Johnny Pacific has a great reputation of being a special gem, specializing in Latin-Caribbean and Pacific Island inspired empanadas. It's been around for over 20 years and is currently in a newer space than it was before; featuring more parking and a larger space. Ambiance: The interior has a relaxed feel with beachy surfer themed decor. It has a clean modern feel with a bunch of tables featuring accent colored chairs. There is music in the background and a TV on the wall featuring surfing videos. Service: You order at the counter, they ring you up and you get the food brought out. You can see the kitchen as it's open. It was my first time and it was a simple and easy experience. Everything came out in a timely fashion. Food: Some of their specialities include the 20+variations of fried empanadas (meats, chicken, pork, veggie, dessert) that come in both savory and sweet types, as well as their speciality plates such as their Korean-style flat iron steak skewers and chicken satay. The sauces they serve with their empanadas are incredible and some of the best I've ever had such as their chimmi-churri, basil-aioli and sweet & sour Thai. I recently did the lunch combo featuring a choice of a 1/2 salad or 1/2 fries, choice of any two empanadas and a canned drink. I chose beef and Kailua pig empanadas; both were great, empanadas didn't break apart and were crispy, everything was seasoned well; the filling of the beef was a bit more than the Kailua pig however. Drinks: They have various drinks such as lemonade, juices, sodas/soft drinks, and some beers on tap. Parking: The lot is large and has ample parking depending on the day and time. Prices: Prices are to the times that we're in...so not too great. Ala carte empanadas are $5+ but as you order more (4, 12) the prices come down a slight bit. read more

Johnny Pacific - The Lunch Combo - Beef Empanada & Kailua Pig Empanada with 1/2 salad - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

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Amazing food & great service everytime we've gone!! Love their #1 Korean style plate & chicken empanada has become my fave now next to the apple caramel one. And can't forget their yummy guava lemonade!! Thank you for your hospitality!! read more

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The good: the food and service is consistently great. What changed: the price of Inca Kola. Was $1.95, just like other canned soft drinks, and now $3.50 (or a $1.25 surcharge on the Lunch Special). Rationale was that suppliers cost on Inca went up. But here are some facts: According to Amazon price tracker, Inca sold for about $35 for a 24-can flat. In December 2025 the price spiked to $41, and then receded back to 35... and has held constant fever since. Why I am even writing about this: the menu board has Inca priced at 1.95. Apparently the owner changed the price on the register but couldn't be bothered to update the display menu or recognize that the price spike appears to have been a momentary blip. Like the price of gas and coffee, rises like a rocket but falls like a feather. read more

Johnny Pacific - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

It's time for another update! I've been coming to this restaurant for several years now. In fact, I've been coming here ever since they were located in a smaller spot across the street from their current location. This restaurant is known for its bold, Latin-American and Pacific-inspired street food-style dishes. They offer items such as empanadas, skewers, salads, and much more! This restaurant has a relaxed, unpretentious, surf-inspired vibe. It is perfect for a lowkey lunch or casual dinner rather than a formal night out. The restaurant is spacious and offers plenty of seating. While it is located in a big shopping center, parking can sometimes be hard to find. The staff and owner are friendly and welcoming, creating a positive and personable experience. The food is always ready in a reasonable amount of time. I have had a positive experience on every single one of my visits. My go-to order is always the lunch combo. The lunch combo comes with your choice of two empanadas, fries or salad (or half and half), and a drink. This restaurant offers a nice variety of empanada fillings, such as beef, Cajun sausage, chicken, BBQ pulled pork, chorizo and potatoes, and many more options. They also offer dessert empanadas. I usually stick with the beef empanadas and fries, and I upgrade my drink to one of their lemonades (guava, pineapple, or watermelon). They also offer signature dipping sauces such as chimi-churri, chipotle (my favorite), and BBQ. As a pro tip, you can also ask for a chili sauce that is not listed on the menu. The chili sauce adds a nice kick to the empanadas and fries. The beef empanada has a classic, savory ground beef filling. It is crispy on the outside and bursting with flavor on the inside. The fries are crispy, well-seasoned, and full of flavor. They pair well with the empanadas and dipping sauces. They are very generous with their portions of fries, giving you a heaping amount. It's enough to share with another person. The only lemonade that I've tried is their guava lemonade. The lemonade is sweet, tart, and refreshing. Overall, this restaurant offers a unique vibe, great service, and some of the best empanadas in the San Fernando Valley. If you are in the mood for food that is bursting with flavor in every bite, this is the go-to restaurant for you! Ratings: Empanadas - 5/5 Fries - 5/5 Guava Lemonade - 5/5 Service - 5/5 Ambiance - 5/5 read more

