Best breakfast in Chicago. Great flavors, quick service and a super value. I've been to all the locations and they never disappoint. Friendly staff and great atmosphere. Spicy Pork empanadas and breakfast tacos are my favorite. read more

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For the last two years, I've found myself at Cafe Tola with a surprising amount of regularity. Which is even strange considering I live in the South Loop but due to the proximity to my friends and their two small children, I'll swing by here before I head over to visit. My favorite personally is the biggie smalls (steak, egg, and cheese tacos)-- I don't even care what time of day it is and serving it with a grape soda is just a fun touch. I always -always- grab just way too many empanadas here and yet amazingly they always end up getting gobbled up. Some of the favorites that I always grab if they are available: Chipotle Chicken Tinga Chicken Salsa Verde Roasted Poblano and Potatoes My friends love the Al Pastor burrito and the "OG" Steak Burrito as well. We haven't even talked about the decor-- this place is tastefully nostaglic for those born in the late 70s/80s-- Vultron, Transformers, arcade machine in the bathroom. However, just as importantly-- the space is relatively small. This is not a place to bring your kid's little league time to celebrate their big church league victory. read more

Strange joint as they have a pop cooler blocking almost half the menu on the wall!? Understaffed with two kids doing the work of what should be four employees. The food takes FOREVER to come out, not sure why.. it was far from busy. Tacos totally sub-par, like something you would make at home if you didn't know how to cook... SALTY! Literally 3 tiny leaves of Cilantro & big chunks of RED ONION on the tacos, white onion or bust. No salsa verde.. just some bad orangish color salsa that had no flavor whatsoever. For the price I expected some good tacos/ SOLD!! +1 for GORF in the Banos read more

Such a cute, fun little spot! Food was tasty and the coffee was delicious. All the employees are super nice. We ordered a steak and potato empanadas and a beef with veggies and they were delicious!! I will definitely be back. read more

Cafe Tola - Empanadas Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is my second visit to this miraculous place. So far I've tasted the the veggie, the black bean, and the lechon empanadas; the chicken mole and the goat tacos; and the machaca con huevo breakfast taco. All are outstanding and delightful. I could sit and eat a plate full of the empanada crust alone and be quite content. The decor and ambience of the place are kind of hip and homey, while also fun. There's usually ample free street parking, though you may have to walk a short way. Overall, Café Tola is a very worthy successor to the wildly popular and world famous former occupant of the space, and it's a shame there aren't long lines out the door for this food. If you've not yet been here, you're missing out. read more

I couldn't be happier about the addition of Tola to Avondale. Besides it's uber convenient locale, it's cute and charming but completely unpretentious. I stopped by on a Friday around 11am and most tables were open. We received our order in less than 2 minutes. Friendly service too! Items tried: Buffalo Chicken empanada: ideal super bowl food. Lots of chicken. Not too spicy. Ham, Egg, Cheese empy: even more egg/ham filling than the buf chx. Crust really shines- buttery, flaky, crunch Coconut Iced Coffee: coconut water and iced coffee had a baby. Not my fav. Would prefer coconut milk. Cold brew: bland. Doesn't seem like it was brewed with cold water.... Despite the coffee items falling a bit short this trip, I know from southport that they make some dank coffee so will continue to try things. read more

Cafe Tola - Menu as of 10.27.16 - Empanadas Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Horrible customer service. I ordered through Uber Eats and ordered a Al Pastor Torta. They sent me a steak Torta. Called the restaurant to ask about the mix up. They said too bad we were too busy and just sent you steak. They didn't bother to call to ask if I still wanted the order to go through as steak. The guy I talked to eventually told me to go fuck myself as he was upset at having to deal with me. Worst service ever. This is what you get for wanting to support local business. Beyond pissed. read more

Amazing food and service, one of the best small places to grab lunch. I like the ambiance, very colorful. The food is very decently priced and the staff is friendly. Me and my husband have eaten here about 20 times now and what I love the most is that the quality is always impeccable. For me consistency is important with food and this place has it!!! Good job to the staff read more

Cafe Tola is not just a pretty face. The interior is colorful and everything has a nostalgic, old school feel. Everywhere you look there's something cool to look at. And the old school music is at the right volume, not blaring but it's recognizable. It's the cherry on top! The food does not disappoint. I got a barria burrito (BBQ goat). It was not gamey and the meat was tender and juicy. The torilla was crisp and not soggy from the lettuce and pico from gallo. On top of that the price is really affordable. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because I haven't tried anything here so I can't say everything here is the best! I will definitely be returning tho! read more

