INCONSISTANT -- Value isn't there. Visit #1 & 2. A "Sirloin empanada" that was sublime. Chunks of sirloin and mixed vegetables swimming in a perfectly seasoned sauce with real chili pepper. A fried meal of freshness. Visit #3? The sirloin empanada morphed into a ground beef and corn unseasoned dry concoction surrounded by a slab of grease. TOTAL change in the product. Coffee was priced higher than the chains and not worth it. Watch the inefficiency behind the counter in marking the drinks and you'll get a hint of long waits if they ever hit big. The small space is admirable, the people are nice, but the quality of the product and the set up--the value is not there. What they are trying to do is hard. I hope they make it. But they have got some serious work to do. Coffee and empanada for 2 is $15. You need to be really good to do that. And they are not consistently that good. read more

Too expensive. $4.25? Bland not tasty at all. Had a beef one a chorizo one a chicken one. They just weren't good and for 1 at $4.25 that's just a waste. They needed sauces or something. read more

The food is incredible! Story to prove it: My girlfriend cut her toe outside of Cafe Tola. The staff gave bandaids to help her stop the bleeding. They then made a gift bag full of goodies (empanadas and donuts) for the trouble. As we are enjoying the gift bag on the way home my girlfriend was happy she cut her toe as the food made up for it. Thank you! And we will be back read more

Really amazing empanadas.... Great atmosphere as you're passing thru (no seating) I had green chili pork with black beans and cactus YUM. So much better than corporate fast food. Little unique businesses like this are what makes the city great. read more

I loooove this place! Try the breakfast tacos - specifically the egg & chorizo one - they will change your life! I love the vibe here, the decor, the empanadas, even the coffee... everyone needs to try Tola, it's the new gem. read more

Tola is awesome. It is my go to place for coffee and you can't go without trying their amazing empanadas. My favorite is the black bean with goat cheese (trust me, try it), but seriously, they are all great! They also have a delicious chai tea latte, and I love supporting this unique neighborhood spot over Starbucks down the street. read more

Stopped by today for the first time with my mom and we absolutely loved the green spicy pork and the birria empanadas. The owner is super nice and friendly. He gave us two empanadas on him, which were great choices as well the ropa vieja and Mexican egg. We are def planning to go back soon! read more

Update to my prior review where they were sold out. I went there at about 5:20pm one day and they had a couple empanadas left...I got the last ones of a couple of the flavors. Cafe Tola is basically a lunch-only spot, because you cant rely on them for dinner. And after all that? Meh. Spinach and cheese was admittedly great (those are also notoriously easy to make though) and so was the goat cheese and black bean. The rest were frankly terrible and did not get finished. I dont even remember what they were...some sort of bbq pork? Wife and I each had one bite and tossed them. read more

This place is an absolute gem. Every empanada I have tried was absolutely delicious and tasted extremely fresh and authentic. The prices are great and the service is excellent. I will be coming here for a long time. read more

I bought the following empanadas: Beef sirloin :The beef sirloin is just ground meat w/eggs n green beans that was all I could see and taste wasn't impressed at all Plantain, blk beans w/goat cheese: Like my son said their was no plantains and it they were it was minimal but it had loads of goat cheese to much for my taste Chix Mole: It was ok The place is cute and service great but I don't think I would go out of my way to buy their empanadas read more

Honestly, this is overdue! Lived in the neighborhood for 2 years, this place is incredible. The food, empanadas are so unique. All kinds of flavors. Buffalo Chicken, Green/Red Spicy Pork---everything with their goat cheese is awesome. Vegetarian options exist, black bean and goat cheese. Or breakfast egg options and probably like 50 I'm forgetting off the top of my head. Last year they had a 'Thanksgiving' empanada that should have got its own review. Turkey, stuffing and cranberry to make a really creative tasting empanada. They have a lot of coffee options, though I'm addicted to my stuff at home. All in all, a really friendly place, the staff is AMAZING. Support this place! Its a small seemingly hole in the wall place, yet the inside is this beautifully decorated and makes me realize we overlook small places all the time. If you're off Southport/Addison, or if you can read this and like empanadas in Chicago---make this a place to stop because I know you won't regret it. read more

