Lola’s

If you have an «authentic taco» craving, this place is a must! Exceptional service! Diana was our superfriendly and sweet server. Ceviche, cilantro jalapeño margaritas and grilled salmon tacos are «must-​haves». Average price point.

Really fresh components to their dishes, which taste great. They are very clear about gluten free menu items and can accommodate for dairy allergies. nice atmosphere, too.

Food was good. Not great for the price. OUSTANDING SERVICE! Everyone seemed to actually want to be there working and having a good time!

Fun location, its nice to sit outside. The food was so bland… the chef seems to not like to add salt or spices. I think this might be the first time i have had bland Mexican food. Service was great. I have to repeat the service is good. The food bland. Drinks are fine. Prices good at happy hour. Probably wont be back

My husband and I stopped by for an early Saturday lunch based on the reviews and apparent nod from Rick Bayless. The restaurant is cute inside and has a few tables outside on the sidewalk, which is where we chose to sit.
We weren’t having drinks and so placed our order pretty quickly. My husband got the mole burrito, which is a flour tortilla stuffed with grilled chicken, rice, and beans and topped in mole (there’s two choices, he got the mole poblano). I ordered the pepita-​encrusted pan-​grilled sea bass, which came with grilled zucchini and rice in a roasted poblano cream sauce. Despite all the delicious-​sounding ingredients because I would expect lots of flavor from a Mexican restaurant, especially one like this. The texture of the pepitas on the fish was great, and the I was served a very generous portion of fish, but the lack of flavor in the fish, the pepitas, and the poblano sauce was very sad.
The mole burrito was a decent size. I tasted the mole; it was okay but I’ve had better ones with more depth of flavor.
The service was pretty good, as we were seated immediately and the waiter promptly came to see if we wanted drinks. Chips and salsa also arrived quickly. The salsas were okay but neither is really spicy. I was disappointed that our waiter didn’t tell us about their daily special. I saw the sign near the door right after we placed our order but decided not to change mine. I did overhear him telling another dining group.
The one thing to try here – the horchata coffee. It was really good and exactly as I imagined it. Iced coffee with the refreshing flavor and slight sweetness of horchata. That was worth the $ 5.
Overall it was an okay meal but I probably wouldn’t return.

Creative take on Mexican fare here. Genuine hospitality serves up love on a plate and happiness to sip. Lucked out on my first dinner here with Butternut Squash Enchiladas. Wow, when I first saw it. Wow, while I enjoyed it and wow I killed that huge offering. Gotta love steak strips as a topping. Get here and live in this cute house of yum! Big time thank you, waitstaff for being so accommodating and cool to us. Until next time keep up the great work.

My wife and I have been coming to Lola’s for years. They add a modern, chef-​y twist to traditional Mexican food and the food is always fresh with lots of flavor and never heavy or greasy. The service here is also uniformly excellent. My go-​to is the Braised Short Rib Enchiladas– but maybe don’t order that the first time you go or you may never order anything else! Their guacamole is really good, and my wife loves the Zucchini and Mushroom Tacos. Also love both of their Moles, especially the Mole Verde.
So why 4 stars then? Well, the food can take a long time to come out of the kitchen, especially at nights or on the weekend. Usually I wouldn’t mind, what with the free refills of complimentary chips and incredible green salsa. But now that we’ve got a 1-​year-​old, that can mean the difference between dining in or having to get it to-​go. But as long as you’ve got the time and/​or don’t have a screaming toddler, Lola’s is a gem.

I’m not saying this place is NOT good but the hype that proceeds it is, for me, undeserving. Food was cooked well, but flavor was surely lacking. A bit, just a bit, on the pricey side. A trip to Patricia’s is where I’d go if one is in this area.

