I honestly never heard of this place until my son brought back a bacon and egg empanada. I was blown away! The empanada was great! Perfectly baked and seasoned to perfection! I will definitely be coming back! read more

It wasn't bad. I think the spinach and cheese empanada was better of the 2. It had more filling & tasted as expected. The crust was crispy but the inside wasn't as hot as I hoped. The Philly cheesesteak tasted was ok. read more

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This place doesn't look like an empanada place because the sign outside says "COFFEE". The empanadas sign is small and we almost missed the place. However, it is a cute little cafe. Perfect for working and the empanadas are amazing! I would say that the flavors are there but the limo saltado and traditional Peruvian were a little dry. The best was the spicy thai chicken. I would recommend that one. We wanted to try the granny cranberries apple but they ran out! :( definitely need to come early for the popular menu items. Service was quick and I would come back for more. The pricing was also very affordable. About $5 for an empanada. read more

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Enjoyed the chicken cilantro, bacon and egg and lomo saltoda. The breading part was a bit dry. Paid about $7-8 each.

Service and staff were spectacular here, and I ended up getting 4 empanadas to take down for a short road trip. Our favorites were the traditional beef and the chorizo egg & cheese. The sausage egg & cheese was nothing special and the chicken in the Spicy Thai chicken was really dry! There wasn't much spicy or Thai about it either. The empanada itself was crispy and delicious for all 4 though! Perfectly baked. read more

Went for the empanadas. Ordered a few different types just to try them out. The lomo saltado, chicken, beef, and spinach cheese. I sample a little of each and my favorite was the lomo followed by the chicken. The filling for the lomo and chicken was full of flavor and the meat was juicy. The regular beef empanada was too salty for liking and the spinach cheese was just basic. The crust on these things was perfect! read more

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Yummy empanadas! I really enjoyed the empanadas here. I had the pizza empanada and my fiancé had the spicy Thai one. They were both really good and fresh! I can't wait to come back to try the other flavors they have! I tried their mixed berry and mango smoothies as well. They make them like how Porto's does. Super refreshing on a hot day! read more

Have been wanting to try this place for their empanadas for a while now. Finally had the chance and stopped by. Did not disappoint!! I had the Peruvian and another meat filled empanada and wow! Absolutely delicious! Not to mention the empanadas are huge!! Will definitely be coming more often! read more

The traditional beef was good but was a little disappointed they didn't have chimichurri for the empanada..that would've gave this review 5stars Because I'm not trying to eat my empanada with a packet of hot sauce that they b giving out at Chinese spots.. read more

I really like this place. They have a lot of choices of empanadas. My go-to are the Peruvian beef, Mediterranean and spinach with cheese. Heads up, if it has olives... it HAS OLIVES. Like, a lot. Sometimes I remove some and there is still a good amount. But its really good. They have all the dairy substitutes and their drinks look really good. I always see them being made and they look good but I can't have caffeine (sad face). I've tried atleast 8 types and am always happy with my order. read more

If you're craving for tasty and flavorful empanadas, you might want to consider to give this place a try. Located off in Branham, the place is not far from 85N exit. My first experience was pleasant. I had no idea what to order and the sales associate was giving me advice on what's their best selling empanadas. I decided to try their Beef Lomo empanadas and Chicken Cilantro. They gave pretty generous beef filling for their Beef Lomo. Very tasty, flavorful, this can be a lunch me itself for me. Chicken Cilantro gave me a bit sweet and savory taste at the same time. They didn't put too much cilantro which I liked, otherwise it would be too strong. Their coffee was not that bad either. I would come back in a heart beat to try their other dish. read more

Who doesn't love a good empanada?? Came here after lunch for a to go snack and was concerned they would run out of empanadas. But was pleasantly surprised when they still had a bunch left. Lomo saltado empanada for $4.64. It was so cheap and filling! My only regret is not eating the empanada fresh. I tried it the day after, but it was still good. I can only imagine how delicious a fresh one would be! They had sweet empanadas too if you've not into savory ones. It felt like one of those places with a bunch of regulars. One table I saw even had a label with a "For Bob and John" sticker! I can only hope to find an establishment be so dedicated to! read more

