I came here with a group of friends on a weekday night. It had opened somewhat recently so it was pretty busy but we came early to make sure we got seated quickly. The service was good and staff was friendly. While the interior vibe and decor is not totally my thing, it is definitely unique and well done. I appreciate it for what it is and would definitely say it's worth checking out. Based on their seemingly continued popularity, I'd say most people are all about it. All of our drinks were very good. I'm not usually a cocktail person but figured I had to try one given people's reviews. I can't remember which I got but it was something with brandy in it. It was too sweet for my taste, but certainly not bad (I finished it). A lot of people in the group ordered pizzas and felt all of them were delicious. I ordered the Chinese Pork & Chives dumplings. Well plated. I didn't love them, thought the flavor was a bit bland, but again, finished them. Overall, I'm just not into loud, crowded places and Lola's is just that. People really seem to like it, and it's filling a niche in the neighborhood for sure, so I highly recommend going and deciding for yourself. read more

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Short version: Spent over $50 for two drinks and a pizza, ended up leaving half the food and going a block away for something we could eat. Server explained to us that we don't know how to order food. -- Earlier, I was with six friend at the new Northside Lounge, which doesn't have food. I suggested Lola's, the others said the menu is confusing, the service is sketchy, and food is overpriced. I pointed out it's a new menu, one person decided to join me. The pizza was like drinking from a siracha bottle, scorch the mouth spicy ...but live and learn. We actually decided top come back and try something else in the future. When I suggested to the server they label the menu item as spicy, was told that's obvious, everyone knows that, and if I wasn't sure I should have asked. She said it wasn't that spicy to her. After several exchanges, we could see she was having a bad night, and she made sure we did too. She should be a lawyer, had a real need to prove she was right. At Slice's, we shared what happened with friends over a great burger, and now my new nickname is now Charlie Brown. They wanted to know how many times Lola's will pull the football away while I still keep trying. It's sad, because I'm from the Northside, and really wanted to like this place...but after seven tries, the jokes on me, and it is time to stop. There are over 315 bars, and over 240 restaurants, in the greater Madison area. Try out one of the others, including Mickeys. Beirock, Dexters, Bear & Bottle, Lazy Oaf, Slices or something new. read more

A solid option on the near north side of town. Love the aesthetics of the interior. They really live into the "lounge" aspect of their name. Warm and cozy-it was a great way to escape the cold of a Saturday winter night. Love the retro theme with seating at the bar, tables, and booths. Cocktail wise, they have a solid menu. I would like to see their liquor selection be a bit broader (especially their gin choices) but overall, no complaints. Food is solid but as in their cocktail menu, nothing outstanding. Ordered a few apps, pizza, and dandan noodles. I was surprised of the angel hair noodles as they are too thin and delicate to hold up to the sauce. Flavorwise, it was on point. Our cheese curds and deviled eggs were fine as were the dumplings and prosciutto pizza. It was an enjoyable night. Interior-wise, Lolas is well conceived with food and drink being fine. Would I wait almost 2 hours for a table as we did on that Saturday night? Nope. But I wouldn't hesitate stopping off hours if I was in the area. read more

Lola’s - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I came here on a Wednesday night with one other friend. The atmosphere was lively, impressive, and unique. I was feeling optimistic when reading over the menu. It was refreshing to see a Spring menu -- I feel like many places skip right to Summer. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. We ordered the deviled eggs as an appetizer. They arrived quite a bit before our cocktails. I love deviled eggs, however, I was not impressed by their version at all. I liked the potato chip on top. The bacon bits were horrible and had an unpleasant and gritty texture. The "yolk" was not very flavorful. We ordered the Veggie Fun-Guy pizza to share. The crust was good, but the flavor profile was extremely confusing. There was no creamy flavor to balance out the calabrian chile or the spring raab. The pizza was extremely bitter and the lemon oil amplified the effect. For a pizza named after fungi, I was surprised that there was only one type of mushroom. The menu reminded me of Nattspil, but the food was a far cry from Nattspil's quality. Overall, the atmosphere and cocktails were great, the menu seemed promising, but the execution was off. Since Lola's is a new restaurant, I'd return to give it another chance. read more

