Despite what the Zeitgeist has led you to believe, notwithstanding the footsteps of tango dancers, the caterwauling of Eva Peron, the hepness of Javier Milei, the two dozen ex Nazis in exile - despite all this, there is nothing exotic about Argentine cuisine. Though not all things quotidian are to be jeered at. Just because Argentine food shares more commonalities with the American Midwest than your fantastic images of 'the Spanish New Word' might suggest does not mean it is disposable. Grabbing an empanada or two at Cafe Buenos Aires will be an event not out of the ordinary. Beef empanadas with mince, onions, bell peppers and eggs; picada with bits of steak, onions, bells and potatos (best); fuggazzeta, stuffed with salt purged onions, mozzarella and herbs; humita, corn bell peps, and mozz; classic ham n cheese. Each and every one of these flavor combinations are firmly implanted into your vernacular. I mean ham and cheddar are to your dining repertoire what the chord progression A- E -B7 are to the rock n roll. Again, just because it's basic doesn't mean it's not good. The empis are done right. From the filling to the wrapper. That pretty much covers it. Other than, of course, the chimichurri, which does its job. I didn't see any other Argentine staples on the menu: no pizzas, no choripan, even among the deserts no alfajores were spotted. They do feature a yerba mate latte. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was in the neighborhood to do some Holiday errands and needed a late afternoon caffeine boost. I had been to the Berkeley area frequently and wanted to try out this little Cafe iI had always passed. Yesterday presented itself to try it out. It was a small , quaint little cafe and had a neighborhood ambiance feel. It had a display case with Savory and sweet selections of empanadas. I had ordered a Mocha with almond milk and a Chorizo empanada. I also bought a Peach empanada, as well. I had ordered them to go and the staff were very friendly. Mocha was really delicious and the Chorizo empanada was ok. I really liked the Peach empanada, though. Definitely will go and try more of their empanada next time. read more

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This cute coffee shop has such yummy coffee and also empanadas. The employees are so friendly and welcoming! This was my first time having the empanadas and the chimichurri sauce and they did not disappoint. I got the chicken empanada and the peach empanada. The chicken empanada had shredded chicken and some pieces of onion in it. And the peach empanada had whole sliced peaches, both paired with the chimichurri sauce. For coffee, I got one of the valentines specials (I forgot the name of it..) but it tasted a lot liked raspberry and it was super good and creamy! read more

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Looking for a spot to eat breakfast, my friend recommended that way dine here as he highly recommended the food. Initially stood out to me was that there was no place for free parking. I literally had to pay a meter, which although wasn't horrible, to me was still inconvenient for this area of Berkeley. This place has a small, indoor dining area and a decently sized outdoor area, which could see about 30+ customers. I could tell that the patrons inside were regulars I'm more than happy to be at home. The menu options are pretty diverse, but at the same time limiting. Plenty of empanadas, as well as some dessert and coffee options. We settled on two empanadas, two coffees, a hot chocolate and a lemon bar. Flavor wise, everything was good. I can't say that it was spectacular, but definitely better than other hole in the wall places. My hot chocolate was foam at the top, which was a nice touch, and both empanadas were very flavorful. The lemon bar two was decent. I also appreciated the excellent service. However, I feel that the place is just too expensive. For the two empanadas, our drinks and the lemon bar everything came out it's almost $40. Those empanadas were over six bucks each and to make it worse if you're looking to get a meal out of it, you need 3 to 4 hands down to get full. The drinks also while good, weren't that good for the rates they're charging. As much as I liked the environment and quality of food, given most Berkeley options have no flavor at all, I wouldn't go out of my way to come back here. It's not that I don't think it's a good place, I just don't think it's worth the amount and inconvenience to dine here. Taking everything into account, I rate Cafe Buenos Aires a 3/5. read more

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I've been on an empanada kick lately. It's been really fun because the East Bay has a few places to choose from. So of course I had to return to the one that's in my own neighborhood. The funny thing is that I go to Café Buenos Aires most regularly for coffee because I enjoy their lattes. I like the empanadas too, so this time I dropped by for lunch. Enjoyed my chicken empanada and accompanying chimichurri sauce. They have a really large selection of fillings and I've enjoyed the beef empanadas as well. The service is always friendly here no matter who is behind the counter. I like their Wi-Fi and they're always seems to be enough seating with window bar stool and table and the row of assorted tables they have indoors. They usually have a few tables outside too. Often with the choice of sun or shade. The café is located on the busy corner of Shattuck and Ashby so it isn't exactly quiet outside. But it is a relatively short walk from the Ashby BART station. They have a number of locations, but I haven't checked out any of the others yet. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Chicken empanada is pretty good with shredded chicken inside that was lightly seasoned, although it could be a little dry, there was a little sauce container that comes with the empanada to help. The sauce is flavorful and a little spicy. The cafe is cozy and has seating area available. The staff are friendly. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Chicken Empanada - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you like empanadas, come check these guys out! Convenient location, super kind staff, great selection of empanadas both savory and sweet. My favorites are the mushroom and the peach. Cafe as well with innovations like a chagaccino. Coffee is on point. Great little chill spot inside or out (on busy street). ‍ read more

