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    Rico’s Empanadas

    4.8 (118 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 6:30 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order Rico’s Empanadas Takeout or Delivery

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    RICO’S EMPANADAS ATMOSPHERE

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    Sarah S.

    The ham and cheese empanada at Rico's Empanadas is fire~! My brother in law of 25 years' family has a bakery in Argentina specializing in empanadas....and this was better. Don't tell him I said that! But legit, the dough is perfect and flavorful, the insides were excellent and the garlic sauce they put over the top is a fun & unique fire touch! Found on the Venice Boardwalk, it's a cute black & white shop sandwiched between Rico's Surf Shop and Pizzeria. No seating but you can take your eats and sit over by the basketball courts. After ordering, food takes about 10 minutes to come out and you can get the aforementioned garlic sauce strewn over your eats if you like. I did like but what's weird is they just handed it to us without napkins so be sure to ask for napkins because it is messsssssy with all that garlic oil. One thing that I wasn't a fan of was ordering a cookie and they had me grab my own. I accidently touched the cookie below as I was grabbing mine and then didn't love the idea that the last person did the same touching my cookie. I would suggest a covering/bag for the cookies so staff can grab them & people can actually take them to go. Just holding a melting cookie in the sun while waiting for my eats was not ideal. Just a suggestion to optimize your customer's experience. :) Now as mentioned, the Ham & Cheese is the MUST get here, straight fire. I also enjoyed the beef though it wasn't nearly as delicious. Unfortunately the Cheese & Sweet Corn which I was most looking forward to was 95% crust with barely any filling. It was not cheesy at all and had but a few pieces of corn. Maybe an off batch? Overall, I would try them again because I loveeeeed the Ham & Cheese Empanada and would like to try more on the menu.

    Empanadas

    Went here awhile ago and the Empanadas were really good. Came back and the place is twice as big... Had really good coffee now with a whole coffee bar

    Rico himself
    Helie L.

    This is my kind of breakfast. Had to take my son to surf at Venice beach at 6:30am. I was not thrilled until I came across this little morning treasure just off the walkway that's lined with stores not yet open and where all the bodybuilders will show off their bulges once they wake up and drink their protein powder shakes. But me I'm having the "Today's Special " 2 empanadas & a drink for $15. Usually I don't do anything except coffee till 10 but this place was calling to me. So glad I listened to myself for once.

    Empanada offerings sign
    François S.

    Was delighted to find an Argentine empanada spot, walking around. Nice spot in a corner, along the Venice beach boardwalk. Not too far from the main parking lot. Wanted to try the eggplant empanada but they were out so got the spinach & cheese. Was good with the chimichurri on top! Good cheese pull when taking bites. We also got a coffee. Would go again when in the area.

    Alma A.

    Absolutely must stop and try these empanadas! So full of flavor and good quality texture! If you know me, I'm stopping by any Argentine place I see. I spotted this out of the corner of my eye, and was skeptical about trying it. The lady working the stand was very sweet though, and convinced me otherwise. I tried the chicken empanada, sitting at $6 per empanada. That's good beachside price for one big empanada. But this empanada was one of my favorites I've ever had! The flavors and textures were cooked to perfection! I very much enjoyed my empanada and am very glad I stopped by!

    June 10, 2025 | Tuesday | Sweet corn and cheese Empanada!
    Shantelle S.

    June 11 & 12th, 2025 | Venice Beach: When you're walking on the Venice Boardwalk and crave a bite of Argentina, I highly recommend Rico's Empanadas! Memorable empanadas bursting with flavor, personality plus via Rico & beach scenery...it's a win! Eggplant Empanada: Eggplant, bell peppers, seasoned to perfection... gets me every time, I love it!! While I have been going to Rico's Empanadas for years, this one is my absolute favorite empanada! Eggplant, bell peppers, seasoned to perfection... gets me every time, I love it!! Corn & Cheese: Piping hot, cheesy, creamy corn filled & flavorful, inside of a crispy edged empanada! Oh my!! Customer Service: Rico is pure happiness! He easily leaves you with a smile & often times, laughter! He's full of personality & a whole vibe! Note: Got 2 empanadas to go for myself & the very next day, met up with a friend and introduced him to the empanadas, and we both got empanadas to go! They truly are delicious! Overall: Mouthwatering bites that will easily have you coming back for more! Yes! Let's go!

