This is a convenient spot for a simple and quick lunch. The empanadas were delicious and tasted of high quality but I did have some issues with the other aspects of the restaurant unrelated to the food. I came in with a large group and we all ordered together at the counter. Perhaps there was some confusion or miscommunication, but I ordered the three empanada combo consisting of one lamb empanada, one mushroom and goat cheese empanada, and one sweet corn and basil empanada. I didn't receive the sweet corn and basil one, and even checked my group to see if any of them had it accidentally on their plates but no one did. The empanadas that I had were delicious but I do wish I could have tried the sweet corn one. I also got one spicy chimichurri sauce and one original but to me, they tasted pretty similar so I couldn't tell the difference without the sticker on the top. Besides that, they are following COVID regulations pretty well but the tables for outdoor seating were very dirty and we had to wipe them down ourselves. Overall, the experience wasn't too hot, but the flavors of the empanadas are what really made this place earn 4 stars in my book. read more

Empanada Kitchen - Two Mushroom and Goat Cheese Empanada, One Lamb empanada, and Chimichurri Sauce Original & Chimichurri Sauce Spicy - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

We were just driving around downtown and could NOT resist stopping at this cute little empanada shop with a bright yellow facade and it was one of the highlights of our day. We ordered an assortment of beef, chicken and their ham and cheese with the regular and spicy chimichurri sauce and everything was so good! The dough had a perfect thickness of being able to hold it generous servings of protein while not being too thick. It also held up really well the next day (we carried it with us as snacks for a hike). Personal favorite is the beef and the i can just drink up that spicy chimichurri sauce (so good!!!). Pro tip - if you want it a little bit more crispy, 5 mins in the airfryer at 370. Worth i try! read more

Empanada Kitchen - Beef Empanada, Chicken Empanada, Ham and Cheese Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

Really tasty! The corn empanadas in particular were excellent. Charming retro so-cal pop music added to the atmosphere.

This place is good, but the empanadas were not authentic. They were made from a flour dough and then baked, so they are perfect if you're avoiding fried food, but if you're in the mood for your grandmas empanadas maybe try somewhere else read more

Fresh homemade empanadas yumminess! Got the 3 for $12 special. Hubby got two mushroom-goat cheese empanadas and the lamb. His fave was the lamb! I got the chicken, caprese, and sweet corn- basil empanadas. Delish! Loved all of them especially with the spicy chimichurri sauce! Great light lunch/snack before heading out for today's adventures :) read more

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I'm down here in San Diego doing a bit of self exploration downtown and come across what seems to be a very chill, local spot with one amazing sketch on their door - HUGE EMPANADA Breakfast was calling and this was the way to go. What a gem this turned out to be. They have handmade empanadas with a variety of fillings. Each one is $3.65 but I opted for their three-deal for $9.95. The staff are super friendly and helped explain what each empanada consisted of you had any questions. I ordered the Beef, Corn and Basil, and their special rotating option which was Italian Sausage. The later was AMAZING and my definite fave. The empanadas were well baked with a savory shell around each filling. It truly tastes like it was made from love. The chimichurri sauce is a MUST. Bomb dipping for these amazing empanada. read more

Empanada Kitchen - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

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I tried veggie empanada and spicy beef. Love the spicy beef. For the chimichuri sauce there are 2 flavors: rEgular and spicy. Like the spicy a lot more but the level of spicy is a 4/10. There is not a lot of parking so take the train. We parked at lot across the street for $20 on business trip. read more

Empanada Kitchen - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

Had a few hours to kill before hotel checkin so found myself wandering around downtown San Diego. I didn't really know what I wanted to eat but I know that empanadas are generally pretty light and don't kill your whole appetite. If you're expecting to have dinner later, found this random little spot on yelp and stopped in with the husband. The gentleman at the counter, was really nice and knowledgeable about the offerings, I was blown away by the variety because you typically don't see these combinations inland. I resisted the urge to get my normal beef empanada and decided to go out on a limb and try the special, a mix of mozzarella, garlic and onion, called fuggazzetta I believe. I decided to try that because it was a special and not on their normal menu and you had this Jersey girl at garlic. I loved it. It was so delicious of wonderful flavor bomb crispy pastry with generous fillings. The lamb was unexpected. Clearly, I didn't really read the description well because I was expecting ground lamb, but what I got was a marinated moist braised lamb. The acid from the chimichurri was perfection to cut all of that richness. I will be fantasizing about these little tasty bites for a while. That part of San Diego is a little sketchy you're going to come into contact with a number of characters if you choose to eat outside like we did but all in all worth a stop. read more

