Casa Lopez Tapas Bar — Restaurant in Laredo

It was our first time to this establishment. I was under the impression we needed reservations, because we were turned back the last time for not making reservations. They're only open Fri, Sat, & Sun from 7pm to 12 i believe. No 1 answered the phone before to make the reservation nor did I get a call back (I left a message) ANYWAYS. We decided to just go again and see what happens. Located in a very run down part of the city, as soon as you walk in though the doors, you're in another place. You forget about the outside world. The atmosphere is the best part. I'll go as far as to say "The best in Laredo". The food was great too. The chicken and shrimp 🍤 sherry/lemon/buttery sauce is to to die for! The Lopez plate, presented in what I think is an oak barrel plate, had a nice blend of cold meats, cheese, and olives. Spicy potatoes could have been a bit spicier, but still inviting. I loved the calamari. All washed down with a pitcher of refreshing 😋 Sangria. We shared a Flan just to try it out. Not a bad way of topping dinner off. The portions were good. Just note that the flan is more of a personal size. Service wasn't as good as the food, but hey it's laredo. We ran low on our water, and took about 30mins to pick up the tab (the card was sticking out and at the edge of the table for that long) There was maybe 5 tables tops, so I don't see what excuse they would use for overseeing this. We didn't mind, again the Live music was welcoming. As we existed the doors, we were Slapped in the face with the stench of raw sewerage. It basically said "Welcome back to Laredo's downtown" I can't blame them for this. This is a city problem. The Bars on It street, the Tack room, etc they all suffer from this... So if you're looking for a romantic dinner with live entertainment, and excellent food, AND are unfortunate enough to be stuck in Laredo, I highly recommend Casa Lopez....

We hadn't been here in a long while. We normally go to Tabernilla be We figured we try something different. Major disappointment. We were greeted right away and sat at a nice table. And as always, the place is lovely. There was a live band playing nice jazz BUT, it was way too loud. We literally could hear ourselves have a conversation. We wanted to try some wines. We asked our waiter for a wine manu and he informed us that they didn't have a wine menu. He suggested that we try a sampler. We figured we were getting a sample board, but rather it was just a small shot of some wine that he didn't even know the name. So we decided to just get beer. My wife ordered a sangria. We asked for Estrella Spanish beer and they didn't have it. We asked for a beer menu and waiter said they didn't have one but we were welcome to step up to the bar to see what beers they had. At that point we were getting frustrated. We asked for some food. While he was taking the order, being that he wasn't very knowledgeable, we decided to just order two items and asked that he cancel the third item. Took forever to get our drinks. My wife's sangria was mostly ice. We asked for another beer. He brought the food and sure enough, he brought the third item we had canceled. By this time we decided to just eat and leave. We asked for the tab and he over charged the other couple that we were with. And, he didn't charge me for the sangria. I'm not that type of person, so I showed him that he didn't charge me the sangria.

It's a shame, this place is beautiful but it just lacks some details to...

I had to take a few minutes to tell you how thoroughly enjoyable our evening was last Saturday, October 23, 2021 at your amazingly authentic tapas bar. We celebrated my sister, Elsa Rodríguez Arguindegui’s birthday there with family and friends. It all started with yummy sangria and tapas. The chorizos and gambas in red sauce we’re my favorite fare. Then came the delicious paella. Add to that the music by Guitarras Sin Fronteras and we were in Spanish heaven. Thank you Red for your vision to create this little corner of Spanish heaven in Laredo. It’s now a destination for me each time I visit Laredo from L. A. If you’re reading this and you haven’t treated yourself to dinner at Casa López you are certainly missing out! Hasta la próxima visita a Laredo, Grace...