Lola’s Latin Bistro

A friend and I attempted to go to Lola for dinner a week ago. Before we made it fully out of our car we were told by the valet «NOPE they cannot go in if you don’t have a reservation,» this was all at 6:30.
I completely understand that Lola is a popular place but there HAS to be a better way to turn potential business down from your establishment.
I hear the food is very good, but after that rude «welcoming» I will not be returning.

We had the Swordfish last time we went and it was amazing. BYOB but wine château is right next door. have tried only a few menu items but the wife and i enjoy this place a lot!

Besides this Reasturant being the size of a living room I was willing to overlook it and give it a try .
Two weeks ago I was craving the pasta so we ordered takeout, I live 30 min from this Reasturant. We kindly asked to add chicken to the pasta, to there famous «3 cheese pasta. Not only did we not get the chicken we did not get the 3 cheese pasta, a completely different pasta. Being so hungry I decided mistakes happen I would let it go .
Now today my husband goes out of his way to get me this pasta, and once again kindly asked, and reminded them they forgot before, and the lady reassured my husband she would make sure the chicken was there .
30 minutes back home we open our meal to see there is no chicken .
We called in and the manager wouldn’t even speak to us all we got were sorrys and nothing they could do because we are so far .
If you want your needs to be forgotten and put to the side, go to this place ! They will not care about your order or your business !! I will never return !! Terrible

Are here twice before. On both occasions service was good. Atmosphere is nice and food is decent — menu has a lot of options. My friend ordered a piece of fish and was very satisfied. I had a chicken dish and was satisfied. If in the area, I’d come back.

Had lunch there. I was initially worried because it was $$ and the place looked pretty nice & I was just looking for a quick bite that wasn’t fast food. The décor is nice and with the Latin music playing, had a nice ambience. My co-​worker ordered the Cuban sandwich & substituted yucca fries for sweet potato fries. He loved it. I had the grilled chicken with coconut lime rice all sitting in a citrus sauce. The chicken was so juicy I couldn’t believe it was grilled. The meal was so fresh and flavorful. All the flavor a blended so well together & the dish was topped with fresh cilantro — yum! Our lunch meals also came with delicious hot rolls with dipping oil & salads with a nice citrus vinaigrette & julienned pear on top. It need up being only $ 15 each for lunch which I thought was a great price for a lot of food and delicious to boot.

I have been waiting for a good occasion to try this place, finally got the chance to tonight, and am sooooo glad I did. This place is awesome!
Great service, amazing food, and good atmosphere. It’s BYOB which was definitely a plus.
The wait time can be a little long, so definitely make a reservation if you can. They also have a really nice outdoor area, which seems like it would be awesome in the summer.

The food here is delicious. Not your typical Latin cuisine … I had the chorizo crusted tilapia, and the black bean dip & empanadas for appetizer — everything was awesome. Will definitely be back again!

Don’t know if I’ll return. Food was completely average. Waitress was reading different appetizer specials off to different tables which was bizarre. Service was SO SLOW — I also asked 3 different people for bread and never got any at my table. I was refused outdoor seating even though there were three empty tables that remained empty throughout the 90 minutes of the meal. If it was cheaper it would have more stars, but for what we paid, I feel ripped off.

This cuisine is amazing.
The four cheese pasta is a quintessential addition to an out of this world entrée at this establishment.
Great atmosphere, friendly service, and home made desserts as well.
Plus, the empanadas are above and beyond tastes!
They have chicken, beef, seafood, filet Mignone empanadas as well.
I dined this weekend 9÷12÷15.
I will be back soon as my neighbors, family, friends, all agree this is a must be place to dine in central New Jersey!

I really wanted to like Lola’s based on the excellent reviews and having received a coupon to eat there from good friends.
1) we ordered at 6.40 pm and only got our appetizer at 7.35 pm
2) we ordered the scallop appetizer and were given the shrimp instead… another 10 minutes
3) food just was not that good
4) no apologies about the long delay
Only positive is the waitress did not charge for appetizers.

Very nice venue, but food was lacking. Appetizer was delicious, but both meals were lacking. Not including tip the bill for two came to $ 80.00. Very inexpensive compared to Manhattan, but as the saying goes you get what you pay for.
Aside from food lacking flavor, service was not up to par.

Had the Camarones Marlita. Absolutely delicious. Definitely recommend this place. Went on a Thursday night with no reservation and was seated immediately. It’s BYOB with a liquor store next door. Can’t wait to go back!

