If you don't want to track down the DC Empanadas food truck, then you can just visit this stall at the Union Market. DC Empanadas specializes in gourmet empanadas, but there were only four options to choose from (Divine Swine, Latin Beef, El Greco, and Speedy Gonzalez [all cheese]). $3.50 for each empanada or you can pick any 3 for $9. ***. Divine Swine (pulled BBQ pork, featuring the No. 5 sauce [smokey sweet] from BBQ Bus Smokehouse - $3.50): Empanadas itself wasn't too bad - tasted slightly sweet with crunchy dough. However, $3.50 is a bit pricey for one empanada and you will probably still feel hungry even if you get 3 for $9 deal. *** I will still stick with empanadas from Los Angeles (Tito's Market in El Monte or Red Ribbon Bakeshops) as they are both good and inexpensive. read more

DC Empanadas - Menu (Nov 2017) - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Pretty good empanadas! I got the three meat options being offered that day: divine swine, el toro, and the badass. None was particularly impressive, but I WAS impressed with how much sauce they managed to put in there. For example, I really tasted the buffalo sauce for the chicken one and I was amazed at how Americanized it tasted. There isn't much service to be provided here, but it could really use a step up. The guy taking orders had a don't-bother-me look and never once made eye contact or smiled once. He's the same one frying the empanadas, and he does it without wearing any gloves or anything-right after he handled the money. Sigh. read more

DC Empanadas - Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Divine Swine: Crunchy exterior and flakey crust. Inside is moist and flavorful pulled pork, great twist on a BBQ classic. Crust reminds me of chicken pot pie crust. Chicken Tinga: Pulled Chicken and onions with a smokey flavor, slightly spicy and crave worthy. Speedy Gonzalez: Cheese Empanada filled with Queso Blanco, Asadero Cheese & Mozzarella Cheese. This was melt in your mouth delicious just oozing with gooey cheeses. The only downside is these are pricey for the amount of food you get. Every single one was delicious however and I will get them again! read more

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"Em" trying to think of a "pan" to use, but couldn't find "nada." Corny I know. I bought 3 of their empanadas that they sell- pork, chicken, and beef. All three of em were delicious! Of course you can find cheaper ones but you are in a prime spot for eating food. The empanadas that I got were definitely really good! But, I think that the pork was a little dry or not as good as the chicken or beef. I would definitely give it another try. This can be a good order-on-the-go type of food since they are small and a handheld type of food. read more

DC Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Omg!!! Of all the spots in union market this is by far my absolute fav! The change of the menu often but I have tried them all and haven't run across one flavor i didn't love. They are all packed with flavor, perfect temp and always the right kinda crispy!!! It's comes with a green dipping sauce that I LOVE!!!!! I had the Latin chicken and the cheese empanadas.... the best!!! The only reason I'm not giving them a 5 star is because of service. They are never rude but never nice or friendly. The cashier didn't offer suggestions or details on the flavor and honestly just didn't seem like she wanted to be there. It's a good thing the empanadas are amazing. The price is perfect and so many options in Union Market this is this is the best! read more

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I went to their stand at the market @ the ronald reagan building.. Their empanadas definitely live up to the hype! (It looks a little burnt but it was perfect it). I got the spicy pork it had corn, black beans, plus more... they even have sauces and that made them even better.. and they are only $4 each. They are pretty big. They even have the flavor imprinted in each one. I will definitely be back!! read more

I thought this place has great empanadas. I had the chicken one with blue cheese and hot sauce. In addition, I got the quinoa salad. The salad was refreshing and the empanada was a good component to balance out the flavor. I like how their empanadas have a really crunchy exterior. Great flavor! read more

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I had the Any Three Empanadas for $9 special. I chose one each of the El Toro (beef), Cubano (pork), and Latin Chicken. The Latin Chicken went first and was quite good but the other two were a little disappointing. Not sure if I would have liked the others more had I not tried the best first, but it seemed like they both should have been less liquidy. read more

DC Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I visited their food truck and was very excited about my el Greco empanada. Took my first bite and out came a large piece of plastic disguised as part of the spinach! Gross and unsafe! I cannot believe they mixed plastic into their empanadas! read more

