Small and crowded but it was worth the wait! I decided to give Elvis a try and boy am I glad I did! It was amazing!! Elvis is a dessert empanada. The blend of peanut butter and mashed bananas wrapped with wheat flour (see they have a healthy side to them!) and deep fried is not the best option for people watching their weight or trying to be healthy but who cares, it taste good! USA empanada - eh, I rather eat an apple crumble pie. Mushrooms empanada - its oven baked! Sort of dry, I recommend dipping it with the green and red sauces. Veggie empanada- the potatoes overpower the rest of the veggies. Again, I recommend dipping it with the sauces for a kick. Rice and beans - not one of my favs. read more

I don't know why every rating for this place isn't five stars! I stayed in Queens on a visit to NY and this little food stand was AMAZING for late night food. There are TONS of options to choose from, but the corn flour empanadas in general were tastier than wheat flour. My favorite savory ones were the carne molida and carne y papas. Both were awesome with their dipping sauce, which was just the right amount of spice. If you try this spot out, don't forget to grab a couple guava and cheese! They are absolutely delicious and best enjoyed fresh, when the cheese is melty and the jam is warm. read more

Very good empanadas. However, the staff needs proper training. They're rude and does not give your complete order. They also get offended when you let them know your order was incorrect. read more

Can I toss it an additional 1/2 star?! My ultimate stop for food when I'm hungry for something, but not sure what. It's en-route to the mall or to the train. This is not a sit-down place, but they do have a small standing room area for you to eat. If you're looking for a real, REAL authentic Empanadas, of course this place is not the place. Instead, Mama's offers more variety, kitchy, spins to the Empanadas that extends itself to others who may not want to sink their teeth in them normally. Like pizza, these Empanadas are stuffed with interesting toppings. First, you can choose between the corn or the wheat. The corn Empanadas are the more "traditional" choices. The wheat ones are filled with a spin. I usually get the same wheat Empanadas, but once in a while I'll toss in a newbie. The Polish has diced up kielbasa and sauerkraut. The Hawaiian is filled with ham, lots of cheese & juicy, sweet pineapple chunks. The Cheese Steak is packed with decent chunks of beef, onions, peppers, and a cheddar cheese sauce. There are other flavors too: Macaroni & Cheese, chicken Parmigiana, Hot dog & Cheese, Pizza, Cuban, Spinach & Cheese, etc. Aside from the Empanadas, they have other items on the menu. They tend to take a bit to get your order into your hands. This all depends on how many the other ordered in front of you and then the time it takes to fry up your order. I don't mind usually because once I'm done eating them, I'm ALL happy! Oh, don't forget to take BOTH the red and green spicy sauces. I mix them up to cause a punch of taste (spicy-YOW). read more

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It's pretty hot this July 4th. I needed a snack and wanted to keep it light. I figured a few Empanadas would do... This is my first time purchasing their Empanadas, but i have sampled them on 2 occasions: 1) 1st time: had a fried pizza Empanada and it was really good 2) 2nd time: on cinco de mayo, M.O. bought a party pack. They were the fried corn-type of Empanadas which resulted in an extreme case of heartburn. Once I got to the stand, I noticed the prices were different from the website. I wound up getting the following for $1.60 each: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/j6tzj4ZfoEacBfhdnR08VA?select=EhN8tP6Lk5LT2Kq2_WsWlQ 1) mac and cheese: so so. It sounds better than it actually is... 2) spinach and cheese: it was OK There are some charges you should be aware of: 1) baking charge of 10 cents per 2) tax Summary: The Empanadas were OK at $1.85 each. I think i will stick to fried Empanadas with gooey cheese. I'll also consider trying their specials involving only the corn-type Empanadas once i get rid of my aversion to them. P.S. - the green sauce is very spicy and good, but i totally forgot to ask for it. gRrRrrR read more

Mama's Empanadas - baked wheat empanadas ($1.85 each with tax included): mac and cheese & spinach and cheese - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

I used to stop here when shopping the Queens Mall. The last two times I've come here, there's been such bad attitude and rude customer service that today I just walked away without ordering and will never come back. I get that it's a walk-up counter and nothing fancy is required, but the disrespectful cashier can enjoy her job freezing her butt off in the cold and being a jerk until the place goes under, for all I care. Buh-bye! read more

