Another one where I struggle to rate. I'd give a 3.5 but that's not an option…read more
So this is a fast casual, Tex-Mex/Americanized Mexican food place. They have a drive through as well as counter service indoors. I didn't go inside, but it looked bright and nice and new from the outside.
From what I've read, this is meant to be a competitor/similar concept as Little Rosie's. Little Rosie's is to (big) Rosie's as Lola's Cocina is to Phil Sandoval's. Pared down menu, more fast casual concept, more casual service (drive thru or counter), breakfast options, light alcohol, etc.
I will be the first to admit this is not my preferred way to eat Mexican food; I am a notorious non-fan of both Little Rosie's and Taco Mama. I just tend to find it on the bland, uninteresting side. Therefore, I'll probably never have a 5 star experience at a place like these restaurants because they're simply not for me. This factors into my rating, as well as the fact that I only tried one thing and therefore don't feel like I have a super good idea of an "average" offering here.
For what it's worth, however, I did like the food I had here more than I did at nearby Taco Mama and Little Rosie's. I'm getting ahead of myself though.
I arrived fairly late on a Saturday evening and pulled through the empty drive through. It took a minute or two for me to be acknowledged, but no biggie, it was slow. The employees weren't impolite but I did sort of got the vibe they wished I hadn't come by, lol. Just rather curt and miffed vibes. It wasn't THAT late - definitely more than an hour til close - so idk if that was really warranted.
I wasn't super hungry and just wanted something quick and easy so I ordered the appetizer nachos with ground beef, hold the guacamole (I know, I know, guacamole is the best food ever...or something). What I paid for it was VERY reasonable for the size of what I wound up getting, though I think some of the other menu offerings do seem a little pricey ($13-$15+ for two tacos with chips and one side, no drinks).
I only had to wait a few minutes at the window for my food to come out. One thing I really didn't like is that they used one of those little handheld credit card readers for payment, which in itself is fine...but it prompted for a tip. I always feel super guilty if I don't tip when prompted so I guess I'm the target audience...but to be honest, I don't think I've ever been prompted for a tip at a food service drive through (outside of a coffee shop, but that seems a little different since the person taking your order is also often making it, whereas I don't think that's the case here).
Idk, I'm not above like a tip jar on the window sill or something but it was just really jarring. I also didn't love passing the reader back and forth out of the window.
Anyway, my food came out in a timely enough manner and, as I mentioned earlier, in quite a generous portion. Though it's an appetizer, these nachos were more than enough to make a meal out of; heck, you could split them for two meals if you had average and not-huge appetites. I ate maybe 35% of mine.
On the whole, they were good nachos. The queso is more like rotel-ish (yellow rather than white), but it was flavorful. The jalapeños had a nice kick though they were not crisp like I ideally prefer them. The toppings were layered nicely and evenly throughout the chips, which themselves were solid enough. The sour cream was in one corner of the carryout box, but it was easy to get a scoop when desired. The ground beef wasn't crazy flavorful but it was unobjectionable and cooked well.
Again, I'm a little suspicious of other offerings based on other reviews and my own personal preferences, but the nachos seem a safe choice. Overall, I'd probably return here for more nachos if I just so happened to be craving Americanized Mexican/Tex Mex food. That's an almost impossible scenario for me lol, but I have many friends and family members who love this cuisine, so perhaps I'll try to sway them to come here when next the craving hits. I'll update if and when I try other things.