    Menu
    Kim B.

    Super friendly and chill empanada stand! Wonderfully enjoyable empanada lunch with iced coffee- can't think of a better way to spend a day walking along the beach!

    My son eating the ham and Ham & Cheese Empanada
    David Jr. R.

    My son is 7 years old the first thing he says when we get to Venice beach "dad let's go to Rico's empanadas" after our adventure at Venice "dad let's get a empanadas before we go home" Rico's empanadas is really good especially with that Chimichurri sauce omg it sooo delicious we'll be back again in may.

    Chicken empanada with chimichurri sauce
    Edith J.

    I got one chicken empanada because their beef was sold out and with good reason! The empanada was very good and not too greasy or heavy. It was the perfect snack while enjoying a day at the beach!

    Beef Empanada with house chimi sauce
    Luckonluck L.

    Rico is the most awesome and kind guy making and serving the most awesome empanadas you could ever dream of!! Trust me, add the empanada sauce with some green sauce and forget about...best you ever had!!

    Beef empanada with chimichurri

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    3 days ago

    Empanadas are so delicious and rico and Rosie are so nice . I highly recommend this place

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    2 months ago

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    10 days ago

    Delicious amazing service and can't wait to go back! Beef empanadas yummmmm, matcha yummmm

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    1 month ago

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    3 months ago

    Small little coffee shop. Super nice people, excellent coffee, great vibe. Thanks for perking me up a few times while visiting!

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    26 days ago

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    29 days ago

    THE BEST EMPANADAS! Rico is so lovely and hospitable. I always see him anytime I'm in Venice

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    Rose E.

    You’re amazing. Thank you so much for these kind words

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Rico’s Empanadas

    Review Highlights - Rico’s Empanadas

    Great little storefront with Argentinian style baked empanadas on the Venice boardwalk.

    Mentioned in 10 reviews

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    Empanada's Place - Ham & Cheese (left) Criolla (right)

    Empanada's Place

    4.4(965 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$

    Absolutely delicious empanadas in the area! We stopped by on a Wednesday afternoon and we were the…read moreonly customers at that time. We were greeting by a friendly staff member, perhaps the owner, who helped us with our empanada selection. We got spicy chicken, spicy beef, corn, and criolla empanadas. I strongly recommend the Criolla empanada, which is the most traditional, Argentinian empanada. It has ground beef, raisins, eggs, green onions, and spices. It was absolutely delicious and, when I go back, I will select this empanada!! I also recommend the corn empanadas (humita), especially if you're looking for a vegetarian option. It has corn, melted mozzarella, and white sauce. So delicious! I got these to go, but there are cute tables indoors and outdoors if you want to enjoy your empanadas there. They also sell mate and other Argentinian goodies like alfajores. Prices are reasonable; you can purchase just a few or a dozen. This has become my favorite empanada place!

    I love empanadas and wanted to see if this place lived up to the great reviews…read more The gentleman taking the orders was super nice and threw in a little something on the house. While the empanadas are $7.50 each, they are large and packed pretty well. Unfortunately that's where it ends... I tried four different kinds (cheese and potato, beef, criolla and chicken) and while they tasted fresh, they just didn't have a lot of flavor. I was also a little disappointed that they were fried instead of baked. They don't compare to the empanadas at El Gaucho market in North Redondo Beach, which has been my go to spot for empanadas for a while. Now those are super flavorful. Two disappointing stars for the empanadas and an extra star for customer service.

