All the Empanadas are delicious!!! Service is usually quick as it's a tiny store front!! However, the Green Sauce is amazing!!! A must have on all your Empanadas for sure!!! read more

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The best empanadas in this area! I always go here for the pernil and the chicken empanadas. They are full filling, delicious and has flavor! Service is great when you order for pick up. The ambiance, it's always busy. That should tell you something. I work close by so I definitely recommend! read more

Always pass by this place whenever I'm shopping at Queens Center Mall and didn't come here until few days ago. I was amazed at all the flavors they carry for their empanadas. They can make them with corn or wheat flour. I don't really like corn flour so I opted for wheat flour. Affordable prices for each flavor! I tried the chicken and beef empanadas with wheat flour and they were so delicious! They also have sauces available, spicy or non spicy and it is the green sauce. Green sauce had a thick consistency and mildly spicy. Paired up with the empanadas really well. The only thing about this place is that they accept cash only so make sure to bring enough! Moderate wait time because there were a couple of people before me. read more

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Excellent service very friendly a variety of empanadas and other food been coming to this great establishment for a few years now and they are 10/10 Much check out spot read more

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

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Cash only empanadas chain remains solid. I had corn chicken and potato and beef and potato empanadas. $2.35 and up for a tasty treat. Always check your order for accuracy. I had to ask for the mild and spicy dipping sauce. read more

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The more they sell the worse it gets. I used to work at QCM this used to he my daily lunch, loved it. But they disappointing now. I went to get chicken and beef, they were all dried and hard and filled half way empty. If they are busy and make you wait all the time they should have fresh empanadas. SECAS, TIESAS Y VACÍAS POR DENTRO. La foto no miente read more

Mama's Empanadas - Half empty - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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A staple empanadas institution of NYC. They offer a wide selection of empanadas and other non empanada options. I enjoy coming here to try a variety of flavors. It's never a miss and always an adventure. It's a grab and go spot with counters to stand and eat at. You get 1 sauce for every 2 empanada ordered; i love the green sauce. Cash only. No credit card. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Menu as of 2/21/25 - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Having tried both this location and the one in Jackson Heights, I can confidently say this spot is the better choice in terms of service while the latter is better for food. The girl behind the counter was nice and generous with the verde sauce, which I really appreciated. Again, like their other locations, the verde sauce is amazing. However, the empanadas themselves were a bit disappointing. They didn't seem very fresh and were actually kind of hard, which took away from the experience. It's a shame because the service was great, but unfortunately, the food didn't quite match up. This place is definitely more of a grab-and-go spot. It's a small station with no seating, but they do have a long counter where you can quickly eat if you're too impatient to wait until you get home. While the service was good, the empanadas were just not up to par. Probably will not be visiting again - it's tried and done. Tip: this spot is cash only, so make sure to bring cash!! 2 stars out of 5 (mostly for service). read more

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No hay aire acondicionado La higiene de las empleadas es terrible ya que la tienda de Astoria no tiene aire acondicionado, las pobres empleadas sufren de calor y constantemente están tocando la cara el cabello y oí la dueña solo les da una camiseta y una de las empleadas le dijo a la dueña que Sudán mucho y que no era suficiente una camiseta nada más. Las empleadas necesitan aire acondicionado y lavarse las manos ya que además Cojen el dinero y meten la mano en las bolsas de empanadas para contar las órdenes Quizá este Review llegue a ojos de la dueña y a la manager dejanira quien exigía uniforme y también tenía calor en la tienda. read more

I was introduced to this place through a friend. First time I tried them I was hooked. There are variety of flavors to choose from. My favorite the chicken fajita. They are affordable and they also have entres. There is no place to sit and eat so it's an order and go. Highly recommend. read more

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

I'm pretty sure I got food poisoning from here. I ate nothing out of the ordinary besides the empanadas from here that day and a few hours later I am on the toilet for half the day. I was really excited to try the empanadas here. I've been to the location in Astoria and loved it there. It was a great late night snack for those drunken nights. This spot is cash only which surprised me because the Astoria location accepts card. Maybe they're not the same chain. I wasn't able to find out. I tried this spot because I was by QCM and needed dinner before I caught the bus. It's around the corner from the R and M train so it was easy to walk to. There was one person in front of me and he got his order quickly. The lady who took my order was okay. Wasn't the most friendly but wasn't horribly rude. I ordered 3 empanadas so I expected to wait a bit. It would have been nice if we were told how long they would take as soon as ordered. I knew it would take a while but this took a lot longer than I thought considering there was only 1 person who ordered ahead of me and he had gotten his so fast. 15 minutes later, I finally got them! I went inside to pick them up and I didn't realize how dark and unsanitary the actual kitchen / deep fryers were. There was one guy who I guess was doing the deep frying. He was just standing around. He didn't have gloves on but I think he was wearing a hat. I didn't think much of it at that point because I was hungry. I ate the empanadas and they were all great! Nothing tasted weird or suspicious. However hours later I am in serious pain and spent way too long on the toilet. After reading other people's reviews and knowing that this was the only new thing that I ate out of my normal routine meals, this has to be the reason. I'm not sure what the health rating of this place is but it needs to be checked again. The Astoria location feels so much cleaner and brighter. This one is in need of a clean up and maybe get some gloves for the workers! I was very excited to come back and try more empanadas but now I don't think I can without being scared it might make me sick again. read more

