Cafe Tola in Chicago - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Loved the Mexican eggs empanadas

Best empanada place in Chicago. Family owned/operated for a while and every time I’m in the area I stop by for empanadas and an Iced Dulce de Leche. Would highly recommend Chorizo y Huevo, Lechón, and Ropa Vieja

super cute! it's like a mini walkable drive thru, the empanadas were so yummy and the horchata latte was too! there is v limited seating and standing area but good to pick up and go.

This Cafe Tola is smaller, although it has a lovely shaded patio on the side and another sitting area on the front. When I arrived, a line of people was waiting, but it went quickly. I ordered a latte and a cheese and guava empanada, which were very good. I was disappointed to see the delivery truck bringing the empanada's frozen dough to Cafe Tola because I thought they made it from scratch. Also, when I asked the cashier about the bathroom, he said, “It was not available,” when a restaurant worker came out. Cafe Tola needs to pay more attention to details, such as a clean patio and a suitable bathroom for customers. Still is my favorite place to go when I need a break

Loved it here and the person working (who I think was the owner) was so kind and patient with my unusual custom drink. Great empanadas <3

Such good empanadas! I go on Mondays for the 2-for-$11 deal. Hoping prices don’t continue increase since they’ve doubled since Covid 🤞

I was really looking forward to trying the coffee but when I got there they said NO coffee 30 min before they closed. I thought this was a cafe ?? CRAZY

Delicious iced coffee and friendly service!

Placed an order this morning for 6:30pm delivery tonight. Order was cancelled 30 minutes before delivery with no explanation- I just got an email from ChowNow. No one from the restaurant contacted me at any point today, and now I cannot get ahold of anyone at the restaurant to see what happened. It goes straight to voicemail and says it’s full. Not pleased!

Awesome place all around. Great drinks, great empanadas, and friendly people you get to know over time. Strongly recommend.

This cafe is full of character and color. We got the black bean, plantain, and goat cheese and the spinach and ricotta empanadas and ate in the bright blue side patio. Both were hearty and flavorful. The cafe is very small, but the patio is a nice place to eat in the warm months.

So freaking good. Meaty empanadas and delish breakfast tacos. We may go again tomorrow because we liked the so much

Interesting concept, but the execution leaves something to be desired. There's often a line out the door around lunch time; I figured the empanadas must be excellent given their popularity. I ordered five or six different empanadas, but sadly none of them were very good. Both the dough and the fillings were bland. I appreciate the variety of fillings available, but none of them were memorable. I feel like Cafe Tola caters mainly to the Instagram demographic. The restaurant has a unique aesthetic, but unfortunately fails to deliver when it comes to the food itself.

super nice employees and good food always happy to see a food truck if theirs

I loveeee this place. I’ve been meaning to go for ages now and I’m glad I finally did. They didn’t have many empanadas left by the time I got there but I ordered the Dulce de leche latte and a spinach and feta empanada. I feel that that was one of the best empanadas I have ever had. I will come back earlier when they have more empanadas

My hubby and have been coming here for coffee when our local Starbucks is closed. The trip is worth it. So good and this location, even though it’s small, it gives you a feel good atmosphere. Coffee is delicious!

I've been here before and it wasn't a bad experience but yesterday my wife and I went there an hour before close and they were out of any desirable empanadas. They told her they weren't planning on making any others so she grabbed a banana Nutella one for $6 and we left to find another place to eat. Upon biting into the empanada we realized quickly that this had been sitting out quite a long time and the bananas were mushy and tasted very overripe. It was pretty gross and we ended up throwing it away. I'm pretty irritated because with tip that was $7 that went straight to the trash. I don't recommend going there in the later half of their operational hours or if you don't have money to burn.

This place is fun, and a great idea when it's warm. No indoor seating, but there are tables out front. Some of the best empanadas I've had

Walk-in empanadas and coffee. The Green Chicken empanada was delicious. 😋

To the sweet guy with the big tortoise shell glasses: you made my day lol.

