My mama doesn't make empanadas but I'm glad this mama does because it's damn sure good! I've been coming to this spot for over 5 years and each visit, it never disappoints. Of course, prices will increase, but for about $3.50 you get a large, flavorful & filling empanada. You eat 3 of these and you'll be good for a few hours! What I also like about this place is that if you're not feeling fried, you can get it baked. My go-to is the (fried or baked - both good) chicken fajitas, pizza, and Cheese steak. Add a little bit of the green sauce to each bite & you're invited to mama's kitchen! Just be prepared for a wait time if you order, since each is made to order! Cash and card are both accepted but with a price difference. read more

Good food but bad service, no wonder why Steinway is closing down so many businesses. Service needs to improve. Good location. read more

Service: 2.2/5 Food: 4.3/5 Price: under $20 Slightly revamped menu with some new items, mostly still the same. Service needs improvement. I placed 2 orders: 1st came out in 10 min, but 2nd was seemingly lost/forgotten. Despite checking in periodically, a follow-up with the kitchen didn't happen until my final ask ~40 min later. With such high customer turnover, someone sitting in plain view waiting for ~1hr should ideally stand out. While I was given a quick apology + extra sauces, it didn't quite make up for the significant delay + the lack of follow-through was disappointing. What I Ordered: - Chicken Fajita: good, not a standout - Hawaiian: good, still heavy on the cheese + pineapple - Pork: tender meat, not much different from the chicken - Figs, Caramel + Cheese: unique, but the fruit + caramel combo is too sweet read more

Mama's Empanadas - menu april 2026 - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Mamas empanadas is a no frill spot known for their empanadas. I opted for the Chicken, Biagra, and Philly cheesesteak. I opted to have them baked (.50 cent more) and it was totally worth it. All 3 empanadas were superb. The service was prompt and quick. The woman at the counter greeted me warmly and gave me time to decide on my order. Not much about the ambiance because I'm mainly there for the empanadas. read more

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Mama's Empanadas is a hidden gem in Astoria with a wide variety of empanadas at very low prices. At lunch time, they are probably the cheapest lunch spot around. So many times I had passed by and never visited them to try out their dishes . I am now a fan and will be back. read more

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I genuinely have always loved empanadas since I was a kid. I think it's very hard not to like them, but one of the things that blew me away was the choices of empanadas. When I eat empanadas I always feel like it's the most obvious ones like chicken and beef. When I say Mama Empanadas blew me away with the menu it did. I never thought I would see empanadas like cheesesteak, Cuban pernil, and mac and cheese. I love all of them! My favorite of the one is the Cuban. I love Cuban sandwiches in general, they're one of my favorite meals and whenever I can get it I always do. The restaurant is also very convenient especially it's location. Having a good empanada place is fantastic to have especially on Steinway. There's probably a bunch of empanadas joints in Astoria but this is my go to. The choices of empanadas is something I never thought I would see. The restaurant is so close to the M/R train so if you are ever headed towards Astoria and get off on Steinway please check out the restaurant. There is also so much more on the menu. The few times I also been their person I never really had a complain. The staff is very nice and friendly so a restaurant with a friendly staff to me is one of the most important things to enjoying your meal. read more

Mama's Empanadas - My favorite empanadas CheeseSteak/Pernil /Cuban/ Macaroni and Cheese - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

I got a cheese steak, an Italian sausage, and a guava and cheese empanada. The cashier was nice and let me use credit card even though it cost less than $10 for the 3 empanadas. read more

I've tasted many empanadas in my day, and it's safe to say these are some of the best I have ever tasted.

I prefer the one over by the Queens Center Mall, but this one ain't too bad since it's very close to the Blink Gym I frequent. Empanadas are affordable, wish I could say the same for the entrees, gonna need to have more than 10 mere bucks for those. Soda selection is decent, nice to see a place that has Coke Zero. The sauces could be bigger, like they're too small to simply dip the empanadas in considering their wide girth, it's simply inconvenient. Kind of a lazy review I know, but for what it's worth, it's decent if you want to have lunch on a budget. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Outside of area - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Mama's empanadas has always been consistently delicious. They offer corn, flour or wheat empanadas. They also offer other dishes but I have only ordered their empanadas, pockets of delicious hot plus some unique creations. I normally get their broccoli and cheese (need some vegetables), chili empanada (bit spicy), beef and potato empanadas with green sauce only. For desert, their caramel (arequipe) with cheese sound strange but it is so good. Since they are, cooked when you order them the process is not quick but I am ok with waiting. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Classic spot. Hope they never close. Been coming to mamas since I was a baby, always on point. Give the flour empanadas a try if you're doing Hawaiian. They just take a bit long sometimes and those prices be going uppppp. read more

