Lola - A Michael Symon RestaurantGreat experience...What kudos do I need to give to such a fantastic restaurant. I was in Cleveland on business and it was our way of saying job well done. I will return on my next to Cleveland and write a more through review after my second visit.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of Cleveland's bestWords can't describe how fantastic our dining experience at this restaurant was.
Once we stepped foot into the restaurant, we were greeted with genuine kindness.
The low light setting may throw you off, but your eyes will adjust.
I have to mention how much I appreciated the fact that both still AND sparkling water were offered, complimentary. I have eaten at many restaurants and this usually isn't the case.
From the appetizers to entrees to desserts, you just can't help savour every single bite.
The portions are perfect. You leave the restaurant feeling satisfied and full-without feeling overstuffed.
Our servers were incredibly pleasant and well-informed. You don't feel rushed and the food is prepared surprisingly fast!
We will be back ;)5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMOur original reservation wereOur original reservation were for a party of 4, but we added another person to our group. We were celebrating our daughter's graduation from college and my husband's birthday. When Lola's confirmed our reservation they said there were no tables for 5 at that time. I said we would come anyway and were greatly pleased to find a table for 5 waiting for us when we arrived. Nice job!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything was perfect. GreatEverything was perfect. Great food. Server looked so young but provided excellent service.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMOur dinner was outstanding!Our dinner was outstanding! We started with the bone marrow, which was a bit greasy but well worth it.
Our entrees we perfect in size as well as taste. The halibut melted in your mouth! The scallops were very good as well.
We I'd order dessert, it was wonderful! Great job!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMExceeded my expectation.Went here for our 10 year anniversary and it was fantastic. The food was amazing and the services was impeccable couldn't say enough good things about this restaurant5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMFriendly Staff was a SupriseWent to Lola for an anniversary dinner. I expected the food to be great and it was. The the Potato and Ramp soup was outstanding. What surprised me the most was how friendly and helpful was the staff. Not pretentious at all;5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMCelebration DinnerPromised to take our daughter to Lola to celebrate her college graduation. Lola did not disappoint. Service was excellent. Anyone that brought food to our table was able to explain the various components. Menu is on the small side but variety will satisfy any diner. We selected a variety of meat and seafood entrees and all were equally as good. Can't recommend a favorite entree as we were equally pleased with all of them. Pork belly appetizer was a big hit and the french toast dessert was everyone's favorite. Would love to return to try more dishes. The only thing that could have made the evening any better was to have seen Michael Symon walk in as we are big fans.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, sleepy serviceThe limited menu offered a very nice selection of well designed items intended to put a spin on a normal night out. Ambience was great, winelist sufficient and presentation excellent. Every item we ordered was high quality and tasted great and only let down by a server with mixture of attitude and inattentiveness. The restaurant is busy but there's no space for forgetting to a.) bring the ordered wine, b.) offer desert before the entire table is bussed down to wood (empty glasses and bored stares), c.) copping an attitude when asked questions about the menu.
Overall, this is a great restaurant that only need improve the direct customer experience w/ a more attentive approach consumate with the atmosphere, price, and food quality.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMBeyond our ExporkationsWe rode a 30th birthday train through Lola, and it was a magical experience. We began our dining adventure by savoring bovine marrow that slid down the gullet with great ease, followed by kissing the beautiful cheeks of Bessie upon a doughy cloud. Our conductor helped us along the way by gently releasing the pressure being forced upon my leather waist loop. Following the rumination of our quad stomached brethren we descended to the muddy crawl space. Our conductor encouraged us to ease our minds with fermented juice of grapes. My mind became fuzzy and before I could finish covering my body with mud the piggies came to us. They had been young fresh piggies at one time. Hopes and dreams now consisted of seared flesh and melted adipose.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific!We dined for a special birthday occasion and found the service and food to be outstanding! We will return again and bring some friends.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThe only way it could haveThe only way it could have been better would have been if Symon was there himself.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMIron Chef worthyThis restaurant was spectacular and I would recommend it to anyone! Food was excellent.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were prepared to be underwhelmed...but I believe our minds were blown. I keep dreaming about the bone marrow. And the pork shank. And the fact that I wished we were spending more than one night in Cleveland so I could go back and eat the rest of the menu. I'm pretty sure you can't go wrong here. And the service was attentive, friendly, and subtle.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent!!!This is an incredible restaurant. I would recommend it to anyone that appreciates a top dinning experience.5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMTHE BEST RESTAURANT!Lola is by far the best restaurant I have ever been too. The staff is excellent and the food is Out of this World. Kudos to micheal and the staff of Lola's for an excellent dining experience. .5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMOnce Again.....A truely wonderful meal with excellent service. I had increased my party from two to five with only a few hours notice and they were very accommodating I realize that this can't be a common occurance and know that my early (6pm) dinner reservation allowed more flexability.