DC Empanadas - Found a piece of plastic disguised as spinach in my el Greco empanada!! - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Delicious empanadas! I've had the Tio Shawn, Speedy Gonzalez, El Greco. Tio Shawn is the black bean and rice, Speedy Gonzalez is 4 different types of cheese, and El Greco is spinach and cheese. They are all very good - the El Greco is my favorite! Both the food truck and Union Market have awesome empanadas - they melt right into your mouth. Service is also very fast - the empanadas take 3 minutes to cook and only $3, not a bad deal! read more

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Pretty good, I only got one to try while waiting on my bff. The Latin boy which is ground beef, corn, black beans and cilantro. Excuse the drinks in the pic, I was showing my bff the drinks I got, side note the flavored aloe Vera drinks are BOM.Com read more

DC Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

DC Empanadas is owned by a husband-and-wife team, Anna and Shawn Leis. They have both a food truck as well as a stall at the Union Market, and offers crispy empanadas filled with fillings such as beef, buffalo chicken, and pulled pork. I tried the 3-empanada deal: The Badass (filled with buffalo chicken and bleu cheese), El Greco (filled with spinach, feta cheese, and onions), and the Speedy Gonzalez (filled with queso blanco, mozzarella, and asadero cheese). While I enjoyed the thin crispy exterior of the empanada shell, the fillings were a hit-or-miss. The Badass, while it had great flavors of the all-white chicken cubes of chicken and the nice buffalo sauce, it was still slightly undercooked and the cheeses were not fully melted; the El Grego tasted a bit too herb-y, and I'd love to taste more of the spinach and the feta; the Speedy Gonzaelz, while cheesy, seemed more queso blanco-focused, than a blend of the three. I'd love to see these served at a super hot temperature and with a more of a variety of sauces, as only the green one was offered. Staff were super friendly, and empanadas are made-to-order and done in a few minutes. +crispy empanada shells +request for extra cooking time for temperature hot +friendly staff +located inside the Union Market read more

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My @DCEmpanadas options were WMD, Taj Mahal, Veggie Nirvana, and Cubanito. Anti-terrorist jokes aside, I opted for two Cubanitos (pork) and a Taj Mahal (chicken). Buying in sets of three makes more sense, even though two made me full. Service was efficient and friendly enough. Shell reminded me of a deep-fried eggroll crust. Pork was definitely the marginally better of the two, and equally enjoyed by my coworker. Cubanito wasn't too heavy on the onions and the guava sauce sweetened it in a good way. Chicken tikka in the Taj Mahal was drier and less flavorful. There are a decent number of other flavors in their rotation I'd go back to try: Ropanada, Il Paesano, El Matador, Luau, Jake, Irie Mon, Menage a Trois. read more

DC Empanadas - 2 Cubanitos, 1 Taj Mahal. - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Divine Swine is exactly that...DIVINE! You can't beat the price either...3 for $9. read more

DC Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Just average beef empanadas (Ropa Vieja), but they are definitely on to something with their El Greco empanada that contains feta cheese and spinach. That was pretty tasty although still nothing that really blew me away. I guess empanadas are a bit of a novelty in the DC area, so that might explain the long lines you will experience when you try to get your grub on here, but to me, they are not that spectacular. Also, I would not consider this a meal. It's more of a snack or something to supplement whatever else you are eating for lunch. I would never seek them out, but if I was in the mood for a tasty afternoon snack, I'd check them out if they are in my area. Also, mad props to them for collecting Christmas gift donations for My Sister's Place, a charity that supports children and women victims of domestic violence. That definitely earned them an additional star in my book. read more

DC Empanadas - El Greco with spinach and feta cheese - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Nope. The dough is hard and not flaky-- more like an eggroll than an empanada. And the fillings are mostly lackluster too. Spinach and ricotta was allegedly "greek" but tasted more like a calzone in desperate need of marinara sauce. Pulled pork was bland and overly sweet (apparently part of the epidemic of mediocre pulled pork that is attacking DC). Jerk chicken was spicy and interesting, but not terribly well balanced. It's not the worst empanada I've had, but you can get far better ones at Julia's a couple blocks from my office, and Julia's are still just mediocre. read more

Over priced, Bland, the people are rude, and the out of 3 Of the empanadas I got, I ate half of one because the rest were so awful read more

DC Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Oh my! Bad@ss Empanada is glorious!!!! SOOOO good! Good price too!! We also tried the cheeseburger, and the Divine Swine! Had these at the Snallygaster Beer Fest and this was the perfect food for a beer fest! No forks required! They also have a booth in Union Market if you can't catch the truck! read more