I really wanted to love this place. I had been wanting to come here for months and we finally made an 8 o’clock reservation on Saturday night for 6 people. I guess they thought our reservation was for 7 because they sat us at a round table set for 7, brought out 7 waters, 7 wine glasses. It wasn’t a big deal but it was cramped enough at the table so we eventually asked them to take away the seventh setting.
We brought our own wine so they could make us sangria. It was okay, but they don’t serve the pitcher with a large wooden spoon like most places do, which makes it hard to get any fruit when you pour.
After ordering, it was a good 45 minutes before any appetizers came out. The bread they give you is really not good. It was very dry and took forever to chew. Wasn’t a fan of the sundried tomato oil they provide for the bread either.
When we finally got appetizers they were pretty good. Fried calamari was well seasoned and the shrimp and lobster quesadilla was tasty.
It was 10 o’clock when our entrees finally came out. Our server was very apologetic the whole time so I’m guessing it was strictly a kitchen issue. I ordered the Mariscada (clams, muscles, calamari, in a red broth) and wasn’t happy. The calamari was so overcooked it was like chewing on rubber. After a two hour wait for dinner, it’s pretty disappointing when the food isn’t even worth the wait.
Our server was good though. Friendly and apologetic. He was able to comp an appetizer to make up for the wait which was appreciated.
Maybe it was just a one-​night fluke, since I’ve heard so many good things about Lola’s, but based on the long wait and food, I don’t think I’ll be hurrying back to try it again.

I want to give them 4.5 stars but there’s no such option. At the time of writing this review their current ranking is 3.5 so I’m trying to say they are better than 3.5 and deserve more. 5 stars however means it’s perfect, and I’m just saying «almost perfect».
The flavors are delicious, the setting is nice, the service is good and the prices are fair. I would not hesitate coming back. Flavors are definitely above standard, nothing is bland and everything is well seasoned and flavored. I have no complaints, 4.5 stars.
I’ll be a regular.

I should preface this by saying we came to Lola’s post-​gym with the intention of just ordering waters and a small amount of tapas. That immediately went out the window with the smells that were wafting out of the kitchen as soon as we stepped in and the sangria jugs making their way to tables.
We had a reservation and were seated fairly quickly and ended up ordering an appetizer, a pitcher of sangria and two entrees. All of them were perfect and I wish I had a better description but I’m pretty sure I blacked out from how good the food was (I swear I had only had one sangria at this point)
Honestly though, what brings me to write this review isn’t the food; it was the atmosphere of the restaurant and the service we were provided. I was surprised to see some previous reviewers complaining about the owner or the service when our experience was nothing short of perfect. Nick, the owner, came up to our table several times to check on us and make us feel welcome. He was hilarious and convinced us to try the dessert which was of course also perfect and threw any hopes of post workout healthy eating out the window but was well worth it. This is one of the few restaurants in the sleepy suburbs of New Jersey that has this much personality. If you’re looking to eat somewhere generic, lacking personality and quiet then this certainly isn’t the place for you… but I hear Applebees has a great 2 for 20 option…
Needless to say, I plan to become a regular here.

Best food in NJ by far. Staff is super friendly. Make sure to call and make a resie it’s hopping every night of the week.

From beginning to end, Lola Latin Bistro is a memorable experience and a spectacular venue for an intimate dinner or family/​friend gathering. When you first drive up, you will notice it is adjacent to Wine Château, and the entrance is on the side of the building next to the street. You can park alongside the street (parallel parking) or in a few lots in the back of the building or the apartment complex next door.
Reservations are recommended as it gets crowded very quickly. The atmosphere is fantastic and very open, featuring a very small bar with wooden shutters and a rustic look and feel. There are a few murals and paintings throughout, adding to the authentic Cuban/​Latin feel. If you go their in the fall, spring or summer (or any time that welcomes outdoor seating) definitely take this option! There is a gorgeous outdoor patio, complete with heating lamps and an outdoor fire pit for when nights get a bit chilly.
The wait staff is always extremely pleasant and knowledgeable about specials and the menu items. Bread with a delicious dipping oil, complete with sun dried tomatoes, is the first item to grace your table. (It’s a BYOB place, and with a Wine Château literally right next door, you won’t ever be without a bottle of wine if you want one! They can use the red wine to make sangria, but it’s hit or miss.) Everything from the steak empanadas to the salads are absolutely scrumptious for starters. The menu recently changed, so my favorite black bean soup is no longer offered, along with my «pollo a la naranja,» an amazing orange chicken dish (not fried) with orange pieces, a vegetable slaw, rice and tostones.
Last night, I had the special «ropa vieja» dish, which was shredded steak, peppers, onions and stuffed olives with white rice. Many of the main dishes no longer come with the tostones, so we ordered those on the side with jalapeño corn bread. Amazing! (Beware: We asked for hot sauce and were charged $ 3.95 for a small dish of it without being told! Not good business practice!) At the end of the night, whoever prepared the check wound up grossly undercharging us by mistake. When we brought it to their attention, they apologized and brought us an assorted dessert tray to make up for their error and to thank us for bringing it to their attention. Mascarpone cheesecake, chocolate ganache and a piece of flan were served to us on a plate. Each was equally delectable.
All in all, an amazing breath of fresh air in Metuchen, a quaint town already known for having a unique combination of dining options. Definitely check it out if you’re feeling adventurous. Even if you’re not, they have a great pasta dish that will suit you just fine!

