BarLola Tapas Lounge

by Chrissy G.

My husband and I went on date last Sunday and I made this reservation because I have never tried tapas here in MA.  Tapas to me means inexpensive, small plates.  Our bill came to way more than anticipated.  The empanadas were great, except I am pretty sure that they are the meatball dish wrapped in a tortilla.  The chicken croquettes are a must have and the veggie cannelloni was very yummy.  We also got to see some flamenco dancing while there, but it turned out to be a bit too loud for the small room we were in so we didn't stick around for the rest of the show. The sangria is also very nice, but they need to get new pitchers that pour better!!

by Mon T.

2 stars for great Sangria 1 star for nice decor don't eat there.... really nothing to write about the food. ;-) But nice place to have drinks and hang with friends!

by Melissa M.

This place would get a five from me if they A.) eliminated smokers (sorry guys/gals, I hatet it).  They could allow pipes and cloves thoughB.) Got comfier chairs (I know the wrought iron chairs are functional but they hurt my bum after sitting and drinking their sangria).Which brings me to my point.  The sang, the sang, my friends, is just tasty with chunks of fruit the way the sangria gods intended.The waitress was as sweet as could be, nevermind the fact that Derek had made in known that a bunch of people were coming to BarLola and they review things.  She checked in with us probably every 6 minutes, but was not annoying about it, very nice!Props to Derek K. for organizing this awesome outing.  The patio was great, the company, phenomenal and the gazpacho was just what I needed!

by Milena P.

I went here late, so I didn't try the food. But my Puerto Rican friends are always hanging out here, and one night during finals I was tired of studying and needed to go out, so I grabbed a friend and off we went. The place is FULL of other latinos, and the bartenders speak Spanish too, which is nice because it made me feel like I was at home. Although there are a lot of rich Mexican kids wanting to spend daddy's money, so if that annoys you a lot, then skip this place altogether. It doesn't bother me too much, as long as they don't talk to me, so it was OK.The sangría I found to be overpriced for what I got. It was seriously watered down, maybe a 2:1 water-to-wine ratio, which won't work for me. And it was $28 for a pitcher with maybe 4 glasses in it. But maybe I'm being too picky because I make one hell of a sangría, and I've tried REAL sangría, too. The drinks weren't too expensive, although I had a bad craving for beer and stuck to that and the sangría.The music was decent; again, it made me feel like I was back home. My only problem was that there is no "dancing" area. It's just some tables pushed aside and people awkwardly dancing around. So that didn't really work for me, I mean, they can't tease me with good music and no dancing room!Oh, and this place doesn't have its own bathroom, which I found weird. You sort of have to go outside for that. Not a big deal, because there's a door connecting the place to the bathroom, but still, very weird.

by Barry B.

My experience at Bar Lola was so bad."How bad was it?", you ask.It was so bad that I thought to myself "I need to go home and join Yelp, just so I can share with the world (or, at least, the internet) how truly abysmal dining out can potentially be.And you know what?  Let's not even get into my beef with it's stupid, stupid name.  I mean, maybe it's just me nitpicking when I talk about how profoundly idiotic it seems to actually have the word bar in the name of your bar (eg. Temple Bar, Bleacher Bar, Samba Bar [but not including The Greatest Bar, because... well, just because. That's just awesome.])  But at least most places with the word "bar" in their title have the sense toss it on at the end, so it doesn't sound completely awkward.  But not Bar Lola.  Let's just stick "Bar" right in the front there, so that the strange, uncomfortable feeling you get from the name prepares you for what you're about be served.We were seated promptly in the most nondescript dining room in all of Copley.  Seriously, I wish I could remember something about this dining room, but it was so bland and boring that nothing sticks out in my memory.I then ordered a pitcher of Sangria for the table.  The Sangria was actually really good.My excitement over the sangria was short-lived, however, because the food started to arrive.The crab cakes seemed like something I'd buy in an enormous box at CostCo, and deep fry when I'm in that special state where I'm drunk, but not too drunk to use my deep frier.  According to the menu, these were supposed to come with "a piquillo-shrimp sauce".  What I ended up getting was something more akin to the processed "cheese" you get when you order those little pretzel nuggets at the movies.The duck was incredibly dry.The rabbit was incredibly dry AND lukewarm... so at least it made the duck seem better by comparison.We also ordered the Patatas Ali-Oli, described as "Sautéed baby red potatoes with a garlic mayo".  What I think actually went down is that the owners hired someone to ransack the dumpsters of local restaurants that serve breakfast and gather up all the stale, crappy, left-over home fries they can find so they can reheat and serve them.I wish I could tell you how the lamb chops were, but by the time they passed to me I'd lost my appetite completely.There is no other way to say this: Bar Lola is simply terrible.  The worst of the worst.This is what happens when people decide to go somewhere for tapas other than Dali.  Never again!  Dali, please forgive me for cheating on you! I now realize what we had was something special!  Please, take me back!

