Tried at Rico Rico festival. Just selling empanadas at the time. $6, cheese (mozzarella inside), vegetable, bacon potato cheddar, beef, chicken, or chorizo. Lobster crawfish little pricier, $10. Tasty. Savory, annatto flavored shell. Less fresh than some other trucks which deep fried on the spot. Just taken out of stored warmer drawers. read more

Recently visited this food truck at the Jersey Shore Premium Outlets. Ordered the chicken and beef empanadas. The filling was tasty. $6 each. read more

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Was on my way to an event but I was super hungry lol as I was driving I noticed the sign. I've never been to the location but I've had empanadas several times at the food truck. I was greeted with a smile and in about 2 mins I was handed my empanada. I noticed where they are located now it's looks like that are moving a couple of doors down to a bigger storefront. As always the empanada was delicious and I'm not sure why I didn't get a few more to take home lol. The warm weather is coming and I'm sure I will have plenty more opportunities at the local food truck events. read more

Empanada Guy - Chicken Empanada (R1) - Empanadas Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

Ropa vieja tasted like wet cardboard, not taste at all. did not come with the plantains advertised in menu picture. Empanadas 1.3/10 read more

Great beef empanada it's truly top notch, not sure if they are located in woodbridge still.

I went to their truck at food truck war. It was delicious. My friend told me she always wanted to go there because it was featured on the food channel. Oh. Sure. Wow, am I glad I agreed. It was just as delicious tonight as it was back at the foods truck wars if not better. Let's start off with the chicken. It was nicely filled and the chicken was so moist. It was also nicely fried. Some places, their empanadas are burnt and their fillings are cold. Ew. The chicken was in shredded strips cut not thinly shredded. This was perfect. After eating that, I had to split a beef with my friend. Turns out she couldn't finish hers (she ordered a crab and a beef). The juices spilled out as we cut it in half. Pure heaven. I must confess, I added hot sauce to it. I love it spicy. My, oh my it was good! My friend also ordered Plaintains. The staff was very generous with their bowl. It's sweet (honey) and l think they fried it but it wasn't deeply fried. It was warm and sweet. She loved it but it just wasn't my thing. Definitely going to go back with my hubby and kid. Empanadas are only $4 for beef or chicken. The ladies there suggested for me to try the cheese next time. They use three different types of cheese! Sounds like a plan. Quick note, $10 minimum to charge. read more

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The empanadas here were fairly good and a bit Americanized in flavor. Over the past couple of years they have added some additional latin fare. Their combos are decent yet depending on who the cook is, the flavor will change drastically. Today we wanted combos. The pernil with arroz con gandules is the favorite. Yet today they had no yellow rice (arroz con gandules). So we said ok white rice. Guess what?? No white rice either!! Whaaaaaaat? And the two youngsters behind the counter were at a loss. So we ordered empanadas. Things have changed. When Coca Cola messes around with their formula it became an issue. Empanadas here have changed as well. Not good. First in an empanada the inside should not be a ball of meat after putting it through a vita mix blender (see pics). It should be loose and juicy. When you bite into the empanada the flour shouldn't taste bitter. It's a sign of the frying oil being old. Things have changed. And not really for the better. Which is a shame. So here is my advice. Stick to the formula you know and go back to it. Don't offer what you can't deliver. Sorry to say but it's time to look for an alternative... read more

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The owner is a legend in Middlesex County and I'm always proud to see his red food trucks holding shop throughout the state. Got out of a meeting in Hamilton and boom there was one of his trucks in the parking lot dishing out empanadas and rejuvenating the people. Best hits: Chorizo and Lobster empanadas The Cuban sandwich. read more

