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Been here before and remember it being good but that was not the case this time. I wanted to like it but it was bad. The pizza was overly cheesed and little sauce which could be fine if the favor made up but it did not. Very flavorless, greasy, rubbery low quality cheese. Empanadas were old and not hot. Seems like the had been sitting out all day and barely reheated. Mushroom chicken empanada was so so but also very oily and looked old. Chicken empanada had good texture and not oily but so so. Flavor on fatay empanada probably the best one but also old and dried out. Overall I just can't say this place is what it used to be. I did come an hour before closing but the pizza was made fresh so I feel like no excuse on that one. Pictures included, you can judge what you think from that.
My partner brought me here to try this pizza and their empanadas and I was so impressed! The Napolitano was soooo delicious! Full of flavor, crispy and crunchy in the right spots, just perfect. I have nothing bad to say about this place. The empanadas were stuffed with meat as well! Thank you for blessing us with this majestic beautiful pizza! :') Ambiance was great, it was a little taste of Argentina, they sold items like Yerba Mate and the mug/mate setup for the Yerba Mate! Can't wait to come back !
My husband bought a dozen empanadas assorted to try. They are very filling and I was full after eating just two. My favorite ones were the cheese and onion, beef, and chicken and mushroom. There was a lot of options with olives since it is Argentinian style and they unfortunately are unable to make a batch without if you dislike olives as much as I do. The onion and cheese empanada was very simple but happened to be the only one that would make me come back to buy more. Since we bought a dozen, they gave us some complimentary croissant pastries which were good sweet treats but nothing to write home about. Overall, I enjoyed it and they have amazing dough that is baked to perfection!
First time customer with two questions for myself and the business. First question: what was I thinking not ever trying this place after half a dozen years here! Second question : do they have a punchcard for frequent flyer customers? This feels like the source code for all empanadas that have ever been made the mozzarella and onion as simple as it sounds was incredibly scrumptious, tender, and pliable dough with the most delicious mozzarella cheese. The spicy beef was exemplary. I look forward to eating here again. With a humble exterior, the inside was homey, classy and rustic with brick walls and lovely with a variety of other options and delicious looking desserts. To the side, there was a small mini store of Argentinian favorites along with a lovely painted portrait soccer's finest Messi.
I usually come here after driving family for eye doctor appointments next door. All their empanadas are good but the spicy beef, sweet beef, plain beef, and fatay are my favorites. Regular empanadas (spicy beef, sweet beef, beef,) are $2.50 each. Fatay is $3 each since it's a special empanada. The menu shows the specific empanada folds each flavor has to tell them apart. The spicy beef has a good heat to it with a large green olive, hard boiled egg, chopped bell peppers, jalapenos inside. The sweet empanada has alot of raisins, hard boiled egg, green olives, and chopped bell peppers inside it. The fatay has a slice of lemon along with it and it's noticeable if you use lemon juice on it that goes well with the parsley, onions, tomatoes, and red peppers. They do fill up the inside of the empanadas well and it's seasoned nicely. Staff is nice, the wait time was not long. Take out only though, they did expand their dining area.
So much options for empanadas! I came here during lunch on a Wednesday, there a light line of 4 people in-front of me. They got busy during lunch hours, but the line moves quick fast. There's also a shelve of Argentinean treats like cookies, herbs, jams, and what draws my attention was the variety of the yerba mates. Back to the empanadas, it's interestingly good that they have different shape for different flavor. So smart! I tried the ham and cheese, which is soo good and cheesy. I also tried the bacon and prunes. Such an interesting and delicious combination. It's savory and sweet at the same time.
I have been on a hunt for authentic empanadas that replicated the ones i remember eating in high school from a friend's mom who was from Chile. I was recommended to try these from a babysitter of my neighbor and I was impressed. They have a large variety of flavors and they're not deep fried, but baked instead. They are larger and taste better than Nonna's empanadas. Rika's also sells desserts like sweet rolls and cakes. Their sweet rolls are delicious, freshly baked, and you really can't just eat one. They're perfect for parties, birthdays and other events. They sell Argentinian pizzas and a selection of teas and coffees too. I bought a big bag of Yerba mate tea bags. When I last came here indoor dining was closed. Parking is free in a shopping plaza. Service is very friendly.
