I was really excited to stumble across this place, with such a variety of empanadas, and happy to see that pernil was one of the available specials. The empanadas: I don't mind baked empanadas, but the shells/pastry were very dry. I ate one in the car and didn't have any water, and was having a hard time getting it down. I will see that the cheeseburger one was delicious, the best one of the 4 I tried (some of the others were also dry). Other food: I got 2 containers of the pernil with beans and rice, and the price point is great. My container had only 1 very small piece of meat that I could actually eat. The rest of the pieces were just skin and fat. My husband's portion was better. Flair of the meat was good, but the beans and rice were a little lacking in flavor. I would go back for the cheeseburger empanada bc it was so good, but probably pass on the rest. read more

I first discovered this restaurant 18 months ago. During my few times eating there, I really enjoyed their food. After about my 3rd time there the food seemed to change dramatically for the worse. The last 2 times I ate there the pork was very fatty...the portions of meat each time were semi generous, but 75% of the meat portion was extremely fatty (non edible) to put it mildly! My first notion was to bring the food back to show them what they served me, unfortunately I ordered take out and I was 5 miles away from the restaurant and I didn't think it was worth the trip back to the restaurant. The empanadas were just OKay, I thought they were a bit light with the filling of meat also. I do think that the server could have paid closer attention to the serving of the dish and avoided serving me such a large percentage of fatty meat. I know that some fat is unavoidable to some extent but trust me...it was not even edible for a starving animal. Since this had been the case the last 2 visits, I will not be going back there ever again. I have lost every bit of confidence that it will be any better or different the next time around. My impression is that they just want to make a buck and do not take pride in the quality of the food or the diners experience. Jip me once...shame on you! Jip me twice...shame on you...never again, Mr. Empanada!! read more

Went today to try something new and I have to say empanadas are just great and also place looks very cozy and nice with nice people serving the food :) read more

Empanada Spanish Grill - Great atmosphere in this place:) - Empanadas Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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I s great place to grab a bite to eat the people are friendly and polite and the food is delicious

Great empanadas. I like the entrees. Some specialties like pastelon, dessert empanadas. Take out is very affordable too. Diamond in the rough! read more

Very authentically Hispanic. When I walked in, it smelled like the kitchen at my house. I came here for a lunch special of chicken, rice, beans with a side of platanos and the meal was delicious! The chicken was a great serving size and was flavored to perfection. The rice and beans were ridiculously good; I ordered black beans and those were perfect as well. The platanos were also fried at the right time so that they weren't too soft or too hard. I will go back and next time for empanadas!!! read more

Nice old school cooking like Mom's. clean and neat with a rather nice ambiance. Enjoy it Puerto Rican style. Prices are reasonable. Beef Empanadas are very good. read more

I come here to eat all the time and it gets better and better. The restaurant makes you feel like you're in Puerto Rico and is perfect for relaxing and enjoying great food. The staff is awesome and really cares about the food you're eating. Is owned by great people. They mix up the flavors of the empanadas everyday and they all have so much flavor. They bake their empanadas so they can fit more inside and there's a perfect crunch when you bite down into them. The cheeseburger is my favorite and every bite is juicy with so much flavor. read more

AMAZING!!! No but really, amazing. The cheeseburger empanadas are bomb. Every time I go home to south jersey I bring 40 bucks worth to my family and they're gone in two days. Amazing. read more

I came this place for the first time yesterday with my husband and one of my BILs. I was excited to try it because my parents like it and the decor was cute. The people serving weren't the owners but were nice and friendly. The food looked good and they had Malta India which is my favorite. Those are the Pros. The cons: all their food is cooked with way too much cumin. I happen to hate cumin and use it sparingly to maintain my foods flavors. This was too much cumin. The alcapurria had this weird non cooked center of what appeared to be cornmeal and only a little bit of meat. I've never seen a Puerto Rican alcapurria have cornmeal. Same thing with their empanadas. The yellow rice was mogollao (I don't know how to say this in English, but mushy might be the best way to explain it) and it didn't taste like anything but cumin. The pork was cooked okay but I thought it was salty and some parts were dry. I bought a 'dinner' and ended up taking it home. It's going to the garbage tonight because I won't eat it. And I was charged for an extra empanada I never received. This was my mistake - I agreed with the cashiers count until I went back and recounted, so I am out an extra $2.25 for an item I never received. My husband and brother in law liked it but I don't think I'd come back with them. I feel like it didn't live up to the hype which was unfortunate because I wanted to like this place. read more

