible experience, the music was way too loud for the size of the small smattering of people in there.
Will not be back for years....there are so many other better options out there. I used to like it here.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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06/15/2005
3.11.07 update. they remodeled apparently! I haven't been for so long because of the chairs, and now… Read more »
I have always rated Lingba as one of my favorite places to go in SF for drinks or dinner, well now they have a killer brunch so it seems I will be spending even more time at one of my favorite hangouts. I recommend the ribs and fresh spring rolls for any meal. The brunch has some dishes, the pork hash is what I had and it was killer. I didn't try out the drink special "the mission stand off" however my friends did and the loved it, I saw a few others try it and everyone finished with a smile :-)
I used to work here,Dj here, be here all the time.
The food is good I agree on the overpriced vibe. But I will say the corn cakes cant be beat. The reovations took care of the rat problem and the tired atmosphere and I can say I enjoy the place ten fold now from back then.
My friends still Dj here on tuesdays, I go up there every once in a while to chat with my old boss and see my favorite bar back, while listening to some tunes. I prefer to visit on weekdays as I am not into the yuppies that seem to flock here on the weekends.
Its a nice place to check out the view of the city and eat early in the evening.
Do you have to, do you have to, do you have to let it Lingba?
Went there during the day and perhaps the off time contributed to a bit of an off experience, food and drink were 'okay' but not remarkable and a tad on the spendy side. Decor is cute, service pleasant, all in all not a bad place to be, so I say forget the Cranberries, you can let it Lingba.
Intrigued by their website with a tropical monkey/oasis theme, we decided to come here for dinner the other night. True to the theme of their website, it's got a swanky tropic feel, and there are monkeys abound. Well, actually just a few woven ones in the light fixtures, and a $24 "bowl of monkeys" drink where flames are somehow involved and a Polaroid is taken of your embarrassment (I think). The food and drinks were quite good, although the restaurant's idea of a 'medium' spicy level is more like 'hot'. Overall, I'd go back, if anything, to get drunk on the bowl of monkeys and feel like a tourist.
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This is a nice neighborhood bar that turns out some strong, tropical drinks. They are a bit overpriced, but very tasty and inventive. Did I mention the drinks are STRONG?
Friday night there's a DJ spinning tunes and a relaxed crowd. It's not overly crowded, probably due to its out-of-the-way location in Potrero Hill.
I guess I'm more of a Lingba lover than most and thats okay. We frequent here when we are looking for a bit of a change in the Thai food category. From the appetizers to the curries we've almost always been happy with our choices. Recently added Duck dish was stupendous and how can the nutty deliciousness of Forbidden Rice be hated upon.
Love the atmosphere although the moving fans remind me of a bad acid trip at Bobby McGee's in the old Embassy Suites on the Peninsula...but I digress
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I work right down the road and frequent this spot. I remember when it was a local dive a few years back. They have really spruced up the place. It is now trendy and hip with swanky new furniture in the lounge area which is pretty sweet. They've redone the menu and decor in the restaurant area which is nice. If you give this place a shot, you MUST have the Kobe beef! It was mouth watering-good!!!
We just came back from lunch where I had shrimp pad thai (my staple...shoulda had the beef) and though I've eaten here many times this meal was a miss for me as my shrimp were way over cooked. Probably just an off day.
P.S. They have a great wine list.
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I believe Lingba translates into "crazy monkey" in Thai. Really good strawberry mojitos here, I could slam down a couple of them if they weren't so pricey. I guess it is the ONLY bar with a dj on potrero hill proper. Music is a little too love fest for my tastes, but it's tolerable when you're wanting to just chill out with your friends.
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I was a little hesitant to come back here since my first experience wasn't so great. My friend wanted to try this place, though, so I agreed to join him. We went for drinks and an appetizer in the early evening. I warned my friend that their guava martini tasted like cough medicine, but he was intrigued, paid no attention to my warnings and ended up suffering through it. I played it safe and ordered a vodka/cranberry. The corn cakes were fine but the chicken satay was a little bit dry. Oh well. I think you can find better food at cheaper prices in about 200 different Thai places in the city.