The food here is very good, but unfortunately I was not able to order anything tonight. There is no parking here unless you go in the mall lot and pay. I wanted to call in my order, then do a quick drive by to pick it up. However, then never pick up the phone!!!!! Won't be coming to this location again. I will miss the food, but will not miss the attitude. A few weeks ago I called at 11:15pm to place an order a d was told they were closing..when their posted hours say till midnight. read more

Horrible experience.... They do not have the most small idea of customer service ... walked to the food court at the mall for a good meal ... HORRIBLE la experiencia... no tienen idea de lo Mas minimo Como atender a un cliente ... read more

Good I went early during the morning I ordered two chicken empanadas and was happy. I would definitely travel there again. read more

This is a great spot for some quick yummy food, snack or meal. I like to stop here on my way home from the subway and get a couple of empanadas for me and my bf. We're both good eaters and can't seem to eat more than 3 each in a sitting, and that's plenty. Under 10 bucks and way healthier than a couple of fast food sandwiches... Break Down: Chicken empanadas are yummy in corn or wheat flour, but we prefer the wheat I've tried the spinach and cheese vs the Greek, both good but the spinach and cheese is more of a gooey melted cheesy goodness. The stuffed yuca and stuffed potato are yummy too. Pink and green sauce read more

Mama's Empanadas - Menu (Meals side) - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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BEST EMPANADA SPOT IN QUEENS. I don't recommend any in particular because each one is good. For all the people complaining on waiting for their food- there's only a few ppl working at a time bc the space is so limited. It's worth the wait. read more

The empanadas are delicious. They are perfectly cooked .Boyfriend and I brought a few.We had spinach, hawaiian, chicken, and pizza.All are delicious. We definitely go again. read more

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

COLOMBIAN empanadas are different, nothing to do with what they sell in this place. The empanadas that they sell here are of very poor quality: The exaggerated size. The outer appearance of the dough is cracked. The texture is hard that looks like a yellow stone. The dough inside is very thick and remains raw. The filling doesn't taste like anything, like salted potato. The real Colombian empanada is; A moderate-sized snack. The appearance of the dough is uniform. The texture is crispy. The dough is thin. and the filling with a homemade granny flavor. Now speaking of the place: The appearance of this business is dirty. The front of this business is completely dirty. If you look at 360 degrees it looks dirty. The blue paint is now black from dirt. The prices highlighted, some prices are not understood. Trash cans shine so dirty The disorder inside is disastrous. Dressings are out of the refrigerator. The presentation of the employees is not very pleasant. I DO NOT understand how they have the letter A. read more

All the empanadas are good, the soup is delicious and their salchipapas are awesome. However their costumer service suck and the wait time is long with bad service. Your awesome empanadas, soup and everything else on the menu prices have increased in a short time which is understandable in a way since the food is good. What is not good is that with the increase of prices now the sauce that comes with it, has decreased. How can you charged more and be cheap with the sauce?? I was getting more sauce when it was cheaper. Soo confused!‍ read more

DO NOT COME HERE dumb people working here paid for 2 empanadas waited 30 minutes yes 30 minutes! Standing right in front of them And they lost my order never even made the empanadas I asked for a refund back and left wasted my 30 minutes for nothing absolutely for nothing! Paying customer standing right in front of them for 30 minutes for 2 mf-ing empanadas!! People who ordered after me got their order and mine was ignored! Such a disgusting horrible place with horrible people working here they need to be shut down they had no hand sanitizer either and workers not wearing gloves so may be the universe didn't want me to get sick from eating their food I'm reporting them to health department of nyc read more

1st time here. I was greeted by a rude Spanish lady(must have been "mama"she didn't want to serve me after I asked her to add 3 more empanadas to my order. She said she could not change my order, it's already in the computer, which doesn't take credit card btw. then turned her back on me. A patron even volunteered to explain to the rude lady that I only wanted to add more to my order. She was so busy being prejudice that she didn't realize I would have been spending more money in her establishment. People like that leave a bad taste in mouth, & so did that unseasoned corn empanada. Look at it, That was suppose to be ground beef. Looked like hairy crap instead, & tasted worst. So glad she only got 5$ out of me. Never going back. read more

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

Busy spot and the wait time is long but worth it! I always get the pizza and chicken parm. So good and flavorful. The Nutella and peanut butter is a good dessert option. Great place to stop by for a quick snack. read more

