Cancel

Open app

Search

Empanada Mama

3.8 (1k reviews)
Open • Open 24 hours
Updated 2 months ago

Order Empanada Mama Takeout or Delivery

Empanada Mama Photos

Business Info

EMPANADA MAMA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Classy
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Empanada Mama

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Beef baked
Leilua L.

Very nice establishment, and very clean. Quick empanada eats with an extensive menu of options. They can do the empanada any way you want it pretty much. I loved the beef one and my friend loved the pork one but I wasn't a big fan of the chicken. Service was great though and everyone was nice and helpful as it was my first time there so I didn't know how many different styles there were. I'd come here again to try more options and combinations that they have.

Mia H.

This 24/7 spot is an amazing spot for a bite at any time of day. This location in the LES, has lots of seating to dine-in but also kiosks for you to order at for take-out. Service is kind and fairly quick. They have a huge menu of lots of different empanadas as well as other Mexican dishes and sandwiches. I got their oxtail one, spicy chicken, greek spinach and feta, and their viagra (seafood stew with tiger shrimp and crab). Favorites were definitely their viagra and oxtail as both were so flavorful and filled with protein. I can definitely see this spot being a favorite late-night go to.

El Jefe and El Toro
Christopher C.

A staple post drinking snack spot-- the el jefe and el toro were filling and not terribly priced! Would love to come back after another night drinking! The ambience is a smidge ominous w some random people walking up and asking for money multiple times, but hey that's New York-- Cheers!

Karen T.

I thought the food was really flavorful. I got the jerk & cheese, Buffalo chicken, cheese steak, and el jefe. My favorites had to be the jerk and cheese and el jefe. The Buffalo chicken was lacking something and the cheese steak consistency of the sauce was too runny for me. I really enjoyed the el jefe empanada and the jerk and cheese. They went great with the sauces. There's a dine in section and a take out section.

Hanh T.

So good ! We weren't too hungry but wanted a snack and were craving empanadas and this hit the spot ! The one we wanted was sold out sadly but the other options were just as delish !!! Quick service

El Toro, pernil, el jefe
Tiffany F.

Came here for a quick bite at 1am, got the El Toro (Jamaican oxtail) and pernil - they are very generous with portion size and I'm talking they stuffed the empanadas, no air pocket inside. Pop some green sauce on there and you're good. Did I need two? No, but I ate both in less than 10 mins. I'll be back lol

Tatyana C.

Pinch me--I think I've gone to heaven! Empanada Mama is open 24/7 and serves alcohol, which honestly feels like a game changer for anyone who loves late-night eats. I've been to plenty of their locations before, but I had no idea this one was open around the clock. After a night of drinking, I was craving something delicious, so I checked Yelp, saw they were open, and wobbled my way over. To my surprise, the place was PACKED with club-goers just like me, all hunting for that perfect late-night bite. Whether you want to grab to-go or chill inside, Empanada Mama has you covered. The empanadas are insanely good--crispy, flavorful, and just what you need after a night out. This spot just became my new favorite for late-night cravings. If you haven't experienced their 24/7 magic yet, you're missing out!

Maria M.

Tried this outlet coming back from our archery lessons. Always have been a fan of their empanadas- Love their hawain and mac and cheese ones. They never disappoint! They also have new sandwiches and burgers on their menu that my friends tried and loved. Also liked their spiked hot choco!!! A lil pricey if you dine in but great for pickups!

Jason C.

Empanada Mama was a lifesaver at 4 a.m. after a night of drinking. The cheeseburger, jerk chicken and cheese, and mac n' cheese with bacon empanadas were all incredible crispy on the outside, packed with bold, comforting flavors inside. Perfect late-night food and worth every bite.

BBQ Pulled Pork
Haley T.

Anywhere there is an empanada, I'll be getting one but this place unfortunately wasn't as great as everyone hypes it up to be. I was really excited to try the corn flour empanadas but they were extremely hard and not worth it. Food 3/5: I got the bbq pulled pork (corn flour), corn cheese (corn flour, and pizza (regular). The only thing that really saved this meal was the green sauce that comes with them. The bbq pulled pork was just okay with the filling being pretty average. Though, the crust was so hard and unpleasant to bite into. The corn cheese literally had zero corn it was all cheese I just ended up throwing this away because it was so oily and swallowing me before I could swallow it. The regular pizza was the only thing to save this meal. Highly recommend and it even complimented well with the sauce. Service 3/5: Kiosk ordering system but long wait. My friends got drinks while we were waiting which complimented well with the empanadas and the bartender was nice. Ambiance: You can choose to sit in their front area or "dine in." A little confusing to be quite honest but we just chose to sit in the front seating area since we didn't feel like we would be there for long.

Cheesesteak
Phoebe C.

This is a perfect late night snack after a night out. The cheesesteak empanada is so good. There are a few tables inside or you can order for to go. Apparently, they also have frozen margaritas to go. It was so good. We went two times on our trip to New York.

Aaron Z.

