Lola’s

What a treat it was to find this place our first night in the beautiful neighborhood of Bayou St. John. The lamb stew hit the spot and the service was great. This is definitely a recommended spot if you’re heading up Esplanade. After your delicious meal, just take a stroll down this gorgeous street!

I love this restaurant. It is a wonderful taste of Spain in Nola. The paellas are excellent. I normally order three paellas; one meat, one seafood, and one vegetarian; for our group, and pitchers of sangria. It is a blast. The atmosphere is causal, friendly, and relaxing. The kitchen is open if you enjoy watching people cook, and the walls are covered in local art. The paellas are excellent. The meat paella is a combination of chicken and chorizo, whereas the seafood one has fish, octopus, and mussels. My vegan friend loved the vegetarian paella and now considers Lola’s her favorite restaurant. It is a wonderful place that I always visit when in Nola.

A restaurant is only as good as the staff. The waiter wore an eye patch like a pirate and displayed the manners of a pirate as well. While at Lola’s I observed the little pirate treat other patrons with distasteful rudeness.

Cozy hole in the wall feel and excellent food! The garlic aioli is to die for, and the rack of lamb is my favorite dish. I highly recommend this place!

For appetizers, we had the grilled calamari and the ceviche. Both dishes were bland. The calamari had a sauce which was spicy. The ceviche had too much lemon/​lime on it.
We also had the seafood paella which was tasty. I would only come back for this.
It took over an hour for us to get our food. (Thursday night)

Great place if you need to get away from all the Cajun/​creole food of the region. We ordered the garlic mushrooms, green mussels and salad special for starters and then a small seafood paella. We split everything and had plenty to eat for two people. I loved the sangria. Very refreshing. I embraced the smallness of the restaurant. Really fun, friendly and fantastic servers.

Great food and a nice ambiance. Loved living around the block from here because the smell of garlic was always pleasant t my nostrils. A pretty decent paella and always quality soups. Would recommend for a nice Wednesday evening dinner for 2.

All I can say is Fantastic. So many good times here.

Went here on a date night with my boyfriend and at first we were a little skeptical. It seemed like the entrees really just weren’t all that special. I like to always try to order food that I just can’t make at home or normally wouldn’t and nothing for the entrees seemed to peak our interests besides maybe the lamb.
So we decided tapas it was! And wow! Great choice. We got the crab tropical… AMAZING! Easily both of our favorite dish. Got the ceviche… THE BEST ceviche I’ve had in New Orleans so far… easily! And the Antipasto… the blue cheese is super strong and everything else was delicious but also very standard.
The crab tropical is what made it for us! And I was so happy to find good ceviche. The plates sizes are HUGE for tapas also so it’s perfect for sharing but we were definitely stuffed. The house made sangria was tasty also.
The manager, Courtney, was the one who was serving us that night and she was super nice and enthusiastic. Overall it was a really goo experience. The place definitely filled up after we got there just a little after they opened at 5:30 so maybe get there before the crowd does. Will definitely be going back.

Lola’s has the best lamb chops in the city, served with a Gorgonzola fondue for dipping. So good. Their paella is good and one of the few places in NOLA to offer it. Preparations are simple but well done. Good Sangria as well. Be prepared to wait if you don’t get there early. The good news is that it is in a pleasant part of town.

