Melissa has been bugging me about going to this place for a bit now. I've had friends tag themselves there and have thought about it, I mean, I am a huge sucker for a fish taco. Lola's is in one of those semi-awkward parking lots. It is there, easy to find, but hard to find? Anyways, we got there, it is just West of Balboa on Chatsworth if you are familiar with The Valley, then again, it is still on that corner even if you are not.
I didn't realize how blurry this picture came out until I posted it on here, but you get the gist of the place. Small, quaint, neat little joint. Decor is simple, not over done so I really like it. People working there are nice and they really seemed to be helping each other out a lot.
Don't really know what to call this. Prep area? Cooking table? Finishing station? They are preparing some of the food right there, really finishing off the toppings. Presentation was lacking, but it didn't look too messy. Usually a station like that is reserved for the back, they do things just a little different here.
Here's a quick shot at the menu. It is a bit on the pricey side for San Fernando Valley tacos, but they do have some cool stuff that you aren't really going to find everywhere. Good diversity, but I'm not sure if they know which direction they really want to go. Small taco place that has great fish or great fish place that serves some tacos. Beer and wine was missing. I had a lot of water because everything came across as really salty to me, but a cold beer would have cut through nicely. We went non meat on this trip to maximize what they seem to be pushing. Looked around and didn't see anyone else eating meat. I like that, eat what they focus on.
We jumped right in ordering their chips, salsa and guacamole. Not too shabby. It was a great first impression, but like I said and will say again, a bit salty for my palate. Portion on these two were solid. They gave you a nice amount, the chips they seem to fry to order and they season them while they are hot.
RATINGS:
BAJA FISH TACO: 2, this was kind of tasty. Melissa loved it, I found it to have too much mayonnaise. The slaw mixture was a bit much and I thought that the piece of fish was a bit too small for the price, but it wasn't horrible. Rating is on my experience here, you might dig it!
SPICY TUNA: 5, this was my favorite here. It is something that I would go back for without a doubt. Spicy, flavorful, it was great spicy sushi meets a badass taco. This is so easy to screw up, glad that they didn't. Really nice all all accounts from taste, texture, smell, they did really well and you are making a mistake not going there to try this one.
POTATO: DON'T KNOW?, hard to rate this one. It is different. I don't want to rate it low because it was good, but I can't rate it too high because I wouldn't order it again. Quite confusing, you'll have to go and eat this one yourself!
SALSA: 4, this was a surprise. They know what they are doing here and I strongly recommend that you try this salsa. It is a great compliment to the guacamole. Light spice to it, smooth texture but not runny, great for dipping your chips.
GUACAMOLE: 4, I liked it. It was a bit chunky, I don't like it when it is whipped unless you are turning it into an aioli. Texture was solid, flavor was good. Got some salt, citrus, vegetables, pretty solid stuff here. In the end it wasn't that it was that amazing, but it was a great compliment to this restaurant, well done.
Food is overall good. Presentation is on point. Everything was a bit salty for my liking, but that doesn't mean that you won't love it. The hard shell taco was good, the tuna was pretty unreal, that is a well deserved 5. This is a good date spot if you are introducing your significant other to tacos. They are like transition tacos. They are not bad, but I'm not running back to them. It is hard, I love trucks and small taquerias but do understand that places like this can attract more taco eaters, which is a good thing.
Huge thanks for those of you who continue to follow and continue to read. Sorry I have not been writing as much lately, I've been working the bar everyday, loving it, but busy there and doing consulting. I have been eating tacos daily, obviously but haven't been writing about them as much. I can tell you that I miss it and there are more blogs to come from the Order of the Taco. The gang has been chatting, we are going to get a trip together soon, look forward to that. Get tacos if you are in the valley and come see me at the bar!
Today's goodbye/gratuitous photo is of the hot sauces on the table. Strong showing, these guys are pretty good and know what they are doing. If I didn't make it clear, check them out, they are worth it. The goodbye photo is pretty hot...
Stay Excellent!
