This is where it's at. From their hand made tortillas to their unique salsas, this place definitely is worth the hype. And despite being in a store front that may feel like a hotel lobby, the flavors that they bring are as homey as it gets. We did visit twice during our stay in SD, and honestly was the best we had. They have amazing, solid cocktails too. Does it feel a bit pricey? Not quite. It is worth the food and the service. read more

Michelin bib gourmand Mexican spot from Chef Drew Bent who won an episode of Beat Bobby Flay. Came on a random weekday evening. Party of four. Wasn't busy and we got seated right away. Was told we could sit anywhere so we opted for an outdoor patio spot. Was almost 10 min without a waiter welcoming us or coming by the table. Bartender/Host had to step in to grab us menus and send the waiter to us. Otherwise, service was friendly and attentive. Tried a variety of the tacos which, overall, were pretty good. Steak taco was cooked perfectly and definitely a highlight. Fish taco was also light and cooked well. Got some beans on the side that were a big hit. Corn and cotija ice cream was unique and enjoyable. A nice end to the meal that wasn't too sweet. read more

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I was really disappointed in this restaurant. I am unsure how it has gotten multiple Michelin stars. Service was slightly below average, our waitress was not checking on us and there were multiple times where we were out of water and we didn't get a refill for a while. Food was underwhelming. Tortillas were not heated enough and were chewy. Substantially lacking in protein in the taco as well as other ingredients in the taco. Each bite was mostly tortilla. read more

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(Long review up ahead) I tried Lola55 back in 2018 at a UC San Diego URBAN event. The event was awesome and I remember the tacos being a huge highlight of the evening. It took me 8 years to visit the actual Lola55! To be honest I lost my faith in them when they opened at the UTC mall back in February 2025. I don't know what they were thinking then but the quality simply wasn't there. Fast forward to 2026 and I find myself at their OG location. So many friends and colleagues would always ask me "Have you tried Lola55?!". I've now visited twice, once with friends and once with my husband. It helped to go with friends who were regulars as they shared their favorites. The second time around we knew exactly what to order. My favorite are definitely: Carnitas tacos- O.M.G. AMAZING, DELICIOSO. Ceviche - Yum! Cilantro, lime marinate with a habanero kick. Steak taco- yum, with the salsa and toreado chile adding extra special flavor. Their tortillas are fresh Their beans are delicious! The mesquite coals definitely take over the entire establishment. The Camino Margarita made with Mezcal is out of this world. I don't even like mezcal! If Lola55 isn't it, I don't really want to know what is it. It's not about the tacos, or the margaritas, it's not even about the smell of the place. It's more closely to the ingredients you know and grew up with, showing up in ways. In many different and particular ways. In similar dishes but somehow better. This is rare. Thank you for letting me get to know what is Lola55. HH Sun-Fri, 2-6pm read more

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I've been wanting to try this restaurant for so long. I found myself downtown with some time to kill so I decided to stop by for a taco. I chose a fish taco. Delicious, but pretty spicy so be careful with that. Nice piece of crispy fish on a homemade tortilla. It has lettuce instead of cabbage. It was pretty small, especially for 7+ dollars and I had to feed the parking meter, too. I would love to try some of their more unique tacos. Service was quick and friendly. Restaurant is spotless. read more

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Love the ambiance of this restaurant! It's cute and can go for either a date night or girls night! I went with my bestie before going to a music event down the street! We wanted something fresh to drink and the server recommended getting one of their fresh juices with a shot or two of tequila! I ordered the watermelon juice with 2 shots and I loved it! The tacos were super delicious, my favorite was the the fish taco and the zucchini flower! read more

Lola 55 - Watermelon margarita - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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What a gem of a place! I was lucky enough to meet the Chef at a special curated dinner and everything we had was delicious- not to mention the kindness and passion that all of the workers have. Will 100% be back. PS if you can try their soft shell crab taco, don't miss out on the opportunity! read more

