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    Empanada Mama

    4.1 (60 reviews)
    Closed • 9:00 am - 11:30 pm
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    Desayuno Colombiano
    Patrick Z.

    The crust on these are absolutely bombastic so insanely crispy you may as well put a picture of these empanadas in the dictionary under the word crispy. The Desayuno Colombiano was super delicious, although couldve had a bit more meat I think like two of my bites had any. The Bombay had much more meat but flavor was not as on point. Red salsa was decently spicy but Green salsa was pure magic.

    Katherine N.

    Empanada Mama has become my unofficial late-night pit stop, the kind of place you stumble into on autopilot after a long evening. This time, I went for the plantain nachos--an inventive twist I couldn't resist. The plantains leaned a little soggy, but the sweetness paired with the pulled pork actually worked in their favor, adding a depth you don't get from ordinary nacho chips. The pork itself was tender, the queso melted into everything beautifully, and together it made for a plate worth lingering over. The restaurant itself is wonderfully laid-back, the kind of chill sit-down space where you can catch your breath before heading home. Nothing fancy, nothing forced--just comfort food with a little personality. Late-night cravings don't stand a chance here.

    El Jefe
    Kathie H.

    I got the El Jefe empanada which had birria and was sooo good! Simple place, limited seating. You order via a kiosk, it's pretty quick. Great place for a snack or quick meal.

    El Jefe - flavor of the month
    Seby I.

    The cheese empanada was downright delicious. No wonder- it was fried. The cheese inside was soft and pulled like mozarella. It was quite filling but as I was still hungry I had a second one with spinach and cheese. This one was less tasty as the spinach only lent color and no flavor. Here oniy one tiny sauce is given as the second one costs money. Service was friendly. Mama Empanada has been here for over two years. I knew the hot dog place which was here. Each empanada costs under $5. Besides empanada, a variety of food is available and some is expensive like the guacamole and plantain chips for nearly $15. This place is popular with youngsters.

    Michelle O.

    8/19/2024: Enroute home saw this before heading to train station: Cute and small. Staff is friendly and pleasant. I selected 3 to try: El Toro: had a little kick Chicken: flavorful Reggaeton: a bit spicy All yummy and would definitely return if in the area.

    Eva G.

    The best empanadas I have ever tasted are from Empanadas Mama!!! They are filled with delicious ingredients and every bite is delectable and delicious!!! They don't skimp on ingredients!!! Every time I'm in town I do my best to drop by to any of their locations and bring some back to Cali!!!!! My faves are the spinach and cheese, Greek spinach, chicken corn. I also like the Bombay, Brasil, Viagra , Desayuno Columbiano. They are all good. I recommend to come and enjoy some empanadas!!!!

    Bombay + Rice & Beans Combo
    Justin T.

    I heard a lot of great things about Empanada Mama, so I had to give it a shot. This location seems much smaller than the others, and there's really only a handful of seats available -- this seems more like a grab and go location. There was a lunch special deal that came with 2 empanadas and a side of beans and rice, so we got that. The two empanadas we chose were the Wheat flour Bombay and the Shredded Chicken. I thought they were both pretty good and the sauce it comes with compliments the empanadas well. The rice and beans were good too, but nothing special. Looking back, I feel like the food was a bit pricey when considering the size, but nonetheless it was good. I would recommend checking it out at least once!

    Inside
    Vanessa S.

    What a great spot to goto when your on the run and need some tasty empanadas! I got the corn empanadas with meat and another with vegetables both were amazing. While their good, it sometimes takes a while to come out it's absolutely worth it I promise. They also take all forms of payment so just bring your phone to pay if you want.

    Corn veggie empanadas
    Vincent W.

    This location is my go to along the L. Late nights I'd order online and they have discounts when order ahead via website. The service is usually fast and empanadas are consistent. This location is pick up mostly, due to limited space but you can dine in. I recommend try this eatery.

    Carolina , Alvaro , Andres
    Kristina V.