Empanada Guy - Empanada guy definition of cool - Empanadas Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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Visited here for a quick snack with family. Ordered a variety of empanadas. I personally tried the chicken empanada. First few bites disappointingly didn't have filling in the corners. I'm a fan of stuffed empanadas so this part was sad. When I got to the filling, it was pretty good, but it didn't really seem super special? I always feel bad with these situations because admittedly I only tried one item on the menu. But, if you're an empanada place, I feel that your empanadas individually should stand strong. The hot sauce they provide is really good. I'm a huge fan of the vinegar based hot sauces (it reminds me of the ones I find in Portuguese restaurants). For Mall food, it's okay. For $3.75 a piece I think it's too steep for me to come back. For $1-$2 in Elizabeth, you can get a mind blowing empanada packed with flavorful filling. It's hard to even compare. read more

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Very tasty empanadas. It's my go to when I don't want to cook. The young man at the counter is very nice too! Making a stop at the Empanada Guy has become one of my favorite stops for a quick, tasty dinner. Don't sleep on the frozen four pack either. You can have empanadas anytime you want. read more

This food truck was at my Apartment complex in Cherry Hill, NJ. First glimpse, I loved the look of the truck. It was really lit up and had a lot of colors on it. When I got there they had 8 or so empanadas you could order as well as a few sandwiches. I ended up getting 3 empanadas since it was my dinner and they're more of a snack. I got the chicken, beef and pulled pork empanadas. They're actually a little bit bigger than I thought. I'd say they're around 4 inches long. They were fried really well and tasted delicious. I liked the beef one the best, but I did enjoy all three. The hot sauce they give you on the side was a nice compliment. The gentlemen working the truck was one of the nicest people I've come across in the hospitality industry. He's a big reason I'm giving them a 5*, but the food is still 5* worthy. Tip: they are pre-made so you cannot customize them. read more

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When the empanada guy first came out I loved it but boy did he fall way off after he reopen. Doesn't tAste the same at all aaaahhhh what a shame Went there yesterday my emp was cold Super disappointed o well read more

Delicious we stopped by the Freehold location yesterday they were open we got chicken and beef empanadas . Beans and rice and white rice for me . Delicious plenty of beef and chicken not greasy. Our definite go to when we want empanadas. You won't be disappointed. read more

OK now here we go - better than their food truck we tried a few weeks ago this store front located just outside the town of Freehold on Rt.33 does a decent job with these little pockets of pleasure containing chicken, pork and beef as well as other meat ingredients. Even dessert was had here with their apple and cinnamon empanada a tasty little treat. Bottom line: We shall return! read more

Saturday 7/13/19 I'm off to the hot air balloon festival and lo and behold who do I see in Rhinebeck NY....none other than "Empanada Guy" truck! Whomever invented meat in a bread pocket was a genius and having one from the "Empanada Guy" was a dream of mine for a hot minute. Then, I woke up! I asked for a beef empanada and I was served so fast the girl got a speeding ticket. I'm thinking damn this is awesome and from a truck too. Gee how shocked and disappointed was I. The shock started setting in right about when I paid $4.50 (and that was for only one) which was a tad steep for an empanada. The disappointment set in when I looked at the empanada. I kid you not when I say this thing looked liked it was reheated in a microwave, soft limp moist shell with a brown color. As long as I remember (and I'm super old so I remember way back when's) empanadas we're always a crisp shell on the outside but still with a little bit of that doughy texture when you bite into it with a golden fried color....at least that's how my mama made them. I figured let's bypass the shell and go for the gusto, you know the heart of the empanada...the beef! So I peeled back the dough and stuck a spork in it. I have to say "empanada guy" you definitely seasoned this beef, your put your foot in it, the flavor was very good. I just couldn't get over the texture of the meat, it was like mushy (for lack of a better word). Anyway my fellow Yelpers, for me, this empanada was a no go. Maybe it was the timing...maybe just maybe next time I'll try them when there is a long line waiting and they actually have to fry the empanada right in the truck. read more

