Pizzeria Lola

Chaz from Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev -9.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4

For the past year or so I've heard that this is the best new pizza place in the Twin Cities, and so I finally got a chance to try it (and I still haven't tried Black Sheep!)

It's not much to look at from the outside, but Lola has got a lot of novelty going on in its functional and quirky interior. From the re-purposed #10 tomato sauce cans-as-hanging lamps to the disco globe, to the photo booth pictures lining the wall to the back section, this is a fun and fairly unpretentious place, but with some seriously-good pizza.

The secret to their success seems simple -- a Kimchee Pizza. That's it? Yep; Lola incorporates a unique, ethnic Korean spin in its take on traditional Italian cuisine, including kimchee as a base/sauce for their Lady ZaZa pizza (it's very good) and a few very mild twists here and there that will have your tastebuds piqued.

There's a few pastas and some other non-pizza entrees and starters, but pizza is the star of the show. There's about fourteen to choose from, including a Hawaiian style pizza, a couple of vegetarian-focused pizza options, and several more themed pizzas with clever names. On this visit we tackled "The Iowan", "Lady ZaZa", and "My Sha-Roni!", a fairly traditional take on the old sausage and pepperoni standby. It's worth mentioning that I visited with a friend who is on a 'Paleo-diet' (and who had to break it to eat the crust), but he loves meat! So none of the rotating specials (squash pizza, seasonal, sauteed veggies as sides, some nice salad options... ) made it to our table. A pretty straightforward antipasto/charcuterie plate warmed-up our palates, as did an Indeed "Haywire" for me.

The tap selection is fine, with six mostly-local taps, including Fulton, Surly, and Indeed. Any more on tap and you'll probably be too confused between the tap and pizza choices to make a very quick decision, and the aromas will be killing ya!

As far as bottled beer selections, you'll find a half dozen import and premium domestic bottles, an equal amount of gourmet sodas and bottled juices, and a large-ish, well-chosen wine and bubbly list.

Also: homemade ice cream for dessert? Why not!

Altogether, this is easily worth the trip for the food, while the beer selection is a bonus.

Note: I am an old school cheapskate and would personally rate the value of this place in the: "$$$" category. Still, I am aware that -nowadays- the majority of serious, dedicated Craft Beer hobbyists-cum-Foodies are the sort of folks who earn enough coin to where they would consider the prices here to be reasonable if not "cheap", per se.

Dec 01, 2013

gatornation from Minnesota

4.19/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5

my favorite pizza place is also a great place to enjoy some great taps.Lola is always crowded but service always is good the pizza is stellar the atmosphere great always have a good time the taps are local and usually are seaonal or special release from the like of surly, indeed, fulton had some darkness there recently worth a visit for sure pizza is pricey but spectacular

Nov 23, 2013