This Tiki-Themed Pizza Kitchen Is A One-Of-A-Kind Hidden Gem Restaurant In Illinois
By Linze Rice|Published September 22, 2023
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Linze Rice
Author
Ope! From the rural cornfields of DeKalb County, Linze is an Illinois native and true Midwestern gal who can make a mean bonfire and whip up a perfect marshmallow salad. Since 2014, her bylines and photography have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago/DNAinfo Chicago, Only in Your State, and more. She has interviewed Dolly Parton, written about beloved diners along historic Route 66, visited the last Rainforest Cafe in the Illinois, and reviewed luxurious English manor-inspired hotels. Whether it's writing about a local gem or world-renowned establishment, Linze brings a heartwarming and historical perspective to each story, using facts, wit, and personal experience to impress upon readers the importance of culture, food, travel, and all things local. Her favorite destinations in Illinois include Starved Rock State Park, Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, the charming small town of Sycamore, and historic Rosehill Cemetery. When she's not writing or photographing, Linze enjoys gardening, spending time with her husband and pets, cooking, baking, and grilling, and relaxing with trashy TV.
Maybe I’m just corny (that’s a rural Illinois joke) but I love a restaurant with not only great food and drinks, but also a theme. The kookier or more over-the-top, the better. While a great local diner always fills my cup, I do find it exciting to search for something a little different that gives you an experience as well as a great meal. So when I discovered this tiki bar pizzeria in Arlington Heights, Illinois — where two completely opposite worlds collide — I knew I’d have to check it out.
Lola's Pizza & Tiki Bar, 1612 E. Rand Road., is located in the northwestern Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights.
The unique restaurant showcases authentic Italian recipes within a tiki-bar-themed diner, complete with bamboo and teak woods, dim, but colorful lighting, and plenty of Caribbean and Pacific decor.
And while you may expect to be dining on a skewer-roasted pig, the diner actually specializes in mouthwatering Italian favorites like pizza, chopped salads, sausages, and more. Many of the recipes came from the owner's time spent as a teenager cooking with his mother and grandmother
I have a feeling Lola and I would both love to take a bite out of this gooey meatball sub.
And what goes great with pizza and homemade Italian fare? Tiki drinks, of course! From Mai Tais to daiquiris to martinis, the drink menu is full of amazing and creative takes on tropical drinks, complete with over-the-top garnishes and presentations.