From a food point of view, it was a really good dinner. I enjoyed my Lola’s Wedge and my Chicken dish over rice with fruit sauce. Both were excellent. In fact, everyone in our party enjoyed their food. My friends loved the raw tuna appetizer that I had recommended as well as their main courses.
However, the rest of the dining experience there was pretty meh. The tables were right on top of each other and people were hitting into my chair all night. Our server was handing me my dishes since he couldn’t get around the table to place them down. This isn’t acceptable.
Then you have the owner hanging out at various tables. I actually find this to be a nice touch but when your restaurant is so cramped, you are not helping the process by blocking narrow aisles. Sorry. Maybe it would have been a better idea to help the food carriers on this particular night.
As a result of the extremely cramped situation, the noise level was well beyond anything close to being acceptable.
When the waiter came to take our order, one of my friend’s ordered the swordfish dish from the menu. The server explained that they didn’t have the swordfish this night. Not that they were out of it but that they didn’t have it. This info would have been more helpful when we were given the menus.
Finally, there was coffee in my hair. Maybe I should have said hair in my coffee but it was a rather large and long piece of hair.
Because the food was really good tonight, I am giving it 3 stars but some of the other things I mention are serious concerns going forward.

When traveling, I like to ask for suggestions on where to eat. Who knows the neighborhood better than a local, right?
On a recent trip, I had planned on heading to the coast for dinner. During the day, I asked around for suggestions and had a great list of places to try. Unfortunately, thanks to New Jersey traffic, my «short» trip to the coast would have taken over an hour, and if wasn’t about to wait that long to eat.
Luckily I had my handy dandy Unilocal app and quickly found a few places nearby that we’re highly rated on Unilocal.One of them was Lola. The food looked good, the BYO beer/​wine appealed to me big time, and there was a liquor store right next door according to other reviews. I was sold!
When we arrived, we stopped next door for a bottle of wine and walked into Lola’s. We wanted to sit outside, but it was late enough in the evening that we would have gotten cold. I thought it was nice they had an outdoor fire pit but odd that they didn’t have heaters.
Sitting inside was perfectly fine with us, and we were greeted after a few seconds by our server who opened the wine and left glasses for us. We looked over the menu, trying to decide between tapas or entrees. The first time our server came over, we had to ask for more time. When we were finally ready, she was no where to be found. We finally flagged her down and places our order. Tapas for my friend and veggie quesadillas for me.
Our food came out reasonably fast. The tapas was in individual crocks and looked really good. I had food envy until I bit into mine and was very happy with my choice.
When we were finished, we had to flag our server down again for the checks and the had to chase her down with our payment in order to finally leave. I don’t know if this normal, but it seemed odd to me.
Each of our checks came to $ 10 each, plus $ 5 each for the bottle of wine. A $ 15 dinner is rare these days, especially with wine. A great value and hidden gem!

This place was wonderful!
I love tapas, I love family style eating and this place was on point. I wish there was nice weather when we visited because the outdoor patio area looks great. We sat by the window and there was 16 of us and we loved it.
The service was great and the owner is so personable, I loved it there. The food was phenomenal. We were so surprised because the appetizers seemed like a meal to us, most of us stuffed out faces with salad, potatoes, and so much more. I wish I had written this review right after eating there because I can’t remember all the wonderful dishes!!! I remember the salad being INCREDIBLE, I was shocked at how delicious the dressing turned out to be. We realized a few minutes later there would also be an entrée portion to our meals! WOAH. When they brought out some of the seafood dishes it was covered in other meats, they were nice enough to make a new one without any beef/​pork so I could try it — YAY.
The desserts were brought out with all different kinds of slices of cakes and cheesecales. WIN! BYOB but there is a liquor store right next to it so woo hoo.
I can not wait to go back to this place and sit outside when the weather is nice. It’s a great first date, date night, or let’s just go have dinner spot. Definitely try this place out.