Empanada Guy - Empanada Guy, price board - Empanadas Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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Ok. Why there's not a line out the door, I'm not sure. If your looking for a fun casual place to eat, this is it. I have been eating from the food truck for quite some time but this is the first time to the store. The service is very friendly and accommodating. I had a Cuban sandwich, with a side of Fried yuca that was fresh not greasy and great tasting. All I can say is get there now before this place goes viral. read more

The empanadas aren't as good as they used to be. We also ordered white rice and black beans. The beans didn't have flavor and the white was way undercooked and crunchy. read more

Wanted some empanadas for the family. I've ordered from here before and I remembered now why I didn't want to come back. First of all I tried to call in an order. Turns out the phone number that is listed directs you to a voicemail. Second, I tried to order online and that was an issue because it wouldn't except my my choices. So off to the store I went. The guy behind the counter seemed like he didn't even want to be there. Now comes the food. How on earth do you own a Spanish restaurant and not have rice and beans??? And the empanadas where below mediocre. I had the chicken that was mushy inside,,the beef was ehh,, and the lobster was bland. I remember the empanadas from this guy being awesome and flavorful. Seems like he grew to big and now his food is suffering. Bright side is the chorizo was good and the kids where happy with the food. read more

the food is below average and super heavy for your stomach even for a man like me who can eat anything and tolerate stomach pain. the worst part is the guava and cheese the cheese was hard and the guava was pure liquid nothing in the food truck was fresh which is odd because it's a food truck and they just pulled up to my apartment complexed. the empanadas were soggy and crispy and the rice and beans was nothing special but dry. i am also dominican and a latin man that food is far from being spanish. the food is also super expensive the empanadas should have been $2 each and the guava and cheese should have been .50 cents because that was by far the worst f***ing empanda. i'm sorry for being an ass but it shows how ass this food truck really is. i do not understand how they have the title empanada guy but now i do. it's great marketing that is all. there logo and name gets the one star. have a nice day. read more

Empanada Guy - you would think the liquid guava would soften the cheese but nope rock hard. - Empanadas Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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Slightly disappointing visit today. The empanadas were good, chorizo and chicken, but a first time purchase of a tamale not so. I've never had one so sweet. And the Pico DeGaullo ran out by the time we got here at 6pm. When I asked to have them refill the container, it took me 3 visits back to the condiment table, and another request, before they told me they forgot and had no more. But my Cuban Sandwich was pretty good so that was a rebound for The E Guy. read more

Sometimes I can't get enough of this place, I love to get the crab and lobster empanada's which I think are some of the best I've eaten. Every time we've been their the food is fresh, not a long wait so it's a great in and out spot if your on the move and want a good munch. read more

Empanada Guy - Empanadas Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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Worst place to eat!!! Turn around go somewhere else!! I went there this past weekend. I kept hearing about it and said let's try it. I was with my daughter. We ordered a couple different empanadas. One of them was a lobster empanada. We sat down to wait. While we were waiting I could hear the disorganization of what I could only gather was their catering/big order service. They weren't sure what was supposed to be in what ordered. Phone calls had to be made. 3 different orders and the same issue. We get our food. I bite into the "lobster". It was crab. I tell the cashier. He gets me a new one. Again it was crab!! Then he didn't know what to do and brushed me off. Ok. No biggie. We left because we had appointments to go to. We took our tres leche cake with us to eat on the road. As we get to the middle, I go to take a bite. Thank god I looked! I saw a black dot. I had to pull over. Upon closer inspection I saw it was a flying bug of some sort. Are you kidding me?? After screwing up I don't know how many orders that day, providing horrible customer service now I have to deal with insects inside a cake?? Needless to say I will never go back. Anybody that asks me, I will give my honest opinion. Eat at your own risk if you are brave enough to try this place. read more

