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    La Empanada Llama

    3.8 (108 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 7:30 pm

    Order La Empanada Llama Takeout or Delivery

    La Empanada Llama Photos

    Business Info

    LA EMPANADA LLAMA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - La Empanada Llama

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    Reviews With Photos - La Empanada Llama

    Empanadas and their salsa verde
    Santaliz G.

    The empanadas are amazing, especially their green sauce (salsa verde). It's a cute small place and I love the life size llama statue they have there, I believe they mostly work as a takeout place as most empanad places operate. The portions in the discs are fair, I don't feel like I'm eating air with dough and it's so flavorful. The time estimate was on point as well. (I got my order within the expected wait time). And the staff are friendly. Definitely going again!

    Arroz Con Pollo Lunch Special
    Pauline L.

    I have a new ideal for comfort food. It's the Arroz con Pollo lunch special from La Empanada Llama in Albany. I wasn't having a bad day and I wasn't looking for comfort --but one bite of that Arroz con Pollo--and my day got even better. It's all in the seasonings which at times seem magical. The restaurant serves up Peruvian cuisine. I placed the takeout order by phone. The woman who answered was very nice. Of course, I had to try the empanadas, too. They were plump, hot and crispy. I ordered one beef empanada, which came with delicious light green cilantro sauce. I also ordered the Dulce de Leche empanada which was filled deliciously sweet gooey goodness. I also had a purple corn beverage called Chicha Morada. It was very tasty. The staff is efficient. My order was ready in 20 minutes. The restaurant is small, but you'll find there's seating for casual dining. There are two large toy llamas on display to "greet" you as soon as you open the front door. What an enjoyable lunch. I can't wait to visit again and work my way through the rest of the menu.

    Arroz con Pollo and 4 Empanadas- Dinner for 4
    Ashlee D.

    I have only gotten delivery so I can't speak to the atmosphere, cleanliness or staff but the food!!!!!!!!!!!! I ordered it for lunch yesterday and dinner today. That's a good review right there. I had the arroz con pollo with a side of fried plantains. The rice and beans were so well seasoned and not dry like some other reviewers have found. I've now tried 5 of the savory and 3 of the sweet empanadas. I think my favorite so far is the cabbage and chorizo. I would drink the green side sauce with a straw! Also, I have found it be reasonably priced. Tonight we got the family dinner which came with plentiful arroz con polo and your choice of 4 empanadas for only $28. Highly recommend this establishment!

    Helen Z.

    Made a large group order of empanadas after a day of hiking, and they got them ready within the specified time. We picked them up and they were labeled on the clear tops as they always are. The inside of the shop is small and decorated with some life size llamas and some not. I honestly loved all of the flavors I tried: arroz con pollo, Mexican (creamy beef mixed with guac--no extra charge for guac!), and cau cau (potatoes, mushrooms. Can't really decide on a favorite but it might be arroz con pollo for now. The empanadas went so well with the salsa verde and were fresh and crispy. We each easily inhaled three because we were starving! Two of them may have been mislabeled, but it may have been our mistake... I would definitely order again and am curious to try the tacu tacu and the cabbage and chorizo next time and maybe a smoothie. P.S.-tried the tres leches cake a few days later and it is absolutely delicious! I would come here just for that if I wasn't in the mood for empanadas. It's not too sweet and has the perfect amount of sweet milkiness soaked into the cake.

    Beef Empanada Chicken Empanada Fried Plantains
    Jessica P.

    I got this at the farmers market so maybe it wasn't as fresh as it could be. It was slightly greasy, but had already sat for probably an hour by the time I got my food. The chicken empanada was very good and I enjoyed that along with my plantains. The beef empanada, however, was flavorless. I was looking forward to the sweet/savory with beef and raisins and I just got bland. I don't think I'd try them at the market again.

    Cabrito with rice and beans and plantains.
    Loretta H.