It's a tiny little colorful building and sticks out like a sore thumb. They have a lot of great menu options. The empanadas are around $3 each but they're huge. I tried the ropa vieja and it was exceptional. I have not had that good of Cuban food since I was in Miami. They have outdoor seating. They close pretty early. read more

Was looking forward to trying this place and the stars aligned! I had stopped in for coffee before but ordered a Chicken mole empanada this time. Really good and I can't wait to try the other options! Will be a go to when I need a snack or a filling option for food to take and enjoy while shopping. read more

Black bean goat cheese and plantain empanada. OHHH my. Delicious. Only thing I didn't like was no seating in the winter. Woman working was kind of rude. But I will go back for that empanada. read more

Spicy Mocha!! So fantastic, my new favorite caffeinated beverage! Rich chocolate spiked with just a little hint of cayenne spice....it's one of my favorite combinations. The shop is very tiny with no seating so you'll have to take your drink elsewhere. Next time I'll be picking up an empanada or two with my spicy mocha...they looked delicious! read more

This is the smallest place ever! I have walked by and driven by it many times and have tried to remember that I need to try it out. Finally? My husband and I were walking in Southport and decided to give it a try. We split a potato and something one (I don't remember because I hated it and only had one bite) and pork verde which was soooooo yummy. I wished we could have tried the chicken one as well but they were sold out which I guess is a regular occurrence since it is so popular. I though they were a little overpriced but I would go again because I want the chicken empanada in my mouth! read more

I love the selection of empanada flavors and the friendly service. There is always great music playing when I stop in, and even when there is a line you can get in and out pretty quickly. They now serve colectivo coffee which is great on its own, but a special treat is the coconut iced coffee. Sooo yummy and unqiue. I have yet to try all of the empanada flavors but anything with the words "verde" in the title is generally a good go-to! Thanks cafe tola for being a bright spot and a great "quick" breakfast or snack option in the neighborhood! read more

Delicious empanadas! Cute shop, great coffee. Too bad there's no seating! Would be a nice stop in warmer weather

One of the coolest little places I've come across in the city of Chicago. What's more, is their empanada's are to die for. Flavors vary from day to day, but can include chicken, steak, cheese and poblano pepper, among many more. Everything is made from scratch and fried to perfection in their tiny little free standing building that is only big enough for about 5 skinny patrons at once. Aside from empanadas, they also have homemade donuts and pastries, all of which look delicious, but I haven't personally tried out - too caught up in empanada love. I'm sad I don't live in the neighborhood anymore for many reasons, Cafe Tola being one. read more

Best empanadas in Chicago. Warm, flaky, and full of filling. The coffee smells delicious. The decor inside is super cool and the Kanye mural is amazing. Love the sidewalk cafe, but I'll absolutely be back in the winter to take some empanadas to go. read more

Cafe Tola is an amazing new coffee shop. It is Mexican inspired and has great coffee and incredible pastries. I can't wait to try the food as well. I definitely recommend checking it out. It is a cute grab and go shop to get great coffee and a snack! I highly recommend stopping by to check it out! read more

I loved this place. Empanadas were great and so were the goat cheese + potato taquitos. Gerardo and Victoria, the owners, are awesome people. I wish them nothing but success. read more

Hands down the best empanadas I have ever had, even better than the ones I found in Argentina. I have tried many different flavor and I have enjoyed everyone. I prefer pork with green chile, egg and salsa, and red chile with potato and beef. read more

Great new addition to the neighborhood. With as many coffee shops on the street as there are, Cafe Tola does a great job of standing out. The coffee is great, but what I really loved were the empanadas and mini tortas - which are not mini at all. Friendly staff, too. Hope they stick around! read more

WOW! The very best tamales I have ever eaten. Ever. They are so good that I can't stop thinking about them. The Americano I had was stellar too. To top it all off, the owners were super nice. It's hard not to want to go back. I can't wait to try the other tamales and empanadas! You should be going there right now...really...right now. read more

This is a good place for coffee. They also have snack food. I tried the red pork empanadas. That was not bad and it had beans inside.

