lalola Restaurant Review, San Francisco

lalola is a Spanish tapas bar on Russian Hill right next to the cable car tracks. It opened in early 2009 and focuses on small plates and wine. Happy Hour 5:30-7 has $2 Sangria, $2 Beer, and 2 for 1 cocktails.

Decor, Vibe – Compact location with nine small tables, tall stools, and a bar counter for five. Dark brown, burgundy color scheme with funky art, and three ham legs hanging on the wall. Mostly local couples in their 20′s and 30′s. It starts to get full and hence louder around 8pm.

Menu Pictures (Click to zoom into any picture)

Website Menu

Picks:

Gambas al Ajillo / Spicy Garlic Shrimp ($9) – were brought to our table still sizzling hot. Some nice heat (but not too much) along with six tender small shrimp.

Culetas de Cordero – Grilled Lamb Chops with fries ($9) had three compact but high quality lamb chops that were cooked perfectly. No gaminess. Excellent potatoes with their special bravas signature.

Legumbres y Compango / Spanish style Beans with Sausage ($7) was garbanzos beans with chorizo this evening. Nicely cooked firm beans with a dash of meat. The chorizo did not have much flavor.

Champinones al Ajillo / Mushrooms in garlic and white wine ($7) was a big dish full of chopped up fresh mushrooms. Lots of mushroom flavored juice below.

Paella lalola / lalola Chicken and Pork Paella ($9) is one of their signature dishes. A nice looking rice dish full of peas, chicken bits, sausage bits, and other chopped up goodness. A must order here. They also had a seafood version this evening.

Huevos Estrellados / Crashed Eggs over Fries with Serrano Ham ($9) is another must get dish. It looked weird but the excellent potatoes go well with the drippy egg.

Arroz con Leche al Caramelo / Carmelized Rice Pudding ($7) looks like a creme brulee but it was a carmelized top for the sweet rice below. A tad bit on the sweet side due to the crust, but all in all satisfying.

OK:

Sangria ($2 happy hour) 5:30 – 7pm – Great price, how could you go wrong. Not as much fruit as many other versions, but it hit the spot.

Pans:

Pescado del día / Fish of the Day – Salmon ($9) was dry and overcooked. We told our server of the faux paux.

lalola had decent service with a couple servers covering this small restaurant. Prices are reasonable for a tapas restaurant. They picked a weird location though. It is located in the middle of a residential area, thus making it a neighborhood restaurant. lalola would seem more suited for the Marina, Noe Valley, Fillmore, Mission or many other neighborhoods. If you happen to be in this area and want small bites, give this place a try. Getting tastes of many different foods is always fun. Bocadillos is one of the top tapas places in  San Francisco.

$25 Dining Certificate for $5

lalola Overall Rating: (Good 2)

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Good)
Service Rating:	(Very Good)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Good)
Value Rating:	(Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Beer, Wine
Attire:	Casual
Hours:	Tu-Th 5:30 - 10pm, Fri-Sat 5:30 - 11pm, Sun 5:30 - 9:30pm, Closed M
Parking:	Street (Hard)
Reservations:	No
Prices:	$3 - $9