Delicious Argentinian Empanadas. They offer a variety of oven baked empanadas. I tried three different flavors and I was very satisfied with each of the flavors. I also had a cup of delicious coffee. The restaurant is very clean with a large seating area. The staff was very friendly. Definitely will be coming back.
The empanadas here are great! You can also buy them uncooked and cook them at home. Really good pastries, too. Why four stars instead of five? Their hours. I went in at about 1:15 today and they said the kitchen was closed for an hour. Only open for take out. I was so hungry and really wanted to sit down and have a couple of their empanadas or maybe a sandwich. Left unhappy and went next door to Silver Spoon (mistake!) Disappointed for sure. Seemed like this happened to my husband and me here once before. Might want to call before you make the trip over to be sure they are serving.
We all have our comfort foods and this here is mine. Rikas empanadas have that home cooked flavor and that delicious baked smell. Reminds me of walking into my Abuelita's kitchen back in the day:) Adding a bit of Chimichurri sauce over an empanada enriches the taste of every bite. Sauce isn't included with empanadas but they do sell separately, you just have to ask for it. It's always a pleasure walking in and greeting the staff, service here is always great in person and over the phone. They exceed 5 stars, so Yes, I highly recommend. They do adhere to face mask and CDC guidelines due to Covid-19. Orders placed are take out only. Supporting my local favorite spots during these hard times.
Who said you can't review a closed restaurant? I checked Yelp's policy, and there's no restriction on reviewing a closed one. But why am I writing about food from a restaurant that has already closed? Let's begin the story. It was January 2023 when I walked into the restaurant. A Messi poster in WPAP (Wedha's Pop Art Portrait) style was hanging on the wall, and a FIFA World Cup Trophy sat on the counter. It was less than a month after Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with Messi as the team leader. They were also selling thermos flasks and phone cases painted with the Argentina football team. I had known this was an Argentine restaurant for a long time, dating back to 2016. I used to live in Glendora Village, just a ten-minute walk to the restaurant by crossing the railway. I didn't know the word "empanadas" before I came to Rika's, even though I had eaten similar food before. In China, there is Uyghur/Muslim food called "baked dumplings," stuffed with seasoned minced lamb, which are almost the same as empanadas. Compared with deep-fried empanadas, Rika's baked version was less oily, with more wheat flour aroma. Their empanada wrap also had a hint of sweetness, which made it very special. The first time I walked past the restaurant, on a random afternoon in 2016, I ordered four different empanadas to take away. At that time, they were $2.35 each. The restaurant was so kind that they wrote the flavor names on the food box. I still remember the experience-those empanadas were hot, aromatic, cheesy, and well-balanced. I was too full to have dinner that night. Later, I brought my family and friends to dine there. Not only were the empanadas delicious, but the deep-dish pizza, salads, and other dishes were also excellent. Let's talk about the empanadas. They had 16 different fillings, from simple ones like beef, sweet beef, spicy beef, ham & cheese, blue cheese, and onion & cheese, to more unique ones. What was interesting was that each filling had its own shape. Regular beef was half-round, sweet beef had both corners folded up, spicy beef had only the left corner folded up, and so on. FATAY (Arabian empanadas) were triangular, while bacon & prunes were square. I tried almost all the different fillings, and they were all good--never disappointing. Even after I moved to Pasadena, I still went back there. Then COVID-19 came. The restaurant closed for a short while, then reopened for takeout only, no dine-in. By June 2022, the price had risen to $2.85 each. By January 2023, it was $3.10 each. By June 2025, they closed permanently. I miss Rika's empanadas. I hope the chef is still baking them somewhere else. If so, please let me know. read more
Rika's Empanadas is a great Argentinian restaurant specialized in Argentinian food and pastries . It is located in Grand Avenue Plaza in Glendora. The parking lot is shared with other businesses, but it is easy to find a spot. Rika's has different varieties of fresh and delicious empanadas. Their savory menu includes cold sandwiches, hot sandwiches, pizzas, calzones, and salads. They also have both savory and Sweet crepe. The restaurant is clean and has a cozy vibe. The staff were very welcoming and friendly. I ordered the following to go; One Dozen Empanadas; -Chopped beef 5/5 chopped beef, onions, bell peepers, chopped potatoes, boiled eggs and green olives - Fatay: 5/5 The filling is ground beef, fresh tomatoes, lemon juice, bell peppers, onions, garlic and parsley -Bacon and prunes; 5/5 the filling is bacon, prunes onions and mozzarella cheese -Chicken 5/5 It has chopped chicken, onions, egg and