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Got 2 cheese empanadas and one beef. Yet to try the beef yet but cheese empanada was really good! Nice and crispy and the mozzarella was delicious. I would suggest not waiting too long and eat it while it 's fresh so you get the cheese pull before it hardens. The size is decent and for all three it was around $9. Not sure if it was an off day but the cashier was not the friendliest. Nothing wrong but not super friendly either which is fine but I guess it's noticeable read more

Mama's Empanadas - Cheese empanada - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

This place is just for convenience when you want to grab something small. The place tends to be super crowded. It's definitely a grab and go kinds place. It's extremely small inside, so don't expect to get a seat. The food is good, especially when you're balling on a budget. Make sure you check your food before you leave. There's been countless times when my order has been wrong. Luckily, I would notice this before I left the actual location. But hey you get when you pay for when items are cheaper. The customer service has always been very kind when mistakes are made. I do accept how quickly they can get your order to you. I've year to order delivery from them. I always tend to just come here to get my food. I recommend sticking with the steinway location. read more

Very expensive place. Service is just ok. I like the vegetable empanadas. The green spicy sauce is good.

Stopped by here for a variety of empanadas right before their closing hours. We tried these empanadas: chorizo, cheese steak, Italian sausage and peppers, plain cheese one, cheeseburger, Biagra *seafood empanada* and the hotdog and cheese empanada. All tasted amazing and fresh. The only one I'd pass up next time is the seafood*biagra* empanada which tasted too fishy for my liking. We also got the chorizo with the arepa. Good eats. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Menú - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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50 different empanadas? Can I try them all? Challenge accepted! Coming out of the Queens Center Mall this joint is right across the street. If you're looking for some quick cheap eats and want something different than the food court head here. With so many to choose from it was easy for me to eat non-meat choices. With each costing only a few bucks each it didn't break my bank. Pretty tasty and I was more than filled up with a combination of cheese, vegetable, and pizza too! read more

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

Great taste fast service and delivery. Would definitely recommend this place for a quick bite and great food.

More of a 3 but the green sauce pushes Empanadas Mama towards 3.5. I don't know if that's a positive (the sauce is *that* good) or a negative (the sauce carries the empanadas) but it's a really good bite. I ordered the corn and wheat empanadas and the wheat was the better of the two for me. Chicken and potato filling is slightly bland but that's when the green sauce comes in and saves the day. Prices are reasonable and the empanadas are fresh out of the oil. Yes, fried but isn't oily. Would recommend read more

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Cash only location! Had an idea of what i wanted but their location didn't have half the items i wanted. They definitely could fix up the appearance of their vestibule (it looks a bit dirty), and their menu but the food is always delicious! One or two were a bit over cooked/burnt which has never happened to me before read more

This place is in such a high traffic area. So many people come and order to go. I loved my cheese empanada and it was filling but I got another one and yuca fries. The yuca fry order is big for $5.55! I couldn't finish it. Definitely great for a quick bite and it's not too pricey. read more

A NYC staple. I've been eating Mama's Empanadas for years but ordered for delivery recently and thought why not write a review. On this recent order we had the cheeseburger, spicy chicken, biagra, chicken parm, and pepperoni pizza empanadas. All were delicious as usual. What I love about Mama's is that they really fill their empanadas! It's not like when you get some from street carts and bite into them and find mostly air--they're stuffed to the brim. I would say that particularly the chicken parm was surprisingly good and definitely a highlight. The cheeseburger tasted good but was very heavy and greasy. All others were solid! Not my first time ordering, won't be the last. read more

