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Category: Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Virginia HighlandsTue-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I have been here three times now. Once for a Friday night (4 stars), once for brunch (3 stars), and once for the Tuesday night Al You Can Eat Tapas. I have not been to Salsa Wednesdays, but if you are into Salsa I would presume this would be a great spot.
As for the Friday night, it was a fun a mix of worldly people. Stopped and talked to a mix of Peruvian Doctors, latin band was on stage, place has two bars and beer on draft. A large place like this, I give it credit for being off the beaten path but keeping a steady flow of customers.
The brunch was mdeiocre. Yes, it was only $10, so you really could not expect much, but even some of their staples like their signature potatoes were not up to snuff. Maybe it was just that day?
Came here last night to try their All You Can Eat Tapas and I must say I was impressed. Firstly, most all of the options off of the normal menu were represented. Grouper tacos, shrimp and mussles in mild curry, spinach with pine nuts, grilled ribs, and house salad were all VERY good. The brisket for the sliders and the tacos could have been better. Overall a great place for a Tuesday night, or any weekend night!
All You Can Eat Tapas for $15 on Tuesday... All you can eat!!!
Try everything, get more of what you like, don't leave without eating the plantains! A group of 5 went here recently and shared a huge table full of tapas over a pitcher of sangria while we listened to some hot salsa beats and watched some spunky (or drunky) middle aged ladies dance off their food. If you want to hear the conversation you're having, i'd sit outside on the deck. If you really don't care, do what me and Lauren Z. did and sit right in front of the band!
I've had to think a while about how to write a review for this place as it's a very confused space. During much of it's waking hours, it's a simple tex-mex tapas-style restaurant. Plenty of small plates to choose from, and most are actually very good. It isn't the best, though, and I admit I've not actually come here to eat in a while, so take that as you will.
What kills me about this place is the other mask it tries to wear: club. It's a small, crowded space for a club. The music is decent, but you can't dance anyway unless you like salsa moshing with everyone else. It can be so packed that once I was dancing (or attempting to) with my boyfriend when another guy cut in thinking I was there alone!
Drinks flow freely here on club nights, and having tried to ring in 2009 here because it was cheap entry and worth it to get a bite to eat, I would not recommend coming back for the club nights. The best time is the food-only hours, where you can sit and chat with friends over fried plantains and margaritas.
Four of us had a great time on Saturday night here.
Drinks: Top shelf margaritas were had and were LOVED. Even the Sangria was top-notch. I don't usually like it, but the mix of red wine and juices was great.
Food: This is where they really excel! As soon as you order expect a whirlwind of tasty treats to arrive at your table post haste. Standouts were the Colombian Shrimp, Grouper Tacos, and Chicken Tacos.
The service was pretty good for a busy friday night. We sat outside and it wasn't too loud as others have indicated. Great music and a fun scene.
Plan on spending your evening with lots of bachelorette parties and large groups. If you want a quite evening go somewhere else.
If you're a single dude hang out at the bar and then dance with some of the cougariffic chicks hanging around. The girl:guy ratio is similar to what you'd find in a pilates class.
I should have know when I called to confirm my reservation earlier in the day to just pick somewhere else! My best friend wanted to start her bachelorette party off at Loca Luna so I made reservations a few weeks in advance and confirmed 15 for the patio on Saturday August the 15th... but when I called that Saturday to confirm they did not have my reservation in the system but said they could accommodate me.
However, when we got there it started out okay we ordered our drinks and the waitress (we only had one waitress for such a large party which in itself seemed odd to me) asked us if we wanted separate checks of course we said yes please.
I specifically asked the waitress when placing our drink orders to put the bride to be's meal on my check. After the first round of drinks which took our waitress at least 15 minutes to get everything went down hill from there.
Let's start with the food YUCK! The choices were awful only a handful of things to chose from and the waitress was not helpful at all. I was not impressed with the menu but I am from DC and hey maybe we just do it a little better here when it comes to tapas.
However, after we ordered our food it came out in waves one section of the table would get their food and then 10 minutes later another section would get their food. It took over an hour for the entire table to get their food once the first dish hit the plate! That is completely ridiculous!
After we placed our order we saw our waitress maybe ONCE! That is it!!! I have waited tables in the past and I typically give waitresses the benefit of the doubt but the problem is I NEVER SAW HER!! Worst service of my life. After not being able to order more drinks because of our lack of waitress we decided it was time to go. We rented a van to take us to Blakes.
We were paying for the Van by the hour! Once we asked for the check it took over 30 minutes and almost everyone at the table asking for the check. Finally I went to find a manager who's only response was well I can get you some sangria (we are leaving we don't want sangria). His response after that was well let me get you your check. Which took him forever because his system was crashing!!
He then proceed to get annoyed with me because "WE DON'T"T SPLIT CHECKS" if you don't split checks then DON'T"T OFFER TO!!! Plus to top it all off the bride's meal was not on my check and some people in our party over paid (was not discovered until later in the evening) because our waitress rang up a bunch of food that we didn't even order.
