Are you planning on going to Lola's for:
A: Food (if yes, stop reading my review now, it won't be relevant)
B: Drinking (if yes, continue...)
I have been to Lola's 3 times, all of which revolved around bar tours or girls night out.  They play good music and the drinks are good, but I think the way the bar is set up is a pain in the butt to order a drink...hence, leave it to the tall guys to buy drinks for you  :)
I really wish I could give this place a better review. I got the plantain nachos and they were lukewarm and barely seasoned. Everyone else at my table enjoyed their food so the nachos were a bad choice on my end, apparently. The waitress was very apologetic however, and offered another dish, which I declined. However, she tried to charge us for the nachos.
I will say that the decor is absolutely gorgeous inside. There's a loft area upstairs that is very nice and intimate....very appropriate for a dinner party.
I would give this place another chance though, because based on the other reviews the food is pretty good.
We googled Puerto Rican restaurants while on a short weekend trip to Norfolk. Â It seemed to have pretty good reviews so we decided to check it out. Â What we found we were not expecting. It looked very upscale. It's very dark inside. Nice for a couple on a romantic dinner. We weren't expecting a place like that as we had our daughter with us. When we pulled up, a person that worked there...seems like maybe the owner's son or something had their pit bull there on the patio area. I think the dog was spooked that my daughter walked up to the gate and kinda stood up. He didn't lunge or anything but the guy who was there grabbed the dog by the collar and told us to go through the front. He seemed mad at us that we had parked there even though we weren't even going to enter through the patio. So we went through the front entrance and we kind of just stood there. Obviously they knew we were there but no one greeted us. They didn't seem ready for service or something. Â After a bit we started to walked down toward the bar and someone greeted us and said "let me see if we have room for y'all." Â Mind you, there was no one there. Â Hmm. Kind of weird. But we got seated and ordered. Our waitress seemed like she had never waitresses ever. Like we were literally her first table. She had no personality and seemed really shy and like she didn't know the menu.
On to the food. My husband had chicken mofongo. It was tasty. More soupy than others I've had but we liked it. My husband is Puerto Rican and loves cooking Puerto Rican food. So we eat a lot of plantains. Needless to say, we ordered some here. They were good. Kind of hard to mess them up. My husbands are better though. The black beans and rice were ok too. My husbands are better. Our daughter had the pork tips which I liked she but she was kind of iffy about. I had a sandwich. I can't remember the name but it wasn't the cubanito. It had steak and cheese and tomato. It was so freaking delicious. My husband said he wished he had ordered my sandwich. I finished the entire thing and it was huge. Yummy. Â Now my mouth is watering.
All in all, it was a nice place to go away from home to get some decent Puerto Rican food. And the decor and ambiance was awesome. The service wasn't that great. But if ever in the area we would probably give it another shot.
I really love the food at Lola's. Â The fish tacos are superb, and each of the chefs seem to put their own personal touch on them, so each time they are different (and always delicious!). Â I also really enjoy the plantain nachos. Â
The staff are friendly and attentive, and since I've been going there a while they always treat me like I'm special. Â You should always treasure places that know how to take care of regulars.
Lola's delivered what has to be one of the best dining experience's I've had in Hampton Roads! My party of 5 walked in at about 6:15pm on a Friday evening. There were a few people at the bar but no other diners at that time. We sat in a huge round booth where we could see all the action in the restaurant.
Service at first was slow. It took a while to get our drinks (all beers) to the table and we didn't have menus during that time so to be honest we were a bit nervous. Once we got our menus things took a different turn. Right away we ordered appetizers of tostones and yuca frita. Both came out quickly and tasted absolutely fantastic! There were three in the party who had never tasted either and they were blown away.
For dinner we ordered Ropa Vieja with rice & pigeon peas, a Cubano with sweet potato fries, Churrasco with mashed garlic potatoes and green beans, Pan Seared Salmon with  Goat Cheese, and Chuleta a la Plancha, and one side of maduros. Without a doubt every - single - dish - was - fantastic!!!  I mean, there wasn't a bad plate on the table! Our drinks were quickly refilled and the waiter checked on us an adequate number of times. The restaurant got busier but we were never rushed out the door as we chatted after dinner.
Suggestions: keep the daily special menu up to date (we dines on 10/5 but the special menu was from 9/28); update the drink menu as numerous items were missing; add a dipping sauce for the yuca frita.
