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    Mama's Empanadas

    3.4 (283 reviews)
    InexpensiveEmpanadas
    Open 10:30 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Recommended Reviews - Mama's Empanadas

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    Nancy A.

    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.

    Alberto J.

    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

    Menu
    Gajtana S.

    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.

    Half empty

    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

    Lina L.

    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).

    Menu as of 2/21/25
    Michelle X.

    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.

    Kat E.

    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.

    Chicken
    Kitty Y.

    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.

    Cheese empanada
    Weilu H.

    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

    Menú
    Tatiiana L.

    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.

    Phil H.

    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!

    menus and prices
    Chika D.

    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

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Despite calling 40 minutes in advance, I still have to wait 15 minutes for pickup. On a Saturday, there are only two individuals working.

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    11 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Tasty food and affordable price. The cheesesteak empanada is amazing. 10/10 will recommend.

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    10 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food is good but terrible service, they make you wait 30+ mins for three empanadas, even when you call in the order!

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    3 years ago

    Loving the grub here. Gluten free options galore. Plenty to eat and very bright and savory flavors.

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    i went with my son in law and the enpanadas are delcious

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    5 years ago

    Items are missing EVERY TIME I order through ubereats. Just saying, doubt the delivery person is taking it.

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    Page 2 of 8

    Ask the Community - Mama's Empanadas

    Review Highlights - Mama's Empanadas

    Always pass by this place whenever I'm shopping at Queens Center Mall and didn't come here until few days ago.

    Mentioned in 20 reviews

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    Cabana

    Cabana

    3.9
    (1.2k reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$$

    Cabana has BEEN a vibe forever...and remains! ALWAYS good family fun, celebrations or an intimate…read moreexperience. Food is good. Service is exceptional. You come in a stranger, leave as family! Sample Boccadillo Platter good choice to start. Gets your belly ready to experience more delectable delights. Tostones are meant to me Shared. Large, pressed, disk-shaped. Comes with flavored Ajo in Pimenton sauce. Fried Shrimp dish is crunchy, succulent and colossal. Chicharrones de Pollo was plenty for two to share. The Arroz Amarillo and Frijoles Negro are stars on their own! Paella Mariana could use a little more love, as it needed more seasoning. The clams were a tad tough. Looked for the soccarat but none. Can't beat the regular or golden Sangrias. Overall, our family's been coming for 20+ years and we'll ALWAYS choose Cabana!

    Hit up restaurant row in Forest Hills to enjoy this bright sunny day with some Cuban food and it…read moredidn't disappoint. We got the Tropicana salad, ceviche and side of maduros. The salad was plentiful with fruit. The guava dressing is so sweet and right and perfect with the charred grilled juicy chicken. My favorite part of the ceviche was the chunks of fish and it's served with yucca chips(I wish there were a little more). The maduros a classic staple you can't go without. The service was steady and never pushy. The sangria seemed popular and I def will order some the next time!

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    Mama's Empanadas - empanadas - Updated June 2026

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