However, what really set me off and will never make me step foot in that place again when I move back down is that the waitress had the nerve to put 20% gratuity on our checks because we were an over sized party. Which basically gave her the right to give appalling service! I would have only given her 10% at best it was the worst experience ever! Stay away!!
My girlfriends and I came here for the full experience a couple of weekends ago. When you know you want to eat, drink and dance, you have to be selective -- who wants to pay for a cab to get you from dinner to dancing? I think Loca Luna definitely delivered.
FOOD:
This is a tapas restaurant, and we ordered up a storm! I especially loved the calamari and the mussels dishes. The hummus was also delicious, and for dessert the tres leche cake didn't disappoint.
DRINKS
The mojitos were good, and when I ordered something else that I absolutely couldn't stomach (too sweet), our waiter was extremely nice about taking it back and bringing me something else.
The highlight, of course, was when my girlfriend ordered some drink with the word "penis" in the name, and when it came out, it included a plastic penis straw sticking out of it!
Come to think of it...I'm going to give this place 5 stars just for that!
MUSIC
There was a live band throughout dinner and of course afterwards as well. After their first set, while we were finishing our meal, they came around and gave us all their new CD. Sweet! They were very good, doing mostly Latin (which matches the venue's theme), but also a lot of really good covers.
DANCING
As people finish dinner, the tables start to disappear and Loca Luna transitions into a dance club/bar. It's a smooth transition, really. Then this place was packed and hopping! The music was great for dancing, and service at the bar was good and the crowd was a pretty good one. Lots of guys with accents that night -- I could see that being a recurring trend, but maybe I'm wrong.
Overall, a great experience. This place has everything you need for a great night out.
I'm a fan of the original location in Midtown but I'm liking the new loca luna more and more with each visit.
The Mojitos and Sangria are simple but tasty. After trying to make these drinks at home you develop an appreciation for the simplicity of their drinks.
The tapas are great portions and packed for lots of simple flavors. The lobster bisque is my favorite. Served in small expresso cups, it's a great beginning to your meal.
Because their are so many small plates to pick from I'll just give you my list of "must tries":
-watermelon tomato salad
-braised beef ribs
-fried calamari
-brisket empanadas
-vegetable empanadas
-grouper taco
-brisket taco
-grilled asparagus
-fried green beans
-chicken skewers
-steak skewers
I'm not usually so generous with my reviews, and I fully believe that a 5-star review is like a 10 in gymnastics and must be earned through a plethora of details regarding patronage, cuisine, mixology and ambience. In other words, let me put it this way:
LOCA LUNA IS MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT IN THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.
When i went to college at Auburn (AL), I was in atlanta most every weekend, and at Loca Luna most every time. The old location was an amazing sight (right next to Backstreet) with the open air back and eclectically decorated walls. The salsa bands (and salseras) would be loud, raucous and all over the place, but it was exactly what I loved about it. The tapas, all 50 of them, were PERFECT. When i had family in town, they'd demand we go there and we'd eat our weight in ceviche and drink our fill on mojitos of several varieties.
When I heard Loca Luna was closing down, I cried. I cried big fat girly tears because one of my fixtures, one of my best memories, one of my favorite places in the world was gone with the wind.
In Atlanta last week, I discovered that not only was Loca Luna still alive and thriving, it had moved into the Amsterdam Ave block in Red Chair's old venue! I immediately drove there, got a seat and sighed a sweet sigh of relief. The food was as good as ever, the drinks were as brilliantly concocted as ever, the service was magnificent (thanks, Brad, for that extra plate of empanadas that "fell out of the kitchen") and the music was amaaaaazing. I found it strange being the only kid there who knew how to dance salsa, but at least everyone was trying. I was so excited I practically jumped on stage and hit the bongos myself. 3 hours and $60 later, i was dancing around the parking lot in the rain, with a happy belly and a happy heart, knowing that some things just never change.
My sister brings in 30 at the new Loca Luna. NOW I've had the pleasure (for lack of a better word) of trying both locations and the old one was about 99.999% better than the new one.
For starters parking is INSANE. Maybe it was just me, but I didn't see any signs pointing out this place and with the way it's positioned you can easily pass it by.
Finally we park about a block or so away (in the opposite direction), we get inside and this place is PACKED!! We had a table for about 20 people but you couldn't even get to your seat without ramming someone with your chair, the people standing around your table reaches over you to sit their glasses down on the table, they're leaning on your chair (it's just chaos). I decide I'd try to make it to the restroom while the floor looked a little empty, by the time I got up the floor had become so packed that just to get through my friend and I had to use all our strength to push through the crowd.
About an hour later I decide I can't take anymore and get my things to leave, as I'm making my way through the crowd some random guy grabs my arm, salsa spins me into some other guys chest (seriously my face was in some guys man boobs) it was so crowded that as I tried to push away from this guy I kept losing my balance and falling right back in (d@mn Sangrias), thank God for the person that pulled me to my feet (I may have suffocated).
