This is a small store in a shared building space, although they do have some patio seating in front to increase their dining availability. Parking spaces are very limited in the lot, but street curb parking is available as well. Worker was very accommodating in answering our questions and promptly preparing our food. Very much enjoyed a mushroom and a spinach empanada ($7 each) with my wife. i would guess 2 to 3 would serve as a meal for one person. They do offer other items that are not empanadas on their menu, but not sure why you would stray from something so good that's not commonly available elsewhere. read more

I thought these Argentine-style Empanadas tasted amazing, especially the Chorizo which was literally dripping in flavor. The garlicky oily dipping sauce added even more flavor to the savory empanadas and gave me dragon breath all day but it was so worth it! There is a good amount of seating here. I love the futbol decor and airiness of the place. There is some lot parking out front and street parking is also an option and where I found parking. The only downside to my experience coming here recently is how they forgot to include my ham & cheese empanada in the to go box that was nicely packaged and sealed so I couldn't check to see if it was there until I unpacked my order and found that it was not there. I didn't want to deal with the hassle of calling them to get a refund for it or drive back for it. Also, I don't feel like giving them one less star right now on this review because of it. I'm considering it this time as a natural human error and donation to this nice small business. Hopefully, they will be more careful and efficient my next visit because their product was very tasty and I do want go back there again soon to try more. read more

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In the past all the empanadas I had were hard and dry. This was so soft and delicious! Came in the evening with some friends. Was a great snack to share. Staff were great, and quick! read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Beef, chicken, chorizo, and "Humita" - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Beef Empanada: (4/5) A warm pastry with a savory beef stuffing, you can't really go wrong. It's well-seasoned and balanced, you can definitely taste the variety of spices used from the Spanish roots of the dish. Mushroom Empanada : (3/5) It was very cheesy with bits of mushroom. It would have been better with larger and more mushroom. It goes really well with the chutney they give you. The cheese is fairly mild in flavor but great cheese pull. The empanadas are about $7 dollars each with each one being folded a little different depending on the filling. It's good for a quick snack when you want something comforting and hearty without a super long wait or mess. The restaurant looks pretty sizable for a quick meetup with friends before moving to a second location. Not really a space I'd expect to spend too much time in, limited parking available in front of resy. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Menu as of 12/12/25 - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

You order at the front and look at their display of delicious empanadas and to help you choose. We chose the top 4 empanadas that are the most popular which are Lomo, spinach, beef, and mushroom plus the fugazetta and Ceasar salad. Lomo: steak filling. It was so delicious and we enjoyed the juicy steak with the red bell pepper. Spinach: cheese and spinach filling that was so gooey and melty. Every bite I had a cheese pull that was so addicting, Beef: the beef was super juicy and oily which we really enjoyed. Mushroom: had cheese and mushroom as the filling and it was also super gooey and cheesy. Fugazetta: just cheese alone. Was pretty good but not as good as the top 4 picks. Ceasar salad: pretty standard Ceasar salad. We just wanted to get our fiber in. Overall, we really enjoyed the empanadas here and we were glad we could finally visit our bookmarked place. The service is pretty quick here. Once you are done with your food you can food away your dishes at the island in the middle near the counter. There is a foosball table and a self serve water station in the middle. Highly recommend this place if you're looking for yummy empanadas. read more

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I have ordered plenty of empanadas from their previous location in SoDo. Now that they have their own storefront in Fremont, it's even easier to stop by. Beef is my favorite! For takeout, you can order ahead online to pick up or do walk up ordering. I asked for mine to be boxed as is and not heated up. Be sure to get the chimichurri sauce. They're great heated up in the air fryer. They have indoor seating, as well as outdoor patio seating with Latin music playing overhead. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Beef & Steak Empanadas w/ Chimichurri - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Finally made it over to this new spot in Ballard and so glad I did. The soccer theme is cute, and they even have a mini foosball table to play on while waiting for your food. I ordered the mushroom empanada and the beef on, which are on the most popular list. It was quite hard to choose as they all sounded so good! I appreciate that they have a lot of vegetarian options. The empanadas came out hot and toasty. The mushroom one was very cheesy! I liked it a lot, although the flavor of the beef one was better. It was very savory. I really liked the herb dip that comes with each empanada for extra flavor. I also shared the dulce de leche empanada with banana for dessert! It was so good and very sweet. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I stopped by for some empanadas and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. The beef empanada was juicy and packed with flavor. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and stayed moist. No dry filling here. The restaurant itself was pretty empty when I visited. It gave off a somewhat eerie vibe. The food quality was still great though. They're pet-friendly. This is always a bonus if you're out with your furry companion. Good empanadas worth trying if you're in the area!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