I can’t believe it took so long for us to try Lola’s, this place is awesome!
We stopped in for a late lunch a few weekends ago, and were seated on the patio with almost no wait. We ordered some Mexican coke and our meals from he very friendly server and while we were waiting, we went to town on the chips and home made salsa.
Out chile relleno burrito and enchiladas suizas came out fairly quickly, The food was ultra-​fresh and very tasty. The sauce on the enchiladas was really amazing, and the beans had a bit of a garlic taste to them. We finished up by splitting the mini churros with Long Beach Creamery ice cream.
What a cool place, and the food is awesome. Highest recommendations!

Great food, great service! Friendly staff, cool vibe.
Our waiter was Kellen and he had thorough knowledge of the food and made great suggestions!
The food was rooted in classic Oxacan with a modern twist.
Water, chips and 2 types of salsa were on the table instantly!
I’ll be back!

We had such a horrible brunch experience that we can’t let it go unyelped.
We ordered a chile relleno entrée, huevos rancheros entrée and a child’s cheese quesadilla .
When our waitress brought the entrees — she obviously forgot the quesadilla. While she didn’t admit to that –it came 10 min later .
The sunny side up eggs in my huevos rancheros were completely raw. While I like my yellow runny — this still had raw, runny egg whites. When i showed them to the waitress she admitted that they were raw. She came back and let said that the cook said that that’s how they are supposed to be and asked me if I wanted something different. I said that I’d like the huevos rancheros — just cooked a little more so not raw. She came back with them fried over hard. It was as if the cook was angry threw them in the pan– cooked the crap out of them.
When we complained again. The waitress just said «it’s hectic in there.» I left hungry.
While she did sort of apologize it was blasé and no attempt to have us leave satisfied.
The only reason we are two stars instead of one is because that green crack deserves a star.

I came here on a Sunday afternoon after a lovely hike in RPV and wine tasting on the Queen Mary. It was a perfect end to the day. I had the chile relleno, my friend had the carne asada. The food was fine. But, it’s the house made tortilla chips and green salsa that will have me come back. I’d be happy just coming for drinks and chips & salsa.

Ok, I absolutely LOVE Lola’s. I have been coming to this place for years, What I love about Lola’s: Delicious Vegetarian Mexican food and the Margaritas. The best thing about Lola’s is the HAPPY HOUR!!! ½ price appetizers and drink specials, I was going nearly every week, I had to contain myself. Taco Tuesday is fabulous swell. The service is good, prices aren’t over the top and the ambience is nice.
So, why am I not giving them a 5 star, well, I can’t forget the Tamales I ordered for christmas. We usually go to a family member for our holiday Tamales like most Los Angelenos do but decided to try out Lola’s, well they were Over Priced and OK. But what really upset me was the chile verde/​cheese Tamales, because some of them didn’t even have the cheese! I didn’t want to complain, I love Lolas and it was the holidays, lets just say never again!

My fiancé & I have been here a few times. We always get the veggie burrito & the combo vegetariano. Depending on your server the customer service can be really good or very mediocre. It’s the balance of life. Also their avocado green dip is too bomb.

Let me start with service was great a little slow but great. The atmosphere is really cool really nice to sit on the street watch the cars go by people go by I actually enjoyed that part.
The food is what I’m upset about. I ordered a chile relleno plate. Definitely not nothing special. I wouldn’t even say it was average. The food is below average n for me my wife and my two kids we had two beers and one Margarita for a $ 70 tab definitely not family friendly. I guess it’s new and people want to try it but I definitely will not be trying it again. There’s actually a Mexican food restaurant that’s more of a hole in the wall not commercialized like this one though chile rellenos are ten times better half the price I’ll be going there from now on

Top notch every time! Don’t be a sucker and order some thing you can get anywhere else, try the butternut enchiladas or the jalapeño infused bacon wrapped scallops.
It’s between modern and traditional Mexican, but man is it so good.
Ask about specials, deals and catering cause they do that too.

My go to for shoes!!! Wide selection the service is top notch. Paco is an awesome manager you can tell he’s on top of things, always. Juan and Moses are so helpful, even though they are busy in here at all times they’re sure to get you what you need! I’m a complicated customer — I try on everything and in every different size and they tend to you! Not to mention the vibe in this place, it always feels like a party!

