I used to like to come and shop, dine at the Empire Center when it opened. It is a huge, outdoors shopping center in Burbank. Free parking. But lately it's an necessary evil, I come only when I really need certain items I have to get in stores at Target, Best Buy, Michaels and the dreaded Walmart. Lots of chains which I try to avoid as much as possible. I stopped coming here for dining or donuts at Krispy Kreme as I don't care for them anymore for years now. Much better choices elsewhere. Traffic got congested in the area, I even saw accidents happen. Also, no one wants to give your turn here at Stop signs. It makes it more stressful. read more

This outdoor is only about 1.5 miles from my house but I very seldom come here. Stores include Walmart, Target, Lowe's, Best Buy, REI, Michael's and a few more smaller stores. You can also find here Krispy Kreme, Olive Garden, Outback, and several fast food restaurants. Let me tell you why I don't like coming here. Traffic is a nightmare. It always has been but it got even worse when an entrance to 5 freeway was added. Not a fan period. read more

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The Empire Center is typically the place I go to for running errands in Burbank. It has a lot of popular shops in one place like Target, Lowe's, Michael's, Nordstrom Rack, Walmart, Best Buy, etc. It's really convenient that I can get a lot of errands done in one trip, and the center always feels clean and safe when I'm there. On a clear day the mountain views are actually really nice too. My only complaint is the parking lot, mainly how it's designed. The layout is a little odd and the restaurant side can get very packed. Sometimes it takes a while to find a spot anywhere close to where I need to go. Half the time I just give up and park further away from where I want to go. Other than that, it's a solid shopping center and I end up here all the time. I'm giving it 4 stars because of the parking situation. read more

Let me just warn you. Parking can be a huge problem depending on which entrance you use. It's pretty bad. No lie. The Empire Center has tons of shopping and food choices. Including a Sephora and Ulta. Along with Krispy Kremes, Walmart, and many others. If parking was better and the flow of traffic was better, this place would rule. read more

Nice shopping area . Only came to the shopping center to stop at staples for a Amazon return but it looked like lots of good stores and good places to eat . I didn't give a 5 star because on my visit the traffic was HORRIBLE . read more

Empire Center - Front of staples - Shopping Centers Near Me - Burbank, California

The Empire Center or rather the Burbank Empire Center is a large-scale series of major chain stores, shops, restaurants, and entertainment... Home goods/home essentials to home repair to home comforts... It's definitely got close to all! Too much? Or maybe just too much in one cluster? Essentially an outdoor mall with enough parking to fill a stadium, and about the same bandwidth for accessing the mega lot that is pretty much constantly in flow with familiar favs like Walmart, Lowe's, Target, Best Buy, Michael's, Nordstrom Rack, Staples, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls all lined up side by side as well as the Hangar 28 series of smaller stores closer to the street side entrances & exits (Empire Avenue /Victory Place) i.e. BevMo, Tilly's and others along with the majority of the dining options Hook Burger, Olive Garden, Outback, Sharky's plus numerous more. I typically will park on the far end and go it on foot it's a great way to get in the steps and avoid being stuck behind another car but almost never drive here myself anymore... Traffic anxiousness and safety in numbers lol or at least that's what I tell myself. The local LA Metro city busses run by here as well and Uber or Lyft ain't too shabby. Considering all the national brands and favorites here, you can usually find what you're looking for at any store or cuisine at any eatery. REI has amazing customer service, and David's Bridal is rarely bombarded, advising to avoid West Elm if possible based on personal experiences here. I never felt more subtle rudeness as well as indirect verbal smugness exuding off the people that work here... Don't Pretty Woman me. If I'm in here there's a reason... There's at least one kind soul in the mix that prompted a second trip, but not enough for a third... Ain't nobody nowhere got time for that! The Target at the Empire Center keeps me coming back due to it being pretty well spaced out and the Lowe's is a favorite for sure... Not to mention BevMo where Bev's go... Top-notch personable service and one of my favorite locations... The buy one get one deal isn't just for wine these days ;) The Empire Center Game Stop is so clean, Jamba Juice never juiced better than here, Blaze Pizza... yum! Grateful they don't have a movie theater or even more of a draw here as it would be Super Bowl Sunday every day with foot and car traffic. Weekends and holidays as well as holiday weekends are the busiest. Weekdays are usually high volume after 4 PM though I've seen it pick up as early as noon or sooner. Worth a trip to grab any and everything all at once. May the Force be with you! read more