The two empanadas I had were so tasty! The restaurant had a great vibe, and service was good as well. The only downside is that they were a little pricey for their size and how filling they are. read more

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I'd been trying to tie in a stop here to a Ballard brewery crawl and I'm super happy that I finally pulled it off. The location, right on Leary, isn't the best but it's worth a stop. This place deserves more biz and attention because the food and value are both too notch. My wife & I split a 6 pack and each empanada was delicious. Hard to pick a favorite but if I had to, I'd pick the mushroom or the chorizo pies. The crust is flaky/delicious and the fillings were super yummy. The cost was surprisingly reasonable and the service was on point as well. I sincerely hope more people find this place because I (selfishly) want to keep going back for many years to come!!!! read more

Wide selection of empanadas. Great to pick up for picnics, sporting events or home! Plenty of tables to eat there. They offer beer and wine too! read more

Excellent empanada restaurant! The ingredients and the empanadas themselves are so fresh that each bite seems like it's bursting with flavor! I tried to get some empanadas with filling that I haven't had before and that wasn't very hard to do as there were a lot of options to choose from here. I got the Caprese empanadas and the mushroom empanadas. Those didn't disappoint in the slightest and provided a fresh, new take for me with an empanada dining experience. If I actually had to pick from the two I think I would go with the Caprese again as I love the fresh basil and tomatoes and have always enjoyed the sandwich version of this. But before too long I'd want another mushroom empanada too if I lived close enough to become a regular. Steve and I also had some wonderful churros to finish out the meal! read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Steve and I split four different empanadas to try a good variety of different fillings. - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Beef empanada with chimchurri is killer! I think about it often I usually dont go for bread/dough foods because of the carbs but this is a great balance...filled to the max with deliciously seasoned beef and light dough...drip the chimichurri on every bite for perfection! read more

We purchased an assortment for dinner and breakfast the following morning. They were large and very flavorful. The crust on these is so delectable. The beef empanadas and the churizo were likely my favorite of those sampled. The Caprese was pretty good but I'd meatless. They were out of the ham and cheese and the Lomo options which we really wanted to try. read more

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Nice people, nice food and nice place Highly recommend Just a little hard to park there, but I figured out read more

Was randomly craving a meal with pastry wrapping haha. These empanadas hit the spot! There's a little baby parking lot right outside, but probably ample street parking around. The place itself is kinda like a warehouse. Tall ceilings, exposed pipework, etc. I ordered at the counter, then took a seat inside. I ordered the beef empanada and spinach empanada. They both came out after about 5-10 minutes. They were nice and toasty, crust a little thick, but that was so good for me. The fillings were also fire. The beef was bursting with flavor literally and the chimichurri sauce added a nice acidity and brightness to the otherwise heavy beef. The spinach filling was delightfully cheesy. A bit lighter than the beef, but was nice and creamy. Overall, super yummy! Would love to come back and try their other ones. 2 empanadas were more than enough for me. I was full for the next 5 hours at least LOL read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Finally had a chance to check out this space. Had heard great things from friends and was a little early meeting friends at one of the breweries around the corner so swung in. ordered the Lomo and guava cheese. love that they're baked, and they heat them up for you. Not sure if it was a mistake or gift but there was extra one in my box when I finally had a chance to open it. A flavor I hadn't ordered but the other two were correct so a big thank you. I actually ate them the next day heated them in a toaster oven at work. Very generous in size and packed with filling one is enough for a meal but dare you to try and just order one. They had some delicious sweet treats available as well so I picked up a guava cookies like a thumb print that I can't remember the name. I really enjoyed the sauce that comes with it like a chimichurri. Friendly service and self serve lemon water to enjoy while waiting. Spacious restaurant hadn't visited when the deli was there previously. Outdooe seating available nice open space with overhead doors that open to let lots of light in. Definitely will be back to try more on the menu. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Guava cheese and Lomo - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Great empanadas! Nice options to choose from. We were there on a nice spring day and they had the door open and we brought our dog and sat outside. Great vibe. read more