The food was good. I had the tacos on special and mole poblano. They we’re both delish… first time here and very excited to try the rest of the menu items.

Lola’s is a Long Beach is a fantastic restaurant. The place isn’t big so you may have to wait a little if you don’t make reservations but it’s so worth it. The staff is always super friendly and attentive. Your beverage is never empty, they constantly fill up your chips and salsa. The food is delicious, I have ordered many items off the menu and never have I been disappointed, and usually finish all on my plate. Their specials are amazing and always different. My go to dish is the Pepita encrusted pan seared Sea Bass. I drive from OC to eat at Lola’s.

If you like heat, ask for the aromatic habanero sauce — it’s different that the other one they bring you which is also good. Bacon-​wrapped, cheese-​stuffed jalapeños are good.
Our party of 4 split the Carne Asada, the Carnitas, the Short Rib Enchiladas and the Chicken-​In-​Puff-​Pastry thingy. We liked everything and for me the best dish were the short rib enchiladas. The guacamole was a bit bland to my taste but I’m a salt and spice fiend so milder palates may love it.
I had a Michelada which was good but not the best ever and friends had Margaritas: they liked them but at $ 14 they are exorbitantly priced for a small glass filled with ice.
Service is good, ambience is cosy, comfy, and quirky in a fun Mex way with Dia De Los Murtes touches hither and thither.
Nice place for a date but I won’t be staying up at night craving any particular dish the way I can obsess when Mexican good is unforgettably amazing. Still, the place cares and does a good job so when friends suggest it, I’ll come back.

Delicioso! The food is fresh, flavorful, and authentic Mexican. Everything is made in house! Ambiance and service is great. Oh did I mention they have a wide variety of cocktails too!

Cute location on 4^th street. First time here had to come try it since they’re opening their second location by our house in bixby knolls. Chips and salsa are fresh. I ordered short rib enchiladas the short rib was tender full of flavor. My husband had pork chops he enjoyed them but was left with a craving of the blackberry mole sauce. Lola’s margarita was delish Mexican mule was made with tequila has a fresh taste. We really enjoyed it our sever Kellen was super friendly and helpful. Can’t wait for the bixby knolls location!!!

This is probably one of my favorite restaurants EVER!
Great service, they’re attentive but not too pushy. Our waitress was very nice and refilled our drinks without us asking her. We also got more salsa and chips (complementary when you sit down) when she saw we were starting to run low.
The food was to die for. No lie. I had the jalapeño bacon wrapped scallops. That’s right, I didn’t even know that exited. It was a bit expensive at $ 19 but absolutely 100% worth it. The complementary chips and salsa I mentioned before were so good! I was so full from the plate and I didn’t think I would be. There’s a green and red salsa. The red one is so spicy so it’s good if you enjoy blazing salsa. If not, the green sauce is a mild flavor but very delicious as well.
Definitely come down here if you’re walking around Retro Row or just want some amazing Mexican food!

Came in for Happy Hour on a Monday. Margarita Monday’s was in full effect.
I ain’t a Margarita type of guy though, so my girlfriend handled one of those. I went with a classic Michelada. Overall ruling on those drinks, they were just ok. They did suffice though.
Complimentary salsa and chips were immediately brought to our table, but that seemed too inadequate for the appetite we were building. So we shared a taquitos appetizer; two chicken and one potato, which is half off during Happy Hour. They were better than my mom’s and my grandma’s!
Entonces no queda de otra. If ever I’m in the mood for taquitos and a beer around four o’ clock, this is probably where you’ll find me. Next time I’m ordering two of those platters though. Also important to note, service appears to be a focal point, so they take care of you well.

