Some of the best empanadas I have ever had. The cheese, chicken, and dessert empanadas are spectacular. I haven't yet tried the other ones but I am sure those are just as good as well. Very flavorful and their sauces on the side are on point as well. They have other meals as well which I haven't tried but if those are anything like the empanadas then that will taste amazing as well. Very small shop with limited seating and parking can be a hit or miss. read more

After having this place recommended to me by a few friends, I ordered from here off of Uber eats and was so impressed! We got the ground beef, shredded chicken and corn, and beef and potato empanadas and all 3 were flavorful and delicious. We also got the fried plantains which were lacking a bit in terms of flavor and tasted very dry- will skip those and go with the ripe plantains next time! The empanadas came with 3 different types of sauces and the white aioli was my favorite! I just wish they gave more of it to us. The food was pretty cold by the time it was delivered, so I will have to try the empanadas fresh from the restaurant next time! read more

great food, wait was a little long, a little cramped. Only tried empanadas but the other food looked good, too.

Every vegan item I've had has been so flavorful and filling! Plus it's so affordable. Can't wait to see if they add more vegan options!

First off I should have came here years ago where has this place been all my life?! These empanadas are the most wonderful ones I have ever had. My boyfriend and I got 7 empanadas for about 21.90. We ordered 2 shredded chicken with corn, 2 seafood medley , 2 shrimp and a caramel apple. The savory ones came with three different side sauces Picante , aioli and a three pepper sauce. The chicken was shredded and juicy goodness. The shrimp one had nice big shrimp in some sort of red sauce. Every bite was just more shrimp I could eat that everyday for the rest of my life lol 5)3 last one the seafood medley was a nice combo of seafood (I didn't ask what was in it maybe should of ? Who cares it was good too ) I believe I tasted shrimp crab and maybe mussels? Each empanada was packed full of food they did not skimp! They were warm goodness in your mouth. The last one the Caramel apple was of course a dessert and such a treat. Warm apple and carmel reminded me of the ones Taco Bell use to sell but so much better. These little gifts from god are dangerously good but We are a fan and will be back Francesca! read more

Franchesca’s Empanadas Cafe - Perfection in an empanada - Cafes Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Delicious homemade empanadas! Im so happy that I found this cafe and would definitely recommend. We ordered the empanadas and the Casava with cheese. Both were so delightful. I love supporting local business and I would definitely recommend. read more

Went here for the first time after driving by without stopping too many times. It was delicious! The empanadas have a great amount of filling and everything was made fresh while we wait. Worth the wait indeed. Got the guava and cheese and the beef with the pepper, corn. Two were perfect for lunch! Boyfriend got the chicken bowl with added avocado and loved the sauce it came with. Happy to return in the future! (Bonus points for being female latinx owned :)) read more

This place has a variety of options friendly to gluten free or vegan diets as well. The place is small but we'll decorated. My only gripe is the service is all over the place. Sometimes it's fine. Sometimes they don't understand me or just seem irritated. It always takes longer than the time they tell me. But it won't deter me from going back read more

I was too busy eating all the empanadas that I ordered and did not get to take a picture! By chance I found this gem and decided to try it out for an early lunch. The empanadas were to say the least supeerrrr delicious! The shrimp ones are to die for. Ham and cheese with the cheesy goodness that oozes. The shredded chicken is well reasoned. The best part is their sauces along with the food. We also ordered a delicious passion fruit tea to balance out all the flavors. This is definitely a must try and a new go to. read more

So freaking good! The empanadas where cooked perfect, sauces were awesome.

Food is so warm and authentic! Also incredibly priced!! I got a gift card for $10 and was able to get an empanada, cheese ball, and papusa, which were all very satisfying. You can order on the website and pick up in the store and it's cheaper than using Grubhub. I'd only recommend Grubhub if you need delivery. Definitely can't wait to order takeout from them again soon!! read more

So happy to have this restaurant in the neighborhood. Empanadas were delish!! My kid looooved the pizza empanadas. Pupusas are on point. Must try! read more

Absolutely outstanding empanadas! This little cafe is beautifully renovated and has a home kitchen feel. I got the cheese and plantain and the ground beef empanadas. They were fresh, puffy and delicious. I am so thrilled to welcome this neighborhood gem into Highlandtown. read more

Best costumer service in the city. The person behind the counter is always very friendly, they check in, and make sure that you like the food. I always order an empanada combo and get 6, my favorite fillings are shredded chicken with corn and the beef and potatoes. They have great sweet empanadas as well!! I also highly recommend the tamarind drink they have. No matter what, you will find something you like here. read more

Everything was delicious! I highly recommend the passion fruit juice, pupusas, and beef empanadas!

