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Categories: French, American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill
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They've cut down the amount of salt on their onion rings & we sat outdoors on a 70 degree night--not crowded at all. My point? Chez Lola now has all five of my stars.
Something to know: Cash or Amex only.
The paris martinis are so delicious, fresh and delightful, like biting into a pear,. but so much… Read more »
this place is really nothing to write home about, but i needed to yelp it.
i want to give it 2.5 stars, but i didn't feel it necessary to round up, because the food was just ok and the service was near non-existent. she was nice enough, but we never saw her again after she took our order. no, wait, that's not true, she came back to see if everything was ok, RIGHT AFTER the food came, before we even had a chance to take the first bite. i wish she'd come back a little later, because then i would've responded with a "meh."
anyway, i just moved to the neighborhood and this place is 2 blocks from my apt so i feel like it's nice to have a place that has this kind of ambience near by, seeing as most of the other places on myrtle seem to be take out kind of places. that alone gets 2 stars. but that's about it.
inconsistent
had one great brunch here and one horrible dinner.
open atmosphere complete with wooden bar, great paintings, fairly expensive drinks for bk, not enough bar seating, didnt find the usual bk friendly staff.
the bread they serve is crispy amazingness, not bad for brunching.
had the paella for dinner and though recommended by other clientele & the staff it made me & friends violently ill, what can i say, ive never been back.
A bit of a diamond in the rough, but a surprisingly good menu and service. Great decor and rustic backyard (complete with a slightly rusty smell), but seems to suffer from an identity crisis. Is it like Chez Oscar or something completely different?
Great salmon burger and thin crust pizza. Also great for coffee.
Love this place. Delicious mussels and great service. Cool space too.
Another nice option in the neighborhood - Myrtle [versus Dekalb].
pros: $12 all you can eat mussels with a bowl of fries on Thursdays. choice of broths: white wine, pesto, curry. all are good and solid, on the verge of excellent [there could be another element of flavor to push it further]. the fries are solid.
salmon burger is HUGE and very tasty. good mayo concoction [goes well with the fries too!]
the roasted chicken was good. well, only the thighs. the breast meat was way, way too dry. but the peas are a nice accoutrement.
the beef carpaccio appetizer is delicious - especially paired with the arugula salad.
cons: poor, poor service. in the handful of times i've been here, every time but once was poor service. the waitresses are either overworked or a little spaced out here. in general, they are all nice - but they are not attentive. i'd give chez lola 3.5 if i could because of the poor service. but i rounded up because of the reliable food and nice atmosphere/environment.
Love this place!!! Great for brunch!
My favorite brunch spot!
Great fresh, natural, local, seasonal food. Chill environment. Good music. Backyard. Great service - waitresses are all great. Have the salmon burger, Cobb salad, Dulce de leche French toast, omelettes, roasted chiken. Oh an the pomegranate martini (not on the menu) is amazing as well.
I've been avoiding Chez Lola after the many underwhelming trips to Chez Oskar, but oh if I had only known what I've been denying myself! Where as the omelets at Oskar are uninspired (goat cheese and spinach had been done up the wazoo!) Lola offers ingenious combinations like Leek/Apple/Brie (to die for) and Brussels Sprout/Cheddar/Sundried Tomato Pesto (to KILL for)!
I order the side of skinny onion rings (per amy s.) to see what the big deal is - they bare more similarity to the "fried onions" on a green bean casserole then a onion ring, but they were decent, greasy and tasted delicious on the teeny tiny blocks of the breakfast potatoes. Whole leaves of Boston lettuce are layer with creamy whole grain mustard vinaigrette, that I didn't care much for, but made for an elegant salad presentation.
At first the waitress seemed too casual, but I grew to really appreciate her informality and friendliness. The interior doesn't deliver the 1920's vibe promised by the website but it is charming nonetheless!
It was one of those mornings. Well, lets be honest: it was one of those afternoons. I startled awake, face down (body gnarled into the shape of a swastika) on my bed, fully dressed from the night before (except my pants, which I had apparently managed to work off over my shoes), lights still on... we've all been there, right? RIGHT?? As I turned my head and felt the true and sinister wrath of my hangover, I pleaded with God to make it better: "No more drinking!! Promise? Pinky swear?? God???" No dice. He was still pissed at me for reneging on our last bargain. So, it would have to be brunch.