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Food was great, it was not your typical menu, but the uniqueness of the menu held up to its taste. The ambience is great with lots of fun little hidden things to check out. And the service was great, our waiter was funny and helpful with the menu, each cocktail we had was great and the prosciutto pizza was satisfying for two people who also got an appetizer. read more

great place if you can get in. apparently this is one place in town where they do not allow people to stand two deep at the bar. staff seems a little snooty. when you can get in, it is a great place to hang out and have a few cocktails. food leaves a lot to be desired plus it takes quite a while to get. read more

I went on a Saturday around 5:20pm and was able to snag a table for 3 right away. There's certainly a "vibe" at Lola's--the neon sign, record wall, phone booth--they make for a dark, vintage atmosphere. It feels somewhat intimate but has plenty of seating. Service was quick, our curly fries came out in about 5 minutes. And while decent fries, they seemed like the broken bits from the bottom of the bag and were anything but curly. I ordered the Passion Star Martini, which was delicious! For an entree I ordered the Thai Red Curry. Unfortunately, the curry was seriously lacking. The noodles were mushy and choppy and the lime was dried up. It was somewhat spicy but there wasn't much flavor beyond that. The mushrooms were a nice addition to the texture and presentation, but I was quite disappointed with the only vegan entree on the menu (the curly fries being the only other option). I'd love to see more well-executed vegan options because the atmosphere and drinks are wonderful! read more

Lola’s - Passion Star Martini, Thai Red Curry, Curly Fries - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We love Riley's in fact it's the only pizza that I'll eat and we drive miles to get one and usually take it to go cause they're so busy but their food is excellent. If you like the big pretzel theirs is the best I've ever ate. they have fast service and plenty of places to eat outside on picnic tables if you want and the drive is really pretty from where we live about 45 minutes away. Highly recommend it. read more

Yes! Lola's atmosphere is vibe. You feel you're transported to a 1960s recording studio. The staff are top notch- kind, knowledgeable and attentive. We sat at the bar and ordered drinks and food. Drinks were great. Food was meh. I ordered the butternut squash and sage ravioli - it came sort of crusty, which upon asking was broiled/crisped (but had the texture of being a day old- nice and soft in spots and hard on the corners). Not a lot of taste. Stick to just boiling the ravioli and don't try and do too much. Appreciated the amount of vegetarian options on the menu. Bartenders were great- answered our questions and checked in appropriately. We played the spinning wheel- which was super fun. For $1 you can pick a number and if your spin lands on your number (or a special, predetermined number you win a prize). My friend won an album! Two DJs were on Saturday night and the music was an excellent selection of oldies and chill vibes. Be prepared to wait for a table on a busy night. We put our name in (estimated time of an hour and a half) but we were able to snag spots at the bar. Will definitely go back for the vibe and atmosphere and willing to try other food- pizza looked and smelled good! read more

Amazing vibe, fantastic service, really good food...just what Madison has been missing! Love the decor, and our server was exceptional. We had the burger, a few pizzas, and the spicy dandan peanut noodles. Drink menu was fun but the drinks seemed a little light on the booze. I hope they add an espresso martini to the menu. Hosts were super friendly and accommodating, the bartenders were nice, fun, and not pretentious. The dj played great music. Definitely all around fun place with great food. Can't wait to go back! read more

Great food and atmosphere! Really enjoyed the two times I have eaten here! Would recommend trying the cheese curds and the wontons.

