Lola's Barrack's Bar and Grill recently opened its doors on Eastern Market's Barracks' Row. It replaced
Tapatinis, a lounge that my friends and I frequented on $1 Wine Wednesdays, so I was anxious to see if it would become my new go-to place on the Hill. I gathered up a great group of people to try it out with me last Friday and I wasn't disappointed.
Food: Can one see something called the 'Four Cheese Supreme Grilled Cheese' on a menu and not order it? No, one cannot. My final deciding factor between that and the Sloppy Joe sliders was because it came with a side of either salad or fries (I choose the house salad with house dressing) and I wanted to get the most bang for my buck. The cheddar, provolone,
fontina & jack cheeses made a nice combination, none overpowering the other, and they oozed generously from between the toasted
ciabatta. The flavor that did take over the sandwich, however, was garlic; while I enjoyed the flavor it added, it wasn't mentioned anywhere in description and caused severe garlic breath for the rest of the evening. In effect, my pleasure was my boyfriend's pain. (sorry nick!) The small crisp house salad with croutons and
homemade dressing providing a nice clean acidity to cut the richness of the cheese and tang of the garlic. In this case, fries would have probably been too heavy and I'd have felt really full afterward. My glass of
Pino Grigio from Venice (Lola's has their wines on tap, which I'd never seen before -- love it!) was a cool and refreshing chaser to the meal.
Two of my co-diners, Nick and Alli, ordered the fish tacos -- one opted for fried with a side of fries, and the other grilled with a side of salad. I'll give you one guess as to who was who. Never having tasting a fish taco prior to that evening, I'm not one to comment. But here's what Nick (who grew up eating them in the
OC) says about them:
When I looked at the menu, my eyes immediately gravitated toward the first item on the sandwich-side of the menu: fish tacos ('Badass Baja Fish Tacos', to be exact).
For a Southern Californian, the process of finding real fish tacos in Washington, DC seems a bit like the travails of native New Yorkers roaming around looking for good pizza in the nation's capital. Grew up on it, crave it, look for it, can't find it...but then, finally, a place reveals itself that causes one to hope madly that its offerings taste as they do at home.
When I finally got to taste Lola's version, I was pleasantly surprised. Like everything else that I tried at the place, the vibrant taste of the tacos suggested the use of fresh ingredients. I ordered the fish fried, instead of grilled, and the mahi-mahi arrived on a bed of cilantro slaw. While my memory may be a bit cloudy due to the pitcher of beer that I ordered (only $16 for about 4-5 pints of Miller Lite, not bad at all), I do know that I happily munched away on tacos that achieved the balance between zestiness and fishiness that characterizes good fish tacos in the Pacific Southwest.
In the end, however, a few things were missing. The plate should have arrived with lime to sprinkle over the tacos. Also, most California fish taco joints offer spicy green and red salsas with their fish tacos so that diners can alter the spice-quotient of their meal. Also, I appreciated the fries - I was in the mood - but, really, some greasy warm tortilla chips should have accompanied this meal.
Much like those New Yorkers who constantly harp about the lack of truly good pizza in every other city of the world, I must say that while Lola's fish tacos are 9/10ths of the way there - its that 1/10th that makes all the difference.
Lauren and Krista had the hummus platter, which was simple and tasty. While the hummus and pita portions were plentiful, the side of carrots and celery was skimpy -- however, the waiter was nicely obliged to bring extra for my veggie-
lovin' friends.
Price: Food prices were incredibly reasonable. My grilled cheese was just $10 and the price was actually the deciding factor in why I choose it. The most expensive
entree is $20 (Argentine Skirt Steak) but you'll have no trouble finding something for far less.
Drinks, unfortunately, are a whole other story. Though generally in line with typical DC bars, I was surprised the beverage prices didn't fall in line with those of the food. A glass of wine ran from $7 and up, and cocktails about the same. If you're looking for a bargain, best to go with a pitcher of beer (Bud or Miller) for $16 --you'll get at least 4 tall glasses' worth.
Atmosphere: Lola's strikes just the right balance of classy and casual. You won't feel
under-dressed in jeans and sneakers, but you also won't be surrounded by sweaty guys with B.O. Gold frames around the large plasma TVs behind the bar impart the same "just right" effect. The crowd was a mix of young professionals (
ok, a lot of whom were me and my friends), local sports fans, and older neighborhood couples. It's great for a night out where you actually want to hear your friends talk, or for a relaxed date.
Other: Lola's doesn't have many regular tables for dining, just
hightop tables and the long bar, so seating is somewhat limited in this small establishment. If you are planning to bring a large group, don't expect much standing room -- the bar is long and narrow and you'll have to let waiters and patrons squeeze through the whole night. While busy during dinnertime, the crowd thinned out later in the evening, which opened up some space for walking around and chatting. Also, the small outdoor patio is ideal for smokers, if you're into that sort of thing -- which you shouldn't be.
Final Grade: B+ Looking forward to trying more to this great new addition to the 'hood.
* If you joined me at Lola's (or have tried it on your own) what did you think? Leave your comments! *
I just love love LOVE the news about Obama ditching the Bush-era dress code for the Oval Office, like this one in today's NY Times. I believe it was the President's first full day on the job (aka last Wednesday) when he was photographed in the room without wearing a jacket, and apparently people were flipping out because under Bush it was not only considered proper, it was the rule.
