Meeeh. I had the almond and pear empanada after being very intrigued by the yelp reviews and looking at their selection. I'm unimpressed. The dough was kind of tough, the pear kinda watery, and it was all very cold. I thought maybe that's why it wasn't very good, but I brought it home to warm up and that didn't make it any better. I wouldn't mind trying it again, but I'm not sure how much better it will be since the emapanda dough just wasn't very good. read more

It's cheap, but portions aren't that big either. Savory empanadas were a little light on filling and lacking in flavor. Both dessert empanadas were on the gross side (tasted like canned cherry/apple pie filling). Nothing gross, but nothing to make me want to come back either. read more

I would give this three stars but price is super cheap so it's definitely worth it. I got apple empanadas and the Chilean empanadas. It was preety good. If I pass this place I would definitely stop by but definitely not a place I would take a detour to go to. Wish they had tables or benches outside though although you can find places to sit nearby. read more

Julia's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

One of those days I wish Yelp had a half star option. After a few hiccups caused us to arrive super late in DC, we weren't left with many food choices last night. Julia's Empanadas would have to do the trick since we weren't in the mood for pizza. It's situated in the middle of a bunch of bars and clubs (smart location) so we managed to navigate our way through the mob of intoxicated people and inside. Don't expect much customer service here, it's really a "pick one -- pay me -- ok, now get out" kind of place. And I guess I can't argue with that at midnight. I do wish there were more options.. Like, uhhhh chicken & cheese, maybe. They had none that I've ever had before so I decided to go with the Spinach & Cheese, which seemed to be the most simple option. It was 95% spinach, so it's a good thing I really like spinach. I also tried a bite of the chorizo & bean, I'll say it was interesting. Both were flavored okay, they weren't tiny, just filling enough. The bread tasted a little stale, it could have easily been sitting out all day. Two empanadas came out to about $10 & I tipped -- simply because there was a tip jar staring at me and I like to be nice sometimes. The guy didn't even say thanks lol I was grateful for this place being open and it probably would have tasted amazing if this was after going to a bar instead of before but I wouldn't recommend it unless absolutely everything else -- including pizza -- is closed. read more

Julia's Empanadas - Spinach & cheese - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Definitely a D.C. Staple! This little spot was tucked away right next door to Lucky bar. It had several options for fillings inside the empanadas. Vegetarian options too! The man helping me was nice and greeted me as I walked in. Many of the fillings sounded great, but I went with the chorizo one. Yum!! Only warning, the empanadas are extremely hot, so be sure to let it cool down before you take your first bite! read more

Julia's Empanadas - Chorizo empanada! So good! - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I don't really eat empanadas often, but had the opportunity to try this place when I was in DC. Julia's Empanadas were delicious! They're reasonably priced and sized at around $5 and another plus is that they open until 4am! All the empanadas were hot, fresh and I would recommend this place to anyone! My friends and I tried the Chorizo, Turkey and Spring Onions, and Jamaican. My personal favorite was the Turkey and Spring Onions because it had a slight spicy kick to it and wasn't on the heavy end. However, all the empanadas were delicious and I wouldn't mind getting anyone one of them! *Bring cash as there is a minimum $10 charge for credit cards read more

Julia's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Glad we saw the reviews and stopped by! There's no place to sit/stand and eat - so plan on taking food to go! The empanadas were freshly made and tasty! There was no Chicken Curry at this location. Definitely stop by if you are around! read more

Julia's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Love this place! I get the spinach empanada every time & it's amazing 10/10 recommend when you need lunch or a snack on the go!!

These were probably the best empanadas I've ever had. My bf and I came down to DC from nyc to visit and we got these as a hiking snack for Shenandoah. They were so delicious even next day and after being carried in our packs for hours. From the savory options we got the spinach and the chorizo. From the sweet ones we got pineapple and custard, apple, and guava and peach. The guava and peach was a little too sweet for me, but my favorite was definitely the chorizo. We plan in picking up some more for the drive back to nyc :) read more

I went to Julia's after quite sometime the other day and got myself a couple of the empanadas. They ate still the same good quality and the hot sauce still had a good kick to it :) The Chorizo and Chilean are still my favorites! Be sure to bring cash for purchases under $10 tho. Plus they are open late too! read more

A hidden gem near DuPont circle. I have had a good share of empanadas throughout the country both in casual and fancy places but this place definitely surpasses them all. It is a no frill, cash only place but serves one of the best sweet and savoury empanadas. I tried their chicken one and was instantly in love. The balance of chicken, spices, filling, and crust is really proportionate. This place has no seating space just a small counter to stand. Since this is a cash only place there is a cash atm inside. A must visit place. read more

