Lola 55

Such a cute, chic place - but budget friendly! We were super lucky and found street parking across the street and since it was after 6pm on a Tuesday it was free! You enter this nice open space with a lush jungle like plant area in the middle and a beautiful bar. You order at the counter then they give you a number to bring to your table so they can bring the food out to you. We each ordered 2-3 tacos a piece. Soon finding out that 2 tacos was definitely not enough. Tacos were about $5.25 each, but some of the best tacos I have had. Their corn tortillas are freshly made in house and you can see them getting made as well. I personally ordered a steak taco and fish taco (and then another fish taco after I realized I was still hungry and it was so good). We also shared elote which they cut into rib pieces to make it easier to eat and share. For dessert we tried the churros and Caramel dip, which were delicious. Only complaint was that my bidi bidi bom bom drink didn't really taste like mango and had way too much ice (I finished it in a few Sips).

Might be my favorite downtown taco place and that's saying a lot since so many good ones!The smoked carnitas taco is one of my favorites. The pork belly is another solid choice. Don't sleep on their specials. Always a good decision. Lots of seating in and out doors. Great drinks and service is always spot on.

The beauty about tacos is that there are so many kinds, from so many different restaurants, and from so many different regions. Different is usually good, and in the case of Lola 55, different is amazing. Suffice to say that it blew past my expectations and has made it onto my shortlist of restaurants I won't leave San Diego without going to.Yes, the tacos here are more expensive than your local spot (but in times like these, the cost difference isn't that much), but what I experienced in each taco was not only a great wealth of flavor, but also pleasantly distinct textures. Steak - A tender steak accompanied by smooth avocado, tangy salsa and a smokey pepper. A small amount of heat.Pork Belly Al Pastor - Everything you want in a classic al pastor taco! The grilled pineapple was great, and the greens kind of reminded me of peppery arugula (it wasn't arugula though).Smoked Carnitas - Easily the best taco of the night. Carnitas is inherently succulent and tender, but there was a light, crispy texture that was a welcome surprise. The pickled elements balanced out the tenderness and fat. If I were limited to getting just one taco from here, it'd be this one.Rainbow Cauliflower - The most texturally sophisticated of the tacos I tried. Smoky cauliflower, crispy eggplant, creamy avocado, crunchy almonds, and tangy raisins. It's a disservice to say this was my least favorite taco of the bunch because I could have only eaten this one and left satisfied.Baja Style Fish - This was among the best fish tacos I've had so far. While the breading did retain a little bit of oil, the acidity was enough to keep it from being super dense. Another taco I'd always order.Churros - If you're not ending your meal with these churros, I really don't know what to say. Just order them and don't look back.

The food is excellent! Good quality and fresh ingredients, simple menu with delicious options, good presentation and very tasty! I really enjoyed the carnitas and mushroom tacos and the amazing chocolate icecream! The location is very casual and service is very fast and friendly, although it is a little bottlenecked with ordering as orders are taken at the bar or on tablets and the process can be quite slow. Overall I want to try it again as I really enjoyed it.

I was looking for a new place that I haven't been to yet. After some research, I ended up at Lola 55 (around February 2024 on a Friday afternoon). Lola 55 is a Mexican Taqueria located in East Village area of San Diego. Their website notes tacos and cocktails as their specialty. According to Michelin Guide (from 2022), they are categorized as "Bib Gourmand: Good Quality; Good Value Cooking). Their specialty is on tacos with creative combinations. FYI - There is no table service at Lola 55. When you walk in, you have to order at the counter to your left. Server will bring out the food as the food is ready (which means various times), but then you have to get up to walk to the separate area for napkins and utensils, etc. Ugh - I think that annoyed me more. I would have almost enjoyed all the food ready at once for me to pick up at the counter. If there is a server to bring food to the table, then bring the napkins and utensils. That leaves the issue of do I leave tip or not for the server? I was really annoyed as a customer. My friend and I tried the following:- Squash Blossom- Steak Tacos - mesquite grilled steak, mash, avocado mousse, smoky pasilla salsa, crispy leeks, jalapeno toreado- Baja Style Fish Tacos - local fish, remoulade, chorizo-tomato vinaigrette, frisee, pickled serrano, purple basil- Mezcal Cocktail- Sangria Cocktail- ChurrosOverall, food was good but didn't wow me. I think I expected a little more creativity (due to the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand award).Ambiance was open and airy with very eclectic furniture.

Firstly, this place is severely understaffed! There was one person who handled all bar orders, seating everyone that arrived at this facility and taking orders. Hence, our wait was about ~15 mins by the time she could even attend to us. That was disappointing for us and so stressful for the bartender! We got the house margarita, Baja tacos and pork belly tacos, two orders of each and the Brussels sprouts with pork belly! The highlight for me was the Baja taco - very fresh! The pork belly was good too but the Baja was perfect! They add greens to tacos which makes it different than your usual taco. The margarita was alright, nothing special. The Brussels sprouts - we could have totally skipped! The indoors are nice and there are a lot of plants, very green. Honestly, I came with very high hopes and the food was nothing I would come back for.

These tacos are turned up a notch from the average street tacos! Ok, they don't beat the best street tacos I've ever had but each one is unique with their topics and flavors that this place is worth a try. Also I can't complain about the fresh churros either. Yum!I'd give the tacos an overall 8/10. I liked the fish and pork belly the most with steak coming just behind as it was as tender as I'd like but it did have a nice crunch factor. Staff was friendly and if it's not busy, it is open seating so you can just stop by and order easily.

This place has been on my list for a while and it didn't disappoint! We came on a Saturday at noon and it wasn't busy at all. A good amount of street parking around the area as well. The inside is super open and airy. You order at the counter, get a number and seat yourself.We got the cauliflower, fish, pork belly, carnitas and chicken and taco. I'd say you should order three tacos to be satisfied and four if you're really hungry. They don't skimp on the protein which is nice.You can really tell the quality of each of the ingredients in the tacos. A good variety of flavors and textures. Top tacos were the cauliflower and the chicken. The cauliflower was charred so well and the raisins added a subtle sweetness with crunch from the almonds. The chicken flavor had so much depth and was really well seasoned without being overly salty. My partner said he'd just order three of the chicken tacos the next time we come.Service was pretty quick except for the churros. Our friends ordered it with their meal but it didn't come out till the end and we actually had to check in on it.

Was surprised this place wasn't more busy! We walked right in placed our order and sat down right away. We had to try the Michelin rated Baja fish taco and honestly it was so good we came back for a second time before our vacation ended. The elote and beans were also super delicious!

the hype is 100% real, seriously some of the best tacos i've ever had! i always order the pork belly and fish, but recently tried their quesadillas which are AMAZING too. yes this place is on the pricier side and is a more modern upscale mexican restaurant, but it's so worth it! the service has always been great everytime i went. lots of nice comfortable indoor seating, perfect for quick lunch or dinner with friends