This joint is legit. My buddy from Columbia raved about this place so I decided to do an investigative report to see what the hype was all about. I ordered 4 empanadas and a watermelon refresca and it was all DELICIOUS. Currently pleasantly sloppy full. The place has a great open layout and is extremely inviting and exceptionally clean. The staff was great and I enjoyed a brief conversation with the owner. Now the food left me utterly satisfied. They're fried but not too greasy, great portions and amazing sauces. The chimichuri is phenomenal! I've listed the empanadas I ordered from favorite top down (all of them were outstanding) I took a few pictures except of the chorizo & potato....that one barely got chewed before I devoured it. Chorizo & potato empanada Bacon & jalapeño empanada Spinach & cheese empanada Chicken al pastor empanada read more

See all

Seriously some of, if not, the best empanadas I've ever had. They have huge variety to select from. Beef, Chicken, Pork, Veggie. The chorizo & potato, jalapeño & bacon, and Kailua pig are some of my favorites. All the side sauces are pretty bomb too. And if you gotta sweet tooth, don't forget about the dessert empanadas! read more

Johnny Pacific - Assortment of Empanadas - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Johnny Pacific is an excellent introduction to Latin-Caribbean food for any picky eater. Between the empanadas, delicious chimichurri, and fresh young coconuts, it's hard to believe that this strip mall stall produces some of the best food Yelp can find you. It may be a little crowded and the seating situation won't be ideal when you come in. With just a smattering of seats but a massive empanada and skewer menu splayed across a wall, it's not a surprise. To get the real Johnny Pacific experience, get at least four empanadas. I recommend the Kailua pork, beef tinga, spinach and cheese, and caramel apple. (Vegetarians: there's more than one vegetarian empanada on the menu for you.) The savory empanadas taste amazing with their chimichurri, which comes cold and refreshing. Chimichurri is also poured over their meat skewers, which are grilled to absolute perfection. Their meat-filled empanadas are also great with the sweet and sour sauce, which tastes very similar to the kind you get with Chinese restaurant egg rolls. Thankfully, you get one sauce container with each empanada you order, so you won't worry about sharing with your unscrupulous tablemates. That being said, there are days that the chimichurri is so damn good you'll want to drink it straight from the cup. Unlike other places, Johnny Pacific deep fried their empanadas so that the pastry is crisp in every bite. This is especially fantastic with the caramel apple and you'll know on first bite that it's just like a deep fried apple hand pie. Each empanada runs less than $3, is fried on the spot, and a dozen is a mere $34 before tax. The lunch specials include French fries and a canned soft drink, and at the rate that they get their orders out, this is an ideal spot for working professionals. Snatch them up quick, because you won't get a cheaper or tastier meal deal anywhere else. Starting in September, this location will be moving across the street to the Food4Less lot for something more spacious (source: overheard someone behind the counter say this when I was there). I wish them the best of luck! read more

See all

Very nice little hole in the wall place. The empanadas are BOMB!! And the sauses they give you on the side make them even more mouth wattering. I wanted to order another batch, but I was on a date and did not want to appear too greedy. But I will be back for sure! read more

Great empanadas. Definitely recommend this great local business Great service and ambiance

Food was great! I got the lunch combo, guavaaid, salad and two empanadas. The Spinach and cheese is bomb! Service and Ambiance both great. Very clean as well read more

Johnny Pacific - Lunch combo - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

5 stars! Best empanadas and dipping sauce around! Sweet and savory craving? Johnny pacific got you covered for both just roll on thru!!!!!!!

MY NEW FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT!!!! From what I can tell this is a locally run, FAMILY OWNED business which is awesome! The staff was so helpful & friendly! I ALWAYS look to support locally owned businesses. I ordered 2, 6 oz. portions of Wild Caught Salmon with Basil Aioli and a huge bed of Organic Field Greens! OMG! Amazing! This will be my post workout place after all my training days! I can't say enough about the staff! Do yourself a favor, go here TODAY!!! read more

Johnny Pacific - Wild Caught Salmon - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