Definitely give Lola's a try, it's well worth it for a date or a family meal. Apparently they also do a drag brunch which I plan to go back to check out.
Great food, average service, no beers on tap?
I love Lola's, I come here every Tuesday to play Trivia with my husband and a few friends. Jeremy is my favorite waiter, and he's committed our usual order preferences to memory. Â I personally enjoy the Lobster stew more than anything else on the menu. It's creamy, sweet and has chunks of lobster in it, all served over mashed potatoes. Â My friends all love their Cuban sandwiches. I could eat plates of their sweet potato fries all day, just wish they had a cinnamon butter to serve with them instead of ketchup! Mmmm.
The only thing I am continuously a little saddened by is Lola's lack of commitment to a drink menu that is not Wine. There is nothing on tap, and while I know what's usually there, they are often out of something & didn't restock others, so it's a constant game of ..."Well What do you have?" to which the server usually replies.."Hmm....Well what are you looking for?" Â - I personally find this funny being a wine drinker with Lola's Wine List in hand, but seeing friends grimace over a lack of good beer is a little disappointing.
Service was good.  Food was way under par.  I got the shrimp and grits and crazy salty.  I didn't want to finish.  I told the waiter an he said he would share with the cook.  But that was all he did.  Haha. Well.  Maybe he's new.  I asked later for chocolate creme brûlée and the server didn't know it was on the menu.  He came back and said that they were out.  Failed.  I'm not sure I'll try them again.  Great looking place though.  Too bad.
Review Source:I won't hate on them too much because Mofongo can be made SO many different ways. There's no CORRECT way to make it, but I just don't care for whatever they put in their beef monfongo. Wayy too much sauce- tomatoey with half cooked onions. Maybe I'm just picky because I'm Puerto Rican and visit Puerto Rico frequently, but this just isn't that great. This might be a little weird but I LOVE THEIR BREAD- it's soooo delicious with that cilantro lime butter. I just wish they gave me more of it! The staff is extremely friendly and the inside of the restaraunt is tastefully decorated and spacious. I hear they have dancing on the weekends as well as that Drag Yourself to Brunch which I would definitely like to go to. I'll give this place another try, but I won't be ordering their beef mofongo ever again.
Review Source:I visited with my boyfriend after he raved about a sandwich he had at Lola's during lunch with his colleagues. Â In Ghent, it offers a nice ambiance with its contemporary decor. Â I quickly ordered a mango mojito, which I wasn't a big fan of at first but sucked down mine and the boo's before we left for our dinner date. Â It appeared that the menu had been changed, as he couldn't find the sandwich he had before (nor could he remember the name of it). Â He settled for a pasta dish, while I ordered the mofongo. Â After sampling his pasta, I immediately wished I ordered it too, in spite of our unspoken rule not to order the same dish. Â It was flavorful with just the right kick of spice. Â My mofongo left much to be desired. Â The deconstructed dish included dry, mushy plantains with not enough shrimp (certain other meats could be added instead). Â I ate it because I was hungry, but I'm sure I had a look on my face reminiscent of the kid who got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch...again. Â I wouldn't mind going back to try something a little more traditional. Â I wish Lola's had ox tails on the menu!
Review Source:2nd visit here was not impressed---food was a mixed bag, service was good, drinks very good (the melon mojito). I ordered a cuban salad, and it tasted pretty bad and kind of ruined the meal. I think the onions had gone bad....which should have been identified prior to serving them. The lobster bisque and chicken (pollo barracho) were well prepared, nothing I need to try a 2nd time. I'd gladly return for tostones or mojitos, maybe lunch (the sandwiches look good), but this dinner didn't go very well.
Review Source:I came here expecting a dingy mom and pop place--as soon as you walk through the door you realize it's quite a bit more than that. Â The ceilings are high, the chandeliers are ornate, and the tables are covered in white tablecloths.
The staff is very friendly. The chef came out at talked to us at the bar for a few minutes and the bartender and the waitresses made good recommendations.
The food itself is great. I got a Cuban sandwich and my girlfriend got their mofongo. Â My tip: get the yuca fries. They're the best ones I've ever had.
Overall, I'd highly recommend the place. The only thing I don't like is that they don't have any beers on tap.
Delicious food. It reminded me so much of my recent trip to Puerto Rico. Where else in this area can you get plantains cooked in so many ways?