Lola 55 is hands down one of the best taco spots in San Diego. The space downtown has an awesome, airy, industrial vibe that's perfect for a casual lunch or grabbing drinks before a night out. The food completely lives up to the Michelin Bib Gourmand hype. The Baja Style Fish Taco is elite--the batter is incredibly light and crispy, and the fish is super fresh. The Smoked Carnitas and the Ribeye tacos are also massive standouts with an amazing depth of flavor. Make sure to pair the food with one of their mezcal or craft margaritas; the cocktail program here is just as good as the kitchen. It's high-end, creative culinary quality at a totally reasonable price point. read more

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Everything about my meal at Lola 55 was great. My friend is vegan so I asked her if there were any places in the area she'd recommend and this place did not disappoint. The ingredients for my Mesquite Chicken Bowl were so fresh. The chicken was seasoned and cooked perfectly. And the salad ingredient were also very crispy and delicious. The skinny margarita was also delicious and the hint of pint is apparently a blood orange. Server was very attentive and quick to take our order as well. The restaurant is very airy with a lot of natural light shining through. I also thought that the food and drinks were reasonably priced for the Downtown San Diego area. read more

Elevated are the food, service, and ambiance at modern Taqueria Lola 55, as expected of a place with consecutive years of Michelin recognition. FOOD SPECIALS 5/5 Quesa Birria Taco slow cooked chuck birria (flavorful and tender), melted oaxacan cheese (lots), avocado mousse, habanero pickled onions (not spicy imo) & pasilla salt (expect grease!) 5/5 Two taco plate with chipotle rice and Lola's Beans (it's a deal when you add a third taco): 5/5 Steak Taco marinated wood fired steak (cooked well per server recommendation as this is flank), potato mash (not sure I had this), avocado mousse, (very) smokey pasilla salsa, crispy onions (nice texture and flavor), jalapeño toreado (pickled) 5/5 Baja Style Fish beer battered local fish (so tender), jalapeño remoulade chorizo-tomato vinaigrette, bitter greens, pickled serranos, purple basil. read more

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I've lived downtown for years and can't believe this was my first time trying the food. Tacos were yummy (carnitas and birria) and the corn was great on a summer night. The margs are a great deal for happy hour too! A little pricier than some of the tacos downtown but worth it for quality and great drinks. read more

If you've never been here, it's a MUST! The food is off the hook good. And, they even have a happy hour! The staff is incredibly attentive and helpful! They give great recommendations, are friendly, and simply gracious. Treat yourself to this establishment and you will not be disappointed! read more

This place had so many michelin signs displayed, and highly reviewed, we decided to give it a shot. The tacos were just okay. The pork belly adobada was the best one, the other ones we tried were not special at all. Living in San Diego, we have way better taco places to enjoy. The interior was nicely decorated, it was not crowded, and i appreciated that the prices were not exorbitant for this type of establishment. read more

Lola 55 - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I have passed this place many times saying I'd try them out for years, and I finally did. The place is part of Idea One building and is bright, with an open concept. The greenery all throughout gives it an airy yet urban vibe, so 9/10 on ambiance. Tried their fish tacos, which was filling and fresh - a 10/10. Their chips and guacamole however, missed the mark 5/10, only because the chips were a bit stale. But it wasn't a deal breaker. They have happy hour during the weekdays, so you'll see me come back for that to try out their drinks and other tacos. read more

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Really great tacos fresh and came out hot. The Posole was my friends "best one I've ever had in my life and hit the spot" Service was friendly Great place for larger parties Ambiance: great except the smoke from the kitchen/ ventilation made a few people stuffy and runny noses. If ventilation could be fixed I think the experience would be 5 stars. read more

The food is innovative and delicious, with sophisticated flavors. We especially liked the squash and fish tacos. The horchata ice cream was a special treat. The service was attentive, warm and welcoming. read more

