Lola's Hi/Lo Lounge — Restaurant in Maple Bluff

Lola's is a gem hidden in a very unassuming strip mall. We were celebrating my friend's birthday and she wanted a place with ambiance for dinner, and chose Lola's based on reviews. When we entered, it was a whole new world. Lola's is a great date spot - the aesthetic lends to a very intimate vibe. The hostesses and waitresses were all super polite and hustling. We never were without drinks (gin fuchs, passion fruit, guava chocolate, and a pink drink with a flamingo on it). All of the drinks were tasty. We tried the samosas, the chicken/pork dumplings, the tomato barrata, and the deviled eggs as appetizers. The tomato barrata is something we would probably pass on in the future, but the deviled eggs were devoured before I could snag a picture. For our mains, we had the midnight pasta and the spicy Dan Dan. The midnight pasta was loved, but both me and the person who got the Dan Dan ordered something else - we weren't a fan of the flavor and texture. The waitress was super cool about it and took it off of the bill even though we said we'd pay for it! I then got the yaki udon and holy smokes it was delicious. The umami flavor with the chewy noodle and the perfectly fried tofu was phenomenal. I would definitely order that again. This was a lot of food, but we wanted to try at least one of the desserts, so we got the chocolate boudoir to share. The lilac on top with the lilac whipped cream was a bit intense and not my favorite, but the others really enjoyed that and the chocolate ganache. The music was fun. Seeing the mixture of bar and vinyls was really cool. Genuinely would love to come back here again. The gender neutral bathrooms also have very...

I have to say, one of the things I adore about Madison is how responsive the owners are to feedback and their constant drive for improvement.

As soon as I stepped in, I instantly fell in love with the atmosphere! It felt more like a cocktail jazz lounge than a traditional restaurant, which I found refreshing. Here’s what we tried:

Appetizers: We sampled the cheese curds, deviled eggs, and dumplings. The batter on the curds struck a perfect balance between crispy and light, and the cheese quality was excellent. The deviled eggs were a highlight, especially with the Ikura topping! The dumplings were flavorful and had a delightful crispness to them. I really enjoyed most of the food items!

Main Courses: Naturally, we couldn’t resist ordering two pizzas—De Zesty and Uncle Rio—because, well, who doesn’t love pizza? I have to say, for a cocktail lounge, the pizzas were quite impressive. The quality of the ingredients was evident, and I appreciated the creativity behind them. However, they didn’t quite hit the mark for my personal pizza preferences. That said, I think these pizzas will resonate with other Madisonians, aligning nicely with the establishment's theme!

Overall, I’d describe this place as a fantastic cocktail lounge offering elevated bar food. I’m definitely planning to return, as the service was excellent, the music created a wonderful vibe, and they have an impressive selection of mocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, and fun crafted cocktails.

Only thing missing is just a stage for some live jazz music ;) but...

Short version: Spent over $50 for two drinks and a pizza, ended up leaving half the food and going a block away for something we could eat. Server explained to us that we don't know how to order food.

Earlier, I was with six friend at the new Northside Lounge, which doesn't have food. I suggested Lola's, the others said the menu is confusing, the service is sketchy, and food is overpriced. I pointed out it's a new menu, one person decided to join me.

The pizza was like drinking from a siracha bottle, scorch the mouth spicy ...but live and learn. We actually decided top come back and try something else in the future. When I suggested to the server they label the menu item as spicy, was told that's obvious, everyone knows that, and if I wasn't sure I should have asked. She said it wasn't that spicy to her. After several exchanges, we could see she was having a bad night, and she made sure we did too. She should be a lawyer, had a real need to prove she was right.

At Slice's, we shared what happened with friends over a great burger, and now my new nickname is now Charlie Brown. They wanted to know how many times Lola's will pull the football away while I still keep trying. It's sad, because I'm from the Northside, and really wanted to like this place...but after seven tries, the jokes on me, and it is time to stop.

There are over 315 bars, and over 240 restaurants, in the greater Madison area. Try out one of the others, including Mickeys. Beirock, Dexters, Bear & Bottle, Lazy Oaf, Slices or...