Cafe La Fortuna

Nice café to stop in for lunch. The coffee is great but the food, although good, seems to be reheated and not made to order. The tacos or any of their meats always seem a dry and over done. Still tastes good but would be much nicer if made fresh. The staff are always nice, but I feel that they are flustered and possibly understaffed. I know it’s a small place so staffing is what it is. Give them a try see what you think.

Larger and brighter than the Hinsdale, this location has a different vibe. It’s less intimate and more cheery. I love them both. Happily, the coffee is every bit as good here, so no worries on that count. Service is super-​friendly and helpful. This is the perfect antidote to chain coffee. If you haven’t tried it, stop here after you stock up at Whole Foods around the corner. You won’t be disappointed.

I spent most of the day here getting some work done, so between breakfast and lunch I was more than impressed. Delicious coffee, delicious food, very friendly staff, cute interior. I’d definitely recommend it.

Their coffee and food is great, and the beer and wine selections are interesting. Nice décor and atmosphere. The problem is the staff. They all seem well intentioned, but always struggling, even when the place is mostly empty. When you eventually get what you ordered, it makes up for it, but what an ordeal in until then. Don’t come here if you’re in a hurry. We’ve been here many times and will continue to visit, but bring a pocket full of patience until they pull themselves together.

Was here to study. Was quiet inside. They play mostly main stream alternative and is not loud.
A lot of sitting space.
Great coffee.
Unique because they grow their own coffee, roast their own coffee, brew and sell their own coffee. Owners are true experts. Hard to find a place that does it all.
They’re going to be having events, live music and poetry readings in the future. I’m looking forward to that.

My friends and I were looking for a new coffee shop in the area to try out and decided to go here. The location is very convenient and the whole place looked clean and well decorated. The girl at the register was not helpful at all and is in need of training. Their coffee is decent. Their chai tea latte is watery and I would highly suggest against the tamale– it has the consistency and sweetness of cake.
All in all, i’m slightly confused about this place. Is it supposed to be a restaurant type of place with waiter service or a coffee shop where you just get your food and then get on with your business?

Great coffee, great ambiance and Alejandro and the girl at the cash register they both were very nice, I’ll be back next time I’m in the area.

Not sure about authentic, but close enough. Great coffee, and menu items. Very pleased. Came here with a gf to catch up and it was the perfect place. Not too loud, great menu, and very nice service. Definitely beats any Starbucks around here.

Went for the first time recently. I will definitely be back! I got the carnitas tacos, and they were excellent. I’d recommend getting two orders if you’re getting this as your meal. One order is only two tacos. But each order is about $ 5, so 4 tacos for $ 10 is still a great price. Two other people I was with both got the chorizo torta breakfast sandwich — also delicious. Of course, we had to try some of the desserts. We got a flan and tres leches cake. The tres leches was unreal. One of the best I’ve had by far.
The service was very good, too. All of the employees were extremely nice and we were asked if we need anything else a couple of times throughout the evening.
I’d absolutely recommend this place over a Starbucks if you’re looking for a nice little place to relax with a friend or get some work done.
The only knock against this place is it seems to have an identity crisis. You can’t really tell if it’s supposed to be a coffee shop or a Mexican restaurant. But at least the food is still great! I can’t wait to go back and try the coffee because I guess that is what they’re known for!

Second time here but it will remain that way.
With the weather warming up we were seated outside here soaking up the sun and the ambiance. The inside is nice too, contemporary but not overly done. A nice «not far from home» feel. The coffee and drinks here are fresh and neatly arranged. Ample seating available. Service here is what really blew me away — very attentive and strongly suited with your satisfaction in mind. My associates and I were asked a few times without demand, if things were good, if any thing else was required. A little goes a long way.
I could see this place booming and it always seems to have some sort of traffic and business coming in and out of the doors. In my opinion, a tremendous step up from Starbucks or any other coffee shop, with even better prices.
You do not need to spend more to get more. This establishment makes that ring true. Will be back. Try them out and hopefully you all are able to experience it as well as we have.
Cheers.

I love this place. Café La Fortuna has a wonderful vibe — true character and a sense of place. The owner, Alejandro, not only grows his own wonderful coffee (really, on the family plantation in Chiapas, Mexico) but also serves delicious, traditional Mexican food that’s on the lighter side and always yummy and fresh. He explained to me – and he takes plenty of time to visit so that I never feel rushed or like he has something more important to do – that he and his staff came up with the idea of serving items that are similar to what the staff eats in Chiapas during the coffee harvest. The Willowbrook location is spacious and comfortable, with good light, especially after the outdoor renovations. I like the downtown Hinsdale location too — great if I need to immerse myself in work for an hour in a quiet location with delicious coffee and friendly people.