I ordered for pick up, 1 order of beef empanadas and 1 order of beef and potato empanadas on corn tortillas. They were so good!! Also had the tamarind juice which was sweet, but not over powering. Friendly service too! I will definitely come back! read more

Good customer service and good food! I tried the beefless ground vegan empanada, the chicken empanada and the plantain & cheese empanada as part of their awesome $6 Monday special. Although I think that they could have been cooked a little longer (the inside of the shell seemed a little underdone), the flavors of the empanadas and the sauces that came with them were good and I plan to be back for many Mondays to come! Bonus perk: parking was not hard to find on that road. read more

This a small establishment with great empanadas. We tried the beef, shredded chicken, spinach and ricotta, and caramel apple. Each one was so delicious. The side sauces, specifically, the aioli, were also amazing. We will definitely be back for the empanadas and try some of their other food. read more

The empanadas were so good! Well worth the drive to Highlandtown to pick them up. I will definitely get these again. Cant wait to try the other items on their menu. read more

Delicious! We ordered a quinoa bowl with sweet potatoes, various empanadas, rice and beans, and a dessert empanada. Everything was delicious, including all of the homemade sauces. Quick pick-up, but they also deliver. Will definitely be back (and will take pictures next time)! read more

I love this place. Place is clean. Staff is courteous. Best Empanadas ever. I have tried all flavors and love them all! read more

Franchesca’s Empanadas Cafe - Chicken Empanadas - Cafes Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My friend and I went to Franchesca's for the first time Saturday night. The atmosphere in the restaurant was warming. The young lady at the counter was attentive, friendly and answered all our questions. We ordered empanadas, pupusas, tamales, vegan dishes, guacamole, and desert. We also ordered drinks. First off the passion fruit juice outstanding. My friend got the tamarind juice, which I tried a little of. That too was good. So my friend and I ordered another round one to go. As for the food we ordered. The empanadas were probably the best I've ever had. The chicken was cooked to perfection. I ordered the chicken pupusas and tamales, let me say I will definitely be back to order again. I'm visiting from NY, but Franchesca's definitely is another reason to return to Maryland. Everything from Franchesca's was delicious! I highly recommend ordering from here or dinning in. read more

The only thing better than the food at Franchesca's is Franchesca herself. Great food. Reasonable prices. You can't ask for anything else from a great little spot like this. Can't wait until they open for sit down to make this a go to lunch spot. read more

Incredibly good empanadas, and very reasonably priced. Good variety of authentic and creative empanada options. No done-in seating yet, but the interior of the place seems pretty cool, too. "Check it out." read more

I've been meaning to post a review for a long time now. This place is amazing!! I have been coming here about once a week since the fall and can't stay away. Franchesca is an incredible human being who brings out the best in our community. Her empanadas are unbelievably delicious in every capacity. I'm always impressed by how clean and organized her restaurant is and how friendly the staff here is. A must try if you're visiting with family or out for a walk through the park. Do yourself a favor and stop by -- it's simply the best! read more

Franchesca's was awesome! GREAT empanadas! We were walking by and their entry and area was so inviting, we popped in and we are glad we did! Great specials too! Empanadas were large and filling! read more

I love this place!! I decided to try Franchesca's after reading a rave review in a Facebook group. And I am so happy I did. I've lived in Baltimore for almost 3 years now and always on the hunt for a place that has great empanadas with a variety of fillings. So far I've tried the shrimp, crab, ground beef, chicken, chicken and corn, spinach and ricotta, and the caramel apple. And they are all amazing!! The staff is very nice. Very clean establishment. Hands down, highly recommend!!! read more

I had the chicken empanada it's corn, it s delicious! Get it with the aioli on the side! Also, the niece of the owner Kelsey es upper kind and professional. Will Be back for sure! read more

My husband and I tried about 5-6 things off the menu and we loved them all!! Didn't take pictures because everything disappeared so quickly. The staff is very friendly and the interior is so cute. Go check it out! read more

Empanadas are so good here!! I love the pizza one and the veggie one. The staff are all very nice and very accommodating. 10/10 recommend!