I'm surprised the reviews are as good as they are. I've been coming here since it opened, basically 25 years ago at this point. In this year, I've grown very exhausted of it. Mostly it's about the parking. Walmart is the worst, but they have the most available. They need a multi level garage for it if you ask me. Ultimately the worst of the parking is in that area where the BevMo, Sharky's, GameStop and Starbucks are. I never use any of those shops because you know there will be no parking. I'm not sure why they built it with only 1 slow lane with speed bumps or only 2 traffic lights on 2 different streets to exit. It's a nightmare to get in and out a lot of the time. The stores are great, sorta. It's all stores you expect and want. It's basic. But it's all needed. I think ultimately the worst store in the center is Best Buy. The store itself is useless. Most things you need an employee to grab for you; that's if they're even willing or can find it. I won't be sad when it goes out of business inevitably someday. The shopping center has a security patrol. They use a white Chevy SUV. They drive recklessly. I saw a girl driving and she ran the stop sign and when I blasted my horn at her she just put her hand in the air like she had no idea what "my problem" was. Another time I was driving another car and I saw another guy driving and he winged the curb. The locals know this is a place of high crime. Lots of people steal and break into cars here. Even recently it's been blasted for having the crime rate increase over 130% in the last year, despite the rest of the city's rate dipping. Do I want to go here? No. Do I have to because what's available? Yes. read more

We used to spend about $1,200 per month at Empire Center. Not anymore. I'm a "buy local" proponent, while my wife loves online shopping. We used to shop here for almost everything. One time, we got back from shopping at Nordstrom Rack we found the car had been scraped by another car and no note was left. When I called the property management's office I was informed that they don't have any security cameras (except Lowe's, who installed their own) and that they couldn't/wouldn't help me. My car wash guys were able to buff out the scratch for $75. I tried the property management office again to ask them to reimburse me or at least split the cost with me but they refused to take or return my calls. For less then $40 in goodwill, they could have retained our business. But they weren't hearing that. Thanks to the property managers, the $15,000 per year (more in years that we upgrade/replace appliances or electronics) in business their tenants used to receive from my family now goes to Amazon and other online vendors. So, congrats to them. read more

Huge parking nicely renovated and really clean facility. Lots of shopping and food. I like TJ maxxx Ross & Nordstrom rack. Target is also so nice, great location of aisles, enough space and nicely kept foods compare to other target. This one is the best. read more

Great selection of stores, can be a very confusing in & out, but overall one of my favorite centers bc of the variety of shops, plus if you get hungry, there's plenty of restaurants to stop for a cold/hot drink or a quick bite!!! read more

No, no, a million times no! This place is a disaster. Lots of good shops. It has a Best Buy, a Target, a Lowes, a Walmart and more. Lots of good restaurants too. It has sit down restaurants like the Olive Garden and the Outback Steakhouse. More fast food options like Wendy's, Sharkey's, Subway, Blaze Pizza and more. It has a Starbucks, a Krispy Kreme a BevMo. Honestly it has a lot of good options. The problem is this place was VERY poorly planned and has the most insufficient parking and roads of any place in Los Angeles and that is saying something. To get from one side of the center to the other there is one road with one line only in each direction. Because of all the food and shopping options this place gets a ridiculous number of people going here which makes that one lane to get from one side of the center to the other an absolute nightmare. I would rather drive the 405 during rush hour on the Friday of a holiday weekend than try to drive through the Empire Center. The city of Burbank didn't do them any favors either because the roads outside the Empire Center have been change making it even harder to get around the outside of the center. Once you do finally get from one side of the center to the other, good luck finding parking, especially if you are going to one of the restaurants. Seriously, this place is a joke. Every once in a while I get stuck having to go here and when I do I feel my blood pressure rise and I leave just angry and disgusted. Horrible, Horrible, Horrible! read more

