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    The Empanada Maker

    4.3 (1.1k reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order The Empanada Maker Takeout or Delivery

    The Empanada Maker Photos

    THE EMPANADA MAKER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Empanada Maker

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    Take home fridge
    Faz K.

    This is not a place for traditional empanadas but it is for awesome empanadas! We used to visit their old location a lot before we moved out of state. The fact that we wanted to come back here when in town should tell you all you need to know why it's 5 stars. New location but same old flavors and quality of food. I came here twice and it was off hours so chatted with staff a bit. They were really nice bith times. Their grab and go fridge did not uave any Florentine boxes so they made one up for me to take. Next time I'm in town, i will definitely be visiting again.

    Jonathan P.

    Heard a bunch of raving reviews so I had to try it! Unfortunately, I can't say that they're worth all the hype though. There were a few good ones and a few that were just mid. Plus paying extra for a small sauce just didn't make sense when I was already spending about 5-6 per empanada. Diablo was okay. Not really spicy. Had a lot more sweetness than anything. Beef was just okay. Not too much going on there. Chicken was much better than the beef. Lots of flavor in there. (Both original chicken and the other chicken). Spinach one is pretty spot on if you like a spinach dip kind of flavor. Sauce, id recommend chimichurri and chipotle. Both were very good.

    #1 - Original Chicken
    Kiki K.

    First time here, INCREDIBLE is an understatement. Empanadas are so nostalgic to me and I haven't had one in so long. These are so phenomenal!! I got the Original Chicken and Ham & Cheese. Aundrey is so nice and gave us great recommendations! Music isn't too loud, so it's easy to have a conversation. 10/10, going to make the drive again for this place!

    Cindy G.

    We ordered a dozen... they taste pretty good, however we shared the box between the two of us, and none of them are marked as to what kind they are.... So we just kind of have to play Russian roulette here on what is

    Quick bite before work
    Jackie D.

    I decided to mobile order a Starbucks on my way to work when I remembered The Empanada Maker was right next door. I decided to pop in to give them a try since it's been years since I've last had them. When I walked in I saw two employees which looked to be the chefs. There was another behind the counter who ended up helping me. It was a simple and easy order/exchange which is always nice! I remember their cheese and spinach empanada was good so I ordered that one along with the seasonal veggie. Together they cost around $10 and some change which isn't bad considering how amazing they tasted. I really enjoyed the cheese and spinach one cause it had a ton of flavor and a flaky crust. The seasonal veggies one was alright and had a little less flavor than I was expecting. Overall I'm happy I stopped by and will be back to try out some of the other fillings!

    Arya R.

    Lots of different empanada flavors to choose from - 10+. This makes it exciting as you have flavors for whatever you are feeling for the day. The seasonal veggie empanada was my favorite, super flavorful. The star however are their sauces. The empanadas were good but the chipotle sauce and the chimichurri were to die for!

    Family pack of empanadas
    Joshua T.

    We got their family pack of empanadas, which enabled us to try quite a few. They all tasted good, from the non-meat ones, meat, and desert types. Each one has a number baked into the edge so you can tell them apart. This was a fun, relatively inexpensive way to feed 3 people for dinner. The variety you can choose from is nice and we've never had one we didn't like.

    Empanada Menu - December 2022
    Howie C.

    Thirteen different empanada varieties plus three dessert empanadas, which one you pickin'? Finally got to stop by the Empanada Maker which I had bookmarked for years. It's a fast food looking setup and you can get hot and ready empanadas or you can take home unbaked dozens for your freezer. A dozen empanadas will run you $39.99 but with Yelp check-in you get $5 off. I went with Combo #3 for $15.99 which comes with three empanadas of my choice, one side and a fountain drink. I got fries for my side and added extra side of chimichurri rice for $3.99. Original Chicken Empanada (chicken breast, bell peppers, peas, potatos) - I liked the taste of this one, all the vegetables were very soft in this one. That means they cook the filling pretty long before putting it in the shell. Based on personal preference that could be a good or bad thing. Taste wise was great, I personally would have liked it a little firmer inside. Original Beef Empanada (ground beef, onions, potatoes, black olives, egg) - I like black olives and loved this one because the black olive was definitely noticeable but not overwhelming. Ultra savory and all the ingredients just go well together. Spinach and Cheese Empanada (spinach, garlic, onions, mozzarella and parmesan) - Since I had two meat empanadas, this one was a good one to balance it out with some veggies. It's mainly spinach and cheese taste with just a hint of garlic. Seasoned Fries - They give a generous portion of long fries, hot and crispy! Chimichurri Rice - It looked great but it was a little short on chimichurri flavor. Maybe I was hoping for it being a little more sour with a little more garlic and parsley bite? Or maybe I was hoping for too much? Anyhow, the portion size for the regular at $3.99 is kind of small. I would pass on this next time. Cilantro Avocado Sauce ($.50) - This had no taste to me. I would not get this again. Chimichurri Sauce ($.50) - This chimichurri sauce was a lot of finely ground parsley from what I could see but it didn't have any bite or that much flavor. I love chimichurri sauce but would have to pass on this sauce too. Some items here are hits and others are misses. If you are coming here, you are coming for the empanadas and they are all very tasty. The empanada crust is on the thinner side so they are good when fresh but the sauce might seep through if you keep it in your fridge a couple of days so eat them fresh or freeze them. The side sauces were small in size and disappointing but thankfully the empanadas don't need the extra sauce. The fries were great. Empanadas are mid-sized and $3.79 each so it can add up if you order a few of them. But hey, where else can you find this many different empanada flavors in South County?

