Best Empanadas in Chicago at Cafe Tola

When the husband-and-wife team of Victoria and Gerardo Salamanca set out to open an empanada and espresso café, little did they know that it would expand into a small empire within four years. All they knew was that they had a good recipe.

Each flavorful offering is inspired by Victoria's grandmother, the family matriarch with whom Victoria shares a name. (As a matter of fact, "Tola" is short for Victoria, so even the café carries on the tradition.) As the younger Tola tells it: her grandparents arrived in the United States and made a living by working on strawberry farms, selling food at Chicago flea markets, and running their own taverns and restaurants on the city's South Side—all while raising 12 kids. Her grandmother's ability to bring food and family together was a defining trait, which Victoria tries to embody whenever she creates another signature dish.

In the space itself, murals of Frida Kahlo cover the walls, a tribute to the empowering Mexican painter. But the highlight of Cafe Tola is its selection of fresh, delicious empanadas—a rotating selection ranging from traditional chicken salsa verde to a spicy red-pork creation that’ll melt your face off. Be sure to leave room for dessert, as you won’t want to skip out on the Nutella and Banana or the All-American Apple Pie empanadas. If you're in the neighborhood for breakfast, the chunky egg-and-chorizo — with its blistered, densely-packed, tightly-crimped pastry—is a must-try. It pairs perfectly with offerings from Cafe Tola’s famous espresso bar, where iced coconut coffees cool your jets in the summertime and spicy-hot mochas make Chicago’s notorious winter months a little more bearable.

The name Empanada comes from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning “to wrap unique combinations of meats, cheeses and vegetables.” In a way, it's a fitting parallel to Cafe Tola itself, which wraps Victoria's cooking in the unique essence of this culturally rich city. Here you’ll find that every visit leads to another adventure of diverse flavors and impeccable taste.

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