«Adorable little Spanish café with good eats»
A girlfriend of mine and I stopped in for dinner this past Friday for an early dinner and girl chat over wine. I always know I’m going to over-​do it with food when I’m excited about trying out a new spot. Good thing I had Michelle J. from BR with me… she knows how to pig out as well, so we could get a few things and share. Win!
Our server was super sweet. We brought in our own wine from a place in the area… she immediately stopped over with a cork screw to get us on our way. She explained some of the specials of the day to us while we looked over the menu. And put in an order of the famous white sangria. It was way too sweet for my liking. So much so I had to blush it with some of the red wine we came in with… and ended up giving the rest to a couple who was seated next to us.
As appetizers we started with the mussels and the spinach, arugula and watermelon salad.
The mussels were amazing! Wine broth with chorizo, chickpeas, corn and herbs. It had the right amount of spice and the chickpeas, which I was kind of concerned about but it added something unique to the dish. My only complaint was that it wasn’t very hot. I would have like to have seen some steam coming from the dish when it arrived at the table. Either way it was still sopped up with the crusty bread like there was no tomorrow.
The spinach and arugula salad was the highlight of the evening for me. I usually add fruit like dried cranberries and strawberries to my salads. I haven’t quite graduated to oranges and such… so I was leery about the watermelon, but intrigued. Twas’ amazing! The dressing everything… Serrano and lime vinaigrette… I could have drank it out of a glass. It was a great compliment to the peppery arugula.
Lastly was the seafood paella. Which took a while to come out because our waitress forgot to put the order in. We didn’t mine much we had enough libations to keep us occupied. While good and flavorful, it was my least favorite thing of the night. It was more like a jambalaya than a paella. I expected a crust on the rice from sizzling in the cast iron skillet, but that’s not what I got. The seafood pieces were small… like tiny. I mean I didn’t even think there were any scallops in it until I realized they were like the size of the chickpeas… maybe even smaller. I’d go for the meat or veggie paella next time for safe measures. We ordered a medium portion, but definitely could have gotten a small after our two appetizers.
Overall my experience was a 3.7. I enjoyed my meal a lot… just some minor hiccups. Wouldn’t mine returning to try some other things on the menu.

Lola’s is truly the BEST food I’ve had in New Orleans, serving traditional Spanish dishes that have influenced the local Creole cuisine for centuries. It’s a local secret in the Mid-​City area. If you want the «local» experience with a twist, definitely go here. (HINT: Seating is tight and fills up quickly, so if you will be dining on the weekends try to get there around 5:30pm before the rush.)
ORDER EVERYHTING. No, but really. Everything is prepared fresh and seasoned well. Out of all the times I’ve been there, I’ve yet to be disappointed. Every appetizer, from the mussels in vinaigrette to the garlic mushrooms, have tasted incredible. One Side note about the calamari: It isn’t in the form of deep-​fried rings, instead it comes out pan seared and in a patty, sliced in strips. Believe me, it’s better this way.
The Seafood Paella is a very popular main dish, and can be prepared to split between four people. Other personal favorites include: Shrimp Pasta, Pork Loin and my father’s personal favorite: the Rack of Lamb.
Their desserts are all homemade and act as the perfect «cherry on top» to the best dinner you’ll have in New Orleans.
Oh, and before I forget, here’s one final tip: You will want to ask for extra of their homemade whipped olive oil and garlic. They serve this as a spread for their bread. You can thank me later.

I came here with a very enthusiastic friend and I was pleased with how good the experience was. The appetizer was the calamari and I am not sure we will get that again, bc I was thinking it was the one that doesn’t come in a patty. Yet when I looked at the menu, that is what it said it would come like. My take home lesson was to read the description of an item prior to ordering.
We had the veggie paella and it was awesome. So flavorful! The rice was perfect and the veggies were just right.

Two of my friends and I decided on girl’s night at Lola’s for two reasons: 1) sangria and 2) paella. Damn, we were impressed. First, the hostess was so nice, letting us sit on the owner’s porch right next door with our sangria while we waited. We were told it would be an hour but only waited 20 minutes! Oh, and the sangria was fantastic: a perfect balance between fruity sweet and crispy wine.
Inside, the atmosphere is both intimate and boisterous. It’s a small space, which makes it comfortable, but also allows for sound to carry.
The bread is not free, but very cheap ($.30) and comes with the most delicious, spicy garlic butter. As for the seafood paella, my friend said the flavors, technique and overall dish was true to the paella she has had in Spain.
¡Lola’s fue increíble!

I’ve been told Lola’s on several occasions. Until the most recent, I always stuck with the seafood paella. It’s really great and I’ll definitely get it again at some point, but last night I ventured out and tried some other things. I was not disappointed.
The lamb stew is also delicious. There was a special arugula salad that had roasted beets and a Spanish blue cheese that was really good. And the mussels were tasty too — seasoned really nicely. These aren’t your traditional mussels, though, so be ready to try something new. And my date and I also got the dessert sampler — all three desserts that were available that day, which included a flour-​less chocolate cake, ice cream, and flan.
Lola’s is pretty small so be prepared to wait for a table if you show up at peak times. But the service is always friendly. They’ll even take you phone number and call you when the table’s ready, so you can pop across the street to Santa Fe for a margarita while you wait. They’ve also got some cool artwork on the walls, including lots of Simon pieces.
Lola’s is good. I wish I had leftovers but I ate it all and am fat.

