So Lalo is a Asian-Latin fusion place that is now at a new location nestled between some sort of lobster place and a bakery. When we got there around 4:30pm on a Saturday, the sign on the door was flipped to say closed. But we saw people inside and their fire station style door was raised open so we came in and lo and behold they were open. The staff was initially very nice. We sat outside on a plastic fake wood patio table. We were served quickly and the waiter that we had was kinda born to be a waiter, he just had a very warm friendly demanor. We ordered the two most popular dishes as told by Yelp. The Mexi Pad Thai and the Drunken Brisket Burrito. The Mexi Pad Thai was out of this world. Such a wide diverse range of ingredients that all work together perfectly. A volcano of noodles to fill you up served piping hot where the core would actually burn your tongue while it's 60 something degrees weather outside. At first I thought pico de gallo would go weird with pad thai but it actually works really well together. The fresh tomatoes just become a natural part of the noodles since it's already a vegetable heavy dish. The chicken is present in good volume and it's fire-grilled and not dry! I can't recommend this dish enough. On the other hand though, the burrito was very one tone. Not much in the way of veggies other than a little bit of radish , red onion, and arugula on top. There was a lot of rice and just one line of brisket going along the burrito. The predominant flavor can be summarized as gravy. It just tastes like gravy no matter what bite you take. We got halfway through our meal before I got a page from work. I had to go urgently so I went to the bar/counter inside to ask for the check and the guy working there was not very nice at all. He was very short, gave a bit of attitude, and took a second ask for a take home box. I don't think I did anything to offend the guy but he was just an awful experience and if it wasn't for how good the pad thai was, I would consider never coming back. read more

Lalo - Very meh gravy flavored drunken brisket burrito - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The food is always great, but the restaurant doesn't have enough employees to keep it tidy. We came in on Friday around 8:00 PM and tables were stacked with dirty dishes. Not very appetizing, to say the least. This is not the first time this has happened. Get it together, LaLo. My friends don't ever want to return, but I'll give you another try sometime. read more

This place is outstanding!! Who would have ever thought Asian and Latin flavors would meld so well! I have loved everything I have tried so far! I have now visited multiple times, and have yet to be disappointed. I have tried the Mexican bibimbap, which is wonderful! I had the peanut and garlic noodles last night and it was one of the best noodle dishes I have ever had!!! Their tacos, quesadillas, and pad thai are great! The burritos are huge and taste great. I have also tried the drunken beef with rice, which was good, but seems to be missing something, since it's flavor was so tame compared to the flavors of their other offerings. Give this place a try, you will not be disappointed!!! read more

Small intimate location. Food was incredible. Loved the fusion mix of Asian and Latin flavors. Had the appetizer platter with the empanadas which were very good. The sangria tasted very sweet: more fruit juice than wine. I would have preferred more wine ( red). The flan was drizzled in chocolate and was wonderful. Ask for one of the very few window seats in order to people watch. read more

I joined a co-worker at Lalo today and it was a fairly cool experience. In concept, a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant should totally rock but it was just ok for me. The atmosphere was cool, lounge music was cool and our waitress was extremely pleasant. She recommended the Mexican Pad Thai which had good flavor. i would try Lalo again for Happy Hour perhaps. It has really great potential. read more

This is absolutely hands down my favorite restaurant in Cincy. Such a brilliant concept executed in the best possible way. I had both bibimbops, the soup, and the drunken brisket burrito. The drunken brisket is by far my favorite. Incredibly tender and flavorful, my God. Pretty big portion too. Heard their happy hour is really one of the best ones downtown. Haven't had the chance to have it, but I believe it when they say it. Servers are hilarious, eclectic, and upbeat. Great personalities serving great food is always a win/win. read more

Cute, spacious with delicious food. I had a chicken pozole with potato empanadas, they both had a interesting taste. Definitely can taste the two cultures in these dishes. read more

Lalo - Chicken pozole - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Meh. I had been looking forward to going here but the food was nothing to write home about. We had the pork dumplings, drunken bistro, fish tempura tacos and the bibimbap. Everything tasted like it needed some actual flavor. On a positive note, our waitress was really good and efficient! read more