See all

What a hidden gem! Was is the Valley to pick up some parts and my son and I wanted lunch. Found Johnny Pacific and thought we would give it a try. Walked in to see a unexpected beautiful place. Johnny greeted us with a warm friendly smile and actually helped us make our decision and he was so nice and helpful. My son got the 4 beef empanadas and I got the lunch special with one spinach and cheese empanada, one chicken pastor and the salad. Everything was delicious. Their chimichurri sauce is amazing with wonderful flavor. My favorite of the sauces. Also had the basil aioli and Chipotle sauces. Both tasted amazing too with the empanadas. The greens were a large and fresh portion with a very tasty sweet and tangy dressing. I got their fresh drink of Guava aid refrescos. I could drink way too much of that with the perfect blend of sweet and sour! Perfect lunch! We were so happy with the food we ordered a dozen to take home and share with my husband and son. Wish they would open a location in Santa Clarita! That would make it even better! Thank you Johnny and your great team! read more

See all

Empanadas are amazing, staff very friendly, parking lot. The empanada lunch is a great deal, I ordered half fried and half salad, it's a huge plate! Just with 3 empanadas you are super full read more

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

OMG okay this place is so bomb, I got the lunch combo with the fries, chicken Al pastor, beef tinga and then a Nutella/banana empanada on the side ,, this was so perfect, the service was so nice and quick, the food is so fresh, the fries were flavorful , I could live off of just these empanadas and I would be okay with that, 10/10 that Nutella banana one is to die for not gonna lie ,, there are so many dipping sauces and you could not go wrong with any !! read more

Empanadas are good. I am a big fan of their signature salad. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed

Johnny Pacific would be a perfect little shack right on the beach for surfers and beach bums alike. Laid back and unpretentious, this place serves up some delectable fare, perfect after a long day battling the waves...Wait a second...This tiny place is in a crumbling little plaza in the valley...Boo what a waste! They could be making bank if they just moved somewhere near the beach. . | \ _ / -= (_) =- / \ _\ /_ | / /o \ _ \ / _ _____ _ __ __ ____ _ | _ _/ o\ \ _ __ ___ _____ _ _____ ___ =-=-_-__=_-= _=_=-=_,-'|"' " "--| \ \, . -. -__=_ =- _=-=- - =- _=-=- -_=-=_,-" | \ =- _=-=- -=-=- - =- =- -=.--" c") / \ ' =- _=-=- - =- -=.--" ,(_), { } .- =- =- -=.- " \ / -. =- -- -=.- So many empanadas to choose from, only so much stomach space. Its $2.15 for one empanada or $7.99 for 4 or $22.95 for a dozen. They also have combo plates such as chimichurri steak skewers or korean fusion steak skewers that come with fries, salad, and your choice of empanada for $8.75. The empanadas I got to try were the beef tinga, kailua pig, spinach and cheese, and their dessert empanada chocolate and banana. I'm not claiming to be an empanada expert but these were all delicious, but some were especially so. They come with an array of different dipping sauces which I love, more options and flavor combinations! The Korean style steak skewers were delicious and juicy. They were nice and charred on the outside and served a nice medium rare on the inside. I enjoyed the red wine vinaigrette that came with the salad as well. The empanadas were tasty and I gotta catch them all :) read more

See all

Always the absolute best! Favorite place to go to in the Valley! I highly recommend the empanadas with the signature salad and the watermelon fresco! So good!!! read more

Best empanadas that I've found so far around where I live. I enjoy the ham & cheese, bbq pulled pork and kailua pig empanadas and also the dessert caramel apple empanada. The give you the caramel on the side just in case you dont like a lot of caramel. I also enjoy their chimi-churri skewers ($12.45) grilled choice angus flat iron steak skewers with chimi-churri served with french fries, choice of any vegetable empanada and a handful of organic field greens with guava red wine vinaigrette. I highly recommends these. read more