Empanada Kitchen - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

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So I was a little iffy when I walked into this place due to the fact that that it's just 2 warmers when you walk in and looks like just one kind of empanadas , but when I looked at the menu, I discovered they have a couple more things besides just empanadas they have salad and multiple deserts and drinks They also have very rare different empanadas with different meats in them And at a very good price not to mention hospitality is great and the place is super clean. I will definitely recommend this place in the future and I'll be back. read more

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Wanted to try this place as we walked by for a quick snack. Bought 2 beef empanadas and one chicken. I don't know if they forgot to season them beef, but there was no flavor to the beef empanada. Not even the chimichurri that came with it helped. Needed some salt and pepper so was a bit dissatisfied. Should have to season an empanada. The chicken was good so hopefully the beef ones aren't always so bland. read more

Empanada Kitchen - Chicken empanada on top and beef down below. - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

I love empanadas and when I found out that there was one in downtown San Diego I had to go and check it out. It is simple and clean inside. There are seating inside as well as outside so you pick where you want to enjoy your empanada. When you walk in you will be greeted with freshly made empanadas. On this partifulcar trip I am flying solo so I will be limited to tasting only two empanadas. My two choices for today are regular beer and spicy beef empanadas. I opted to have my order to go as I had ridden my bike but as soon as I received my order I decided to sit outside and enjoy my empanadas. I started with the spicy beef... it was nice and flaky (yes it will be soggy where the juices sit but it is still good). The regular beef was freshly made so it was nice and flaky all the way around. The two enpanadas were great and tasted what I had expected. I will be back to sample the other variety of empanadas. Good place to enjoy the afternoon in downtown San Diego. read more

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Being married to an Argentinian, I have had my fair share of empanadas during the last 16 years. The empanadas from Empanada Kitchen are probably the worst ones. The chicken ones were full of onions and red peppers. The ham and cheese were awful as the cheese was like watery milk. The beef, well I'm not sure what that was. Although the empanadas are oven baked, over half of the empanadas we ordered were burnt. The empanadas sit in a small display rack and are microwaved after you place your order. The empanadas were small, especially the ham and cheese ones (they were almost the same size as the chimichurri container--see photo). The store is in a bad part of the city. There's no parking in front of the store as it sits in front of the train tracks. Only a single one-way lane is across the train tracks and there's no stopping. There's no parking in the back. Once you do find parking a few blocks away, you will need to walk through numerous homeless encampments. Homeless are everywhere in this area including in the front of this restaurant. Customer service was great. The employees were nice and the empanadas came out really fast (since they were microwaved). read more

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I love Argentina empanadas and am very picky about them. I will be visibly sad if I get a bad empeñada. That said, these were phenomenal! I ordered the mushroom goat cheese, chicken, and sweet corn basil ones. Each was delicious but the chicken was my favorite. It was perfectly flavored and juicy. It's a quaint little shop that I would definitely recommend! read more

Empanada Kitchen - Chicken Empanada Sweet Corn and Basil Empanada Mushroom and Goat Cheese Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

I first discovered Empanada Kitchen through the Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. 2019 because they ranked #94 on the list. Since I was looking for a quick bite in downtown San Diego, this was a perfect place to stop by. The staff was friendly and food came up fairly quickly. Menu: Their empanadas include 8+ different fillings to choose from (including few seasonal fillings). Each empanada is $3.50 with the exception of lamb ($4.50 instead), but you can order the special 3 empanada deal for $9.50 or special 2 empanada & salad deal for $9.95. In addition, the empanada deal also comes with a chimichurri sauce (chopped parsley, oregano, garlic and chili flakes in a base of red wine vinegar and olive oil). *** 2 Empanada & Salad Deal (Beef + Mushroom & Goat Cheese, $9.95): Mushroom & goat cheese empanada tasted really juicy and I also liked its soft dough too. Beef empanada was not as good as mushroom & goat cheese, but it was still pretty good. Salad was probably the most disappointed part of the special deal. Salad dressing was way too vinegary for my taste. *** I am still more into empanadas from Red Ribbon Bakeshop due to the more affordable price point, but I can see myself chowing down these high quality empanadas at Empanada Kitchen for an occasional treat. read more

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These must've been the best empanadas I have ever had which made my expectation of all the other places so much higher that I can no longer find a local spot that meets this standard. So now every time I visit San Diego this stop is a must. I usually enjoy anything with meat more than without but their mushroom and goats cheese empanada is my absolute favorite. Although chicken, sweet corn and beef are also very delicious, so you cannot go wrong with ordering one of each, but you're probably going to order another one of the mushroom ones once you try it! And of course get the chimichurri on the side. read more