olive -chicken and mushrooms 5/5 It has chicken, mushrooms, leeks, green onions, chopped almonds& parmesan cheese - ham and cheese 5/5 Just ham and mozzarella cheese Beauty is in simplicity and this was perfect! All empanadas we tried had perfect crust and the filling was delectable and scrumptious. - A beef milanesa sandwich 5/5 breaded fried aye of round beef (mayonnaise lettuce, tomatoes. The sandwich was both huge and delicious. - A Four seasons pizza; This pizza was divided into four quarters with four different toppings ; the first quater was Ham & pineapple, the second quarter was pepperoni, the last two quarters are ham & red bell peppers then tomato garlic and mushrooms with green olives. The toppings were generous and very flavorful, and the crust enhanced the toppings. This Four Seasons Pizza was perfect and convenient. Everyone in my family got what they wanted.Finally, I got nutella Sweet crepe (5/5) for dessert. It had nice texture and the chocolate hazelnut was rich and creamy. We enjoyed our dinner ,verything was delicious and flavorful.. It is a great food to try! I definitely recommend Rika's Empanadas. read more
As authentic as the place was, the surroundings, even the green olives in the empanadas, it was not the best. As simple as the beef not cooked right, the chimichurri tasted almost burnt, and the price itself all were just not the best. I did love how flaky the dough was on the empanada. The people there were kind workers too. Overall, I would love to have different flavors to everything. Not my favorite. read more
Been here before and remember it being good but that was not the case this time. I wanted to like it but it was bad. The pizza was overly cheesed and little sauce which could be fine if the favor made up but it did not. Very flavorless, greasy, rubbery low quality cheese. Empanadas were old and not hot. Seems like the had been sitting out all day and barely reheated. Mushroom chicken empanada was so so but also very oily and looked old. Chicken empanada had good texture and not oily but so so. Flavor on fatay empanada probably the best one but also old and dried out. Overall I just can't say this place is what it used to be. I did come an hour before closing but the pizza was made fresh so I feel like no excuse on that one. Pictures included, you can judge what you think from that. read more
2 years ago
My partner brought me here to try this pizza and their empanadas and I was so impressed! The Napolitano was soooo delicious! Full of flavor, crispy and crunchy in the right spots, just perfect. I have nothing bad to say about this place. The empanadas were stuffed with meat as well! Thank you for blessing us with this majestic beautiful pizza! :') Ambiance was great, it was a little taste of Argentina, they sold items like Yerba Mate and the mug/mate setup for the Yerba Mate! Can't wait to come back ! read more
My husband bought a dozen empanadas assorted to try. They are very filling and I was full after eating just two. My favorite ones were the cheese and onion, beef, and chicken and mushroom. There was a lot of options with olives since it is Argentinian style and they unfortunately are unable to make a batch without if you dislike olives as much as I do. The onion and cheese empanada was very simple but happened to be the only one that would make me come back to buy more. Since we bought a dozen, they gave us some complimentary croissant pastries which were good sweet treats but nothing to write home about. Overall, I enjoyed it and they have amazing dough that is baked to perfection! read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
June 27th called to place a to go order and the call was declined? I look it up on Google and it shows Rikas is permanently closed???? OMGOSH NO WAY.... Whats going on? I saw a review from 4 days ago no mention of it being closed permanently or temporarily......IM BUMMED!!!! read more
2 years ago
First time customer with two questions for myself and the business. First question: what was I thinking not ever trying this place after half a dozen years here! Second question : do they have a punchcard for frequent flyer customers? This feels like the source code for all empanadas that have ever been made the mozzarella and onion as simple as it sounds was incredibly scrumptious, tender, and pliable dough with the most delicious mozzarella cheese. The spicy beef was exemplary. I look forward to eating here again. With a humble exterior, the inside was homey, classy and rustic with brick walls and lovely with a variety of other options and delicious looking desserts. To the side, there was a small mini store of Argentinian favorites along with a lovely painted portrait soccer's finest Messi. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
