Decided to take a stroll from the office back home and stumbled across Javi's Empanadas. The carne empanada and alfajores took me back to the empanadas and alfajores my colleague at a previous company used to make during the holidays once upon a time. The lady working was the sweetest thing, she was super friendly and approachable. Oh man, the salted caramel in the alfajores is legendary. I can eat like a dozen of those in one sitting. The carne empanada was true to its roots -- the filling was savory and the size of the empanada is generous. The great thing is they have pre-made empanadas in bulk to take home! This would be perfect for the next family gathering or potluck! I look forward to my next empanada craving! read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Menu - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

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If you want to start your day with delicious breakfast?! Javi's got you covered. Amazing empanadas! I only tried beef and champions (mushrooms ) but it was a breakfast of champions for sure. Pair it with quality tea Numi of course and excellent customer service by Lionel and it's beginning of a delicious day! It also helped that Carolina (the owner) was in as well. She is super friendly! My absolute favorite breakfast spot in the neighborhood. Now I have to try them for lunch as well. The desert options looked scrumptious... read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

Amazing location, shop, and feel (right next to public park for a picnic) Instant confidence when you hear Catalina's beautiful Venezuelan accent welcome you in her shop. Your mind rests as you settle into choosing your option to eat; supported again by Catalina - explaining anything from what's on the menu to the ignorant tourist question (such as myself) "you have the one with spinach and cheese?" Catalina smiled and explained that was actually Swiss chard, not spinach. AND THEN CHANGED THE SUBJECT. She didn't grandstand or dive into a back story lecture, just helped me find what I wanted and started making it while she continued the most wonderful, calm and humorous conversation. It's very hard to find any business owner that isn't looking to use their company for a quick dollar or greater corporate sellout/souless goal. The passion and attention to detail is present in every aspect - this isn't just a food shop/business to Catalina....this is her baby, and she treats everyone the same as her business. She simply can not contain her passion and joy for what she does, and it comes through in the amazing taste of her food she makes Highly recommend for anyone with any tastes for food read more

Javi’s Empanadas - I ate it (way to good to pause and write a review before eating) - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

I think I got the La Bautista empanada & Chimichurri sauce. It came out hot and the chimichurri sauce was so good! I could eat that with almost anything. read more

Javi’s Empanadas - La Bautista empanada & Chimichurri sauce - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

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I love empanadas and stopped by spontaneously because I was parked right outside of the cafe. We chose three savory and two sweet empanadas to take home. They were all delicious! My son really enjoyed the pizza empanada and the apple cinnamon was my favorite. They were filled well and had good flavors. I wish they were a bit bigger for the price, though... they're pretty small (2-4 bites, maybe, depending on how big your mouth is?) and the sweet empanadas are significantly smaller than the savory ones. I enjoyed them and would consider stopping by again for a snack the next time I'm in the neighborhood. read more

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Owner was really nice and the empanadas seem out fast! They were really good but s bit salty for me. Would come back read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

Owner was really nice, homey vibes, outdoor and indoor seating, diverse menu. Would come back if I was in the area. I was walking nearby when the pizza smell lured me here. Everything is made fresh from scratch What we ordered: - Pizza Empanada - cheesy, savory, flavorful, fresh out the oven (5/5) - Lavendar Matcha - fragrant and strong matcha. I did drink something hard? hoping it was the sugar that is not mixed in well (4/5) read more

Ended up eating here by chance, and I'm so glad I did! My friend and I actually had plans to eat at a brunch spot nearby but they were closed for NYE, so we walked across the street and found this place! I got the Champiñon (CHA) and Humita (HU) empanadas for $5.75 each, and they also come with a side of chimichurri sauce. I would say 2 empanadas is the perfect portion size, but 1 would be enough for a snack. They were delicious, especially the Humita empanada which has sweet corn, onions, and bechamel sauce. I would get it again! Each empanada also has decorative dough inscriptions of both the restaurant name and type of empanada they are, which is a super cool touch! Also, the service here is incredible - I only saw one lady working there but she is super friendly. I would come here again! read more