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This review is of the Freehold Raceway Mall location. First off- the employees behind the counter were incredibly unprofessional. There were three people behind the counter when I went there around dinner time and there was no one on line. Not one customer. Yet- it still took them a solid 30 seconds to acknowledge my existence as I was looking at the menu. Ordering was- a struggle. The two employees not working the register were having a conversation that engrossed them so much they didn't pay attention to the guy behind the register who was asking for their help in getting our order together. One of the employees completely ignored what was going on and went on his break (how do I know that? Well, he announced it to his buddies loud enough that I could hear). The other guy went into the kitchen while the poor dude ringing us up was left alone. When we paid he left our credit card in the register because- I guess he forget he was ringing us up? I honestly have no idea. He was having some real issues filling up our soda cup. He claimed the tops were "defective". I then poked the top of the soda cup, and wow! It was no longer "defective"! I guess he didn't pay attention the day they went over gasses in chem... no. Ignore that jab. I've literally never seen someone struggle to put a lid on a soda like that. Anywho... so finally they serve our tepid empanadas on our tray and slide it over to us. When I mentioned that we ordered two sodas, the employee who slid the tray over (the dude who went into the kitchen for no reason before) looked at me like I was making a case for trickle down economics (which-doesn't work- #resist). Anyway- finally we got our second soda and sat down to eat our empanadas. They were "meh" at first (you could tell they had been sitting under a heat lamp for awhile- as they were only "warm" at best) and soaked in oil. Then I got an unexpected calcium surprise in my chicken empanada: what I think was some bone matter! Yay! No- not yay. It was disgusting. I didn't finish my food, and you shouldn't eat anything here. If somehow the brain trust behind the counter gets your meal to you- it'll just not be good. Next time I'll stick to literally any other choice at the food court. Update 20 minutes later: my girlfriend is in the bathroom throwing her nasty empanada up. Thanks Empanada Guy! read more

These empanadas were so grease laden they were inedible. The owner is also an arrogant guy who thinks he's a celebrity chef. Inedible good + ego = a crappy product. read more

Ok, love Empanada Guy in Freehold Boro. This is a review for the newly open ed Empanada Guy in Freehold Raceway Mall. Was very much looking forward to trying it. I have went to the Park Ave Freehold store a dozen times and often have them split the minis up between chicken and beef. I went with my son to the mall store and 1st question I asked was "can I split the 5 for 5.99 minis to 3 beef and 2 chicken, like we do in Park Ave store....", the answer from the inexperienced 16 year old behind the counter was NO. I then promptly went and bought Taco Bell. You won't make it if this is the 1st interaction with people. The only reason for 2 stars was the positive experience in the Park Ave store, not the mall store....which won't last with this attitude. read more

Came here this past Saturday night about 8:15p and we were the only patrons at the time. The restaurant is clean, drinks are by the can and the ladies behind the counter WONDERFUL, sweet as can be and so helpful when ordering, these ladies are awesome. Once we all looked over the empanada menu, burritos, tacos and combo plates and everything else on the "wasn't empanada", related menu, everything is à la carte, we finally placed our orders and sat down, didn't take long the food was ready in no time. Which kinda had me worried- empanadas take a bit of time to make, which led me to believe these were made ahead of time and not by actual order placement. Hubby had the chorizo and beef, I had beef and a side of red beans and rice and a papa rellena (very good), Mini-Me had the sweet tamale and apple empanada. They empanadas had a light and flaky crust and were not greasy. Beef were very tasty I did like this empanada tremendously and although I am used to them being made a bit more spicy and I guess if I had ordered the mini-empanadas then I could have had spicy, but I didn't, I like that they did not have cheese in them. My hubby really enjoyed the chorizo empanada. Mini-Me liked her sweet tamale at first but we both agreed we could really taste the salt in the masa which was not enjoyable for any tamale and it just wasn't sweet the apple empanada, I liked a lot by Mini-Me said it needed a more cinnamon sugar, the apple was mushy and it wasn't filled enough and it didn't have the brown sugar glaze that I could see or taste maybe a firmer apple and caramel dipping sauce- bur real caramel not the bottle stuff. Here it is in the nutshell, I would buy both again, because it may have just been an "off" batch. What I am surprised is with this being a Puerto Rican comfort fast food and a restaurant that I would seriously camp out at, but there was no PIQUE??!! There was a plastic squeeze bottle of red sauce, by the flatware/napkin station, but, I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I really think if there is gonna be one Empanada Guy and we can all agree, there is ONLY one and that's the claim to fame, then lets get a signature mild and hot sauce created to compliment the food! I have to come back and give these empanadas another shot, the restaurant is local, no lines, great service and I think if I give it a second shot, I'll be hooked. I'll update shortly. read more