Not much to look at from the inside and certainly not from the street and that's my kind of place. Two sides of thick plastic and fiberglass shield the customers from the bite of the frosty cold air, I couldn't tell which side to order from for a moment, then I noticed the menu board and the register. "Aaah, a clue" I thought. A woman ordered after me but only had the plastic to pay which wasn't an acceptable form of payment. She left, I followed calling to her to order what she wanted, I'd gladly pay for it. She did and was very grateful, the homies behind the counter looked at me quizzically and I said " it's the holiday season, be kind to your neighbors". They smiled, first i noticed since my arrival so i hit them off with some cabbage also. The outer shell is a mouth top grater if you shovel it in quick like, a common problem of mine and I'm tounge rubbing the scrapes now wishing I had gone at them a bit slower. The insides are Chernobyl hot, so ease your roll on that approach as well. Getting into the goodies in the center is a dangerious game you'll likley lose unless yoyr equipt with an asbestos encased mouth, your likley to endure Chernobyl tounge, a bad combination with top and bottom under burning duress. You get banged for $2.00 (&.09) each which isn't much as they are about the size of a half of a stick of butter and carry a flavor or authenticity that legitimizes the name Mama's. So after hooking up the other customer, then the workers, they became so friendly -- offering me more sauce, even a special sauce and the mood was immediately elevated to holiday spirit happiness. It was a sweet moment. I'm just doing what I can to help out. read more

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

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If you're looking for relatively cheap eats on the go, Mama's empanadas has you covered. Currently it's pick up only and you can't wait inside for your order, likely because of COVID. Lines typically aren't long, I'd like to think you'll wait 10 minutes at most when it's busy, but the wait is relatively short. Even if it's a long wait, you can still get a bang for your buck. These empanadas will make up for the wait. They have a large selection to choose from. I'm strictly speaking for the empanadas section, it is divided into the type of shell you choose. There's wheat and corn empanadas. The toppings in the empanadas are in the pictures below. My favorites are Hawaiian and Cubana. Today I tried the broccoli with cheese, and the hot dog with cheese empanadas. When you order empanadas, you have to get the sauces. Frankly I don't know what the names of the sauces are, and neither do any of my friends who are familiar with this cuisine. We just call it green sauce. That's a mild sauce that goes great with it. There also is a peach/orange colored sauce that I also don't know the name of. Either of those sauces are great! I do want to note that they do serve other foods, but I haven't tried them yet. Staff had always been friendly, don't be shy! Last thing to note: no dine in. This is mostly pick up and go read more

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It's always a good idea to grab some empanadas These never disappoint. There's always a line, but it moves pretty quickly and is worth the wait. You can choose corn flour or wheat flour (I opened for corn). I love their carne molida and chili con carne, but also added in vegetables... they're all really tasty. You can ask for salsa rosado (mild) or salsa verde, a bit spicier (more flavorful than spicy), which is my favorite! They even have dessert empanadas. ¡Buen provecho! read more

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

THE FOOD IS BUSSSIN, don't hesitate. It is the best empanada you'll get in the area hands down. Been my go to since I was a child, and I still go and take my friends and family to this day. My go to empanada spot in queens is right here- go get someee nowwwww read more

All I can say is THE BEST. A must visit !! Empanadas are at a crispy level you can hope for and ...... in 50 flavors. !!! Amazing !! Price is fare ! Flavor is nothing less that excellent. Totally recommend this location specifically because of customer service. Simply then best and the fastest . Delicious and inexpensive! They have vegan options, but I'm told the beef and chicken fajita empanadas are two of my favorites. I had a spinach and cheese, a vegetable, a portobello mushroom, rice and beans and a chicken fajita empanada for take out; they were all great and tried a few different empanadas for to go due to this corona virus headache. Great place to have snacks and meals. Very close to train station. So many Empanadas choices! Fried, baked, gluten-free ( corn), wheat, vegetarian, meat, seafood, etc. They also have meals and salad. Open late at night. Great service, food, atmosphere, and prices! read more

Had the corn empanada beef and potatoes. Dry outside and inside, the green sauce saved it. I'll try one day again to give mama's a second chance maybe the non corn version read more

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

PRO TIP: CASH ONLY I have lived in the area for a long time now and only got around to trying Mama's Empanada's recently! Can't believe I have been missing out all this time. My bf and I ordered the pepperoni, italian sausage, cuban, guava con queso, and philly cheesesteak. For 5 empanadas, we only paid a little over $12! What a bang for your buck. These empanadas aren't too oily so you don't have that gross aftertaste from eating fried food. They don't cheap out on the meat so you get a good amount of stuffing. Wasn't a huge fan of the guava con queso.. but otherwise, loved all the other! This is located right across Shake Shack and near the Woodhaven Blvd. stop so you have really got to stop by and try it. It's cheap, good, and convenient! read more

I was addicted to eating the vegetable, rice & beans, and broccoli con queso empanadas for a week!! HAHA they are just so good and so easy to eat! They only accept cash so be sure to have cash handy! I also got their guava con queso empanada that they showered with powder sugar! I absolutely loved it! My orders are never wrong and my food is always warm, did I mention that I absolutely love their green and pink sauce! It's a must have with any empanada you purchase. Thank you guys so much and keep up the great work! read more

I know it's a chain restaurant, but the food is always good no matter where you go. It's always consistent and their empanadas are always on point. read more