Great empanadas. Most places don't have the variety of empanadas like Maria does. I've been getting empanadas from Maria's since they were in sodo and made them out of the other restaurant. I think they make theirs using a flour based dough, which is common. Rarely do I find them using a heavy corn based. They also make dessert empanadas and have various other pastries and drinks. It's got an empanada cafe vibe. Would be great to come in for a quick and simple date night. I'd even come for a quick lunch with friends or solo. I can't say much about the service because I've never donned in, but the new location is so beautiful I can't wait to come back and dine in. nice job guys. Keep it up. read more

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If you're craving a delicious empanada, look no further than Maria Luisa's Empanadas. This spot is an absolute gem, offering a mouthwatering variety of flavors that will leave you coming back for more. The savory options are simply divine. From the classic beef empanada, bursting with rich, seasoned meat, to the chicken and cheese combo that melts in your mouth, every bite is packed with flavor. The pastry is always golden and flaky, complementing the savory fillings perfectly. Each empanada is crafted with care, ensuring consistent quality and taste. Whether you're grabbing a quick lunch or catering for a party, Maria Luisa's never disappoints. Highly recommend trying their spinach and feta empanada or the spicy chorizo if you're feeling adventurous. The balance of spices and textures is impeccable. Maria Luisa's is a must-visit for empanada lovers. With top-notch service and unbeatable flavors, it's no wonder they're a 5-star spot! I myself I've only ordered to go from this spot. But I know they run out of certain flavors faster than others. read more

Came here and got a box of empanadas to go. You are able to order online ahead of time, so they are ready for pick up. We tried 6 different empanadas and all of them were very good. Their empanadas are very filling and I enjoyed the dough because it is nice and soft. The empanadas come with chimichurri, which is very good. Their empanadas that come with cheese are very cheesy, so if you're not into a lot of cheese, I wouldn't suggest these for you. The protein based empanadas like beef and chicken are the most filling and flavorful. My favorites were the: fugazetta, which is onion and cheese and their chicken empanada. I would highly recommend this place and will definitely be coming back here. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Types of empanadas to go - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Just simply delicious. I feel lucky I'm within walking distance from here. The empanadas are nice and fresh, and hot when you get them. You order at the front counter, and there's a cabinet that showcase what each empanadas looks like along with what filling is inside. It's a lot bigger inside than I thought. Two long tables with a couple tables. They have garage style doors that open up when the weather is nice. There's a variety of different fillings, and they're packed with flavors. I got the humita and Caprese empanadas. The Humita's bechamel style sauce was so good and creamy, the caprese was loaded with cheese. We also got a kale salad, so it was a nice lunch! They also have sweets that we have yet to tried, but will be back. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Absolutely delicious empanadas and wonderful service as well. The space is beautiful and spacious on a sunny day, and I love the assortment of flavors. We split the beef, chorizo, spinach, and a beef lomo (marinated sirloin strips). The spinach was a little too rich for my taste, but the beef sirloin strips was by far our favorite. We also tried a alfajores, which was pretty good although there was an unexpected hit of a citrus or some other spice which was unexpected and not for me. Overall if you're craving a savory pastry or empanada, I would recommend this place without hesitation. The vibes and service were lovely. read more

Delicious and incredibly friendly service. I ordered the four best sellers plus a ham and cheese, they were all so good but I loved the ones with cheese - they do not skimp on the cheese lol! read more

The empanadas were so delicious! I had to wait for like 15 minutes. The ingredients were fresh and tasty. Do you a favor and go. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Lomo, Caprese, Chicken, Chorizo - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Mouth watering experience, perfect place to come with friends and family. 12 different flavors, always something for everyone. read more

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Empanadas were good, not great. Most were lacking in flavor and pastry dough was quite thick. The only one I really enjoyed was the chorizo. The lomo was ok. Dulce de leche had mashed banana in it, which gave an odd texture and flavor. They serve beer & wine for eating in. We got ours to go. Overall, it was ok for a quick bite. But I'm not dying to return for more. read more