    My first experience with an empanada was a few years ago while traveling. I was told not to expect the same experience from every empanada. So, good friend and I have been going out trying different more diverse eateries. This was my pick of the week. I read online that they had goat. Oh boy! So, friend chose both a beef and a chicken empanada. I decided on lunch - cabrio. This dish begins with a small salad followed by lunch being served in a small metal container with white rice and black beans with a plentiful amount of stewed goat in a very tasty sauce. Also ordered a chicken empanada because when in Peru, order empanadas. Also part of lunch was a handful of roasted/fried plaintains. Wow. After eating empanada - did dip in the tangy green sauce - ate a portion of rice/goat and took the rest for another day. Desserts were available but tres leeches cake wasn't ready yet. Next visit I must try the sweet empanada. Yes, I will need to keep this in my repertoire of food establishments. There is no private parking lot (on street) and is a small place (4 tables). But staff are lovely. Fun place to try new food.

    La Peruanita Empanada
    Juliet V.

    Fast, filling and flavorful. This takeout hit all the sweet spots. We ordered the family Arroz con Pollo for 4. It came with 4 empanadas. We chose the Peruanita, the chicken, the Mexican and one with chorizo and cabbage. We added a Mac and Cheese one as well. All were very good if not remarkably different from each other in my opinion. The empanadas were not greasy, a bonus. I did love the tangy cilantro dipping sauce that accompanied them. The chicken and rice dish was also good with tender chicken on the bone and tasty rice with small diced vegetables. Again, warm and tasty and hit the spot. My son gobbled up his Mac and cheese empanada. Comfort food supreme. This was a good value for a family meal. I'd like to try a dessert empanada next.

    Large quinoa salad
    Kylie M.

    I am so sad to give this place only two stars as the food is good, but I had the most unpleasant interaction with management. I've ordered from here in the past and it's always been quite delicious, so I was excited to get a $40 Groupon for dinner. The day came and my boyfriend and I were excited to pig out on some empanadas,so I called them up and ordered just about two of every empanada. This totally innocent order really really angered the manager who essentially yelled at me through the phone That empanadas are not dinner and that the Groupon clearly states it is for dinner use. Totally taken back by how angry she was at me, I quickly checked the fine print of the Groupon which said nothing. I then Told her I had no idea that that was a stipulation as it wasn't in the Groupon, and asked what the parameters for the order where. This seemed to make her even more upset and she kept angrily scolding me when all I was trying to do is order what I thought was a (not well rounded but legitimate) dinner. Maybe it is obvious to most that empanadas are not a dinner, but to be greeted with such anger over an innocent mistake has left me feeling pretty bad this last hour and doesn't make me want to go back there anytime soon. Go check the place out because it's good, but just make sure you know empanadas are NOT dinner!

    two llamas in a store
    David H.

    I'n short, I have had better and tastier food in prison. Seriously, the chili with rice at Green Haven isn't 1/2 bad but this place redefines the word bland. My wife and I stopped m today for some take out and my 1st experience with empanadas was almost as much of a disappointment as my wedding night. We both went with the beef option whose taste was helped ever so slightly by the accompanying green (?) sauce it comes with. Approx $9. Unlike General MacArthur, I will NOT return.

    Gloria E.

    Restaurants like this deserve to be eaten at. I notice that a bunch of the low reviews are from delivery or through GrubHub, not from coming in and sitting at a table. Ordered a little of everything off of the dinner menu (which begins at 2pm or so). The cabrito (goat) was tender and the sauce went well with the rice and beans, which are plain but pretty traditional. The plantains were awesome! Just lightly fried, nothing too crazy, but some of the best freshly made plantains I've had in a while. The empanada menu has so many types to try. Really enjoyed the chorizo empanada and the vegetable one, and there was a specialty one with some odd fillings that still tasted great. Service was fast, bathroom was clean, and a glimpse at the kitchen shows that pretty much everything is made fresh in a regulated kitchen! Loved the green sauce on the side with everything!

    Leo Y.