The Arepas at Buenos Aires are amazing, the best in the Bay. Way better than that off brand place that rhymes with jalapeno. I never leave reviews but I felt compelled to do so. This isn't about the food but about the ownership. This is a true, independent business that seamlessly blends heritage, tradition and a Bay Area heartbeat. I placed a larger catering order through Doordash (the devil) but mistakenly made it for the wrong date and cancelled the order. Doordash would not refund me and I spent hours on the phone with them explaining that the order I cancelled was for a future date and nothing had been made. They refused to give me a refund so I was forced to call BA Cafe. One of the owners Brandon took the wheel and attempted to fight with Doordash on my behalf but to no avail. They came out of pocket to make me whole. As a small business owner myself, I understand how much a loss like that can hurt but Brandon did it for me without blinking. I am so impressed with how they handle business and have earned a customer for life (I already was). I will be making sure to spread the word on them as well. The food is delicious but the way they handled this situation was just as impressive. This is rare nowadays but it feels good to spend money with a business with such class. These are real bay Area people sharing Argentine tradition from their hearts - it doesn't get much better than that. Give them all your business for birthdays, office catering, special events or to pig out yourself. You can trust that you will be well taken care of. read more

Stopped by this cafe as I was intrigued by their selection of empanadas. They all sounded SO tasty, but I opted to go for the beef empanada and the spinach/feta empanada. Both were really good but the spinach/feta was incredible -- everything tasted so fresh, and love that this empanada had such a thin flaky crust with a nice bite to it on the edges. The dipping sauce was a nice touch and spiced it up which was very addicting. The cafe itself has plenty of space for seating and the service was nice and friendly. I definitely think this will be my new go to spot for empanadas... I got to try them all eventually! read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've driven by here several times on my way tonl work. This time I was working a middle of day with a 15 minute break. So wanted to bring something I could quickly heat up and eat. They have an assortment of empanadas in the display case of both sweet and savory. I settled on 6. 3 savory 3 sweet. Thr chicken one has fresh chunks of chicken and a little spice to it . I normally don't like pastry dough but this was light and fluffy. The zucchini one, I was pleasantly surprised. It has chickpeas in it. The Peach ones were gobbled up and was told they were good. I managed to have blueberry one and loved that not too sweet or with that cornstarch thickness. I will be back. Quick and healthy bites. Also good for bringing to parties or if you are hosting one. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Love how they wrap them individually. They stamp them with the flavors of it and it is served with like a chimi-churi sauce. - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The food was fine and the service was good. But the following day, I got an email from them offering me a discount. I never gave them an email address. This was unsolicited and I don't appreciate it. I blocked them and I won't go back. Intrusive! Thank you, Martha for confirming why I won't be back. I didn't give you my phone number. I did use my company credit card. The fact that you took whatever was tied to that card and sent me an email that I neither wanted nor solicited speaks volumes. I will also be taking this up with the card company. read more

5/5 for the fact there is a place with so many options when it comes to empanadas! 3/5 for the price - a little over $5 depending on which kind you get. I do think for what it is it should not cost $5, but then again everything costs an arm and a leg. Parking - there is street parking Service - nice guy who assisted and heated up the empanadas Inside - there are a couple spots to sit inside. This is a very chill/calm environment inside. You have people on their computers working and people having casual conversations. Flavor - 3/5 wish it was higher. I have now tried a number of different empanadas and must say I have had better. Apple Empanada - was ok a little too sweet Chicken Empanada - not bad flavor just missing something Spinach and Feta - my favorite must have Fugazzatta - just ok Bottom line - if you want a variety of empanadas to pick from come here. BUT keep searching. They have a variety but the flavors still leave me looking for another place. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