To me Loca Luna has lost it's flair. It's no longer one of the first places I reccomend for a guaranteed good time out, with strongs drinks and hot guys. I'm a little disappointed because what other club/lounge can I visit and have the bartender give me a straw shaped like a penis?!?
So much fun! Good drinks and alot of dancing! My first time to a Spanish dancing place but absoloutly no pressure. Just get in there and boogie.
Had my 33rd bday party at this location (the new one on Amsterdam) and enjoyed it a lot. We got there at 8pm, and left just before 12am, which the place was transitioning into a club! LOL
All in all, I enjoyed it very much. The food was surprisingly really good, and portions were great. I'd totally go again - but if you want to actually enjoy the band and the food, go before 12am because that's when the bouncer appears at the door and the band packs up and leaves, replaced by a DJ.
I chose Loca Luna after reading rave reviews, but was not at all impressed. I thought the food was a little overpriced for the quality, mediocore at best. The drinks were a bit weak.
The atmosphere was nice and we enjoyed the live music, but probably not a somewhere I'd go again.
Oh dear...Loca Luna, Loca Luna, Loca Luna....
We've had some great times together, you and I. Very exciting times..
To be honest, I have *not* tried the food at this place. So I have no clue as to what people are complaining about.
I've come here with my friends. The first time, we went on a Saturday night, which is Latin or Salsa night, if I'm not mistaken. Live band? Check! Amazing variety of drinks? Check! Pretty awesome selection of good latin music that I can sing AND dance to? CHECK!
This place is definitely hook-up central, just FYI.
The prices for drinks were quite reasonable...not too shabby at all.
The second time, we went on a Friday night. It wasn't Salsa or Latin night and most of the music was hip-hop-ish. It was alright, except for the fact that some creepers were around and I was totally hit on a few times and not in a good way.
The third time was a repeat of the first time. So, needless to say - we had an amazinnng time.
Parking is abundant. The atmosphere can be good if you go on the right day.
From the looks of it, this place might just be THE latin dancing place in all of Atlanta.
You know, this place already had two strikes against it when i walked in: it was a tapas bar (which I'm always a little lukewarm on) and that it featured loud, live music. But since I knew all that going in, I won't hold it against Loca Luna in this review.
The wait for a table and the slow service, on the other hand, are not off the hook. Let's start with the wait. There is too much good food in Atlanta for me to wait 90 minutes to sit down somewhere, I can go to a zillion places on a Saturday that are delicious and I can walk right in and sit down. . . and they aren't filled with loud hipsters with bad haircuts. And once you've had the decency to seat me, it's time to make with the service. They didn't.
The only thing that half-way saved this place was that it actually had pretty good food. The 5 of us ordered lots of different dishes and we all seemed quite pleased with our choices. Maybe try this place out during the week. . . maybe it will be easier to sit down and experience the good food they are serving.
We joined their free salsa lesson on Wednesday night at 8. It wasn't as crowded as weekends but we really enjoyed it. Their instructor taught us salsa very well so most couples got salsa steps so quick! Loved her short lesson!
But when we went there last Saturday, we were very disappointed; they played pop music on Saturday after midnight. Suddenly Salsa dancing turned into booty shaking. It was kinda disgusting to see that kind of dance at the restaurant. They should stop playing pop music and start playing more salsa music after midnight.
We went there just to see what it looked like since we heard they would play Latin music and we… Read more »
I'm afraid I'm going to have to demote Loca Luna after my most recent visit. The dance floor was obnoxiously crowded. Worse yet, it was crowded with a bunch of non-dancers. I don't understand the compulsion to stand on a dance floor in groups. Do you seriously need to hold a conversation in the middle of a packed club? That's what seedy alleys are for.
Non-dancing areas were also uniformly crowded and unbearable. A huge television was playing behind the band. It was disruptive and annoying.
There was no parking to be found. A group of us had split up before entering Loca Luna and only 1/2 of us made it in.
I'll probably return to Loca Luna occasionally because it's a decent default stop, but I will definitely being so earlier in the evening, before the masses arrive and spilled drinks ensue.
I typically don't like walking out of a restaurant sore and throbbing, with my thighs screaming, my… Read more »
Live music, flavored mojitos, caipirinhas, and tapas like grilled flat iron steak, hearts of palm, arugula, clementine, white balsamic and lemon make this great place kick back, relax, and enjoy some really good food.
Went here for an engagement part for a friend with a party of 8.
We sat outside which was very pleasant in April. We just ordered a bunch of tapas plates and a paella and passed them all around. Everything was very good, I particularly liked. the scallop ceviche and the fried goat cheese with the honey We also had a few pitchers of sangria which was quite tasty although I'm no Sangria maven.
After dinner we continued with drinks and dancing inside. Pretty crowded but definitely a good time.
Overall a good experience and a great place to splurge with some friends for a special night out.
I always have a good time where I go here. My company always throws the company Christmas party here..well, they past 2 years they have.
