Lola 55

San Diego, CA (The Joy of Food) — Lola 55 is one of San Diego’s Michelin Guide Bib Gourmands, which is to say it is a place recognized for good quality and good value by the same global brand that makes tires. As it turns out, there’s heavy emphasis on the second thing and not enough on the first, and the execution won’t exactly thrill you.

Drew Bent, a former chef at Puesto, helped start up the small East Village shop in 2018 and aimed to make gourmet designer tacos using in-season, sustainable ingredients at prices that didn’t require a winning lottery ticket to pay the bill.

The once-focused lineup now has a much more varied approach, including a multi-course tasting menu and rotating specials at all sorts of price points, though I still miss some of my old favorites. I’d be lying if I said that I don’t still dream of the ceviche taco from the early days, a cool medley of fish, sometimes opah, sometimes hamachi, chipotle almond salsa, and avocado served on a jicama ‘tortilla’. It was unlike anything I’d had before, or since.

These days, the Baja fish taco is a popular thing to get, a plump pillow of feathery fish, lightly battered and moist, similar to what you’d find in any number of excellent eateries serving mariscos either north or south of the border, though it’s not as well done by half. This take on the fish taco is elegant, and it is art, but it can also be cold.

The smoked carnitas taco, if it’s on the menu, is satisfying. Made with pork shoulder confit and topped with crisped maciza, shaved tomatillo, avocado mousse, and pickled red onion, the meat is tender, soft, and juicy, but has very little in the way of contrasting textures and crunchy bits. There is also a mesquite grilled steak version of this with the same plusses and minuses.

Then there’s something called the squashoom, a squash blossom that’s filled with locally grown mushrooms before being battered, fried, and dressed with poblano salsa and a vibrant beet-based soyrizo. I’d sum it up like this: it’s better than you would think, but not as good as you would hope. 

The salsas here are more unique than what you would find off the back of a truck, but not as delicious, though slathering some on can save your dish if it’s too dry or unbalanced. I remember something in the early years about a Carolina Reaper-based salsa almost being hot enough to kill people, but I never got the hype, or the heat. There’s more of a smoky taste to their salsas these days, and the pickled serrano leans a little too heavy on the vinegar. 

The sides are also hit and miss, more miss than hit, especially the beans, which are more watery than you’d expect from lard-based goodness, and the rice is under-seasoned and bland. On the flip side, I’m a sucker for most types of dough, especially the fried kind, and the churros here are memorable. And you can easily leave your liver at the giant bar, which is pretty much the focal point of the entire room. 

The East Village is no longer the garbage can it used to be, but the few homeless encampments in the area make the walk to get here interesting. Once you’re inside, however, it’s another world. The space is clean, the color scheme is pastel, and the floor-to-ceiling windows flood the place with natural light. 

At lunchtime, the clientele seems split between local workers and those who live in the area and enjoy day-drinking. There’s sit-down dining now, though it can be slow as blazes, even if you’re one of the only people in the place. Drink orders still need to be placed at the counter, though the bar is usually understaffed, and there too you can end up waiting a while.