As a very casual more grab-and-go place, this spot has great empanadas for a very reasonable price, but lacks kind or friendly service for first-time goers. They excel in both savory and sweet empanadas honestly as every single one I tried was delicious and pretty worth the price, but the process in getting the meal was a little disappointing. The place had plenty of staff at the front just gossiping and talking amongst each other, but as guests were coming in, the workers weren't attentive at all and had the line wait to take orders without acknowledging us for a few minutes. The tables also weren't very clean and the staff didn't seem to care for wiping spaces down after use. I think this spot has very good food for the price point and its quality, but the staff have a lot to improve on in terms of service and just taking care of folks walking in. If you're just looking for a spot to eat and don't care for cleanliness or attentive staff, this place is very solid. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Love love love mama's. It is a go to for a quick empanada fix or guac and fresh plantain fries. Couple vegan options for me and plenty of options for everyone. read more

I like the empanadas at this location, however the location in Hell's Kitchen has a much bigger selection of empanadas. The empanadas here were tasty. The place was very disorganized and there was trash on the floor. But what stood out to me the most was how rude and unprofessional the cashier girl was (the girl at the cashier in the picture). I asked her questions about the menu and I had to ask a few times because it seems she was ignoring me and I'm not a soft spoken person. I then asked her for napkins to clean the table because it was very dirty and we wanted to eat in, and she ignored me. Her co worker was the one that assisted me. I will not be coming here again because of how bad the customer service was. We ordered 6 empanadas and she gave us 4 sauces and refused to give two more for the other two. Management needs to get people that actually want to work, there are a lot of ppl without work, no reason why they should have employees that are not friendly at all. read more

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Honestly- I feel like this staff has been there so long they just don't care or are frankly numb. There's no fresh energy. They throw your stuff in a bag PRESS the point that if you request extra sauce you're getting charged. They are like robots. If you live near or frequent you'll just internally roll your eyes just like they do externally and keep it moving because your hungry but if they parked a food truck selling empanadas on the corner of Steinway and Broadway there would be no reason to go here. They should remember that the neighborhood pays their check and will tip but I'll never tip with their attitudes. Taking business for granted is not it in this economy, They are fine because everyone loves an empanada and an "over it" staff that are robots. I'm giving the second star because I was hungry and the empanada was good but everything else. Go work at dollar general and go home if you want to just throw tickets at customers with no feedback from leadership: oh I guess that's mama's standard also! Got it. I doesn't make me feel good to write such a review knowing we are all out here doing our best but I doubt they are I've seen this behavior too often. They just don't give a f$@? And it's the neighborhood's fault because we just take it! read more

This the most tasty empanadas bc the sauce is packet so fun and tasty super fresh at least in my opinion. The beef flavor is so good as well. Lots of options to choose from and I recommend the wheat one cause i think the corn one isnt as big just my personal opinion. Whew i need to go back now I miss it so much. Spacious seating and some are high tables. Staffs were friendly read more

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Ordered delivery. The empanadas are good but the problem I have is they never give me the sauce I request. I ask for red sauce and they give green and pink sauce. We all know it's all about the sauce. For us it's the red sauce that taste good and makes the empanadas good. So I'm very disappointed they don't even read what you request. And it's not the first time. read more

Yall this place is great, stop listening to the people who are saying there service is not in the right order and stuff. People just wanna judge and be rude as hell. This place is great and I love it, the BEEF EMPANADAS are AMAZING. They are the best bro. read more

Food is okay, service is not friendly and cash/card rules are unnecessary. Bathroom is filthy!!! As well as the floor in the main eating area. Cheap with the sauces! Music is loud and obnoxious for no reason. Won't be back to this location. Hair on food read more

Mama's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

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I always go to this empanada place cuz I live nearby but when I tell you it's worth the hike; get the cheeseburger and guava cheese empanadas with green sauce, make sure you ask for them FRIED and bite into that ish while it's still warm for the ultimate experience Few things in this world make me happier read more

Delicious empanadas to choose from. Over 50! I had the spinach cheese & pizza ones. Both were great. Friendly staff as well. read more

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This 5 star review is for the lone woman working at the register today at around noon. She had to answer two different phone lines, handle in person orders, and pack to go orders all at the same time. And despite it being very busy on all fronts, she handled everything beautifully while being polite and respectful to all customers. Truly impressive. Give this woman a raise. Or at least a paid day off. read more

Such a great selection. I especially love the Biagra and the Pernil. Green sauce is delicious too but quite spicy.

