Cafe Tola #2 — Restaurant in Jefferson Township

Ok, time for my classic restaurant review rant(Read my previous restaurant reviews) Here I go! Today, I asked my 10 year old son if he wanted tacos and the first place I thought of was tacos from the taqueria inside the mexican supermarket, Guanajuato, just 2 blocks south of Cafe Tola. I asked him, "ya wanna go there?" and he gave a resounding "yes!!!" I knew he'd say yes. He's half Mexican so he knows a great taco when he tastes one(we've been there many times). I immediately changed my mind and asked him if he wanted to go to Cafe Tola. He's been wanting to go there for a very long time, especially since we both love the mural on the side of the building. The mini Atari arcades with the chairs at perfect height were a cool bonus so my son was playing while we waited for his tacos. All of this Very nostalgic since I was raised in the 80's/90's, in Avondale by the way, just 3 blocks from Cafe Tola.

My son ordered his standard 3 steak tacos with lettuce. I wasn't hungry but I did order 3 tacos for my pregnant girlfriend, 2 steak and 1 pastor with pretty much all the fixings, to go. Also ordered an horchata for my son. At first look, the steak tacos looked juicy and tasty. My son began eating one and shortly after, he went back to playing Atari. I asked him why didnt he finish his tacos. He said he wasn't hungry anymore. I began tasting pieces of his steak taco and I immediately knew why he didnt finish the last 2. The meat didnt taste fresh and didnt have the right seasoning. I'll be honest, the steak tasted like it was old. The salsa was pretty damn hot, even for me, and I love a good spicy salsa. In this case, it was a bit too spicy. For my son to not finish his tacos was a miracle. Especially after a long day of school and after care, so by 6pm he's pretty hungry.

I called my girlfriend and told her that the tacos were not that great. She heeded my advice and went Jimmy's hot dogs LOL. I took a few bites of her pastor taco and it much of the same. The meat was a bit tough and the flavor was below average. All in all, the tacos were a a 1/5, the horchata was actually very good 4.5/5. My son drank that so fast! LOL the decor 5/5.

I've been to the Cafe Tola on Milwaukee once for the empanadas and yes those are as good as many people say, especially the guava and cheese. Go there for the empanadas and horchata but not the tacos. My rating of a 2 out of 5 stars was also because the lady at the register was not so friendly. She wasn't mean but not friendly either, just indifferent. In the service industry, great service with a great attitude are important.

On a relevant note, the person who said they've past by this place for the last 23 years is 100% incorrect. They have been open since 2016 and prior to that, the famous Hot Dougs was open...

Oh my goodness let me tell you... THE best Mexican restaurant I've ever eaten from. I always try to find local mom and pop's restaurants owned by the locals; and this is a gold mind. I was in town for Comic-Con at the Rosemont convention center and I met the owner (I completely forget her name and accidentally lost her card) but I made a mental note and locked in the business location and name in my phone. There was traffic as it was 4:30. I got there shortly after 5 and saw the workers walking out cleaning and simply preparing to close. Firstly this place is so colorful my kids were instantly drawn to it; Clean and they have outdoor seating. Customer service was amazing. The cashier was so patient and kind with me. The cooks acknowledged me and my busy kids and weren't bothered the least by them. To the food!! My oh my soooo much food 😁. The first time I've had a taco loaded with meat; at first I equate it to us coming close to closing. Then I had a empanada and that too was loadedddd. And don't think because it's so much meat means it's not good. It's actually AMAZING!!! the flavors are so...

This is my second time and specifically this location. The first time I came 6 months ago, I saw barely any vegetarian options..only one savory. However, I decided to give it another try with my husband and this time I found several vegetarian and even vegan options!

The empanadas are worth $6 because they are very good fillings that make you satisfied with 2-3 empanadas if that is the only thing you eat.

Vegetarian - Black Bean, Plantain & Goat Cheese. It was surprisingly good despite using plantains. The cheese was also a delectable type of cheese that balanced well with the black beans. Pappas, Poblanos, & Cheese. This was one of the best potato fillings I've had with the right flavors mixed with poblano peppers along with the gooey warm cheese.

Fruit/dessert - Guava Queso is a delicious balance of fruit and cheese. Good fillings.

Drinks - variety including Horchata with or without espresso. We selected hot Horchata drink.

Service was fast and good. The interior is full of 1980s toys and posters balanced with Mexican colorful decor. This is a great spot for a quick lunch or...