I’ve never been to a restaurant where we had over 10 dishes and each one was stellar and unique in its own way. Garlic fans rejoice for they have the most fabulous garlic butter for their bread in the world. It is similar to middle eastern thum but slightly more garlicky with a kick. A nice special kind of spice. We were lucky enough to be sitting next to a table that was one of our neighbors and they insisted we each try a bite of their food as well! Wow, everything they got was top notch and so fairly priced! This place is a little secret but I think I just let the cat out of the bag! I’m trying to upload as many pictures as I can!

Again, sangria is soooo yummy! The stuffed portobello was wonderful! I am not a vegetarian and found this dish to satisfy my «meaty side»! I knew I would return for a glass of sangria, now I’ll return for the Cuisine!

Lola’s is one of my favorite little dining experiences in the city. The Seafood Fideua is actually my favorite item on the menu although everyone around us seems to get the traditional meat Paillas. There are also these mushrooms in this garlic sauce on the appetizer list that come in a skillet that is absolutely incredible to dip with your bread. And speaking of garlic… one word: «butter.» I’m not even sure how they make their butter, but I assure you it is just an explosion of garlic flavor. At this point in my review, please know that if you do not like garlic, this may not be the place for you because it is literally in everything. Luckily for Lola’s, I adore the idea of too much garlic in everything.
I also like that you can bring a bottle of wine to share here. The sangria is what everyone seems to get here and that is very good too but I’m not a huge sangria fan so wine is just more drinkable over a meal for me personally. Also, I hate buying bottles of wine out at restaurants unless there is a special exception because everyone knows you are overpaying by like 80% retail value. So… ya know… maybe that makes me a little «cheap»…but I just like that they are flexible about the wine situation. It just helps me relax sometimes to just bring one I know I like rather than sifting through a long winded wine list and trying to find a reasonably priced bottle. By the way, I have had their red table wine by the glass and thought it was great quality and I’m a pretty steady red wino. So if you did not bring a bottle of your own, never fear, they do have a good selection.
I love the cozy atmosphere and the big family style skillets of pailla and feud here! For two people, an appetizer and a small fedua was honestly enough food for us. I mean the pailla and fedua is basically a whole skillet of carbs so it gets pretty filling pretty quickly. However, I love going with a group so you can alternate between pailla and fedua and get the best of both worlds. Sharing is definitely the way to go at Lola’s. Plus it is such an intimate dining atmosphere, sharing only feels right amongst good company at Lola’s. This place is definitely perfect for a little date night spot or a small group of close friends.

I had never heard of this restaurant when friends invited us. On a Saturday night, for 6 people, the wait was an hour, but we enjoyed their delicious sangria while waiting. It is tight and small inside, but it’s quaint and cozy and was something different for us. I enjoyed the option of bringing your own wine for a $ 5 cork fee. Also, the paella is delicious along with the garlic mushrooms.
My two negatives were the garlic butter for the bread– so fresh and strong that it’s legitimately SPICY (I’m obsessed with garlic but this was too much)– and the fact that paella was brought out to me instead of the fideua that I ordered. I am not a rice fan and the waiter admitted he input the wrong thing (at least he did that), but I ate the paella and was very satisfied. I can’t give this place 4 stars because of that.
About $ 200 for 6 of us and a good night was had by all, so we cannot complain! Definitely will be back (for that fideua, I hope).

***QUALITY***FOOD***FOR***LOW***PRICES***
The food was delicious, we ordered: appetizers: the mushrooms, ceviche and crabmeat for the main: two salmon dishes which was great quality and one shrimp pasta very yummy indeed. For desert the flan — to share — it was so good we ordered a second one :-), for drinks we shared two bottles of Pinot Noir. For 3 people the check came to $ 162 (before tip) great value!
We went on a Tuesday evening 8pm and had to wait 20 min to be seated. The restaurant is very small, bright and not too pleasant to sit in. I wouldn’t go here for a romantic dinner or special occasion. It’s too crammed and noisy. The service was a little slow and messy, because it was busy, our waiter tried his best.
For a casual dinner I would go back here and recommend it to everyone else.