The food is good. Good music. Overall nice vibe. Drinks are nice.
Outside the company Christmas party, I'll come here and get a drink with a friend.
Great music selection - been there a couple of times but haven't tried the food but I will soon. I love the live bands, they're always great. The DJ has a good selection as well.
I hate the crowds. It's impossible to dance salsa with someone else's elbow in your back or drink spilling down your arm.
The parking situation is a joke. Take a cab, then you won't have to worry about it.
I can only use one word to describe the patrons. COUGARS. I am so sick of seeing women in their 30's and 40's wearing too-small clothing and a pound of makeup TRYING to dance with the young guys. I especially hate it when they hit on MY fiancee right in front of me when it's obvious that we're a couple. It's even more obnoxious when they're drunk because they begin to look increasingly more desperate. It's so sad.
I'm mainly giving this place a 5 star rating because of the fond memories I have there.
I can't speak for the food b/c I wasn't crazy enough to buy dinner at a club/bar.
The atmosphere was packed, but I kind of liked that. A packed place has a sense of anonymity which makes for better and crazier dancing. Am I right? I mean look, if a studious half-Asian guy had to be asked by the bouncer to re-button his shirt after a particularly spicy Latin beat overcame his self-consciousness, then you know the place is good. Damn, I'm still bitter about that incident. There is no way I'd get called out for it if I came in with it already unbuttoned, no way. It was probably the act of unbuttoning that caused problems...too sexy? So yeah, we have good music, good performers, and rather uptight bouncers. Drinks were expensive but I'm half Asian, remember? A few sips and I'm done. In fact, some guy bought my future girlfriend a drink which later ended up in my hands (which actually later ended up on the floor after I drunkenly dropped it, but w/e). So yeah, it was like some dude bought me a drink. Weird but economical.
Loca Luna, take it or leave it. Go with friends, have fun.
This is exactly the sort of restaurant that I usually hate. I liked it.
Spain is now the culinary center of the world, having surpassed France and Italy through sheer inventiveness and outrageous innovation. Tapas, however, are little bits of tradition - passed down through generations of Spaniards; nothing inventive (in Spain, that is) about tapas.
Tapas are everywhere - you cannot walk down a Spanish street and NOT find a restaurant touting its selection of tapas.
Spain's culinary heritage notwithstanding, we Atlantans are a fortunate lot. Our chefs do not view these dishes in the same manner as their Spanish counterparts - rather, we re-imagine them as perfect little dishes, a tiny meal complete in and of itself. We RESPECT each dish. (And before the Food Police tries to correct me about Spanish chefs not respecting these dishes, consider that I speak from many experiences. I enthusiastically praise Spain as Top Chef Country for its fine dining, but not for its "plate-of-fat-throw-the-tapas-down" mentality.)
And so it is that Loca Luna respects its tapas. Starting with perfectly cooked yellow beets sheathed in goat cheese and dressed with thyme vinaigrette and black truffle salt, the chef immediately had our attention. Next came the endive salad with bleu cheese and fried chorizo (though I believe it was pancetta) - perfectly balanced little bites. The crab cakes needed a better sear, but that was quickly forgotten when our (way cute!) waiter presented us with the Patatas Bravas (traditional spicy Spanish potatoes) - as good or better than any we'd had in our several travels in Spain. The seared scallops with fennel were excellent as was the fried manchego cheese with olives - ummm, fried cheese...what's not to love?
I'll go back when it's crowded to see if I like the space itself any better - seemed cavernous, begging for crowds and lots of alcohol and maybe some dancing.
Recommended.
I am really, really sad to write a poor review of "the Loca." I have been many, many times to the old location and always had a great experience. Sadly, on Saturday night they could have done a better job.
A good friend wanted to celebrate her engagement w/ a light dinner, drinks and dancing. I called LL on Saturday afternoon to make a reservation for 10 people at 8:30. No go, they were booked until 10:30. Not long after I said "whaa? how is that possible?" did another hostess come on the line and say that if I wanted to put our name in at 8:30, they could accomodate us on a first-come-first-serve basis. Weird how they suddenly had space for a big party, but couldn't guarantee a spot. So, my friend and I got there at 8:30, put our name in and waited. And waited. And waited. It was 10 when we actually got sat and then the madness started.
At 11:30, the bus boy's started clearing away the table, which contained full drinks. FULL DRINKS! Obviously service was slow for a party of 10, so we were all still drinking and eating and having a good time. When I came back from the restroom, not only was my drink gone but the table linens, chairs and table were in the process of being removed. We immediatley got our server to explain what was happening, as this was totally unacceptable. Long argument short, we got $80 removed from our bill for the inconvienience and promptly left.
I understand that LL turns into a latin dance club at night, but come on, it's insane to pull customer's food, drink, chairs and table out from under them. We were spending more money at LL than most of the latin "clubbers" and should have at least gotten the chance to settle up our bill, give our server a proper tip (sadly, these events affected the guys tip...sorry!) and get our things/party together. If you advertise that you serve food until midnight, give your guests a place to sit.