We had a wonderful meal. The service was perfect and we never felt rushed. The wine selection was awesome and the staff was knowledgeable.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMLola is dark but I felt comfortableLola is dark but I felt comfortable. We had a party of seven and the table was plenty big enough. Appetizers were all very good. Fresh oysters, the ham board were the stand outs. My wife had the pork shank and I was jealous even though the pork chop with cheesy polenta was delicious. Alas, my Lola fries weren't hot. The dessert made everyone happy. The Six am Special was very tasty. For drinks I had a barrel aged Negroni and an espresso, both were also very good.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic as alwaysMy wife and I have dined at Lolas plenty of times for birthday and anniversarys as well. We even met Michael Symon and Bobby Flay on one occasion. The food and atmoshere are wonderful. Would highly recommend.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMMother's day eve at LolaExceptional evening with the best in food and service.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dinnerEveryone was friendly and helpful. Wait staff knowledgable about menu items. Thoroughly enjoyed the yellow lentil soup. Had the cauliflower, was the best I had ever had. Will definitely return.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMLived up to the hypeWe've been trying to go here since we moved to Cleveland last year. It was worth every penny and we'll be back with a group of friends next time.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMBest on E 4th St in ClevelandWonderful food, ambiance, and service. Every time I am in Cleveland I find a way to get to Lola5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMAmazingThe service was fantastic and the layers of flavors were amazing. Well worth the price. Probably the best restaurant I've ever been too. Highly recommend!!!5/6/2013 12:00:00 AManniversary dinnerWaitress did great and even brought out two little cupcakes with a trick candle and happy anniversary stenciled in red gel icing, on plate. Hostess reseated us to a quieter side, no problem after rescheduling from our original 515p reservation to a 745p reservation.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMwill be back again.Very nice place in a great downtown location. Easy to walk to from the casino. Service was excellent and Lola's fits the bill for a special occasion or romantic dinner. A lot of fun stuff happening outside the restaurant but inside it was quite and enjoyable. Not the largest menu so you may want to check it before you sit down. We both had the steak and it was delicious. Next time we're in Cleveland we will be dining there again.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMBest date night ever!This was my husband and my first experience at Lola; we love Lolita in Tremont and were so excited to give Lola a try. It did not disappoint. Lola has got it going on! The location, the ambiance, the service, the wine selection and the food- oh my! What an alive and vibrant experience! We sat at the gorgeous alabaster bar after dinner and enjoyed another cocktail because we weren't quite ready to leave the wonderful atmosphere. We're really fortunate to have such a gem here in CTown!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellentFirst-rate experience all the way around. Cocktails at the bar were well-crafted, great wine list with a variety of options. As for food, we had the beef cheek pierogi, the pork chop, and the ribeye. All three were perfect, with the pierogi really standing out. It was a thoroughly enjoyable meal and we can't wait to go back.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMInteresting!Since I'm not a fan of modern blends of flavors and textures, I found the entrees interesting but not outstanding. I had the scallops and my friend had the pork chops, so we traded bites of each other's. The side cauliflower dish was a favorite as was the miniscule peanut butter pie dessert. Service was supurb and the ambiance very pleasant. We started with a drink at the outdoor cafe, which was fun but a little too windy and busy for a relaxed dinner, so we moved inside. Yes, I'd recommend this restaurant to others. Be sure to make reservations and arrive early if you desire valet parking. There was a line of cars waiting to get to the valet stand when we left at 7:00 on a Friday.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything I hoped it would beI don't dine at places this pricey often. A few times a year maybe. So when I do, I expect the food and service to be of such quality that the increased price is justified. This was, and more. The BEEF CHEEK pierogies. Maybe the best thing I've ever had. Smoked pork chop over polenta was fantastic. Salmon was maybe the best I've ever had. Service was perfect. I only gave 4 stars for ambiance because we were seated in sort of an awkward location. Immediately at the top of the steps at the entry to the primary dining area. So there was a LOT of traffic past our table. Not optimal. And I made our reservations weeks in advance, so they weren't scrambling to find us a table at the last minute.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMThe best ManhattanBest Manhattan in town. Michael Symon knows how to cook meat, too. Outstanding steak.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat a Place!!!!My wife and I celebrated my wife's 81 birthday. (Our first visit, but not our last! The food was absolutely delicious AND healthy! The service was exceptional We look forward to returning.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWe will be back.My primary test for a restaurant is whether I want to return there. Lola was wonderful on every level. Our expectations were high and they did not disappoint. The only problem is that we live in Florida. But, even so, we will be back.