The Place: Lola (500 North 14th Street; 314-621-7277)
The Hours: Happy hour is offered Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. and Friday from 4 to 8 p.m.
The Deal: Discounted appetizers including sliders and more. Select cocktails for $6 and half-off domestic beers.
The Scene: Lola sits on a prime corner in downtown St. Louis' Washington Avenue Loft District. On a nice day, the door to the bar gets propped wide open, so avid people-watchers can survey the foot traffic. When we visited, happy hour was limited to this front dining room, a sparse space with an empty stage, a few tall two-top tables lining the walls, leathery white couches in the window and seats at the bar.
The Food: The happy hour selection includes a few discounted regular appetizer menu items such as crab cakes ($8 instead of $12), chicken wings ($6-$8 instead of $9) calamari ($7 instead of $9). Of all the options, the barbecue chicken flatbread ($7) seemed to be unique to the happy hour menu, and it's exactly what one'd expect yet executed well. Sweet barbecue sauce sits atop a thin and crispy crust, topped with tender cubed chicken, melted cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of purple and green onions.
The fish and frites ($8 instead of $13), a dish of deep fried Icelandic cod, hit the spot. Cut into small chunks, the Cajun-spice tinged breading encased a tender interior, and it all paired well with a tasty remoulade. The plate features decidedly more "frites" than "fish," and topped with some Parmesan and green onion, proved pretty filling.
Did Lola make the grade? Find out on the next page.