What a cool joint with colorful art and incredible empanadas. Had the pinto beans, black beans and vegan curry and each tasted amazing with their distinctly flavorful profiles, but if I were pressed for a favorite the vegan curry was my favorite. Also the horchata latte is a must try. Was so pleasantly surprised by this place and can’t wait to keep returning to try the rest.

Service was amazing! So friendly and attentive. Empanadas were delicious I wish I'd picked a few more to try.

Has earned its spot as a Chicago Classic!!!! What's on the Menu? Empanadas.. What kind, you ask? Every kind Confused. Try the Roulette. My personal Favorite: The Mole Chicken. But honestly Everything is good. Vegetarians: you have options.. plenty of options and they are all amazing. *Secret Menu Item: ask for the Nutella Banana Empanada!!!!!!!!!

What an awesome place. Plenty of veggie/vegan options. The workers were so awesome and just made our day!

Sweet little shack of a restaurant with great empanadas! Awesome hit chocolate too.

damn I’m eating this empanada right now …. it’s amazing and the staff is rlly nice

Love their rajas empanada! They have great customer service. Thank you cafe tola!

I stop by here weekly and their excellent! Very friendly staff. 2 for $7 empanadas on Monday!

I've been frequenting this place for years. Love the variety of empanadas available. Prices have increased drastically in the last few years, probably a little more than they should have, but those things happen. What shouldn't happen is finding a large piece of plastic in your food. On my most recent visit, the Ricotta & Spinach empanadas that I ordered had a very large piece of plastic inside it. I assume it came from the packaging of one of the ingredients. As you can see in the photo, it was a large piece of plastic. The preparation seems a bit careless to miss something like this. Not sure I'll be going back anymore.

Walked in and a woman was standing behind the counter speaking in Spanish with her phone on speaker. As soon as I approached the counter, she walked away. I assumed she went to go get someone to take care of me.. she did not.. she just went and hid at the other end of the counter and continued her conversation. I waited a few more minutes but no one came out and she never said anything so I left. Terrible customer service.

Good variety of fried empanadas with a small but solid selection of coffee!

If I could give more than 5 stars, I would! I go to Cafe Tola at least once a week, and I always try to go when Erin is working! He is one of the consistently best and kindest baristas in which I have had the opportunity to meet. I absolutely love the Dulce de Leche latte, which is always consistently delicious! Erin is so friendly and always ensures that we are taken care of. The empanadas are delicious and such a nice treat! I recommend this Cafe Tola to anyone considering it :) Erin rocks!!

Decadent homemade empanadas that melt in your mouth. A perfect neighborhood spot for a snack or grub on the go. Outdoor seating available.

Empanadas are delicious and fresh

Fantastic empanadas. They were a hit with our group, and the coffee was good too.

Best empanadas in Chicago and great service

The best empanadas ever and the nicest staff. Will be coming back for sure!

Ok so I have to say Im hooked on the horchata latte. The empanadas are tasty too. I plan on trying everything because I pass by there on Mondays. The only issue I had was there were no hours posted on the door. I tried to go in at 6:30am and the door was locked. I checked online it said they open at 8am which was surprising for a place that has breakfast items and coffee. When I passed by again at 7am I saw a sign was out on the street so I decided to see if they were open and they were. I ordered my usual horchata latte and I wanted a ham egg and cheese empanada but they were not out yet and the lady said they only had chorizo ready. While I was waiting I saw another lady filling the display and she put a bunch of ham egg and cheese empanadas out. I decided I’ll get that one next time since she had already bagged the chorizo empanada. It was good but the filling was not hot. Which would have made it better.

No bathroom for paying customers. Cold expensive empanadas: Worse than others.

Fantastic coffee and empanadas! We will be back soon.

Their Horchata latte really is the best!

Un delicioso café y las empanadas 😋😋.