by Katie P.

I went here for a birthday party a few weeks back.  We got a small private room in the back.  Dimly lit, beautiful decor, very classy and romantic: would be perfect for a date or girl's night out.  Our waiter was nice and attentive without being bothersome and was very helpful when it came to selecting our wine.  Wine arrived and was delish!  The food all looked delicious...I only ordered one plate-sauteed mushrooms-which was delicious but literally only a tiny plate of mushrooms.  This is not a dancing place though!  Music is fab but mellow.

by Lauren D.Jacqueline Z.Melissa P.Daniel L.Karla U.

Best "champagne shooter/funnel" ever!  I was a very lucky birthday girl to have 15 awesome friends take me to Bar Lola.  If you decide to go to this yummy tapas place you must try this funnel!  It's great!  You get a bib and a lot of really funny pictures of your friends!  The tapas are super yummy. Ones a recommend: Xtanguro Gratinado"Stuffed crab with crab meat sofrito, brandy manchego cheese," Langostinos Rebozados, "Prawn fritters with a savory mango scallion sauce, and Gambas al Ajillo Garlicky shrimp. This one was a little less appetizing... Calamares Relleno "Crab meat shrimp stuffed calamari."  Sounds great, but... I think that says it all.This is the perfect place to go with a bunch of people price wise,  if you go with 2/4 it can get a little pricey.Went here back in September with a group of 10 ($35/person with a bunch of sangria - not bad). Fun spot! I usually don't like tapas places because the dishes don't appeal to me, even if we order a bunch for the table. However, this place totally turned me on to good tapas. Two thumbs up!Great dishes: grilled beef tenderloin ("Solomillo al Cabrales"), dates wrapped in bacon --omg so amazing ("Palmeritos"), garlicky shrimp ("Gambas al Ajillo")Not-so-fantastic dishes: burgers ("Hamburguesas de Lola"), crab meat and shrimp-stuffed calamari ("Calamares Rellenos")Tapas is hard to do at any restaurant with only a couple people...unless you know exactly what you like from there. This is a good spot for groups and couples alike based on the ambiance and layout. They have a good bar area too so you can easily wait for your party to arrive. I'll be going back to this spot - esp since it is so convenient on Comm Ave. They also have outdoor seating - which I'd love to check out when it's not frigid outside!What happened, Bar Lola? You used to be my go-to place for catching up with friends over tapas and wine, having a drink with a colleague after work, hanging out on the patio on warm nights, or just listening to a soft guitar and watching beautiful flamenco dancers. But after my experience last night, I just don't see myself coming back here any time soon. The food was so....blah. Each dish had less taste than the one before it. And, the worst part? The smell of garlic hanging in the air was so enticing I kept whipping my head around, trying to identify where its source was. Clearly there had to be something full of flavor somewhere. It just wasn't on our table. Chicken empanadas: so much breading that its dryness sucked all the flavor out of the filling. Stuffed crab (Xtanguro Gratinado): bland crab meat and a manchego cheese that was so mild it was like it wasn't even there. At one point my friend actually pointed to the bread basket with her knife and said, "The butter for the bread has more flavor than anything we ordered." I found the staff as friendly and efficient as ever, the decor is just as warm and charming, and the white sangria just as crisp and delicious. And I'm sure if it was warm enough to be on the patio, it would have been just as pretty as ever (and I always loved that they would turn on the heaters at your request). But the food...no, no, no. What a shame.The tapas here are best enjoyed with a large group, as to get a good variety for your money here. If you're going with a small group (2-4 people), it gets a little spendy.The owner is jovial and talkative, and he isn't afraid to greet his guests. Try the white and red sangria. It goes well with the dishes, from sausages to bacon-wrapped shrimp.Trendy bar with lots of cute people here, so if you're looking to get laid, go here.  I didn't like this place, wans't my style, they play Shakira too much....or something with Santana in it, or rap.......Again if you're into trendy stuff, check it out...I for one thought drinks were over priced.....but hey, do the Sangria, it seemed good, and the people that enjoy trendy things, seem to be having a good time. So yeah. Alternatives: Don't bother, you'll go nuts.

by Amanda S.