Armed with sun glasses, smelling salts and the confidence that only comes when your dignity is loooooong lost to the floor of the Alibi (don't judge), I stumbled around the corner to Chez Lola. The waitresses offered sympathy where God had offered scorn. They took one look at my haggard, chartreuse green face and rushed over a Diet Coke and a strong and spicy Bloody Mary (with cilantro!!). Well, como se dice "cured" en espanol? I plowed through my goat cheese burger and was good as new. Til the next morning anyway.
Ok, so now for the confession: this was my Sunday ritual for nearly two years. Now that I have quasi-permanently abandoned the Rotten Apple for the Windy Apple, I have decided to finally post this tidbit: there is never a wait for brunch here, ever. In Ft Greene/Clinton Hill! I didn't want to risk losing my go-to brunch spot to the terrifying brunch-hungry mob scene (with their complacency about spending an hour waiting for eggs) that has swallowed Dekalb Ave whole and sopped up the scattered remains with a side of hollandaise... SO I waited until I was a safe distance away.
This place has a special place in my heart and liver for all their loving Sunday nurturing and nourishment. They also have an awesome garden, great decor, AND the best onion rings in AT LEAST the 11205 zip code, but probably all of Brooklyn. Dinner has never disappointed me either- I've done a meal with my parents, a birthday celebration, and a couple of lazy week nights when cooking just isn't an option.
**Know before you go: Obnoxiously, they accept only cash or AMEX. Be prepared!
A bit expensive but that should be pretty obvious when you take a look on the outside luckily their food is pretty good despite their small portions and if you go on Wednesday nights they have live music. The atmosphere and the murals are all very inviting but the menu did not offer that much variety.
This place is definitely worth checking out though, its one of the few Zagat rated establishments on Myrtle Avenue and there's certainly an heir of legitimacy in the place.
These guys know how to make hamburgers PERFECTLY medium rare. I'd give them another star if they just used a hamburger bun that didn't compete with the beef. If they used a plain and thin hamburger bun like The General Greene, then they would have the best burger in Brooklyn bar none. The burger comes with fries and a salad, which isn't too bad of a deal considering the whole ensemble is $10.
More than a year later . . .
A last-second decision to give Chez Lola a second chance was rewarded with one of the best burger experiences of 2008 - medium rare, topped with three thick & large slices of bacon, seasoned ripe tomato & lettuce, extra thin red onions, and a side of home-made fries.
My friend, who actually suggested we revisit Lola, loved her veggie sandwich and couldn't stop raving about it.
Service was excellent, not to mention attractive.
I took a friend of mine from out of town to Chez Lola for brunch on a Saturday and we both ended up… Read more »
Uninspiring, service was better than the food. You're better off going to it's sister restaurant Chez Oscar around the corner.
Pretty good food, meh service. I had the Chicken, boring, I know, but I thought it was good. Crispy skin, good juicy meat. Started with the onion soup, which was also good. Everyone in the big group I was with reached for the salt as soon as they took their first bite. Not a big deal. I'd rather have it under salted than over salted. My problem with the place was with our waitress who was not at all happy to be taking care of a large group (the only table in the place at the time btw). Good spot for 4 or less.
I'm a food and service kinna girl. I usually don't pay attention to decor, but if the prices are right, the food puts a smile to my face, and the wine is foine then I'm likely to give out a few of them stars.
A friend and I did dinner a few nights ago. The baked chicken with potatoes was nothing to write home to , but it was decent. I ordered penne pasta which was not salty, and not too greasy either. It was actually very good and went well with the 4 glasses of Australin Melbac we had.
Service was friendly and some what speedy. The one thing that irked me were the wooden booths that I sat on, and the CASH and AMEX only gig.
WTF? Why do they only accept AMEX? Why oh why?
All in all, I wouldn't mind visiting Chez Lola again.
Whenever I crave salmon as a breakfast choice. I venture to Chez Lola for their spicy salmon burger. The waitstaff is average. The prices are very affordable. Be advice however, only cash or amex are acceptable forms of payment.