Pros: -Cheap -Close to the subway/bus stop -Next to the mall (snack before/ after shopping) Cons: -Cash only -small & cramped area -Not the healthiest (obviously) Located next to Queens Center Mall, I've passed by this place hundreds of times but never thought about trying it out until today. After reading some of the reviews, I was aware that they had "not so friendly customer service". So, I was prepared to face some sort of negative experience as I walked in to place my order. However, to my surprise, the interaction was pretty normal as I ordered my food, paid, and waited for my order without any issues. I got the ground beef and chicken empanada because I didn't want to go too crazy for my first taste. They were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The best part was they were pretty generous with the filling. The chicken empanada in particular was literally stuffed to the max with meat. Bonus, despite a sign saying only 1 sauce per 2 empanadas, they actually gave me 2 sauces for my order of 2 empanadas. So either I got lucky or that was amazing customer service lol Overall, I enjoyed this spot and will return again. Just not too frequently because fried food on the regular will kill you. read more

Good food. Cheap price. Crappy service. If you're an empanadas fan, you'll really enjoy this place because there are sooo many empanadas options to pick from. The orders always come out fresh but make sure to call and order ahead of time to avoid waiting. Luckily, I called half an hour ahead and my order was ready. The food was great and it never disappoints. I recommend getting the classic ground beef corn flour, the ham and cheese and the chicken flavored ones. If you're looking for something sweet and salty, give the caramel and cheese a try. Yes, it sounds weird but trust me when I tell you that these two combinations work very well together!! The service is crap though. When I called in for my order, I barely finished ordering and I got hung up on.. When I arrived, they were also rude. Luckily they're a takeout place so I didn't have to deal with that much longer. Also, don't forget to ask for sauces and check if you have enough because they definitely skimp out in it. read more

The empanadas are excellent freshly made and the sauces really go together I like the cheese with guava empanadas and they have all kinds of different empanadas I recommend it if you are in the mood to eat some empanadas this is a nice place they don't just have empanadas either I think. Great place read more

OK I've been coming here for years. Like everyone says, there is one older female cashier who is kind of rude to others (especially if you're not Spanish it seems)...I'm not Spanish, but I look it so she's always nice to me. However I've seen her be blatantly rude to others for no reason. The younger girl behind the register is a doll and very sweet, cordial, and always gets everything right. The food is great for a quick bite. I've never gotten sick from it as others have reported. The lines can get long and confusing as to where they're forming, just be a NYer and stand your ground and be a little pushy if someone tries to cut. Also, if you're ordering more than a few, just call and place your order ahead of time; no biggie. Also -CASH ONLY read more

I'm not a empanadas connoisseur, but I do think these empanadas are pretty solid. I used to always get the wheat flour ones, but that was before I realized how amazing the corn ones were. My favorite wheat flour ones are the Greek and chicken parm. But my all time favorite is the broccoli and cheese corn one with spicy sauce. It never disappoints! I'm addicted to the spicy green sauce. There is no seating so you either stand and eat or walk and eat, which I do all the time, no shame. read more

Whatta success for Mamas Empanadas! I thought this Empanada joint was only at Roosevelt ave between 77th and 76th streets, but now it like a chain restaurant like Maison Kayser and Cafe Benne. It's everywhere in the Queens borough, I don't know why they don't have that in UES or other parts of Manhattan. Anyway, I went to the one by the Queens Center Mall and the place looks so small and tacky, so does the seating area. It's too crowded to dine in this place, but it's better to take out. It has all kinds of Empanada, like the Parmesan one, the Hawaiian one, the Greek one, and even the Elvis one. That's right, the Elvis empanada. It haves Peanut Butter and Banana, the king's favorite favors!. What's next The Godfather Empanada? XD I ordered the Elvis Empanada and it tastes so good, I will like to buy them again and again, if I comeback to this branch of Mamas Empanadas or the one in Jackson Heights. read more

Mama's Empanadas - The Elvis Empanada is now my favorite. - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Emapanada's aren't hard to make and the lady behind the counter has 1 job....be a professional cashier. Unfortunately for the owners of this business, the service here is terrible. The cashier is rude, rude, rude. read more

First off, this place has good food. The problem is that their customer service and quality control is so poor that you simply cannot reliably get it. Only go to this place if you have time to waste AND you're flexible on what you want (because they probably won't have it) AND you don't mind if they screw up your order. Because one of those things WILL happen to you. Also, don't bother ordering on the phone. I've seen them blatantly ignore it for ages. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. read more