Empanada Kitchen - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

I loved the mushroom and goat cheese empanada and the chicken empanada. It was so delicious and it comes with a sauce too. There were benches outside to sit on. I tried a bite of the sweet corn too and really liked it but that wouldn't be my first choice. read more

AMAZING! Little dough pockets of food should not make someone this happy and yet you have this post! I had the chicken, beef, and corn with basil! The beef and chicken were more authentic and absolutely divine. 6/5 The corn basil was edible but definitely more like a 2.5/5. It was edible but made no mention of cheese in the description, but is definitely super rich and creamy not my preference. My mom has the bacon and egg, caprese, and corn basil. She loved hers but later mentioned the corn upsetting her tummy. The caprese was her favorite. My little one ate bacon and egg much to all of our surprise. She never eats eggs so I think the doughy goodness did the trick! My sister had the mushroom Gouda and a caprese. She loved hers too. We were disappointed that they were sold out of the lamb for the day especially because it was before 10am, but this place seemed to get a decent amount of business. It was really cute and bright inside too! And do not sleep on getting the chimichurri sauce; it is a delightful accompaniment! I haven't had good empanadas since moving from Illinois and this reminded me of how much I loved and missed these. Great bite and one empanada is plenty! I ended up having 1.5 for breakfast and munching on the rest as a lite lunch. read more

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I go to more place than I can leave reviews for. Give me a break will ya?! Okay, it's been a month since I visited this place. My thoughts are calm and collected and I can finally leave a review. I was in town visiting a friend and had this place book marked. Luckily, it was walking distance from her apt. We ordered coffee across the street and headed to the yellow door. It was lonely on Sunday and almost looked closed. I got a few from the menu. Beef - sweet, moist and flavorful Chicken - juicy and delicious sweet corn and basil - very basilly. I thought i'd like this a lot but I enjoyed the meat ones more. I think I got one more but can't remember darn! They give you a little cheat card to indicate which empanada is which. I loved that idea because each one is breaded differently to tell them apart. $3.65 for each empanada is not a bad deal! They make for a great snack! The flakyness of the pastry itself! Their chimichurri sauce is good as well! read more

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I came across this as I live around the neighborhood! It's hard to find a good empanada place around San Diego and this def hits the spot! I love that the pastry dough isn't dry if you like empanadas you know exactly what I'm talking about. Lots of different flavors to try and even apple pie one as well! I recommend this spot for a quick easy bite to eat if you're downtown! read more

Empanada Kitchen - Beef Empanada Chicken Empanada Sweet Corn and Basil Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

Interesting to try, we got a big box full, but to be honest the empanadas themselves weren't anything better than anywhere else, and kinda pricey for what you get. But they were good. Kinda small, we'll formed, moderate in flavor, and just in the good range. I would recommend getting one or two first and if you want more, then order more, not order a whole bunch like we did. read more

The empanadas here are so good, fresh made everyday. Make sure to pair it with their chimichurri available in regular and spicy flavor. The caprese empanada is my favorite. Service is great as well, Dan is a really cool guy to talk to. Thanks for the service and food! read more

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No shame but I visited this spot twice in one day and the following day. I had my first empanada hours after purchase but it was so good that we had to go back. The service was great. (I didn't catch the girls and guys name...sorry next time) but they were helpful and funny. I was able to get the mushroom and goat cheese, chicken and lamb empanadas. They were all Soo good and so different. Personally I loved the mushroom one over all of the rest. The lamb and chicken each had a distinct flavor. The lamb was worth coming back for. But try any of them and I doubt there will be any disappointment. The chimichurri sauce just rounds out all of the empanadas so well. It's not over powering and I loved the spicy one over the none spicy but both were delicious! I totally understand the 5 stars. Well deserved! read more

Empanada Kitchen - Lamb, mushroom, caprese - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

Very good selection of flavors :) clean place and super delicious , worth a try when in SD

I'm just gonna say this was absolutely amazing. They have really great empanadas, i'm not sure if the lady spelled her name Andi or Andy but she was so sweet and gave us a free empanada because they were out of one we wanted. The customer service was 10/10 and so was the food! read more

Picked this up on a quick 10 min walk from 5th Ave. This was before dinner and after lunch time so it was pretty empty in there. Was greeted immediately by the cashier who was friendly and offered some recommendations. Grabbed sweet corn/basil and mushroom/goat cheese empanadas. They were delicious and despite being odd combos they worked pretty well and not bad for the price. Great for a quick lunch or snack. read more

