lola's burrito joint

we were in jacksonville for a getaway. we had planned on going to another place but they were closed. found this place and glad we did. the corn is a must have, the plantains were very good. my taco's hadgreatseason on them. if in town try them out.

food just ok. service great. not sogreatms.catherine followed me outside and demanded i give her 20 % tip. never in my 61 years have i experienced such treatment. gave her 12% on paper, 2 more dollars from my wallet....she still insisted. mgmt time for executive decision. gary newton

empanadas to die for. we split a latin beef empanada and my friend said it was the best since his 'lieta passed and his grandma was full cuban. the filling was very tasty but the stand out was the pastry. it was tender, flaky and gbd. he got the bought the farm burrito and raved about it. i had the havana nights and it was agreattwist on a cuban sandwich. pork was cooked perfect and that tang of the pickles and mustard cutting through the richness of the pork and ham made it all delicious. service was on point as well. they have agreatmany variations on burritos and hamburgers and i can not wait to try more items.

large portions. the food is delicious. i can't stay away from the shrimp quesadilla. portions are ginormous and will definitely fill you up.greatatmosphere and friendly service.

i'll miss this place when i move, but would travel to just visit :). lola's and carmines are related and the proprietors and staff of both restaurants do an amazing job! it's not easy to operate 2 restaurants that serve completely different cuisines and do it well. the spanish and mexican fare is exquisite and authentic. this restaurant is definitely one that i frequently visit since their menu is so vast and fun to explore. suggestions? the empanadas, gator tacos, street corn (melt in your mouth delicioso!), the uniquely crafted burgers (peanut butter anyone?), and everything else is divine. so, go there and have fun in thegreatenvironment and make friends with the staff because they are dedicated to the restaurant. it's rare to see a new crew member (unlike many other places). oh and i must mention the amazing daily (excluding weekends) happy hour special from 2-7 consisting of local brews and margaritas from a list of around 20 yummy concoctions.

still do not like it. i typically do not return to a restaurant once i have been disappointed once however since my first and only visit to lola's was on opening weekend, i was convinced they were worth another shot. the food was just ok, but the drinks were still not up to par. we ate at the bar and there seemed to be some kind of drama going on between bartenders, servers and managment which made it uncomfortable to try to enjoy a meal. plus the bill seems unreasonably high for what we ordered. i have to wonder if we were not also overcharged. i will definitely not be giving lola's a third strike. not sogreattwice, and they are off the list of options forever.


-----16 jun, 2012-----

expected better. i am a big fan of carmines and enjoy the new interesting king street businesses so could not wait to check out lola's. i will try it again before i decide to like or not like it because my first visit had pros and cons. the pros were quality, fresh, flavorful ingredients and friendly service. the con was the lack of quantity of ingredients that count. the margaritas are tasty but like the high priced mixed drinks lack enough of the ingredient that counts, alcohol. i ordered the chimmy steak, thinking i was getting a taco but was served the steak burrito. i chose not to correct the misunderstanding since it was busy, though i should have. like so many places the large burrito is stuffed full of fillers like rice & lettuce and barely any meat. what little steak could be found in the burrito was very tasty and tender though. the burrito was served with a small mixed bean salad that was very bland. i also tried the curry chicken empanada, which i absolutely loved. the empanada was cooked perfectly and packed full of flavorful chicken and cheese. the pico de gallo served with it was also outstanding. i would try it again and next time recommend skipping the cocktails and burritos and trying the interesting beer and taco selection.

one more try...glad we did it. this was our third trip. the first was opening week...we wrote our experience off to them working out the kinks. second was a couple months later...service was o.k., nothing special but the food was really disappointing. cold food, skimpy tacos, etc.

we decided to give it one more try - and really glad we did. they're obviously making an effort to address their past shortcomings. the service was outstanding - professional waitress that checked on us frequently, two managers stopped by. the entire staff appears to work together to ensure the service is good.

the food wasgreattoo. we both ordered burgers (new since our last visit) - they were huge and flavorful. the accompanying fries were tasty as well. we also ordered a taco - well filled and they heated the tortilla!!!!

if you wrote them off last summer, give them another shot. we'll be back.

best best best. lola's is such agreatplace... a friend and i tend to go once a week for happy hour. lolarita's are the best! empanada's - spectacular. service is stellar. i love love love lola's. ohh and do try the mexican street corn. deep fried corn on the cob. love lolas.

need to improve consistency and cleaniless.. i've been a few times and the beer selection isgreatfor a burrito joint. i've only had the tacos, yucca fries and beans, so i cannot comment on their other offerings.

on 3 trips, the fish tacos and the carnitas were good. above average for most taco-joints in jax. i cannot say the same for the jerk chicken or chorizo.

the black beans are good and the chips are always fresh.

if you are looking for a quick small bite and a good beer, this is a good place. the place smells and feels much more like a drinking joint than a dining joint -- so be prepared for that.

recommend:
fish tacos, beers

caution:
other tacos.



update: july 2013
can no longer recommend this place. very inconsistent and sometimes the place is not clean.

great !!!!. loved pretty much everything . in the mood for agreatburrito or empanada this is the place to come . you must try the mexi street corn too. i will be back.

great food and service. i went there friday dec 14, for the first time, we loved the food and hadgreatservice. will go back again.

agreataddition to king st. i've been in six or seven times since they've opened. their menu is still evolving, but getting better. we always get the yucca fries, a tasty margarita, and friendly service. i've never had a bad experience. always a pleasant staff, fast,greatfood. i just tried the sweetie pie burrito and i think i have a new favorite :)

the shrimp burrito with queso is amazing!greatflavor and fun atmosphere.

loved this place. i've been twice and i'm completely obsessed with their tofu burrito. the last time i was there, they gave my table a sample of their new burgers and it was out of this world good. the burgers are over the top creative and it was agreatexperience.

loved lola's!greatappetizers, and burritos. burritos were much bigger than i had intended, but they were delicious!