Lolo

Lolo was recommended to me by a friend (she isn’t a Unilocaler). Good recommendation friend who shall remain nameless.
I was meeting someone for the first time and after getting the scoop from my friend in the previous paragraph, thought this might be a good first meeting type place. It was. Hell, it might even work as a second meeting place or a 23^rd meeting place. Maybe not.
I got there a bit early and was able to find a table outside. The tables are basically right on top of NE Alberta Street so if you are looking for something a bit less noisy, you might want to find somewhere else to go. Nothing like breathing in a bit of exhaust to go with your food. Once my company got there we decided to dive into the menu.
Lolo’s is a tapas place. I’m not normally a fan of tapas as I’m always very hungry, (stupid nonexistent tapeworm) but sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone. We ordered a daily special avocado and onion salad as well as the braised beef empanadas, cascade farms beef, pickled radish and the roasted forest mushrooms, mita crema, crostini. Everything was presented very nicely and it all was very tasty. Not the greatest description I could give to food, but I’m currently at a loss for words. I’m sure you can tell.
Friendly and prompt service. Nice location (a bit noisy, but with good conversation you don’t even notice that) and nice setting make this a good place to meet someone for the first time. That is the second time I said that though so I will stop now.

Alberta is now has some of my favorite restaurants on it… And Lolo has now joined this elite group.
I have to confess that Tapas are a favorite, and the amateur foodie in me can always appreciate a Spanish-​tinged meal set to the beat of the curious Portlander.
Lolo has a very open seating area and a relaxed atmosphere with the daily specials clearly written in two places on the walls. But what impressed me the most was the plethora of different folks who can in and out while we were there: Families with small children (enjoying an art walk), older couples (that looked like they just got back from golfing) and what appeared to be our own version of three «Sex in the City» girls who sat at the table next to us.
The host was very prompt and we didn’t have to wait to be seated, even though the art festival ‘last Thursday’ was already in full force outside.
We started off with the local bread and olives. The olives were very flavorful and complimented the Artisanal Cheese Plate that was our *main* meal. (BTW — When I’ve done tapas in the past I enjoy more smaller things rather than one big order).
Next was an Arugula salad that contained some carefully placed onions and other assorted roots that had some rich, unexpected flavors.
We did take it the rare step further and had chocolate mousse with salted almonds. It was good and definitely a treat!
If your up on Alberta, pop in to Lolo for some flavorful tapas and a fun dining experience.
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I’ve been here twice. The first time was so spectacular that I didn’t write a review because I thought «It must be the company and my mood because no place is this great». So I went back last night. YES, it is that great.
The service is friendly, smart, efficient. The atmosphere is Barcelona chic meets Alberta.
The food (small plates) is amazing. Plenty of vegetarian options. Healthy, flavorful bites of deliciousness. I’ve tried 12 – 15 dishes so far and not a mediocre one, all amazing.
Great bar with good Spanish wine selection and rotating beers. Certainly becoming one of my favorites!

I recently went here with my girlfriend and a fellow couple with two small children. They were very accommodating in setting up a reservation and setting up the table with the appropriate chairs for the kiddos. We were a little concerned as we were there at 6:30 during the prime dinner rush and we were only the 2^nd table seated in the establishment. I’d have to say that the food was really good, but for the price the portion sizes were very very very small. We ordered two bottles of wine as well as 3 or 4 plates each. With a bill of over $ 100 for each couple i was disappointed that we left still really hungry. I will be writing Unilocal to change there $$ rating to $$$ as this place is rather more expensive than listed!
I am rating this place 3 stars based on the following.
Service — 5 star
Food — 4 star
Price for portion — 1 star
Atmosphere — 3 star