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was superb and weThe food was superb and we were seated in a booth with a wonderful view of the rest of the restaurant and the chefs' workspace. Lola is a Cleveland gem!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMFood is trendy and sometimesFood is trendy and sometimes unusual but always terrific! Sitting at the Chef's table brings more ambiance than the rest of the restaurant.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMLola perfectly combines creativeLola perfectly combines creative cooking ideas with solid execution, and does so in an unintimidating atmosphere. Each dish is carefully considered, with just the right balancing of flavors and textures. You never feel like the chef is trying too hard - - rather, the dishes are clever, but sane, with just the right number of ingredients to make it memorable. My main course Sturgeon dish, for example, maintained the buttery flavor of the fish while adding interesting side effects. The service is relaxed, knowledgeable, and very informative about all aspects of the menu and wine list. The dining room feels like an old friend, kind of busy and bussling, yet very comfortable.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMAs always, we were not dissappointeAs always, we were not dissappointed with the dining experience at Lola's. The food was wonderful, as well as the service. THANK YOU
Beth Anderson4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMWow.Great restaurant with amazing food. Not your normal cookie-cutter restaurant, this is true artistic interpretations on food. Open kitchen gives a great environment. Servers are friendly and knowledgeable, excellent adult beverage selection. The only negative is that some of the tables are packed in tightly. Didn't have any privacy.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a Great OcassionAlways fabulous. Friendly, knowledgable servers. They should give people the desert menu when they arrive. Plan your meal backwards because the deserts are great and absolutely unique--manchego cheesecake with chorizo. Hanger steak was good, pork chops good. I loved tha kale salad. We were seated where we could see into the kitchen. It is like poetry in motion. Very efficient, but calm, a team that clearly works well together.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were first time dinersWe were first time diners at Simon's restaraunt. Our son recommended it after an experience at a Simon's in Chicago. Lola's was frst-rate and we highly recommend it!
The food was superb and the service outstanding! My husband had the smoked pork chop that was so good that he risked offending anyone and picked up the bone and gnawed it to the end of the delicious meat - so fun!, awesome food! My son purchased the cookbook!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful dinner, WOW!Wow, delicious dinner. A little pricey, but totally worth it! My dessert was MAGICAL - that's the best way to describe the dark chocolate tart with orange sorbet. OMGosh - we will be back for more - such fun, great food, wonderful server - thanks Michael Symon for being AWESOME!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMLove that Michael!!!What a GEM!!! right here in Cleveland!!! From appetizer to desert, an absolutely unmatched dining experience.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways ExceptionalNever fails to have wonderful cocktails and incredible food and service.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMBeefcheek pieogi were awesome.Beefcheek pieogi were awesome. We both had Halibut entree and would recommend.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, great service,Great food, great service, too noisy to be romantic.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a great dinner at Lola!We had a great dinner at Lola! I had the smoked hampshire pork chop with chiles, cheesey polenta and BBQ onions. I would not say that I would normally order a pork chop, however, our waiter said that the pork chop and flank steak are two of the most frequently ordered dishes and I can see why.
The pork was layered on top of the polenta with the BBQ onions on top and a savory BBQ sauce around it all. Great combination of flavors & textures with an impressive presentation.
Also liked that the entire wine list was on an iPad. Easy to read & select the right bottle from the varietal and price range you want.
Great contemporary dining for business, family, dates, or friends!4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMVery elegant dishes and elaborateVery elegant dishes and elaborate wine list, one of the best in cleveland4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMthe wine and food pairingsthe wine and food pairings were excellent, and the wine list is fantastic. I always recommend the Chef's table, since both the bar and chef's table are beautiful.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was amazing and IThe food was amazing and I loved the decor. I found it to be a little to dim and very hard to have a conversation with the noise level.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMI have eaten at Lola beforeI have eaten at Lola before but its been a while. My husband however has not. We're big Michael Symon fans and have been to all his other restaurants in Ohio. We went to Lola for our Anniversary. We had the best exeprience. We arrived a little early from our reservation time and they seated us right away. We enjoyed every minute of it. They even through in an anniversary treat.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AM