Everything was delicious. Fish tacos. Mushroom quesadilla, pad Thai, queso, all yum yum yum read more

Lalo - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Just OK. Server was nice. I had the mexi pad-Thai. It didn't have many shrimp and the ones that were served were small and tough. It was appropriate for the price though. More on the low-end of pricing scale and it showed. As an out-of-towner I probably wouldn't return. read more

Lalo - Shrimp Mexi Pad Thai* House-Made Chunky Guac* - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Great little find! The place was small yet very nice. Our server was extremely friendly and patient as we were first-timers. I ordered the bibimbap with chicken and my boyfriend ordered the mexi pad thai with chicken. We both loved our dishes. The spicy sauce gave a lot of flavor to the bibibap yet it wasn't too much heat. The pad thai had a great pea nutty sauce that wasn't too heavy. The chicken on both dishes was great. read more

Lalo - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

A coworker recommended this place so decided to have a day date with my wife. Walking up to this tiny spot on the corner was a little suspicious but once I stepped inside it was a different world. They had Asian paintings on the walls and music playing. I knew I had to try it. They had a full bar but I decided to go with a moerlein IPA and of course some chips and salsa to start. Chips were a nice crisp and the salsa spice levels weren't overbearing. Then I ordered the Mexi bibimbop rice dish while my wife ordered the drunken brisket over rice. They weren't skimp on the portions at all and we both left with leftovers. They have a very diverse menu but it's cooked very well. I will definitely be back. read more

Consistently high quality food and service. Love that this is so near me!. Try any of the drunken brisquet dishes, the chicken curry burritos or the ramen soup with dumplings. All delicious. Want an adult beverage?. Their margaritas or mai tais are fantastic... read more

Came with a party of 7 and booked a reservation in advance to be sure we were seated. Our main attraction was the Asian food week special which was very good. My party got the bibimbap and tacos as our main entrees and those that got the bibimbap noticed that the items were not equally portioned (e.g. some had more kale than others and some were missing food items like broccoli). This was disappointing since the dishes were good. Table service was a bit inattentive and we were left without water refills and extra napkins for quite some time. The restaurant was very full for COVID times, almost every table was taken with minimal distance between so social distancing seemed to not be enforced. Food service was prompt and waitstaff was able to give good explanations of menu items though. read more

The food is fire!! Lots of vegan options which is nice. Will definitely be going back. read more

Lalo - Veggie Spring Rolls - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I went here a few Saturdays ago with a girlfriend. Food was amazing! HOWEVER, the older gentleman (ponytail) serving my friend and I made us super uncomfortable and kind of ruined the whole experience. He stared at us for long periods of time while at our table, made weird comments, and it just seemed like we were being rushed out. He literally was sweeping under all the guest's feet!!! LIKE NO JOKE... He smacked my ankle with the broom. I think going forward, to avoid a bad time and super weird service we will either ask for another server or order carryout. We love it there, but that man needs to find his chill. read more

So good! Tacos and margarita are awesome! Chips are great too. They hand make the tortillas each morning! read more

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I've been coming to Lalo for over 6 months, and selfishly had not written a review as I didn't want the secret of how great this place was to get out! Every time I come here it is easy to find a table, service is great, and food comes out quickly...I don't want that to change as they get more popular! However, Lalo deserves to be recognized for their hard work, incredible food, great drinks, and reasonable prices. I work nearby, so im usually here for lunch. My favorite is the 3 taco lunch special for $9. I have tried all the meats, and you can't go wrong! However, I HIGHLY recommend the drunken brisket, which is tender, flavorful, and eats more like a delicious short rib. Lalo does a great job of staying fusing Latin and Asian flavors, while remaining authentic to both. An example of this are there chips and corn tortillas....both made in house to ensure the freshest possible flavors. I still believe this is one of the best, hidden gems in downtown and highly recommend anyone to check it out. read more