As much as I want to like LoLo, I have to say that the food we had was completely forgettable, and the space although well put together, was extremely noisy making it almost impossible to carry on a conversation.
If you’ve read my other reviews you know that I like happy hour. Now, I know that happy hour is really not a true test of a restaurant’s artistry, but I think if a restaurant really wanted to impress someone, they would make sure that all of their food delivers.
The items we ordered were not specifically happy hour items, but none of them was a standout. Yes the calimari had a nice lemon zing to it, and yes the potatoes with poached egg was good, but I found the lamb empanadas quite tasteless. Food in Portland is just too good and competitive these days to settle for a mediocre experience.
Kudos to the wait staff, however, who I thought were friendly and efficient.
And, to end on a good note, the Spanish tempranillo they were pouring for $ 5 was worth it.

I LOVE Lolo!
My family is Argentinian and the first time I ate here I almost cried because the food tasted exactly like my grandma would make me when I spent summers down south with her.
Since then it has only gotten better. I’ve probably eaten just about everything on the menu (twice) and I have some standard favorites.
Almond gazpacho — sounds weird but GET IT!
Empanadas — whether the pork or beef are amazing with the crushed avocado.
Croquettes — can be greasy at times but YUM!
Fideo pasta is always stellar
Paella — any and all. The paella takes a while but it’s always cooked perfectly and is plenty for 2 – 4 people.
My favorite desserts?
Seasonal is the pumpkin bread pudding with pomegranate seeds and caramel sauce.
Next is the churros with chocolate and honey
Finally the madelines with almond ice cream
We have also been there a few times near holidays and there is always a special menu. Last Valentine’s day had a fantastic meal.

Lolo is a true culinary delight!
It’s got an open, expansive feeling inside with big windows and a view of the kitchen, delicious food, and great service. They have a good Happy Hour menu, including vegetarian and meat-​oriented foods. As another Unilocaler said, there are no vegan options. But, the variety (including: homemade potato chips, olives, citrus zest and coriander, fresh bread and good olive oil, chicken on skewers in a sherry sauce, crunchy bread with tomato spread and Manchego cheese) is divine.
Lolo has a good-​sized drink menu, including the best (red) Sangria I’ve ever had: perfectly balanced (not bland, not overly fruity), as well as wine and beer, and sodas and tea and coffee.
Our meal was cooked to precision, including the prawns in garlic and the chicken on skewers. Our dessert, a chocolate mousse, whipped to perfection, and topped with sea salt and crushed almonds was incredible with a bit of pepper and cinnamon. It had layers of flavor.
Service was that rare kind of attentiveness (our server, Kate, was knowledgeable about the food, and refilled our water glasses several times), paired with privacy — not too chatty. Nice.
Prices, especially during Happy Hour, are very reasonable ($ 2 – 5, mostly), with smaller entrees around $ 11 – 15, and larger entrees (like burgers, chicken, and pasta) for $ 10 and above.
This is a good place for groups, but, perhaps not for kids.
I can see where Lolo would be very popular in summer when the patio opens up, but it’s surprising it’s not more populated in winter. The food and the service are truly heartwarming.

My husband and I went to Lolo a few weeks ago on a Friday night. We live in the Alberta Arts district and wanted to support the local tapas place rather than head over to Toro Bravo as we usually do. The service was lovely, but the food was disappointing. Our lentils were undercooked and a piece of fishing line was stuck in our shrimp. Fortunately, our very nice server took both items off of our bill.
The food itself was a solid mediocre. We had 5 dishes and we thought all of them were merely okay. The portions were reasonable, but the prices were out of control. $ 15 for 2 scallops? $ 16 for 5 shrimp? C’mon, this is NE Portland, not the Pearl District. As my husband said, these are Giorgio’s prices, and they don’t fit on NE Alberta Street.

