This post was originally published on December 8, 2015.

Lola Mexican Fish House has got to be one of my favorite brunch restaurants in Denver lately. While brunch is only served from 10AM-2PM on weekends, it’s well worth making it in during that window. Nestled in the hip Highlands area of Denver, Lola’s dining room is adorned in wood and hosts artwork that will bring you into full Mexico-mode. When I dined here recently, we sat on the patio because there was no wait. Although it’s winter, you’re sure to be warm inside the enclosed patio basking in the sun’s rays. Lola offers an array of brunch-time dishes from salmon lox tortas to breakfast tamales and a heaping number of hair of the dog cocktails to wash away your morning hangover. As Lola is a fish house, I personally like to order a dish with fish (I just had to say that since it rhymed). You also can’t pass up their chips and salsa as a starter. Lola is an average priced brunch spot, leaning a bit towards the higher end. You can expect to spend under $15 on a breakfast dish and at least $5 on a morning alcoholic beverage. Every time I have dined here, the service has been very good with a highly attentive staff.

BLOODY MARY

Lola’s Ultimate Bloody is currently my favorite Bloody Mary in Denver. The first time I tried it was nearly a year ago and it’s consistently… The best. Garnished with a sweet and vinegary pickle, chile poached shrimp, olive, a nice chunk of white cheese, crisp bacon, pepperoncini, red pepper, pickled jalapeno, and lemon, it really is the Ultimate Bloody. The taste is rooted in smoky chipotle flavors with a spicy kick. The south of the border style holds true with peppery notes and tastes of light citrus. The Ultimate Bloody is thick and filling (not including the abundant garnish components)– I couldn’t drink two unless i wasn’t eating a meal 😛

MICHELADA POP

The Michelada Pop is something you must try. It’s only $5 and honestly, it’s pretty innovative. You get your choice of beer (Tecate for me!), a frozen popsicle made from Lola’s house Michelada, frozen sangrita, and lime juice, and a bit of this same mixture at the bottom of your glass to aid in the popsicle melting. There’s chile salt on the rim too! Luckily, my friend saw a woman at the table next to us easily make her Michelada. I would have had no idea how to drink (or eat?!) this masterpiece if she didn’t glance over to our neighbors. You put the popsicle in upside down (into the small amount of liquid at the bottom of the glass) and then pour your beer over it… Wa-la! There you have a tasty, salty, and citrusy Michelada with a popsicle (substitution for ice) taboot. This is a drink that is cheap, unique, and bursting with spicy and salty flavor.

FOOD

Lola offers soo many awesome dishes that it was hard to choose what I wanted. I usually only have a main dish at breakfast or brunch time, but we wanted everything on the menu. Brunch appetizers were necessary. We started out with chips and salsa, in which we were given three different salsas ranging in heat index. My favorite was the green tomatillo salsa. My friends and I were also quite interested in trying the horchata pancake, so we got one to split. OH. MY. GOD. It may have been the tastiest pancake I’ve tried (literally tasted like a liquid horchata cooked into a pancake) and was served with hearty sweet cinnamon syrup and tamarind crumbles on top. I don’t think I could order this for my full meal, as it’s heavy and laden with sweetness, but it was perfect for a few bites. I ordered the smoked trout and sweet potato hash for my brunch entree, which was the least impressive thing I ordered. It tasted decent, but was lacking a distinct flavor (‘twas somewhat bland even though the aioli was what drew me into the dish). I was also expecting a runny poached egg and a lot more trout… There were only a few chunks in there. Nonetheless, there are plenty of other dishes I would be happy to try at Lola. I have had the beef brisket benny before and that is to die for!

All in all, I highly recommend having your next brunch at Lola if you haven’t been. You will leave happy, full, and probably drunk…. Lola is located at:

1575 Boulder Street, Denver, CO, 80211