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The owner of this restaurant is so great, I remember coming here when it first opened and was blown away by the empanadas and fresh salads (really tasty dressing). The service here is very good. Yu feel taken care of. There are plenty of unique and OG flavors to choose from with fun dipping sauces. They always come out hot and tasty. The space is small and cozy and parking can be tough if it's busy. But certainly worth a try read more

I've only been here twice when visiting the valley, and I can say that the beef tinga empanadas are good!! i have tried both the chicken and the Kailua pork empanadas which are good too-- however, I would say get the beef tinga if you're thinking of trying just one! there's a large parking lot so easier parking than some of those really tight fitting parking lots in the valley the actual inside of Johnny pacific is more spacious than you think. It's clean and plenty of space for solo dining, a casual date, or even group dining tables! I remember when this place was a hole in the wall. They even serve beech now! I hope that they continue to flourish in this economy!- sending all the positive energy! read more

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I just want to let you know that this place is nice not only for the great food but for the Manager Ernesto could treat me with respect and you can feel that he really cares about his customers taking care of them in way so they can come back he is one of the best managers customer service I ever have read more

Our favorite orders are the island style skewers, and the corn, mushroom, and Kailua pig empanadas! read more

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I LOVE LOVE LOVE JOHNNY PACIFIC!!! Their employees are incredibly friendly and the food is incredibly fresh and super delicious! We stop here any chance we get! The restaurant is super cute and clean. Highly recommend Johnny pacific if you're in the area! You won't be disappointed read more

Johnny Pacific - Signature salad - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Atmosphere - Clean and casual. Lots of parking. Customer service - Friendly and helpful. Taste - We ordered empanadas (beef, chicken, mushroom, kalua, chorizo, apple, pineapple, flanada). Our favorites were the mushroom, kalua, chorizo, beef, apple, flanada and pineapple. We also loved the sauces (chimichurri, basil, caramel, chipotle and sweet and sour). The watermelon, pineapple and guava Fresca were fruity, refreshing and tasty. We loved everything so much we ordered 8 more to go! Price - Above Average but worth it!!! We live 33 miles away but woo be back!!! read more

Johnny Pacific - 8/23/2025 - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

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Been coming here since they had a smaller store front across the street. Always greeted with a friendly staff. Everything here is so delicious. Can never decide on which empanada to eat. The chorizo and beef ones are definitely my favorite. Whenever the pumpkin ones are in season, I always have to stop by and pick those up. read more

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JP is always, always consistent! Their empanadas deliver - generous amounts of filling (meat or dessert) with a freshly fried crust. Although prices have gone up over the years, it still remains affordable relative to other places and maintaining quality. I'll always be a fan of their fries, especially - don't sleep on the heaping amount of fries - dipped in their basil aioli or chimichurri sauce!! Interior is always clean and matches the surfer dude/dudette vibes. The service is quick and friendly. read more

Best empanadas ever!!!! The owner knows how to make a good, tasty and authentic empanada! The inside has plenty of seating if you want to hang out and eat. I prefer to get mine to go. The chicken empanadas are my fav and the chimi churri dipping sauce rocks my world! And let's not forget the "Apple Empanadas!!!' They come with a caramel dipping sauce that will blow your socks off! *Plenty of parking in the lot read more