If this is not best, where else?! Love everything, even the cafecito. Love the music, space, cleanliness of the place! read more

A great spot for empanadas. Their lomo empanada is my favorite. And don't get me started on the chimichurri! It is sooooo flavorful and delicious I could drink buckets of it. They have a lovely patio, and the employees are always so kind. They also have coffee, beer, and wine on their menu too. And happy hour prices are awesome. Definitely give them a try. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Lomo - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Great vibes, great service. Salad is great but their empanadas are wayyyyy too cheesy for me. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Spinach empanadas - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I went to lunch and brought home a six pack for dinner. So delicious and we are going to make this another one of ours dinner option. Chorizo, spinach, lomo and chicken were our favorites. read more

WOW! If you wanna know what love is then Maria Luisa Empanadas is you savior. Maria hands down is the "The Empanada's Queen of Seattle" and with every bite I take my taste buds rejoice. The gods have answered all my prayers with a baked pasty with meat inside. Yes, for your ultimate mouth watering experience try this Southern Hemisphere delight. For my baptism I ordered a beef empanada and a chorizo empanada, and the explosion of flavors that launched from each empanada is beyond what I expected and unbeknownst to my taste buds I was about to embark on global journey of flavor sensations. Needless to say I finished both and ordered more. A note for the first timer coming in. Ordering is different so once you enter the building, you will locate a sign with bar code. MARIAS menu you will come up and now its time order & pay on your phone and someone will deliver your empanada package. Make sure your paying attention cause they are stealth employee and it will sit there if your playing on your phone. Hope your experience is scrumdiddlyumptious! read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - La Boca Beef - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Food was super fresh and hot! I enjoyed the lomo, beef, and chicken empanadas. Make sure to eat it with the sauce they give you too! It makes the flavor even better. It also wasn't busy at all, so service was great and there was little to no wait! A very quiet and nice space as well. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Beef empanada - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The spinach one was more cheessy than spinach flavor for my taste. Beef was super good. I will order again. Service felt not friendly after I paid. Maybe because I didn't tip? I don't tip when I do takeout. Sorry They also have something like croissant. It was better than regular croissant. I will get it again. read more

OK so first thing - ordering is tricky. Order online. I should have read everyone else's reviews first. Showed up and then had to order via QR code. Oops. Next: you owe it to yourself to do the SRW special. Of all the places we've been to for SRW, there is some substantial discussion that we should be going back to Maria Luisa empanadas and getting more and stashing them in the freezer. You know, because that air fryer is singing the empanada song.... And we have strong inclinations to never try the same place twice. That's how good these empanadas were. Favorites: beef and chorizo. I'd ordered both frozen and fresh and ended up in the parking lot down the street wolfing down a hot beef empanada. It was transcendentally amazing, the right amount of crunch and chew in the crust, just enough al dente, plus the savory spicy juicy beef and onion filling, yeah. I might have been wearing a little bit of empanada after that small feast. There's also one with cheese and thyme that was amazing (maybe the ham one?) I probably wouldn't get the dessert empanada or the alfajores again, and some of the others were good but not our favorites, but the beef and chorizo empanadas are keepers. We'll go back for those. Especially now that we know how to order them! read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - I do not recommend using jeans as a table. But the hot empanada was 100% worth it. - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

My lass was craving some Empanadas and we were literally heading that way, so made for a great suprise! Chimi dipping sauces on point. And all of the empqnadas were delicious. 1. Chicken. 2. Chorizo. 3. Beef. The beef we felt could just do with some seasoning perhaps before hand, though we might be unfairly judging against ones we got in Miami. Any how check it out. Likely to recommend and go back! read more

Delicious authentic argentinian empanadas. Choose from a variety of options ranging from Almagro Ham, Palermo Chicken, Gessel Salmon and La Boca Beef to vegetarian options like Caminito Caprese, Lugano Spinach and Flores Humita. Don't forget to check out their breakfast empanadas and the delicious desserts ! Pickup/Delivery options available. Make sure you order in advance and choose if you want them baked or frozen. They do have a shared restaurant space if you wish to pick up your order and dine in (no service). A great option for corporate events or parties or even for if you just want to grab a bite. read more