Evidently they have multiple Michelin bib gourmand awards, the food was gorgeous, Baja fish taco was really delicious and the rice and beans were really really good as well, I prefer my carnitas a bit crispier but all the food was gorgeous and delicious. Highly recommend! read more

Lola 55 - Baja fish taco on the left, carnitas taco on the right, and beans and rice. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

My wife and I heard about this from a couple we met at Eppig Brewing who were raving about it. We get why they got back to back Michelin bibs. It has to be 1 of the most under rated Mexican restaurants in San Diego. We ordered the following dishes, ceviche, Caesar salad with steak, fish taco, Al pastor taco, pork belly taco, churro, and a mezcal margarita. The ceviche, fish taco, and margarita were just ok - they were good but just ok. What stood out for us were the dishes that had meat. The meats weren't dry and very tender. Those were delicious. Also their rice and beans, for some reason was hella good. The service was good as well. We will be coming back to try more dishes. read more

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The food is the main reason this place has a reputation and Michelin awards, and the tacos truly are very good. It is not the most authentic experience but it is definitely a delicious one. The tacos are great and the desserts, especially the churros, are a must try. They are by far the best I have had and simply perfect. The service is also good. Everyone is attentive and the drinks are fine. If I were to list things I do not like about the place, the first would be their lounge style seating. It is not comfortable for eating and they do not have tables that seat more than four people inside. The second would be that it is not ideal if you are in a rush. I ate my tacos in ten minutes and ordered no drinks, yet the entire visit took around one hour and fifteen minutes, even with no wait to be seated. read more

Lola 55 - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Lola 55 is a gem! This restaurant is large and spacious with big windows, open seating, a full bar and artisan tacos. Drinks start at around $13 and there are also fresh Agua frescas. Service is quick and friendly. I would love to see a HH menu here.. We ordered pork belly adobada, smoked carnita, Baja style fish taco and squashroom tacos. Pork belly adobada(7.5/10) thick slices of pork belly with lots of greens. I thought the sauce overpowered the pork belly and wasn't a huge fan of this one. Smoked carnitas(8/10): the pork shoulder is confit for 72 hours and topped with tomatillo. You can definitely taste the love they poured into making this one. It's incredibly tender. Baja style fish(9/10): one of my favorites. Fish was crispy and topped with greens and the sauce complemented this dish perfectly! Don't skip this one Squashroom(10/10): where else can you find a taco with squash blossom, battered locally grown lions mane mushroom with beet soyrizo? The beet soyrizo is smokey along with a bit of spice. I loved the textural components of this dish. I could order just 3 of these and be happy read more

Lola 55 - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

How have I not posted this??? Bottom line...eat here!! Their tacos are all amazing, and their sides are mouthwatering. Tortillas are made fresh in the open kitchen. Lovely bar as well although beer menu is a bit limited. Staff is incredibly friendly, service is quick. Ample indoor and outdoor seating with a Mexican street cafe vibe. read more

Lola 55 - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

It's been a while since I've been back and this place is still great. Got to come in for happy hour this time which runs till 6, even on Fri! The space was busy but we were able to get seated right away with our group of 4 at 5:30. We got a round of margaritas ($7) and ordered a few chicken and pork tacos (each $4) off their happy hour menu. Such a great deal, especially for the quality. Both tacos were delicious but I had a slight preference for the pork since it had a nice textural contrast and I loved the avocado in it. Service was very friendly although we did have to call our waiter over after waiting a bit to get our food order in but the restaurant was busy. read more

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Lola 55: 8.5 I can see why this place is on the Michelin guide, from fresh tortillas to pork being cooked for 72 hours, this place was worth the trip. Service: 11/10 you have to go here just to dine with Hailey - she was awesome from start to finish and even when they were sold out of the carnitas she was able to get me a portion. Aesthetic & Ambiance: 8.5/10 super chill, nice upscale bar vibes with open airy aesthetic. Ambiance was chill during the lunch time with no wait. They do smoke the meat there so you probably will leave smelling a little smokey. Masa fritas: 8/10 interesting fried little chip with a punch of seasoning and flavor TACOS: Smoked carnitas: 7.5/10 for being smoked for so long, it was good but not the star. Mesquite chicken: 3.5/10 honestly not that great and wayyyy to spicy Steak:9/10 it's one slab of steak and it's delicious! Perfectly cooked and delicious bark. read more