We started the night with a passion fruit margarita for me and a skinny margarita for my wife, both were very good (especially the passion fruit one). The chunky guacamole was excellent although I would have wanted to get a bit more heat on it. I am very picky about my lomo saltado, and although this wasn't 100% Peruvian lomo saltado to my taste, this was an absolutely delicious dish that reminded me a lot of Peruvian Chifa (Chinese food) and I would definitely come here again just to eat this. My wife got the poblano mushroom margarita and loved it. This is amazing food and will definitely come back again and again. read more

Pretty good fusion tacos, had like a chicken curry one and a few others. Had a mezcal mule. It was decent but still a little syrup tasting read more

Lalo - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

This place was amazing. We picked it based on the Yelp reviews and it did not disappoint. We started with the empanadas and spring rolls. Delicious. We then had Miso soup,Mexican pad Thai, brisket burrito and arroz chaufa. Everything was really good. The portions were too large to eat at once! We were happy to find this place on our visit to Cincinnati. read more

Love the concept of Asian Latin fusion! The menu is creative and I cant't wait to try again.

I've ordered delivery from Lalo once & gone in person to the restaurant once, and honestly, going in person to the restaurant was less appealing. It feels a little dingy/hole-in-the-wall - didn't love the vibe. Atmosphere aside, the concept of Chinese/Mexican fusion is really interesting, but it seems very hit-or-miss. I tried the Mexi bibimbap twice - both for delivery & in person - but the flavors just weren't there for me. (I ordered it again in person because I thought having bibimbap delivered might have detracted from the hot bowl experience, but it tasted pretty identical.) It was a LOT of rice and pretty bland. I might be spoiled by some of the other legit Korean places in Cincinnati, but this was just too boring to be fusion bibimbap. The guac is good. The zucchini fries were cold and soggy by the time they were delivered - not Lalo's fault, necessarily - but it's an interesting concept (although they were a little too battered for me, even if they were hot and not soggy). What really drew me in, and made me want to try the restaurant in person, was the chile relleno - it was FANTASTIC. Full of flavor, a large portion, and I daydreamed about it for a couple of days afterward. Unfortunately, though, I couldn't find it on the menu when I returned in person. I'm not sure if the chile rellenos were just a special or if I missed them on the menu, but those alone are worth coming to Lalo for. read more

Super friendly wait staff and manager. Excellent service! Spartan, cafeteria style seating, but the atmosphere was so upbeat none of my party minded. Guacamole was good; large portion. Pork enchiladas were excellent, as were the beef tacos. Quality meat, cooked perfectly. Fish tacos a tad crispy, but other fresh ingredients saved the day there. Nice beer selection and margaritas were very good; not too sweet and had a nice kick. Table ordered two desserts to share; both heavenly. You can't judge a book by its cover. Driving by the place is very unassuming, but you'll enjoy both the food and atmosphere. Recommend! read more

YUUMMM!!! I recently moved to Cincinnati and this place was recommended as one of the best authentic restaurants in the area. The food, atmosphere, and service was amazing. Can't forget they also had a great Happy Hour menu ( 4:00-7-00pm). read more

Lalo - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I stopped here for lunch one day since my work decided that they were not going to serve good food to it's employees that day. I am forever thankful. Lalo was one of those spots I had known about for awhile downtown but never stopped in. When I pulled it up on Yelp I decided to make it down that way. I walk in and ask to sit at the bar. For you rookies out there the bar is where I always get the best service. I often eat alone so I can chat up the bartender, read a book, watch sports, or eat fast and go since the bartender is always there. For the entire meal I ask the bartender what he recommends: App - Curry Chicken empanadas: Decent but not that great without the curry dipping sauce Entree - Drunken Brisket Buritto: Large, flavor explosion, and meat so tender I probably could have used a child's spoon to eat it Dessert - Cheesecake Flan: Not a fan of either desserts separately but they made it into something I love Go feast and enjoy. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE!! cam here for lunch and it was amazing!! The awning could use a little cleaning but as soon as you step in, it's totally modern feel. I went with a larger group of 6 and they accommodated us wonderfully. Most of us got the 2 taco plate but one got the ramen and pad thai. Happy faces from all! The guac is great too. The aesthetic is light and modern. Will definitely be back. The curry sauce is a little spicier than I anticipated. read more