They use their bare hands to drop the empanadas into the deep fryer. There was no hand washing between handling cash from orders and touching the empanadas. When asked to use gloves, I was told that they are deep fried anyway so it didn't matter. I then got major attitude from Sabrina. I emailed about this incident and of course I didn't receive a response :) I won't be returning nor would I recommend this spot to others. read more

This place is located inside Union Market. The empanadas are fried from frozen I believe. They have interesting ones like pulled pork and they were ok but not spectacular. read more

This place is sooooo good. I'm not so great with the food truck scene so I visited their pop-up shop in Union Market. I was torn between the Divine Swine and La Venganza de Tio Shawn. I decided to go for the latter which consisted of delicious chipotle chicken, onions, black beans, corn, and cilantro. It also came with a delicious green cilantro sauce that reminded me of Indian chutney. It was refreshing and enhanced the flavor of the empanada. The portion was pretty big for a snack and only $3.50. It went beautifully with the ginger limeade I had picked up from Teaism's pop-up shop next door. I will definitely return to DC Empanadas for their other flavors. I heard their lunch special offers includes 3 empanadas for $7! read more

DC Empanadas - Don't forget the amazing cilantro sauce - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This stall in Union Market offers a rotating selection of empanadas. I tried the El Toro, and found it a quick snack without much flavor. Admittedly, I tend to prefer baked empanadas to fried ones. But I was disappointed to find that my empanada tasted more like generic fried food than anything else. It really didn't have much flavor at all. With so many options in the market, I imagine they survive primarily by being the only one at their price point (a substantial but not terribly expensive snack) than any particular quality. read more

DC Empanadas - Menu 10/20 - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The truck was parked outside the Nats game at the bullpen and it made my day! Well, that and the Yankees winning... I got the Cubanito empenada. It was delicious. It was so good that when I came back for another, they were sold out! read more

DC Empanadas - Cubanito Empenada - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The "Bad-ass" empanada was just that...a bad ass excuse for an empanada. Why am I giving them three stars? Because the meat inside was cooked VERY WELL and it was very tasty---if it had not been wrapped inside of an empanada. I appreciated the fact that they tried to be creative, but buffalo chicken should not be inside of an empanada. it just shouldn't. I'm mad I was feeling so fat and greedy that I just ordered this without taking a look at the ingredients of this thing. If they made some type of buffalo chicken that tasted anything similar to the meat filling of this empanada, I would buy. Otherwise, no me gusta. read more

On our way to the Metro, we spotted a food truck and decided to try out DC Empanadas. At $4.00 each, the 3 for $10 option is the better deal. I opted for the pork, and beef ones and split the chicken one with a friend. The flavors on the pork were okay, was not wow-ed but was not dismayed. The empanadas were a good size with decent portions of meat. Tip: Accepts credit cards for orders $10 and up. Overall, it didn't leave me wanting more or missing the flavors. read more

Went to the location in Union Market in the Fall '14 and I finally have the chance to write a review. It's nestled in the middle of the market and surrounded by a bunch of different food options! Finding a seat on weekends and lunch hours can be difficult, but it is possible. Personally, these empanadas were underwhelming and quite pricey. I expected the empanadas to be larger in size, but DC empanadas do have interesting and unique flavors. The workers were helpful and accommodating. They recommended their best sellers and personal favorites easily and were attentive to our needs. While DC Empanadas are not my favorite place to grab an empanadas in the DMV area, they make for a good snack or addition to your meal or other food dishes you might purchase while in Union Market if you have an empanada craving but I personally prefer Julia's Empanadas but these aren't bad for a quick bite to eat! read more

Although the menu was limited to only a few choices for empanadas, I was really happy with my choice. I ordered the chilli, meat, & cheese empanada which I mean how could you not love Chili beans wrapped up in a warm, flaky crust? It was good! My only complaint was the size, maybe I've been spoiled with bigger empanadas else where but it was just a bit too small. If you want a light lunch then the size is perfect. But, what was even better was the green salsa they had on the counter, it was fresh and tangy tasting (I didn't ask what it was), I was sad I only grabbed one little cup of it. The wait time wasn't bad, maybe only 5 minutes? And there was only one guy working, so that was impressive. Overall, fast service, good food, good condiments, and happy customer! 4/5 stars and YES I would definitely return and eat more empanadas. read more

