Situated exactly opposite Kamala Nehru Park off Bhandarkar road, Casa Lolo is a new endeavour. With a humble beginning the restaurant has begun to pull crowds off late. Casa Lolo offers a pleasant change from the so-called Shawermas of Hite bar, which was the only shawerma place in pune to my knowledge.
To readers that are unaware, shawerma is an arabic roll of diced grilled chicken wrapped in a roti called Khuboos. I am unaware when Casa lolos exactly started operations but I discovered the place in June 08 and have been frequenting the place ever since. It is one of the few places I have observed to increase the quantity of their dishes over a period of time keeping the price.
However, the quality does waver. Apart from shawermas, they also serve veg alternatives such as falafel, Hummus(A chick peas and sesame paste) and the usual burgers and their variants (Veg Cheese burger, Chicken Cheese burger) but it is best to keep clear of these. The USP of this place is the almost fat-free Grilled Chicken.
It is Grilled with the help of a special machine imported from the gulf. And they only start grilling them at 3 PM and are usually available by 4:30-5PM. Good luck trying to take one home for a late night dinner because they are usually sold out by 10. The grilled chicken is served with 4 Khuboos and a garlic and white butter preparation called ’thoum ’.The shawerma is best eaten at lunch time. Do try to avoid it during the dinner, the reason being it is cooked in the open throughout the day and I guess due to heavy traffic on the road I have found the meat to be smelly at times. Also worth the try is the hummus and shawerma plate at Rs. 120/- it is sufficient for 2 if your not starving. The staff is sparse but friendly.
The Khuboos is sometimes floury but can be tolerated as the restaurant makes up for good taste. The restaurant does not have much of an ambience. The seating arrangement is directly exposed to the road. The place is best suited for college students and friends.