As much as I love my girl Camille's reviews and have agreed with all the other places she's reviewed that I have visited, I'm going to have to disagree with her about this place. I am a true empanada connoisseur and have been laying waste to a wide variety of them from almost every Latin country imaginable over the course of the last several years; Dominican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Argentinian, Chilean - you name it. I routinely drive from my home in Middle Village to Astoria to get my Chilean baked empanada fix from the San Antonio Bakery II on Astoria Blvd, so I'm willing to travel for good food. Mamas Empanadas is no San Antonio Bakery.. Their empanadas are sadistic, comically grotesque impersonations of the actual Latin delicacy. They serve up stomach-churning, unconscionably greasy, flavorless wads of soilent green wrapped in your choice of chalk-laced cardboard or lightly salted construction paper. The one time I had the misfortune of eating there I ordered 6 different kinds of empanadas, and each one was successively more horrifying than the last. When I was done, I wondered how downtrodden and desperate the regulars who actually frequent this emporium of bubonic meat must be and marveled that this place is still in business. Camille, I PROMISE you, shortly I will share my list of favorite empanada places in Queens and once you've had the real deal, you'll recoil in horror at ever having put anything so vile as Mama's Empanadas in your mouth. read more

Mamas empanadas is my go to whenever i go to the queens mall. It's cheap prices are the reason they're constantly crowded, but unfortunately that means the wait for food is insanely long. I ALWAYS order the empanada of guava con queso - cheese and guava. They melt the cheese perfectly in the doughy empanada, and mixed with the fruit and sprinkled with sugar, there is no better thing. The Mozarepas are also a hit for easy cheap but very good food. the space is tiny with no seating, and there's no order line so things get a little hectic. it is NOT a good place to stop if you're in a rush, but if you're hanging around and want to show a friend a secret magical wonder of queens, show them mamas empanadas. read more

I came here with my friends to grab a quick bite after visiting the Queens center mall.My two friends bragged about how amazing these empanadas were. So I ordered two chicken empanadas and one ham and cheese empanada. The showstopper for me was the ham and cheese empanada hands down! However, the chicken empanadas were super dry and so old tasting . The dough was hard to chew on and the chicken lacked in seasoning. Literally one of the worst empanadas I've ever had in my life. Would I come back here? Hmm ..definitely not, but if my friends did,then I'll ask them to bring me a ham & cheese empanada. Other than total waste of time. By the way this place has no seating available. And staff is not exactly the nicest either. Actually majority of the staff seemed pretty miserable being there. read more

Very good empanadas, only comment is they take their time serving, even when there is hardly and customers. Otherwise food is great,might recommend read more

I love Mama's Empanads! Everything I've tried is great, they fully fill their empanadas and the prices are right!! I love that they fresh fry everything to-order. Prices average from $1.30 to 1.75. Nearby Empanada Cafe's range from $1.50-$2. Sneakily similarly named Empanada Mama in Hells Kitchen range from $2.65-$3! There are a million flavors, and multiple types of flour, so anyone could find something they like here :) I LOVE having soo many vegetarian options at a latin joint! My absolute favorite thing here is the fig, caramel and cheese dessert empanada! Perfect balance of sweet, tart and salty. AMAZING! They really pack their fillings in there and don't skip out like most places. The guava and cheese one had ten times as much guava as the one at Empanada Cafe. The green sauce is amazing, but pretty spicy. I like to get both the green and pink sauce and mix them. Yum yum! In addition to empanadas, they also have full meals, arepas, mozzarella arepas, sweet corn rolls, soup, fries, yuca fries, salchipapas (fries with hot dogs), papa rellenas (meaty potato ball) and fruit shakes. For the empanadas, they have both corn and wheat flour patties. Some of the patties I've tried: Cheese (corn or wheat) - I order this one with corn because so many of the specialty ones I like come with wheat, I like to mix it up with corn when I can. They give a good portion of cheese which has the perfect saltiness to balance the sweetness of the corn. Mac & cheese (wheat) - most restaurant mac tends to be dry or greasy, especially when fried. This was surprisingly moist and though a bit carby, it wasnt too much. Not as flavorful as the rest of the bunch, but not bad. Greek (wheat) - Feta, mozzarella, spinach. Different, flavorful and yummy! They have breakfast patties which look awesome but I've never gotten and fun flavors like Pizza, Hawaiian and Polish lol. They really have a flavor for every palate. Now on to my favorite section: the dessert empanadas! I've tried them all and they are all delicious!! They all come in wheat patties. Guava & Cheese - got that perfect sweet & salty combo down. Sweet plantain & cheese - sweet and savory, the least sweet so its a great option if you are not huge sweets fans. U.S.A. (Apple Cinnamon) - most plain and basic but still good. Elvis - (peanut butter and banana) rich and creamy goodness! Caramel & cheese - good, but the one with fig, caramel and cheese takes it to the next level. Fig, Caramel & Cheese - JUST GET THE DARN THING. They also have juices and make smoothies which are pretty tasty. Unfortunately they use frozen fruit so its not perfectly fresh but still yummy and refreshing on a hot day. The dessert empanadas are really where its at! There isn't much room to eat and its not air conditioned, if you are just ordering a couple you could eat standing, but if you want to sit, I suggest heading into the mall food court. read more