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We had a group of 25 dining here for a party. The service was very accomodating and the food was enjoyed by all in our group. The final bill was very reasonable. It's a good restaurant for a good sized group because there's relatively easy parking for the city and those that want to linger after dinner at the bar have the option to do so. I recommend it.
I've gone for lunch a handful of times, too. Service is fast and lunch menu has good options.
I recommend this place.
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My friends took me here for my birthday, and I'm thankful that they did. The food was good, but the drinks were better.
It's been a while since I used to haunt this place with my peeps back when the company we worked for was a just another baby start-up. It was fun then - they normally had a good dj and the music wasn't too loud to talk, the ambiance and specialty drinks (like the tasty but sweet Strawberry Mojito) were fun, and the Thai kibblies we used to order to anchor the hootch weren't too shabby.
I'm happy to report that Lingba has actually improved since the last time I visited. They've replaced wooden chairs and benches along the walls with attractive leather banquettes and oversized ottomans, and placed a trellis above the seating area, which lowers the ceiling, disperses the light, and enhances the jungle -effect evoked by a very cool mural on the back wall.
For smokers, they've installed some nice underlit benches around trees in front of the entrance.
New Lingba Lounge - now with 20% more Lounge Action!
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i really like this place, which i affectionately refer to as, "cunnilingba lounge." i've been here twice and both times the service, atmosphere and food were all terrific. try the lamb curry. the lamb is tender and melts in your mouth and the sauce is creamy and delicious. mmmm. the papaya salad is tasty and fresh, too. wouldn't recommend the pad thai so much, and i found the vegetable stir fry a bit too sweet, but the veggies were all fresh and seasonal and perfectly cooked.
i'm always a little surprised to spend 50 bucks on dinner for two, but i'm also always happy to find a happenin' place in my quiet little 'hood on the hill.
the first time we were here was a sunday night. my two roomies and i were thoroughly diggin' the loungy beats and the the chill vibe, when the music abruptly stopped and suddenly we're listening to the dj (no one in the dining area was up for singing, apparently) belt out madonna tunes, badly. what a bummer. we tried to hint around to our waitress that it'd be nice if they could wait until the dining area had cleared out, but nope. we found ourselves in the middle of karaoke night and there was no turning back. consider yourself warned.
I like the rat out of the kitchen comment, amazing.
Food is reasonable and over priced as everyone else seems to say. Service is OK.
It has an overtone that brings out mt worst fears of being Marina-esq, which makes me extremely sick. The music and DJ on Saturday are pretty awful and it looks like 90% of the crowd doesn't live on Potrero for sure.
It seem slike an OK place Monday and Tuesday but as others have commented there are many far better places and much cheaper.
The restaurant is just ok, nothing to write home about. The bar however, has lots of lushy plants and monkey murals on the walls! Monkeys! Oh oh and when you get cocktail they put little plastic cocktail monkeys hanging off them! Nice little place during the week to chit chat and have a drink. I'm not up for the weekend crowd and no thank you for hip hop crap!
Order the Tuk Tuk, it's tasty!
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Great Success ...the food was above average and service was the same. The decor was mellow as well. I want to come back on a saturday and check out the bar!! Tucked away in potrero hill and worthwhile to check out, good for a date!
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Glad to know this place is still around. I used to come here back in the day for the cocktails. I didn't even know they serve dinner. It's been years, and I guess I should check out the place.
Great cocktails.
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The last time I was here (last year), a rat ran out of the kitchen and across my foot.
A rat.
And no, they didn't comp my meal.
On the other hand, that only happened once, while every single night they serve drinks that are on fire, and on Sunday nights, those drinks are served by some hot bartender lady.
I'm not entirely certain that giant flaming drinks served by a hot bartender lady outweighs the risk of a "meal related rat encounter", but it certainly earns them an extra star.
I think the fire scares the rats away.
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ok i love this restaurant completely!!! the ONLY reason I gave them 4 stars is the parking!! aside from hard parking, Lingba is another one of my favorite places to chil, eat, and drink!!
My friend and I usually went on Thursdays, we called it our CHEERS night, where everybody knows your name LOL.
