Anthony's take
By Anthony Martinez, The Leander Local · Updated June 2026
Lava is a hookah lounge wearing a Mediterranean menu, and the room knows what it wants to be: low light, smoke curling, a place built to make you stay a while. I sank into it. The Signature Lava Lamb Chops Royale came out tender and deep with smoke, the kind of plate that earns the word "Royale" on a good night. The staff worked the floor warm and attentive, and the BYOB setup with a ten-dollar-a-head corkage is a genuinely fair deal in a town that nickel-and-dimes you.
Then there's the other night, the one I can't pretend away. Flat flavors, skimpy portions, real money handed over for food slid onto a plastic tray with disposable cutlery. If you're going to put Mediterranean on the sign, you owe the spices and the plating some respect. Lava is two restaurants depending on the evening. Go for the chops and the hang, not for a serious dinner.
The Order
I'd order the Signature Lava Lamb Chops Royale, bring my own bottle, and lean into the lounge instead of treating it like a sit-down dinner.
⚠ Gotcha
BYOB with a $10-per-person corkage, but ask for real plates. Some nights the food shows up on a plastic tray with disposable utensils.