Best Empanadas around! Super nice people! Will definitely come back again and again. If i could rate more than 5 stars i would! read more

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Love having this place down the street. The empanadas are great and the lunch specials are very good. Thanks guys, keep up the good work. Highly recommended! read more

Empanadas are incredible. Baked not fried like most other empanada spots give it a unique standout amongst the competition. They also make their own signature hot sauces which are delicious. The owner and his son are very kind and the restaurant is always clean. Only suggestion would be some tables outside for outdoor seating on beautiful days. read more

i luv this place it has the best empanadas and i had a catering order for work and now i have my coworkers hooked on them too.

Great baked empanadas! And they have delicious limbe! Regular daily specials are delicious and great value for your money!

We started going here from when it opened. We moved one state away but come home often. Went this past weekend since we were missing our cheeseburger empanadas and were disappointed they got a little chintzy with the filling. What used to be a hearty and full empanada is now half of what it used to be. Disappointed. Same great taste but a little skimpy. read more

This place is around the corner from me so i frequent this place often. Emapanadas are ver good, cheeseburger and cheesesteak are a must have. Daily specials fonr hot food is pretty good depending on when you show up. Since the food sits there and may dry out read more

Very rude on the phone! I called them today to place an order. The woman who answered was very impolite. I got the feeling I was making a big deal asking if they had any spinach or vegetable empanadas. The woman named a variety of chicken and beef empanadas they had available (not what I asked for) and said they weren't making any more. Before I was able to place an order for tomorrow I got hung up on. Thanks to whoever answered the phone. :\ read more

The empanadas with the plantain and chicken filling are really great. Staff here are lovely and very helpful. This a great place to stop for lunch after spending too much at the nearby Home Depot! read more

Food is fresh and they have a rotating menu, the empanadas are awesome and addicting! Great comfort food.

I think this place is great clean and the people that work there are very personable. I'm a NY transplant in Clifton and I usually from experience go to Dominican or Cuban restaurants when im in the mood for a Latin taste but this place is a new exception to my rule! Its Puerto Rican owned and the empanades are tastefully addictive with many variation on any given day to challenge your taste buds. For this week my new favorite is their Shark Empandas OMG who would have thought, Delicious! You can also get chicken, beef and many other empandas. They have a nice mix of regular Spanish dishes you can pick from which i think is good at best, nothing to write home about but the empanades are a must. Oh and did i mention that they are baked and not fried and made fresh daily! YUMM read more

Stopped in for lunch today. Had the Spanish style beef ribs, with brown rice, and beans. Was very happy with the food. Owner is friendly, attentive, and selections were very nice. My co-worker had the Spanish Roast Pork and the Ox Tails. He was very pleased. Portions were nice too. Price was reasonable. Decor is festive and owner did a lot with small space. I would recommend anyone to try it. I'm looking forward to actually trying the empanadas next time. read more

Hubby and I come here often for Rice Beans and sometimes empanada's. Very good food, sometimes a little salty for me. The empanada's are really good. Their sweet plantains are always delicious as well. Prices are the best! read more

I love the empanadas here. They have lots of yummy varieties that they rotate every day. Some of my favorites are the BBQ pork or chicken (with or without cheese), cheeseburger (can't really go wrong with that one), buffalo chicken with cheese, and chicken with chorizo. Everything is always fresh and delicious. The dessert empanadas are also great - I really enjoyed the blueberry cheesecake flavor. I wish I had known about this place sooner. I was missing out! read more

They told me they had over 50 flavors of empanadas, so I started to slowly try them all and loving each one. Also the food here is the best in the area for a Puerto Rican spot. Tastes exactly like the islands abuelas homemade cooking. read more