First off, they probably have theee best salsa i’ve ever tasted. I’m curious why they haven’t bottled it up and put it on shelves!?!
2^nd, their menu is definitely worth checking out. as they have a little twist on some classic Mexican dishes.
First time I went, I got the Pot Roast, which seemed to be served more like a stew, over mashed potatoes. Not quite the twist I was looking for, but definitely delicious, worth trying if you like salty, hearty dishes. The bro loved his burrito too, demolished it. I also got the margaritas and they were shaken up quickly.
2^nd Time I went was a pick-​up order of their El Trio tacos, and they were great. The mole was probably my favorite. The pork in all of them is tender and lean.

The chips and salsa (green sauce) is the only thing worth having here. I have been a few times, and it is still by far, the best thing they offer. It is nice that they have a full bar now, but the other items on the menu have yet to impress. The wait is usually long (been for both dinner and breakfast) and the service has always been slow. Between our groups we have tried the chiliquiles (wouldn’t get again) enchiladas (decent) tacos (decent on taco Tuesday for the price) and the tuna salad (ordered the tuna medium and it came sashimi rare).
We will probably always go back when friends invite us, but it’s never our top choice for Mexican food.

I’ve had this place bookmarked for months so I’m pleased that we finally found ourselves having brunch at Lola’s. We initially sat outside, but the cold and the irrational fear of an oncoming car slamming into our table made us move to the shelter inside.
The Bloody Mary ($ 10.00) was okay, but what set it apart was the bacon wrapped stuffed jalapeño served on top. I’ve never seen that before and it was delicious.
I ordered the Pollo Abuela which is spinach stuffed chicken inside a puffed pastry. Also included are mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables of zucchini and tomatoes. The chicken was a little dry. The potatoes were good, smashed more than mashed whic
h is my preference anyway. The zucchini and tomatoes were great. Not overcooked and soggy, but firm with plenty of flavor.
The MU ordered Chili Verde ribs and they were freaking awesome. I’d order them in the future or try one of the moles.
Service was excellent. Abbie was extremely gracious when we asked to move inside and couldn’t have been more attentive.
The only downside is the parking. Welcome to the Arts District. There is a pay lot on the corner which we utilized.
This isn’t the standard Mexican food fare, and for that I am grateful. Definitely worthy of a return trip. Prices are a little high for what it is, but that’s not a deal breaker.

I had heard of Lola’s a couple of years ago from a friend of mine. Then I was reminded of this establishment by my coworker last month. Then came the bookmark on Unilocal.
I went on a Tuesday night at 7pm and waited for 17 minutes for a table for one… I thought I would be squeezed in somewhere quicker than that, but the bar only holds three and the parties I saw were all for at least three. The one open two-​seater table I spotted flaunted a sign that said «reserved». The wait list kept growing (for parties of up to seven people!) as I sat outside waiting for my dining spot.
I, finally, was seated inside at a two-​seater that lead to the kitchen area. It wasn’t bad, as I sat with my back to the busy area and faced the small front room. I did not visit the back room, which seem to have lighter color décor from what I could tell when I walked by. The front room is darker in color — it has a lot of «friendly», feminine Dia de Los Muertos looking art.
The server quickly greeted me and I noticed two things about him… 1) he is very attractive, and 2) he is very engaging. It was especially busy in there, but, every time he came to me, he was there long enough to look intently into my eyes as he answered questions, even give a friendly arm touch… he was entirely mine for the seconds or minutes I had him at my table. I found out his name is Danny, or «Danni Boy», per the receipt.
When he inquired about my beverage preference, I told him I desired a strong margarita. He asked if I like Mezcal — I couldn’t remember, as I’d only had it once — before suggesting a cocktail with Mezcal, fresh-​queezed lime juice and jalapeño. He described it as smoky, «pretty strong», and his favorite. I agreed to try it. I asked him about the Taco Tuesday specials about which I had earlier inquired via the phone. He confirmed that the tacos were $ 1.50 to $ 2 each in servings of two or three at a time. I told him I wanted two zucchini and mushroom tacos — he told me those are his favorite. He then asked asked if I wanted meat. When I asked which was better between the chicken and steak, he said he would get me two veggie and one steak.
The drink was good — smoky, as he described. Not necessarily the margarita flavor I was going for but I now know I enjoy Mezcal. The salsas were good… the red had more kick than I expected and the green (cilantro) balanced it nicely with a cooling effect. The tacos were good! The tortillas are hand made. The veggies in the taco were just the right consistency — not too firm, not too over cooked.
I will definitely return to Lola’s and try some of the entrees. They looked amazing!
One last point… Lola’s is in a really cute area of Long Beach that houses a host of businesses I’ve been wanting to visit because of Unilocal (like the Art Theater and Portfolio Coffehouse) as well as other cool-​looking kick it food spots, beautifully staged vintage stores, and even a roller skate vendor!