I came to this bakery for the first time recently and overall, I enjoyed my experience. They appear to be very popular so when I arrived, I was happy I made the decision earlier to put in a mobile order. We tried both the potato and peach/blueberry empanadas. They were hands down 5 stars and the best I've had in my limited experience with empanadas. The temperature was right, crust was made well, and ingredients tasted fresh. I am likely to blame for my drink order because it was awful but I wasn't sure how to articulate what I wanted though the app so I don't blame them. They are conveniently located with plenty of parking but the shop itself appeared very small. I did spot some tables outside so they may have outdoor seating. Everyone I talked to were friendly and helpful and mobile pay was also a nice time saver. I would definitely recommend this establishment. read more

Overall a sweet local business, maybe 3.5 s! I've ordered different kinds of empanadas, and several different drinks on multiple occasions. Pros: -Fast Service -AMAZING empanadas. I can see why they sell out! -Affordable Cons: -Says masks required, but it's not enforced. Plenty of people come in without masks. -Drinks aren't great. I've tried their espresso drinks and smoothies. The latter tastes powdered, and the former when I had it was just... not good. The barista at the time was quite young however, so maybe she was new? I'll give it another shot with a more experienced barista. read more

Delicious empanadas & tasty drinks! A must try if you're in San Jose. Food bloggers need to get in on this.

Yesterday we bought our first empanada for breakfast after having moved into the area . It was delicious! Great crust , flaky and just right and the filling had a ton of bacon and eggs . The people were friendly too . Edit : I went from 5 to 3 stars .. We went back the next day . The owner was not there and instead we found 2 girls on their phones . And occasionally chatting to each other . There were 3 customers waiting to order but they could not be bothered . My husband asked if he could order and one of the girls sighed and took his order . The empanada was ok . We tried a beef one that had a puckering amount of olive and it was a bit bland but ok overal . Not worth 8 dollars . There's another empanada place nearby . We went this morning and the people were really welcoming and attentive . read more

They specialize in empanadas at Big E, and they had a full selection available at 10:30 on a Sunday afternoon. I was really looking forward to trying their empanadas, but sadly, they weren't very good. The dough wasn't even flaky, and was very firm/crumbly. At least they don't skimp on the toppings, but I'm really surprised by all the high reviews. I ended up trying: -Sausage, Egg, Cheddar Cheese Empanada ($3.65, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=o177TPJmkWR0bNM9r5zIDw&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=JsKi3anZY42f5BJa-kl4eA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Lots of egg and sausage filling, but it was super dry. The empanada shell was so dry, and I felt really thirsty after a couple of bites. I wouldn't get this again. -Panzerotto Empanada (Pepperoni, Mozzarella, Sausage, Pizza Sauce, $3.70, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=yuV4YcQ-_rJeUV5iF53NRw&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=kO32iuNSfuPKbo4udKigcg&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg): Just ok- they give you a ton of sausage and pizza sauce in here, but there wasn't much cheese. The service here was also lackluster- I had requested the sausage empanada to be heated, but it wasn't. It's the little things like this that can really leave an impression on you. Based on this experience, I doubt I'll be back. I would recommend driving less than a mile to check out the empanadas and other baked goods at Milohas, which are much flakier! Parking should be fairly easy- there aren't a ton of spots right in front of this cafe, but seemed like there was plenty of parking in this plaza. read more

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The owner greets you with a welcome and a smile. Clean interior with displayed empanadas. They give you the option of heating it to eat now or heat on your own. I got 2 that day. One to eat now and one to save for later. Comes with some hot sauce. Takes a few minutes to heat. They're a good size and one does the job for brunch. Traditional - raisins and meat (sweet and savory) (4/5) Lomo saltado - meat and potatoes 4/5) Would definitely come back. Easy parking. Outdoor tables. Quick and easy meal on read more

I really enjoyed their empanadas until I found a hair. I contacted them about it and hopefully they will be more careful in the future... read more