    Menu

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    Love there empanada. They moved closer to me so this is great. I take mine home. Service was efficient. Would go back for sure!

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    10 months ago

    Food was amazing and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Standard ambiance and the place was very clean.

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    The Empanada Maker Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Empanada Maker

    Are the veggie breakfast empanadas available to order? I see they are no longer on the menu but they were very good. Thanks!

    Hi Josephine, thanks for your question. Unfortunately, we had to remove a few items from our menu that were not selling as much as the others. We will definitely feature the veggie breakfast as a special option in the future. In the meantime, we… Read more

    Are the veggie empanadas vegan?

    Our dough is made with cream cheese, so unfortunately we do not have any vegan empanada options. Most of our side dishes and salads are vegan friendly!

    Why did you get rid of the chicken cordon bleu? Is it ever going to return!? :(

    Hello Saskia, We replaced the chicken cordon bleu with the chicken bacon ranch. It was just a more… Read more

    Can things be special ordered without onions?

    The empanadas are pre-made and just heated to order so there is no way to exclude ingredients just walking in to order; however, if you called ahead and placed an order for the next day (or perhaps even later the same day) you might be able to have… Read more

    Do you have any empanadas that are gluten free?

    Hello Susan, at this time we do not offer gluten-free empanadas, but we do have delicious side dishes and salads that are gluten free.

    Do you they have any vegan empanadas?

    We don't currently offer vegan empanadas, but we do have side dishes and salads that are vegan-friendly. We also would be happy to serve a portion of just the filling of our veggie empanadas... the filling is vegan but not the dough. Hope this… Read more

    Are these Columbian empanadas?

    No, these are Argentine style empanadas

    View All 10 Questions

    Nice Burger - Cali burger, Mexicali burger, and sweet potato fries.

    Nice Burger

    4.7(127 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    For a vegan place that makes a meat eater return, tells ya how good their burgers are!…read moreMacked down on the Jalapeño burger and it was fantabulous! What I didn't care for is the self-service menu/ordering. Missing the personal side of the experience, but again, I didn't come to visit. I came to eat. Place is cozy and clean too. If ya want to try a fake burger, I'd try this place first.

    Mixed thoughts on this place. The food was hit or miss, but the vibe in the restaurant was lacking…read more Service was slow, inattentive and not very friendly. I enjoyed the breakfast burger with tator tots. The wings? Not so much. They all had awkward, chunky sticks of wood in them, making them awkward to eat. I never understood why vegan places try to mimic that, I'd rather just have boneless "wings." Here, I felt like half of each wing was just wood. I had no idea they had an app. It turns out that the food is much cheaper to order in the app. Usually Google shows business preferred methods to order, but they didn't here. I thought my order was pricey, only to find out the prices in house and in app are MUCH cheaper. There was a huge fan blowing across the place, probably because there's no A/C? I definitely wouldn't want to spend much time here in the summer. A few of us ordered ahead and had to wait a while in the muggy lobby. The staff didn't pay much attention to two of us waiting at the counter. 4 stars for vegan food, but really 3/5 overall.

    Photos
    Nice Burger - Drink Flavors

    Drink Flavors

    Nice Burger - MEXICALI

    MEXICALI

    Nice Burger - Chili cheese fries

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    Chili cheese fries

    The Empanada Maker - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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