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Not the cheapest (4 empanadas for $19) but man they're tasty. Of the 3 types I got, my favorite was the chicken el pastor. Love how crispy and fried the empanadas are. Very flavorful, decent size, labeled on the box so it's easy for you to recognize which is which, and tons of sauces. I enjoyed most of the sauces but liked the chimichurri the best. Nice polite staff when I walked in. Only did take out but things looked clean inside with nothing fancy regarding seating. Heard it can get busy but I came off hours and only a few people were inside. Would definitely order again! read more

Johnny Pacific - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Just had their food on Friday for a work lunch. Got their lunch special & selected a beef empanada, and the spinach and cheese empanada with their signature salad. OMG all of it was amazing! The empanadas were still warm and crispy, the beef empanada.was so filling & the signature salad made me soooo happy! Cant wait to have their food again! read more

A true hidden gem, stumbled upon it with my coworker a few years ago when we were out on field duty together and we have been shouting their good graces and spreading the word ever since! Very kind and courteous service, delicious food, and cute little surfer/beach style interior. Empanadas are fried and positively scrumptious. Their assortment of side sauces are perfect compliments to the savory empanadas and they have dessert empanadas too!! Overall, you can't skip this one, do yourself a favor and drop by. read more

Johnny Pacific - 1. Island Style Skewers that come with your choice of 2 empanadas and side salad. - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

The first time my bf and I tried this place was for a Yelp event last year. We haven't had the chance to come back till today for a quick lunch before running some errands! It was a bit busy when we got here and parking was a little tough. Although it's a large parking lot, it's busy with the Laundromat and Food4Less right there amongst other stores. We walked in and checked out the menu and ordered Kailua Pig, Grilled Corn, Beef Tinga, & BBQ Pulled Pork Empanadas with some sauces. My favorite sauce is the Chimichurri which went well with everything! Everything was absolutely delicious but the Beef Tinga was too meaty and almost dry. But everything else was perfect! Staff were incredibly friendly and we were patient while they trained a new girl who was also very sweet and friendly. Love the vibes of this place, caught a glimpse of the owner Johnny briefly before he had to step out. These are by far the best empanadas in the valley. The outer shell is like no other and you'll be wanting more even after you're full! We were in a bit of a hurry this time around but would love to come back and even try some of their dessert empanadas. IG: @ammysalamii read more

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I love this spot, it's the perfect place to come on a lunch break! They keep the restaurant clean and open, with a big posted menu advertising all kinds of empanadas. And the EMPANADAS! They're huge and crispy and packed with filling. My favorite is the mushroom--followed by the kailua pig. I've tried a bunch of others, including the pastor, tinga, regular beef, and spinach and cheese. They're all delicious, if a little rich--I usually save half of each empanada for after my shift when I go during work cause I don't want to be food coma-ed out, lol. They're also so kind here. I'm looking forward to trying this spot when I'm not at work, and I can enjoy a beer with it. read more

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love this empanada place, and their quality is always consistent!! i love how many veggie options they have, as well as sauce options!! the spinach and cheese empanada is my favorite, followed by the mushroom. the crunch of the empanadas is spot on, i've never had a better empanada tbh always ample parking in the square, and i've never had to wait more than 5-10 min for my food! service here is always so welcoming, one of my favorites in the area :) read more

Johnny Pacific - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Wowowowow! Hole in the wall but sooooo good! Flavor was absolutely there. Empanada was crispy on the outside and juicy and flavorful on the inside. Service was incredible - shoutout to Rosa and the other guy working there. Inside was clean and had plenty of seating. Definitely recommend this place and will for sure be back to try more :) read more

Johnny Pacific - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

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I was so excited to try this place out, but I opened the container, took a bite and luckily saw the hair before I began to chew , I immediately spit out the piece of empanada. This thing was $6 and now it's gone to waste. The hair is long and baked into the empanada. read more

Johnny Pacific - Found a hair baked into the empanada. I was so excited to try out their food and now I'm just grossed out. - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

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BEST EMPANADAS EVER! Definitely recommend. Service is always outstanding. The interior is also very neat. I get the chicken al pastor everytime. read more

We were here last night. The food was good, nice place and friendly staff. Everything was fresh and service was quick.