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    Empanada's Place - Inside

    Inside

    Empanada's Place
    Empanada's Place - Interior

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    Interior

    El Huarique - Breakfast 8am to 12pm

    El Huarique

    4.5(573 reviews)
    0.2 miVenice
    $$

    March 20, 2026 | Friday | Venice Beach Boardwalk | What a fun and continued adventure when I met up…read morewith my neighbor once again, as I randomly spotted a colorful looking exotic restaurant! The location turned out to be El Huarique Peruvian Kitchen! What a delicious find that turns up the flavor and definitely the heat! Be careful what you ask for! Haha! Fish Ceviche | Yes, please! Now, at first bite, for some odd reason, I thought the dish was going to be hot, but it was cold and absolutely delicious! Taking our server Mauricio's advice, I tried each item separately on my plate and then mixed it up... Yummy! New flavors had my taste buds doing a happy dance over and over again! Haha! I would absolutely 100% get this dish again! The flavors were electric once combined! Turn up the Heat | Our server Mauricio asked my spice level and I confidently said spicy! He asked if I was sure and I told him the story about me being in India, requesting a spicier version of a dish & the Chef coming out to take a look at me, because he couldn't believe I wanted spicier! Haha! Comedy Hour | I was enjoying every flavorful bite of the Fish Ceviche, when all of a sudden my body started to heat up! I was like, I can handle a bit of spice... And then suddenly my tongue got really warm and I could hardly feel it... Then my eyes started to water... And suddenly I lost focus in the conversation I was having with my friend & the traveler! I could hardly talk, because it was honestly that spicy! Haha! I bet it was also the sneaky little red onions, in addition to the other spices! Help, Please | I spotted Mauricio and asked him if he had any bread or yogurt, because my mouth was on fire! He didn't! He recommended water, which I had already tried! My friend, she recommended plantains, which I had also tried! The traveler ended up recommending the lettuce on my plate, which ended up helping for sure! After a while, my mouth started to cool down, thank goodness! Eye Spot Spice | Just when my mouth started to cool down, my friend accidentally touched her eye, which must have had spice on it! The girl at the next table, dining with her significant other, immediately came to her rescue! I asked our server Mauricio for a cup of water so she could flush out her eye! The girl at the next table told her to rub her eye with her hair... Which oddly helped! Plantains | I can always appreciate plantains, as I love them! They arrived at our table and quite plentiful! I appreciated that the flavor was just the right amount of sweet and savory... Perfect! As conversation flowed easily between me, my friend, and the traveler! I invited him to enjoy the plantains with us, which he did! Fried Rice | My friend, ordered this dish and invited me to share it with her! OMG! I highly recommend, so flavorful and definitely shareable! I happily enjoyed every bite that I put onto my plate! Customer Service | Mauricio was top-tier! He was patient, kind and so much fun to explore the menu with! He really wanted us to have the Peruvian experience, considering it was both me and my friends first time having Peruvian food... as far as I know! Seating | Both inside and outside! We sat on the outside patio! Happy Meeting | While waiting for my friend to arrive at the restaurant, a friendly worldwide traveler, who was currently in town, helped me with the menu! Though his meal included chicken, a dish he frequently orders when he's in town, he invited me to explore the veggie part of the menu and mentioned that the food was really good here! Something made me trust his recommendation and I'm glad I did! We had fun chatting with the friendly traveler! Overall | Oh my goodness! Hahaha! Between the flavorful Fish Ceviche that was too hot to handle, sweet and savory Plantains, the customer service via Mauricio, an extension of me and my friends spa day, & other friendly customers, made for a memorable evening! I'm excited to do it again, definitely turning down the spice level and exploring more of the menu! Thanks again, Mauricio & the friendly traveler! We shall all meet again! Let's go!!

    Amazing food!!! Highly recommend…read more The ceviche is so fresh and flavorful The lomo soltado in the plate or tacos is amazing Empanadas were not my fav but good as well. They have nice outdoor patio seating right on the boardwalk in Venice Love this place and have been back multiple times

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    El Huarique - Dining room

    Dining room

    El Huarique - Fried shrimp, calamari,white bass fish, served with tartar, sarza criolla and yucca fries

    Fried shrimp, calamari,white bass fish, served with tartar, sarza criolla and yucca fries

    El Huarique - New

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    Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden - Beautiful outside seating area!

    Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden

    4.7(156 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$

    We got Persian blend black tea iced. So tasty, a perfect…read morelate morning pick me up. Excellent fuel for your tour of Montana street. The spinach and mushroom empanada was delicious and well filled, and dairy free! Wonderful seasoning and baked to perfection.