DC Empanadas - Chili and cheese empanada - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We ordered the pork, chicken and cheese empenadas. The first thing I noticed was how amazing the dough of the empenada was. It is hands down the best empenadas shells I have ever had. The outside was crispy while the inside remained chewy with the perfect amount of dough. The empenada was very oily, so I was happy about that and the ratio of the meat to carb made the empenada better. Although the shells were amazing, the Flavors of the fillings weren't quite there for me. The bbq pork was a solid order - the pork was a little dry but the meat was tender. The bbq flavor wasn't anything special, I wish I could say better things about it. The chicken buffalo empenada was what you would expect - nothing super amazing. The cream cheese flavor was almost too much for me. I felt like the Flavors of the chicken buffalo could have been blended better together. The cheese empenada was also just meh. Overall, I would recommend this place but the fillings could definitely use some work! read more

DC Empanadas - Bbq pulled pork empenada! - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This food stand inside the Union Market delivered on its tagline of "Flavor Fulfilled!" My empanada was piping hot and crispy. I enjoyed the side of fresh chimichurri that was served with my El Toro empanada. My friend enjoyed the Divine Swine, El Greco and Speedy Gonzales and thought each of those empanadas were delicious as well. Service was prompt and courteous. Thanks for a tasty dinner! read more

DC Empanadas - a restaurant counter with food on it - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I don't know if it's wrong to do this but I'm giving this a one star because the strawberry lemonade is the worse thing I've ever had. How dare they say homemade. Buy the packets if you can't make juice. That is all. read more

Really great empanadas that are very reasonably priced, one empanadas, which is heartily filled with meats and cheeses, is only $3.50 and you can get three for $9, which is a more than adequate lunch. My favorite is the El Mariachi, which is chipotle chicken, green onions, cilantro, and tomatoes. Plus their green sauce is killer too. read more

I love empanadas, I grew up eating and making them (fried- not baked cuz ew). So I come across this place in DC and think, THANK MARK ANTHONY, FRIED EMPANADAS (idk why DC has this affinity for baked empanadas), and I don't have to make them myself! Decent empanadas, but pricey. I've had better for a more reasonable price. Maybe because I'm used making them myself, or my family's, or being in New York and being able to get a bag of 6-8 for the same price-- I don't know. On another note, I tried a switcheroo thinking maybe my price apprehension interfered with my tastebuds. I splurged and got a bunch of the El Toro and brought them to a pot luck-ish party where some had my empanadas and others had not. I feel like "decent" is pretty accurate. read more