See all

Yelp Challenge 2016: 20/100 This one is simply a no-brainer at only $2.60 per empanada - and they are crazy delicious! You can get four for $9.50 (savings of $0.90) or make a commitment and make some friends & family happy by buying a dozen for $27.00 (savings of $4.20!!!). These are not your ordinary, everyday empanadas- they come in foodie-approved combinations of: MEAT- beef, chicken, beef tinga, ham and cheese, kailua pig, cajun sausage, cheese, chicken el pastor, bbq pulled pork, chorizo and potato, VEGGIE- mushroom, spinach and cheese, roasted-veggie garlic, and even DESSERT- caramel apple, flanada, chocolate coconut, maui pineapple, nutella banana. I highly recommend their "signature" sauces ($0.25 each) to accompany the empanadas: chimmi-churri, chipotle, bbq, basil-aioli, sweet-sour thai, caramel. I've enjoyed every single empanada I've had here, and although I know they also have salads and plate combinations featuring skewers, I have not been able to get past their glorious empanadas! The guava-ade is another reason I go out of my way to pick up a dozen to go. This is one of those out-of-the-way- you'd never know how good it is until you Yelp it cult classic...If you're in the area, definitely stop by and thank me later. read more

See all

This is seriously the best empanada I've ever had. You are doing yourself a favor when you come here.

This is what makes me like this place even more! We ordered our food and came to pick it up. The lady at the front ALWAYS checks the food to make sure we receive everything. She noticed we were missing an empanada, told the chefs to not only make one but to give us two for the hassle and the wait. We did wait quite a long time, however I constantly heard her asking them where the rest of our food was. Normally most people ask once and then forget about it, however she did made sure there was a sense of urgency and it needed to be fixed! Good customer service! read more

Empanada specialty store?! Ay Papi !!! Me gusta empanadas.. mu mu muchiiiiissimo. Problem in my past was, some empanadas are made too doughy, either with a bready pizza dough crust or too oily and soggy. Or there wasn't enough savory filling. Johnny Pac makes them right! Flaky, fried perfection with gooey, burn-your-tongue filling that oozes out when you cut into it. The sauces on the side add an even extra flavor depth. Chimichurri sauce is the way to go! The basil sauce was just mayo with basil mixed in. Not very flavorful. By the way, "bazil" = basil. Don't be a fool like me and pronounce it like Brazil without the 'r'. Me - What's ba-ZIL sauce? Cashier - *chuckle* it's basil sauce. Sister - *LOL!* Me to sister - Why is it spelled like that?! It's like Ar-Kansas but really pronounced Ar-can-saw! This is what a college degree gets you ladies and gents. So.. yeah, don't pull a Regina. We tried the 4 for $9: Corn, Kailua, Cajun, and Pastor. Oh damn, the Kailua was like eating a bowl of jambalaya stuffed into a Hot Pocket. Bursting with flavor with the perfect amount of melted cheese to give it that creamy texture. By far, my favorite! The corn would be in second place. The shopping complex and exterior look sketchy and run down, but inside feels like you're in a little cute hipster part of town. This place belongs in a bustling midtown area. It's very small; only a couple of tables (5-6), but felt cozy with cute straw chairs and cushioned bench seating lined against the wall. They offer café-type food also, but I'll just stick to the empanadas for now. My only burning question.. who is this Johnny Pacific fellow? I need to marry this man and put him to work! read more

Johnny Pacific - Grilled corn empanada - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

See all

This place was awesome! Staff was super kind and helpful. The food was great! Highlight was the chicken Al pastor empanada. We'll definitely be back! read more

Evelyn and Danny were amazing. My first time here they had a great spirit and were honestly hilarious. The food was amazing but it's always good to go somwhere where the customer service is great. Thank you! read more

it was good! overall great to enjoy yourself a meal, I was greeted nicely and the food was made quick!