I usually come here after driving family for eye doctor appointments next door. All their empanadas are good but the spicy beef, sweet beef, plain beef, and fatay are my favorites. Regular empanadas (spicy beef, sweet beef, beef,) are $2.50 each. Fatay is $3 each since it's a special empanada. The menu shows the specific empanada folds each flavor has to tell them apart. The spicy beef has a good heat to it with a large green olive, hard boiled egg, chopped bell peppers, jalapenos inside. The sweet empanada has alot of raisins, hard boiled egg, green olives, and chopped bell peppers inside it. The fatay has a slice of lemon along with it and it's noticeable if you use lemon juice on it that goes well with the parsley, onions, tomatoes, and red peppers. They do fill up the inside of the empanadas well and it's seasoned nicely. Staff is nice, the wait time was not long. Take out only though, they did expand their dining area. read more
So much options for empanadas! I came here during lunch on a Wednesday, there a light line of 4 people in-front of me. They got busy during lunch hours, but the line moves quick fast. There's also a shelve of Argentinean treats like cookies, herbs, jams, and what draws my attention was the variety of the yerba mates. Back to the empanadas, it's interestingly good that they have different shape for different flavor. So smart! I tried the ham and cheese, which is soo good and cheesy. I also tried the bacon and prunes. Such an interesting and delicious combination. It's savory and sweet at the same time. read more
2 years ago
I have been on a hunt for authentic empanadas that replicated the ones i remember eating in high school from a friend's mom who was from Chile. I was recommended to try these from a babysitter of my neighbor and I was impressed. They have a large variety of flavors and they're not deep fried, but baked instead. They are larger and taste better than Nonna's empanadas. Rika's also sells desserts like sweet rolls and cakes. Their sweet rolls are delicious, freshly baked, and you really can't just eat one. They're perfect for parties, birthdays and other events. They sell Argentinian pizzas and a selection of teas and coffees too. I bought a big bag of Yerba mate tea bags. When I last came here indoor dining was closed. Parking is free in a shopping plaza. Service is very friendly. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
Delicious Argentinian Empanadas. They offer a variety of oven baked empanadas. I tried three different flavors and I was very satisfied with each of the flavors. I also had a cup of delicious coffee. The restaurant is very clean with a large seating area. The staff was very friendly. Definitely will be coming back. read more
4 years ago
The empanadas here are great! You can also buy them uncooked and cook them at home. Really good pastries, too. Why four stars instead of five? Their hours. I went in at about 1:15 today and they said the kitchen was closed for an hour. Only open for take out. I was so hungry and really wanted to sit down and have a couple of their empanadas or maybe a sandwich. Left unhappy and went next door to Silver Spoon (mistake!) Disappointed for sure. Seemed like this happened to my husband and me here once before. Might want to call before you make the trip over to be sure they are serving. read more
We all have our comfort foods and this here is mine. Rikas empanadas have that home cooked flavor and that delicious baked smell. Reminds me of walking into my Abuelita's kitchen back in the day:) Adding a bit of Chimichurri sauce over an empanada enriches the taste of every bite. Sauce isn't included with empanadas but they do sell separately, you just have to ask for it. It's always a pleasure walking in and greeting the staff, service here is always great in person and over the phone. They exceed 5 stars, so Yes, I highly recommend. They do adhere to face mask and CDC guidelines due to Covid-19. Orders placed are take out only. Supporting my local favorite spots during these hard times. read more
3 years ago
I believe this is our 5th time we ordered from this place. We tried argentina empanadas everywhere. But nothing can compare here. Flavor,size,filling,freshness...we live 20 miles away but worth the drive all the times. The only downside is I wish they open longer. This place is a must try!! read more
6 years ago
Local Argentinian bakery with delicious empanadas. Each empanada is made to order so you'll get to enjoy them piping hot. They're still operating during covid for takeout. We placed an order via phone and it was ready in 10 minutes. It was a 10 min drive after hiking at GMR so it was doubly delicious. They empanadas are reasonably sized and I would suggest 3-4 to make a lunch. They do take credit cards and Apple Pay/Google Pay. There is a restroom for customer use inside. It's located in a strip mall so there's a small parking lot for easy parking. Food - you can't go wrong with any of the empanadas. All of them except for the fatay and ricotta cheese (premium empanadas) were the same price. The spicy beef is just the right amount of spice, and the corn is also really good (the white sauce is impeccable). The chicken mushroom is also very comforting and almost like a chicken pot pie. The menu in the front shows the different folds so you can tell which one is which. Hours: Closed on Mondays. Temporary hours are Open Tues-Thurs 10am-5pm and Friday-Saturday 10am-7pm, Sunday 10am-5pm There's pastries and pizzas that I'll have to try next time I'm back. Overall, you can't go wrong with coming here! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