I have been to Chez Lola about 6 or 7 times. I keep coming back introducing my friends to it. Lets work some more on adding some more items to the menu. My wife always gets caught with minimal choices, the poached eggs being one of them.
Please venture out to Chez Lola and make use of the outside patio before winter creeps in. Great shade from the sun with the huge tree brunches above.
Yeah that's right i gave it five stars..(4/28/08 - oops, i had to take one away...sorry) I have to say this is a great place for Dinner, but frankly the Breakfast/brunch leaves something to be desired...
no the food is not perfect, but it is well thought out with nice flavors and good balance:
The Rack of lamb with sauteed bok choy and leek mashed potatoes in a not-too-salty jus.
The talapia was very a nice thick fillet which was seasoned and pan fried (in BUTTER) until it was crisp in part and soft in others and really nice.
The Arugula and watercress salad with a (creamy?!) lemon dressing and mandarin wedges sounded odd, but the combination was actually nice.
As mentioned before, the wine list was GREAT We had a higher priced barolo which was fantastic for only $36. on top of all of this, the staff are cute and helpful and i only JUST learned about the outside seating!!
Also i did not try them but the drinks menu was great and imaginative - i think this may be my new local.
I love this place! They have the prettiest garden in the back! Our waitress was cute and really fun :).
The atmosphere at Chez Lola was very nice. High tin ceilings, flowers, dim lights and antique fixtures. The food was totally...fine. Nothing to write home about but enjoyable enough. The menu lacked direction and seemed to be a fusion of everything. I just left feeling unimpressed. Or maybe I should just learn to not dine out on pasta when I know I can make it at home myself.
I've been to brunch at Chez Lola about 5 or 6 times. It's a bit out of the way for me (I live in Red Hook), but the quality of the food, the beautiful colonial French decor, and back garden have kept luring me back. It's a comfortable place, one to while away a lazy Sunday afternoon.
That said, I've found the service to be above-average on only one or two of my visits. The last time I was there, which was very recently, my waitress splattered a dollop of bernaise sauce on my white shirt as she was removing my silverware. I'm never one to cause a stink, especially over a harmless accident like this, but I never received an apology - even after pointing it out. (She did bring Seltzer, at my behest, which suggests acknowledgment of the stain). Additionally, there was an incident with her a month or two back. After patiently waiting 20 minutes to have our order taken, I very gently mentioned that we were now ready. Judging from her response, she seemed far more agitated that I had the gall to point this out than the issue at hand. Now that I think on it, on my most recent visit, she didn't even take our orders. The runner did.
At any rate, the brunch is tasty, the decor tops, the service, not so much. Caveat Emptor.
large back patio
rusty old toys on display
drinking wine, no rush
Probably my favorite brunch spot on Myrtle Ave. The interior is gorgeous, and the patio is great too in nice weather (try to avoid sitting under the giant tree in the sticky times; some kind of weird small sticky fruit kept falling on me. Unless you're into that, or don't care, or whatever). Sometimes the service is not super- super- quick, but the kids are cool, brunch is great and the drinks are too. Lots of room for big parties but intimate enough for first dates or breaking up.
Yelp really needs to add 1/2 stars! Read this as 3.5 stars. Brunch fare was okay, not as exciting as the old Liquors (sigh) but Lola gets extra points for her backyard and one cute waiter wiz zee accent francais who escorted us around one day when we were just scoping her out...
Will have to try her dinner steak to see if it is up there with her cousin (Chez) Oscar's...
When my friend told me we were having dinner here, she said, "It's by the gas station. I know that sounds bad, but it's not." Chez Lola is a couple of blocks from Ft. Green's concentration of restaurants, and fairly new, so it was a nice quiet place to have dinner on a Sunday night.
The interior is super-cute, the food absolutly amazing. I tried the salmon burger, it was flavorful, spicy, a perfect consistancy and on a good bun.
The specialty drinks were very tasty. I hear the garden is great, but it was still too cold to check it out.
See photos and stuff here:
http://www.clintonhill...
A really nice atmosphere. The joint feels like a neighbourhood hub.