Food was ok, service was confusing, and the place just didnt feel right , wouldnt recommend

Mama's Empanadas is a great place to grab tasty, cheap empanadas. They have a ton of options like sweet or savory, baked or fried, and wheat or corn empanadas. You can get a hearty empanada for around $3 each--served with a creamy, savory cilantro sauce. Some of my favorite empanadas to get are the chicken fajita and the spinach, feta, and cheese. However, be warned that orders can take awhile to come out, especially when it's busy. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Menu - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

I placed an order and they gave me a number. when my number was called they told me "sorry, sometimes since we have two registers they use the same numbers. another person took your order". Shortly thereafter the customer who mistakenly took my order came back. She told the employees that she bit one empanada but the others were fine. The employees were prepared to serve me the other two even though they left the store. I said to please give me a refund but they told me they couldn't at the time and I would need to leave my name and phone number. Horrible system. Horrible service. And think about how many times this mix up probably occurs and how many times they issue food that has been returned. Awful. Stay away read more

Great spot to go for late night munchies. They have ample seating and an extensive menu options. From empanadas to arepas to nachos. Staff is very friendly and attentive. I like the spicy pollo arepa with the salsa verde! read more

Mama's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Cheap and delicious! So thankful to have an Empanada Mama in Astoria! After being introduced to Empanada Mama recently at a work event, I was ecstatic to find a shop of the famous chain in my neighborhood. This location is especially great with the ample amount of seating compared to the grab-and-go smaller locations. We selected 5 types of empanadas-beef, chicken, cheeseburger, cheese, and their new spicy chicken. We were pleasantly surprised to see how well stuffed and large the empanadas were for the price (a little less than $3 each). Our favorites were the beef and the spicy chicken. The spicy chicken was especially full of flavors and a good spice-full of onions and bell peppers. They also include two types of sauces-a cilantro one and a spicier red one. We also split the yuca fries, which were good but just a tad bit oily. Can't wait to come back here and try the many new flavors! read more

Really good empanadas, especially after a night out. Speedy and professional service. The green sauce is to die for.

Love me some Mama's Empanadas! I was delighted after a day of returning items to stumble upon this place. I placed an order for Chicken Parm and Beef with Potato Empanadas. I waited about 10 mins for my order to be completed. I also requested both the green and pink sauce. Once I got home I decided to eat the Beef & Potato Empanada. It was nice and crispy on the outside, but the inside was a fail. The inside wasn't throughly cooked. The corn dough was too thick. It also wasn't fried long enough. The Chicken Parm was throughly fried, but lacked major flavor. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

I came in and a guy behind in the kitchen was eating I came in to pick up some empanadas Lady at the register Charged me .50 cents for a small sauce smh you can't even have anything for free " every two empanadas comes with one sauce " Mean while I ordered 4 Next time I'll just go somewhere else Charging for sauce is ridiculous Stop scamming The lady just took my dollar for two sauce and threw the money in the register read more

This establishment is always on point with their food. I have been coming here for years. I always order an assortment of empanadas with the red sauce. Broccoli & Cheese, Chicken, Rice & Beans, Chicken Parm, Guava & Cheese empanadas, just to name a few!! They are all delicious. I have also had their grilled chicken with white rice and black beans which is amazing!!!! Definitely recommend! read more

Mama's Empanadas - Frozen Passion Fruit Sangria!!!! So delicious - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

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What's not to like?! Friends will come and go. Jobs... don't get me started. The only sure thing in this world is that empanadas will always be there for you. It's an apex food; the zenith of deliciousness. You're coming out of karaoke (across the street), and it's late, and you're drunk. What do you do? You need to eat. You want to eat. Mama's Empanadas got you covered. With so many choices, everyone is going to find something to enjoy. They're ridiculously cheap too! I enjoyed 3, all corn shell (the best), with chicken and beef. Couldn't be happier about the choices. I gave them a $10 and they gave me change back! My only gripe would be that the spicy sauce was not spicy at all. Go and enjoy Mama's Empanadas. Empanadas are life. read more