This place is GROSSS and they lazy They took an order for a single empanada and had me waiting 17 minutes w. NOONE there That lady in the pic told me he's on the back When I look in back he's PICKING his nose and sitting down doing nothing Very rude and disgusting The heavy set lady in picture also was chatting away w another Spanish lady and had me patiently waiting to give my order.... the Spanish lady was a local and was not buying anything while they have me waiting to order in rain This place is GARBAGE service and gross health standards Where u at health department? Should come reconsider this letter grade u awarded them read more

Mama's Empanadas - Picking his nose and also is cool GROSSSSSSS - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Can we please talk about the rude ass lady that works here? Not only is she NASTY/rude and has hung up on me several times but she can't get an order right to save her life. The empanadas are better when your order earlier in the day but they take hours to come and cancel orders multiple times. Management should really either get rid of this cashier or have her going through some customer service training. Always stuff missing, always takes FORVER if you order on Uber eats and always end up having to deal with this rude ass lady! read more

Ordered 33 empanadas today 11/26/21 at around 1230p or so-- got all the way home which I drove an hour from Long Island to come get. When i got back home which was over two hrs in total later-- 10 of my empanadas were incorrect -- Maiz instead of trigo. I called and the woman that was in the front was very rude talking to me over the phone as I explained to her that my order was incorrect, finally she told me to come back and she'll give me the correct ones. When i got back to the restaurant around 3:40p, I sent my brother up to the front to take the empanadas back that weren't ours and pick up ours. The woman was very nasty and rude to him as well, the young gentleman was nice to my brother, thank you. We still had to wait an additional 10 minutes for our empanadas, called 35 minutes before i got there. Always check your order!!!! Please retrain this woman on customer service. read more

Whew just left here, wait time is RIDICULOUS!!! I ordered 4 empanadas and waited 30 minutes, and on top of that the service is ATROCIOUS!!! I was in line and was constantly skipped by people who spoke Spanish and when I said something I was cursed out and the lady behind the counter defender her saying she got out of line.. well she needs to get back in line that's WILD!! If you're black..skip this place THREE TIMES!! Go to the pizza spot next door... read more

Super busy and tiny Mama's Empanadas location. There is always 10 to 15 mins. However, the wait is is worth if you want empanadas. Their prices went a little bit up, but still inexpensive. I love their corn empanadas and many don't make it too crispy like them. They have a variety of 50 empanadas to choose. I love Mama's empanadas!! read more

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

Excellent varieties of empanadas. Made fresh and with high quality ingredients. Don't forget to ask for the dipping sauce. read more

Love the empanadas. So good. But they're so stingy with the sauces . Really, 1 sauce for 2 empanadas??? And it's like 1 oz of it. And if I want another one, they want to charge me .50¢? I worked long enough in the food service industry, but in my opinion they should give 1 sauce per empanada that's being ordered. I'm just saying read more

TLDR: CASH ONLY. super inexpensive, somewhat short time between ordering and receiving food. Fried to order. Food was bland Spanish and English both spoken at this location. Service could be better. Came in when the location was somewhat empty and waited to order. The lady at the register didn't pay any attention to me even though I stood right in front of her. People went up to the side window and she addresses them immediately. A big line began to form outside. I realized and took the initiative to ask her if I was supposed to order outside (she should have just told me that when I walked in). The ground beef empanada was super crispy and hot. I could faintly taste the seasoning but overall it was bland. I wish it packed much more flavor than it did. I've definitely tried better empanadas before. You need to douse it in sauce (25 cents extra if you're not getting 2 empanadas) in order to add some form of flavor. The queso was definitely the only thing keeping this review from going to one star. Imagine a giant stretchy mozzarella stick but instead of a bread casing it's a corn one. Super crispy and super stretchy. I do think that the queso could have benefited from some more seasoning as well. Ultimately, it's an ok Bang for your buck but compared to the many other food options you have, (especially within the malls food court) I would recommend looking elsewhere. read more

Mama's Empanadas - Queso corn flour empanada - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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First time coming here, so I ordered one corn beef patty/empanadas.... Big mistake! These things are so good, I couldn't eat just one. I ordered a second beef. Located across the queens center mall. I would definitely come here before I even think about stepping foot in the mall food court. Comes with your choice of sauce, I usually just get the green one, which has a kick of spicy. I find it weird how they only give you one sauce whether you order one or two patties. If you order two, you get one sauce, if you order one, you still only get one sauce... If you want extra sauce, that would be .25 cents extra. But if you make two separate orders you can get two sauces! read more

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I love these empanadas! Although, the ones I like are probably the untraditional ones. I've tried the biagra, chicken parm, hawaiian, cubano, chicken and potatoes, and pizza. They do take a little long to get to your order because it's so popular and there's always a line. Good thing is that you can call ahead and order them on your way there. read more

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