WARNING: You will discriminate against all other empanadas due to Johnny Pacific exceeding your expectations. JP - You have raised the bar and no empanada will be your equal in this throw down. You are the empanada master. Empanadas are never going to be the same for me after this! I am ecstatic that my tastebuds had a delightful, unexpected surprise during my trip to Cali, but truly saddened that I won't be a regular at JP since I'm on the other side of the coast. All the more reason to go back! This divey little place doesn't look like much from the outside. It's in a small corner plaza with limited parking shared with other businesses. Inside there are a few tables that could seat no more than 20 people tops. It's more of a quick stop and go joint. They offer a LOT of variations of empanadas. There's an assortment of beef, pork, chicken, veggie AND dessert empanadas! The icing on the cake - all empanadas come with a signature sauce: chimmi churri, chipolte, basil aoili, sweet and sour thai, bbq,or caramel. Fried foods are even better when dippable! JP has cleverly taken one food, crafted creative variations and amped it up even further by adding complimenting sauces for each. The couple was very friendly and accomodating and let me order a lunch combo during dinner. The lunch combo came with 1/2 salad or 1/2 fries and your choice of two empanadas and can of soda or a bottle of water. Upgrade to the signature salad for $2 more which includes fresh cut mango, pecans, goat cheese and EVOO balsamic vinaigrette. It was a great salad portion, probably more than 3/4 of the plate. The empanadas were cooked perfectly. The shells were crisp and hearty, yet soft and flaky. The spinach and cheese empanada with basil-aoili sauce was amazing and my favorite of the ones I tried! The mozzarella was perfectly melted and gooey inside. It was mind blowingly mm-mm good. The kailua pig was tender, juicy, savory and slightly sweet with a touch of the sweet and sour thai sauce. I HAD to try a dessert empanada just for the experience. Who knows when I'll get the chance to try it again. Carpe diem! The caramel apple, with warmed caramel dipping sauce and added sugar granules, was like eating apple crisp and made me warm and fuzzy inside. Delicious! Absolutely a must try! You will never forget or regret it! ~Honored that JP is my 100th review!~ read more

Johnny Pacific - Lunch combo with signature salad and Kailua pork and spinach and cheese empanadas. Heavenly! - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

See all

Always delicious. So many different kinds of savory and sweet empanadas. The dipping sauces are excellent. The salad is delicious with chicken. The agua frescas are great too! read more

We've been patronizing Johnny's since I was in high school (34 years old now). I've never really found another empanada place quite like them, so I still go now even if we're cities away. read more

I recently took my brothers here and they think this place was awesome. We each ordered the #2 with beef empanada. To get two chimmi Churri beef skewers, salad, French Fries and an empanada for $13 is a great price. Everything tasted so fresh and delicious. We're looking forward to going again. read more

See all

Seriously these are the best empanadas around! Been going there for years and years (since their debut at the Northridge Farmer's Market!) and the food and service is always impeccable. Our family favorite is the Kailua Pig empanada with the basil aioli sauce!! Cheese/Spinach & beef enchiladas are also great. The dessert empanadas are ridiculously good too - Caramel apple and flan empanada are delicious! Additional good eats - Their Signature Salad is so good as are their skewers & fries. A little on the pricey side but worth every penny every time. read more

Johnny Pacific - Kailua Pig & Beef Tinga Empanadas - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Not one single thing wrong here!!! I got the salad last time and was really pleased. The folks are very friendly here too and give you extra sauce if you ask when you check out. read more

I had no idea such a bomb place existed in the valley. My experiences with empanadas have al been mediocre until now. I finally found a spot that's not only close to home, but also the best empanadas that I've tried so far. As soon as I walked in, it was like a more casual version of Islands. It had this tropical theme with the TV playing some surfing and wave clips, seat cushions, chalkboard menu, and very laidback, friendly atmosphere. Food: 1) Chimichurri Skewers were spectacular! Delicious pieces of tender meat flavored with chimichurri sauce. It makes my mouth water as I think about it. It even comes with an empanada. It's a great deal! 2) Empanadas remind me of a South American version of Korean fried potstickers. The empanadas here was perfectly fried so that it was slightly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I tried the beef, spinach, and bacon empanadas which were all very delicious. Plenty of flavor from the meats and cheese. I really like the chimichurri and aioli dipping sauces. read more

Johnny Pacific - Chimichurri Skewers. Bomb dot com - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

See all

This place is definitely a hidden gem in the Valley. You have to come try their empanadas! :) This place was listed as one of Yelp's Top 100 Restaurants in the nation! I knew it had to be good. This place offered different types of savory and sweet empanadas, skewers, and plate dishes. It had a Hawaiian-feel to the ambiance. I ordered their empanada plate which came with 2 empanadas (spinach & cheese, potato & chorizo), salad and a drink. It was a nice surprise to find out they serve different sauces with their empanadas. I also upgraded my drink to an agua fresca (guava-ade) which was tasty! I love their empanadas and will definitely be back! :) read more