Walmart Burbank at Empire Center opened this morning officially at 8am with a ribbon cutting ceremony. I did a drive thru breakfast, however, there were vendor samples at the storefront (Neuro, Bai, Artisan specialty breads, Takis snackfoods, Tastykakes, MountainDew products, Wonderbread, Coca-cola products, fresh citrus fruits, Carnation and more....). I wandered through Walmart. Then, I shopped for my personal everyday favorite brands. I was shocked that there were no special savings on dvd's and cd's for the new store. So I didn't go nuts on impulse buys. The highest savings appeared to be in the grocery/produce department. William, a customer service greeter, might disagree because he's stationed by personal care. We watched grown men go nuts over at the Hot Wheels bins for under a buck each. Alvard at the checkout counter swears by the cotton clothes and home decor being the best value. And when I saw Nadia (Nubia & Mommy), I told them the best savings was on deodorants. What else to talk about? The employees all seem to be genuinely kind people. I hope Walmart Corporate takes care of them properly (with benefits and wages as opposed to previous media flashes). I am glad Walmart finally opened a store in Burbank. However, disappointed there's no nail salon or McDonald's onsite..... And so the shopping mall (Empire Center) can still be useful to superstore shoppers. Welcome to the neighborhood, Walmart. read more

You can get what you want or what you need over there Walmarts there Lowe's is there Michaels is there with an awful store that is good at Hobby lobby instead much better and they got the trash stores Marshalls and Ross I think no not Ross Nordstrom's rack Staples is there it's a good store REI is a good store and the rest of them kind of suck , Check it out for yourself there's a couple good food places there too read more

I love this shopping center because it has all the stores I usually need to go to in one convenient spot. But , with construction going on it took me 15 min to get to Walmart from tillys!! Horrible, I'll prob stay away till all done read more

Empire Center - HORRIBLE TRAFFIC AT THIS TIME!!! Due to construction :( - Shopping Centers Near Me - Burbank, California

Gone are the olden days when plazas were the center of a town's shopping day. They provided not only a one-stop spot for all of a family's shopping needs but also a place to just dwindle and browse stores for no reason and gossip to your neighbors about the newest family on the street or new car your husband just purchased. Empire Center is sort of the modern equivalent of the old-time plaza. With a mix of stores that may not necessary make sense but works to keep you entertained; Empire Center helps to make your shopping errands go from "Boo" to WHOO-HOO!". You can find just about anything you need at Empire Center. A TV from Best Buy, a wedding dress from David's Bridal, a picture frame from Aaron's, crafts from Michael's, and discounted clothing from Marshall's, Nordstrom Rack, or TJ Maxx. You need cat litter? Target, at your service! New couch or sink fixtures? Try The Great Indoors! Your teen kiddos need clothes? How about Tilly's? Big date coming up and you need new cosmetics? Well, lucky for you because Ulta can help you out! All that shopping certainly works up an appetite which you can certainly satisfy at Empire Center such establishments as: Olive Garden, Hometown Buffet, Wendy's, Outback Steakhouse, Jamba Juice, Daphne's Greek Cafe, Panda Express, a sushi place, etc. Plus, Krispy Kreme if you are into fattening, fried dough for dessert. I honestly get more excited about Empire Center than some malls and spend much of time in Michael's since I am a craft nerd. My only suggestion for Empire Center would be to add some independent-type boutiques versus just large-names. Also, although Empire Center has a HUGE parking lot that is almost bigger than the neighboring Burbank airport; it is ALWAYS full so parking can be a hassle. Other than that, Empire Center is the go-to plaza/shopping center in Burbank. Just look for the planes in the sky! (You'll know what I mean). read more

Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx right next to each other, a quick stop at Marshall's since it is also right there. Plenty of free and easy parking all around. Great dining options, I saw three places I had bookmarked for awhile now, I JUST ate, ugh.... I'll be back many times to shop and eat. read more