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My boyfriend and I come in often on Saturdays and it is always the highlight of our weekend. The coffee is great. They have a nice selection of sugar free syrups, which I enjoy. They also have dairy free milks. I tend to get their sugar free Carmel cappuccino with almond milk. Can not go wrong with any of their beverages, but that is my personal favorite. I also really enjoy the empanadas. They are fresh and taste as though they were made to order. The ambiance is super lively as there are always groups of people there meeting, catching up and even playing cards. It's a fun place to come and hang out. The staff is really nice. They are always friendly and talkative. They make you feel like a guest! Highly recommend this place. read more

So there are two empanadas shop in south San Jose - Miloha and Big E Cafe. I love empanadas and these two are my top favorite. What makes Big E Cafe stand out from Miloha is that they offer a lot more creative variety fillings which I like. Another thing is with their empanada is that they have the best outer layer that is crispy and crunchy - so delicious! You can also re-heat the empanadas the next day if you can't finish it and they will still be good. This will always be my family go-to spot for when we want a quick small lunch or when we crave them. read more

Updating my review after my amazing experience at this local business today. Since they were short staffed, only the owner was running the show and was almost about to close when I walked in with kids in tow. He was not only kind enough to take our order, but he also dazzled my kids with an impressive array of shiny rocks and asked them to pick one each. I don't see this personal touch in a lot of places and 100% will continue to support this business despite moving away. read more

Big E Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Every time I go to the optometrist, I have to stop by this Cafe to get the empanadas and the drinks. The staff is friendly and dog friendly! They are very patient and efficient. The sausage egg and cheese empanada is delicious with their hot sauce along with their chorizo. Yum. Yum. YUM. read more

I'll make this one short. GO! Get some delicious empanadas and buy some more on the way out for later. (Trust me...you can thank me later). Why are you still here??? Go gets some Big E's! read more

We stopped in for vanilla latte and cap, ended up getting empanada special, 2 empanadas , side salad and drink for 9$. I got chicken and mushroom empanada , husband for sausage empanada and shared artichoke salad. Delish!!!! Need to upgrade to 5 stars read more

Big E Cafe - Chicken and mushroom empanada husband had sausage Combo #2. One Lunch Empanada, One Small Side Dish, One 12 Oz Coffee or Soda - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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I love coming here for empanadas whenever I'm in the area. This was the first time that we ordered a dozen. Of course we ordered two of each flavors that was displayed on the window. We ordered traditional beef, lomo beef, spicy Thai chicken, chicken cilantro, chicken mushroom, and gyro. They were all really good and tasty. The texture was crispy on the outside and they had a lot of fillings on the inside. It was my first time trying gyro and that was really good. I have not tried their sweet and breakfast empanadas yet. The empanadas were good, but the wait was quite long. I did not see any signs for the amount of people inside the cafe and after some people ordered their items then they just stayed inside the cafe waiting, which prevented new customers to go inside to place their orders. Overall, the savory empanadas are always my picks and I would go back to order again, but I'll probably call in to place the order. They're good with hot sauce too! read more

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Fantastic empanadas that are cooked perfectly. The spicy Thai chicken empanada had a kick to it and it was full of flavor. The sausage, egg, and cheese empanada was a perfect start to the day. Saturday morning was busy but they quickly work through the line and keep pumping out drinks and fresh empanadas. I can't wait to keep trying different empanadas considering they have tons of options. Give these guys a shot! read more

Big E Cafe - Sausage, egg, and cheese - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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This was my first time trying empanadas! Came here with a group of friends to try it out and I wasn't disappointed. We came in the afternoon, so it wasn't busy at all. Small cafe, with a huge parking lot. There was a lot of variety in the choices of empanadas. I personally got the spinach and cheese one. Very delicious when warm! I really enjoyed it, at a good price! I wouldn't drive across the town for these empanadas, but I'd definitely stop by if I were in the area. read more

Big E Cafe - Spinach and Cheese Empanada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Great place to eat if you're in the neighborhood, but I definitely wouldn't drive across town for their empanadas. I had the chorizo with potato empanada, and I definitely enjoyed it, but it wasn't anything to write home about. I didn't have crazy high expectations as far as the ambiance goes--just a typical small cafe. If you're around here definitely put this on your list to visit for a casual lunch, but nothing to write home about. read more