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Wonderful choice! So many neat options on menu--hard to pick. Not sure there is a bad option! The fajita quesadilla was fav. Then drunken burrito. Fish taco was another fav. Red sangria a hit but house strawberry margarita was the fav of the table. read more

Lalo - Burrito - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

One of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati. The asian mexican fusion is ridiculously incredible. A good problem to have; the menu is overwhelming fantastic -- I want to try everything. Best tortilla chips i read more

The drink selection is very nice, the food is very well priced and you get A LOT of food for so cheap, the staff are very kind, and the ambience of the restaurant is very nice. read more

Let me preface this review with this: the food is AMAZING. Beyond amazing. The queso and elote dishes are the best you'll find in Cincinnati. The tacos and burritos are flavored incredibly and keep you coming back for more. The portions are perfect and you will be more than satisfied. That being said, why am I giving Lalo 2 stars? Well, it probably has to do with the fact that I was in the restaurant for 3 hours. I wasn't having an 5 course pre fix menu at Alinea in Chicago; I was chilling at a Mexican-Asian fusion restaurant in Cincinnati. There's no reason for me to waste away my life for tacos. Tacos are good but not that good man. I kept telling myself maybe it was my fault. I had 7pm reservations, but my friends weren't there until around 715pm. But I stopped blaming myself when I couldn't find a hostess until nearly 7:30 to seat me or anyone else waiting. They were so understaffed that the idea of a hostess wasn't a thing...servers were just coming up to the stand to take a swing at seating people when they had the chance. Cool? What I'm about to tell you next I kid you not was a real situation. Our waitress did not come greet us until after 8pm, and she was carrying her son with her. Yes, that's right, we had two servers: our legally employed server, and her finicky two year old strapped to her side. Some may find his endearing, but I found this very uncomfortable and unprofessional. Anywho, we were ready to order all of our items, but she took our drink orders and scurried away for so long we had to yell when she walked past next and ask where our drinks were. She promised they were coming, which okay, they better be, I've been here for an hour now and there is no margarita in hand. When she finally took our orders, we ordered guacamole, queso, a hodgepodge of tacos, and elotes. The third waiting game then began. We saw overworked and frustrated servers attempt to serve what was only a half busy restaurant. We saw a manager lock the door early and turn people away even though they were scheduled to be open another 2 hours because they ran out of dishes. (I assume they've never heard of washing dishes?) And then my friends saw me snap. We had been there since 7:15 and it was nearly 10 o'clock. We were one of a half dozen restaurant patrons still sat. We hadn't even received our apps that we ordered. I got ahold of the manager and he apologized, saying the kitchen was backed up...????? We received our tacos and elotes straight after I talked to him. They forgot our appetizers, so I again had to ask for that. And let me tell you, the kitchen was NOT backed up. The food was lukewarm, like it had been sitting for more than a minute. They just straight forgot to bring us our order. I blame it on the two year old. He probably did something and our waitress took his needs above ours. Hey, I understand being a mother is important, but that's why you don't bring your child to work. The manager did at least admit their faults, as our total time clock was issued at over 3 hours, and comp'd our bill. But I will never ever get that time back. I could have been to Nada and had drinks at two bars in the amount of time I wasted at Lalo. The most disappointing part of this entire experience is that their food is GOOD. Bordering on great. I've had their food delivered to work and everything is excellent. The drunken brisket burrito is flavorful and hearty. And I still stand by my statement of their queso being better than Bakersfield and Frida. But until they get it together with their in house service, I can never eat in. read more