    This was my second time visiting Buena Vida, and it won't be my last! Walking into the back patio…read morefeels like stepping into a secret garden - quaint, peaceful, and utterly charming. The cottagecore lover in me was screaming internally at the perfectly cozy and beautiful ambiance. My friend and I met up for afternoon tea over the weekend and had made a reservation in advance, so we were promptly greeted and seated. Parking in the area isn't too bad; there is metered parking on Montana, but I've been lucky with finding residential street parking both times. My friend and I weren't super hungry, so we split an afternoon tea set, which ended up being the perfect amount of food. The set came with 3 sandwiches, 1 empanada, 1 scone with clotted cream and jam, and 3 sweet treats, as well as a tea blend of our choice. Our waitress recommended the Persian blend and noted that it was the most popular option. I was a little hesitant at first since I don't like ginger, but she reassured me that the ginger wasn't too prominent and that the flavors were well balanced. We ended up going with her suggestion, and she was right: it was deliciously earthy with a hint of spice. All 3 sandwiches were delicious, but my favorite savory pastry was hands down the empanada. The minced chicken filling was both tender and well-seasoned, which perfectly blended with the buttery and flaky crust. I liked that they provided chimichurri on the side for dipping! I enjoyed all of the sweet pastries as well and was particularly impressed with how rich and fudgy the brownie was. We devoured just about every last crumb of the set! Throughout the afternoon, our server stopped by routinely to check in and refill our teapot, and I appreciated her warm demeanor. At around $60, the price is a tad bit steep (especially since people usually order 1 set per person), but I don't think it's unreasonable for the experience and the area. I'm glad we were able to split a set, and my friend and I both had a lovely afternoon here. Until next time!

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    Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden - Afternoon tea ($50pp)

    Afternoon tea ($50pp)

    Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden
    Buena Vida Tea Bar & Garden - Back patio seating

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    Back patio seating

    Grand Casino Bakery & Café - Choripan

    Grand Casino Bakery & Café

    4.1(832 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $$

    Buttery steak, great sangria, and amazing prices…read more They also have a wonderful happy hour menu. 10/10

    A Culver City staple since 1987, Grand Casino is conveniently located on Main Street and offers two…read moredistinct dining experiences. There is a full-service restaurant and bar perfect for grabbing a pint and a meal, and a dedicated bakery on the right side where you can pick up empanadas and sweets. During my recent visit to the bakery, I ordered three empanadas and a Beef Milanesa sandwich. It had been a few years since I'd had a Milanesa, and this version was quite solid -- it's essentially what would happen if a chicken fried steak and a chicken cutlet had a baby. The Beef Milanesa ($19.25), it features a breaded, very thin eye of the round beef. Since this is a bakery, the French Baguette is front and center, offering a great bite. It's pretty simple with the tomato, lettuce and mustard. While I would definitely eat it again, it isn't necessarily a destination sandwich I'd drive across town for, but it's a very satisfying choice. For the side, I went with the staff member's recommendation of French Fries over the salad. It was the right move; the shoestring fries were perfectly seasoned, hitting that ideal balance of crispy and soft. Spinach Artichoke: A flavorful blend of extra virgin olive oil, whole milk mozzarella, spinach, artichoke hearts, and caramelized onions. Spicy Beef: Made with halal beef, sweet onions, and a kick from three different types of chilies. Chicken Mushroom: Features halal chicken thigh (ground in-house by hand) with roasted mushrooms and fresh herbs. The empanadas ($3.50 each) were excellent and truly the primary reason to visit. The Spinach Artichoke and Spicy Beef were my personal favorites. I'll definitely be back soon to work my way through the rest of the empanada menu. With so many hipster restaurants popping up in the area, don't overlook this local gem. Whether you're in for the bakery treats or a hearty sandwich, you won't be disappointed.

    Photos
    Grand Casino Bakery & Café - Argentinan Market & Restaurant  Photo Credit: @Yanez.Films on Instagram

    Argentinan Market & Restaurant Photo Credit: @Yanez.Films on Instagram

    Grand Casino Bakery & Café
    Grand Casino Bakery & Café - California Breakfast, Sandwiches de Miga, Double Espresso

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    California Breakfast, Sandwiches de Miga, Double Espresso

    Rico’s Empanadas - empanadas - Updated May 2026

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