Big E Cafe - Display case. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

We were hosting a party at home n wanted to order some empanadas, found Big E on yelp! As we are vegetarians we only tried the spinach & cheese and the Mediterranean empanadas and an iced latte The empanadas came piping hot! They are big and filling. The crust is perfect! not flaky or dry or greasy at all ! Hubby n I loved the mediterranean more and ordered them along with the thai chicken empanadas for the party. We met the owner of Big E. He is a very humble man and seemed very experienced in the kitchen! He also gave me some instruction on how to heat them in my oven for the party. We ordered 20 empanadas and he gave us a better discount than the yelp check-in! He also told us that he was going to have a vegan empanada on the menu and am totally looking fwd to it! All my party guests enjoyed the both the empanadas! read more

Big E Cafe - Mediterranean and spinach empanadas - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

Am I an empanada fanatic? Not really, but a tasty empanada is never a bad thing. How many empanadas have I had in my life? Not sure, but they could probably be counted on one hand. Does that make my opinion of their empanadas less valid? I hope not. Rhetorical questions aside, I really enjoyed my lunch here (a few months back). We tried the beef and panzerotto empanadas, and they were both so good that I couldn't decide which I liked best. The meat and spice combination was so flavorful, in both empanadas. That's saying something, because I love pizza and the panzerotto empanada was basically a hot pocket...which is ironic because I'm pretty sure that the inspiration for a hot pocket was an empanada. We also tried the Thai empanada, and...well, maybe Cuban food should not be mixed with Thai food. It tasted like a Thai version of a chicken pot pie, and that is not necessarily a good thing. Would I return? Yes, but not until I'm eating red meat again (as I say in all of my more recent reviews). There are just some places that let the red meats do the heavy lifting, and that's perfectly okay. read more

Big E Cafe - Spicy Thai - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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This place rocks! Wide selection of empanadas to choose from. Freshly made daily and heated up for you pretty quick. Steady stream of customers that is nice to see supporting a small business. Tasty fresh ingredients, meat, cheese and. Vegetarian options. read more

Big E Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

seriously legit place. My mom is Peruvian, so it was quite the delightful surprise to find out that the owners are Peruvian! They even serve Inca Cola here! (I didn't order it, but if you've never tried Inca cola, it's definitely an experience! It tastes like bubble gum :D). ok. THE EMPANADAS. so good. Here are my thoughts on the ones I've tried: - Spinach: you get your veggies and protein (cheese counts, yeah?) all in one! this one has some spice, so if you are anti-spice, beware! - Philly: Delicious! You get your cheese, steak, and bell peppers. Definitely filling. - Ham & cheese: YUM. the eggs are fluffy and there is a perfect ratio of ham to cheese (IMO). A biiiit inconsistent --- I ordered one on one day and another on a different day of the week, and the second time, the eggs were a biiiit on the dry side, but not enough to prevent me from eating it! - Chicken & Mushroom: I wasn't expecting this one to have some cream/cheese (not sure, but it reminded me of cream of mushroom soup a bit). Flavors were excellent. ALSO. the empanadas crust (agh, i dont know what it's called), is not flimsy by any means. I had to microwave a couple of empanadas when i was at work, and the entire empanada held up, no tearing, etc. cute cafe. I don't think there are any public restrooms (I may be wrong here, but I think I saw a sign that said that?) so maybe not the best place to hang for hours on end :). --------- En serio, un lugar magnifico. Mi mamá es peruana, ¡así que fue una sorpresa de descubrir que los dueños son peruanos! ¡Ellos sirven Inca Cola aquí! (No lo pedí, pero si nunca has probado Inca cola, definitivamente es una experiencia. un sabor de chicle: D). LAS EMPANADAS. tan buenas. Aquí están mis pensamientos sobre los que he probado: - Espinacas: ¡obtienes tus verduras y proteínas (el queso cuenta, sí?) ¡Todo en uno! es un poquito picante. - Philly: ¡Delicioso! Tienes su queso, carne y pimientos. Definitivamente llenando. - Jamón & Queso: QUE RICA. Los huevos son esponjosos y hay una proporción perfecta de jamón a queso. Un poquitttooo inconsistente --- Ordené una en un día y otro en un día diferente de la semana, y la segunda vez, los huevos fueron un poquito en el lado seco, ¡pero no suficiente para prevenirme a comerla! - Pollo y hongos: no me da cuenta que este tuviera algo de crema / queso (no estoy seguro, pero me recordó un poco a la crema de hongos). Los sabores eran excelentes. la corteza de las empanadas (agh, no sé cómo se llama), Tuve que poner unas empanadas en el microondas cuando estaba en el trabajo, y todas las empanadas mantuvieron sus formas. No creo que haya baños públicos en Big E (quizas me equivoque aquí, pero creo que vi un papel que dijo eso?) Así que tal vez no sea el mejor lugar para pasar horas y horas :). Pero, me encantan las empanadas! read more

