Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar

• Cuisine(s): Mexican
  Hours: Dinner Sun-Thu 6 p.m.-midnight, Fri-Sat 6 p.m.-1 am. Bar open Fri-Sat till 5 a.m.
  Price: $$$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Order Online, Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Wheelchair Accessible
  Serving: Dinner, Late Night
  Alcohol: Full bar, Pitchers
• Reservations: Accepted, Recommended
  Parking: Meters, Valet

Description

Lolita's red-velvet embossed walls, gothic candelabras, and 100-plus bottles of tequila locked in a cage bespeak bordello -- and that's before you even notice the studded black leather couches on the patio. Rock music, which gets played loudly, boosts the bacchanal factor, as does a complimentary bowl of grapefruit-mint granitas drenched with an optional shot of tequila. A basket of freshly fried corn chips and three dips comes next. Lolita is really more of a bar-to-table than farm-to-table kind of place, meaning the quality of tequilas, margaritas, and such is likely given as much attention as the sourcing of pork. A "Lolita" margarita ($12) is just right, made with Don Julio Blanco, Grand Marnier, fresh lime juice, cane syrup, and a squeeze of grapefruit. Shots of top-shelf tequilas are offered too -- the extensive agave listing categorized into taste characteristics such as "gentle vanilla & cream" and "hot-pepper and smoke." That said, the food is better than one might expect. Hits: fresh guacamole; tacos, especially the pulled pork and brisket with gravy; meaty pork ribs in coffee-chocolate sauce; and chicken tinga flautas. Main courses are in the $21 to $27 range, except filet mignon ($32) and bone-in rib eye ($36). The rest of the menu items run $9 to $17. That's pricey for Mexican but modest in the context of South Beach.