Calling it as I experienced it, food was not very good. My meal was cold and basically lacked flavor. I had a chicken taco, a steak taco, and a side of rice and beans. The chicken taco was soaked in "chicken juice" seemingly to keep it moist. The steak was low quality meet with more grizzle than flavor. A virtual total miss. read more

Cafe Tola - Empanadas Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

WOW!!! I was only in the area because I brought my dog to MedVet and decided to grab a bite to eat while I waited! SO GLAD I chose this! The tacos are AUTHENTIC, delicious and full of flavor! Try the OG - you will not be disappointed! The pastor... also extremely delicious! They are served on a double tortilla and have so much meat - you can make two tacos out of one! Don't miss this little gem! They also have a cute café with espresso machine for americanos, etc. read more

Girl at the counter was super sweet! Got the OG taco, flavourful. Ask for extra cilantro if you're a cilantro lover like I am! Also got the ham, egg, and cheese empanada and it was superrrr filling. Ordered guacamole and pico with chips, which were also good. Kinda wanted a bit more salt on the chips or in the dips. Super cute and fun space overall! read more

Empanadas were yummy. Nice selection that changes daily. Enjoyed the variety of tacos. Atmosphere was nice, although the small space does get crowded and seating is limited. Pricing seemed at little high $$ for the area. Less expensive fare only a block away. Enjoyed the dinner, but next time may take out. read more

Cafe Tola - Empanadas Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Delicious al pastor and skirt steak tacos! Empanadas were awesome too. We will be back read more

My family decided to give them a try but we had a horrible service and we didn't even dine in. Our order was for pick up we get home and notice the order was incorrect call them just to let them know and am not upset but they place me on hold for 10 minutes they hang up on me now am upset call back tell them I was calling but what's more upsetting them seem not to care. read more

Cafe Tola - Bad experience! - Empanadas Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I don't review on here often, but sometimes you have to write one up. Cafe Tola is just THE BEST. I work nearby and couldn't do without it. First of all, the staff is incredible -- every single one of them who has rung up my order and chatted with me is AWESOME, knowledgeable, chill, fun to talk to. The Horchata Latte is OUT OF THIS WORLD good, and I love the cold brew. I'm thoroughly addicted to the Birria Tacos. It's pretty much all I can think of. Go to Tola. read more

Everything at this tiny restaurant is fantastic from the coffee and breakfast empanadas to the other empanadas. They serve. Great price for good food. read more

This weekend we had the pozole rojo and pozole verde and both were very good! The pozole verde with chicken was one of the best I've had and worth while because there's no pork in it. Then for dessert we had banana nutella torta also very good! read more

I love the empanadas the pork and the beans and cheese are my favorites. I love Vera but I don't know if she is at this location anymore. The interior and exterior is so chic and insta worthy but the food keeps me coming back. read more

Never ignore a customer. I have always wanted to try this place for many reasons, one of them supporting the Latinx community. I had to leave upset, hungry and mostly disappointed because I was completely ignored. I came in at 5 pm and there where what seemed to be 3 employees sitting at a table, stood in front of the register browsing around the empanada display and trying to see the menu on the wall that was covered by boxes of soda. It was unfortunate that I did not get to try the food but as far as service was i left very unhappy. A piece of advise, always acknowledge your customer right away. First impression are the ones to remember. read more

Would come here very often for their horchata latte. Not sure whats going on but its been twice where i go in and the lattes taste like expired milk. read more

I'm impressed with the tacos here. Very tasty, meaty and well seasoned! The emapanadas were soooo stuffed! I wish there was more crust. The place is quirky nice perfect for a brunch/lunch date! Will def come back for more birria and pork belly! read more

Cafe Tola - Take that Voltron! - Empanadas Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Awful. I ordered on Grubhub and it arrived on time. I ordered the Chorizo/potato/egg/pico de Gallo burrito and it had no potatoes, no pico de Gallo and maybe 4 small pieces of scrambled egg. It was basically a chorizo burrito. We also ordered ham/egg/cheese tacos and there was absolutely no cheese and very little egg so basically a ham taco. My partner's steak/egg/cheese burrito was mad correctly and he enjoyed it so at least he enjoyed his food. I honestly wouldn't chance another order with them. Thankfully, grubhub refunded our money for the burrito and tacos. read more

The vibe and place was ok! I try the empanadas Buffalo chicken N beef sirloin they had great flavor but definitely wasn't disappointed because they was out of the Og torta read more