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Some good empanadas for a reasonable prize. There's some interesting fusion empanadas that you can try out, and you can also get some frozen ones to take with you (or at least I saw all the frozen ones and assumed that you can buy some). The shapes of the empanadas are pretty cute, and they're a good size too. I got 2, and it was certainly very filling. The sweet corn and basil had a great creaminess from the corn and a lift of flavor and freshness with the basil. The mushroom and goat cheese one was similarly full of umami. They're not the best empanadas I've ever had, but the ingredients are certainly inventive. Certainly worth trying! read more

We walked past by this cute little place shortly before they were closing for the day. The were nice enough to let us order and finish eating quickly. The empanadas were juicy and delicious. And chimichurri sauce also adds a lot to the empanadas. Would definitely recommend this place! read more

I feel a bit mean for giving this place 3 stars but empanadas were ehhh and I was truly not impressed. Tried San Telmo Argentine Cafe the day before so I was a bit disappointed when I tasted the empanadas here, it just didn't meet my expectations :( The place is small and simple with indoor and outdoor seating. Staff was friendly and service was quick. We ordered 3 empanadas: spicy beef, chicken and lamb. We actually ordered the regular beef but then saw the special board with spicy beef so we got that instead. Tbh all three empanadas tasted similar and ehhh. The spicy beef was not even spicy so I wonder what the regular beef taste like. A little disappointed. It was still ok and the empanada had a lot of filling, I just wished it had more spice and flavor. The chimichurri sauce was ok, the staff was nice enough to give us both the regular and spicy sauce. Overall, price was a bit on the higher end, it was 3 for $9.50 or $3.50 for one (it was only 3 for $6 at San Telmo). This place is worth a try if you never tried empanadas but I highly recommend visiting San Telmo for delicious and fried empanadas instead! read more

Empanada Kitchen - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

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Empanadas are a great snacking food or great for a light bite. Not too far from our hotel a bit off the beaten path of the nearby downtown and Gas Lamp District, this quaint eatery serves up empanadas and that's pretty much it. I came in and was promptly greeted at the cash register. There is a glass case of the empanadas being kept warm under a heat lamp at the counter so that once I placed my order, it wasn't long before my food was boxed up and ready to be eaten. There are 12 varieties plus a special of the day to select from. I opted with an order of their 3 empanada special (rather than paying $3.50 each, they offer three for $9.95...also you can do two empanadas + side salad for the same price). Everything was a hit. We tried the beef, chicken, sweet corn and basil, bacon and egg, ham and cheese, and mushroom and goat cheese. The pastry to filling ratio was good, flavors tasty and fresh, and all at a good price. The printed postcard displaying the varieties and their unique shapes comes in handy to help you distinguish between them all. I especially enjoyed chillin' on the patio. So between this and the food, friendly service and good value, this deserves a solid four stars. read more

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I never had Argentinian empanadas so I wanted to try them. The cutest and super simple detail is that they come With a little card that tells you what each is and they come With plenty side sauces. My guest loved them And I love that all of the different flavors are rolled differently so there is no confusion :) I'm A sucker for details overall delicious my favorite one was the Chicken and the mushroom one read more

Empanada Kitchen - I ordered 15 empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

Truly the best empanadas you will ever have! I can't even describe the words. Mushroom, beef, egg and bacon are delicious!

Visiting from The Great White North (Canada!) we wanted to make sure we sampled some genuine Hispanic food while we were here. A quick search brought us to Empanada Kitchen which we couldn't be more happy about. Their exterior is extremely pleasing and welcoming. A modern remake amid older buildings. You can't miss their fresh yellow branding. They have a sectioned-off outdoor patio where you can eat and people watch. The interior has the same bright white & yellow look with clean bar tables. Their menu takes up the entire wall and it is easy to understand. They have their regular empanada flavours as well as a seasonal flavour - which usually sell out fast! The coolest creative part I appreciate most is that they shape and pattern their empanadas differently for each flavour so you can tell them apart. If you forget which is which, you can refer to their diagram which has all the flavours laid out for you, kinda like a box of artisan chocolates. Opening a restaurant is not just a business; I appreciate the thought and effort put into these kinds of details and that's how I can tell their empanadas are made with love and passion. Because anyone can mass produce empanadas in one form, but they don't. Props! Order 3 empanadas for a deal! Lamb is +$1 but the flavour is SO good - worth it. The empanadas fillings are baked perfectly, great flavours and they're stuffed!!! Our first visit went so well we decided to visit again on our last day in San Diego. I mentioned this to our server while being served - that it was our last day and had to come back for more - I'm not sure if this was the reason but when we opened the box back at our hotel we realized we had been given +1 empanada to enjoy! :D I'd like to think this was the case, and if so, what a great gesture. Amazing hospitality! ^^ Price point: As a tourist, it's all about the experience so I'm not gonna to complain about the price, but the price point is kinda high.. I mean $3.50 can be gone in 3 bites. So yeah.. I can't really tell you which empanada is a must-try, they're all unique and equally good, but it's definitely a must-visit!! Super friendly staff, excellent service, nothing but smiles for both staff and customers. We had a wonderful experience here, I can't praise it enough. PS. Their store is closed on Sundays, but they are advertised to be at La Jolla Open Aire Market from 9am-1pm! So the first Sunday we were in-town we went to look for them but were nowhere to be found =( Served as a nice detour to La Jolla though =) read more