    I was searching for best empanadas in the City for a very long time .... I believe I found it ! Great food and perfect customer service. The owner of this place Karolina is great, hands on owner! She attentive equally to customers and her staff. I would highly recommend eggplant parmesan empanadas. Bartenders Alvaro and Andres were so nice ! I wiish bartenders in Sunnyside can do that ( wishful thinking? :) The service I received was absolutely terrific! The Ambience is relaxed/ casual. I would highly recommending that establishment . Sincerely

    Corn shell, cheese
    Bloss C.

    Empanadas are the perfect food in my opinion, and Empanada Mama always delivers quality empanadas. This new location is small and clean with a few stools if you want to eat at the high-top by the window. I had two of my usuals, cheese (corn shell) and Viagra (wheat shell), and tried the eggplant (baked wheat shell with tomato, oregano, basil, red wine, parmesan and mozzarella) which was a revelation! Definately give the eggplant a try, it was out of this world good. My only gripe with Empanada Mama is they could have more vegetarian options.

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    2 years ago

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    27 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

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    10 months ago

    Great spot. Price, Quality, & convenience perfectly blended in the east village. Will be revisiting!

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Delicious- dont sleep on the cheeseburger one its so good I think about it even after moving away from NYC

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    3 years ago

    Delicious empanadas!! Service is a little wonky and so is the ambiance but the empanadas are worth the trip!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Empanada Mama

    Review Highlights - Empanada Mama

    “If I had to choose what to eat as my last meal, I would say Viagra empanadas time and time again.”

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Empanada Mama - Hell's Kitchen - Chicharrones

    Empanada Mama - Hell's Kitchen

    4.0(3.2k reviews)
    2.3 mi•Hell's Kitchen, Theater District, Midtown West
    •$$

    Went there for dinner before watching a play at Broadway. The place was very busy and we didn't…read morehave a reservation but they had a table for us right away for 6 people. I would say that this was lucky cause the place was packed. Generally loud but you can still talk with people on your party. One of the first things I look for is if a restaurant serves you water when you sit and here they do and the waitress would often make sure we were topped off. That is something that is always appreciated and noticed by me. The food was generally good and service was fast. I tried various dishes and while great tasting nothing really stood out like lots of the reviews said and I tried a bit of everything that was recommended in the reviews. (Even ox tail empanadas which sounds weird but weren't bad). I think the biggest appeal here is that it's 24 hours so you know you always have a quality place to go to that is great. I would recommend it to anyone in the area but I don't know if I would go out of my way for it. I know that if I'm watching another play, it is a great stop for either before or after.

    Love, love, love Empanada Mama!!! Anytime I'm in the area, I stop by for my go-to empanadas: Bombay…read more& Viagra. The restaurant is open 24 hours and is the perfect place to go for those late-night cravings. One can sit at the full bar, in the dining area, or get items to go. The restaurant is always lively and patrons get seated quickly. The most I have ever waited for a seat is 5 minutes. There are more than 40 empanadas in corn or wheat shells to order. The menu celebrates diversity through its' empanada pairings. Greek - spinach pie, Cuban - ham, pork, and cheese, Americana - cheeseburger, Bombay - Curried chicken, Brasil - traditional ground beef, Hawaiian - ham, pineapple & mozzarella cheese and many more. Besides empanadas, there is a full menu of Colombian delights to eat including arepas, salads, sandwiches, soups, tacos and tapas. They have dessert empanadas as well. Love the USA empanada, which is apples & cinnamon baked and the Nutella & banana one. You can get it topped with ice cream as well. Really looking forward to my next visit.

    Photos
    Empanada Mama - Hell's Kitchen - Bar (empty where we were told we cannot sit with takeaway orders)

    Bar (empty where we were told we cannot sit with takeaway orders)

    Empanada Mama - Hell's Kitchen - Appetizers- guacamole,  plantain chips and potatoes

    Appetizers- guacamole, plantain chips and potatoes

    Empanada Mama - Hell's Kitchen - Cerveza Águila!! The best!