Love, love, love the empanadas! Considered only 4 stars, as while the staff was pleasant, they seemed "tired" and ended up labeling order wrong on one. No biggie as their food is so good. More help? Breaks? Otherwise so yummy! read more

I happened to bump into this place while doing some volunteer work nearby. I love empanada's and wanted to try this as soon as I spotted it. They have lot of different kinds of empanada's. I got the breakfast empanada with chorizo and my husband got the one with bacon. The empanada's were good but the outer covering seemed thicker than usual. This is a family owned business and everyone working there were very friendly which I loved. read more

Big E Cafe - Empanada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

I was in the area and after a stellar foodie experience at Big E's competitor, Milohas, a couple weeks back, I decided to check out Big E's empanadas! The cafe is not as well decorated as Milohas, it's a lot simpler, coffee shop feels but service was quick and friendly. We ordered the beef empanada and spicy Thai chicken empanada to eat in and 2 each chicken cilantro and chicken mushroom empanadas to go. Each empanada costs almost $4 with tax, certainly not dirt cheap but they are pretty filling. Among all the 4 flavors that we got, my favorite was the chicken mushroom and spicy Thai chicken. The Thai chicken is not spicy but has that rich curry flavor. My fiance prefers the beef but I thought the marinade olive that is mixed in with the beef was a bit offputting with the fermented smell. All the empanadas are filled generously, lots of chicken, lots of beef and not too thick of the dough. The chicken cilantro was in my opinion disappointing as I don't really taste the cilantro at all, so it was just filled with chicken and flavored like chicken pie. Now, comparing the two empanadas, between Milohas and Big E, both my fiance and I agreed that Milohas makes better empanadas. Both stores don't sell empanadas with identical fillings, so I'm not really comparing the fillings.. and both stores actually are generous with the filling of the pies! However, milohas won because the crust/dough of the pie taste significantly more superior than Big E. Milohas' crust/pastry/dough is flakier, more buttery, has richer flavor...it makes the eating experience yummier! Overall, I'm happy with my purchase but if I have to choose, I'll go back for Milohas for empanadas. read more

Big E Cafe - Spicy thai chicken empanada - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Jose, California

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Great service and great food! Highly recommend the breakfast empanadas, but honestly all of them are delicious. This is a wonderful neighborhood gem. read more

Excellent coffee drinks and Peruvian empanadas with a friendly neighborhood vibe. Of your not a regular you might be after the first taste of their pastry. read more

Excellent place for tasty empanadas, both sweet at savory kind. We will definitely be back.

Absolutely wowed by the flavors in these empanadas. Ordered the spicy Thai chicken, the Mediterranean, and the apple empanadas. The spicy Thai chicken tasted like a spiced up version of a chicken pot pie. The Mediterranean empanada had an authentic Greek taste and would be good for those looking for a good vegetarian option. The apple empanada was like a McDonalds apple pie (don't be hatin' McDonald apple pies). All the empanadas came out hot and fresh.The moment I bit into each empanada, I experienced bliss. The staff here are super friendly and knowledgeable. The combination options, which come with side orders and a coffee of your choosing, make me want to try everything on the menu. Also, there's a Yelp check-in offer going on: If you order a dozen empanadas (too few in my opinion!), you get 15% off your order. Needless to say, I'll be back for more. read more

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