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I've been eyeing Empanda Kitchen for awhile now and finally got the chance to go try it on a weekend since they recently started operating on a Saturday. It's not located in the best part of Downtown San Diego and finding street parking can be a hassle but it is worth a try. I ordered the Sweet Corn & Basil and it was warm and tasty. The corn tasted fresh and very sweet. Looking forward to coming back and trying the other flavors when I am in the downtown area. I also ordered the Alfajores to go and it was a nice light caramel/coconut tasting dessert cookie. read more

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3 empanada for 10.95. Spicy beef was super good and flavorful but chicken was the besssst. There are several parking meters around the block. read more

Empanada Kitchen - 3 empanada for 10.95. Spicy beef was super good and flavorful but chicken was the besssst - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

The beef empanada is delicious. The filling is very tasty and the beef is very juicy. The best part (in my opinion) is the bread of the empanada itself, just crispy enough on the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. 3 empanadas order can have you try three different flavors and I'm sure they are all great! read more

Empanada Kitchen - Empanadas Near Me - San Diego, California

Delicious empanadas! Did the 3 empanadas for $10 deal and tried the mushroom and goat cheese, lamb and beef. The lamb was a little extra due to the extra time it takes to braise the meat (as they noted on their menu) but it was so worth it. Each flavor filled pastry was just as good as the next. The gentleman helping us was very friendly and helpful and he gave us a regular and spicy chimichurri sauce to try that took the flavors to another level. Can't wait to come back! Thank you. read more

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Nice place for an Argentine-style light meal or snack! The chicken empanadas are superb, with a flaky warm wrapping. The (ground) beef ones are worth trying as well. Make sure to ask for the chimichurri sauce. This little eatery has reasonable seating and offers takeout. Takeout features a choice of pre-baked empanadas or (I haven't tried these) frozen ones to bake at home. read more

One of the best empanadas I've tried! They had a 3 for $9.95 deal and we ordered 6 different kinds. Here is how I'd rank them: 1. Spicy Beef: 10/10 DELICIOUS! by far my favorite because it was packed with flavor, it wasn't too oily and messy and just the perfect spicy kick 2. Egg & Bacon: 9/10 very good as well and good portion of egg to bacon. Bacon wasn't salty at all which was great! 3. Beef: 8/10 beef is still good but spicy beef is just the perfect touch 4. Lamb: 6/10 I just didn't think it tasted that different than the beef 5. Chicken: 5/10 it was ok but too messy and mushy texture in my opinion. The stuffing was oozing out which I didn't enjoy. 6. Veggie: 4/10 same stuffing as the chicken but without meat. I expected some kind of greens but it was mainly bell peppers and onions Overall, the dough was so good that any filling would be ok honestly. I loved that it had the crisp and wasn't overly doughy when it came to the meat to dough proportion! I'd come back for sure. read more

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I am not an empanada expert by any means.. but these were fabulous! There's a great variety of flavors from meaty ones like beef, chicken, and sausage.. to lighter variations like caprese. They average 3-4$ each.. from what I understand.. a little more expensive than usual. They appear to be sitting in a heat box, however, are still extremely fresh. And if one of the flavors you want is out, they can just make you a new one in minutes! My favorite empanada was the beef.. the meat was flavored so nicely and had little peppers in it. All of the empanadas were terrific.. the pastry shells so fresh and doughy.. but yet with a flaky outer layer. Some indoor seating.. friendly service. I will be back! read more

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I live in a city with very little empanada options, so consider yourself to be extremely lucky if you have Empanada Kitchen in your 'hood! While on vacation right before the COVID-19 shutdown, I asked my hubby to pick-up empanadas for lunch and we got a box of assorted yummies to munch on in our hotel room. What I looooooove about these empanadas is the texture from the slightly crispy pastry to the tasty fillings which perfectly mesh together in each bite. We tried: -Sweet corn & basil -Beef -Lamb -Ham & cheese Loved them all, can't pick my favorite child! And can't wait to visit them again when in San Diego! read more

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