The empanadas were very good I like the regular ground beef. My visit was on the day before Thanksgiving 2023 read more
3 years ago
Very good food. Lots of variety of Argentine food. You can enjoy from empanadas, Argentine bakery products, typical pizzas, crumb sandwiches, and other classic foods! You can also get different products to consume at home, such as dulce de leche, yerba, mates, straws, chimichurri, etc. Muy buena comida. Mucha variedad de productos Argentinos. Puedes disfrutar desde empanadas, productos de panaderia, pizzas tipicas, sandwich de miga, y otras comidas clásicas! También puedes conseguir distintos productos para consumir en el hogar, como Dulce de leche, yerba, Mates, bombillas, chimichurri, etc Argentinian Pizza Milanesa Sandwich #Rikasempanadas read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
Generous and delicious portions! Having been born and raised in Buenos Aires, I confirm this is authentic Argentine cuisine! Owners and staff are awesome! read more
5 years ago
A client from my work had brought us a pizza and empanadas from here and I thought it was soo delicious and was wondering where in the world did they come from?? I don't normally go out in this direction so I had to make the trip here because I absolutely had to have it again at some point in my life. I came here on a Saturday around 2-3 PM and there was no one else around but eventually people started coming in as I waited about 15-20 min for my order. Empanadas are $2.85 each or $28.50 for a dozen. I ordered a dozen and chose 2 spicy beef, 4 chicken, 1 chicken & mushroom, 1 ham and cheese, 2 spinach, and 2 eggplant. I also ordered a small pepperoni pizza ($13.95) and a small Rika's pizza ($17.95). They do have a traditional Argentinian pizza section as well which I'd love to try because they look and sounds super delicious. I'm just not the biggest fan of green olives though! Upon coming home with all the goods about 45 min later and just digging right into the pizza, everything was so delicious! I did realize that it took me a little while to chew and I thought it was just me, but my boyfriend ended up trying it as well and saying it was really good but also seemed "doughy" and he also was chewing it for a little bit longer than usual but I don't know if that was the right description or why it was taking a while? Haha but it's okay it was all mouth-watering overall! I opened the box of empanadas next and sadly counted only 11 and I could only find out what was missing after trying them and it looked like I didn't get to try the chicken and mushroom. I was way too far already and it would have been an incredible hassle for just one empanada or to even ask for a refund of one so I didn't bother but it was just unfortunate that I paid for the full dozen and that I didn't get to try the one I was actually looking forward to the most since it sounded so good. They have so many options and different foods on their menu and although I haven't even tried much, I'd definitely recommend trying everything if you can! read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
We tried the beef and spicy beef empanadas a couple weeks ago and I was pleasantly surprised. I would usually go to another spot for empanadas but Rika's is closer. I really liked the flavor of the filling. I do prefer fried empanadas but these were crispy enough to satisfy that tooth feel. We also got a sampling of pastries on this trip. The dough seemed like the same one used for empanadas but prepared differently for each item. Bottom line is I'd go back for the spicy empanadas. I'll probably try a vegetarian filling next time. read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
I came across this place on Yelp when I was looking for another good empanadas place. We came in a little bit late and some items are already gone ( I thought this is a good sign that this place make a mean empanadas!). We ordered 6pcs empanadas and we are wrong! We should get the dozen instead from the get-go. My favorite flavour is the Sweet Beef, Chicken mushroom and the Bacon and Prune, which has a heavenly taste, I swear!! read more
2 years ago
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More info about Rika's Empanadas
150 S Grand Ave
Ste M
Glendora, CA 91741
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(626) 914-3472
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Ask the Community - Rika's Empanadas
Do they automatically add tips to customers' bill?
Not my knowledge... and I have been going there for years!
Do they still offer their Empanadas in both Oven-baked and Deep-fried styles?
I believe they only do oven-baked. They are amazing!
What type of oil do you use for your pizza dough and sauce?
I believe they use oily oil.
Do thy take orders for takeout, I have a party and I thought I could serve empanadas for dinner. How much is an empanada? A doze?
Yes you can call in for take out...they charge extra for chimichurri though. A few months ago it was around $2.50 each or $25 for a dozen...rough estimate...you can call in and check pricing. Eat in price is a lot more expensive though
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