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    Franchesca’s Empanadas Cafe

    4.7 (124 reviews)
    ModerateCafes, Empanadas
    Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Order Franchesca’s Empanadas Cafe Takeout or Delivery

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    FRANCHESCA’S EMPANADAS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Franchesca’s Empanadas Cafe

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    Shrimp 3 Empanadas with Aioli Sauce
    Ashley S.

    I ordered from this place all the time through DoorDash. I haven't been to the actual location. I usually get the shrimp empanada. That's the best one. It's so good! Try it with their aïoli sauce. The staff is very friendly and answer questions, whenever I call in over the phone about my DoorDash order. Love this place..

    Tamal, empanada and passion fruit juice.
    Estrella C.

    I 've been here a few times and it's always such a great experience! The food is flavorful, the staff is friendly, and the venue is pleasant.

    Chicken and corn empanada
    Erica B.

    Tasty! Not the best I've had but tasty. I enjoyed both empanadas but not enough to try them again. On my first visit I asked for the fan's favorite. The very kind lady behind the counter mentioned maybe 4. I chose 2. I went with the Chicken and Corn and the Creole + Crab and Shrimp. The wait time was last than 10 minutes. When she called my name she said we labeled them for you so you'll know which is which. I said great, thank you. I couldn't wait until I got home to try them because they smelled so good. I took the chicken and corn out the bag first. Took a bite, it was the creole, bummer but cool, except it didn't taste creole, I didn't taste crab, I knew there was shrimp because I saw them but it didn't taste very "creole". More like shrimp, peppers and tomato sauce. Bummer. The chicken and corn was tasty, but nothing made me want to try it again. Nice place, nice people, just not my place.

    Plantain and cheese, spinach and ricotta and corn chicken and potato. Brought home as takeout
    Nicole W.

    Okay first of all, the empanadas are made fresh to order so there is no concern for getting one that's been sitting around for awhile. Second of all, oh my gosh. The plantain and cheese empanada is one of the best things I've ever eaten and the spinach and ricotta was a close second. I also tried a corn one, chicken and potato, which was admittedly heavy on meat and short on potato for someone who doesn't love meat but it definitely gave you your money's worth. I'm partial to the flour ones but the corn ones are solid especially if you can't have gluten! I got three which was a good size for a meal but I could've eaten one more if I was particularly hungry. So much delicious food for such a reasonable price. Highly recommend!!

    Inside
    Jasmine M.

    Great vegetarian empanadas! Tried several of the veggie empanadas including spinach & ricotta, plantain/cheese, eggplant, sweet potato and veggie and the guava and cheese! They were all pretty good and pretty affordable ($3-4 for each). Our favorite was the spinach and ricotta and the eggplant!! Looking forward to trying more! We parked around the corner and went in to pick up our empanadas, which was easy and seamless! They are on a lot of the delivery apps as well. The inside of the place is really cute though, has a nice vibe to sit & eat!

    John B.

    This place delivered Baltimore charm, with a splendidly upkept rowhouse, which was visited by a tour group while I was there (apparently there's something interesting out back). The normality of the place also stood out, with the people working there casually conversing with customers in mildly politically incorrect ways with no masks on. The menu is varied and the benefit of basing a cuisine around small finger foods is that it's easy to mix and match what you want. They also have an extensive vegan menu. I thought about getting a nice and healthy quinoa bowl, but settled on some flaky, delicious empanadas. My sweet plantain and cheese empanada was composed largely of mashed plantains, while a spinach and ricotta one was quite indulgent. Dipping sauces were included. The strawberry Nutella dessert empanada had a filling of preserved strawberries with Nutella freshly drizzled on top. I would come back regularly if I was around.

    menu
    Kaelyn C.

    If YOU want the best empanada in town... YEAH THIS IS THE SPOT! The service was fast and friendly and my empanadas were warm and tasty. I do recommend ordering more than you think you need as the empanadas are small. I ordered the chicken and beef but to me the beef was better. It's a really small cafe on the inside so just make sure to be aware in a busy day it may be best to order to go! Loved it here

    Veggie tacos
    Smitha M.

    Absolutely delicious food, this is a gorgeous hidden gem in Baltimore City. The food is affordable and well made. The service is fast and smooth, the staff is so friendly and welcoming

    Pineapple Coconut Caramel Apple strawberry Nutella shredded chicken with corn chicken & potatoes buffalo chicken
    Dejuan L.