I'm not in a rush to go back to LL given what happened. I'd rather go to Eclipse di Luna, Pura Vida or Cafe di Sol for the same experience w/o the hassle.
Very nice atmosphere! I'm not a big fan of trendy places but the tapas were amazing and they had Stella in tall glasses, so I was a happy man! I tried the potato plate that had this awesome sauce (don't know what was in it, but tasted a bit wasaby-like), the carne asade skewers, chicken skewers and the ribs in this really rich sauce mmm!
The live music kicked in around 9:drunk o'clock and the place turned from a laid back lounge into a mini live show with women slipping and falling on the floor.
I'll definitely be back here. IDK if they take reservations, but I felt like we came at the perfect time (8:30ish on a sat) because it got insanely packed within an hour of arriving.
Everybody's doing it. It's just they're all doing it at the same time.
A friend and I went to Loca Luna on a whim a few weeks ago. I only suggested it because a lady at the beauty shop said it was something good to do when you want to spice up your normal routine.
We show up at like 11:00 p.m. and I see a gaggle of people standing outside the door waiting for their cars. I almost thought it would be dead on the inside but I was so wrong. There was a boxing game going off so I guess that's why there were so many people.
My homegirl and I had already been drinking so we immediately walked toward the dancefloor. There was a really nice live salsa band playing but unfortunately they were finishing their set. But it didn't matter since we hooked up with two adorable Dominican brothers and danced the night away with them.
The floor was really packed and I constantly kept bumping into somebody or having some drunk person bump their way past us - very annoying! But again, at least I had a cute guy showing me some moves and the music was very lively with a mix of Salsa, Reggaeton and Merengue.
It seems like the best time to go to Loca Luna is earlier for dinner so you can catch the band, sit down and relax and not worry so much about who's foot you're stepping on.
I never did go to the old Loca Luna location, so no comparisons here. I went there this past Friday with a group of friends. My friend and I ordered the empanadas and the vodka pasta. They were both okay, but nothing special, I've had better. The sangria was yummy though. I agree with everyone that the service is really poor. We waited forever for that pasta, and water refills seemed to take forever. I don't think its the servers' fault though, because I constantly saw him running around, I just think they are seriously understaffed. Don't expect prompt service here. The restaurant is pretty nice though, high ceilings, etc... but its cramped in there. No space to walk to/from your table even.
I'm not big on salsa dancing so the fact that there wasn't a band that night didn't bother me at all. The crowd is really mixed, anything from college kids to old people in their sixties, jeans to cocktail dresses. Parking there is a pain, no free spots after about 8pm, so we were forced to Valet, which is "complimentary", you just have to tip the guy.
Don't go there if you don't have time to spare, as service is ultra slow. Food & drinks are okay if you have good company. I don't think I'll be frequenting Loca Luna any time soon....
.... Flavor... Orgasm....
Yeaaaah I said it !! I haven't written a review in a while but after last night's trip to Loca Luna I had to post about the great food and music.
The crown jewel of Amsterdam Walk, Loca Luna is a great Lunch / Dinner / Dance spot. I went to get the Labor Day weekend started right. The bartenders mix pretty good drinks and that's a good place to be if your there before the crowd comes in. At least you can watch something on the projector or talk to someone at the bar with you.
Onto the food! I had the flat iron steak with the greens, mandrin oranges and cheese things??. Let me say it again... Flavor... Orgasm....
I also ordered the plaintains & they didn't suck (coming from someone that grew up on them). The fish taco was good and the overall price was not to shabby. I'd be interested to try the desserts.
Dancing & the music...
I was told Fridays are hot but shesh, a brother was sweating for real. Heavy crowd since it was Brazilian night. Bring a guy or girl with you if you really want to dance. If not there's good people in the crowd but they're pretty much with their friends or other so moving around on the dance floor is chore.
I loved the live music and parallel to Ibiza they pull down the drums and get the crowd going! All and all a good night, great food, but I'd recommend bring a good mix of m/f friends to maximize the night.
I love Loca Luna, and this new location is even better! I just had my 25th birthday party there last Saturday with 17 people. This restaurant caters to large crowds -- there were at least 3 other birthday groups and quite a few bachelorette parties as well. We were seated immediately -- and our table was conveniently located right next to one of the bars and right in front of the Latin-style band. They even sang happy birthday to me! :)
The number one perk about Loca Luna (for large groups) is that they are very willing to split checks. Our waiter split them from the very beginning and got everything right. My boyfriend and I had the hummus, fried potatoes, fish tacos and chicken skewers. He said the fish tacos were the best he has ever had. Everything else was delicious. I also really like their mango mojitos. The service was excellent - even with a jam-packed restaurant full of huge groups.
It turns into a kind of Latin club at night because of the band. Lots of dancing and loud music, so if you're into that kind of thing, you'll love it. They also have a huge patio that is probably better for those who want a little quieter dining experience. Overall, I had wonderful time and it made my birthday party the best one yet!