I highly recommend the ceviche and the mojitos. I can't wait to go back this summer and enjoy them both on the patio. This is definitely a new spot for us.
The only reason I give Lola's five  stars is because Yelp won't allow me to give more!
Lola's is "AMAZING"! By far the absolute best food I've had anywhere in Virginia. I lived in Puerto Rico and I have to say that the authenticity and flavors of their food is as good as it gets! This place has a nice classy atmosphere, great service and and quality that is unmatched. Nice outdoor dining is available and some killer looking booths that put you in the spotlight of class and style.
The price is a bit high but more than worth it for the experience.
Lola's is my new favorite place to dine.
If you're the chef at Lola's......"Bravo!"
Went here a couple of weeks ago and it recommended by a few coworkers, so I tried it out. I got the jerk chicken wings which were quite tasty, and got the pork chop. The chop was a little thin, and over cooked. The wings had a great spice which bit you initially but calmed down quite nicely and didn't have a lingering burn.
I would rate this place 3.5, but rounded up to 4 because the price was reasonable and service was good.
Great addition to Ghent. Can't believe it took us so long to check it out. Good food, attentive service, lovely patio. No children's menu but the food is relatively child-friendly (the steak sandwich got a double thumbs up). Maduros were tasty, I'll skip the tostones next time. Pork bites appetizer were goblled up quickly. We're going back for sure.
Review Source:I loved the new menu items they are affordable and tasty. However, as usual the service was awful. One server in particular seemed very unprofessional with a black eye and tattoos everywhere! Not exactly what I expected to see in such a pretty place and in Ghent at that. My server was forgetful to say the least!! The manager seemed pleasant and hard at work. Considering there were only 2 tables I was expecting wonderful service with a smile. Waters not filled, uniform sloppy, (scary looking server), on the phone and drinking coffee behind the bar constantl. However, it  is a great restaurant and patio and I would recommend the place to anyone. Definitely recommend the Churrasco ..(spelling?). If only the staff were more inviting, I would go more often...
Review Source:I don't know much about Caribbean food, but based on my meal here, I'm not a huge fan. Â It may just be a bad choice of entree though- I got a chicken breast with garlic sauce and onions. Â The sauce didn't really have much flavor and the onions were a little overwhelming. Â You get two sides with your entree, I got the tostones (fried plantain patties, although I didn't taste much plantain) and the yellow rice with pigeon peas (rice good, peas not so much). Â My friend got the chimichurri steak for about the same price...definitely go with that instead of the chicken. Â
This place is fancier than the website than the website leads on. Â Think white tablecloths. Â Also, the menu online also does not reflect the menu at the restaurant, which I find a bit annoying. Â My friend saw a shrimp dish on the online menu that wasn't offered at the restaurant and the table next to us were eating nachos, which also wasn't on the online menu. Â
Service was good, although the server seemed a bit unexperienced. Â Like she would ask us if we were still eating when out plates weren't even halfway done.
A lotta GREAT food offered at this place. The chicharrones de pollo are delicious, and it's a real unique way they cook them with a delicious sauce. The maduros are DELICIOUS, also a unique way of cooking them (adding cinnamon). All the sides were excellent. Waitress sucked though, so I gotta give it 4 stars. Go and have some great Latin/Caribbean food!
Review Source:I've had a couple great after work nights at Lola's. First of all, let me preface by saying that I sat at the bar both times... Consider yourself enlightened: I don't care where you go, if it's just you or a couple of you's, you WILL get better service at the bar (provided you're not a d*bag).
My friend and I started off with our regular drinks, and ordered some food. I know the food has been compared to what seems like every nation in South America, but I's definitely call it Puerto Rican. Come on, tostones?? On a salad? PR, baby. I'm not Puerto Rican by ANY means, but I love the place and have friends there... Anything deep fried should probably be listed as a local food.
The Mojitos are, yes, delicious. My first time there, as the night progressed, we were swayed into trying one by the numerous (read, TONS) of them being made and sent out from the bar. The signature one that won the award is amazing, albeit a bit sweet. But, hey, what's a mojito without a good dose of sweet? No complaints here! I don't remember exactly what he put in it, but I do remember the mint being muddled with brown sugar (actual muddling, no premixed syrup!) along with some other twists. Try it.
The place turns nightclub-esque around 10ish... A little loud, a lot crowded. If you're looking for a latin flavored night scene, come then. Otherwise, I'd say come have dinner and drinks, and then scoot out when the dance crowd hits. A nice little gem in Ghent.
