Felt very meh about this place. I visited with some…read morecoworkers at lunch. There was only one employee working and she was very rude! Was not friendly and did not care about the way she conducted her service. I ordered a corn and cheese empanada and a spicy beef one with a side salad. Side salad is totally not worth it, do not get it! Tastes like a regular Costco salad with some walnuts. Both empanadas were good and fresh but nothing to rave about. The spicy beef one was the best one. I don't think I'd recommend this place.

It's most certainly a bright spot. The staff there this Sunday morning when I visited was cheerful…read more Lovely. And super warm. She / They made the visit pleasant. I thought the food was above average. I think it's great for a quick snack. I think it's great if you're just passing by. But I wouldn't go out my way. I got two this morning. One lamb. One mushroom and cheese. Torn on which one is better. I think without the chimichurri sauce, the lamb was better. It was savory and rich. It felt well put together. But I added the sauce and it switched the flavor profile of it a bit too much. The mushroom and cheese one was the opposite. It didn't need the sauce but the sauce enhanced it quite a bit. The sauce was okay. I got the spicy one and it was more mild. I can only imagine what the mild version tasted like. Plenty of seats. Can fit maybe 30ish people inside and outside. It's a warm atmosphere / ambiance with it being yellow and white.

I really like the empanadas here. I do not like fried empanadas so to me these are close to…read moreperfect. I like the texture of the baked dough and usually these are filled pretty full. I prefer the spinach, mushroom and beef empanadas. I tried the Malbec beef but it was too mushy and sweet for me. I'll stick with the traditional one, with olives. I lived in S. FL and baked empanadas are everywhere and usually were $1.50 each (now maybe $2.00-$2.50) so it does bug me to pay $4.00 for an empanada. On the other hand, they make a great snack or meal, depending on how many you get. And they are not as easy to find here, especially baked, so I'll keep coming to Parana.

I love empanadas and have had these empanadas before when at Pacific Beach open market…read more I kind of stumbled on this place and immediately I knew I wanted some empanadas! Empanadas are stuffed turnovers, originally from Spain and Portugal, and eaten widely across South America, including Argentina, Paraguay and also eaten in Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Phillipines too. They are a delight and delicious! This spot is an Argentinian place and I got 3 empanadas. They have many different stuffed options and I chose a beef, mushroom and spinach as my three. I asked how spicy the spicy beef one is and the very nice lady working said it was about 5/10, so I passed. She said it wad spicy, unfortunately, I cannot handle too spicy. So far, I have eaten the beef and spinach one and like them both. I was given chimichurri sauce, but I dont think I like this version, its a little too lemony for me. I like a more parsley forward chimichurri and this one too sour for me. For 3 empanadas, it was about $11, which isnt too bad! The empanadas are delicious and I will def be back again and again!!

I love a good food hall, and this one doesn't disappoint. A great collection of various cuisines,…read moreincluding yummy dessert options. This is a perfect choice for when you're traveling with a group and have a lot of differing preferences. Seating can be a little tricky, especially when you have a group larger than 6 people, but when the weather is nice, outside seating is lovely.

My family and I visited on Sunday June 28, 2026. It's a…read morecool place to shop and grab a bite to eat. We stayed for about an hour. We were lucky and found parking up front.

Came across this food truck at the end of the Little Italy Farmer's Market. We share a #1 (Smoked…read morebacon, scrambled eggs, avocado, cheddar cheese) $15 and it was generally pretty good but I felt the bacon was tasting a bit porky, almost like that smelly pork smell that comes from certain pigs. I also wished the hash was crunchier rather than stiff and a bit stale.

I really don't want to say this because I had 100% intentions of thinking this was the best…read morecreation ever. Even while watching them make it, I was PUMPED! The staff was friendly and chatted with us while we waited, which I appreciated. We stopped at the La Jolla Farmers Market on Sunday just for this. I ordered the beef chorizo, scrambled eggs, avocado slices, and cheddar cheese option. It was hot and crispy when we got it! Unfortunately, it just didn't taste like much. The sour cream was needed for texture- otherwise, it was dry and the potato part lacked flavor. The chorizo was good, but I don't think the individual elements were able to stand out.

