The Mission is full of Latin culture, and Loló puts a modern twist on Mexican tapas. This restaurant has a laid back vibe with booth seats and a great bar setting. I opted for the bar so I could watch my food cook before my eyes. Since the food is served tapas style, the portions are on the smaller side; however, the quality and flavors supersede the small portions. As I like to say, quality over quantity…
I started off with a delicious spicy margarita and some complementary chips and salsa. The chips tasted so fresh, like they had just come out of the fryer. The green salsa was so flavorful and had a nice spice to it. Chips are always so addictive, but I tried to save room for all the yummy tapas we ordered.
First on the menu was the fried Brussels sprouts. I am a huge fan of Brussels sprouts (I probably cook them 3 times a week). Not only were these sprouts out of this world, but they were fried right in front of me– talk about fresh! They were topped with shallots and hazelnuts which gave a great added texture. Did I mention the flavor? They were cooked to perfection with just the right about of crunch.
Next up was the octopus ceviche taco. This small plate packed a lot of punch. It was bursting with so much flavor and octopus, that it required a fork and knife to eat it. There was a nice heat element, as well as some saltiness from the octopus. I am a huge fan of charred octopus and tacos, so this was like a match made in heaven to me. The taco originally came on a flour tortilla, but I made mine gluten-free by swapping the flour out for a corn tortilla.
The final item in our evening spread were the flautas. These were the perfect, cheesy ending to our dining experience. I’m not usually one to order fried foods, but these were definitely worth it! They had so much flavor just from the cheese, you could barely even tell they were vegetarian! Had we not ordered the flautas, I probably would have opted for a second round of Brussels sprouts.
Overall, Loló was a huge hit. I would absolutely go back, especially for those sprouts. The dining experience was very unique too, but that comes with the neighborhood. The staff was very accommodating, and it was easy to make gluten-free modifications. With so many GF options that I still need to try, like those huevos rancheros, I will absolutely be back soon!