Food & Drink

Lola's is one of a few places in the Harmonie Park area of Downtown Detroit that features both dining and live jazz. Last night we went for the former, though I could easily see myself going back for the latter. We definitely had a positive experience at Lola's.

The menu does not fit well into any defined genre I know. It seemed to pull from a variety of influences and added depth and variety to the menu as a result. I had a rather difficult time picking what I wanted and I'll go through my thought process before I actually go into how anything tasted.

A few main courses that I considered were: Crawfish Etoufee, Fried Rice (yes, it was a main dish), Lobster B.L.T., Tempura Shrimp, and Lola's Fried Chicken. I was initially leaning most towards the fried chicken, but opted against because of the side dishes. I did not want the black beans or the corn succotash. So I didn't get the Fried Chicken. I was very curious for the fried rice, but couldn't justify getting that as an entree my first time at Lola's when there were so many other appealing menu items. I love lobster meat, though it did not take long for my eyes to gravitate away from the Lobster B.L.T.. The sandwich was listed at $16 and I rationalized that there would hardly be any actual lobster meat on it for that price. I opted against both the Tempura Shrimp and Crawfish Etoufee because of the appetizer menu. I wanted both the BBQ Shrimp and the Crab, Crawfish and Corn Fritters as appetizers for the table and did not want to have the same featured ingredient in both my appetizer and entree. By this point in my selection process the server will be back any minute and I need to make my decision since I have now talked myself out of each dish above. In an item description I see the words "Our famous" and my attention was grabbed enough to order accordingly. Those two words were the only way I could ever justify ordering the Bacon Cheeseburger on a menu like Lola's. And even with that description, I do feel that I kind of took the easy way out. But I'm ok with that.

Both of the appetizers were listed at $10 per. I feel that the Fritters was a better deal since there are more ingredients and at least you got 5 of them, which worked out well since we had 5 people in our party. The BBQ shrimp came as only three shrimp, which makes it hard for me to justify the price.

Both dishes were great. The Fritters were roughly the size of a chocolate truffle, so I would have liked more than one to fully appreciate the flavor. I expected a more New Orleans spin on the Shrimp (based upon some other things on the menu), meaning more spice. They didn't necessarily need the heat, but I think it would have been a nice addition.

My cheeseburger...oh my cheeseburger. It comes with your choice of cheese, I picked cheddar. My juicy cheeseburger came topped with the cheese and applewood smoked bacon on an onion roll. I guess I should also tell you that it came with lettuce, tomato and red onion, though I kept that all off of my burger. Served with a glorified french fry potato chip hybrid for $13, I thought the burger was a steal. Especially since it was one of the best cheeseburgers I have ever had.

I wanted dessert, but my company was too full. The dishes that were responsible were Thai Snapper (x2), Lobster B.L.T. and a Smoked Turkey Reuben. I never get dessert if I am the only one, but last night I was tempted to break that tradition. Lola's offers a Ginger Beer Float that really sounded particularly delicious after my burger. Though I'm still disappointed that one dinner mate opted against dessert after she mentioned that she was considering the Aphrodisiac in place of her meal before we ordered dinner. Two glasses of chocolate Port and Lola's chocolate lava cake (or whatever it was, you get the idea). I think that would have been a little over the top chocolate-wise, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't suffer through it if I had to.

The place was smaller than I would have expected going in. Sitting towards the rear of the restaurant may feel more "out to dinner," but up front the space was too open. I think it would be a great place to watch their live jazz, but I was hoping for a more intimate feeling from the restaurant, which I did not get at our table. I was also briefly disappointed when they did not have the flavored liquor one of my table mates tried to order for her cocktail. I would think they would keep their bar well stocked, but I am not sure lacking orange vodka can really be considered a strike against the place.

I would definitely go back to Lola's.

Lola's Restaurant, 1427 Randolph St Detroit, MI 48226-2213
313-962-0483