D.Rough and I were driving back to Phoenix from a visit
to family in Tucson. D.Rough had been looking at food destinations off the
beaten path between Tucson and Phoenix and kept seeing Lola Empanada come up.
We left a little early to make sure we had time to stop by Lola and check it
all out. I’m so glad we did.
The place wasn’t busy when we arrived and the woman
working was having her really awesome and friendly young kids help us out. They
were adorable. It took us a minute to decide on lunch, but we figured it out
with some compromising, so we could try more things.
We got:
- Chicken bacon jalapeño popper
- Green chili chicken
- Spicy beef
- Spicy beef bean and cheese
- Yucca fries with garlic aioli
D.Rough also got a fresh margarita. We weren’t sure it
was going to be good when it arrived, since it was a little “clear”. But it honestly was
fantastic. Really wonderful fresh lime taste and not overpoweringly boozy.
Really awesome and refreshing.
The yucca fries were very generous (size-wize) and went
really well with the garlic aioli. The dip was pretty magical. The outside was
very crunchy and the inside was nice and fluffy like mashed potatoes. A
wonderful choice and one I’d recommend (as long as you have someone to share
the giant portion with).
Each of the empanadas were wonderful. I’m really
impressed with how fat they were with fillings and also how well they were
fried. They were flaky and crusty, but didn’t fall apart (and weren’t greasy
tasting). D.Rough’s favorite was the green chili chicken one and my favorite
one was the spicy beef with beans and cheese. We were extremely full after
eating all of these, but it was worth it.
This place is a hidden gem that deserves more attention.
Great work, Lola!!!
And then, just before we got back to the rental car place,
a giant hawk slammed into the side of my car while I was on the highway and
rocked my door. This is why I always get the insurance on rental cars. WEIRD
STUFF ALWAYS HAPPENS TO ME!!!
Lola Empanada
5452 E. Skyline Drive
San Tan Valley, AZ 85140
