Lolita’s Lounge

Lolita’s Lounge is a cool spot to check out some excellent alternative entertainment like Carley’s Angels — The only Calgary drag show that I know of. (I hear good things!) and Red Carpet Comedy, where Calgary’s professional comedians are only allowed to tell jokes they’ve never told in front of an audience. Sometimes the jokes get the crowd roaring, other times they fail miserably, but it is consistently a great time.
Nestled above Salt & Pepper Mexican, Lolita’s it a cozy room with plenty of seating around the main stage. They’ve also got a quaint patio that overlooks the Salt & Pepper patio and is separated by glass from 9ave which keeps the street noise down and the patio feeling relaxed. Great date night perch.
Like their downstairs cousin, their drinks have a Mexican or island flare to them, serving margaritas on the rocks, mojitos, and Corona, Pacifico and Dos Equis, most interestingly, among other Mexican brews.
And of course, what drag night would be complete without a whole sexy smörgåsbord of shots like the Blow Job, Slippery Nipple, Orgasm, and Silk Panties and Porn Star.
The food and the drinks aren’t out of this worlds, but they’re perfectly tasty and worth having while you’re enjoying one of the events or concerts happening at this hall.

First time at Lolita’s and it was to see Smart Arse, a production at the 2014 Fringe Festival. The production was awesome but this is a review of the venue not the entertainment. First off its small which is not a bad thing but if recommend you arrive early to get a good seat. As its a live music venue you are likely attending for some sort of performance. There are great banquettes along the back wall facing the stage and a nice high long table along the windows also with a good view of the stage. The food menu is small but keep in mind its upstairs from Salt & Pepper so you can always start downstairs for dinner and end up upstairs fo a show. The bar selection is quite nice and I can definitely recommend the Mojito. Service was rushed as the show was about to start but we had the same waiter we’ve had at Salt & Pepper before and he once again did an awesome job. Last thing of note, the coffee is incredible! It had a hint of cinnamon which reminded me of years ago at The Blue Note in Winnipeg. As the Note is long gone it was a nice little flash to years gone by. Will definitely look out for other events at this cozy venue.

I have seen a few drag shows and I was really looking forward to this one. I found that there was way too much talking from Carly herself, first the list of rules fair enough but shouldn’t take 20 or so minutes, then there was the question and answer period which also had me yawning. Seemed over the top narcissistic, I paid for the performances not how and why and what you do outside of these shows.
The table service was TERRIBLE, at one point in the evening I had to physically grab the arm of the server, he had his head down and made little eye contact, you know those servers who TRY to avoid serving. Then there was one machine for payment for the entire venue and the bartender couldn’t take cash. I would go for free, but definitely not worth $ 50 or so bucks. Many will enjoy it, but having seen other shows this was a disappointment. They have been going strong for 13 years so my opinion will surely not be the majority.

Visited Lolita’s for the first time last night to see young guitar phenom Calum Graham. Calum was fantastic as was his opening act Maddie. But the Mexican food from Salt and Pepper was exquisite. I had the basa with chipotle sauce with refried beans and rice. Everything was perfectly seasoned. The waiter suggested an Australian Shiraz to pair with the food and it worked perfectly.

Went to Lolita’s for a Fringe Festival show. It’s a cozy little spot, with heavy draping and low lighting. The performance stage is smack dan in the middle, so everyone in the room can see what’s going on. There was a smaller menu due to the nature of the show, so I can only say that the chips, and salsa/​guac are standard but delicious the house wine I had was pretty decent too. Can’t remember the name of it, despite our awesome server giving me the details on what the house wine choices were. Based on the intimate setting and friendly service, I’m definitely looking forward to coming back Lolita’s for another show.

If you’re cool with checking out some alternative entertainment, you absolutely must see Carly’s Angels. I’d been curious and heard great things, so I booked my birthday party here. I had to do so nearly two months in advance because the show sells fast. It’s definitely popular with women and a man who is comfortable with his masculinity and open minded will enjoy it too.
The lounge itself is beautiful and cozy. It has a boudoir feel. As of May 2013, there was no air conditioning so be warned that if it’s a hot day outside, you need to dress lightly if you have a reservation. I was with a larger group and we all ordered different food, which is from the Salt & Pepper menu. I didn’t hear any complaints and the nachos I shared with my spouse were awesome. I also drank a few margaritas (’cause it’s my party and I’ll indulge if I want to!) which are made traditionally and not blended with crushed ice. We had a stellar server who pumped us up for a good night.
Honestly, Carly blew my mind. She is the star of the show for good reason. She was absolutely hilarious and beautiful. Other men in the room commented that they were impressed with how amazing she looked and kept forgetting she was actually a man underneath it all. One of my male friends described her as a dichotomy. The other ladies were good too and all have unique qualities and skills. We interacted with one of them during the break and it’s cool that they’re open to chatting with patrons. It makes the experience even more memorable.

Carly’s Angels! This is the real reason we’re here. Every Saturday night the house is packed and a hilarious drag comedy show takes place. I have been twice in the past 6 months and have been thoroughly entertained.
All I can say is if you are even remotely interested, you need to go. The energy & comedy that goes into the shows are fantastic. You will not be disappointed.
A great place to go as a couple, couple of friends, birthday party or stagette. If you’re a larger group, it may take a few months to book in so make sure to call.
Tickets are around $ 60 for the show & do not include dinner & drinks. That said, the drinks must be kind of part of that because a 1 litre of Newcastle beer was only $ 6 :D So they encourage you to go and get plastered… alllll right :)
As well, the restaurant will be changing to Salt & Peppers mexican very soon, so the food is about to get a whole lot better. I have never had the food here because it is sooooo not about that. It’s about having drinks with friends and watching the Angels! A lot of audience participation too.
One more note… this show, somehow is really funny for people of all ages (18+ due to the comedy content). Very very funny. GO!