Lalo - Elotes, queso, guac, and tacos - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Sounded really promising/exciting but didn't quite make it. The danger of fusion restaurants! Started with the queso fundido with excellent tortilla chips. I got the 3 lettuce wraps plate. The mango lime shrimp one was really good, nice balance of flavors. The Korean carnitas was a little dry and didn't have much flavor-- had been expecting Korean-style spice/sauce. The tofu teriyaki was fine, but I've had better teriyaki sauce and it drowned out the flavor of the carrot slaw. Overall they also used 1 small piece of lettuce per wrap and it definitely needed another layer. My date had the mofungo, and said the flavor was totally eclipsed by the spicy mayo. Pork belly was also dry. The salad came out warm and the side of rice was dry. Service was scant and the layout was crammed so we could easily hear everyone's conversations. read more

I really enjoyed Lalo -- that atmosphere is nice and the menu is eclectic. The chips and salsa were just so so (loved the chips, salsa was meh) but the guacamole was super good. I ordered the ramen and it was amazing, lots of yummy vegetables in it, too! The drinks were just so so they need the expand the drink offerings imo. I will go again, though! read more

The quality of the food was outstanding. The level of service was even better. The water was chilled in glass bottles, the margaritas were hand made from scratch (wow they are good), and the food is served hot from the kitchen. There was literally nothing I could find wrong with my experience here and I am very particular - I also never write reviews. Looking forward to exploring more of their menu. read more

Really enjoyed the food here! We ordered the chicken curry empanadas, ceviche asiatico, chili verde, and limo saltado. I thought the food was a nice interpretation of Latino-Asian fusion. The empanadas, for example, use a dough that is more Latin in flavor/technique while the stuffing and sauce were more Asian (specifically Indian). I really liked them. Similarly with the lomo saltado, they used the same base ingredients as the traditional dish but included a sauce that incorporated a more Chinese flavor. Note: if you order soup, you will likely be satisfied with the CUP size (which is the size of bowls at other restaurants). There is a bowl option but you might want to save that for when you're really hungry. Staff was very friendly, helpful, and accommodating. Would recommend! read more

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We ordered the three tacos plate (the brisket was yummy) and the Arroz Chaufa (which I've had somewhere else and is different in looks and taste). It wasn't bad but it wasn't very tasty. Would come back if needed. read more

Lalo - Nice atmosphere - Latin American Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Located in a nice secluded spot on Court St with plenty of street parking near the patio. The Mexican /Asian cuisine was phenomenal, our margaritas were amazing along with the service. We definitely will be coming back. read more

Stopped in for dinner and had a pretty positive experience. The food was good and my portion was large. The service was friendly. I was between 3 and 4 stars here as the food was good but not over the top amazing. If we go back I will try the tacos as I had a bowl this time around. Good value as well as the prices were fair. read more

Well, YUM! This place is a gem, and I'm hoping the word gets out about how great it is! My family and I went for dinner and we all loved it! The food: The menu has a great selection of Mexican & Asian dishes, there were so many things that looked good, we had a hard time deciding on just one! We ordered the chips and guac as an appetizer. The chips were served warm and the guac was fresh and delicious! Lots of chunks of fresh avocado! We also ordered several margaritas, if you like spicy try the jalapeño margarita, it was amazing! For dinner I ordered the Sriracha BBQ quesadilla and it was delicious! My husband ordered the drunken steak burrito and he raved about it! Just a heads up, the portions are large! The vibe: The restaurant is awesome and has a modern/retro vibe. There are both tables and booths and seats at the bar! Plenty of open seating when we went for dinner. The Service: Service was pretty good, could have been a little faster, but the server was so nice and we weren't in a hurry so we didn't mind. Overall, awesome place, great dinner experience! Would recommend! read more

Wow! Lalo is delicious. It's been on my list to try for a while and it did not disappoint. The tacos were perfect and yummy. They're the right size for the right price. The curry chicken is my favorite so far. We also got a drunken brisket burrito. Holy crap was that sucker HUGE! It was easily the size of two large burritos. The Infusion of Asian flavors was tasty and a pleasant surprise. The zucchini fries ere super yummy too. Soft on the inside. Crunchy on the outside. Service was exceptional and the food was ready fast. Try this place!!! read more