    I decided to stop through since I was in the area and wanted to try something different. I called in my order and was told 20 minutes. I arrived 20 minutes later and my order wasn't ready. It took about another 15 minutes, but the lady behind the counter was very nice. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, because they were out of the torta sandwich. I got home and everything looked good. The flavor was great, but the only thing I didn't like was the sandwich was hard. Not in a burnt way tho so I'm not sure if that's just how the sandwich is supposed to be made. Besides that everything was cool. I probably won't order that again, but will go back for the empanadas and to try something else on the menu.

    Empanadas and Chicken tamale
    Vidisha S.

    Found this place on Yelp! We ordered the passion fruit juice, which is freshly squeezed daily (and you can tell). It's so refreshing, and you can tell there's no added sugar. For food, we got the chicken tamale and the following empanadas: - Buffalo chicken white flour - Sweet plantain and cheese - Shredded chicken and potato Everything was made to order (took maybe 10-15 min) but absolutely phenomenal. I've never been a huge empanada person, but this place may have changed my mind. I will definitely be coming back and highly recommending them to everyone!

    Empanadas
    Rica R.

    Hands down some of the best empanadas I've had 10/10! Savory or sweet, the empanadas are packed fully with the filling of your choice. I've had the guava & cheese, beef and chicken empanadas, and they were delicious. The empanadas are made fresh for each order. This is a quaint spot with some indoor seating, as well as, a small outdoor patio area. They also serve coffee, fresh juices, sandwiches, entrees, etc. (and some vegan options as well). I highly recommend giving this restaurant a try!

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    Ask the Community - Franchesca’s Empanadas Cafe

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    This food is bomb!! I'm on the last hour of my time in Baltimore and I'm already planning my meals…read morefor the next visit. We split the "just enough" and it was more than enough for 2. The empanadas are large, flavorful, and mesh perfectly with the sauces. The chimichurri on the tostones was a big highlight for me. On top of all that, the cupcake that comes with it ain't no grocery store dessert! Lastly, the music was just perfect! I'll be back here every time I'm in Baltimore.

    INSANE delicious, you must come try this! I came during…read morejury duty - for $20, it's one huge empanadas, a side, a drink, and a dessert. It was a ton of food. I think even without the jury discount it was only a few bucks more. The empanada was amazing - I got beef, it was huge and filling. I also loved the tostones but I want to try the fried sweet plantains too! Dessert was also BOMB, some kinda bread pudding. So delish. Everything came quick and was hot and fresh. I know they do catering, I would definitely consider it. The space is also very nicely decorated with nice furniture and decor. Unfortunately, the area is a bit odd, not much to do around there. Service was also a bit strange. My server may have been having an off day but he was quite impersonal, I wondered if he was okay. Also note that tip is included (they call it "love" on the bill." Overall, I would definitely recommend The Empanada Lady and really want to come back!

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    I'd like to think I'm an empanada connoisseur. I'm also blessed to have family members that make a…read more20/20 empanada but they live 3 hrs from me. We came here for a Sunday funday excursion. I was curious about this place as many ranted and raved about it. Service is easy, there is a kiosk you can use to order your choices. The menu is detailed. The price points are somewhat reasonable. Your food is prepared quickly by being heated up in an oven and served with 2 different sauces which were both 10/10. This location is housed within the Cross street market. There are Many places to sit and dine once you get your food along with TVs that had the game running. While it was rainy, many people were out and about enjoying a nice lunch. It can be a bit of a noisy ambiance if it is a busy day/timeframe. The empanada itself was good but underwhelming in terms of what I am used to eating when it came to flavor. I was expecting a more crispy outside, it was super soft. The filling wasn't necessarily as "spicy" as I would have liked. Iam finding as I make my way around the food scene, some restaurants/eateries they tend to "turn it down" in terms of spice and taste for general consumption.

    Today I went to the farmer's market and was delighted to see this place! These are the best…read moreempanadas I've ever had! They look small but they're filling and thick. I ended up getting the bacon, egg, and cheese one. I love the design on the edge because it tells you exactly what you're getting.

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    It has been a long time since I ate here or a drink here, but I was at the Charles recently and got…read morea preshow drink. I highly highly recommend their vermouth sodas. It's just a really light drink and you get an olive. It's nothing super special but it does taste really special. The cool thing about tapas teatro is that you can order a drink here and take it inside the theater. Honestly, this place is one of the most solid institutions in the city so I'm very glad that they were doing well. The food here was a mix. My favorite bite was probably the octopus and romanesco sauce. A few things were a mess like the random loaf of bread they gave us to start that was dry. The ambience probably hasn't changed much since since they opened, which was probably around the early 2000s it's giving very much a sex in the city vibes of the years past but honestly there's nothing wrong with it and it's a solid place. I really hope they never go out of business.

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