I'm only giving this 4 stars instead of 5 because it's my local and I'm probably biased -- it's probably not actually The Best Food Ever, but it's my local. Any night I'm sick of cooking, in a terrible funk, am missing the one vital ingredient that would make dinner happen, etc. I just go to Chez Lola, and everything is magically fixed.
1. Guinness on tap. I think this might be the only restaurant in the neighborhood that has it.
2. Fantastic wine list, and very reasonable. Lots of simple reds that go well with their incredible burgers.
3. Inventive specials -- my only caveat is that their special empanadas and raviolis always seem to both have meat, which frustrates my roommate the vegetarian. Would it hurt to do a veg special every now and again?
4. French onion soup which is at least 40% bread and melty gruyere. Just the way I like it.
5. Best fries in the neighborhood, by far.
6. Fantastic interior, ditto the garden.
7. Reading Allyson's review below reminded me of how much their variations on eggs Benedict rock. Also the home fries - only home fries I actually like. And that yummy side salad with the boston lettuce...
The waitstaff is generally rather clueless, but only in the most charming of ways.
hmm.. bitchy manhattanite.. never even lived there. Listen, I like what i like and dislike what I don't. i feel passion for the food I eat and I don't have much money to throw out.. so if I do not enjoy the food and I do not feel the love in my dishes.. I'm going to be a bit upset. the food may have been good 3-5 years ago but I'm talking about the food I ate at this current time and it was terrible. I don't work for Olea and I was only giving the 'chez' restaurants a chance since they are well known in this area. That's all
"Tasteless cat food" that should have been the name of what I ordered. I read these other reviews… Read more »
The service sucks. I always try to give places a chance but after the third time I was over it. I wont blame the waitress I would blame the owner that probably dosent want to pay extra staff. Only enjoyable to me when i do take out. Atleast i can plan the rest of my day once i pick my food up. Make sure you have nothing to do when you are there because you will be there for hours (shitty svc)
the atmosphere is cute enough, but the food is only mediocre.
Today I went to Chez Lola for a brunch with a large group of friends. I had never been here but upon walking through the door I was definitely excited about the setting and the amazing smells. We had a priced fixed menu ($16 for an entree and choice of dessert) as there were about 40 of us together. I selected (simply because it was 3:30) a beef burger with fries. The burger was okay not amazing but I loved the fries. My boyfriend had the open faced ham sandwich with egg on it which was AMAZING and the french toast looked great. We had a choice of chocolate cake and key lime - both were ok not spectacular. I think that I would go back as it's not always fair to judge a place on a limited menu and I saw so many things that looked great. The bloody marys and belinis were great and it's such a comfortable place as I was there for a little over 3 hours. As for the sides, I love the fried onions which were great.
Happened upon Chez Lola for dinner once, as we were just looking for 'something new' in the neighborhood. I wasn't particularly hungry,so I ordered a specialty appetizer that resembled empanadas and some wine. The waitress was very nice, and the back patio outdoor seating was lovely for the summertime. It's a bit too dim inside for my liking, so I probably would only eat here when the weather is nice.
how could i have not reviewed chez lola yet? this is tragic. i love chez lola. their onion strings are reason enough to have brunch/lunch/dinner either in their niftily-decorated main room or in their lovely garden out back. while chez lola is also a bit abuzz, it is never so crowded that you have to wait for a table. their drinks are inventive, well-priced and tasty. their service (minus one exceptionally evil server at brunch) is fast, friendly and great. but seriously, back to the garden for a sec. it's lovely and may be my favorite outdoor dining/drinking spot in bk. and the food is solid, too.
We've eaten at Chez Lola twice. The first time was several months ago, in the winter, and we ate inside, and it was OK, nothing great, but not horrible. Perhaps it was because it was wintertime outside and we were eating in a Mediterranean-themed restaurant. Perhaps the restaurant was having growing pains. We felt it wasn't any better than Chez Oskar (where we are regulars).
More recently, we had the opportunity to dine here on a sunny Sunday evening in June when the garden was open, and we had a great time. The drinks were great, the sardine appetizer was great, and the burgers (salmon and beef) were great. The garden is beautiful -- you certainly didn't feel as if you were dining on Myrtle Avenue -- and we just had a great time. So we will be back!
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