The first thing you’ll notice at Lola 55 is the machine pressing fresh corn tortillas to order. It sits at the heart of the operation, a clear signal that everything here is built from scratch. That focus on craft extends to the space itself, which is bright and clean, defined by a long white terrazzo bar and a color palette of peach, aqua, and turquoise. As an anchor tenant in the IDEA1 residential building, the restaurant has an indoor-outdoor layout with a large alfresco patio that opens onto a shared central courtyard.
The menu is tight, centered on about nine different tacos made with those fresh tortillas. Mesquite wood-fired meats are a specialty – from the Pork Belly Al Pastor to a Ribeye Carne Asada that gets a 24-hour marinade in dried chilies and spices. But the vegetarian options are just as serious. The Cauliflower Taco comes with crispy eggplant and mole, while the Squa-shroom features lion's mane mushroom and squash blossom. Beyond tacos, you’ll find sides like "Lola's Beans," a creamy family recipe made with Peruvian white beans.
An agave-forward cocktail list, heavy on mezcal and tequila, is designed with citrus notes to complement the food. The thing to know is that the tacos come out from the kitchen fully dressed with sauces; there’s no need to add extra lime or hot sauce. While it originally opened with a self-serve model, the restaurant is now a full-service establishment. Parking in the immediate East Village area is notoriously difficult, so it’s worth planning for.
Lola 55
Lola 55