I never knew there could be so many different types of empanadas. I got 2 for a light night snacks and they were amazing and dripping in juice from the meat. I love how they are open 24/7 because its a great spot for a late night snack. The food did take a while to come out so we waited for a while but I just assumed that they were super fresh and they did taste good so the wait was fine.

Jerk chicken empanada
Jeffrey L.

One of my favorite empanada place. I couldn't remember the last time I had it and I was craving for it. The person I told to get viagra for me really thought i was getting a viagra lol.

See all

Photo of Mei D.
0
49
190

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 8
Thanks 3
Love this 3
Oh no 3

6 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Nhi N.
0
39
44

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 12
Thanks 4
Love this 11
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ke W.
166
231
385

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Troy L.
141
474
22111

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Danny N.
2653
2262
123705

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 3
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Empanada M.

Empanada M.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 27

Empanada Mama Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Empanada Mama

Is there a bathroom available?

Yes. There's a unisex bathroom. The sink is right outside the bathroom door so that's very convenient if you just want to wash your hands.

Is the rice and bean empanada vegetarian? Meaning, are the rice and beans cooked with veggie stock and do not contain chicken or other animal stock/fat.

Are the beans vegetarian or are they cooked with meat?

vegetarian

How many empanadas do you get for $3.99 (delivery)?

One. Don't understand the confusion.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

Cook Unity - Crispy Rice & Tofu Bowl

Cook Unity

4.1(1.3k reviews)
3.2 mi•Theater District, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown West
•$$

After several tries my account was straightened out. I…read morereally want to thank Hencar for her continued support in solving my problem. Diane Thompson

I've been using Cook Unity for several years and as someone who typically cooks from scratch, it…read morehas really impressed me. The meals arrive premade and in the fridge, not frozen. Some are salads or bowls and meant to be eaten cold and taste fresh. Others only take a minute or two in the microwave and taste like my own cooking or my own leftovers. I particularly appreciate that most have the sauces on the side. This helps increase how fresh they taste. It also means if I want something less caloric or less spicy, I still have some control over the meal The range each week is amazing and it's so easy to sort. They can filter for types of food (bowls, mains etc. ) or by dietary needs (carb conscious, Mediterranean, specific calories, etc) or by protein (shellfish, fish, vegan, vegetarian, chicken, pork, beef). They have a decent amount of vegan and a lot of vegetarian, ranging from fake meats to beans or tofu. And you can sort by ethnic foods. The delivery has always been on time. And they come in reusable bags so each week, we set out last week's bag and they pick it up. Far less waste. It's also easy to skip weeks. I still love cooking but CookUnity is great for those weeks when I just want to take it easy. It's easy to change the day it arrives - and how many we get a week.the price is super reasonable considering there's basically DoorDash waiting for me in my fridge all week and usually better quality but at a fraction the price. It's even cheaper than some of the other meal delivery services that send ingredients. The only tiny complain is some of the chicken is a little gamey. Not inedible but not amazing. And we don't eat red meat so we eat a lot of chicken and fish. But we've found that eating the chicken cold helps. And much of it is delicious regardless. Their shrimp and salmon are superb. And we love their chicken burrito. So I highly recommend cook unity !

Photos
Cook Unity - Packaging

Packaging

Cook Unity - Tod English's New School Chicken Cacciatore. Look at the mushrooms! I wish I had more photos of other meals.

Tod English's New School Chicken Cacciatore. Look at the mushrooms! I wish I had more photos of other meals.

Cook Unity

See all

The Sandwich Board

The Sandwich Board

4.3(78 reviews)
0.0 mi•Bowery, Lower East Side
•$$

The lap cheong mala wrap alone is enough reason for me to come back…read more Bolo bao sandwiches seriously need to catch on in NYC, since they're quite common in Hong Kong. This was my first time seeing one with roasted duck though. Just a heads up that the street felt a bit sketchy even though it's near the edge of Chinatown. We were unfortunately harassed by someone outside of the store and ended up giving him a few dollar bills... *Chinese Sausage Mala Wrap $10 ** The lap cheong was spread so evenly throughout that I got some in almost every bite. The mala aioli was quite spicy, but not overpowering or lingering. The crispy shallots added such a nice crunch too which I loved! *Duck Tsangwich $16 I was quite surprised that the roast duck skin stayed crispy! The crackly cookie topping could've been thicker since it was pretty flat. They give you chili oil on the side, but it was already super flavorful with the hoisin sauce. Only thing I wished for was more cucumber and scallion to help balance out the richness.

accidentally found this place, which looks like a hole-in-the-wall. It only has walk-up ordering…read more There are a couple of chairs and a small table outside to sit. The Duck tsangwich is on the small size. The duck skin is crispy and the sauce is very good. The Chinese sausage sandwich has crispy shallots which added nice touch to it. Aioli was a bit spicy. I was here at 9:30 AM. They had a breakfast menu. I think it stopped at 10 o'clock. Overall, I'm glad I found this place