Great food great environment!! Service was awesome!! Chicha is GREAT!!! Thank you for bringing a…read morelittle piece of Venezuela to San Diego!

We found Encuentro Cafe as we were walking around Old Town San Diego. Service was amazing, very…read morefriendly, and they checked on us to make sure everything was good as we waited for our meal. The meals were very tasty and portions were just right. I can only speak about my dish as I didn't have a taste of the other meal. I had the El Vainero (sweet corn pancake with Mano cheese, shredded beef, black beans and plantains). The flavors were so amazing together. You will just have to try it. I also ordered yuca fries. The three types of "sauces" were mild, medium, and hot. All three were tasty in their own way and I enjoyed all of them with the yuca fries and towards the end of my meal, it added a little kick to my dish. As for beverages, we had water and I ordered the hot chocolate. I know, hot chocolate, but it was so good. I love an authentic cup of hot chocolate with a bit of real whip cream and some cinnamon. In all, our experience at Encuentro Cafe was great from the service to the food. It is very intimate and we ate in the covered patio. It was as it would be eating outside with tropical decor. Not crowded and noise level as it would be eating in an enclosed patio, not too noisy with the sounds of Old Town patrons walking/driving down the street. I will definitely look forward to visiting this restaurant again when I visit San Diego.

As a Colombian who has been craving authentic Colombian cuisine since my last visit to New York in…read moreDecember, I can confidently say this restaurant truly satisfied those cravings. Being nearly eight months pregnant, my expectations were especially high, and it is rare to find a place that meets them so well. From the seasoning of the food to the warm and attentive service, everything about this restaurant stands out. Although I don't recall my server's name, he was incredibly kind and provided excellent service throughout. The ambiance is also worth noting--the space is large, offers plenty of seating options, and even features a large TV, making it a great spot to relax or watch sports. To start, I ordered a watered mango juice along with a beef empanada. The empanada exceeded my expectations--despite being on the smaller side, it was packed with flavor. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered five more to go, which speaks for itself. They were served with fresh ají, a traditional sauce that complemented them perfectly. For my main course, I had the carne asada plate, which included steak, rice, beans, sweet plantains, avocado, tomato slices, and a small arepa. Every component of the dish was well-executed--the beans were flavorful, the meat was well-seasoned, and the overall plate felt authentic. It is often difficult to find truly authentic Colombian food, especially in San Diego, where options are limited or not genuinely Colombian. This restaurant, however, delivers on authenticity and flavor. The portion size was generous, and I ended up taking leftovers home to enjoy later. In addition to the empanadas (two chicken and three beef), I also ordered a buñuelo and a cheese arepa to go. Unfortunately, these items did not meet the same standard. The arepa lacked flavor and was overly greasy, and the buñuelo was dry and similarly oily, even after absorbing excess grease from the bag. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for Colombian food, especially given how rare it is to find quality options in this area. Friends of mine visited recently as well and thoroughly enjoyed their bandeja paisa, further confirming the consistency of the food. I will definitely be returning--especially for those empanadas. Como colombiana que ha estado antojándose de comida colombiana auténtica desde mi último viaje a Nueva York en diciembre, puedo decir con confianza que este restaurante realmente cumplió con mis expectativas. Además, estando casi de ocho meses de embarazo, mis expectativas eran aún más altas, y no es fácil encontrar un lugar que las cumpla tan bien. Desde el sazón de la comida hasta el servicio cálido y atento, todo en este restaurante destaca. Aunque no recuerdo el nombre del mesero, fue sumamente amable y atento. un servicio excelente en todo momento. El ambiente también merece mención: el lugar es amplio, y limpio. cuenta con muchas opciones de asientos y tiene una pantalla grande, lo que lo hace ideal para relajarse o ver deportes. Para empezar, pedí un jugo de mango (rebajado con agua) junto con una empanada de carne. La empanada superó mis expectativas; aunque es un poco pequeña, tiene muchísimo sabor. Me gustó tanto que pedí cinco más para llevar, lo cual habla por sí solo. Venían acompañadas de ají fresco, que las complementa perfectamente. Como plato fuerte, pedí la carne asada, que incluía arroz, frijoles, plátano maduro, aguacate, rodajas de tomate y una arepita. Cada componente del plato estaba muy bien logrado: los frijoles tenían un excelente sabor, la carne estaba bien sazonada y jugosa y, en general, el plato se sentía auténtico. Hoy en día es difícil encontrar comida colombiana verdaderamente auténtica, especialmente en San Diego, donde las opciones son limitadas o no lo son del todo. Sin embargo, este restaurante sí cumple con ese nivel de autenticidad y sabor. La porción fue bastante generosa, por lo que terminé llevándome lo que no pude terminar para comer más tarde. Además de las empanadas (dos de pollo y tres de carne), también pedí un buñuelo y una arepa de queso para llevar. Lamentablemente, estos no estuvieron al mismo nivel. La arepa carecía de sabor y estaba grasosa, y el buñuelo estaba seco y también muy aceitoso, incluso después de que la bolsa absorbiera parte de la grasa. En general, recomiendo este restaurante sin duda a cualquiera que esté buscando comida colombiana, especialmente considerando lo difícil que es encontrar buenas opciones en esta área. Unos amigos míos también vinieron recientemente y les encantó su bandeja paisa, lo que confirma la calidad constante del lugar. Definitivamente volveré, especialmente por esas empanadas.

