"Best New Restaurant" - 2009

INsite Magazine - Reader's Poll

Thrillist Atlanta

Tuesday June 23, 2009

LoLa's Cantina

4665 Lower Roswell Rd, Marietta; 770.973.4747

Ethnic restaurants in America generally hold onto the home country's decor, like colorful tapestries in Indian spots, or calendars in Chinese joints that tell you it's the year of the Ox or the Dragon, without specifically saying which one you're eating. Going the other direction, LoLa's Cantina.

Just-opened LoLa's is a Mexican restaurante painted red, green, blue, and yellow, with an interior that tosses aside standard south-of-the-border decor for decidedly American kitsch like giant stuffed mermaids & octopuses, a Frogger arcade setup, crooked-hung vintage commercial art, a newspaper-covered wall with vinyl records and a Marilyn Monroe painting, and a website that plays songs from revered Mexican bands like Dave Matthews and Coldplay. The menu's steadfastly straight-up Mexican, with starters like Nacho Fries w/ queso, chorizo, picadillo, sour cream, & jalapenos, and taco choices including Carne Asada, Carnitas, and fried or grilled Tilapia; burritos start big with the Famous Belt Buster (order one, and you get two, filled with beans, beef, chorizo, chicken, potato, etc) then return to standard fattening portions with the guac, squash, corn, pico, and potato Naughty Green -- similar to the veggie-only Goin' Green, except it comes with your choice of meat, and you can tell people you ate it. Tortas get layered with refried beans, avocado, veggies, and papas fritas, and come with meats like Chorizo con Pappa, Pollo, and Hamburguesa (hand-sculpted beef w/ jalapeno slices), while "Strong Plates" include Carne Asada (w/ rice, cowboy beans, grilled onions, pico, & Mexican salad), fajitas, and the secret-recipe-marinated, squash & corn sauteed Roadside Chicken, which apparently crossed Lower Roswell to get cooked and eaten.

To cleanse the palate, there're taps (Dos Equis Amber, 420, Yuengling...), bottles like Tecate & Modelo, and 14 shaved-ice margaritas, like the Red Bull-fueled Toro Loco, the Jalapeno, and the Grandma's Cadillac, made with Patron Platinum, and GrandMa Centenaire 100 -- it costs $40, but it comes with a "complimentary" glass and t-shirt and, given how much you ate along with it, is certain to commemorate the Year of the Pig.

Get lots of love at www.lolascantina.com

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Friday August 14, 2009

What's new: Roundup of new metro restaurants

Lola’s Cantina

The space that was once a seafood restaurant has morphed into a Tex-Mex destination on Cobb’s east side where chips, sauces, salsas, guacamole and marinades are made in-house. Favorites such as fish tacos are served to a mix of music from jazz to bluegrass. 4:30 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays; 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays;?4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Sundays. 4665 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta. 770-973-4747, www.lolascantina.com.

Oh Yeah!!" by total-tex
August 03, 2009 - Likes it - That saying fits Lola's like a kid glove. Everyone and everyone made me walk away from my first visit (and all the vistis since) saying... Oh Yeah!!

Their food is fantastic and the drinks... Oh Yeah!!

Also, thanks for being the Home of The Georgia Bulldogs this Fall. We were all looking for a place like Lola's to call home for the games.

"Lots of Love for Lola's" by dlawson33
July 29, 2009 - Likes it - Lola's provides a very original spin on the Mexican restaurant. The decor is cool and funky with old records and a wide variety of art adorning the walls, and the selection of bourbons (Woodford Reserve, Maker's Mark, etc.) and craft beers is fantastic (when was the last time you went to a Mexican place that offered more than Bud Lite, tequila, and margaritas?). This is not to say that the shaved ice margaritas are not awesome! I recommend the very original jalepeno margarita.

But the food is what really sets Lola's apart. The ingredients were very fresh, and the wide variety of salsas was a nice way to start of the meal, along with the three cheese dip with chorizo sausage. I recommend the steak fajita burrito. The steak was very tender and flavorful, and I would definitely order this again. Considering the freshness of the ingredients and the size of the entrees, Lola's was also an excellent bargain.

"Mr. Tucker" by nathan
July 28, 2009 - I'm sooo excited to have visited Lola's. Some friends and I went there July 8th 2009 to dine and enjoy some GREAT margaritas and fish taco's. I really enjoy the atmosphere and the cleanliness of the restaurant. After dinnner we stayed around to enjoy Karaoke and had a blast and will be back on every wednesday night. Thanks for the GREAT service LOLA"S STAFF!!!

"Loved LoLa's!" by Stephan
July 28, 2009 - Likes it - This restaurant is a fantastic addition to the East Cobb scene. The area has been lacking in a family-friendly Mexican place for some time and LoLa's is one of the more accomodating places my family has been to. The food is great, with a distinctly authentic feel to it. Everything tastes fresh and the drinks are great! The margaritas at LoLa's are all served on crushed ice, similar to frozen, putting a new spin on a classic. We love this restaurant and will be back for more soon!

"Ole!" by Gatorgirl
July 17, 2009 - Likes it - Lola's Cantina is a wonderful addition to the East Cobb restaurant scene. The food, drinks, service and atmosphere are fantastic! We ate here a few times when it was The Catch, and were impressed with the aesthetic changes they've made to turn it into Lola's, especially the open air patio.

But more important than what's on the walls is what's on the table. The food is absolutely delicious! We got 4 different kinds of tacos, each one was very good. The complimentary salsa is also awesome, better than what you get at the local "El or La Insert Name of Animal Here." And don't miss the margaritas! The house is the best, but the coconut and sangrita are also quite good.

As for cleanliness etc. addressed in the other review, I can't attest for the men's bathroom, but there was soap in the ladies restroom and it was quite clean. The automatic paper towel dispenser was on the fritz, but after 3 margaritas, I didn't really care.

This place rocks! And it was packed, so I know we aren't the only ones who feel this way. Check it out. You won't be dissappointed!