They should rename this "The Ripoff Empanada Guy" cause let me tell you me being latino from NYC an empanada should NOT cost $4.50 "more so out of a truck" & if so they best be one dang good empanada & this guy falls 10 paces shy of a good empanada. I've had good empanadas in Newark and in East Harlem for half the price. I can't fathom how much of a crook this guy is selling frozen foods out of a roach coach. Why is latin food outside of urban areas so f'ing expensive like they're paying Manhattan rent or something?? I refuse to support a business that chooses greed over customer satisfaction. read more

I was a huge fan of empanada guy and respect all his hard work. I would always follow his trucks and when this location opened I would drive 30 minutes just to satisfy my crave. I was here over this weekend and everything has gone down hill. I had empanadas beef, chorizo and cheese but the have shrunk in size and lost their spice and flavor. The cheese empanada was empty inside very disappointed. I also ordered 2 Cuban sandwiches both were flat as pancake with no meat inside and were freezer burn taste. I can't tell you how upset I am and wont be returning or following these trucks anymore. There is still hope as the owner knows good food and taste and tradition so hopefully will turn it around one day. read more

I'll start with the good. Tried the pulled pork empanada and loved it. Pork was cooked perfectly....it was succulent. The beef was delicious, seasoned just right. Youbhave a choice to have your empanadas fried or baked. My husband chose the fried and they were fantastic. My daughter got the chicken and cheese quesadilla which she shared with is. It had be one of my favorite ones I've tried in a long time. enough chicken and cheese and diced tomato. Now onto "ehhh". Their Cuban sandwich. Not impressed. The ham was too thick and just didn't do it for me. I wouldn't get it again. The man behind the counter didn't seem knowledgeable. It was my husband's first time ordering he needed help. He had questions about the feelings the quantity and the prices and the gentleman really wasn't too helpful. I will be back but not going out of my way for it. read more

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This review is for the freehold mall empanada guy the inexperienced person behind the counter would not give me fresh empanadas instead wanted to sell me the ones that of been sitting for 10 to 15 minutes in addition to having a huge hickey on his neck I found this Place very unappealing from not being able to have a fresh empanada to being served by somebody with a hickey on his neck and just lots of people hanging around, just like the way the empanadas were hanging around I couldn't get a fresh one. I sent an email, and the person who answered my email and said the were the empanada guy chose to argue with me instead of addressing the situation which was empanadas that were sitting around ,people who are hanging around without buying food and employees who are inexperienced with hickeys on their neck. read more

Empanada Guy - Empanadas and hickies yummy! - Empanadas Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

Disappointed. I had heard such great reviews about the trucks, I figured the little café would be as good. My husband, son and I went to the restaurant. We had 2 Cuban sandwiches, 2 beef empanadas, 2 lobster empanadas and a side of rice and beans. Honestly, I've had better... better everything elsewhere. Originally my husband is from Newark and I'm from Elizabeth so having Cuban sandwiches / empanadas is like breathing to us. We thought the flavors, textures, and overall the food lacked. I wanted to like it I truly did.... but we won't be going back or can not recommend. One thing that I must say the owner was there and greeted the few other tables with American customers but didn't stop by ours (we are Puerto Rican), which I found strange. Well no love lost on our part that's for sure! read more