I went to Loca Luna this past weekend for a friend's birthday. I will say that the space is incredible. However, as fun as the music is, it is extremely loud, and becomes a bit unbearable after an hour or more. We had a rather large group, and were literally screaming at each other across the table. The food was good. My boyfriend and I had the pork and carnita tacos. Both were very tasty. The traditional paella was also very good. However, the squid was totally rubbery. The drinks were average. I guess beyond the noise level, my only other extreme complaint was the service. AKA - it was horrible. However, it wasn't the waiter's fault. He was handling at minimum 15 tables at a peak time on Saturday night. I blame the management for this one. Our party thought we'd never get out of there, and we were extremely tired of a) yelling for our server, and b) yelling at each other.
Final thoughts - good food, fun for a little while.
Loca Luna has a lot of things going against it.
For one, they changed locations, losing the most fantastic outdoor lounge area in the city.
I was also mugged in their parking lot, which really sucked ass to put it mildly. So don't be there alone and it is one time I will say "Use the valet!" And yeah, the owner tried to say it was "alleged attacks." Well buddy, my purse is long gone, I have a police report and I'm not sure how much more real you can get than that. Remembering that makes me want to dock the place another star. ...or maybe I will right now...
To make matters worse, you can't even drown out your misery as the alcoholic drinks are watered down.
But, anyway...
Despite all that, I was cool with hanging there this evening with some good people. Goes to show that who you are with often matters more than the venue. Normally the space is so packed that you can't even move, but tonight was a quiet evening. The trade off was the live Latin band (which is worth adding that star back), and hence more opportunity for Latin dancing, wasn't available. On the flip side the Latin nights with the band are too crowded for serious dancing and you have to shout to be heard.
They also had a really screwy set up of ordering all food and drinks at the bar this evening, and the poor bartender had to track us down to deliver the pretty decent steak tacos. Ugh...but the yucca was in chip form, not in the chunky-like-a-french-fry goodness. Good God people!
Maybe if you haven't been spoiled by the old location, this one will suit you, but, the atmosphere is more pretty-people-posh and concrete-shiny-lofty and no dancing equals not as much fun. I'll be going to Pura Vida for my yucca in the future, and generally be passing on Loca Luna and its inconsiderate owner as it struggles to recreate a level of cool it won't reach again.
Since Yelp just changed the address on Loca Luna rather than noting the old one as closed and starting a new thread for the new location, I am deleting my review where I had given four stars. Since Yelp won't allow more than 5000 characters, that review is forever gone. The new one is that bad.
Loca Luna @ Amsterdam Walk started with good intentions. Seems they tried to make it a bit more hip, a bit larger, and easier to park at. However, it seems they did all this, but decreased the size of their staff. They seem to have turned more into a bar than a place to get some tapas & do some salsa dancing.
I went last night with a group of 6 girls for the start of a bachelorette party. We had a reservation for 9 and since we knew the wait at this place could sometimes suck we decided to get there around 8:30 to check in. We called to confirm on the way that we still had the number of people in our party that the reservation was set for and they said no problem, we'll go ahead and mark you as here so things will go a bit faster. Thanks! We're thinking "okay, this will turn out well."
When we arrived, the guy gave us our little buzzer and told us it shouldn't be a problem to get our table at 9:00. Well, I'm sure you know how this story continues..9:00 comes & goes and we don't have our table. We've been at the long bar (which does look cool with it's glass rock wall) for 30 minutes now sipping down mojitos in little plastic cups that cost the same as a large glass that you get when you're dining there. How do they figure that one out, eh? We send one of our take-charge party members over to find out about how much longer our table will be and they say "oh, just about 5 or 10 more minutes." Ok, fine that's cool.
Ten minutes passes, and at this point our take-charge party member is angry. She says to them "maybe our buzzer is broken because you told me our table was ready in 10 minutes and you haven't come to get us yet." I am being a bit more patient because I know that the staff at Loca Luna is basically a group of idiot monkeys disguised as humans. But....at this point we've been waiting 45 minutes for our reservation. What's the point of a reservation if the two people who arrived at the same time as us are being seated before us??
She comes back and tells us the new verdict - 30 more minutes. As a "apology" they gave us two free drink coupons. Umm...thanks, but no thanks. We have 6 people in our group so how do we divy that up? At this point I whip out the phone to get numbers for One or Two or really anywhere that is around that area and still a fun scene. Both have current wait times of about an hour so that idea is nixed. We FINALLY got seated at 10:00. Since we were supposed to be at our next destination at 11:00, the bride to be's sister is furious.
We sit and wait for about 20 minutes before a waitress finally comes by. There were several people around us that sat down after us that received service before we did. Now this is where I don't understand the logic of the Loca Luna staff. You've got 6 angry customers. They're having a bachelorette party and probably looking to spend lots of money on alcohol and food. Next to us you've got two people, on a date. Behind us you've got a group of 3 stick skinny girls that look like they don't eat. If our table is six girls on a bachelorette party that are already pissed off for waiting so long but would STILL spend money, then wouldn't you make sure the second we were seated a server was there waiting to take our drink order? To make up for your lack of planning when it comes to reservations?