Pros: It is nice to have a lot of shopping and dining options in the same location with Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack, Michael's, Target, Lowe's and Sports Authority. Cons: Parking lot is not the greatest. A guy backed into the side of me a couple months ago. Maybe if it was re-striped at a angle that may help, so cars are only backing up in one direction and not multiple directions. Not a lot of parking for the restaurants in the back and it gets a little crazy if you are there around dinner time. read more

It offers a good range of businesses but parking can be a pain in your side. Also, there are so many pack ups caused by terrible bottle necking that just getting to an area where you try to find parking can take time. My advice: visit here on off hours so you can easily find parking and go on your merry way. read more

I'm always here for something and very grateful that I have everything I could possibly need within minutes of each other. I just moved and getting settled so I'm always back and forth to the Empire Center. I love it! read more

Great stores! I mainly like the food section in the front part of the entrance. You wont find everything you need here, but you will find good verities of the big stores such as: TARGET, Marshalls, BEST BUY, BEV MO and much more. Check it out for yourself. Although, some big stores had closed such as SHOE Pavillion, we need to have another big store to fill its place. It feels a little empty with that place being vacant. C+ 3 Stars read more

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i ordered food from the driver through late night and parked in the parking and started eating with my friend. 2 minutes later a security guard pulls up and tells me to leave since i cant be parked in the parking to eat my food. Then i was followed out by the police for literally no reason other thin giving business and eating inside my car, i will not be spending a dime in this entire shopping center ever again. read more

I have always wanted to come to this shopping center after I had passed it on the freeway many, many times. But I just never had the opportunity to until last Sunday with my husband. I love shopping (what woman doesn't ?) and this shopping center is definitely the place to come. When I came by here, I stopped by a few shops that included Target, TJ Max & BevMo. I also had lunch at the Grain Lab. I think parking here is plentiful, but the parking lots near the eateries can be a challenge during peak time. But still work coming over to this area to try out some yummy places. Anyways, I did not get a chance to shop at all the stores and would love to come back here and shop around even longer. read more

OMG! This place is a disaster! Poorly designed layout and management. It seems construction here has been going on forever and I don't see it ending anytime soon. I had to stop by one Sunday (my mistake!) afternoon to pick up an item that I needed asap. Unfortunately it wasn't available in the store branch near home so my only choice was to go here. Ahhh...what a mess! People don't know how to drive and the closures from the ongoing construction doesn't really help; It actually makes things worse. I understand the convenience appeal: one stop shop for most people (not for me) from typical stores all in one outdoor plaza. If you have options, I would steer clear, otherwise plan your visit here to avoid getting trapped in traffic and massive crowds. Parking is ridiculous too! Just NO at all cost! read more

This place doesn't have their parking lot lit an night so I hit a curb while parking and damaged my car. This was the parking lot section near Wendy's and Panda Express. Lawsuit waiting to happen suppose someone trips over a curb cuz they can't see in the dark! Very dangerous. Be prepared for a lawsuit. Unsafe read more

They have some nice stores here, everything but a Movie theatre for some reason. The Parking lot is going thru some kind of landscaping event so parking changes frequently, sometimes while you are out shopping, you come out and your car is caution taped in. streets are blocked off and no-one is there to guide you. What's with all that decorative stone anyway? Some of the stores are going through changes as well so its hectic. Bring your patience and be flexible, if you are in a hurry don't come to this mall. Lets all hope that it will be worth the headache in the very near future. GET A FLIPPIN MOVIE THEATRE. read more

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Have to pay to charge? Every plaza i been to has free charging. And its expensive af!