We came here for dinner just to try it out. We are a party of six and wanted to try something different. They said it was a small wait which we didn't mind so we went to the bar area to order some drinks while waiting. The bartender there was EXTREMELY RUDE!!! The person we sent up there with our drink orders is a very patient person who was about to give him a minimum $50 tab on the first round was completely ignored. He tried nicely to get his attention but was blown off. When he finally got his attention and started giving his drink orders, he just walked away without a word. We walked away without giving them our business. Funny thing is we met a couple later that night and ended up talking about the terrible service of Lola's that they also experienced recently. We all agreed it the worst place you could be.
Review Source:Fellow Yelpers, I have found a new place for all of you to try. My mission for my first visit was... well, duh... to try it!
First of all, most of you may think by going here that you will be eating a mouthful of Jerked Chicken or Curried Goat. It's not that type of Caribbean food. The chef is combining a blend of Cuban, Dominican and(because my geography is so poor, those are the only two I will list out) others. Their lunch menu is very different from their dinner foods and I'll preface my food review by saying that I went to dinner at Lola's.
For appetizers, we began with coconut shrimp, a cup of lobster stew and a cup of shrimp bisque. I thought the coconut shrimp was quite decent but it could have improved with dipping sauce. The lobster stew was, well, unusual. It has a scoop of mashed potatoes (cassava root to be official) with what looked like a bisque base with bacon sprinkled on top. For people who like potatoes and bacon, I can see why someone would enjoy that dish, but, alas, it was not for me. The shrimp bisque had a great consistency and taste however it could have done with less salt.
Ok, I did give this place 4 stars and you may be thinking based on my review for appetizers why I decided to do that. Well, the entrees, my friends, are fantastic. I had the Churasco which was recommended to me by the waiter. The flavors were great and you get to choose two sides. Being adventurous, I tried Mangu, which I'm told is a traditional food served in the Caribbean. I thought it was quite interesting and delicious I might add. It was mashed plantains with a fried egg on top and finished off with a fried piece of sausage. The Churasco itself was also delicious. It's not much to look at, but the flavors were quite different from what I expected.
I don't always order alcoholic drinks since I generally drive and get wasted after half a cup of anything, but I made an exception today since I walked to the restaurant. The waiter also informed me that their Mojito was award winning. I was skeptical since it was a competition on the Spirit of Norfolk, but my feelings were changed when I got it. I personally thought it was a great blend of everything that goes into a mojito (forgive me, I'm only an amateur!). You can't taste the alcohol but it will leave an Asian like me with a slight tingly feeling on the border of being buzzed.
They also had an interesting array of desserts on the menu. We had the mango cheesecake (which I'm surprised was not a concept that Cheesecake Factory adopted yet) which was served with a light cream and frosted forks. Delicious. Period. (yes, 3 periods. I'm serious).
I quite enjoyed the ambiance and I'm glad that Ghent/21st street is attracting restaurants like this one. It's not a place you want to wear shorts and sandals to but it's not so fancy that you feel that it prevents you from eating there. Their prices are equivalent to what you would find elsewhere here in Ghent. $12 average for entrees, $7 Mojitos, $6 appetizers. Their lunch prices are around $7-8 from what I saw on the menu.
I encourage all of you to try. Maybe not the soups, but the entrees, drinks and desserts are worth it. O, also, they are open until 10 so you can party and then come and eat!
Remember DC Chases? I have many fond I-just-turned-21-and-I-have-no-idea-what-to-do-in-Âa-bar-but-MAN-is-this-awesome memories there. Anyway, Lola's is located in the same spot where DC Chases used to be and (luckily for Lola's) I love that spot. I love the way the restaurant is laid out and the little patio/courtyard is just so cute I want to pinch its cheeks off.
I found myself in Lola's this past Friday night, before the officially official opening. The place looked great though, I loved the way everything was setup: big round booths in the front by the door, tables and chairs the rest of the way down. Also a great little upstairs area that where (the rumor is) a DJ will be on the weekends.
We didn't eat there, but I did get a chance to glance at the menu and it's definitely something I'm interested in going back to try. All in all I'm think (and hope) that Lola's will be a great addition to the Ghent restaurant scene.
PS: this restaurant is owned by the same people who own Plaza Del Sol.
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