I've been following DC Empanadas basically from their inception, and the very moment the idea of an empanada truck was announced. I watched them go through the stages of working out menu ideas, finding a truck, getting licensed, initial promotion, and even tried to catch them at the Curbside Cookoff back in the fall before they actually got launched (they were a late show, so I unfortunately missed them). So, when I finally saw their beautiful Carolina blue (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/2eN0vqfYvMv1wxYUFgLXWw?select=YddAErD8k7xWDZFxwseAJg) truck and got the chance to try them yesterday, it was with much anticipation that I took my first bites. I chatted with the owner for a bit, as I arrived early in order to avoid the lines, and it takes a couple minutes for them to fry your empanadas to order, and let me assure you that if you're giving this place less than 4 stars your criteria for judging must be dramatically different than mine. I cannot imagine she would ever put out a bad product, as not only is she one of the most cordial and sweet truck owners you will ever meet, but she makes everything from the fillings to the hot chocolate and the delicious cookies by hand (unlike some other trucks that outsource their desserts and even meal preparation). The menu (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/2eN0vqfYvMv1wxYUFgLXWw?select=H6RadmIgaU4U04rRD5wbbQ) was actually 4 deep on the day I visited, including one vegan special for the "DC No Meat Week" folks to offset the 3 great sounding, very diverse meat-filled options. As noted by some, the empanadas here are a bit smaller than the ones from Julia's (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/2eN0vqfYvMv1wxYUFgLXWw?select=ckdLcO5MPCPSedmAzo6o8w), which are pretty much the standard people are used to in DC, at a very similar price ($3.50 each here, or 3 for $9). I would like to point out however that the flavor combinations here are very unique, and change regularly, and isn't the whole point of food trucks to provide new and creative interpretations on boring lunch staples? I mean, we ask for this type of ingenuity, and then bitch about it when we get it because it isn't enough to stuff our fat faces or we have to spend a little more than usual, c'mon people. It's also worth noting that unlike Julia's who bakes their empanadas, often leaving them a bit doughy and soggy, these empanadas are fried, and done to order, which makes them significantly better in my opinion. The crust is simply superb. I started off with the "One Night in Bangkok" which contains chicken and vegetables with a Thai inspired spicy peanut curry (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/2eN0vqfYvMv1wxYUFgLXWw?select=M5zIFatKj2y0o-04Tp18-Q). It was absolutely bursting with delicious flavors, and very well represented its origin. I could honestly have eaten about 5 of these in a row, and it was easily my favorite of the 3 that I ordered. I swear I even tasted a hint of lemongrass in there, but I could be wrong. Up next for me was the "El Cubanito" filled with slow roasted pulled pork with a mojo marinade, onions, and a spicy guava sauce (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/2eN0vqfYvMv1wxYUFgLXWw?select=HT1YSvcPWj6Mc7QAB56oYg). The pork in this empanada was surprising moist and tender, although I really didn't get any spice from the guava, and the mojo was somewhat nonexistent too. This was perhaps the only downfall of my entire meal, and even still I enjoyed the empanada as a whole. It just didn't deliver on the flavors that it was being sold as. The final member of my trio was the WMD, or "Weapon of Max Deliciousness", which is contains a slightly spicy chili, beans, and melted cheddar cheese (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/2eN0vqfYvMv1wxYUFgLXWw?select=IXWq2mU_A9wPfdrqTNG8Ug). The chili to bean ratio was pretty much perfect, and although the cheddar was missing in the first couple bites, once I actually hit it I was stunned by the amount of flavor it added. This is a serious empanada, heartburn sufferers stay away. I capped off the meal with one of their fantastic homemade cookies ($2.50 a piece) and a Mexican style hot chocolate ($2). Deciding which cookie to order off the menu was actually a really tough choice, as they really all sound very enticing. In fact, I was tempted to just order one of each (since they accept CC's over $10) and try them all throughout the week, but I figured they would be much better fresh. I ended up going with the brown sugar and poppyseed one with a chocolate ganache filling (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/2eN0vqfYvMv1wxYUFgLXWw?select=PUlW5SSrCB-rtQtDPNouDQ). The cookie part is very soft, clearly fresh made, and the chocolate ganache inside was smooth and delicious, with just a hint of bitterness. These things could be habit forming. The hot chocolate was very nice as well, especially on a cold windy day. It had a really nice touch of being able to actually taste the ground cocoa and cinnamon; this definitely isn't some premade powder stuff! read more

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2.75 stars. I tried three of their empanadas today: El Mariachi: Chiptole chicken, corn, cilantro, green onions and tomato El Greco: Spinach, feta, and onions Colombian (special): cornmeal, beef, carrots, onion, cilantro, special sauce. ... At the outset, it should be noted that DC Empanadas has a limited selection daily from the otherwise expansive set of choices on their online menu. This is incredibly disappointing because I thought I would have an opportunity to try a number of different options, but instead I had quite a limited subset of choice. The El Mariachi and El Greco featured a covering not unlike a deep fried egg roll. It definitely was not what I was expecting from an empanada. The empanadas themselves were roughly 40% the size of those you receive at Julia's Empanadas. As a result, it only makes sense if you order three for nine dollars. Any other combination is basically a tiny snack similar to the dollops offered at Fojol Bros. The best of the three empanadas I sampled was the El Greco. Each bite was filled with their triumvirate of ingredients. The cheese itself had a pleasant slightly melted texture and the spinach/onion mixture tasted great. Less appealing was the El Mariachi because the chiptole chicken simply clashed with the aforementioned deep fried covering. The Colombian was the closest resemblance to an actual empanada, and sadly, it was just a special they are running. I'm really surprised that the original preparation was not even available. I am not against fusion, but it would have been nice to be able to try their version of a traditional empanada. DC Empanadas is a good choice if you want a tiny snack or a variety of fusion style empanadas, but I'd stick to the empanadas offered elsewhere if you are looking for the traditional preparation. read more

