Lolita’s Cocina & Tequila Bar, Back Bay, Boston

Cuisine: Mexican

This place is so unique and somewhat hidden from the wandering eye on Dartmouth Street, steps away from the infamous Newbury Street. With a red lantern light pointing the way, you are caught off guard (in the best way possible) with what the place looks like inside. Immediately, you find yourself in a dark, sultry basement. Red and black lace adorns the walls, and Gothic but Mexican themed décor is everywhere you look. It’s kind of odd but it reminds me of a haunted yet enchanted palace. The place is beautifully edgy. You can grab a freaking awesome drink at the bar and kick back in the lounge area as you wait for your table. The seating arrangements are not shared, and will be found in cute, dimly lit corners of the room.

Within seconds of sitting down, you will receive a complimentary tequila rich palette cleanser and a basket of complimentary nachos to nibble on with spicy, mild, and chipotle homemade sauces to choose from.  The first menu you will lay your eyes on is the drink menu. The drinks are out of this world. If you are all about tequila, you must try one of their signature margaritas. The diablo and white lie margarita with fresh lime, lemon, and basil infused cane sugar is phenomenal.  I am more of a rum and sangria chick, so I always go for the fresca mojito or their blackberry sangria. The mojito is very refreshing and a great compliment to my favorite dish while the blackberry sangria is sweet and dessert like. Dessert before dinner isn’t a bad thing.

For their dishes, they have a few that stand out.  What I like most about Lolita’s is their portion sizes, they give you more than enough but not enough to make you feel morbidly bloated like most Mexican food restaurants. You know that moment when you finish stuffing your face with queso filled enchiladas and after dinner drinks suddenly sound terrible? Not here.

For appetizers, the chicken mole tostada is super flavorful and the spinach and poblano quesadilla is great to share, it’s filled with spinach, poblano chiles, and Monterey cheese. YUM.  For dinner, the tacos are unreal, top-knotch. I love the shrimp playa and fish tacos and the shredded pork are a close third. Each order comes with three of the same kind and one order is quite filling.

When I am not feeling the tacos, my absolute go-to (as non-Mexican as it is) is the quinoa salad, oh my goodness. You have to try this. It’s made with arugula, butternut squash, walnuts & very tangy but sweet vinaigrette; add shrimp or chicken on top. It’s brilliant. My foodie counterpart dreams about the carne asada. If you are a steak lover, this is an excellent choice.

If your sweet tooth is begging for your attention after this oh-so satisfying meal, hold-off on the dessert menu and wait for the complimentary cotton candy coated in pop rocks! Sometimes flavored watermelon, sometimes flavored green apple, it’s quite tasty and kind of fun stuffing your face with straight sugar and experiencing pop rocks after the age of 12.

Highly Recommended: Make Reservations, I mean it, unless you are willing to wait for an hour and a half (this is a normal wait time here, 7 days a week). They have OpenTable, so visit their site Lolita’s Tequila Bar and make a reservation a week in advance.  I recommend 2-3 weeks if you are planning a Friday or Saturday night outing.