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Service was great but the food was terrible . Tortilla was undercooked , carnitas was very salty almost inedible. Fish taco was soggy and Inside had whole bunch flies. Water had something floating. I would rather go to tacos el gordo or even del taco lol read more

Parking was a bit of a headache since it was the night of a Padres game--nearby lots were charging $10 an hour, which felt inconvenient. Once inside though, I loved the modern vibe of the dining area. You order at the register and they bring your food to the table, which keeps things simple and efficient. The menu is small but curated to the essentials. One of the coolest parts was watching them make the tortillas fresh right in front of you--those tortillas ended up being my favorite part of the meal! We ordered the Caesar salad, which I'd rate a 2/5. The dressing was just okay, but the croutons were surprisingly delicious. I also tried a steak taco and a fish taco. The steak taco was the star--perfectly cooked and flavorful. The fish taco was nice and crispy, but it didn't taste like a traditional fish taco, so I'm a little on the fence about it. Overall, the quality of food for the price makes this spot worth coming back to. They also have a great bar with a solid selection of mixed drinks. I had the Michelada, which uses a vegan mix--slightly tangy but a nice touch, especially for anyone vegan. Would definitely return for the tacos (and those tortillas!). read more

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We came here on Saturday before a comedy show and were really looking forward to it based on the photos and strong reviews. Unfortunately, the experience didn't live up to the hype. The biggest issue was the service. It took over 30 minutes just to get our drinks from the bar, and they didn't arrive until after our food had already been served. That's a pretty big miss. The food itself looked great, but it lacked flavor across the board. Everything was just... underwhelming. Not terrible, but definitely not what we expected given how it's presented online. To their credit, they did offer to make it right with a complimentary dessert, which we appreciated. However, the overall service felt disorganized, and the interactions with our server were awkward and didn't help the experience. Not rude at all - just very odd. He would walk away from the table as we were in the middle of speaking to him (multiple times). It seemed like he was either new to the job or new to serving because all of our interactions were very awkward. Overall, I really wanted to like this place, but between the slow service and bland food, it just didn't deliver. read more

Lola 55 - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

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We ended up at Lola 55 after seeing all the hype and recommendations. There are definitely some good things about the place, but overall the food just didn't live up to expectations for us. We tried quite a bit: the elote, ceviche, quesabirria, steak, carnitas, and mesquite chicken tacos. The quesabirria was probably the best thing we had, and the steak was decent. Carnitas was okay as well. My biggest issue was the balance of the food. A lot of the tacos felt overdone and overcomplicated, with too much pickling and citrus/acid showing up throughout the meal. After a while, those flavors started overpowering the meat rather than complementing it. I would have preferred more focus on great meat, tortilla, salsa, and balance rather than so many competing flavors. The other major negative was the atmosphere. The mesquite smoke inside was overwhelming. You smell it immediately when you walk in, and it feels like you're going to leave smelling like it. I'm not a fan of that at all. There were also a lot of flies around our table, which made the experience uncomfortable and raised some concerns for us about the overall environment. The restaurant was surprisingly dead when we visited, and considering the prices and reputation, I expected a lot more. There are some creative ideas here and I can understand why some people really like it, but it wasn't for us. The quesabirria was the highlight, but overall I'd put Lola 55 around 2.5-3 stars. read more

I got the Steak, Pork Belly, Chicken, Baja Fish, Cauliflower, and Smoked Carnitas. The service was great. Jacob was a great server and bartender. The food I would give an 8.3 out of 10. Loved everything, but the Chicken tacos were ok. Very relaxed ambiance and environment. read more