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This used to be one of my favorite lunchtime spots when I worked downtown DC. No joke, I was there at least one day each week. I'd take that 30 minute round trip walk from my office regularly. There weren't too many places in downtown DC where you could eat for under $10 and healthy at that. For about $6.50 you can cop the special of an empanada, a soup and a salad. My typical trip to Julia's would be to get a Jamaican style empanada (ground & chopped beef, onion, potato, curry, spices), a black bean soup and tomato, cucumber & celery salad. After a while I started adding another $2 to that special and getting one of the dessert empanadas. They have varieties like strawberry, pineapple coconut and apple. But my 'off the chains gotta have it knock em out the box' favorite dessert empanada is the peach/guava. It is slamm-min!!!! I discovered Julia's Empanadas back in like '96. Every Wednesday I was up in the Adams Morgan area & would hit up the location on 18th. I was thrilled to see the guy who worked at that location become the manager of the Dupont Circle location. I couldn't honestly tell you his real name, but I always called him Ray. Real cool dude. Julia's has me as a lifelong customer. Believe that. read more

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Delicious dessert empanadas! We tasted the apple, pear almond, and peach guava. All wonderful! The savory ones smelled great as well. 4 dessert ones cost just over $10. Minimum credit card purchase is $10. No seating, but it's easy to eat on the go. read more

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If I could give zero star I would. I am a D.C. Native and have lived in this beautiful city for over 25 years. I feel blessed to live in this amazing city. Tonight unfortunately, I came across a terrible experience at JULIAS EMPANAFAS-- upon asking the cashier--who refused to give me his name-- the kind of empanadas they offered, he said "can you ******** read?!, there's the menu". Appealed I called him out, to which he threatened me to report him. This is beyond unacceptable and a location and above that a business should never have such a disrespectful and despicable person represent them or their brand and even beyond that taunt their customers. This was such a horrible situation and I can only hope that the proper action is taken no one else had to deal with this ever again. Thank you read more

Hungry after a night of drinking in Dupont? Then this is the perfect place to go for cheap eats! I got the Turkey with Spring Onion Empanada (with cilantro, onion and jalapeno seasoned with turmeric) and it was quite delicious. It wasn't dry and had a generous portion of turkey. Next time, I'd like to try one of their fruit Empanadas. The line looked somewhat intimidating, but it moves fairly quickly. The line was outside the restaurant, but we got/paid for our Empanadas in about 5 minutes. For $3.41 ( + tax), this place is a steal deal-I'll definitely be back when I'm craving something to eat after a night of drinking. It's like Dupont's version of the Jumbo Slice in Adam's Morgan. read more

These empanadas are huge!!! $3.50 is a super awesome price---but be sure to bring cash--they do not accept credit cards. I tried the spinach and the turkey--great flavor, hot, and definitely filling! The dough was a nice consistency and not too dry or thick. Can't wait to go back and try some of the other great sounding flavors. read more

I tried the Jamaican empanada and the apple empanada. Both were good, but maybe they would have tasted better if I had had more drinks? The Jamaican empanada was much too salty for my taste. AND the empanadas are baked, which is great... but this is not how Mexican empanadas taste... and that's what I am used to and was expecting. read more

If I could, I would give it 3.5 stars but since I can't, I'm going to round down to 3 stars rather than round up to 4 for a few reasons. 1) The guy working there was so unhappy and seemed angry to be there. I don't need white glove service but at least pretend to be happy or try to be helpful when I'm asking questions. 2) If I were blind-folded, I would think that I was eating calzones and not empanadas. These are baked and the breading is delicious, but I still want my empanadas to be crispy and flaky. 3) These empanadas are big but I still felt weird about paying $3.75 per empanada. The empanadas were good and the fillings were delicious. I loved the variety and definitely want to try the other flavors. The fact that they're homemade is a nice bonus. Not sure I would go out of my way to try this place again but if it's around, I'll def go back. read more

This place is a great late night spot. It can be really crowded though so I'd recommend trying to get there before all the bars let out. I've had the beef and bean, chicken curry, spinach and feta. The Chicken Curry is by far the best, but the spinach one is definitely the worst. I got two one night and had one the next day, it was still great. I always make sure to hit up this place when I'm in the area. read more

My friend is a huge foodie, so he heard of this place and had us check it out, but i was sadly disappointed. Maybe it was because it was late at night and the empanadas weren't fresh... but they just weren't that great. the meat inside was pretty tasty but the shell was dry and didn't have much flavor. a close family friend makes her own homemade empanadas and those were much better than this one. read more

England has the pasty, India the samosa, and Russia the pirozhki. Latin America answers with the empanada - a golden pocket of deliciousness that you can fit in your pocket! (Not recommended, in case that deliciousness decides to escape.) Many of the past empanadas that I've eaten before could fit in the palm of your hand, but these are twice as large. I was lucky to have stopped by when the owner was just taking out a fresh batch of Chilean empanadas. So, I had one of those and a peach-guava empanada for dessert. The Chilean was savory with just the right balance of sweetness from the raisins. They're also definitely handmade as the crust was uneven - thicker in some parts than others - but, in my opinion, that's what makes them special. My favorite was the peach-guava empanada. Although slightly smaller than the savory ones, the dessert empanadas are no less delicious. read more

If there were ten stars, I'd give them that.... I've been reviewing for years and this place is the winner...died and gone to heaven on the pulled chicken and olive, (forgot the name..."entena?) Or the spicy meat...omg... LOVE the flaky light outside. ( I hate pasties and most empanadas due to heavy, lard-like crust) This place nails it!!!!! read more