Photos
The Sandwich Board - Interior

Interior

The Sandwich Board - Takeout

Takeout

The Sandwich Board - Duck Tsangwich

See all

Duck Tsangwich

JoJi Box - Joji Box from Omakase Box

JoJi Box

4.0(50 reviews)
2.4 mi•Midtown East

I only learned about Joji Box because one of the partners at work orders from them and had trouble…read moregetting to the website. In helping him troubleshoot the block, I learned of this amazing take out sushi that is unlike any other take out I've had before. We went for the Joji Box 1 and I wasn't sure what to expect but wow. This little box of goodness rivals some omakases I've had in person. The fish was fresh, and the rice was perfect temperature without falling apart. Even the box felt like it was a high end gift box. Everything is tucked away in this box: chopsticks, napkins, sauce dishes, fresh real wasabi, and even soy sauce from a tiny bottle. What a treat. Also their spicy tuna is easily one of the best I've had in recent years. Just wow.

TLDR: Fancy sushi to go. Definitely on the pricier side but quality of toppings are premium, the…read morepackaging is sexy and the most important part of quality sushi is top notch. The rice. I'd splurge on it if you want to treat yourself to a good "to go" lunch or dinner. Definitely do so if you have corporate meal allowance. I was always curios about Joji Box but it' s not cheap - so like many I wondered if it was worth it. Eventually took one for the team. The first time I got the omakase box I didn't love having to sauce/wasabi it myself but I think that's just being picky. The last time I got the omaakase box, the omakase chirashi and the maki flight. The omakase box is a good assortment with a shimi, salad, two maki rolls and 10 nigiri. The pieces vary with premium ingredients like kinmedai, ikura, uni, toro, etc. It's costly at $62 but I think you get what you pay for. The chirashi had a variety of sashimi, lots of ikura and plenty of sushi rice. It's very good but for $50 I'd rather kick in more $ for the omakase. Maki Flight is great, $21 for a sampling of their three best rolls. It's 12 pieces total but they're nice size with a good amount of filling. If you're looking to treat yourself for lunch or maybe a nicer dinner takeaway - solid choice. I'm convinced enough that I'll try Joji for real one night.

Photos
JoJi Box - Nigiri

Nigiri

JoJi Box - Chirashi Box and Maki Flight

Chirashi Box and Maki Flight

JoJi Box - Combo Box

See all

Combo Box

Wonder Bay Ridge - Rib eye

Wonder Bay Ridge

3.7(19 reviews)
6.4 mi•Bay Ridge

Wonder's Mission: "The destination for every craving without…read morecompromise 20+ menus. One order. $0 delivery fees. Wonder's exclusive dishes are made to order in local kitchens" I was in the mood for a Mexican bowl and decided to try Limesalt by Wonder Bay Ridge. There was a nice promo of 20% off $20. I was able to pick from favorites such as burritos, bowls, quesadillas and tacos. I decided to order burrito bowl with guacamole, fresh veggies, sour cream and white rice. I was able to pick hips and corn salsa as a side and Harney and Son's Lemonade for beverage. Here's the recap: 1. Burrito bowl was plentiful, delicious and filling with a generous portion of guacamole, veggies and sour cream. 2. Chips were fresh and loved the corn salsa with a kick. 3. Harney and Son's lemonade: not bad not great just bland but the bottle it was gushed in was cool. This is the second time I ordered from Limesalt and am pretty pleased with the consistency of freshness, options and deliciousness. *review for delivery only

New review: I don't know what's been going on with this…read moreplace as of late but the quality of food they've been serving has gone to the toilet literally. Last few times I've ordered from them especially from places like Burger Baby, Fred's, Tejas and Dabba have been deplorable. The burgers from Burger Baby and Fred's are insanely greasy (same with the Philly cheese steaks from Fred's), like they were literally dropped in a bucket of grease and oil. You can't even get past eating these things because of how gross and nasty they are. Whoever is responsible for serving this nasty slop should be fired for actually serving such poor quality food. The several times I've ordered from Tejas (which is usually the Turkey sandwich) has been awful, the sandwich used to be good but not anymore. They changed up the recipe of the sandwich so the taste is different and not in a good way. And don't get me started on Dabba, good lord is the food awful. I've ordered the chicken tikka roll and Tandoori chicken naan toastie on several occasions thinking maybe it'll be better each time I've ordered it and it was progressively worse. The chicken is so rubbery, they pack on so much sauce and crap that it's literally a greasy and sloppy mess. It literally looks like regurgitated vomit. Wonder seriously needs a overhaul on the quality of food they're serving because it's gone down hill in the past few months and at this point I'm just going to use their delivery service instead to order food from outside of Wonder.

Photos
Wonder Bay Ridge
Wonder Bay Ridge - Enough for leftovers next day!  Tofu pad Thai

Enough for leftovers next day! Tofu pad Thai

Wonder Bay Ridge - Harney & Sons organic lemonade

See all

Harney & Sons organic lemonade

Empanada Mama - latin - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...