The biggest, juiciest, tastiest empanadas! I got a chicken mole and chicken salsa verde and they were both unreal- soo much chicken! The man working at the front was SO upbeat and helpful and they had a great latte/ coffee selection.

They just added a Shepard's Pie Empanada for St Patrick's Day and I can't stop dreaming about it! Yum!

Best coffee and empanadas in the city.

Los sábados dice google que están abiertos a las 7:00 am y es mentira. Aun son las 7:30 am y está cerrado.

chicken tinga and rojas empañadas are the bomb. i want to come back to try the variety of others they have too. their drinks are also fab, as the lavender lemonade is to die for. such a cute little joint with delicious food and drinks !

The empanadas are delicious, and staff is always very friendly.

I had to stop and pick up something after shopping. The counter person was freindly and caring. I got a chicken and a pork empanada for a friend. For myself, I got a spinch with riccota chesse and a pablano pepper with goat cheese. My friend called to tell me how much she enjoyed her work lunch. She also wanted the restaurant's address. I could only eat the spinach and ricotta because it was very filling. We wll be back.

Until my wife and I began our quest to discover the best sandwich shops in Chicago, I had no clue as to what an empanada is. Now I do. An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover consisting of pastry and filling that is common in Spanish, southern European, Latin American and Iberian-influenced cultures of the world. It is crescent-shaped and made of dough and filled with a variety of ingredients, including beef, chicken, pork, tuna, cheese, shellfish and vegetables. It may have originated in Spain or Portugal but Cafe Tola's version is Chicago's own. Located at 3612 North Southport Avenue in Chicago's Lake View neighborhood, in the Southport Corridor, a block north of Addison, west of Wrigley Field, it is a tiny cafe serving daily crafted and creative meat and vegetable empanadas amid colorful Mexican murals with sidewalk tables. Open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, it specializes in delicious coffees and empanadas filled with beef sirloin, ham, egg and cheese, Buffalo chicken, Cuban braised beef, even peanut, butter and jelly. All made from scratch and hand-rolled. Other tasty options on the menu are potato salad, salsa verde and chicken soup, chicken and steak fajitas and Cuban braised beef and potatoes. Cafe Tola has been a very successful business on the North Side. Other locations are at 3324 North California, 2489 North Milwaukee and 1625 West Addison.

There’s a couple of great places to get empanadas on Southport, but these are hands down the best ones you can find on the whole street. Their drinks are great too! Staff has always been very kind. Amazing place.

I’ve had empeñadas from Bogata to LA to Miami and these are without a doubt top tier.

Loved the chicken tinga, green chile, and ham/egg/cheese empanadas! Iced cafe con leche was yummy too

What a wonderful find! We happened upon this jewel of a cafe while looking for sandwiches on the north side. I'm not sure that you could call empanadas exactly that, but the ones we ordered were absolutely delicious! I will certainly be back for more, very soon. I had a chicken empanadas that wasn't too spicy (forgive me for not remembering the exact name, but it was the uppermost right one in the case) and I could have gone back and eaten TWO more immediately! All of the those we tried were really and seriously delicious. We also had the horchata coffee! Now, I'm not in any way a coffee lover, but this was really great tasting. I'll have to come back on a cooler day and get the hot version; I had the iced version on a sunny, warm fall day in Chicago. Plenty of street parking nearby with tons of shops along the avenue. We enjoyed a meal on the outdoor cafe. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

My guy and I were wanting some coffee to help with the mid day slug and this place hit the spot! We were tempted with the delicious empanada names and had to try one. We got the cheese and jalapeños empanada to share and they were mind blowingly delicious (trust me, done share, get your own!!)! I got the horchata late, damn, so good!!! We WILL BE BACK once we are not on a strick diet because we could smash 100 empanadas because they are so good, lol!!