Bought beef, chili and chicken empanadas. Mostly full of potatoes and barely tasted the meat. Will not be returning.

variety is the name of the game at this establishment, however like all establishments that pander to the game of quantity vs quality, the quality is sorely lacking. with every empanada coming in frozen, this establishment is literally fast food at its core, nothing is made fresh and everything is deep fried and made to order within minutes. it does the job if you want epanadas, just dont expect anything transcendent read more

This was my first time here. They take cash only which was a bummer but the empanadas was on point. There in the worst location ever, there's no parking. But if your walking by or driving by real quick. You should stop here and give it a try. It's not a satin spot but there is a huge variety to choose from. Even breakfast! Hopefully I'll be able to stop by again read more

Mama's Empanadas - Egg, cheese bacon - Empanadas Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

I've been coming here every so often since high school when I was rocking a sidekick phone lol (yeah that long). The empanadas are always on point and I'm currently in a five year love affair with the mozzarepas. It's standing room only, but I've seen a few chairs before, so you're pretty much in a halfway point but the door cover keeps the elements out. Favorite items: Carne molida (ground beef) Queso (cheese) Chorizo (sausage) : my main favorite!!! Chorizo con arepa I stick to the maiz empanadas, the trigo empanadas don't sit well with me. And the pink and green sauces are the best hands down. Everything is made fresh to order, it's fried not microwave. I usually order in Spanish, since the woman overheard my friend saying I'm Cuban so she refused to take my order in English. Ok I just went with it, weird yeah I know. It's one of the best cheap eats in Queens, and honestly it doesn't get the credit it deserves. I've seen other reviews on here citing racist incidents, I can't speak for them but from what I noticed they're a traditional Colombian family so they may be a bit brash at times. This is Queens we're talking about and anyone from here knows we all have our tendencies lol. read more

Tasty and cheap empanadas. I had been to one of their other locations in Sunnyside before. This one is a little grungier with no seating. However, it's the same great taste and there are even more flavors than the last time I had eaten at this chain. There are now almost 40 flavors, with many combinations of meat and/or vegetables to satisfy any palate. Pepperoni Pizza and Cuban flavored would be good ones to try. read more

Surprising how a small street vendor can generate such loyal customers but once you taste their empanadas you will too become a loyal fan. We have had the ground beef, beef with potato's, and even the dessert selection guava and cheese. All are fried on the spot and served hot. The cashier is experience, fast and efficient. read more

Just tried empanadas for the first time. I always heard this place was good and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I got the beef w potato and chicken w potato. I really liked both and it was so cheap. Can't wait to go back and try more. read more

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

Who knew putting mac n' cheese in an empanada could elicit sounds of glee from a 20 something year old. I've been to Mama's Empanada's far to many times to 'fess up to. This location is right by where I used to live, and just off the subway so it made it super easy to get to. I prefer the flour over corn. The biagra is my number one fave, yummy seafood stuffed into a hot and crispy empanada. Spinach and cheese is also really tasty. The Greek is okay, but the feta and mozzarella kind of conflict. The broccoli and cheese is ok for the corn ones. Tips: The green sauce is spicy and fantastic. The red is spicy with a sweetness to it that is really good as well. The breakfast and dessert empanadas aren't my thing, but maybe other folks like them. There is no seating here, so just order your delicious empanadas and be on your way foo! read more

Great empanadas but extremely long waiting times. Needs more staff , they weren't rude at all, just very overwhelmed. They need to figure out a way to make their empanadas more efficiently because a 30 minute wait for 2 empanadas isn't gonna cut it . Regardless they've been here a while for a reason, I recommend checking them out if you're in the area and there's no line. Only if there's no line. read more

The chicken parm empanada is delicious with that orange sauce. Definitely a place to grab a quick bite to eat.