Anyways, great fast and nice service from the hostess, servers, bartenders, even the owners!!
ALL of the appetizers are finger lickin goooood!!!!
the fried rice is the BEST i've ever tasted, its rare I say that, TRUST, just sprinkle, ok more like shower, the lime on there MMM-MMM GOOD
DAMN i need to stop writing im gettin hungry and its damn near midnight!!
This is a great place for groups, singles, couples, who ever, I always meet new people when I go.
IM BOUT READY TO GO BACK ;-)
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Went there on a Thursday back in January and had a great time with a group of 12 people! I missed the foode, but made if for drinks! They were strong and good and it was easy to get a drink. I think there was a decent crowd, not empty not crowded!
The music was great, too!! The DJ who I believe is Somoan was great! I remember groovin (yeah we got up and "kinda" dance-nothing crazy, nothing outrageous" not sure if were suppose to or not allowed to dance, but the other people were smiling at us and the staff didn't care) anyway, yes we we're groovin' to "everyday people" by arrested development..neo-soul, soul & r&b...nice chillaxin MUSIC!
The staff was cool, too because they refrigeratored the cake for us, and when it was time help me light the cake and when it was time to cut it gave us a knife, plates and forks!!!
Parking wasn't bad that night nor in the past when I went during the remodel...all during week. Can't speak for Fridays and Saturdays. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked.
The stars are for the good time, service and MUSIC!!! I gotta find out that Djs name....
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Cozy, comfortable lounge with unique drinks, cachaca rum, and friendly people.
Food is great, Tuesdays there is a DJ that rox the best old shool hip hop through Techno tunes great drinks.
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Cool atmosphere; food was ok. Ordered the seafood platter and garlic fried noodles. The platter was a little overpriced for what you got (some fried calamari, a few small pieces of spring rolls, some deep fried prawns and roasted prawns). The noodles were a little dry and salty. I hear the lounge and drinks are good so the next time I go, I'll probably stay in that area.
The atmosphere in itself isnt lacking - tropical and fun; however the food is a little overpriced for what you get.
A largish (~15) group of friends and I recently celebrated my birthday with appetizers, drinks (+ drunken company), and karaoke at Lingba Lounge. I had been in email contact with Prinya at Lingba who had been very responsive and helpful. She had reserved a long table with sufficient seating for our group. I found the staff to be accommodating which made the experience hassle-free and enjoyable.
We ordered platters of appetizers which were tasty and good for sharing. I had been to Lingba once before for dinner, and while I really enjoyed my food (pad see ew), I found the menu to be a bit limited as far as traditional Thai fare goes. Nonetheless, what they do offer, they make well, and I certainly look forward to returning to both the restaurant as well as the lounge. Lingba also has some fun cocktails such as the Shipwreck and the Bowl of Monkeys and an interesting selection of liquors (I first became aware of Tito's handmade vodka at Lingba). Their wine list is small, but their choices are pretty solid.
Both times I visited Lingba (dinner back in September and recent party), I was able to enjoy the karaoke entertainment (only on Sundays) in the lounge. The first time, I was there, I only observed (although my friend sang Tori Amos beautifully); the second time, I drank more and participated. There is little pressure to sing well, and the DJ (who is awesome!) and audience are supportive and will even sing along when appropriate. Also, unlike the Mint and other more serious places, you can usually sing within 15 minutes of signing up for a song. I think that Lingba would be a comfortable place to lose your karaoke virginity.
If you have Monday off (long weekend) and are in need of plans for Sunday night, may I suggest dinner and karaoke at Lingba? I guarantee that you will have a great time!