I really wanted to love this place but the empanadas are SO f'ing overpriced, especially the vegetarian ones, and average at best. $4+tax for an empanada that's been sitting under a warmer for hours is crazy. We've impulsively grabbed some from here while walking past with our dogs and always regretted it. If you're going to charge that much, please make them fresher and more substantial. This some white people shit. Also, do nooot get the seasonal veggie empanada if you do decide to give this place a chance. Straight up tasted like an egg roll from a mall food court. read more

I've been to Cafe Tola on Southport. The empanadas are the bomb. So naturally, I was stoked to have this location open as it's a stone's throw from me. Welp, I've been to this location a few times so.... Let me just say again: I love the empanadas. The crust is so flaky and savory. The fillings are quite tasty.... usually. On my last visit I got an egg & chorizo filling and it was pretty rank. Like, I had to toss the empanada. It made me sad. I also wish that Tola had something other than salsa to offer with their empanadas: i.e., chimichurri sauce. Now, let's talk tacos. I've had tacos on different occasions and they are hit or miss. The chicken mole taco is pretty lackluster. It's literally a mound shredded chicken with mole sauce. It's not dressed at all. It needs something... radish? pickled onion? cilantro? SOMETHING. The pancito taco has good flavor (jalapeño beans!) but the pork belly was really chewy.... because the fat wasn't rendered down enough and crisped. The BBQ goat and the chicken verde tacos are both pretty tasty. The portions on the tacos themselves are very generous as well! Guac is good as is the homemade salsa. I'll still frequent this place but will just be more mindful of what I order... and hope that one day I see some chimichurri at the counter. read more

I really like the food, but consistency is an issue. You never know exactly what you're going to get. The quality of customer service also varies greatly depending on what day and time you happen to visit. The food is good, but not the place to go when you're in a hurry read more

Just moved to the neighborhood & I was so jazzed to see Cafe Tola has a store here! Congrats to the owners for expanding! Fatty Biggie Smalls might be the best breakfast burrito I've ever had... not that it means anything in a random review, but I lived in SoCal for 4 years before moving to Chicago, so I've had my fair share of breakfast burritos! Steak, Eggs, cheese+ drink of choice (I recommend going grape soda or purple monster to stick w the theme). No BS. Super fun environment and friendly service. Open early. Love it!!! read more

Cafe Tola - Empanadas Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am absolutely in love with Tola and their employees. Having moved from San Diego, id consider myself a Mexican food expert (not to mention, being Mexican myself), so I am very critical of what Mexican food I'm consuming. Needless to say, Tola has introduced me to breakfast tacos and empanadas. Both are my favorite and I'd skip trendy brunch with bottomless mimosas and mediocre service for a taco or empanada. The empanadas are always stuffed with the best ingredients. My favorites are the ropa vieja, with the juiciest pork you'll ever taste. Vegetarians, fear not, the bean and cheese are to die for, however I think there still might be lard in beans, so be wary. The breakfast tacos are another piece that complete my morning. Ham & cheese and chorizo will always have a place in my heart. The salsa is always on point and they have a plethora of hot sauces to choose from. The customer service is the best, they will know you and get to know you if you come in every other day or every weekend. They sometimes hook it up with a free empanada if it's too small, but if you're a big spender, their rewards system rewards you with a free empanada for every nine you buy. Perfect place. 10/10. Will always be back. read more

I really liked the tacos but the music they played was just awful I really don't like any music with explicit lyrics and when you play it so loud you can't have a conversation it's a problem read more

We had the empanadas, queso fundido, a pastor burrito, and two tacos (pastor and chicken mole). It was all uninspiring. The pastor taco was edible and on a nice corn tortilla, but the meat was incredibly salty. The queso got cold quickly and had very little substance for a $9 appetizer. The mole taco was downright gross. I gave it two stars for the great empanadas, nice cashier, and the credible coffee. read more

Cafe Tola is my go-to place. Born and raised in the neighborhood, I've never really had a "neighborhood spot"...until now. I am in here at least once a weekend, if not multiple times a week. Whether it's grabbing an empanada, sitting down for a nice breakfast of chilaquiles (with lots and lots of their amazing in-house salsa), grabbing a café con leche or ordering their dreamy iced horchata latte...it never disappoints. The staff is always friendly and the environment is comforting, honestly just a great spot with options for everyone. Cafe Tola, you have my entire heart. read more

Welcoming vibe and vintage toys as decor. Delicious empanadas and breakfast tacos. Love the choice to make your taco a fattie (burrito). Service was great. read more