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Located near the Lake Merritt area, Javi's Empanadas is a convenient spot to pick up a quick bite to eat with a small selection of sweet and savory empanadas. Prices are slightly above what I would expect for the relative size of what you get. So expect to buy two or even three to get a full lunch portion. Most savory options are spicy or at least contain some level of spice, which may not be for everyone. There are only two sweet options. Other than that, there's not much more besides a few drinks that they serve up. Service is friendly and swift. Again, this is a no frills spot more appropriate for a quick snack. read more

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Looking for a spot to eat and thought empanadas would be a good choice. Swung by and got a coffee and 2 carne y queso empanadas. Real good not even gonna complain at all! If you in the area swing by and grab an empanada yawwwp. read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

Expensive and not good. Very small empanada and not tasty. The empanadas are frozen in the case. It takes 5 minutes to warm them up in a toaster oven. Even after waiting, one I got was still cold in the middle. They tried to upsell me some kind of chorizo sauce for an extra $1.5. By the time the upsell was suggested, the empanada would've been ~$8, which felt wildly overpriced given the quality. A small empanada that's cold in the middle should not cost that much. Overall a gross and frustrating experience, there's way better places in Oakland to spend your money at. Avoid this place read more

We came in to get an empanada fix and saw they had gluten free empanadas. Once we entered, the cashier was on the phone. We patiently waited a few minutes and and she motioned us to order. I wanted one gluten free mushroom empanada and she said because she had to open the frozen package to get at least 2. We said sure, we paid and waited for her to heat it. Once we got the empanadas, we asked for sauce and left (she was on the phone this whole time). We ate the empanadas in the car and in the first bite they started to fall apart and tasted very salty. When we got to the center, the empanadas were frozen cold. I used to come here years ago and I remember the experience and the food to be much different. Looks like they may have changed ownership. Won't be coming back. read more

It appears that the empanadas are made in a commissary kitchen and then delivered in a par-baked condition to be finished when ordered. This back of house procedure would be fine, if the empanadas were mindbendingly amazing. However, they are less than OK (and I have to qualify this review as I'm vegetarian). The biggest problem is that they use dried oregano in the sauce. It never re-hydrates, becomes a suspension of throat-choking herbs, and just feels cheap and is unpalatable. So not worth it; save your South American food budget for a nicer place. read more

Carolina was amazing hospitality was just as good as the food and she took the time to even explain the history and how the empanadas are made. Not only did I leave with some great food but with a new friend. The chicken empanadas were my favorite and highly recommend trying the dessert empanadas. The empanadas are an Argentinian recipe so the bread was crisp and ratio was perfect. Best empanadas I've had in Oakland! read more

It's a small corner store with authentic Argentinian small bites, specialized in empanadas. Good variety of empanadas, smoothies and sandwiches. Serves alcohol (beers) and has some indoor seating. It's a fast-food self-service type. Interestingly, they're open to empanadas and smoothies suggestions, cool! read more

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I went to Jaci's on a whim. I was in the neighborhood,parked nearby. I had been craving empanadas and thought, " why not?". I normally go somewhere else that's not in Oakland, but I am always down to try new things. I got two flavors, in case I didn't like one, or in case I did. The chorizo was ok. It has more ingredients than I'm used to. With eggs, potatoes , and cheese, it felt kind of breakfasty. The champinones (mushroom) was better. It had a hint of spice and a good balance of ingredients. Both were a good size, and not too doughy. The empanadas are a good size. They had a good selection, and there were other flavors I would want to try. They had coffee , smoothies, and sandwiches, too. I think like most things, it comes down to preference and what you are used to. I will definitely go back, but will likely find a new favorite just to have there. Extra points for the lady who was working that day. She was terrific. It's an easy walk if you are Uptown. Parking nearby isn't too hard. Try them out, you might like them. read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

Yummy empanadas!! Enjoyed it at the park across the street! Definitely recommend adding the chili/seasoning oil. Shop was super cute and clean, and worker was super nice! I recommend the Chorizo empanada! read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Chorizo empanada! - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

Came here with a friend for some coffee and share an empanada. I've been to the West Oakland location during the pandemic for their special roasted chicken dinner. So was pleasantly surprised that Javi's took over this corner spot near the Y. We ordered two coffees and shared a chorizo empanada. Both hit the spot. They have a variety of empanadas on the menu. Might give it another try when time permits. read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Chorizo empanada and Americano coffee - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