Stay away from this place !! The food has no taste ! The old lady serving the food is rude and needs to learn how to treat customers ! The empanada are dry and tasteless ! This place sucks ! Oxtail has no meat and the rice is dry and hard ! read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch today and beyond happy I did. The food is amazing. It was so good that I ordered two of everything to take home for the rest of the family to try. Choices change daily, and the staff are some of the friendliest people. Will go back again (several times)!!!! read more

The oxtail is my fave. Everytime I go in, everyone is super friendly and helpful. A nice local feel good place to eat. :)

Excellent chicken , rice, and bean special !! The home made red, green, mango, lime, coconut hot and sweet sauces are amazing. The food is prepared fresh daily. Try the oxtail empanada ! read more

If your looking for those small places with great latin food, like you would get in Puerto Rico. Then this is the place for you. The food is great, the prices are reasonable and the food is healthy. With most of it being baked. Don't let the name fool you. While he dies have a variety of empanadas (from shark to guava and cheese, to cheeseburger and buffalo chicken) all baked. He also serves traditional Latin dishes. A most go to restaurant. read more

Finally stopped in for dinner and boy was I happy I did! Upon entering, I felt like I was transported to Old San Juan...the atmosphere is tropical and fun, with a hammerhead shark watching guests from above, tiki-esque thatch and colorful artifacts adorning the walls. The place is clean, friendly and authentic...there's even a spinning display rack with little souvenirs (keychains) and bags of Purto Rican candy. Where am I again? This place is awesome. And then I tried the empanadas! I went for the cheeseburger and chicken...both delicious! My husband tried the vegatarian pico de gallo with their homemade hot sauce (they have about ten different kinds!) and loved it! I'm looking forward to going back ... there are so many empanadas to try! And I want to give their pina colada a shot too (too bad they don't have a liquor license but I'm sure it's delicious). It could be a little overlooked from the outside...look for the giant tree frog painted on the window. But definitely go inside. I think you will be pleasantly surprised! read more

Had an terrific meal suggested by a young lady who served me. Had oxtail stew for the first time and coming back for more.

Good for what it is. When the owner is there place can be a highlight of my day. When the late middle aged woman is there-pure disaster. She's rude and when she can't hear she yells "huh?" Nice if they served pasteles all year round - according to the owners son it's only offered during the holidays. The beef ribs on Mondays were my favorite- but even though it's listed as a daily special it never is anymore. Please get rid of the tip line on the receipt. Again if the owner is not there the food and service is not worth it. read more

Guy at the counter was very nice and even offered us extra food for free. For a fastfoodish place the food was good and fresh. However there is always different choices so you never really know what to expect when you walk in. read more

Delicious! Must try! The baked empanadas are delicious! They vary everyday! Some of my favorites are: pastel empanada, cheeseburger empanada, maduros empanada, Nutella & cheesecake empanada, guayaba & cheese empanada, pepper steak empanada.... read more

I love this place! Great place for a quick or leisurely lunch/dinner. They always have at least 5 different types of Baked Empanadas every day! There are the classics,. Beef and Chicken, and then some of their own creations! I highly recommend the Ropa Vieja Emapanda! There are also other hot dishes, and the soup they have is amazing for a cold winters day! Service is great and the staff is friendly! This beats driving all the way to Union City for really good food!!! read more

Be there early as some empanada's get sold out early and suggest they cook more of those crowd favorite. Overall, we (Me and my family) like their baked empanada's. read more

My girls and I for tried something different for a change. We were surprised, the Empanada are "baked" so less fat...very worth it. The spanish food filling and tastes good...beats MC'D and Pollo T It's very well worth it...freshness, clean, and food being prepared by an adult that cares. I had a catering afterwards for a get together...cheap. Spanish theme....everyone loved it. read more

Discovered this placed on yelp and finally made it there. Took my son for a light snack after school. The guy at the counter was very helpful and polite (I didn't get his name but I remember his hair being very neat). It was nice to see and hear of such a variety of flavors both savory and sweet. They change the flavors daily. They're baked and crunchy. Also a variety of dipping sauce from mild to very hot. We'll be back. read more

Beans can be a little more flavorful but overall it's a good spot. The empanadas are good so no complaints there.