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Cafe Tola is walking distance from home, so when I'm feeling like empanadas, it's the logical choice. To begin with, if you're looking for an authentic Mexican experience, you're probably better off going to one of the numerous taquieras down the road. But if you want tasty, big empanadas? Cafe Tola all the way. There's always good vegetarian options, and pork-free choices, which I appreciate. I generally get 2 empandas (empanadae?); I've found that three is just too much food. I don't have a problem with the staff or the service, but I'm also not going into the experience expecting fine dining. I like the guac, but I'm not a fan of their chips (I prefer thin corn chips, and theirs are thick). However, that's purely personal preference. The lost start is the result of a handful of small factors - service being a part, the chip preference being a part, the lack of non-super-spicy-dipping-sauces being a part. But as Yelp says, I'm a fan, and I'll be back....just as soon as I'm off this low carb diet. ;) read more

Chicken mole taco was shockingly dull...mound of generous chicken was a plus but mole sauce and chicken mixed to texture of mushy pulled pork piled into one thin tortilla and then that's it. No onions, no cilantro, NOTHING. (?!?) Honestly, was shocked when that's all it was...almost thought they forgot to dress it but then read another review...said same thing. Decor is trendy and hip and dark blue black locks, thick drawn-in brows, piercings most likely tattooed (was mostly looking at hipster, colorful surroundings, green river soda pop and tv baking show) order taker with a laissez-faire look on her face. May be hip and what encourages a bunch of five star reviews to fall in line and rate this for the air of cool over the food perhaps... Second taco...pork belly...at least an attempt at creative. A small slab of pork belly laid out like a slice of spam, mildly chewy, nothing to write home about but miles more creative than the lazy chicken mole taco. It was good though, honestly, I think it will fade from memory beyond today. Like another reviewer, I found the salsa kind of weak. I barely could taste any kick. Actually, took a swig from the little container given and tasted a mild something. Had to pour its entire contents onto my taco, the pork one, in hopes of giving it some zing. Didn't do anything for my chicken mole so had to pull out my own sauce I actually purchased from another restaurant Jibaritos Y Mas (I think that's the name...totally a flavorful, tastebud-bursting, authentic restaurant-no eye decor frills)...literally just about sprinkled it on every bite. Birrias taco was a winner, flavorful. Not crazy mouthwatering but was the highlight. They don't skimp on meat. Very disappointed overall and trying to find a positive. 2 stars since it's a cute place and maybe I just tried the wrong things. Sidestepped the empanadas since I read none so exciting reviews on them and wanted to avoid disappointment. But honestly, taste-wise, maybe needs to be stepped up...and what's with the rows of jugs of gallons of milk in the fridge near the door as you walk in? Go authentic and don't get lost in the decor unless that's your thing. Anti-climactic. If I return, it will only be to try a bottle of green river soda. read more

I really enjoyed Cafe Tola. The interior is cheeky and fun, the food is bomb, and the cashier was super friendly. I tried (and highly recommend) the rajas empanada, the birria (bbq goat) taco, and the chicken verde taco. The empanada in particular was incredible. Perfect crust, perfect consistency. Don't forget the salsa! Also amazing. Make sure to check them out. read more

Given the higher than average prices, I was really expecting alot more. While the inside is mega cute and sort of reminiscent of an actual Mexican taqueria with the tables...I honestly have had better at other establishments at slightly less... The coffee was so-so...not exactly anything to rave about... There was only one cook and many orders so the wait time was also longer than usual.. not a biggie but again...my biggest pet peeve was that its more of a "boutique" taqueria and the food was nothing special... I'm glad I checked it out..and would recommend it if you're in the mood to try something new but it certainly will not be my go to place for taco cravings.... PS..the birria is so much better at Birreria Jalisco on Western Ave.. read more

This place has suddenly changed and in a bad way. Not sure if it sold out with in the past few months, but the quality has dropped all around. Staff is different. The quality of meat doesn't seem as good. Hot sauces are gone. Breakfast plates don't come with tortillas. Coffee isn't the same. Not sure what the purpose of all this is, but it was much better months ago. This all happened when they rearranged the entry way. I assume there's a new sheriff in town. read more

Empanadas are amazing. Lots of veggie options (my faves are the rajas and the pintos/cheese), and delicious. Also get the spicy mocha, you will not regret it. read more

Super friendly and prompt service! Great value. The burritos are bigger than your head. Guac is super fresh. Horchata is fresh. Tacos are yummy too. read more

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