Lola's Kitchen — Restaurant in Barstow

By automobile, Barstow is exactly half-way between San Diego and Las Vegas, a logical recharging point on that trip's 5 hour drive up Interstate 15, as it is the last pocket of civilization before a 115 mile journey through barren lands with no songs before you hit the Nevada border. Now that I've discovered Lola's, I have an excuse to get more than just gas in Barstow. To keep it real, this is not life-changing Mexican cuisine and, in fact, in San Diego it'd be just a smidgen above average -- but Lola's should be considered a culinary oasis in California's so-called "high desert" of the sparse and arid Mojave Desert region.

Your meal will start with thick complimentary corn tortilla chips and a spicy salsa roja puréed until smooth. The important question is how many chip basket refills do you want to stuff yourself with before you start eating your actual food. Speaking for myself, I seemingly have a bottomless stomach for these.

The "Chile Colorado" at Lola's is carne deshebrada made with shredded beef brisket stewed in a mild but pleasant chile-infused tomato sauce. The beef is tough in some bites, silky in others, and a bit of both mostly. The corn tortillas that are provided on the side are not homemade or handmade. Yet this is a situation where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, as the dish works for me as a kind of "home-cooked" style dish you'd get from a grandma.

An item on the menu exists called "Jose's Puerto Rican Taco." It is a taco that consists of carne asada beef, avocado, pico de gallo, and queso fresco on a corn tortilla. I don't know who Jose is, nor do I know what makes this relatively standard-issue carne asada taco 'Puerto Rican,' but I do know a tasty taco when I have one, and this qualifies. The well-seasoned tender beef, chunks of avocado, and fiery chopped jalapeño chilies (from the pico mix) combine harmoniously to take you where...

I had two (2) unsatisfactory experiences at LOLA'S KITCHEN. A $9 breakfast burrito ended up costing $12.42 after having to pay for cheese and the convenience of using my debit card. After leaving the hard-working Senoritas a $2.48 tip, the total cost came to $14.90. The cashier told me she could not give me a physical receipt showing all the charges, but said I could choose to receive one via email. The receipt I received by email was misdated for the year 2001 and was not complete, as it did not show a breakdown of all charges and didn't show the separate charge for the card. It only showed two prices, $12.42 plus the $2.48 tip. Yesterday morning was a similar experience —  I called ahead to ask how much a breakfast burrito would cost and the senorita told me $9. When I arrived, I ordered a carne asada burrito with cheese and was told it was over $15. I decided to go ahead and get it anyway and after adding a 20% tip, when all was said and done, the price came to $20.77, which is more than double what I was expecting. Yes, you read that right, $20.77!! See my photo as proof. I'm sorry, but I will not be patronizing LOLA'S KITCHEN again, nor will I be recommending it, because the food was just not worth what I paid. It was just plain, bland tasting and the potatoes seemed undercooked, and looked more like boiled or smothered, as opposed to fried. It was very greasy too, as was the one today also. Both burritos leaked a lot of grease/oil. It was just like everybody else's breakfast burrito. Judging from the online reviews, I thought it was going to be something special. I gave LOLA'S KITCHEN two chances. I think this is probably who they are. Not for me. Thank you, but no...

Whoooa! This is for sure a hidden gem! No non fast food places were open in Baker (Even Mad Greek was closed....TF..) So if we're going to upend our hunger a bit longer and hold out for Barstow we's gon have us some MEXICAN!

Wifey found Lola's on Yelp, had great reviews and star factor. First off....area is MAD GHETTO, vagrants walking around, people sleeping in their cars, random crazies milling about and randos playing musical cars in the parking lot. But IDGAF we's hungry and don't mind people watching from the comfort of inside the spot.

Two super nice and chill old ladies are the servers, we were greeted and handed menus, I ordered the bean burrito with chicken yum yum. Food tasted fresh and very authentic, their house hot sauce they serve with the chips is bomb. Owner checked on us if we were good, great service.

If I were to have a negative, it would only be that they charge for a cup of water and $1 fee for credit card, definitely not worth giving less stars though and worth it given the great food they serve. If your putting along I15 and passing Barstow it's def worth a stop as we will for sure be visiting this random gem on the other side of...