This was my first time here and had their morning special (coffee & empanada $8) ordered a chorizo & egg, if you like a bit of spice, I suggest having a bit of salsa on the side. Most empanadas I've had are not stuffed but this one definitely was, the chorizo was tasty. Although they also have specialty coffees, I went with your standard house coffee which was, at the very least, decent. The location is very small, don't be surprised by the people waiting @ the door for you to leave. I don't know the story of the robots in the windows but it's a conversation starter. Next time I'm in the area I would stop by.

Very good coffee and empanadas. Get there early, there will definitely be a line!

Seriously the best. I really like the Mole one and their spicy mocha is also perfection.

Tried this place on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. I’ve had empanadas but these were extraordinary! The prepared one were limited but got to try Mexican Egg, Spicy Red Pork, Chicken Mole, but my favorite was the Spicy Green Pork one. Gonna seek out the other locations and the food truck for more good eats!

Best and only black bean, plantain and goat cheese empanada I have ever had.

Got an iced cafe con leche and one of their empanadas. Their empanadas are literally amazing and the drink was really yummy too. Small space inside but there are a couple seats outside to people watch or hang out for a bit.

I moved out of state years ago and finally got to grab 2 empanadas and an iced mocha after missing Tola for years. It tastes just as good as ever! Please open a los angeles location! :)

Love their empanadas, the breakfast egg and chicken tinga are my favorites. Their horchata latte is also very good.

Great empanadas, love the coffee selection. Cheap!

Coffee took forever and this is the most water-down coffee I’ve ever had at Cafe tola… no longer be coming back

Great customer service, very attentive and polite. Their enpanadas taste like heaven.

Super friendly service at this cute counter serve restaurant in Southport. As a pescatarian, I’m obsessed with their rajas empanada (potato, poblano, cheese). Black bean empanada is also super crave worthy.

Do not overlook the veggie empanadas -- absolutely bangin. The Horchata Latte is an emotional experience.

The staff are sweethearts and the empanadas are super fresh and delicious. Drinks are great too. Can't recommend enough.

Of course they make the best iced coffee You know Cafe Tola is a Chicago classic! Just picked up their spicy mocha for the first time and loving it! Their empanadas are always the best! They have a spicy mango lemonade I need to try? Ok! Will do!

Complete disappointment in the dealers choice here . Whoever handed the order decided to give me the remaking breakfast item not sold. Additionally did not read instruction not to include pork items. Well this is proof that the service has failed in reading order

This place was awesome!! We stopped by for a quick bite. The empanadas were so good! I loved the pinto and the green pork. The chicken mole was also pretty good. They serve dark matter coffee. I had a spicy lemonade that wasn’t too sweet and very refreshing. Angelina working behind the counter was friendly! We will return soon.

Delicious empanadas of all different varieties and top quality Dark Matter coffee to boot. The horchata coffee is my absolute favorite and absolutely worth stopping by for.

Best empanadas in the city! The ham, egg & cheese breakfast empanada is probably my favorite, but every single one I've tried has been amazing. Also highly recommend the dulce de leche latte, so good! Service is super quick and always pleasant.

We stopped at Cafe Tola to grab empnadas for breakfast and have been thinking about them ever since. They all looked good, so we had a variety - chorizo, guava and cheese, potato, green pork, beef, and egg and cheese - and every single one was excellent! The sauce they give you is a hot sauce and so good. The breading was just perfect, and they weren't overly greasy - just delicious! Can't wait to return!

I can't stop thinking about the empanadas. I had the horchata coffee and the Buffalo chicken and the ham/egg/cheese empanadas. I want to go back every day 💀

Very good empanadas, bean and cheese is top tier. The empanada dough is not too thick, leaving you with lots of filling!

The best empanadas. And great cold brew too!