Service is nice. I seemed to be the only one and the only staff member there but he seemed to be very efficient. I went for the beef and chicken empanadas. Very warm and crispy when I got them. I ordered the chai latter, cold. The drink did take a while but was fresh and nice with the empanadas. The atmosphere is a little odd. Not many tables were out and a lot of boxes but that's fine. Place seems nice to study or any computer work. There's images of tango, political movements images, art, the calligraphy of the exterior is fascinating. AC Transit 18 stops on shattuck also not too far there's the 6 on Telegraph with a good walk enough to digest some yum Argentinian snacks. read more

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Wanted to try a new cafe in Berkeley and settled on Cafe Buenos Aires. Parking was relatively easy, but we may have gotten lucky because street parking is super limited. Plenty of seating and not crowded as many spots in Berkeley are on a Friday morning. Service was fast and the person who helped us was very friendly! Tried the iced latte and a drip coffee (not pictured). The drip coffee was really good and strong! The iced coffee was just ok, didn't have a very strong coffee flavor. The menu has a lot of different options for empanadas, both sweet and savory. I tried the ham and cheese which was pretty good. Plenty of filling and the chimmichurri sauce that came on the side was delicious! read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - ham and Ham & Cheese Empanada - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Been on a real empanada kick lately and one day my fiancé and I decided to go on a little East Bay empanada tour. Cafe Buenos Aires was stop #1. The cafe is located on the corner and there's some metered street parking available nearby. Super easy to find parking on a Saturday afternoon. It's not a huge cafe but it's got seating inside if you plan to stay awhile. They have a lot of different empanada options to choose from. We had to take a couple of minutes to look over the menu and decide. We ordered at the counter and there was some confusion about the Yelp check in offer but not a big deal. We went for a chicken empanada ($6) and a carne picada ($7). They're hefty empanadas so it feels like a fair price. Both were pretty good. I liked the flavor of the chicken one better especially with the chimichurri sauce. Along with empanadas, they also offer a full coffee/tea/drinks menu and pastries. Seems like a great place to meet up with a friend over a cup of coffee. Excited to try more flavors next time! read more

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The empanadas were on point! The fresh and clean establishment with a tight menu made for a great place to stop in and pick up. Glad we took a chance. read more

The coffee was delicious and so were the empanadas! I definitely recommend the feta and spinach but the chicken and beef aren't that bad too! Not the best place to sit and eat due to the amount of flies that accumulate inside with the door open but I'd still go back to this place just for the empanadas. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - House Made Chicken Empanada - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

I went here after working a night shift. Thought I would have a lovely bite before heading to sleep and I was so disappointed . I have never had a cold/stale beignet in my life. Like don't even call it a beignet if you want to serve it like this ... chai latte is usually my go to and when I saw it on the menu I knew I must try as I didn't want to have anything to strong before going to sleep. It was literally just oat milk. No chai flavor at all. Will never go again and would not recommend to get these items... they are know for the empanadas ... I hope they don't serve those cold too . read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Stale & cold beignets - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Some of the best empanadas we've had. We literally... Could not stop ordering. We would finish an order of two empanadas, look at each other, then sheepishly walk back up to the register. Repeat x4. They're that good. (as of March 2022) For COVID safety purposes, masks are required, hand sanitizer is provided, and tables are cleaned thoroughly. We parked in a nearby residential street and walked 5~ mins. The walls are decorated with local art and activist phrases. Display case also features other small biz. We saw the owner, Diana, chatting away with regulars and welcoming newcomers in. Really just a lovely environment she's curated here. Coffee was great! Our favorite empanadas were: - Chicken (as buttery and light as the dough) - Mushroom (very umami, super flavorful) We've driven past this colorful corner so many times and finally made a point to stop in-- undeniably worth it. read more

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Our favorite empanadas are still from Empanash from South Lake Tahoe. Quality/Quantity - We got the following Empanadas: 2 Beef - Wife's favorite. 2 Chicken - Good but not that much flavor. 2 Mushroom - My favorite. Filled with mushrooms. 2 Chorizo - Did not taste the sausage at all... Had a lot of beans. Vegan - Roasted Eggplant & Tomatoes - Good. Vegan - Kale Butternut - My daughter's favorite. She says the flavor was good and the crust was flaky. Peach Cobbler - Sorry, it did not taste fresh. Or maybe it is just not peach season. Sorry, all the empanadas (with the exception of the mushroom) were bean forward. I had a hard time tasting the difference between all the different empanadas. I am sure it did not help that I used the one and only chimichurri sauce for all. I did like the labeling/branding of the empanadas, see picture. It was helpful to know all the different fillings we got. All empanadas were a good size. Also offer catering. Also known for their coffee. Atmosphere - Small local business. Indoor/outdoor seating. NO restrooms, they asked us to go to Chevron across the street... They should at least offer wipes??? Since they offer dining in, there should at least be a hand washing station. Open 7 days a week until 4:30pm. Service - Counter service. Good, cleaned and sanitized our table before we sat. Price - $62.89 + tip. Owner Comment - Congrats on all your success since 2018 and your new location in Emeryville. read more