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    Cerveza Águila!! The best!

    Empanada Mama - Viagra Wheat

    Empanada Mama

    3.8(1k reviews)
    1.0 mi•Bowery, Lower East Side
    •$

    24/7 empanada chain. Good price w/ crispy and flavorful empanadas. The sauces are good too, esp the…read morered hot sauce.Interior is what you would expect from a fast food spot. - El toro empanada: 100/10, the oxtail meat was SO tender and flavorful, and so were the carrots. Everything literally melts in your mouth. Will def be coming back for this - El jefe empanada: 8/10, yummy and flavorful, but not as good as el toro - Viagra wheat empanada: 6/10, meh not the biggest fan of this one. Fake seafood - Romeo & Juliet empanada: 8/10, guava and cheese paired very well tg, but more cheese than guava, and the distribution of cheese and guava was off, so some bites were just cheese, and some were just guava

    Empanadas are good but the service wasn't it. The two Hispanic ladies working the cash register +…read morecalling out food orders when we went on Thursday evening, April 24th needs to be trained on proper customer service. No greeting, no "I'll be right with you" as I'm just standing there waiting to order. Even though we ordered around the same time, my friend got her empanada first while I sat here for over 7 minutes waiting for mine. How difficult is it to reheat these empanadas? It wasn't until I had to walk up to the lady at the cash register to ask about the status of my order. She then gives me my bag that was just sitting behind the counter. Did they not bother to call my name/order number? And trust me, I was listening diligently to make sure I hear my order when called. Like I said, empanadas tasted good, big in size and packed with meat. Not sure if this is a sketchy part of town or just where the riff-raffs hang out soo that may explain the lack of care here. A place to just order your empanadas and move on with your day.

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    Empanada Mama
    Empanada Mama - Grilled chicken salad and empanada

    Grilled chicken salad and empanada

    Empanada Mama - Romeo & Juliet

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    Romeo & Juliet

    Empanada Mama - El Jefe

    Empanada Mama

    3.9(29 reviews)
    3.0 mi•Upper East Side, Yorkville

    Like a lot of food establishments on the UES, everyone is getting delivery and if you walk in and…read moretry to dine in, your food order takes longer than the stacks of pickups that are being churned out even if you're getting something super simple like a small container of rice and beans. The dine in folks are never prioritized. I have enjoyed shakes, rice and bean combos, veggie and meat empanadas here. Today's service felt off because the air-conditioning wasn't working inside and it was at least 10 degrees hotter inside than the hot sidewalk. The middle-aged cashier/attendant had a hearing issue or was slow on the pickup because they entered my order incorrectly on the cash register and made me repeat everything 1-2 times (what? what?) or speak louder than I typically would. The food itself was fine but the avocado shake I ordered was not tasty at all. I am not sure if it was added ingredients, the quality of the avocado itself, the lack of ice or cold water in the mix but it was undrinkable. I asked for a refund because it tasted SO horrible I did not want another sip and the cashier gave me a look like that wouldn't be possible so I asked for ice but there was no saving the terrible shake. I returned to ask for a refund and you would think that I asked for something never heard before. The cashier said that I can step away because this is going to take awhile. They texted and called a manager and after awhile returned to tell me they couldn't reach that person. I don't understand why they can't issue refunds at point of sale. You have my credit card and the transaction number. After a longer wait, I finally insisted on some method of resolution and they gave me cash back. I generally like their food and would like to support this place but today was an off putting experience.

    For $12 and change for an empanada and fruit milkshake, I actually was fuller than I expected to…read morebe. The light meal wasn't as light as I thought and that's a good thing. The empanada is thin, crispy shell served piping hot and stuffed with meat and cheese while the shake was thick, refreshing and perfectly tart. Service was efficient and the place was clean and bright, perfect for looking out the window and people watching.

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    Empanada Mama - Inside

    Inside

    Empanada Mama - El Jefe

    El Jefe

    Empanada Mama - Bourbon Chicken Melt

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