Cafe Tola is one of the dopest food spots in Chicago. Amazing food, coffee, vibes and staff! I have been going to Cafe Tola since I was in highschool when they only had one location on Southport and seeing the growth of their business is so awesome! I don’t get to go as often as I did in highschool but when I do get a chance I stop in and buy in bulk even if it’s just me and my boyfriend eating! 😂♥️ The spinach and ricotta empanada is my all time fav, but all their empanadas are delicious! The breakfast tacos and their horchata iced coffee, it’s so fire especially when it’s warm out.

I had a coworker bring in empanadas from Cafe Tola once before and thought they were delicious. I recently went in to meet my hero in person and wasn't disappointed. Grabbed a coffee too and it, like the empanada, was fantastic.

Friendly & helpful staff, and DELICIOUS FOOD!! Went in there on an impulse to pick up some empanadas and couldn't have been happier that I did. Love finding little gems like this. Chicken salsa verde was my fav, but I don't think you can go wrong with any!

They were out of the pre-made ones but the employee very readily told me she'd make them fresh. They were done within 3 minutes. Excellent service, cool little shop and the empanadas were amazing. I'm big on the meats but boy pet me tell ya that potateeee one absolutely will F you in the mouth. Even the morning after when I'm hungover, boom! Right in the kisser

Best empanadas, the coffee is great, and the staff is super friendly. The shop is so small that the line stretches out the door a lot, but it's worth it to stand outside to get these empanadas. Red spicy pork is my favorite. Pintos and cheese is amazing but has definitely gotten spicier. Still great. Really, all the empanadas are amazing.

The best empanada that I have ever had. Also, my first.

Discovered this little gem. Very delicious

Swung in just for coffee but wish i was hungry for some food. Coffee was good!

Amazing food, amazing atmosphere, amazing experience! One of my favorite places to go near Wrigley by far.

Favorite coffee place in chicago!!!! Get the cafe con leche! The staff is always so nice and friendly. A true neighborhood gem! Plus their decor is so cute :)

Very very good coffee, and empanadas. Go go go

Great small cafe. Woman behind the counter was friendly and talkative. Food and coffee are excellent. If you want to support a small business then you should be supporting Cafe Tola.

Enjoyed the Marachi Sierenas. And the food was great empanadas. Thank you

Tried today for the first time today and my only regret is that I waited so long. OH. MY. GOD. Sooooo f-ing delicious. I ordered 4 empanadas, 3 savory and 1 sweet, which was the perfect amount for me(I'm a bike messenger, burn a lot of calories). 2 empanadas would be about as filling as a typical burger/fries combo meal. Each of the empanadas were scrumptious AF! I forget the actual names but I had a potato/pepper/cheese, pulled chicken, braised beef, and a nutella/banana. Every single component of each one was unmistakably handmade, fresh, from scratch. Besides the great quality of the ingredients themselves, there was an almost tangible amount of love put into these things. You'd swear your grandma made them for you, I don't know how to describe it. Like a hug from a friend you haven't seen for awhile, but in food form. I almost cried they were so good. Really. I 1000% recommend this place! They also have coffee drinks which I didn't try but I'd be shocked if they weren't amazing.

Flavorful drinks! Well made with attention to detail

Probs top 5 places in all of Chicago! Happy staff. A great cult following! Empanadas with some Mexican cuisine. …over the years it feels like they put less meat and more filler… but they still have my heart!

10/10 experience. The man who served my coffee and empanada was an absolute delight! and so was the club music he was bumping while I waited for him to make my coffee and fresh fry my breakfast. Can’t wait to go back and try something new, but the spicy latte was amazing.

Lovely café. Very good food and great service.

Super amazing empanadas, menu changes on a daily basis, ordered the salsa Verde chicken, and rajas con queso. Also ordered a dulce de Leche latte on ice. Amazing service, good food, cute setup. What more can you ask for? Also an outdoor patio!

The empanadas are so delicious!

The horchata latte and chorizo/egg empanadas were awesome!

$6 Coffee and Empanada is a deal that can't be beat! Yummy coffee, and even better empanadas. Every time I've gone in the staff has been friendly and service has been quick.