Wow! Why have I waited so long to try this place out. I ordered delivery today for lunch. Had the chile relleno and a side of the green sauce. So the chile relleno was really good — great tasting pepper and authentic Mexican cheese. The rice, meh didn’t really care for it, but that’s just me. I really don’t like rice at all. The refried bean were yummy. But what blew me away was the green sauce — OMG I want bathe in this. I want to snuggle with it… I just want more of this in my mouth! Soooo delish! So happy I tried their food today. Delivery was FAST… but then again I live only a few blocks away. Don’t judge, I couldn’t leave as I was working…

There is a God!*
My atheism is cured with the news of Lola’s opening a 2^nd diner that’ll be even closer than the 1^st! Yes, there must be a god. This was the evidence I needed. It’s a friggin’ Mexican miracle!
Bixby Knolls, consider yourself blessed.
*or a reasonable facsimile of one

Lola’s isn’t your hole in the wall Mexican joint, but they serve up some tasty food! The best way to describe the ambiance is «cool». I know, its a boring word. But it is also hip and welcoming. You’re able to sit inside or on the front or back patios. We opted for the front patio and received great service.
They start you with fresh chips, a spicy red salsa, and a creamy avocado salsa. The best flavor was achieved by dipping the chip into each of the salsas. So many of the menu items sounded delicious, but I ended up going with the Carnitas Plate. It comes with Mexican Coke-​marinated carnitas, Mexican rice, garlicky whole pinto beans, a small dollop of guacamole and corn or flour tortillas on the side. The carnitas were a bit dry on their own, but when I combined the ingredients into little tacos all of the flavors came together masterfully. Food, service and vibe were all on point, ensuring that I’ll be back!

We stuck with the specials and we were BLOWN away.
Drinks: stuck with the basics– margaritas, beers on tap (good selection!) Also, they have a happy hour!
They serve free chips and salsa. You MUST try the green sauce, the red sauce was a little too peppery for me, but nonetheless a good counterpart to the green sauce. The green sauce is a cilantro-​ey avocado-​ey mix, creamy and perfect! They also gave us a refill when we asked :)
The food was the best part of the night
Pork: Soft, succulent and flavorful. Huge portion served right off the bone, complete with a little bit of fat to add some extra flavor. Served with your choice of fresh tortillas, rice and beans. YUM (side note– was even great as a leftover!) Also, plantains on the side?! Hell yes!
Sea bass: Perfectly cooked with a cream sauce, moist, with scallops on the side. I could have eaten this dish all on my own– wow!
Butternut squash enchiladas– delicious, loved the variety of everything on this plate. The combo with the enchiladas, veggies AND an 8 ounce steak was everything you could ask for!
My ONLY critique is that it took us about 15 minutes to take our order, a long while for the food to come, and we had to get the staff’s attention a lot because they didn’t check on us. I would be ok with that if it were crowded, but we were seated right away and plenty of empty tables were around us, so that confused me a little. We arrived at 8 and were finished by 10! Normally I wouldn’t knock off a point for this, but I remember distinctly waiting for each step of our meal.
Nonetheless, amazing food! I will be back here, hopefully the service is a little faster and this place will be a solid 5!

Just stopped in for late lunch. Service is great, and fantastic menu with vegetarian and vegan selections. I had the zucchini mushroom tacos and Yum! The freen salsa is addictive. We will be back.