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Beautiful place to eat. Parking on the streets were ample, but paid of course. We must have entered the wrong door because there was nobody to greet us - there was a sign to alert us to go to the bartender to be seated however. Not many people on a Monday early evening which was nice without a long wait. Ordered the asada platter, steak taco, and for the kids, the rice and beans with choice of protein (chose chicken). Food was good, especially the beans and corn tortillas, but the seasoning for the tacos was not very memorable, didn't really excite my taste buds. Kids liked the rice and beans plate, really appreciated they had a kids menu since the tacos had a spicy kick or the meat was too chewy for them. Ended the meal with churros, which were amazing! Overall a nice experience. read more

Visited Lola on a quiet Saturday afternoon. Service was friendly and very attentive. Chips , Guacamole and salsa were perfect! Our party of 3 ordered literally one of every taco between all of us. QuesaBirria and Classic Baja Fish were absolutely spot on and I would return for these two. My wife also said the rainbow cauliflower was excellent. The chicken, pork belly, steak and carnitas were all honesty just ok. Under-seasoned and just kind of mid for that price. I might come back but probably not considering all of the incredible tacos available in SD. read more

I went to Lola 55 this morning after hearing so many good things about it. I ordered two huarache one birria, one steak and a side of chicken to go. After running a few errands, I got home and started eating. The birria huarache was absolutely delicious great flavor and easily the highlight of the meal. Then I opened the steak huarache. It looked fine, so I picked up a piece of steak and took a bite. When I looked back down at my food, I found a dead fly in it, Needless to say, my appetite was gone. It's incredibly disappointing because the food had so much potential, but finding a dead fly in my meal is unacceptable. I wanted to love this place, especially after such a great start with the birria, but this completely ruined the experience read more

Lola 55 - Steak huarache. - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

I don't even know where to start. The food is delicious but the poor service outweighed the delicious food. We decided to dine here because we found it on the Michelin guide. We had a reservation for 530pm inside and ended up being sat outside. They don't have anyone up front so we didn't know who to check in with. They pointed us to where we had to sit and it took them 30 mins to even greet us. We ordered drinks right off the bat and it took them about an hour to bring them all out, I personally didn't get my drink until after I finished eating. It was very frustrating , seeing that every other table was getting their food and drinks while we had already been there over 45 mins. I figured since we had kids they would try to get us in and out. The food was so good, that I was so disappointed with the service. I'm not sure if I would go again :( read more

I came to Lola 55 for the first time last night. For a Michelin-rated spot, there were some ups and few too many downs, but let's start with the good. The restaurant is very nicely designed and the staff are really helpful. It's comfy and modern, with super high ceilings, a fully stocked bar, and even some couch seating. Staff do their best to keep up with the rush and are always responsive. The highlights of my meal were the masa frita, rice and beans, and chicken taco. The masa frita were incredibly flavorful and memorable. The rice and beans were pretty good as well. The pickled onion in the beans was a nice touch that helped balance flavors. The chicken taco was by far the best taco, and it was spicy (but I love it hot). On the other hand, the steak, pork belly, and fish tacos were all kind of 'meh'. The pork belly had a slightly off flavor...and just wasn't all that flavorful to begin with. The steak taco was really, really chewy--like way too chewy. I felt like a dog playing tug of war. The fish taco, though, was dreadful. When you first bit in it tasted OK, but the aftertaste was extremely fishy and off-putting. Overall, I think a couple menu items are worth it here--masa frita, chicken taco, and the ice cream (which I forgot to mention)--but otherwise it's way too pricey for what you're getting. $30 for a few tacos and beans? And what are these Michelin inspectors smoking? I've had better tacos for 50 pesos at a random street vendor after a 5-minute walk into Tijuana. read more