The food here is really very freakin delicious.  Much better than Tasca in Brighton, in my opinion.  However, the price range, as it indicates on Yelp is merely a "$$"...but my party of 6 SOMEHOW managed to spend a total of $500.  And that's about $80+ per person before tip!  The sangria was good, but the staff spilled water/drinks/other kinds of fluids on our table three times (they should've offered free dessert since it was my friend's b'day but they didn't, haha.)  I would definitely come back again for special occasions!

by Janet R.

I will repeat mostly what others have said, with the exception that our service was good.  The Sangria is delicious.  I am not as impressed with the food.  Here is what we had, the menu has changed a bit: Chicken croquettes with Lola's savory tomato sauce- very good.   Roasted duckling with Valencia orange sauce - I am not a duck person but my fiance did not rave about this either.  Grilled beef tenderloin with sherry sauce - fair, too well done for me and sort of flavorlessGarlic Green beans with almonds - very goodCrab onion cheese cassoulet - very sweet and rich, i did not like this my fiance did.  A little crab cake-like tapas - very good but greasy.  Dogs are allowed on the patio and in fact one ate many of our tapas.  I do like the outdoor ambiance while drinking sangria in back bay.   Personally I like Tasca, Cuchi cuchi or most any other tapas place better.

by Tanvi A.

Bar Lola was recommended to me by a friend of mine who lives in the area.. I went in with real high hopes and was a little disappointed.. Maybe, I should just lower my expectations.. As usual, we weren't sure of our plans, so, hadn't made reservations.. When we showed up, they said that they didn't have any tables, but, we could eat in the bar area.. They usually don't let people under 21 eat there, but, we promised that our cousin who is 20 yeas old, wasn't going to drink and they were OK with that.. The rest of us shared a pitcher of Sangria.. It was quite good.. The thing I didn't like about it was that it had too much ice and the place was a little warm.. So, by the time we were ready for second servings, it was already a little watered down.. Well, it kept us sober, so, I'm not complaining too much.. They also brought out some bread and spiced butter for the table.. The bread was OK and the spiced butter wasn't too bad, but, was very heavy in Sage.. Now, for food.. we were 4 of us, with one person being a vegeterian.. So, we ordered 6 tapas dishes.. 3 veg and 3 non-veg.. We got.. 1. Patatas Ali-Oli  - Sauted baby red potatoes with a garlic mayo "Ali-Oli" .. Hmm.. this was OK.. I've had better at other tapas places.. It was way too garlicky.. 2. Setas Silvestres - Sauted garlicky wild mushrooms - Not bad.. Not bad.. I usually don't like mushrooms, but, I could eat this.. I would order it again.. 3. Canalones Rellenos con Vegetales Asados - Roasted vegetable stuffed cannelloni with creamy tomato manchego cheese - Now this was really good.. The sauce was amazing and we later used it for dipping sauce for the bread.. 4. Gambas al Ajillo - Garlicky shrimp - This was the last dish to come out and it was nice and sizzling and quite spicy.. Yum! The oil was nice to eat with the bread as well.. 5. Croquetas de Pollo - Chicken croquettes with Lola's savory tomato sauce - Hmm... this dish was also quite yummy, but, again, very heavy in Sage.. Tasted quite a bit like the thanksgiving poultry seasoning.. 6. Palmeritos - Baked Mediterranean dates wrapped in bacon - Was OK.. My cousin didn't really like the dates.. So, I ate the dates and he ate the bacon.. All in all... The whole experience was nice.. A little pricey, but, hey, what isn't in Back Bay.. I think I would go there again, just for the atmosphere.. Oh.. And their, rest rooms.. They are just outside the restaurant (no you don't have to walk out on street to get to them, just through the back door) in the building that the restaurant is in.. Not a huge deal, was just worth mentioning..