Where to Hit on the Bartenders

Lola’s is a paradox. It is the perfect place to take a girl after a nice dinner for a pitcher of their sangria, yet the bartenders are always so pretty and nice and Spanish, you kind of want to ditch your date and start talking to one of them. But you don’t because you are a good guy, so you sit and stir, pour the sangria, and try to distract yourself by admiring the décor lining the interior walls of this tapas restaurant/bar.

Lola’s is probably one of the more—if not the—conversation-starting places in Hoboken, and it’s all because the inside is decorated to look like the street of a rustic Spanish village. It’s almost like eating on the set of Sesame Street, but an old-world Spanish Sesame Street.Fake houses with fake windows and fake rooftops line the main wall, while a large fountain sits the in middle, and tables and chairs are scattered throughout. Lola’s is hardly the largest restaurant in the city, but its cozy atmosphere and style have you barely noticing after the first few minutes.

The food at Lola’s is not only authentic, but filling and delicious. My particular favorite was the asparagus wrapped in ham and cheese, and not just because I get a kick out of my pee smelling funny. The food is eclectic enough where you almost feel like you’re paying that extra couple dollars per plate for an experience, and the portions are filling. Still, study up on your tapas just a little bit before going in and blindly ordering; the menu is a small novel, and chooseing which five plates to split could take upwards of fifteen minutes.

Plus, the service makes up for any of the shortcomings, and the drinks intoxicate you with an authentic feel.

For those with social anxiety disorder or paranoia, who cannot stand the thought of someone possibly peering at you through one of the house facades, there is a dimly-lit wine cellar that can turn even the most hard-hearted bastard into a romantic. Surrounded by wooden barrels and bottles of wine, it provides the perfect backdrop for a third-date-ish evening, or an overly-done first match.com date, where you want to freak out the girl and make her think you’re trying too hard because her picture was not representative of her true look.

Regardless of why you choose Lola’s, it will stand out for its décor first, and its food second, no matter how tasty their entrees may be.

Lola’s Tapas - Wine Bar
153 14th Street
Hoboken
(201) 420-6069 / (201) 420-6062

— by John Busco
John Busco, originally from upstate NY, has been living in NJ for several years, and currently calls Hoboken home.

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