Fons - Plant Based Empanadas — Restaurant in Lake View Township

We had a great experience at Fons. Over the course of two meals, we tried all of their empanadas, and there isn't a bad one in the lot. The owner is originally from Venezuela, so we were excited to try the Andean, which I was assured tastes just like the famous Venezuelan originals. It did not disappoint - perfect comfort food in a convenient, hand-held package, allowing you to have exactly as much as you're hungry for.

I have a sensitive digestive system, and the fact that none of these diverse offereings upset my stomach is certainly a testament to their healthy, natural ingredients. The flavors are bold and I recommend selecting some of the mushroom and corn/poblano alongside the others, just to even out the intensity. These latter two, which I expected to find the least interesting, actually were delicious and helped strike a balance.

I did appreciate the beautiful, colorful presentation, and the clever assortment of flavors. The owner and his friend informed me that the various offereings are inspired by the multiculturalism of Chicago - Cuban, Mexican, Filipino, and so forth. Yet, each of these struck me as appropriate and not having lost the quintessential South American touch, as they are all freshly prepared, and clearly are handmade. Kudos to these young entrepreneurs all around: Good concept, good design/presentation, great enthusiasm, and profuse friendliness. I wish them the best of luck, although I doubt...

I'm so saddened to write this, considering I came in with an open mind and love trying new local spots. The customer service was absolutely wonderful, bur the follow up to my concerns is where the decline happened. I received my box of empanadas in a speedy manner along with my ginger hibiscus juice and was giddy to go back to my office and snack and share with my coworkers. However, agywr havinf eating two empanadas i picked up the third and I noticed white spots on it that I knew were not flour. The texture was mossy like and fibrous .so, I called the restaurant to let them know what I saw and the employee on the phone reassured me the food was made fresh daily and the patches in the empanadas were just flour. I had confidence and trust , as I had never eaten there before. Shortly after having eaten the third, I threw up a while later. I tried filing a complaint online but the site wouldn't let me. I even messaged a photo on isntagram asking if the image of my food was normal and got no response. Upon coming home my boyfriend looked at me with absolute terror and I went to the mirror to find my face absolutely covered in blemishes and spots of red.i have photos of both the food and my skin reaction... If you've had a great experience, I'm jealous, because unfortunately, this was mine. Please check your food and go back...

I had the mushroom, jackfruit tinga and one with activated charcoal crust and sweet potato. They weren't quite as spicy as I thought they would be, nor were they cheezy like I imagine empanadas and have also experienced them to be. That surprise however did not disappoint. They were all delicious. And they were different from anything I have had before in those regards. The combinations of each were pleasing both taste and texture. They all had a notable balance between flavors and types of fillings. No one flavor or texture was over powering making it more of a slightly fancy dining experience feel rather than fast comfort food... which it ironically is- fast and in the comfort arena of food. Either way, they were all super delicious! I would say they are a tiny bit on the pricey side for portion in proportion to the dough. (I'd personally like to see a tiny bit more filling and a tiny bit less dough. But that is Not a complaint!) Still worth it for a very satisfying (vegan) and unique meal or snack. Definitely worth trying! And I am sure I will be back...