I was greeted right away and helped super quickly. Great customer service from the start. On top of that, the empanadas were so good. Super crispy, great portions, and I really appreciated that each one was labeled in the box. It made it easy to tell which was which. I got three savory ones: chicken al pastor, bacon with jalapeño, and chorizo with potato. I also got one dessert, the banana with nutella. The bacon and chorizo ones were my favorites. The al pastor just wasn't for me, but that's personal taste. The only thing I wish they had was a spicy salsa to go with everything. Still, I'll definitely be back to try more from the menu. read more

Johnny Pacific - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Ordered the Skewer + Empanada Combo from Johnny Pacific on DoorDash, and wow, serious perfection! The skewer was tender and the sauce and bell pepper are so delicious. The beef empanada was crispy, rich, and left me full. The sticky rice is BOMB! Perfect portion, great value. My daughter and I were ooohing and ahhhing. To be honest, it's hard to find things we both crave and agree upon for lunch. This place has become an instant favorite, and hits the spot when we can't think of anything to DoorDash. So YUMMMMY! read more

Johnny Pacific - Island, skewer, and beef empanada combo with the most amazing sticky rice - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

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Sundays are for cheating on your diet Lol Ordered an assortment of empanadas which were Beef, Chicken, Spinach and Cheese. Along with a combo #2. Beef Skewers. My fries got cold on the way home and couldn't enjoy them like I would have. Plenty of parking at the location and easy to find. The inside was clean and the staff was friendly. read more

Johnny Pacific - Family style 2. Island Style Skewers - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

I don't check in enough here but just wanted to reiterate how much I love this place! From the island skewers to the Nutella desert empanadas I love it all! I crave the signature salad but for some reason or another I opt sans the goat cheese. Paired perfectly with the balsamic vinaigrette it's just a perfect mango, raspberry, and candied walnuts explosion of joy in the taste buds. My most recent empanada order was the ham and cheese, the corn, spinach and cheese and chorizo con papas. Everyone served perfectly with the corresponding aiolis . Ambience is nice and chill such a relaxing place to enjoy some good eats! In the summer we love and enjoy drinking the young coconut here! Super fresh! read more

Johnny Pacific - Mix & Match 4 Empanadas - 4 Empanads - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Great food and service. I ordered the chimi churri steak and empanada. Must try if you get a chance.

Great place to go for a deep-fried guilty pleasure! I ordered the cajun sausage, beef tinga, grilled corn, and bacon jalapeño savory empanadas. Each paired deliciously with every sauce I ordered, my favorite being the chimmi-churri! The flanada empanada had delicious flan inside! 2-3 empanadas per person should be sufficient, and make sure to pair it with their unique drinks! read more

Johnny Pacific - Flanada Empanada - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

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Man, this place was soooooo good. I got the lunch special, 2 empanadas (tried the Kalua pig and the Beef Tikka ) upgraded salad. The salad was huge and the empanadas we good size, packed with meat. I will be going there again today to try a different empanadas. Great sauces and it came with a beverage. Worth every dime. read more

my family has been ordering empanadas from here for years! i've always enjoyed them but have never been to the actual restaurant. i hyped them up to my bf and we were finally able to visit! his expectations were exceeded. i've also never had them fresh, so i enjoyed them a little extra. we did a 4 pc empanada and a 2pc combo with a side of fries and a jaritos soda. we had this for lunch right before a music festival and it kept us full the entire day! the empanadas were so crispy and every flavor was delicious. my favorites were the bbq pulled pork and the mushroom! my bf really enjoyed the chorizo potato. i also love the dipping sauces. the chimichurri and the basil aioli were the standouts. the fries were crunchy and well seasoned. i also really loved the ambiance of the restaurant. it was well decorated with a shack, laid back vibe. it was cool that they had beer on tap, i would love to come here and hang out for a casual lunch! read more