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This place is wowowow. We ordered a variety of tacos - pork belly al pastor, steak, Mesquite chicken, smoked carnitas, and baja style fish as well as elite which was part of the daily specials. Also tried a house marg with special house salt/seasoning rim. Everything was delicious. You can tell this place really takes the time to make sure all the flavors align. It's not pretentious but impressive. I would definitely be back if I lived in San Diego. Don't sleep on this place. read more

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Came here for lunch, first time in San Diego and decided to try a Michelin Bib gourmand. Ordered elote, fish taco, steak, smoked carnitas, al pastor, and mesquite chicken My favorite was definitely the steak and fish taco. Chicken has some heat to it so be careful if you cant handle spice. Overall, all tacos are very solid. I liked the casual vibe of the restaurant. Very good and deserves the michelin bib gourmand award. Very worth it, would definitely come back again if I'm in the area as a regular. Elote was my gf's favorite. read more

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I want to give this place some love. We have been coming here almost weekly for years. They are always on point. The food is affordable and it's all fresh, homemade quality. The Cesar salad, rice and beans, fish taco and horchata ice cream are our favorites. I love that you no longer have to order at the counter. Very nice space. I highly recommend! read more

It was our first time here and we were so excited to try it! It was a Wednesday night and not busy at all. The restaurant is very spacious and lots of seatings. We came and ordered at the bar right away. Caleb was super helpful and found out if certain things were fried in lard for us because we don't eat pork. We got the Baja fish taco, steak taco and I think chicken quesadillas. Elote and churros for dessert. Everything was so so good! I thought the Elote would be cut up for us but this way was ok too! Definitely will be back! read more

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Look, I get it, they got a star. I've gone multiple times now and the service improves with every visit, so that's good (shrug). Tortillas are amazing, that's for sure. Got the steak taco cooked they way chef recommends (rare/med-rare), I'd recommend just skipping it entirely. It's under-whelming and you've had better elsewhere, promise! The carnitas was amazing! Nice crisp on the outside of the meat, smoked for 72 hours, insane! That I would order again for sure. Want something with a more fat on it, try the pork belly. Go here to try new things, especially at $7 a taco! I think it's a bit overrated but fun to try new things. The interior, pass. Lastly, I've NEVER seen this place packed. They've been open since 2018 so they're doing something right because that's a lot of real estate to pay for. read more

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Honestly some of the best more-boujee tacos in San Diego! My coworkers recommended this place and I was not disappointed. It is located downtown so I can see how parking can be tough. Very clean restaurant and really friendly staff! I've tried their fish, steak, and cauliflower tacos. 2 tacos is a good amount for 1 person! I've dined in all the times I've visited and there's plenty of seating. The tortillas are some of the best I've had, and the proteins are well cooked. My favorite so far has been the steak taco. The only thing is that service is a bit slow, so expect to wait a bit if you come here. read more

Lola 55 - Mexican Near Me - San Diego, California

Came here because it was Michelin recommended (and so did everyone else, what an unoriginal experience hahahahah). I came in around 8:15pm on a Thursday and it was very empty. There was only one other couple there. There's a lot of seating with a bar area as well. It's definitely a very aesthetic place and coming here during the day would probably be very different than the 8pm dining experience. My friend and I ordered the pork belly al pastor taco, the baja style fish taco, and the smoked carnitas taco. The pork belly taco was so unique, and the pork belly melted in my mouth! It was something I'd definitely get again and not something I've seen anywhere else. The carnitas taco had this delicious flavor/seasoning that I preferred over the pork belly al pastor. The baja style fish was also delicious! It was super crispy and the sauce was just chefs kiss, chefs hug, chefs embrace :--) As a cheapskate, I would say despite the price, it's worth trying these tacos! They're a bit larger than an average street taco. My only strange feeling about this was was the ambiance -- it wasssss a bit strangely/quiet, and the service wasn't anything special. If you're reading reviews-- just go and blow that $6 on a taco, it's totally worth it! read more

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