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They make the best homemade empanadas. The pastry is light and flakey and there are many different fillings to try. They also come with dipping sauces that are really worth mentioning. The garlic, herb, oil is one of our favorites. We decided to order a variety of empanadas for breakfast: + Mushroom - the delicious filling is made with mushroom, caramelized onions, and cheese. + Chicken - good with a tomato-y flavor + Chorizo - probably my favorite. Yummy chorizo with potato, egg and cheese. Breakfast-y. + Caprese - mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Reminds me of margherita pizza. read more

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The empanadas are yummy! A couple of faves... mushroom and caprese :) Chimichurri sauce is the bomb!!! read more

Savory, sweet, crispy and soft. You get all these sensations with the empanadas here. Delicious doesn't begin to describe it. Although a bit pricey, it's well worth it for a first try. You'll be taking yourself back for additional visits. The empanadas are behind a glass case, you select the ones you want, 6 minutes to warm, and as soon as they come out, they're perfect temperature. I'll be back for more. Buen provecho! read more

Holy Empanadas?!! We wanted to bring some good luck to Argentina for their COPA match tonight and wow were glad we picked Cafe Buenos Aires! We basically got one of every Empanada they make and the house is divided with half vegetarians so it is great they have many great veggie options and not just meat! All of the empanadas were amazing! You have to try them all. And don't sleep on their pastries?! We got an Apple Pie empanada, a blueberry empanada, beignets, chocolate croissant. You have to give them a try! And they were so friendly too! read more

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I ordered from here on doordash for work and am so happy I found this place! Although I will say that it was a little pricey buying for a group, as an individual the prices were fine. I ordered different empanadas and beignets and it was all a HIT! My staff loved everything and my gluten free staff were so happy that they had options as well. I definitely recommend and hope to visit this place one day while I'm in Berkeley! read more

The empanadas are not really big (I'd get 2 at least), but the amount of filling is generous. The outside pastry is thin and soft rather than flaky. Tried the... steak - chunks of tender meat well flavored by sliced bell pepper and onion chicken - peppery stewed chicken mushroom - full of sliced mushrooms and a little melty cheese eggplant and tomato - soft eggplant and tomato filling with a few whole chickpeas peach - mildly sweet, not syrupy, but peach slices were the canned texture (but it was full of peach!) Overall, tasty and not skimping on the filling. Good for an on-the-go bite. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Steak empanada with onion and bell pepper - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

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New favorite breakfast spot. Hands down some of the best empanadas I've ever had. Perfectly stuffing & crust consistency. Beef & caprese were the best ones in my opinion. Extremely friendly staff. Very clean & quick service. Ohh let's not forget the chai latte. It was really good, soft/balanced as it should be. No complaints. Not one. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - House Made Caprese Empanada Chai Latte - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is a great cafe to grab some breakfast. They have a good amount of seating inside but I've just taken my items to work. The empanadas are quite large and really filling. I like the beef the most but there is a lot of variety! I've also tried the chagachino and the cortadito. Both are very tasty but Ive5 noticed that their drinks are usually not very hot. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - Chagachino - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've been coming to this place for the last 2 years for their empanadas. They're simply perfection! I personally love the variety they have for vegetarians. My favorite is the humita empanada. It reminds me of the humita flavor from my home country of Ecuador. Keep it up! read more

I love a good latte. Imagine my surprise when I walked in and they had empanadas too. Something about an empanada for breakfast just feels right. My stomach for sure agreed!! The spinach and feta empanada is *chefs kiss* and I have zero complaints about the latte. My only complaint is they aren't near my house read more

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Easy to find location with some street parking right in front. They also have the option for curbside pickup so if you're in more of a rush may be the way to go. Got some coffee and a few empanadas. Wasn't expecting too much from the coffee (got a latte for reference) but was pleasantly surprised. One of the better lattes that I have had and very reasonably priced (for the berkely area). Think you can get the largest size, 20oz, for less than $5. Empanadas: got a beef and a chicken. Hard to choose which one I liked better since they were different. The beef was very "beefy" lots of ground beef and very flavorful. The chicken was more of a mixture of chicken and veggies with more of the flavor from the vegetables. Will have to come back and try out some other ones. read more