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Order online through their website! My girlfriend and I walked here from the Starbucks Reserve nearby. We thought it'd be faster to order in person instead of online, but when we got there they only accept online ordering! The estimated pickup time was 30 minutes, but it actually came out in about 15 minutes. We got beef empanadas and they came out piping hot. Had to eat them really slowly, but it was so delicious. Especially with the green chimichurri sauce on top, which made them even better! Warning: it is super oily and messy when eating! Note: we couldn't find the Maria Luisa store front at first... turns out it is just a little pickup area located within the same building as Cafe Con Leche and Club Sur. read more

Maria Luisa Empanadas - Beef empanadas - Argentine Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A coworker recommended this place for lunch, and I love a good empanada, so I headed over the same day. When I arrived, I saw a sign with a QR code to order and was directed to their website to place an order. Easy enough, but I wish I had known to do this before arriving to save some time. Silly me thought there might just be a bakery case of empanadas ready to go. Nope. I ordered three empanadas and one alfajore. And then waited 15-20 minutes for my food. When placing my order, I did have to select if I wanted frozen or baked... so perhaps I was waiting for them to bake frozen empanadas? There wasn't anyone else near the sign or waiting, so I'm not sure what to so long. CAMINITO "Caprese" - the most untraditional of flavors in my meal, yet possibly my favorite. Nice blend of ingredients and flavor. I would order this one again. FLORES "Humita" - wayyy too much Argentinian sauce and wayyy too few pieces if corn, bell pepper and onions. My least favorite of the three. I would not order this one again. LUGANO "Spinach" - good flavor in this one. A bit more moisture in the filling than I expected... basically I've I started eating it was hard to set it down (sand went for the Flores one). I'd order this again. The chimichurri sauce had good flavor, but I'll skip it in the future as it had to much garlic in it for my digestive system. The Chocolate Alfajor was delicious. Is go back there for this alone! read more

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Maria Luisa Empanadas in Seattle's SoDo/Industrial District was brought to my attention by fellow Yelp Elite friend, Richard U and bookmarked. Also, thanks to another Yelp Elite friend, Elizabeth L's post that put that urgency back on the radar screen. I finally had the opportunity to seek these fine empanadas out, but it also came with a bit of a challenge (12/8/21). This business is located in a building that houses Maria Luisa Empanadas, Cafe Con Leche, and Club Sur. Parking area full of potholes were occupied, so I had to park along 1st Avenue South where all vehicles travel fast - exercise caution. Once inside, someone will check your vaccination status and pretty much you're on your own. The cafe side was busy. The center coffee stand had a line. And the club or pseudo banquet area was hosting some private event. I noticed signage that ordering is done by QR code or via their website. I didn't have great signal indoors, so had to go back outside to place my order, then return for about a 15-20 minute wait since I requested the empanadas to be baked and not frozen. I ordered one each of the Boca (beef), Palermo (chicken), Almagro (ham and cheese), and Lugano (spinach). I also ordered a Chocolate Alfajor. Eventually the goods will appear on the ledge, check for your name on the ticket to claim the correct bag. It was pretty much a mostly contact free transaction. Takeout box had a huge sticker on it giving additional empanada instructions which came in handy. If ordered frozen, you can have your stash that lasts up to three months. No worries there, so delicious, they won't last that long! I did have to briefly refrigerate the Chocolate Alfajor once home. It was placed atop the hot empananda takeout box, so it got kind of melty. Each empananda had its distinct savory flavor in a tasty pastry crust. They were so flavorful, that I didn't even need the chimichurri dipping sauce that was added to the takeout box. These lasted over three sittings and reheated really well, chockful of generous fillings, and not greasy. And that Chocolate Alfajor with the dulce de leche filled cookie and covered with a rich chocolate exterior, absolutely delicious! A definite exclamation point to end your meal. I will definitely have to return and try other menu items. Plus I need to do a side by side tasting between the ones offered from Maria Luisa's and the empanadas and alfajors from another popular site in NE Seattle/Lake City. Again, many thanks to Richard and Elizabeth for their respective Yelp reviews. read more

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