Our server was actually quite nice...although there were several quirks with the meal. We ordered drinks and there seemed to be something wrong with at least one of them in every round. At one point I got a mojito that was club soda with a leaf in it. Mmm! We order our food the second she comes back to try and make up time. The tacos for entrees come out before the calamari, hummus, butternut squash empenadas, and lobster bisque that we ordered as appetizers and the waitress' excuse was "some things take longer than others." Uhhh correct? Entrees usually take longer to cook than appetizers so that logic doesn't work. You're telling me you can cook up some steak tacos faster than you can scoop a pile of hummus on to a plate?
OH! And when one guy brought out our food he said "steak tacos?" wanting to know where to set it on the table and since two people in our party had ordered it, both of course raised their hands. He started to set it down in front of one and she said "go ahead and let her have it, I've got something else to eat until the other plate arrives." HE ROLLS HIS EYES, in a very dramatic fashion. Are you kidding me?!
This review just re-pissed me off. The food is not that good, the quality has gone downhill since the old location, the service is definitely worse, and while I love the music...the opportunity to dine here is NOT WORTH IT!
I usually only go to Loca Luna for special events or birthday parties and I only go about once or twice a year. Why? I absolutely loathe this place as well as tapas! Plus I am still a bit saddened and bitter that my favorite gay bar that I grew up in Atlanta (Red Chair) is no longer there!
Anyways, tonight we ended up going here to celebrate the beginning of Leslie E. birthday week. She wanted to check out the new space and hope to do some salsa dancing. We arrived and I was impressed by the speedy valet and for the first time ever, our reservations actually worked and we instantly had a table. That's where the fun ended! Here is what happened:
8:30 - Arrived
8:32 - Seated
8:47 - Waitress came by to take our drink order
9:02 - Drinks arrived
9:12 - Waitress came to take our food order
9:30 - First tapas arrived
9:40 - The rest of the food arrived
9:53 - Flan Arrived and asked for check
10:30 - Check arrived
10:40 - Finished paying and left!
I believe we spent most of our time waiting! It was difficult to even carry on a conversation with anyone because it was so loud with all the people around us as well as the live band. Leslie thought the dance floor was very small and that not many people were hanging around there...maybe it gets more lively later on the night. David felt that the decor was done cheap and I could not get over the memories of Red Chair! Poor Robert came with us to only hang out and only had a diet coke, which was only refilled about 3 times the entire 2 plus hours we were there!
The pluses...the fruity drinks and mojitos, maduros, and the flan. Maybe next time I should eat before hand and just order drinks and dessert! The only other plus was watching the people come out of their cars at the valet station.
I definitely had my 6 month fill of Loca Luna and won't be looking forward to the next get together here, but I'll be back.
WHAT?? I CAN'T HEAR YOU. Because I'm still deaf from the damn band at loca luna. Holy crap that place is loud, it's like being at a concert.
Anywhoo, if you are looking for a scene, this place seems pretty good actually. Plenty of women, can't really say about the guys cause I wasn't looking.
I visited for a birthday celebration, but the people I was hanging out with don't really drink and don't really dance, so it wasn't the best place for us.
Food wise, that's where the 3 stars comes from. No reason to go here for the food, overpriced tapas, that aren't bad, but not worth the trip and craziness. The asparagus were actually pretty good though, fish eh it was actually decent, but again, pricey small portions, nothing special.
Worst part was waiting for the tacos that almost never arrived. I think it took literally about 20-25 min after I got my tapas before the last guy's tacos showed up - there were 4 of us. Ah it happens, but still this place is a mad house.
If I wanted a place to pick up chicks, I guess I would head here, but I don't think a bar type place is the best for such activities. Although the one random horribly drunk girl I ran into said I looked like Jason Mraz, which I guess is a compliment, which means I should go back and look for crazy drunk chicks??! Wow, maybe I should give this place 5 stars.
I've been required to attend several work-friendo functions here, and I am never very impressed. Even when the food was free. And the times I've actually paid for food & adult beverages, the portions were small and mediocre-tasting while the drinks were weaker than an 80-year old granny. The interior is cool and that's really the only reason for two stars.
My mistake for trying something new on my birthday weekend:(
It was saturday night and Joel and David kept on asking me what I wanted to do. For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was salsa dancing. I had heard that Loca Luna had a band that played latin music, which meant a great setting to get your groove on, right? Well it would have been cool had the dance floor not have been so small. People were constantly crossing through, either heading to the restrooms, or to the bar (or maybe just making the rounds and going back and forth). Had I actually been on that dance floor, it would have been distracting.
The food was ok. We ordered quite a few dishes to share and a couple of the things that stood out were the cheese sticks, the maduros, the empanadas, and the flan. Joel and David each ordered some tacos, but unfortunately David's never made it to the table. The drinks were mostly fruity with weird names, but I ended my night with my usual vodka/cranberry.