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Wow, I remember when these delicious empanadas were amazing. Still amazing, especially the sauces. This time I got the Cajun and corn. Two of each. They change up the menu every so often, so I have something in mind and always end up choosing something else. And still, I'm yet to be disappointed. I highly recommend crispy, fried and flavorful Jonny's. They are my empanada bar and the bar is set pretty high. read more

Johnny Pacific - Corn and Cajun - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

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We have come here for years and didn't realize they changed locations. These are THE BEST EMPANADAS ever! Our favorites are beef, chorizo, and pulled pork! You cant go wrong! read more

Wow! This place has flavorful, amazing empanadas. I heard good things so I stopped by while I was in the area. I tried 2 flavors at the suggestions of the lovely lady at the counter- Chicken Al pastor and Kailua Pork. The Kaila pork is delicious and comes with a sweet chili sauce and a chimichurri sauce. The chicken Al pastor is very saucy and really doesn't need a dipping sauce but it comes with a chipotle aioli of some sort. Food is freshly made when you order it. My 20month old son even enjoyed the food. The ambiance is very coastal/island themed and hipster. It is surprising when you walk into this place as you wouldn't expect this place from the outside or in this strip mall. It is quite a pleasant surprise. It is a popular lunch spot for those that work nearby. I will be back with the family to try more food on the menu! read more

Taste: 4 Creativity/Authenticity: 4 Atmosphere: 3 Service: 5 Bang for your buck: 3.5 It's been awhile since I've eaten here, but I had the munchies and empanadas sounded amazing! Got the chimmi-churri skewers with a ham and cheese empanada and a chorizo potato. It's been a while but dang the empanadas were do I say it, better than "Nonnas" at the grove!! Yeah come get some if you don't believe me! The skewers were good, cooked perfectly and that CC sauce! Fire, fries were seasoned well and were those thin crispy fries, so good. Service here was quick and easy, very friendly staff. Overall great experience, def remember these empanadas, from the last time I came here! Keep it up! Try this place out! If you don't want to drive 2hr to the grove for empanadas! read more

My first and definitely not last time having Johnny Pacific's. I got the JP Special Wild Salmon and a mushroom empanada for lunch and it blew me away. The salmon had some soy glaze on it with a side of chimichurri and this delicious salad topped with mangoes. I cleaned this plate up. Also, the mushroom empanada was incredible. I loved the texture of the slightly crispy outer shell with a doughy interior, just perfection. I will be back to try their other empanada flavors for sure. read more

Johnny Pacific - Mushroom Empanada - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

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1000000000/10! So incredibly savory and delicious. I want to come back and try all the empanadas

Food was excellent the empanada were fresh full of flavor excellent customer service great ambiance my husband favorite place fruit salad as well read more

nice play to enjoy some good quality empanadas. Clean and customer service is a 10/10. Def going back read more

Johnny Pacific - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

I can't even tell you about how the food was because of how horrible the customer service is. I walked in to ask questions because I had no idea what kind of cuisine it was. With a name like Johnny Pacific, I assumed it was Hawaiian, but I know empanadas are not a traditional Hawaiian food. When I walked in, I more or less guessed it was fusion, and I greeted the cashier politely, but wanted to ask her the food type to clarify. She acted like my first question was ridiculous and rudely answered, "It doesn't come from any particular place." Being Latino, I knew that every Latin American culture has different empanadas styles, so again, I asked if they were similar to maybe Salvadoran empanadas, etc. She again, acted like I had been hounding her for hours(this was maybe a 5 minute interaction) and answered back even more angry than before with, "that's what I am trying to tell you, they don't come from any particular place." By this point, I'd had enough and walked out, hearing the kitchen staff in the back laughing at what just happened. It's obvious this restaurant must relay on regulars and delivery app orders to stay open, because they could care less about giving new customers a good first impression. It had good ambiance and was relatively full, so the food can't be bad, but this incident has turned me off completely from ever walking in there again. read more