I used to come here since they opened up, food was always great on those late nights from bar hopping, but now I just recently ordered and it was absolutely terrible. The really trying to cut cost, I just ordered the classic beef and potatoes and from what I remember , it was soft potato and actual strips of beef equal amounts but now, it just tasted like undercooked whip potato with dusting of beef , it was just mushy and the undercooked corn breading on the inside was thick and undercooked as well, I know we all suffering with inflation but I would rather pay more for a good empanada then a crappy cheap one, never again. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Shredded Beef with Potatoes (corn only) - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

I was looking for a cheap quick meal before going to a chess event at the nearby Billiards Club and I passed by this place. I decided to go with 2 empanadas; the jamon y queso/ham and cheese and an ariquipe con queso/caramel (or really dulce de leche) and cheese. The ham and cheese one was fine and perfectly reasonable for the price. The rosado sauce went well with it. Surprisingly I preferred the dessert one. I tend to find some dulce de leche based things a bit overly sweet but the cheese helped balance it out. Very tasty. Not really much else to say outside of that they were very packed and it took a little bit for the order. read more

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Great spot for a quick and fairly cheap lunch. I ordered the cheeseburger and the polish empanada. Got both fried and green sauce on the side. The green sauce was a nice add and now you get 1 sauce for every 2 empanadas you order. Super tasty, fresh and quick. So many flavors to choose from hopefully with time I will try them all. They do have vegan options. Didn't get a chance to try a drink but next time I'll definitely order the frozen passion fruit. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Polish empanada. - Empanadas Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Great casual spot to fulfill your empanada cravings. Each one is less than $3. I recently tried a few: cuban: ham, pork and cheese in a wheat flour casing. cheesy, flavorful, and delicious! this was my favorite one, i would recommend. spicy chicken: chicken, tomato, vegetables in a wheat case. this one had a great flavor but it wasn't exactly what i was expecting. still good though and i would recommend. sausage (chorizo): chorizo in a corn flour casing. the corn shell was crunchy and maybe a little too hard. the chorizo filling was a bit one-note for me, but it tasted good with the spicy red sauce. read more

Great freshly made empanadas. Love the wide selection of fillings in a corn or wheat (baked or fried) patty. My personal preference would be the fried wheat empanadas. Make sure to get the green sauce to go with it. There were lots of people so it was a bit of a wait but it was surely worth it. There is a minimum to pay with card plus an additional fee so bring cash. read more

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Employees are not giving specific orders. I ordered a corn empanadas and I ended up getting wheat after the payment. I dot recommend this place read more

Considering that the empanadas are pre-made and only heated up in the kitchen behind the purchasing counter and put through the window there handed to the two women taking orders and bagging the food, it was difficult to understand the number of people waiting 10, 15, 20 minutes for their orders to be processed. The workers are S-L-O-W. The corn empanadas were hard shelled and the ratio of potato to chicken was 4 to 1 - mostly potato - almost no chicken. The green sauces was good. It was absolutely disgusting that one of the women was eating a soup like food while she was working - in fact food was protruding from her mouth and she stood directly next to the odd sort of drawer where the other woman was receiving bags of food and then re-bagging the orders. Also - when the woman who was eating had finished - she did not wash or sanitize her hands before continuing to take orders and process bags of food. Although I asked twice for green sauce with my order - this was forgotten and had to be asked a third time. Two small plastic containers were given begrudgingly and when I asked for two more for the four corn empanadas ordered - this was refused. So $10:50 for 4 empanadas that were V-E-R-Y processed and not fresh food and no extra green sauce - my three friends and I had to share two very small containers - What a cheap and unfriendly attitude of the servers. The general area seemed greasy and dirty and the garbage container in the middle of everything looked like the exterior part had not been cleaned in years, where food is disposed of by patrons and the trays placed on top. Perhaps employing more than ONE guy heating up the food would make the process faster - and someone busing and cleaning tables and keeping the area nicer and more spruced up could be better management. Not to mention proper food handling of the two servers - who are also handling money and food - which is entirely inappropriate. read more