I’ve had a few experiences here, and a couple were good, but one was bad.
The first experience we went with another couple for dinner. We had some wine and shared a bunch of tapas. They were very good and the service wasn’t bad. We stayed mostly on the lower priced items on the menu.
Another time we went and sat at the bar for happy hour. The bartender was friendly and never kept us waiting for drinks or appetizers. She even made us a couple cocktails on request (even though we had to tell her the ingredients), which generally in Portland you get guff for.
The last time we sat at the bar for snacks and drinks, and the bartender (a different one, mind you) was quite rude and was clearly too busy for us. I was rushed for a drink order and right as I finished my drink and was wanting another, I was handed the check. I guess it was time to go.
I’ve yet to try this place for a proper dinner, but the prices have kept me away. It’s quite expensive for food that traditionally is supposed to be super cheap and quick. They usually have a live musician playing guitar, but not in a loud obnoxious way. Was quite nice.
I’ll probably give it one more go, but it’s not high on my list of regular places by any means.

Had a very tasty dinner here. The almonds were very yummy, the cheeses tasty and fine, and my dining mate had plenty to choose from that was Gluten Free.
Our service was good, the waiter was just the right combination of attentive and hands off. Nice music, too. I would definitely return.

Am I an Oinker!!!
I went on a date to this place & i swear i looked like a pig because it took soooOO many plates to get me full! My date thought it would be romantic/​fun to go eat tapa & try out their dishes, but lil’ did he know that this girl can eat!
I swear I ate ¾ of what was on the menu and I wasn’t really impressed with any of it. The sardine was probably one of the best dishes there. Their dishes comes out nicely plated, but i’m not there for the ambiance, I’m there to grub and when it takes 8 – 9 dishes & taking my date to the poor house, it doesn’t really impress me.
Tapas are great, if its reasonably priced for the size/​quantities of your dish. The food has to really make you wanna say «wow,» and that its so good you gotta order more, not so because you’re still hungry that you’ll order anything. Nothing on their menu was exceptionally good and i was disappointed by our visit there. I expected Latin spices and taste, but all i got was mediocre food.
I’ll give tapa another shot… just somewhere else.

Maria the Bartender made it for us.
We were roaming Alberta and we capped our evening off at Lolo. This is a nice little cozy space occupying a corner on Alberta Street. there are huge windows to view the action outside, and a warmth inside to also escape it. We grabbed a couple of seats at the bar and ordered a few drinks.
Now I don’t speak Spanish, but I like to perpetrate. I like to pretend I have the perfect Spanish accent so if there’s something on a menu, I’ll do my best to sound Native. Tonight’s guinea pig: the Bacelona Naranja. I didn’t try to say it with an accent from Spain – I know I should have: «Bar-​tha-​lona Narranja». Yeah, I couldn’t pull that off. But I did pronounce it in a Mexican Spanish accent. I actually got some props for it, too [YES!]
This cocktail was the bomb. It was like an orange creamsicle and it was oh so tasty… and potentially dangerous. Continuing with the jaunt down sugarland lane, we also ordered a round of churos. Mmmm… Churos (also very tasty – especially with the chocolate dipping sauce).
This was all fine and good, but I think one of the highlights was Maria. She really made our night. She offered perfect advice for drinks, answered some of my silly questions, and just made us feel at home here. She provided a perfect way to end the night on Alberta St.

Oh, the whole thing was just so Meh.
My boyfriend and I went to Lolo over the weekend. It’s sort of cute, I suppose. They had a Spanish guitarist playing, which was really nice.
Our server was oddly casual. Not easy going, makes you feel at home casual. More like, wanders over to take your order when he feels like it, lets you order things and then remembers they are out of that item. I don’t know! His demeanor was just odd.
The really problem is that, for the price the food is merely so-​so and the servings are quite small. I don’t really recall any stand out items. The empandas were pretty all right, but they were awfully tiny. My boyfriend and I spent around $ 70 and left feeling hungry.
There are better tapas places in town. Lolo just isn’t worth it.