I truly wanted to LOVE this place so unfortunately I'm a little disappointed when I say that I really only just liked it. We got there just before 5 with no wait on a Saturday so that was nice, the inside is incredible and the decor blew me away. We sat down in a small room with a wall of vinyls that I stared at a good portion of the meal, we took lots of photos and really loved the scene that was set. Our server was extremely attentive but she didn't seem super interested in saying more than she had too. As far as food we got the deviled eggs to start which were good but quite expensive, for meals our server recommend the vegetable rangoons and the chicken dumplings as two things she really liked(we were asking our dumplings primarily). The vegetable rangoons were beyond underwhelming it felt like they put buffalo chicken dip inside and let it soak in sweet and sour sauce. The chicken rangoon was better but also not amazing it was a lot of straight ginger. I was still hungry after so we decided to try the pork dumplings and again I was disappointed by how much chili oil these things were put in. Overall it was pretty expensive but the pizzas looked good and again the atmosphere was so fun, definitely a good cocktail place. read more

I have been wanting to visit Lola's for a while and finally had the chance to do so last night. It did not disappoint! Food was excellent, cocktails were tasty, and service and ambiance were great. Will definitely be back! read more

This is a really great place! I stopped here for my first time this evening after leaving the office around 4pm. Wasn't crowded, but I could tell that by the end of the night it would be a full house. The hostesses and bartenders were all lovely people. Great to chat with and took good care of me! I've struggled with finding good places that are my style since I moved here to Madison from the south, but I can tell that I will return here quite often. Glad that I stumbled across this place! :) the Shrimp Po boy was great and I enjoyed my drink! read more

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Wow! What a cool place. Great service and food. Cocktails are ! Well worth the drive to the north side. Plus the restrooms are epic... you'll understand read more

Lola’s - a man standing at the bar - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Vibes, music, ambiance and service...immaculate. Drinks are good. Food is...not there yet. They're clearly trying to have an eclectic menu with a mix of flavor profiles, but nothing really stands out. Final verdict - come here for the vibes, the music and the people. Get a drink (or two). Skip the food. read more

Tried a lot more of the menu than pictured. Really good tavern style pizza if a bit pricey. Excellent curds and deviled eggs. The table got a lot of cocktails and was really pleased with their classics and in house takes. Vibe and decor was pulled off super well and was quite charming. Pull tabs included. read more

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Great atmosphere, drinks and food! The DJ played records, the music was spot on to match the vibe. Drinks were fantastic! Our group had a mule, Manhattan, gin martini, old fashioned, and passion star martini. All the food that came out looked delicious. We tried a few appetizers, some dumplings and fries, which were all wonderful. read more

sitting in at booth at lola's absolutely giddy! had 3 martinis and i intend on having at least 5 more. couldn't decide between tacos and nashville hot mac, so i made our server jay choose. can an american place do mexican well?? ill never know. suffice it to say, jay chose wisely. the nashville hot mac had the perfect kick! i'm still uncertain on the whole 'women's history month disco' because what does that mean?? but it's cool in here regardless! i'd gladly blackout here on the gin martinis, even with the strange music themes. read more

Lola’s - random martini. - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The newish Lola's is an easy hang, and backs up its too eager promo with a well trained staff, and plenty of visual aesthetic interest, right down to the prominently displayed vintage Jazz album covers. My only criticism is the food I've ordered so far. The last outing included a fried chicken sandwich which was not that much different in taste and presentation than what one would expect while on a layover at an airport (at a lower price). read more

Nice place. A very good vibe with a speakeasy feel. DJ playing albums definitely produced a relaxing atmosphere.

If you don't like Lola's you must be the only one in Madison. I know because everytime I have gone to Lola's everyone in Madison is trying to get in there. The atmosphere is terrific, the drinks are great and the food is basic but very creative. Try it, you'll like it! read more

There's a reason people are lined up outside Lola's at 4 pm waiting for it to open. Everything here is intentional, from the thoughtful acoustics that allow you to hear your conversation AND enjoy the music, to the small but creative and satisfying menu, to the swank-retro-comfortable ambiance. And adequate staffing numbers - thank you! In a class by itself for the overall experience, and wildly superior to others in this price range. read more

Shhh. Too good to be true. Love the vibe, vinyl and vintage speakers behind the bar. Drinks were great and service was fast and friendly. I will be back! read more