The quality of food has gone way down. I think they switched chefs. The empanadas are always too undercooked or extremely crunchy. They used to be a consistent golden brown that was crisp and delicious. The yuca fritters are also not cooked thoroughly while being barely crispy on the outside. The rice and beans are watery. It also isn't as well kept as it once was. As soon as you used to leave there would be someone there cleaning off the tables with spray and a towel. Now you can see the crumbs and grease marks from previous customers. They also packed a bunch of tables in the back part of the restaurant and it's like people are practically sitting on top of each other. This used to be my favorite place to eat. I hope Carlos sees this review and gets his place back to the way it used to be. I miss the old Empanada Guy! read more

The best Empanadas! Each flavor is is incredible, my favorite is the Lobster & cheese flavors. 100% recommend if you're looking for real authentic Hispanic food! read more

Stopped here for a quick peek. I'm so glad I did. We had the beef, chicken, and lobster empanadas, yucca, rice and black beans, and Cuban sandwich. Needless to say, we will be back for more. The owner, who is a champion celebrity, is very nice and opened to sharing his story with us. The food, atmosphere, and service were all great. We will be back. I need to visit one of his food trucks. read more

First off, I was a huge fan of empanada guy and his food especially the empanadas. I used to travel to his restaurant from northern NJ. They had bacalaitos, shrimp scampi with rice, lobster empanadas. Now they took those items off the menu and added crawfish to the empanada. When it was solely a lobster, it was truly one of the best tasting empanadas, now with the crawfish, it has a entire different flavor. I don't know what happened to this place but I hope they go back how they started. Sorry for the 2 stars but was just disappointed. read more

Had some friend recommend this place so I figured since it was close, I would give it a try. I had the lobster empanada and a side of fries. I'll start with the fries, they were limp and kind of on the greasy side. I only finished half of the order and tossed the rest. Now onto the lobster empanada. 1st of all, the shell of the empanada was the highlight of the meal. The filling on the other hand was kind of fishy and to be honest, there was not much of it. I'm probably not going back. read more

Updating this review because I went back to give this place another shot (at the urging of a coworker.) I got a beef and chicken empanada. The beef was delicious! Cooked perfectly! However, the chicken was still disgusting. Very bland and the texture of the meat was simply off. Felt more like a chicken pot pie without the flavor. I still added another star from my previous 2star review because the Beef Empanada was amazing! read more

Empanada Guy - Menu - Empanadas Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

I was really looking forward to some authentic tasting empanadas today and was disappointed. Having seen a TV interview on News 12, I was hopeful. We finally had a chance to get there. The shells are great; well seasoned and not greasy. The size and filling volume of each empanada is right for the price except for the cinnamon/apple which was a light on the filling but very tasty. The rest were the opposite, generously filled but not as well seasoned. I wanted to be a raving fan about this place, but in all fairness, I can't. So if you've never had a Puerto Rican empanada, these are not a bad choice, but if you've have good versions of the real thing, then maybe not. read more

This is about the Empanada Guy in the Freehold Mall. I actually love the Empanada Guy's food trucks and go there often, so I heard they had a store in the mall and wanted to go there while I was in the area. I'm just gonna be blunt and say this place is a mess. The two women working at the front were nice, but did not have a clue what was going on. i don't know if they were new, but they were barely talking to each other and either had no clue what to do, whose food is whose etc. Next, the women were confused, as a I said, so they weren't calling out numbers, then this woman swoops in and takes my food on the counter and walks away with it. Then she had the decency to touch the food with her hands and come back to try and return the food. I'm glad the that they actually gave us a new batch. All in all, I would not recommend this place to anyone and I have no desire to come back. read more

Being it's hard to find decent Latin food around jersey, I wanted to try this place out. they have pretty good beef and cheese empanadas very fresh,light and flaky but nothing above average,the rice and beans where also very good,the flan was very good and creamy.The interior was nicely decorated, but the music played was a bit more club scene then restaurant,they also lacked highchairs which would've been a plus for those with small children.In conclusion I would recommend this place if wanting a quick empanada fix. read more