As far as Valley Shopping Centers go, I have to say this is one of the most useful (to me). Not only do they have a Lowe's here, which, as a DIY kinda chicky, I frequent often, but they also have a HUGE Target, along with, by far, one of the BEST Marshall's around for home decor needs. They also have a Shoe Pavilion, a Linens N Things, a Michael's, a Payless and a Great Indoors. Seriously, each time I've taken on a new home project it is straight to this mall I come for basics and deals. The only time this place sucks the arse is during the holidays, but come on, everywhere sucks during that time. That is why the internet was invented, so you can pour yourself a nice glass of wine and surf and shop away and have it all delivered to your door. The only misses for this place are the Olive Garden, Home Town Buffet and what's the other god awful place called? Oh yeah, Black Angus. Blegh. But other than that, it's a solid 3.78 :) read more

Maybe its just me but I would think that a basic tenant of having a mega outdoor strip mall filled with restaurants and mega box stores would have super easy freeway access. Apparently I was wrong per the guy who designed this monstrosity. This was that super bad architect's first disgusting parking lot. It is definitely in the running for the absolute worst parking lot in LA/OC and that is pretty bad. The entire area around the restaurants has a street winding through it with parking head in on both sides. Seriously you jam 20 restaurants in next to each other and then only provide them with 40 adjacent parking spaces. They have other spots much further away, but seriously who wants to walk to get to those. Let alone if you unwittingly get stuck on the windy road, be ready for a 3 hour tour... Perhaps Gilligan or the Skipper can guide you through it on your way to meet Mary Ann or Ginger for grub. And here I thought that the Professor was smart enough to design something better... They do have some good stores here... However about half the space seems unused, but that is likely due to the economic turndown of a few years ago. I will say that they have one of the best Targets that I have been to here. Just be warned if you see this place while you are cruising down the freeway, you will need to make a number of turns, to get there. The freeway doesn't just drop you off at this place like most other major malls. You have to go about a mile or so off of the freeway to get here. Just don't get caught in the Costco lanes since it is close but not next to the mall. They are about a ¼ to a 1/2 mile apart. Bon chance on finding this mall and finding parking, but I am 99% sure you will enjoy the rest of the things there. Once you can find it... read more

Shopping at the Empire Center is oddly glamorous for what is essentially wandering around Burbank. Something about walking down the sidewalk with tons of palm trees and gorgeous, gorgeous mountain views on a sunny California day with an iced Starbucks treat in tow just feels like fabulosity. Lots of parking. Great variety of stores (Best Buy, Nordstrom Rack, Target, TJ Maxx, Michael's, etc, etc, etc). A few chain restaurants (Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, etc). This is the kind of shopping center that you can enjoy even if you don't actually end up buying anything. Great time killing spot. With mountains!! read more

1. If you can't find your way around a parking lot, you're a moron who shouldn't have a drivers license. 2. Has pretty much everything you need in one place - clothing stores, sporting goods, Target, restaurants, GNC, Gamestop, liquor store, Staples, Lowe's Best Buy and more. 3. See #1. read more

The Empire Center and I are in a committed love/hate relationship. The convenience of having these stores all in a row is amazing. You can start building your house on one end, decorate and stock it at Target, fill your closet at Marshalls, TJ Maxx & Nordstrom Rack, buy your new home theater system at Best Buy and have a perfect nail color and foundation by the time you reach the other end at Ulta. Most of the retail stores are companies that do free in-store returns of online orders and that makes life so darn easy. The parking around the restaurants tends to be a scene out a hunger games novel. Dramatic? Yes. But have you ever had a car pull riiiiight up to the side of your car when you're pulling into a space just so you either hit them or give them your spot? That's a lose/lose for you. I don't know if this ugly side stems from hunger, but you'll only find it between HomeTown Buffet and Wendy's. But, you can't beat Grain Lab's sweet potato fries with avocado pesto sauce or basically anything at Hook Burger. For selfish reasons, as I am a person on-the-go, I would love more spots to be assigned as BevMo has, for 15 minutes or less. I always call ahead with lunch orders that end up just sitting there getting cold while I'm Mad Max-ing the thunderdome of a parking lot. In all seriousness, (here's hoping my sarcasm read as being lighthearted) Empire Center is great. Avoid going to eat between noon and 2 pm and you should be good. If you can't, definitely park on the other side and use the crosswalk. If you're calling in a lunch order, leave yourself an extra 10 minutes for pickup. This place was a lifesaver when it came time for doing our wedding registry, packing for the honeymoon and the last minute shirt and tie change at Men's Warehouse. And if you just can't keep yourself from being one of those rude parking pains in the butt, stay out of my way. Seriously, I'll be back out in 2 minutes. You can wait. read more