Absolutely outstanding empanadas! We always get the chipotle pork, spinach, and ham and cheese. The sauces are wonderful, too. I can't say enough about the deliciousness here. read more

Very good! I've been eyeing this place for a while and me and boo stopped by to check it out. We got a few different types of empanadas, crab, beef, chicken, buffalo chicken, and apple pie. All of them were good, I would definitely get the chicken, beef and crab empanadas again. I also got a chicken tamale and it tasted like the ones I enjoyed in my childhood, it was really good. The café is small and very bright, clean and has cute decor. One of the high points of our visit was the young lady taking orders (I overheard her say she was the owners daughter)...well, she was super polite and pleasant!! Her personality is very welcoming and I saw her interact with several customers. I love it when I visit a place and the service is good...if not great, because that will always bring customers back. Whereas bad service will run customers away no matter how good the food is. We will definitely be back!! read more

Great Highlandtown spot. We are big fans of the guava and cheese and chicken and corn. The beef is a solid classic option.

We went here for the first time this week and were very impressed! The empanadas were delicious- my favorite was the eggplant and my roommate's favorite was the chicken. Like other reviewers said, the cassava roll was also incredible! The specials on Monday were such a great deal- we got 6 empanadas, a cassava roll, and pupusa all for around $20. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

My rating would be higher had they not forgot my seafood empanada which I was REALLY looking forward to.

Absolutely LOVE the empanadas, bowls, sandwiches, cassava rolls, quipes!!! Juices! Everything is delicious. Place is always spotless and staff is super friendly. I love coming here for some fresh empanadas every week. I love the chicken and corn, pulled pork, and ground beef. Must try spot in Baltimore city!!! Will not be disappointed :) read more

Heap and quick and easy to order and pick up. Had the ham & cheese , pork and chicken as well as the guacamole and chips. Super fresh guacamole with no onions. The empanadas were fresh and hot and crisp read more

Had a great first experience at Franchesca's when me and my partner stopped in to grab dinner on a Friday night. The inside of the restaurant is very clean and modern, and I could see myself eating here in the future during non-Covid times. The service was friendly and I loved that there was a wide selection of things to choose from on the menu. We got 5 items for 2 people and were very pleased with the size and value for money. Our order consisted of the beef empanada, the spinach and ricotta empanada, a sweet plantain empanada, a pork and cheese pupusa, and cheese cassava rolls. My top tier favorites were the spinach and ricotta empanada and the pork and cheese pupusa. The empanada was very well seasoned and I enjoyed the gooey, cheesy texture of the filling. The pork in the pupusa was very flavorful, and the slaw and sauce that came with it were among the best I've had-- fresh, crunchy, and tangy with a kick. I feel like the beef empanada could have used some more moisture or another filling like cheese to make it tastier. I'm also not a huge fan of sweet plantains in empanadas but my partner loved both empanadas for what it's worth. The cheese cassava rolls were not my favorite of the items we got because all the cheese was concentrated at the bottom of the roll, leaving just cassava for a majority of the dish as opposed to an even mixture throughout. Overall, we had a great experience and I'm very excited to try Franchesca's again and continue exploring all the items they have on their menu! read more

I don't usually review but the food here is AMAZING! We enjoyed different bowls and the corn empanadas, which were delicious. The lady on the phone was also super helpful and just really nice. Will come back again. read more

Franchesca's has incredibly delicious food, great prices and service. I wish they were in my neighborhood so I didn't have to drive all way to Highlandtown. I'm vegan and the vegan options, while not huge, are extremely tasty. I've had all the empanadas but the eggplant and they were delicious. The vegan pupusa was big for the price and made me wish I had ordered two. I need to try the drinks next time. Overall, I highly recommend Franchesca's Empanada Cafe. A tip from the employees, order from toastab.com, Google Franchescas, and you won't pay Grubhub fees. read more