Social justice based neighborhood coffee shop is a gem. They also host dance lessons and classes for couples and Romantics. If you're in the area make every effort to stop in and grab a cup of hot coffee paired with a perfect empanada. read more

Cafe Buenos Aires - First dibs on the breakfast empanadas - Argentine Near Me - Berkeley, California

The mushroom empanada was delicious! The cafe is kind of small, so might not be the best space if you're looking for study/work vibes. But the staff is awesome and the food/drinks are great! read more

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Delicious! We had 1 carne piccata and 1 spinach . First time here. Highly recommend . Can't wait to go back.

great spot for breakfast or lunch. they have mostly empanadas which is really nice change from the normal cafe food. they have a huge variety of them. great service and friendly staff read more

One of my favorite South Berkeley spots and THE best empanada place I've been to. All of their options are delicious, prepared quickly, and with friendly service. Plus their espresso drinks are made really well and delicious. I never regret a trip here. Oh and there are some great pictures inside and the vibe inside and out is really nice. Fun spot to sit outside and chill at. read more

Travelled 45 mins just to checkout this Argentinian empanada haven and they didn't disappoint. Loved the chorizo empanada, ham and cheese, spinach feta, and of course Fugazetta. This cafe reminds me of the corner cafes in Buenos Aires. read more

Did NOT have a good experience here. It's crazy to read all of these 5 star reviews because this place was anything but 5 stars for me. I was looking for a new place to try for lunch and saw that this spot had empanadas and salads. I can't remember the name of the café that was here before, but this place is still fairly new (maybe a little over a year old now). The interior is quite small but clean. When I walked up to the window, I noticed that the menu didn't match what I had seen online. There were no salads or sandwiches aside from breakfast sammies shown. I asked the barista if they had a lunch menu and he said that the items listed were all that they had. Kind of frustrating since I came for lunch and not breakfast, but I made due with what I had. I asked him about the empanadas and also asked him what he recommended. He spoke highly about their breakfast croissant sandwich. I really wasn't in the mood for breakfast but went with his recommendation since my options were limited. I almost got an empanada too but they were hella tiny! I wouldn't mind paying $5 for an empanada if the size fit the price, but $5 for these small empanadas is just too much. I was also going to order a Chai latte, but the barista was honest in telling me that it was just a boxed brand Chai tea that wouldn't be sweet. Who would pay $5 for a plain store bought Chai tea? I'm so glad that he was honest because I would have been pissed had they delivered that to me table. Unfortunately, I still ended up being pissed anyways. I ended up ordering a 12 ounce hot chocolate which I thought was still pretty steep for $4. I didn't realize that the barista actually charged me for a large size. After looking at the receipt again, I realized that the prices listed on the menu didn't match what was on the receipt. This is a HUGE pet peeve of mine. It all comes back to the principle for me. Please make sure your menu actually matches what I'm getting charged! It always seems sneaky when businesses do this. So, I ended up paying $5 for a mediocre hot chocolate. I thought I would have better luck with the breakfast croissant, but that was also a disappointment. I took a bite out of the sandwich, and what do I taste? Eggs. JUST eggs. Naturally, I took it apart to review the contents. Um... where the f*ck is the ham and cheese??? There was literally a few scraps of ham and a few strands of cheese on this sandwich. And guess how much this lovely concoction costed me?? $7 f*cking dollars!!! But WHY?? I did purchase one alfajor which tasted pretty good, but again... way overpriced! I hate to sound like a cheap ass, but why am I paying $15 for this sh*t??? The sad part is, I didn't even want breakfast in the first place. Even if I was in the mood for breakfast, this sh*t was not up to par at ALL. Just super expensive and sloppily put together. I was still hungry after eating this. I definitely learned my lesson. No breakfast for Shayla during a weekday lunch... especially if it's coming from Café Buenos Aires. I most likely won't be coming back here again. read more

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Charming little cafe! Very inviting, dog friendly, the Staff really friendly. The Argentina Empeñadas delicious!!

I was about to drive to Santa Cruz on a Sunday morning and me and my bestie really wanted breakfast. I'd driven by this spot for months on my way to my old job and wanted to give it a shot. It turns out they specialize in empanadas -DROOL! They were definitely the best i'd ever had. I got the chorizo which came with egg and potato inside as well as the ham and cheese. The little ramekin of oil/veggies is delicious on top of them. The texture combined with the freshness and exuberant flavors will definitely have me coming back. I also got a delicious coffee. They have an espresso bar. It turned out the owner was there! She graciously introduced herself and thanked us for our business. This place is truly a gem, and writing this is literally making me hungry. Check them out! read more

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