Nine dollars for two tiny empanadas that were what I imagine a model railroad enthusiast would use for his scaled down world. The paella was adequate but still, $ 35 for the bit we got wasn’t enough to justify the price.
For how much this place charges one would expect huge portions (which I know is contrary to the concept of Tapas, but c’mon lower the prices or give me enough food for leftovers)
The upshot is the sangria was really strong so the alcohol sort of made up for the price, only problem is its just cubed apple in the sangria! Also, the service was prompt.

Tried this for the first time on Friday night. Service was attentive but not intrusive and the wine list was good. The food on the other hand was a bit uneven. We tried a wild boar special that was excellent but then a standard menu item of chickpea stew was strange (we all took a few bites and then left the rest). The jamon/​manchego croquettes have potential but the croquette itself was a bit too soft. The empanadas were good, I’d try those again.
We really liked our desserts of fresh madelines with ice cream and then a warm rice pudding with dried fruit and nuts.
I’ll give it another try and hope for a better overall experience next time.

+: Something about the location, the space, the name, and the menu just screams get comfortable and look forward to a good meal.
-: Some items on the menu are a little expensive for what they are.
!: Almond gazpacho was perfect on a warm summer day! I still remember it and it has been over a year since I’ve eaten there!
?: The restaurant vibe was not very tapa-​ish, if that makes any sense.

Loving Lolo Wednesday Happy Hour
All day long on Wednesday you’ll find the happy hour menu at Lolo. This is a great way to introduce yourself to this delicious eatery on the East side. Located in the Alberta Arts district, Lolo is a gem.
Arrive early or late or anywhere in between on Wed and you can order from the regular menu or the happy hour menu. On the happy hour you’ll find a delicious salad of chopped Romain, Manchego cheese & a delicious creamy lemon dressing for $ 3 or try the Moroccan Chicken Skewers sitting atop a delicious drizzle of sweet sherry syrup for $ 3. There are about a dozen items on the happy hour menu that range from $ 2 to $ 6 and includes a delicious burger.

I should begin by saying the following is NOT a review of the food at Lolo (it’s been great both times I visited) but rather the service.
I paid Lolo a second visit last Friday night with a group of friends celebrating a birthday and an engagement. It was our third stop and we had enjoyed a few drinks, but called ahead to make a reservation. When we arrived, the host/​bartender kindly explained that our table was not yet ready, and suggested that we have a drink at the bar. We ordered a round of Patron (tasty and, of course, expensive) with no objection from the host/​bartender. Ten minutes or so later, we were seated and ordering both food and drinks.
We were a boisterous and celebratory group, to say the least, but we were not disrespectul or out of control. So imagine our surpise when the host/​bartender came over less than 30 minutes into our visit to ask how we had arrived and how we were planning on getting home (we had left our cars, walked and were planning on taking a cab home). I understand that servers are held accountable by the OLCC and have the right to refuse to serve me, but I have never had my judgement questioned by a bartender before. Our group was comprised of late twenty-​somethings to early fourty-​somethings; I would expect a server to respecfully assume I’ll behave like an adult, unless I give him reason to believe that I am driving.
Perhaps if he had reservations about our level of sobriety and transportation plans, he should have expressed them before he encouraged us to have a drink at the bar and spend over $ 150 on food and beverages. I won’t waste my time (or my money) there again.

My first experience hanging out in the Alberta area brought me from a day of lounging and drinking at Binks to a late dinner at Lolo.
Out with a group of friends (who had a bit too much to drink) …we wandered in and felt like the staff was a bit stand off-​ish but I could not blame them, the girls I was with were LOUD!
Seated promptly, the staff seemed to warm up.
I personally loved my meal… You could tell the ingredients were of a higher quality.
Sadly, I was the only person in my group that loved their food. Personally, I am shocked that some of the people I was with did not get thrown out! haha
Since its my review and not theirs, I give it 4 stars. I look forward to returning some day… without the loud girls! haha