Best Cafe Americano I've ever had . Wonderful find. You must stop in, can't imagine a better day than one that starts off with an Empanada & Americano. Haven't had a bad Empanada in 4 visits , tried a different one each time. read more

How can u not go in here for a quick bite instead of the corporate behemoth next door? Cute little building. I had the steak olive empanada and it was just what i needed instead of my usual granola bar in the morning. It was very tasty and freshly made. Got a coffee and it did the trick too. read more

Love this place! Can't go wrong with anything here! If you have the chance to try the "mole & chicken" or "chorizo & egg" empanadas, do it! They're the best! read more

Hands down best empanadas in Chicago. The quirky little shop is decorated with uniquely trendy Mexican artwork given a Chicago twist, like Frida Kahlo sporting a Cubs or Blackhawks jersey. Aside from the amazing food, the murals on the sides of the building are just as good a reason to come by. They've had Kanye West and Frida Kahlo murals, to name my two favorites. read more

Quick, friendly service, delicious empanadas, creative drinks, all for a very fair price

Cafe Tola is a little treasure on Southport. The atmosphere it's top quality just like the products they sell. They always seem to have a vegetarian empanada option which is always delicious. They also have a great brew coffee, along with one of the best horchatas around. The staff is very friendly and they all get to know you and are very personable. Highly recommend Cafe Tola to everyone. read more

This is my first visit here 6-29-18, I came in after seeing others sit out in front. So, I asked what flavor do you have? She told me the last flavor of the day was Black Bean, Goat cheese w/ Plantain Empanada. I said sure I'll buy only 1. She got it wrapped up and I paid her and off I went to catch the Brown line. It smelled so good I just had to taste what I just bought, Yep, on the El in front of people so, sorry CTA? But this was still hot so good that I had to stop and save it until I got home. I love Black Beans & Goat Cheese but the Plantains were so sweet that it complimented the cheese in every bite. I didn't know what the cheese was until I saw the pictures here on this site. I swear it tasted like cream cheese, I ended up adding some avocado with the rest of my small snack and I was actually stuffed. She told me eating 2 of these empanadas would fill me up. I since I never had these before I just needed 1 to try. I will tell you that it's better to go in early for more of a selection than to wait later, on the day before they close like I did. But I needed food besides a candy bar. Then I looked across the street and seeing 6 customers sitting in front of the shop. So, I came in to see what the big deal was and I know what it was. A great hot snack in the form of an empanada. I would always walk past the small store going to shop at Jewels. You can't pass up a meal for only $4.25 + $0.44= $4.69, It's a good thing and it was under $5.00 just fine for my lunch budget. I will be back read more

Once again my west-coast bred fear of never finding good good food in Chicago has been proven wildly incorrect. Rather than allow it to build into a full-scale admonishment for my California parochialism, I will simply acknowledge that Cafe Tola has made me see the light once more. Two great things that taste great together. A great coffee and some awesome Mexican pastries. read more

This is a great place to pick up coffee and . . . . Amazing empanadas!!!! Yup, a quick delicious bite on the go for $3 it's hard to just buy one or two. The chicken verde is a favorite. On the weekends they have special ones like Nutella and bananas!!!! Anyone who is a Nutella fan MUST TRY!! This place is a local favorite of mine and the prices are very reasonable. read more

Delicious empanadas and cafe con leche. Beans and cheese is a little spicy but quite delicious.

My fiancé stopped in for a couple of empanadas and they were phenomenal! Cute little spot too to grab and go!

Tasty empanadas for a good price. They were not dry at all. Iced tea is amazing and so is the coffee! Coming back for sure

Just moved into the neighborhood and every time we walked by this place there was a big line. We tried it for breakfast one morning and were not disappointed! The chorizo and egg breakfast empanada was amazing! So was the spicy red pork. Will definitely be back here plenty of times! read more

BBQ Goat and Lechon -- highly recommended. Two empanadas for $7 on Mondays.