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Today Kenny and I decided to explore more restaurants on 18th street. Lingba Thai looked promising with its sleek tropical decor. Swinging fans danced from the ceiling almost in time with the music. For lunch on a Friday, we were the only customers, which is surprising given the quality of the food. We started with a beautifully presented tom yum soup chock full of vegetables and tofu in a clear yet spicy hot and sour broth. This is not what I would consider standard Tom Yum, which often contains bits of inedible ginger and lemongrass roots and is lacking in vegetables. In this dish however, the vegetables starred. Kenny ordered a roast chicken breast served with sticky rice and shredded green papaya salad. The chicken was nicely seasoned with crispy skin. The accompanying sticky rice and papaya salad was a welcomed pairing. I on the otherhand, could not decide what to order because all the appetizers looked so tasty. I ended up going with the vegetarian appetizer sampler which included fresh vegetable rolls wrapped in rice paper and served with peanut sauce, tofu satay, corn cakes, kabocha fritters, and fried tofu. Very much fried and very much very good. The corn cakes and kabocha fritters were particular hits. Over all this is a great thai restaurant in the Potrero Hill area, probably one of the best I've tasted so far, although since I haven't sampled the curry or pad si ew, my review is not 100% complete...all the more reason to return!
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This place is alright- great atmosphere, but I think I was more impressed with corn cakes- BEST EVER.
Other than that, kind of over-priced for what you get.
The little monkeys in the drinks are cute, too.
It's kind of like Elephant Bar meets San Francisco, with swaying fans on the walls and wicker monkey chandeliers. Nevertheless, the ambiance doesn't disappoint. I think though, if you were to strip the restaurant down of it's interior and rate the food on alone, you'd end up with fairly mediocre Thai food. At least what we ordered was fairly average.
I got the Pad Kee Mao (pan fried wide egg noodles with tomatoes, cucumbers, green chili and fresh basil + chicken). On the whole it was relatively good (I loved the fresh basil), but I was slightly disappointed because the noodles in the dish were sticking together in huge clumps. Meaning that when I took a bite, the noodles in between lacked flavor and tasted plain. So execution on the dish was off. We also ordered Forbidden Black Rice, partly because we wanted to be able to say that we ordered such a dish. It wasn't spectacular, but its color added an interesting contrast to the meal.
One thing that was impressive was the "Gin and Juice" cocktail. This definitely isn't the infamous drink referenced in Snoop Dogg's early 90s ditty! it was served in a martini and due to its appearance, looked like a typical cosmopolitan. Take a sip, and it's an "adventure." You'll experience a complexity of exotic fruit flavors in your palate. I approve.
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Great place for cocktails. We didn't even get into the tropical vibe, we just wanted a place to drink hard liquor after going to an art opening with kegs (felt like a frat party) and then going to the Connecticut Yankee to get some drinks, and not wanting to pay the $5 or $10 cover to listen to music, but just drink, no can do. Thus, we arrive at Lingba- haha- Ole! Party! DJ, it's a Monday night I think ? Well this little juke joint was hoppin' and we got our straight up whiskey and vodka shots on, made traffic in the front of the bar and got into some trouble. 4 stars for a fun bar in an otherwise quiet part of town.
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Great ambience. The restaurant is adjacent to a lounge, both with sleek interiors. The pad thai and pad see yew have more flavor and more vegetables than other Thai places in the city.
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This swanky Southeast Asian restaurant with an adjoining bar, hosts karaoke on Sunday nights with none other than the Karaoke Shark himself, Glenny Kravitz.
Mama likes. Smooth, refreshing tropical drinks like the guava cosmopolitan, soaked up with tasty nibblets that include spring rolls, fried calamari, and mekong ribs that will hit your culinary g-spot. It's nice to find a tikki bar that isn't a) filled with tourists or lecherous conventioneers, b) has a fake waterfall for category a to fall into, and c) consider fake barnacles and anchors authentic decor.
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Lingba is my new favorite Thai restaurant. Tucked away in the cutesy neighborhood of Potrero Hill, I found this hidden gem to be a must place to dine. Adding only one entree on top of the dine about town menu was just perfect amount of food. The flank steak was tender. The seafood curry has the right amount of spiciness, and over rice, a yummi combo. The roti flatbread dipped in the curry, delicious.
After writing this review, me and my satisfied tummy will be sleeping happily.
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I did the Dine About Town at Lingba for dinner. Place was pretty packed but we got seated fairly fast.
Food was pretty good and I would love to go back again. I had the spring rolls, lamb curry and the mango sticky rice. Lamb was only slightly gamey but to my taste. The meat was tender and went very well with the curry. My gf had the flank steak that I thought was only "okay". But she said she liked it.
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