I came here with a bunch of co-​workers due to the positive reviews — let’s just say I loved it, but others did not.
FOOD: I would describe Café La Fortuna as having an identity crisis — they appear to be a coffee bar 100% and the coffee is DELICIOUS, but then you venture over to the menu to find regular pastries and what else … Mexican food, also DELICIOUS. I had a tamale, tacos, and a torta here — all delicious. I would recommend getting 2 orders of tacos ($ ¹⁰⁄₂ orders) as 1 was not enough. Or getting a taco and tamale. The flavors are all their prices are very reasonable. … Back to the identity crisis they also serve beer and wine — they offer wine tastings, oh and you can get a bubble tea if you fancy. As you can tell, it’s a very confusing place, but I can see why it has positive reviews! They also have a delicious breakfast menu to grab and go!
STAFF: The staff was very friendly and accomodating to our large group of 7 people. You order and pay prior to getting your food — which the staff will bring over to you.
PRICES: Tacos are $ 5 for 2 tacos, $ 5 tamale, torta (which is huge) $ 6, rice and beans $ 1 — so you can easily mix and match to get a delicious meal for $ 10-​$ 15. The coffee drinks are large and reasonably priced $ 3 – 5. The portions are confusing as some things are large and others small.
AMBIANCE: The atmosphere is also dealing with an identity crisis — it looks like a coffee shop — could be a sole coffee shop. It should look like an edgy café. I did enjoy the alternative décor and if you look at the ceiling they have some cool art pieces hanging. The crowd that was there was varied in age and you can easily enjoy a solo meal, a date or a work lunch here.
I will be back, without coworkers in tow! This is a place I can go in the AM or after work and enjoy. It could use some work on it’s «identity» and «atmosphere,» but the food, drinks and selection I enjoyed.

First time here and it’s lovely. Delicious breakfast torta. I’m not even sure what I’m drinking but it is warm and cinnamon coffee with milk, and paired with the breakfast sandwich is making me feel like I’m in a faraway place. Not a strip mall in Willowbrook. I feel bad about the person with the bad review because of the service animal. However it is clear that the owners and employees are immigrants, and not everywhere has laws about service animals. Hopefully it was a good learning experience for the staff because the café is great.

I can’t believe I have been going to Starbucks all this time when this place’s coffee actually tastes really good. Since they grow their own beans, they obviously use good quality beans, while a good friend of mine whose family has been in the coffee business forever has said that Starbucks buys cheaper quality beans. I also like that you can get a made from scratch hot meal here — mostly Mexican food like tortas and tostadas. I got a breakfast torta — soooooo good. Eggs, peppers, onions on the softest bread. Ive been here three times in the last 3 days.

The owner is fantastic as well as the staff. The coffee is great as well as the baked goods and Mexican food items. I would recommend this to anybody. The quality of the coffee is much better than Starbucks. If you like strong coffee you should come here.

I will give one star because the Mayan Coffee was excellent. However, my experience was destroyed because the counter person refused me a place to eat because I have a service dog. I asked for a manager. There was none. I asked her to call the owner. She refused. All she kept saying was that she didn’t know anything about service dogs coming into the café. She was very unhelpful. I finally got my order to go. I also insisted on the name and number of the owner. I called him when I left the place and explained what had happened. He was horrified because he knew the law and knew that I should not have been barred from the café. If you are a regular person, you will not have any problems there. However, anyone with a service animal… Pass.

Fresh Mexican food made from scratch, gourmet coffee, and craft beers. A woman’s dream come true. Starbucks better watch out because this place is the future. Fresh Coke in a bottle, tortas, quesadillas, and tostadas amongst other items. Love doing business meetings here, check out the coffee bean grinder on location. Next to whole foods.

This place is amazing!
Alejandro, the most kind and hospitable owner, grows his own beans on his family plantation and meticulously roasts his coffee beans on premises here at Café La Fortuna.
Alejandro taught me more about the coffee growing process in 10 minutes than I’ve learned in my lifetime!
This place is a privilege to visit and enjoy! I will be coming back again and again with my wife!

Café La Fortuna’s mellow atmosphere is not what I expected to find so close to the hectic Route 83. The Latin-​inspired breakfast and lunch menu, including stuffed poblanos and quesadillas, compliments the coffee menu. I ordered a salted caramel iced latte and then saw the menu with all of the hot espresso drinks. My latte was OK, it was a little bitter.
They just recently started selling cold press coffee; the owner/​manager gave me a sample and it was amazing with the slightest sweetness and crisp flavor. I had this on my second visit and was again impressed by the cold press — get this, you won’t be sorry.
If coffee isn’t your thing, they also have wine and beer from local breweries like Urban Legend, which I hope to try soon. The employees are warm and friendly.

Phenomenal coffee. Great service. Gluten free options. Tamales. Super fast internet. Screw Starbucks, go to Café La Fortuna!