I am a huge proponent of Julia's whether I'm sober or had my share of drinks over at 18th street. The sign says 'baked with love' and it's actually true in this instance. The empanadas are fantastic. I love the vegetarian option because it changes every few weeks, but it is always delicious. Also since they are baked instead of fried I never feel too guilty about stoping in here. The dessert empanadas are good as well. i've only had the strawberry cheesecake one. The shell isn't really that sweet, but the filling tastes fresh and warm. I love this place and highly recommend, also would recommend bringing cash but they do take credit cards. read more

Wow! Amazing empanadas! Tried 4 different flavors, and all were excellent: Saltena, Chilean, Turkey and Chorizo. The Saltena had green bell peppers which was not listed in the ingredients but did not overwhelm the flavor, which was excellent. The Chilean is the favorite empanada here, was recommended by the staff, and it did not disappoint. Not very spicy, but very flavorful, with a zest that will leave you wanting more. Cash only spot, but worth the trip to the ATM. read more

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Tried the saltena (chicken one) and the jamaican beef one. The chicken one is really nice since it has some green olives, egg, and raisins in it, so there's a myriad of flavors going on in just one empanada. I've had the spinach empanada and chilean beef (similar to the chicken, but with beef) before and it's also just as tasty. These are quite large sized empanadas and delicious, quick service, and easy to eat on the go. Cash only!! read more

Julia's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Yum! Empanadas are one of the most cleverly devised ways of eating food to me, but I've never found an empanada stop until now. The restaurant itself isn't a sit down place--it's more or less a counter to pick up your empanadas and go. It looks pretty dingy, but wow!--the food the complete opposite. As a vegetarian, I was incredibly impressed with the vegetarian (actually, it's vegan!) empanada. I was expecting it to be filled with 1 or 2 boring vegetables, but it was stuffed with chickpeas, mushrooms, spinach, kidney beans, carrots, green beans, and more! The flaky butternut squash was to die for--it was so mouth-wateringly savory, with a hint of sweetness that complemented the seasoned vegetables perfectly. And the fillings change every day! I also ordered an apple dessert empanada, which was also great! But just a little typical/everyday tasting. Still, it was delicious and juicy, but didn't compare to the awesomeness of the vegetarian empanada. Julia's Empanadas has very reasonable prices for decent portions of awesome food! Go for one of the main empanadas for a unique experience, instead of the dessert ones! read more

Julia's Empanadas - Apple Empanada and Vegetarian Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Listen, I wanted to give this place a shot. It looked promising, but the food was not even close to being edible. My family was concerned for food poisoning. not only that, but you are paying $6 per empanada. Big waste of my money. read more

Best empanadas I ever had I the DMV! Packed with juicy flavor and goodness the variety f flavors make it worth while to check this place out. Unlike other stores they do charge more than others however the QUALITY is better than anything I have ever had in the DMV in terms of an empanada. The food tastes like your aunt's good home cooking and the overall place reminds me of a homey feel. I can't believe I haven't reviewed here as I thought I did! This place is a must try, don't leave the DMV area without trying their delicious empanadas! *Must try: the beef empanada as well as the Jamaican! read more

I really wanted to love it, but couldn't. There were 2 vegetarian options. The sweet potato sounded odd with its mix of random veggies, so I chose the spinach feta empanada. As I read from other reviews, the pastry dough is not typical for an empanada and that was disappointing. Less airy and crispy and more dense and heavy. I was prepared for that, and could've overlooked but the spinach filling was completely flavorless. I did not taste any feta, and I had to liberally apply salt just to eat 1/2 of it. It's a good deal if the filling were better. I'm sure the chorizo one would have been awesome. Curses on being a vegetarian. read more

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Consistent for the last 15 or so years we have been coming! Jamaican and Saltena are our favorite. Don't forget to ask for the spicy green sauce: sometimes the line is so long (especially at night) and they're so rushed they may forget to include in your takeout order. Enjoy! read more

Julia's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very solid empanada joint! I got the Chilean style beef because I was intrigued how raisins would taste with it. And yes, it works. The raisins added some sweetness to the empanada, but not too much. Service was quick and efficient. Luckily I went with friends and met the $10 credit card minimum, but if I were to get caught off guard in the future, I would recommend getting 2 and saving the second for later! They're portable for a reason! read more

Best I've ever had! Lots of meat, chicken or vege (they stuff their stuff) warm and freshly made. We went for seconds in the same day! Literally a hole in the wall but worth it!!!! They have a variety, I personally liked the Jamaican, Chilean and turkey w/jalapeños!!!!!! read more

Julia's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was very pleased with the Jamaica flavored empanadas. Could be spicier but I understand the blandness do to the location. Chorizo I wasn't sure I received the right one, but the one I had was still excellent just not what I was expecting. Wasn't thrilled about the dessert, I got the pear. A more pastry shell would have been nice. read more

Julia's Empanadas - Jamaica and a chorizo. - Empanadas Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia