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    The Real Empanada

    4.6 (107 reviews)

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    From the bottom Ham & cheese Chicken and last but not least the pumpkin pie (complimentary because it was "well done")
    Larry B.

    Great, friendly and attentive service not to mention very tasty empanadas. Noah took great care to pair the sauces with the various empanadas. The "experimental" pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream was a wonderful dessert for the ham & cheese and chicken. Would like to try some of the other choices. I hope our time in town allows it.

    Sophie M.

    Not sure if I can fully trust YELP REVIEWS as I'm a yelper myself. LACK OF FLAVOR AND LACK OF WELCOMINGNESS from the crew, maybe they are young and wants to surf instead of serving behind the counter. Ordered few different flavors just to explore, nothing was really makes me want to comeback, too bad. PS : I see very very good reviews about this place, that's why I decided to give it a try, but I guess it's very personal and subjective, while my palate can't lie and hence the one star. Sorry.

    Spinach and Cheese/Vegetarian Empanadas with Chimi Churri sauce. Yum.
    Laura K.

    My family tried The Real Empanada today at a school function and the food was delicious! We tried the chicken, beef and spinach and cheese empanadas served with chimichurri sauce. All were so good and the sauce was not too hot. We will be back and appreciate this restaurant supporting our school events!

    Chimichurri and Garlic Habanero
    Anastasia A.

    Came in today to check it out, my dad lives a few blocks away and hadn't tried this place. The gal working was nice. Unfortunately we got 2 beef and 1 chicken despite ordering 2 chicken 1 beef--no biggie. I wish I knew their chicken had olives (the menu lists olives for the beef but not chicken). I think they can do without olives for at least the chicken empanada. The sauces were lacking. The garlic habanero looks really unappetizing (doesn't taste great) and the chimichurri definitely needs more work as the herbs were really big and not chopped well. I basically used it as a flavored olive oil. The lemon tang was also incredibly watery. I think the food would be better overall if their sauces were better and if they could throw a Malbec beef on the menu since the chicken and beef options with olives feel redundant.

    Hair in empanada
    Genesis C.

    Definitely not even close to Argentinian or Chilean empanadas. There's a hair in one of them. Lack of customer service, 2 young guys that not even greet, with vibes that they don't want to work there. Feel bad for them. The beverage fridge with only 1 kind of ice tea . Not even coke, sodas or water. Not recommend.

    Nathan G.

    Empanadas were light with lots of filling, great flavors we had all the four sauces I like the habanero the best, my wife like zesty lemon. We had the vegetarian also we had the ricotta and spinach, ham and cheese, and the chicken empanadas. The top sellers are beef and chicken empanada. This family business just opened last November and they are originally from Argentina. And they have parking.

    Menu
    Shawn Y.

    We were walking down the Avenida Del Mar and we spotted the place and decided to get some lunch. The staff were very nice and it seemed like it was run by a family. We ordered 6 empanadas and used $3 off. We got beef it was perfectly seasoned meat with a special blend of peppers, garlic, onios, olives, and hard boiled eggs. And chicken also was lightly seasoned and marinated with citrus juice and blend of peppers, garlic, olives, and hard boiled eggs. My favorite was veggies empanadas made with lentils, carrots, potatoes and special blend of spices We tried our empanadas with Chimi Churi made with persely, garlic, oregano and chili peppers mixed with oilve oil. And my favorite Garlic Habanero. They have parking spots on the front of building.

    Vegetarian, Beef, Ham n' Cheese, Chicken, And Chorizo Empanadas
    César C.

    This place was great, I tried one of each of the empanadas (including a Chorizo one that was not officially on the menu) and they were all delicious! The beef empanada and the chorizo empanada were my favorites. The portions are decent, each empanada is about 4 inches long, with the exception of the ham and cheese which has more of a round shape. My usual complaint with places that sell empanadas is the seasoning, this was not an issue here, I found everything perfectly seasoned. As for the place itself, its more of a take out location, there are no tables to dine in. We had no issues finding parking, the business has some but theres also plenty of parking in the surrounding area. Will definitely be coming back again if I find myself in the area!

    Closed when yelp hours posted said it's open.
    Tare P.

    The hours posted are wrong. just came here thinking it's open til midnight. It's 10:45pm 12/17/22, and it's not open.

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    Great empanadas and friendly service. Highly recommend the dipping sauces- especially the chimi-inspired sauce

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    Best empanadas ever, great taste, excellent prices, customer service is awesome. Thank you again

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    Ask the Community - The Real Empanada

    Hi! Any gluten free options yet? These look incredible!

    Are there gluten-free options? These look amazing.

    Hi Anita. We currently do not have a gluten free option, but we're definitely looking at a few options to make it happen.

    View All 3 Questions

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    Inka Mama's

    4.2(229 reviews)
    0.3 mi
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    We came to Inka Mama's on a Saturday night and were happy to be seated right away. The service was…read moregood and our server was knowledgeable about the menu and helpful with recommendations. The food was absolutely delicious! - Ribeye Saltado (5/5): tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. The entire dish was so good! - Ceviche (5/5): our server described it as similar to sashimi and even encouraged us to drink the juice afterward. It was delicious and so flavorful! Our only issue was the temperature inside. It was in the 80s outside and all the windows were open, so it was quite warm and we were definitely sweating throughout the meal. Overall, though, we really enjoyed the food and would come back!

    How this place doesn't have five stars is beyond me! First time dining here last night, love the…read morearea and have been to some of the other places nearby but never this one. I guess better late than never! The gentleman that greeted us was so friendly and welcoming which honestly, first impressions exist! He was talking with the other diners and just a pleasant person. Same with our server, she was so nice and personable . Kind of makes you feel like you're at someone's home. Atmosphere is beautiful, I love the open and airy historic building, had good vibes. The FOOD WAS FANTASTIC! we got bread and dipping sauce, some garlic jalapeño green sauce, wow, why was that so darn addicting! The meals we ordered were so flavorful, many choices to accommodate a variety of needs. My dish was vegetarian and gluten free. They had no problem making it gluten free and our server even brought me some cucumbers since I couldn't eat the bread with the sauce. That was a nice gesture and definitely appreciated. 10/10 here, think it's a must try!

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    Inka Mama's - Ceviche

    Ceviche

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    Sergio's Empanadas - Banana dulce de leche

    Sergio's Empanadas

    4.5(325 reviews)
    12.1 mi
    •$

    Laguna Beach: I so wanted these to be the Sergio's Empanadas that I remember from long ago. Time…read morehas changed. Recipes have changed. Yet it's the same name. The Mushroom empanada was fine and good. I would love one that's all mushroom and onion no mozzarella. Lighter cheese or no cheese. But no way my way. The Beef empanada was overloaded with raisins. I plucked out ten from one empanada-after I took a bite. If it were a wine, I would describe it as raisin forward with heavy notes of dried grapes with a raisin finish. Too much "raisin" for me. I have a beef with the Beef and Potato as well. Too dry. OK but lacking. More onions please! Simply lacking in spices and flavor. Chimichurri to the rescue. I did buy a jar to take home. The chimichurri was good but a bit flat. Easy fix- I added some chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and BOOM! That gave it the spicy pop that I wanted. Service was fine, limited outdoor seating, tough luck parking. Perhaps my taste buds have changed or I've worn 'em thin. Judging by the many reviews with a 4.5 star average, must be a change in my taste buds.

    The owner was super kind and chill! Gelato hit the spot and she was so patient in letting us try…read moreall the flavors. Best gelato spot in Laguna! Steps from the beach too can't beat it

    Photos
    Sergio's Empanadas - They serve Gelato too... didn't try it

    They serve Gelato too... didn't try it

    Sergio's Empanadas
    Sergio's Empanadas - This was right behind the empanada shop we walked eight are empanadas and looked out at the beautiful ocean

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    This was right behind the empanada shop we walked eight are empanadas and looked out at the beautiful ocean

    El Campeon

    El Campeon

    4.0(774 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    •$$

    I wish El campeón would invest more time and money improving and maintaining the restrooms…read more I love the food and staff.

    AMAZINGGGGGG, authentic Mexican food. Hands down the BEST I have ever had in my life. I went with…read moremy dad tonight and we shared chicken tacos, a steak quesadilla, and an order of the taquitos....they were all incredible (the steak quesadilla was my personal favorite, however). The chicken tacos were VERY big, I came hungry and I have a large appetite to say the least and one of those tacos itself was pretty filling. Both salsas on it were delicious (they offer a red and green one)! I also threw on a little bit on onion, cilantro and rice and it was even better. Easily the best taco I have ever had. The quesadilla had the best chew on it that is hard to describe in words.....it was slightly crispy on the outside yet a little soft and the flavor on the cheese that was so perfect. The cheese even had that melted and chewy feel to it that just makes your head want to explode because it can't comprehend how something could be so good. The taquitos were so nice and crispy and had such a pleasant blend of all the flavors it packs in its shell, you really get all of them in each bite. They are so generous with their portions in it and fill up the tray all the way to the top. This place is a gift, run here don't walk.

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    El Campeon - Food case

    Food case

    El Campeon - Chales - Chicharron c/carne ($9.89/lb)

    Chales - Chicharron c/carne ($9.89/lb)

    El Campeon - Chales - Chicharron c/carne ($9.89/lb)

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    Chales - Chicharron c/carne ($9.89/lb)

    Villa Roma - Ham & Cheese $1.50 Special (10/24/23). @VillaRomaRest #LagunaHills #OrangeCounty #ArgentinianFood #ItalianFood #FoodPorn

    Villa Roma

    3.9(831 reviews)
    12.3 mi
    •$$

    Stellar Service and Exquisite Food!…read more I came into Villa Roma for dinner around 6:00 PM, absolutely famished. I was thrilled to be seated right away and given the choice of where to sit. My waitress was a beautiful, bilingual, and incredibly friendly woman named Berenice. She was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and clearly has a wonderful rapport with the regulars and locals. Taking her recommendation, I ordered the Entraña steak dinner plate (cooked medium) with a side of crunchy garlic fries, along with empanadas and fried calamari to start. The pacing of the meal was fantastic. The empanadas were brought out immediately, followed closely by the calamari. The flavors were so exquisite that I completely cleared both appetizer plates while enjoying my water! My main entrée arrived very shortly after. Because I enjoyed the starters so much, I was too full to finish it, but I tasted the steak and a few fries. The steak was perfectly soft and absolutely delicious! I packed the rest to-go, and ended up ordering two extra meat empanadas and a Coke Zero (partly because I needed to break a $20 bill so I could leave a cash tip!). In total, everything came out to $93.72, including the tip. I don't treat myself to a meal out like this even once every three months, but I am so glad I came. The entire staff works seamlessly together to make sure all customers are attended to super fast. I am officially a huge fan and will absolutely be back--especially for their half-price empanada Tuesdays and buy-one-get-one-free pizza Wednesdays. I cannot recommend this place enough!

    Stopped in this week for a quick lunch. This place was my go-to while living in the area a few…read moreyears ago. I ordered some empanadas to start and the choripan with a side of ensalada rusa. Empanadas: Spinach empanada, the filling was to wet, too milkiy spinach not trimmed enough, and it tasted worse since it was fried. Had they controlled the picadillo prep, it wouldn't be milky. Chicken empanada- This did not taste as our traditonal empanadas, way too many spices and it was spicy, we do not do spicy, we do flavor. Chicken tasted sandy. Choripan: Poor meat quality, too chewy and grainy, I felt like I was eating sand. Bread overdone. Rusa: Bland. Overpriced for what you get and for the quality of the food. Keep it authentic, don't re-invent the wheel. I give it 2 stars for still having some great products at the market, free parking and pleasant service, but my goodness, your prices are too high compared to other Argentina establishments.

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    The Real Empanada - empanadas - Updated September 2026

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