    I'm happy to see more and more Peruvian restaurants opening up in the region. Lots of dough, rice, beans, potatoes, and other veggies make for great cold day meals. We tried most items on the menu, and were most impressed with the loaded nachos and dulche de leche empanada. Everything else we had was delicious, and I recommend trying all of the empanadas, as well as everything else on the menu! They take Android/Apple pay with the NFC reader for square, as well as most major credit cards. Ample street parking on Ten Eyck Ave.

    Arroz Con Pollo y Plataños

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    Always quick. Good, consistent, comfort food. Plenty of vegan and vegetarian options.

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    Ask the Community - La Empanada Llama

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    Mi Bandera Peruvian Restaurant

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    I believe it was CEVICHE DOS TIEMPOS!
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    Flores Family Restaurant

    Flores Family Restaurant

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    The advertising sign at the front of the restaurant highlights pupuseria and Latino food. OK,…read morethat's what I ordered. Pupusa - El Salvadorian specialty - griddled corn masa cake. Other ingredients like cheese, beans, greens, and/or meats are mixed into the masa and cooked on a flattop until crisp on the outside. Since the "mixins" are varied, these are made to order. I had a Revuelta (queso, chicharron, beans) and a queso loroco (flower bud of a vine which grows in Central America). The tastiest portion for me were the almost burnt caramelized cheese bits on the outside of the pupusa. Honestly, the loroco was more of a textural component rather than a taste. It seemed mild. I'm sure they were canned. I don't think loroco grows around this area. The pupusas were served with a cabbage slaw (curtido) and a light tomato salsa. Pernil - a marinated pork shoulder, slow roasted until tender then usually blasted with high heat to render crispy skin (cuero). Slow roasted tender pork - yes. Rendered crispy skin - no. The generous portions of yellow rice and refried black beans rounded out the meal. One thing I noticed, the refried beans had a very slight sour note, vinegar or age, I don't know. I still ate them. No ill effects. Conclusion: I'd go again.

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    Combo plate - Pernil, yellow rice and refried beans
    Combo plate - Pernil, yellow rice and refried beans
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    Places like this are why my Yelp profile lists Peruvian cuisine as my Current Crush at this time…read more The staff, the atmosphere, and the food, exemplify everything I've come to like about it. My sister came here first, at the recommendation of her Spanish instructor (from South America), who said the cuisine here was very close to how these dishes are actually prepared in Peru. I had only recently learned about the fairly complex background of the foods and the variety of cultures on which it's based. All of those are represented on their menu. I went with a traditional route (or maybe MY traditional route) for a first dinner here. That began with a Pisco cocktail. Mine was the Machu Picchu Express, which includes coffee liqueur and Bailey's. It was quite tasty. That was followed by chicken empanadas. What impressed me the most about these was the crust, thin without being extra-crispy, with its own flavor apart from the chicken. I'm not up to "tentacles" or "innards" for my dinners, but I was quite content with the rotisserie chicken, and I got to sample another seafood dish at the table. I love the spices on that chicken, so flavorful and so tender. I think I could eat that every day and never be tired of it (of course I'll try other entrees). The canary beans are a great side dish too, and I used the sauce on my rice. Since a lot of the seafood dishes say "fish" in the description, you may want to ask your server if they know which types of fish are going into the dish. We saw delicious looking flan go to another table, so we wanted some for ourselves for dessert. Our waitress said that they had just finished a fresh one, but it was still too hot to slice. If we wanted some, we'd probably have to wait a while. We passed, but she was nice enough to give us some complimentary shortbread cookie sandwiches. Dinner here was a great experience, and I look forward to coming back.

    This is a hidden gem in watervliet. Food is really flavorful and made well. The drinks are really…read moregood too. There is a bit of a home feeling to the design and layout of the restaurant to me, which is pleasant. The service is always good when I've eaten there, with the waiter checking in on us periodically but not being pushy. I'd highly recommend to anyone who wants to try Peruvian food, but I do want to keep it as a personal secret.

    Photos
    Dining room
    Dining room
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    Ostion Sushi Roll
    Back dining area

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    La Empanada Llama - peruvian - Updated July 2026

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