The only thing that can possibly be bad here is the waitlist. Lola's is a small space with a large ambiance. The menu, although small, is absolutely amazing. Beaver and Co. know what they are doing. read more

I'd went here a few weeks back during a packer game with my sister after much hype in the culinary community and I can say, it did not disappoint! Our sever was so very sweet, and did a great job recommending menu items. The cool running's drink was very good, mixing a nice blend of coconut, banana, and that smooth finish you get from the milk. The chicken sandwich was seasoned well, really tender, and complemented the fries perfectly. The only thing I would note was that the bread to chicken ratio was too much. I'd opt for a smaller bun. Inside is very cozy, combining the elegance of leather, glass, and the vinyl record. Not to mention the pink and marilyn monroe theme running throughout- timeless. I can't wait to return to sit in the cozy booths, order a few cocktails with friends, and put that record on. What a great addition to the Madison food scene. If you haven't yet, Lola's makes a great addition to add to the list of restaurants you must attend. read more

Lola’s - Cool runnings cocktail (it was full once upon a time) - American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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The place has amazing decor and great music. As for the food, for the price was not amazing. We were waiting awhile for our food to find out they burnt our pizza. So we had to wait even longer. They didn't offer any type of token of sincerity. read more

Great ambience! The food was spectacular, and the service was amazing. Would recommend for anyone looking for a fun and delicious dinner option read more

The drinks and bartenders were great. I'm a little concerned about the menu. Too much variety tells me that this Sysco packaged food. I started with the beer cheese soup, it was a good cream soup, a little light on the beer. Usually with beer cheese soup, there is a hint of beer. I followed with ordering the "Royal with Cheese." It was nothing of the sort, not worth the $15. It was a thin, rubbery Sysco patty, over-salted with American cheese and 3 pickles, and a large bun that overtook the sandwich. The bartender was gracious enough to take it off the bill. So if you looking for great drinks and ambiance, Lola's is a great place. I plan to visit for drinks, but I'll just make sure to eat BEFORE I go to the bar. Hey, don't get me wrong, serving packaged food at a bar is O.K., just don't bill me for it like it came out of a quality kitchen. read more

too loud to talk to companions, much like a college bar. wait staff judgemental and rude beyond their experience or intelligence agonizingly long wait, on a monday, to get a table building smelled of mold, as in leaking roof and plumbing burned and mediocre food at best, also expensive table staff confused and inattentive expensive mixers sold as boutique but made with syrups as a bonus, an hour later, exterme vomiting and diarea for younger person and adult, two persons that had not been anywhere together for a week you tell me, is this worth a $150 check ? no wonder they keep the windows closed, it's like a roach motel, you check in but if you manage to check out, well that's about it. i'll give it to you, a much better experience can be had at the villa tap or dexters, not 'fancy' but at least they care if you survive. this reminds me of the scene in new york, there'd be this 'awesome' new place that you had to go to, turns out it was fashionable CRAP. Shouldn't have surprised me that the same stupid tricks in NYC are now fleecing people in maple bluff. gotta keep the BS detector tuned even in flyover country. read more

Really cool place with retro vibe that is unique for Madison. Best cheese curds I've ever had. The drinks were good but tiny. I would suggest that they allow the pub tables and area near the bar to be used to mingle and wait to be seated. There is very little standing space so feels claustrophobic and rushed. No space to chat and just have a drink with friends unless you get a table or booth read more

We stopped in after a concert at Breeze Field. Great atmosphere. Good service. Fun drinks. Good food.

Great vibe! Cheese curds were very different from what I have had in the area and they were amazing. Meatzy pizza was also very good. Passion fruit martini was yummy! Elijah(Cody) was a great waiter. Very friendly! read more

Service. Is. Awful. Don't try to stand at the bar. They may kick you out. DONT wait. Not worth it. Awful service

Great place with great vibes! Show up early if you don't want to wait.. but it's worth the wait. Curds are amazing. Everything taste high quality and freshly made. read more