Lola's Farmhouse — Restaurant in Short Pump

Discrimination in Lola’s

I have been living for 5 years in the USA and I have never had a bad experience like this past Saturday, March 27 in Lola’s restaurant. More than a bad experience, it was a discrimination case.

My friend suggested eating at Lola’s because she had been there with her family a couple of times. She told me about the good food and quaint atmosphere, so we decided to go there this past Saturday. We arrived at 2:50 and a waiter said “Hi” to us and continued their work while we waited. One waitress went to talk to a woman inside--around 50 years old, pink shirt, blonde hair -- who then approached us and said, “We are closed. Dinner is served at 4:00.” We thought this sounded reasonable, even though the hours of operation listed on Google, Yelp, etc. didn’t mention anything about closing in the afternoon on a Saturday.

We really wanted to try the food and enjoy the nice outdoor environment at Lola’s, so we decided to postpone our evening plans and stay in the area for an hour so we could come back at 4:00. The first time we thought something might not be right was when we were in the car in the parking lot and saw another couple arrive at the restaurant after we had been turned away. This couple was greeted and shown to a table promptly.

We came back at 4:00 for dinner and waited again for a server to acknowledge us. One passed and said “Hi,” but finally the same woman who turned us away earlier came out to approach us and asked directly “Do you have a reservation?” despite knowing we had been there an hour earlier. She did not welcome us back or thank us for waiting, so we reminded her, “No reservation, but we were here one hour ago and you said that we could come back and eat after 4:00,” to which she just said “Sorry, we’re fully booked” (At this point, she had pulled down her mask and instead of smiling or apologizing or offering alternatives such as sitting at the bar, or making a reservation for another day, she just looked very stern).

We recognize that evening on a Saturday must be Lola’s busiest time, but in all honesty, the patio was empty at that moment and we were just two people. My friend started asking her, “Why didn’t you say this before, or offer to take a reservation when we were here one hour ago? Why did you tell us dinner would be served at 4:00?” The woman just continued to say “We are full” while gesturing to an empty restaurant. We couldn’t believe this sort of discrimination could happen in this day and age. Actually the couple that had been seated just before us didn’t have reservations either and they were seated promptly. I can tell you how sad and disappointed my friend who had been a happy customer of Lola’s was to hear this rude refusal of service. She exchanged some words with the woman, and finally a waitress said “I’ll take them,” but after such an inhospitable greeting we decided to leave the place.

We just can’t help thinking “Why were we denied service?” We were dressed in normal spring attire after walking in Maymont Park and around downtown. We really didn’t want to think that Lola’s staff would discriminate based on race or background, but we couldn’t think of another explanation. My friend was crying in disbelief; she has never experienced such discrimination with no reasonable justification for denial of service, and in her hometown, no less. She has had great experiences at Lola’s in the past and was excited to show me the historic architecture and beautiful grounds, but the inhospitable and insulting attitude of the woman tarnished her memories.

To say the least, our Saturday was ruined. We had changed our plans to accommodate the unexpected and unadvertised change of dining hours, and then were refused service for no reason. It was the worst restaurant experience of my life. My friend and I are both teachers and we are going to let our students’ families know never to give business to this café that thinks it’s a...

In summary: new ownership, new horrible taste.

Lola’s used to be a go to for my husband and I when we discovered it back in 2020 as a great option for outdoor dining during COVID. We have celebrated birthdays and anniversaries here, taken other couples here on double dates, and bragged about Lola’s as a whole experience to friends and family that visit. When they changed hands in January, we were nervous about a change to our favorite RVA farm to table restaurant—we were right to be so.

While the prices stayed the same, the quality has almost disappeared. Our appetizers tonight were nothing short of disappointing and flavorless. The audacity of the new ownership to sell a cheese board and advertise it as artisanal when it was less than a tablespoon of fig jam, pre-sliced American yellow cheese, a flavorless mystery white cheese and a tiny smattering of blue cheese for $20 is robbery. The fried green tomatoes lacked basic seasoning and had no special balsamic glaze. My entree was my normal sole fish stuffed with crab meat with risotto and honey carrots on the side. My fish was dry, the crab stuffing tasted canned, and the usual lemon butter sauce was missing. My risotto was undercooked and lacked seasoning. And the honey carrots were missing the honey. My husband ordered the NY strip and his steak came out grey as if it had been boiled, and lacked basic seasoning, never mind anything mouthwatering or unique (which is what we’d come to expect from Lola’s in the past).

Dessert was fine. Although it took forever to receive a basic piece of lemon cake and an ice cream sundae—which was mostly whip cream and melted ice cream. Certainly not the sweet delights we are used to having at the end of a meal at Lola’s.

This new ownership is truly a tragedy. Our favorite spot in RVA has turned sour. We will have to look for a new place to celebrate milestones and brag about to visitors, because it will no longer be Lola’s—not unless they can change back to their old ways of serving delicious food with hearty portions and responsive service. Right now everything feels cheaper in quality and taste with smaller portions that don’t fill you up, and for the same price. It’s the worst kind of takeover we...

We are a group of four friends who get together for dinner from time to time. We decided on Lola's, an adorable old home turned restaurant/bistro. When we got there the hostess couldn't find the reservation I had made, then came running outside after us shouting that she had found it. We were seated in a cozy room with one other table and the bar. Waitress brought bread and butter, but we had no silverware. Began to decide on drinks. I was hoping for my go to, a vodka tonic. Started ordering drinks and were told they don't have a liquor license, and that the cocktails listed on the menu come in a CAN. Ok, fine...ordered wine. In the middle of placing our dinner order, waitress blurts out the SPECIAL, "Shrimp, Lobster and Clams on a bed of Pasta with Creamy Sauce." No price given. We ordered. Waitress brought two chicken entrees, a seafood entree and a "SPECIAL." In the middle of dinner our friend pulls a 10 inch piece of hair mixed with Chicken Marsala out of her mouth. We waved the waitress over and explain what was discovered. Waitress, brings a fresh meal and advises my friend that her meal would be comped, (on the house.) She had pretty much lost her appetite but ate about 1/4 of the new plate. I ordered a second glass of wine and the waitress comes over with an old plastic measuring cup and puts a half cup wine in my previously used glass. Keep in mind the bar is steps away. The "SPECIAL" didn't have any lobster in it. Waitress brings the check and tells my friend she got 50% off the hairy meal. We contested and asked to speak to the manager. Large, blond, foreign woman comes to the table and says, you got 50% off...we told her we felt it should be 100%. She says, " your meal in box," and repeats that three more times, turns around and leaves the area. We are sitting there waiting for the decision, but I suppose she thought if she ignored us, we would pay and disappear. I asked to speak with her again. She came to the table, yelled "fine, don't pay nothing, get out and don't come back." We did as she wished. We are women between the ages of 62 and 78 and have never seen anything like this. The owners of this establishment need not worry as we would never go...