Oh, I so wanted to love you, Lolo. Your charming location, your cool sounding menu, your use of all local ingredients, including Carlton Farms meat and local cheese.
Alas, with one fabulous exception, Lolo’s suffers from a tragic lack of execution. The 12 dishes that we ordered ranged widely from the bland to the overcooked to the overpriced. The one fabulous exception (and it was absolutely write home to your momma GREAT) was the pork sofrito.
Oh, pork sofrito, if I return to Lolo’s, it will be for you. And the sofrito portion was big enough for a meal with a drink.
But (forgive my paraphrase), of all the tapas joints in all the land, why did this amazing pork sofrito have to walk into this one? The rest of the food was a consistent B-​, and was priced like it was an A+.
Come on, Lolo’s, I know you can do better. You get out there, put on those high heels, find the chef who made the sofrito and promote her/​him to head chef. And we will love you once again.

I was much more impressed than others who have reviewed this spot.
Lolo is your typical open-​kitchen style quasi-​gourmet nouveau restaurant, which made me take pause when I initially walked in. How many restaurants look just like this one? MANY. Too many to count. And how many times have I been unimpressed by overpriced, low quality food in places like this? Enough that I should know better. Well, unlike its similarly appointed cohorts, Lolo passed muster with me.
First off, the service was good. We ordered Sangria and they were out of carafes, so we got 2 free glasses to hold us until the carafe arrived. Nice touch. Our server was nice, knowledgeable, and on point.
The menu is a tad short for a Tapas place, but they do offer a few super small plates, some medium plates, and some larger plates. Big downside? NO VEGAN OPTIONS. Fortunately for me, my wife is flexible when she needs to be. We ordered the following: Cold smoked trout salad with rhubarb, strawberries, and watercress, tortilla espanola with romesco and chorizo, the olive plate, the calamari, the green salad, and the house-​made potato chips. The combinations were very flavorful and inventive.
Who would have thought to put a smoked fish with rhubarb and strawberry? They must have over-​ordered those ingredients because they were also offering a strawberry rhubarb margarita. That sounded bomb. The salad itself was a taste experience. It wasn’t quite right… the strawberries made it a tad sweet, but while I would only give them a B for flavor, I give them an A for effort on that one. The green salad was small, but tasty. The olives were quite good. I mean, really quite good.
The highlights for me were the tortilla and the calamari. The calamari was spicy, with a hint of ocean, and served with greens and an eggplant purée. It reminded me a lot of the food I ate in Spain. It was a FANTASTIC dish. I love it when I get food here that takes me back to places I haven’t been in, oh, say, 16 years. Same with the tortilla espanola. In Spain, what they call a tortilla is a thick pancake like thing made of egg and potato. This one had house made chorizo blended in, and was served on a nice romesco sauce. It also took me back.
The final, and probably biggest highlight, was the house made potato chips. These chips were fried fresh, and were fried with rosemary, sage, and Italian parsley. The salty, herby goodness infused every bite. I love fried herbs. They are bright green, but crispy, and their essence pervades the oils. I would call those chips AMAZING.
So it seems, and I can see where some others are coming from, that Lolo can be hit or miss with the food. I was happy with what I ordered, but I stayed away from the «large» $ 18 plates. I saw some coming out, and they didn’t look like they contained $ 18 worth of food. I think the trick is to stick with the mid-​size plates, and order things with substance. I was not disappointed in the end, but I could see how, if I was not conscious about how I ordered, I could have been. The trout and tortilla were on special, and I am very, very glad I ordered the tortilla. The fact that the trout salad didn’t quite come together in the end shows me that Lolo is willing to take risks that can sometimes turn bad.
Based on the quality of service and the inherent awesomeness of some of the dishes, I want to give this place a lot of stars, but based on some of the other dishes, and my premonitions as to what could have happened had I just casually ordered an $ 18 plate, I can’t go more than 4. This is really a 3.75 stars, rounded up.
Eat at Lolo’s, but be careful. Order wise.