BEST EMPANADAS IN ALL OF SAN DIEGO. I spent my whole day trying to find good empanadas here in san…read morediego that would remind me of new york and this was the only location that didn't disappoint. $1.99 per empanada, they are super filling and can tell are made with love. Service was amazing and quick and the atmosphere is very welcoming i love this place. LAS MEJORES EMPANADAS DE TODO SAN DIEGO. Pasé todo el día buscando buenas empanadas aquí en San Diego que me recordaran a Nueva York, y este fue el único lugar que no decepcionó. $1.99 por empanada, son muy llenadoras y se nota que están hechas con amor. El servicio fue increíble y rápido, y el ambiente es muy acogedor. Me encanta este lugar.

Food was good! We got the burritos, conchas, donuts and horchata iced latte! Everything was fresh…read more The horchata iced coffee was delicious!! Cute indoor and outdoor seating. Customer service was great.

So the concha was amazing ... the lady that ran the cashier wasnt the nicest ..I asked her if she…read morespoke English and she said no .. then we had a stare off .. hahaha I was like ... um can you finish ringing me up ? I wanted to ask questions but wasnt able to .. the customers behind me were awesome and tried to make light of the situation. I'll go back for the concha with the same angry as the cashier

Food was great but they didn't have enough servers to help with the amount of guests. It took a…read morewhile to get seated and to order. So just be prepared to wait a while, patience is needed. I had the the fettuccine with steak, but you can also choose veggies or chicken. My friend ordered the Tallarin Verde with steak which was very tender.

As a Peruano, I have to say I love the authenticity of Mama G's. You step into a a cute space…read moreadorned with Peruvian artifiacts and decorations. Our server was very attentive and I heard him explain all the plates to a table next to us. He was even wearing a Peruvian NT jersey! We weren't that hungry so we shared the fish ceviche and the lomo sandwich! The ceviche was very tasty and the leche the tigre tasted just right! All the authentic ingredients...next time I'd order it a bit more spicy. The fish did not taste that fresh so I wonder what they were using buy overall I'd say this is the best Peruvian ceviche I've had in SD....taste wise. The lomo sandwich was huge! My girlfriend and I split it and she couldn't finish her half. All the dishes looked very generously portioned which is very good for the price point. The sauce on the sandwich gave it a unique taste. 4 stars for now but because I didnt try the lomo saltado and the freshness of the fish in the ceviche. Will definitely return!