Shopping & Eating, these are two of my favorite things, and the Empire Center has them both. Target, Best Buy, Lowe's, Sports Authority, they even have a bridal store, but no I'd never go in there. Outback, Hook Burger, Sharky's, Daphne's, Subway, they even have a Jamba Juice. All different foods, all different stores, they have got it all. Now, if they added a movie theatre I might never leave here... read more

If you can possibly avoid the Empire Center, you should. The stores are fine, but it is one of the most poorly designed shopping centers in the history of shopping centers. Insufficient parking, insufficient signage within the lots to indicate right of way, and insufficient EXITS AND ENTRANCES for the amount of traffic it draws. I might venture there on a week day, but I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than go there on a weekend and sit for ten minutes behind someone at a stop sign trying to take a left onto the main thoroughfare. read more

I am a fan of this huge plaza with stores that range from Walmart/Target to Marshalls/Nordstrom Rack. I have been here in the past, but I did not realize what the plaza really had until recently. You can knock out so many things on your weekend checklist by coming here. There are just so many stores that appeal to me, especially ones with good deals. I would recommend coming here if you need to do some shopping at target and want to treat yourself to some nice clothes at the discounted clothes stores. Then you can finish off the day with some krispy kreme. The only bad thing about this place is that parking is horrendous and its so big, you may want to drive from one store to the next cause a walk from target to walmart is like you're about to train for a race. read more

Excellent selection of shops and food! Tip: They are going to open a Nordstrom Rack in a few months! Can't wait! =) read more

This place is awesome but the only thing that sucks is parking on the restaurant side and the two lane road between the restaurants and the mega stores. There are so many stores to choose from! They have a Krispy Kreme, and they also have a Krispy Kreme, on that one side of the center there's a Krispy Kreme, and oh yeah! They have a Krispy Kreme! Did I mention the Krispy Kreme has a drive thru? Ha! I knew that would make you happy, you little piggy! read more

I'm very impressed by this lovely shopping/dining center. Some really big names are located here from Target to Sports Authority to David's Bridal to Olive Garden. Parking is alright but for some reason, the design of this center always causes traffic jams and "near missed" accidents. It's super busy here but what is one to expect from all this great shopping and dining? read more

I'm reviewing simply the center itself- not any of the stores contained within. I tend to avoid Empire Center, as it's time consuming and difficult to get into and out of. I've had several near collisions in parts of the parking lot due to unclear signage and lack of clear sight lines. I feel it's a poorly designed, poorly laid out shopping area. It's not conducive to parking in one place, and shopping at several stores. read more

The city of Burbank had a blank slate with this project. This is what the LOSERS approved. Disgusting. The stores are what one would expect to find at a cliche renovation in Hesperia, but I can live with that. When those same LOSERS approve MallWart, the congestion should ease up. read more

I didn't even know that you could review the 'Empire Center' and since I literally live about 10 mins away from here and come almost every weekend, i thought, why not? I love the Empire Center, it's a nice little shopping area thats filled with plenty of great stores, restaurants, cafe's, etc, you name it, it's probably the most popular place to come to on a weekend. I've shopped at stores located at the Empire that I'd never heard of before, or never thought of stopping in before I came here. I literally go to TJ Maxx, Ulta and Michaels on a weekly basis. The parking at this location is really bad, just to get into the parking lots is the worse, it's a two lane, and i've almost gotten into accidents so many times here. If I ever want to go to Target (parking lot packed alllll the time) I just park at Lowes/Michaels and walk here. I love that it's spacious, plenty of room outside of the stores just to relax and hang with friends. A couple of cafe's/restaurants/bars etc located here, so you can do your shopping and grab lunch and dessert afterwards all in one convenient location. There's a Holiday Inn located down the street and movie sets located across from here, so you're bound to see a tourist/celebrity or two. My only tip is to avoid coming to the empire (if you can) during the Holidays (and Sundays honestly) Simple grocery shopping becomes a huge hassle, dealing with parking and people. read more