I tried to visit a couple times but were closed randomly during business hours when I arrived which made me really upset for going out of my way to satisfy my cravings. Finally got there while it was open and honestly the empanadas were okay. I got the chorizo and carne y queso. Chorizo wasn't flavorful and was kind of confusing to eat. The empanada crust had a lot of burnt crust which altered the flavors to taste more bitter. Carne y queso was the better choice. I'm not sure if I'd come back unless it was open on Friday late night while I'm bar hopping. I'll probably stop by next time just to try out the sweet empanadas to give another review. Hopefully it's not disappointing. read more

Lots of choices. So good that I also bought some frozen ones for later. Can't go wrong with the vegan and beef. Friendly counter service with inside and outside seating. Lively atmosphere from the Latin music. Outside sign is so appropriate! read more

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We stopped by the truck on First Friday because we've always walked by the store. We ordered two empanadas and were over charged $33. It wasn't even warm when we got it and was very mid. Wont be back read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

They were disgusting. The empanadas were disgusting hard. The meat was nasty. The chorizo was disgusting. I wouldn't recommend anybody to this place and my son loves empanadas. We both agreed that this was the worst that we've ever experienced. read more

Came in for a quick snack Loved both the pollo and carne y queso empanada. Service was nice, seemed liked a fresh set of meat pies. Definitely in my go to for when I'm craving empanadas. Saw there's a happy hour 6-8pm everyday....can't wait to see what that's about. read more

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Food was delicious. The cashier was very friendly and helped us with very good recommendations. The only downside is that it's a little on the expensive side. read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

We didn't like the middle age lady taking our order. She pretended to know one of us and even though we asked her 4 times from where, she replied: "I rather don't say". We felt very inconvenience by her approach which was very weird. Secondly while we were enjoying our empanadas we saw the guy working on the flour dough dropping two pieces on the floor, then picked them up and adding them to all the other pieces going to be used later. Also the same lady was very pushy and insisted that we should not claim our change and instead we should leave it into the tip container before we even tried the empanadas. We will not come back there ever again. The health department should check that place. read more

I feed these to my dog because he is very sick and only has a few years left to live. He has always hated regular kibble and these give him something to look forward to. His quality of life has improved tremendously, if we measure quality in terms of enjoyment and fulfillment. He enjoys these and they fill him up. 3 or 4 empanadas will get him through the first half of the day, no problem. Ever since he ruined my entryway rug I do not feed him the desert empanadas. He's trapped in my apartment most days, and our daily walks are just under a mile to this empanada place. There is lots of fantastic smells for dogs on the way, and he really enjoys it. I don't enjoy the walk over very much, but I don't feel unsafe or anything. I keep a sharp screwdriver on me at all times and talk to myself loudly the entire way, which is cathartic and my therapist says it's a sign of progress for me. I personally would never eat the food here because recently I began watching all of the Gordon Ramsey programs on YouTube and now I like to cook for myself. I always imagine what Gordon would say about my cooking, and I can do his accent pretty well so it's quite immersive. In these scenarios, he loves my variety of flavor and the way I plate the dishes. My girlfriend likes to eat frozen food off paper plates, and doesn't prefer my Ramsey impression, so I treasure these meals with my dog. I imagine Gordon would come here and order many empanadas, then feed them to his dog (if it only had a few years left to live). In their prime, dogs should only eat carrots and steak. Most owners don't prioritize the pet and resort to feeding them a daily dog cereal: kibble. The kibble brands use corn and all sort of artificial ingredients. The empanadas here are probably not too different, but we like what we like! And my dog loves these. I'll remain a loyal customer until he passes upward to heaven. I recommend feeding these to your dog if it only has a few years left to live. read more

The empanadas taste a bit off. The customer service was terrible. The lady took out order. No one washed their hands. The guy in the rush wash area sneezed in the air. The other taller guy gave us our empanadas and put them all in one bag. Asked for mine to be separated and he said "no their all in this bag buddy" so I said, "well I want my own bag buddy. He reached his dirty hands in the bag and removed mine and handed it to me. I had to ask again for a bag. I then addressed his rudeness and he had the audacity to say I was the rude one. I said I spend my money here to be treated like this??? No way. He apologized, but the damage was done. I felt outraged. Then when I get back to work and eat the empanada is give me a taste similar to throw up I want my money back. read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Pollo Empanada is gross - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