Johnny Pacific - Lunch special (2 empanadas, fries or salad) & Watermelon Agua fresca! - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Love this place. It's my go to in a weekly basis. The cheese empanadas are to die for. Can't go wrong with either skewer options. definitely recommend this place. read more

I have mixed emotions about writing this review... I can't hold back my enthusiasm for this place, but I don't want it to get so popular that I can't get in the door (and I'm afraid this is a real danger!) The menu is great, there are vegetarian options galore. The empanadas are unbelievable, this place makes amazing sauces, and everything I've tried so far has been delicious. As others have noted the place is small, blink and you'd miss it, and it can get crowded around lunch time. The parking lot is a postage stamp, and the street parking options are few. Best to get here early or to wait out the rush. If you get an empanada special be sure to order one of the dessert options, the maui pineapple with the caramel sauce is a real treat! read more

A friend recommended this place for their skewers, wide selection of empanadas and emphasized on their signature chimmi-churri sauce. Boy am I happy we checked this place out! We've been back numerous of times ever since! Get their #2 Chimmi-Churri Skewer (bursting with flavor and their chimmi-churri sauce is to die for!)...comes with seasoned fries, baby greens salad with vinaigrette dressing and a choice of one of their vegetable empanadas. Their guava-ade is sooo good! I've tried most of their empanadas. They come out hot and should be enjoyed there while it's still good... - Of their meat empanadas: LOVE their chorizo & potato, chicken el pastor, kailua pig, and cajun sausage. - Of their dessert empanadas: LOVE their apple empanada (dip in the caramel sauce) and their chocolate banana. Just writing this is making me drool! read more

Johnny Pacific - #2 Chimmi-churri skewers and a guava-ade - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Our family has been a huge fan of Johnny Pacific's for years. Johnny has become a friend over the years, his family owned restaurant has been around for years. The food is crazy good, you just can't find empanadas like his anywhere in the valley and their French fries are very ample and good. We love Johnny Pacific:) read more

There is not one flaw with this place, except that they should turn it into a much larger restaurant in a bigger and more accessible location with parking. That is my only gripe. I have never ever been disappointed yes with a single item on their menu. It meets and surpasses my expectations every time. Their skewers with Chimichurri is melt in your mouth tender meat that is followed by a flavor explosion from their marinate down to the sauces. Empanadas are perfectly crisp with the perfect soft inside and delicious take your pick filling. Accompanied by dipping sauces to add even more layers of flavor. They are great for quick eats, pick ups and catering which I recently picked up trays for a beach party. This place is a must! Try them out and let's convince them to open a restaurant! read more

Johnny Pacific - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

Would have never gone here if my car wasn't being serviced across the street on a hot day The first restaurant I actually saw was the Korean Bowl place and Sushi places, which both happened to be closed.... Which by default made the only other restaurant(Carl's Jr.), the winner..... Until I poked my head around the strip mall, and saw this place, and JACKPOT!!!!! Two words.... Fried Empanadas Made to order, right freaking there in front of you, instead of a display case... Which isn't necessarily new, except 99% of those other places are baked.... The empanadas here are also on the bigger side, by like 25% more than normal... There is a part of me that wants to keep this place secret, but alas, that wouldn't be socially conscious, so I hope this review helps.... Which isn't read more

Yum!!!! So good! Tasty empanadas and yummy chimichurri sauce, we were the first ones today and they gave us extra ones just for waiting, excellent customer service! Definitely coming back for more. Thank you!!!! read more

Johnny Pacific - Latin American Near Me - Winnetka, California

See all

Johnny Pacific is frequently ranked as one of the best Latin restaurants in LA, and it's not hard to understand why. Their empanadas are perfection - crispy on the outside and deliciously gooey on the inside. For vegetarians like me, they have 5 different vegetarian options! But it's really all about the sauces. Also don't underestimate their dessert empanadas. Those Nutella ones dusted with powdered sugar are delightful. The service is also super quick, so if you're craving something fast and fried, skip the drive-thru and come here instead. read more

Theres no better place to get fresh and flavorful empanadas in the Valley than Johnny Pacific. They have several options to choose from. The bacon jalapeno so far has been my absolute fav. Fire. read more

Best empanadas & relaxing atmosphere around. Not just empanadas but a nice menu for lunch or dinner. Room for one or groups.