Dona Tola

Food 10 Service 10 Ambiance 10 I visited this place 4 years ago and have been itching to come back, finally came back today and wowwwwwww it was soooo good! If you're looking for elevated Mexican food with authenticity then this is your spot !!!! Do not sleep on this place it's so yummy! My boyfriend had the Al pastor tacos and I had the nopales con puerco!

The food hear is just outstanding. It's an adorable little spot. The staff is nice. It's one of my favorite spots on the Southport corridor. I only wish I lived closer so I could go more often.If you go don't sleep on the chicken enchiladas. Best thing on the menu.

Say hello to my new favorite restaurant! We live in the neighborhood and I had always wanted to try this spot if for no other reason than it's colorful signage and inviting, plant-filled patio. Myself, my mother (visiting) and partner finally had the opportunity last night when we, admittedly, stopped in for a drink while we waited for a table at another close-by establishment. We had an appetizer (queso) as well as a few rounds of sangria, and were instantly at home. The sangria was some of the best I've ever had and the queso perfectly balanced. We, perhaps even more importantly, had a beyond wonderful server that evening, JoJo. She was one of the best and most genuine out there, so we weren't lying when we told her we would be back.Fast forward to the next day, a beautiful Sunday afternoon, where we were walking up and down Southport looking for a quick bite before we hit the matinee of 'Rock of Ages' at the Mercury Theater (another Chicago icon, for another review another day), so we dropped by DT once again, and once again we had a wonderful experience. Cannot recommend this place enough!

Definitely 5 stars for service. My friend wanted to do something cute and small for her birthday and the team here made us feel so welcomed! The food is 4/5. I would say one thing to watch out for is read the description because they use variations of ingredients that aren't really standard in a lot of Mexican food. The food was still pretty good and I would go again. I had the chilaquiles with crab. It was an interesting combination. Don't know that I would do it again. Food is reasonably price as well. Would go back and highly recommend.

Came with a friend for an early dinner on a Friday. We made a reservation and were seated right away. We ordered the guac and empanadas to start but were later informed that they were out of empanadas. Very weird since they had just opened so we were super bummed about that. The guac was good. We ordered the veggie enchiladas and the short rib ti share. Both were just okay. The enchiladas were really tough and did not have a ton of flavor. The short rib was also a bit tough and dry. I would come back to try other dishes. Overall, it's a very cute place.

Dona Tola is not Donatelo, or any of the other Ninja Turtles. The Yelp keyboard doesn't have the Spanish ñ to make it authentic. What is authentic is the delicious food and inviting staff at this lovely little restaurant. The margaritas are also delicious, which is important. The Arrachera (skirt steak) is a huge cut of beef, with a large serving of guacamole as well. My meat came out tender and juicy. Thursdays they have LIVE MARIACHI! How awesome! Pop by and give it a try.

We've been walking by this place for a while and decided to check it out. Cute space. My number 1 issue was that they were out of guacamole. How can you run out of avocados? There's at least 4 markets within walking distance. Also, there are a few things on the online menu that aren't on the menu, which was disappointing. Our food was fine overall. The standouts were the empanadas and the pork tacos. I wouldn't go out of my way to return, but if someone else wanted to try it I wouldn't say no.

I'm giving this place two stars only because their drinks are amazing. However, the food was terrible - as in no flavor and awful presentation. The chips in guac look nice but the second appetizer we ordered, the cheese with mushrooms and peppers, looked like someone vomited in a rectangular dish. It also tasted odd, but at least there was some flavor. Overall disappointing. That said, they had the best margaritas and palomas we've ever had. Even the blueberry margarita was good! Go for the drinks and find dinner elsewhere.

My boyfriend and I had a good dinner at Dona Tola. It's a few blocks further north on Southport than many of the other restaurants on the corridor, but it's worth it! From the moment we sat down, we were greeted warmly and the service was excellent. The staff accommodated our nut allergies and made suggestions. When the initial dish my boyfriend ordered was going to take over an hour, the server alerted us immediately and made a suggestion of something quicker. The food was delicious as was my Paloma! They even made cheese enchiladas for me (pictured). The lamb (pictured) came with a chipotle pasta, which was new to us at a Mexican restaurant. It was really tasty though! This is a small restaurant with only about 8-10 tables. It may not be best for large groups unless you reserved the entire place (this would be a cool/fun venue for a large dinner or event!)

A group of us are here a few weeks ago and we still talk about it. Great atmosphere, very friendly and attentive service and great food.