Ricas empanadas y atencion muy amigable!!! Me gustaron las empanadas de Humita, pollo y carne. www.instagram.com/viajandUS read more

Empanadas are fire. Reminds me of how my mom used to make them. Vegan ones have incredible taste. On the pricey side. Best place to find empanadas in my opinion. I'm a bit disappointed with customer service. Usually, I expect small businesses to have good customer service. Since they're a small business it's understandable that they can't be flexible with pricing or other things. Several times the business hours are unreliable and I go there hoping to eat and then it's closed which creates a really big frustration. Also when I place orders often they don't have what I'm looking for and they don't guide me into what's on the menu. They just simply say we don't have it. I had to look through the fridges to see that they actually did have what I wanted to order and had to place the order frozen instead, but had never been explained that they had also frozen food. It just in general seems that the customer service is not very polished unfortunately. It's a shame because the place is really cute and the food is incredible. read more

Wow, what food and drinks here! The empanadas are incredible and there are so many different kinds. Carolina is a gem. Enjoy! read more

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This place tastes just the same as the west Oakland location (Javi's cooking and Javi's Empanadas is the same people) the service is the same as the west Oakland location! I've seen some of the people at the other location! The only difference is that people may perceive this place as less than because there's no parking space outside seating. I like this place as much as the other. Don't sleep on these empanadas read more

I tried a chicken empanada, chimichurri sauce and their honey vanilla latte and all three were fantastic! Great flavors! The gentlemen ringing me up and making my drink was very nice. After making my drink he said let me know if you want me to put anymore vanilla. He just wanted to make sure I got a great drink, which was awesome. It was a small cute corner shop and I would definitely go back! read more

Javi’s Empanadas - Honey Vanilla Latte - Empanadas Near Me - Oakland, California

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I'll be looking elsewhere next time I have an empanada craving. I really wanted to like this place, but was let sown. I went in Javi's today to try an empanada as I have been driving by recently and been curious. I ordered a champignon, which was unfortunately misheard as "Jamon." This was not a problem, as I'm sure the cause was my horrible pronunciation. I waited four minutes as the worker heated the empanada in a mini oven (which they set on a timer). However, after receiving my empanada, it was still cold on the inside. The cheese wasn't fully melted. Paying almost $7 for a single (reheated) empanada is already wild, but for it to be served cold in the middle? Oof. The outside was soft, flavor was okay read more

Delicious vegetarian and vegan empanadas. I especially like the vegano impossible. Also, they have good happy hour deals.

They charge $7.25 for vegan empanadas. All other meat Empanadas are $6.00. That is not right. Vegan, means no meat, all vegetables. Why would you charge 22% more for vegan. All prices should be the same. $6.00.Please stop discriminating against vegans. Thank you. read more

We needed a quick, filling snack and stopped by Javi's shortly before they closed. The empanadas were delicious and the staff were all super helpful and friendly. They had lots of filling choices including some that were vegan, and they offer frozen 4 packs of empanadas to take home, which is a great option. Can't wait to go back and try one of their smoothies! read more

Plenty of great options for all diets including vegan and veg. Tasty. Friendly service. Frozen options, too.

I actually really like this place but they never have any of the things they are advertising, I wanted to go is after work because I saw a sign for pumpkin empanadas and when I went in they said they don't make that. The cashier was very nice and the store was very clean read more

After new ownership, the empanadas and drinks (coffee) went downhill. This place used to be great but now I'm not so sure... the quality really took a full 180. Possibly the worst empanada I've ever had in my life. Dry with a musty taste. Btw, the barista was lovely. Service was great, it's just the quality of the products that aren't good at all. It's sad, really. I don't enjoy leaving one-star reviews but the new management should know what's really going on. read more

The only way these empanadas could be more Argentinian is if they were delivered from an insulated box mounted on the back of a Vespa. Baked, not fried, which often makes the crust tough but Javi's was still tender and flaky. Humita (creamy corn) is classic and good, and the beef is prepared just right with green olives and red pepper. Comfort food in a box! Also have an amazing selection of alfajores, if you can handle that much sugar at once! read more