But the worst thing about this place was the noise! We were sitting in the patio area and I don't know if it was cause of the concrete walls that made everything extra "echo-y" but I just felt that everyone everywhere was shouting. Even our table of four was split cause it was hard to hear what the person sitting across from you was saying.
*Sigh* Maybe one day the novelty of this place will wear out and I'll be able to have an enjoyable evening with my mojito.
Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.
Not that Loca Luna has anything to do with Kansas. It does, however, have something to do with transporting you to somewhere totally, well, totally not-Atlanta.
Welcome to Miami!
Probably just one more drink and I would have bought that I really was in Miami. To go ahead and sound as cheesy as it does, I felt 'transported' (a la Star Trek) to a completely different vibe once stepping out of the (complimentary valet) car into the new Amsterdam Walk location.
You're greeted by a fountain, and depending on what time of night it is, a crowd dressed in small amounts of clothing (even if it is forty degrees), and enter to a wall of corrugated aluminum and white floors.
The space feels more open than the old Midtown proper location - and they Miami-ness has been kicked up a notch or twelve.
Seating options include the patio, the main dining area and a balcony with two top tables (perfect for chatting with a friend or if you need a more quiet spot for a date). You'll be surrounded by giant murals of outlines of palm trees in mango and white, and lighting is swathed in white tulle. The salsa band plays merrily in the background, and you for a moment slip into the Spanish you learned in fifth grade.
Speaking of salsa, let's talk about the dance floor. The band plays away, and even when they go on break, salsa (and interpretations of near-salsa) still break it down on the dance floor). Even if you can't salsa, fake it and the fun will come!
We had the plantains, pork spare ribs, calamari, hummus and lobster bisque. . and all were devoured, with no complaints.
The vibe at Loca Luna for me has consistently been fun - old or new location - and from the looks of joyful, good times on the other patrons faces, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that takes solace in a bit of a 'vacation' right here in the 404.
First of all let me say the pictures on this site are from the old location. So what you see is not what you get.
I'm surprised not more people have mentioned how the new Loca Luna is so NOT as nice as it was as their previous location.
Sure the new place is "nice." It's not hard to find a nice restaurant in Atlanta these days. But it hardly has the character and charisma ti did when it was in Midtown. The quaint and cozy bar - dining area, the outside seating around the garden pool, the "convertible" roof that came off when the Spring, Summer and Fall was nice. Where did all this go?
I'm very disappointed that they didn't hold on to these few traits that made the old Loca Luna truly a unique and fun experience.
came around 9 to meet friends and dance. It was Brazilian theme this nnight. Had the tuna Ceviche, which was yummy, but they need to review their dictionary for the Ceviche definition. It was plainly put, seared tuna with a latin flava. Margaritas are ok, sour mix is subpar for such establishment. The food is good overall. Not sure about the Mussels, it was made with some wannabe Spaguetti Sauce variation. fried queso was just like Mozzarella Stix but came with a sweet side and olives, which were not making a match with the meal, for me personally. What do I know? I ain't no chef.
So the ambience, I give it a 8 and dancing area was welcoming. One of the bartenders gave me a cold look when I asked him for the penis sucker..aka the peepee shaped straw. Not sure if he was sad to see it go into my mouth or pissed that I asked for it without getting Nate's (?)Penis drink, which is the signature drink that comes with the cock sucker. Perhap this bartender with a sour look is the Nate. smile buddy, your personality is a deciding factor for your tips.
I heart Loca Luna:)
Especially for big groups and birthday parties, they are very accommodating. I had my birthday dinner at the old location last fall, and they were more than accommodating for my group of 20 ppl, but definitely make a reservation if going on a Friday or Saturday night!
Then I went with a group of 15 this past Friday to the new location on Amsterdam, and I was shocked to see it was about 3 times the size of the old place! And even though they lost our updated reservation, we were seated within 30 minutes, and the food (which is super cheap, by the way!) came out quickly and the server had no issues with splitting up our checks.
Plus the bar is not a bad place to hang out while you're waiting to be seated, since there is so much to look at and you can even test out your salsa dancing skills as well!
A+ place for big groups, definitely!
Loca Luna is a great place to meet for dancing and fun. There are tons of people on the weekends, the bars are busy, and the tables are buzzing.
I gave the restaurant 3 stars because, while I love the live music/loud music, it makes it nearly impossible to have a conversation. Thus, you just dance :)
The food is OK, not great, but OK. No dishes really stand out. Desserts were mediocre. I actually enjoyed their old location in midtown (particularly the indoor, but outdoor patio). I think it had a bit more character. However, I love that the new Loca Luna actually has space to dance.
Go here to meet groups and have a good time.
Neighborhood: Lingbergh / Morosgo
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Buckhead
Category: Dance Clubs
Neighborhood: Poncey-Highland
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Buckhead
Category: Brazilian
Neighborhood: Virginia Highlands
Category: Steakhouses
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