It was a warm Friday morning (well, practically noon) when I descended upon Franklin Park and saw a huge swarm of different food trucks. Gotta love it. Some I had already tried, others I hadn't, and DC Empanadas fell into the latter category. At the suggestion of Mike S., I decided to check out what these folks were dishing out and boy am I glad I did! You can get 3 empanadas for $9, which is a pretty good deal that you'll definitely want to take if you're hungry. I got the Ropanada, the Badass and the Greco. The Ropanada, a take on the classic Cuban dish 'ropa vieja,' was remarkably delicious. The rice, sauce and beef went together perfectly and the beef was really top-notch in quality. The Greco, a greek-style empanada, was filled with cheese, spinach and while it was a bit salty I still enjoyed it. The Badass finished this main course, and it's very deserving of the name. Chicken in buffalo sauce and blue cheese all wrapped in dough? ¡Si por favor! For dessert I had the dulce de leche bar, and if I'm not mistaken this was its premiere debut. Taste-wise it was very good, but it was incredibly rich and I had to peck at it over an extended period of time simply because I was already so stuffed. The peach iced tea they provided was also very good. It would be nice to see prices closer to Julia's Empanadas, but judging by the line that formed I don't think it is above equilibrium (finally, a real-world application of what I've learned in my economics class in college). I will definitely give this place more of my money, and if they keep on satisfying then this might get upgraded to a fully-fledge five-star rating. read more

When we were in the line, the people from DC Empanadas told us that only the brie/fig ones were left! There was a deep fryer on the table and they fried the empanadas to order. It was a bit slow and by the time we picked up the empanadas it was lukewarm totally unexpected and when I bit into the empanadas parts of it were undercooked I wasnt too crazy about it. read more

Absolutely the best. Get three for 9$ and you will be very happy. Sabrina is the best--- ask for sabrina!!!

The best empanadas I've had in DC to date. Better than Julia's and way better than Panas in Dupont. I only got 2 empanadas, but I could have easily had 3. They are smaller than the empanadas you get at Julia's if that gives you any indication of size. The woman behind the counter said she couldn't eat more than 2, but I guess she doesn't have my appetite. I had the Mr. Miyagi which is chicken and Asian veggies with a ginger teriyaki sauce which I really enjoyed since I love Asian flavors. The El Matador was also good (chorizo, potatoes, and roasted red peppers). I'm very picky about my crust, and the crust with these empanadas was perfect. Not too dry, not too dense. They were out of the El Greco, which is what I would have selected over the Matador. They were also out of all of their delicious-sounding cookies. It was 1:15, so I suppose I was a little late for lunch. At least there was no line! read more

DC Empanadas has my favorite empanadas in the city. I've been a few times, and these little pockets of goodness have always been hot and crispy. Everytime I've visited, the only option I've liked has been their cheese empanada, and while it is fantastic, I hope to try another option soon. read more

(Impromptu DC Food Truck Crawl: Stop 2) If stopping at Basil Thyme was all about having to raise my expectations, stopping at DC Empanadas was about having to lower them. Sigh. The menu, as you might expect, was heavily focused on empanadas, though they did have have a strange section dedicated towards desserts a propos of nothing. Traditional options are to be had, but they are overmatched by a number of creative selections which push the envelope somewhat on what an empanada actually is. The verdict: basically any stuffed pastry shell with a coherent flavor counts. We opted for 2 empanadas at $3.50 each, though they did have a special offering 3 for $9. I chose a traditional ropa vieja style empanada as well as their "El Greco" empanada. First of all, kudos on the rather excellent pastry shells. The texture was right, and they really broke apart nicely and cleanly with each bite. Each empanada was generously filled as well, making for a nice ratio of interior goodness to exterior functionality. The ropa vieja style empanada was strangely bland though. It had no life to it whatsoever. It was a "paint by numbers" rendering of the real thing looking like what I would expect with none of artistic flow between ingredient boundaries. Meh. The "El Greco" by comparison was considerably better. Considered Greek only because of its liberal use of feta, I think the simple approach of using only feta and spinach actually worked. It was warm, gooey, and delicious. Inventiveness aside, I do have some serious reservations about a place that can't get the classics right. I rate them at barely 3 stars, with one's mileage expected to vary considerably based on their particular choice of empanada and need for authentic flavors. The empanadas will tie you over with a filling lunch, but you just might be happier dining elsewhere all together. read more

DC Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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