My husband and I came here for breakfast-the portions are generous, so we split a Nina's breakfast burrito and a plate of plantains with cheese. This is only my second time in my life, having plantains, but I like them. There's just enough starch, and they are fried so they are a nice replacement for the traditional hash brown. The inside dining space is small, but if it is nice out, sit outside by the water. In the morning, you can watch the birds and the kayaks; in the afternoon, you can watch all the boats go by. I recommend sitting outside. They do serve dinner, but only on the weekends, but they are working on their schedule so that they can be open longer hours during the summer. We will come back and try their dinner. read more

The food is good and the atmosphere is nice, which is why this experience was so disappointing. However, I witnessed what appeared to be an employee in white mercedes driving recklessly through the parking lot--running a stop sign and not even noticing my car. What made it worse was that she had a child in the car with her, which made the situation even more concerning. I'm assuming she was trying to grab a parking spot in front of work, but that kind of behavior is completely unacceptable and reflects poorly on the business. Good food doesn't make up for a lack of basic safety and awareness. read more

They have an inside and outside. We had a dog so we sat outside and the view was amazing! It is fast casual, so you order at the front. We got sparkling water, hot chocolate, and inca cola. The hot chocolate came towards the end of the meal. For food, we got 3 empanadas, quito beef spicy chicken and mushroom. Our favorite was the quito beef!!! We also got pancakes, chicken aioli sandwich, and nina's burrito. The empanadas are a must!!! The crust was so unique! Would definitely come here again. read more

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Delicious empanadas, really enjoyed both the savory and the sweet. Friendly staff, and they came out quick. Nice little spot with indoor and outdoor seating. Forgot to take pictures but will be back to do that. read more

The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. Got a table right by the water. The restaurant definitely has a more cozy feel to it, the host and server was both friendly and accommodating. I had a chimmichuri steak which was very flavourful. The tomato and onion salad was very refreshing. read more

Nina’s Cafe - Chimmichurri Steak - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

We came around opening time and we met who we thought was the owner. She seemed so sweet and rushed to have the outside set up so we can enjoy brunch by the water and even made sure to open their huge pop up tent so we could eat in the shade. I ordered empanadas, one sweet and one savory. I loved the sweet one. And my veggie omelette and potatoes were perfect. My husband loved his breakfast burrito as well. I loved the whole experience and would love to come back and try more of their menu read more

Nina’s Cafe - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

What a delightful breakfast experience--this place absolutely deserves more love. We ordered a generous spread and every single dish felt fresh, thoughtful, and well-executed. The Cotopaxi Breakfast was solid. I chose the yuca and plantain patties, and wow--soft, muffin-like with a cornbread soul, filled with melty cheese and perfect for soaking up sunny-side-up egg yolk. The eggs themselves were cooked just right and the dipping sauce tied everything together beautifully. It also came with a generous and heaping cup of fruit and two hefty chorizo links that made this feel like a homemade breakfast. The Chicha Morada was such a pleasant surprise--refreshing, unique beverage for the area, and homemade. I don't drink much alcohol anymore, but this non-alcoholic drink gave me sangria vibes with subtle holiday spices without the guilt. Their coffee was good, they offer regular and decaf. The Lagoon Pancake was a large, fluffy plate sized pancake, and topped with a nice cup of berries, butter, cream, and syrup. The House Omelet was also carefully cooked, generously sized with crispy heap of potatoes. And then there was the chicken empanada. Fried but not oily, crisp without being heavy, and bursting with flavor. The filling was an unexpected flavor bomb--like a perfectly seasoned chicken hand pie with umami goodness and no soggy bottom. My taste buds were very happy. The space itself is small, but it more than makes up for it with warm service, friendly owners. It felt like going to a friend's house and their mom made you a hot meal. There's ample parking, outdoor seating with nice views, mimosas if you're in the mood for bubbles--and best of all, no hour-long wait. This place is seriously underrated. It beats out the nearby "trying-too-hard" brunch spots with DJs and Instagramable decor. I'd choose this cozy, delicious, joyful cafe any day of the week. read more

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First time coming food was delicious and price friendly. It was a nice and cozy space I will come again for the beef Quito empanadas read more

Nina’s Cafe - Chicken empanadas and Spicy Chicken Soup and Salad - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

I had the encebollado at Nina's Cafe and it was absolutely amazing! The flavor was rich and comforting, with perfectly seasoned broth and super fresh ingredients. The fish was tender, the onions added just the right kick, and everything tasted authentic and homemade. You can really tell they put love into their food. If you're craving a delicious, traditional encebollado, this place is a must-try. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Nina’s Cafe - Encebollado (Ecuadorean Fish Stew) - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

This place is small, cute, and casual -- you order inside and they bring the food out to you. There's some outdoor seating by the water, which is a nice touch. The menu is limited, but of course, we had to try the empanadas. The steak sandwich? Meh. Could've used more sauce. The salad was light and refreshing, so that's a win. The plantains were... dry and chewy, though. Not what you want from plantains. The spinach/mushroom empanada had very mushrooms that it wasn't even detectable. The guava empanada's cheese wasn't even melted, which made it kinda... weird? I mean, guava and cheese should be a match made in heaven, but this was a mismatch. Overall, it's a fine spot to try, but honestly, El Porteño empanadas are a million times better. Wouldn't make the trip again. read more

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This little cafe/restaurant is a cute little spot. Clean and well presented. The lady who greets you is super friendly. There was a gentleman that brought our food who was also very pleasant. We ordered Beef empanadas, spinach and cheese empanadas and the Spicy Chicken. Everything came out HOT and delicious. The sauces to accompany are perfectly portioned and the empanadas are light and crisp and of excellent quality! Our favorite was the beef but the other two were also delicious. Three each with no other sides sat well. Filling leaving you want more of that taste but not leaving you hungry. We were a bit past lunch time and it was quiet, but that works for us! Great spot! Go visit! Go eat! Go support a great little restaurant! read more

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so yummy! empanadas were crispy and m quick and service was very friendly. small restaurant so it could feel packed if busy! read more

Nina’s Cafe - Chimichurri Steak Sandwich - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

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Nice hole in the wall waterfront cafe when it's open. Service was friendly and the place is very cute. The empanadas were really good and the omelette was also tasty. read more

Nina’s Cafe - House omelet and beef empanada - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

Love this delicious, family-run restaurant whose menu features both classic American comfort fare (omelets, waffles) as well as stellar Ecuadorian dishes including crave-worthy made to order empanadas (available at lunch & dinner; ask about seasonable offerings) and chimichurri steak (dinner). What the venue lacks in indoor ambiance (it has a simple, long narrow dining room), they more than make up for with their gorgeous waterfront patio (weather dependent), which is also dog-friendly. Pro-tip: they have serval homemade salsas, though splurge to get the $2 side of salsa verde with shallots that makes everything you put it on even more delicious. Service has always been warm, friendly and efficient. This place is a hidden gem in Foster City and well worth the visit. read more

Nina’s Cafe - Empanadas and passionfruit juice - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

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Nice to see a breakfast place open in the morning that serves Latin American cuisine. Prices are acceptable. Items that stood out for me were the empanadas and empanizado sandwich. Tasty food. Sweet lady at the cash register up front. Order first before taking a seat. This restaurant does have a parking lot. read more

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This is a great cafe with local community vibes. The lady who runs it is welcoming and kind. There's ample seating outside on the waterfront, so the outdoor seating is a huge plus. Food comes out hot and fresh. Empanadas were really good, and we also had the fish soup, which hit the spot: hearty potatoes, chunks of tuna, and some zest from onions and citrus. Very nice overall! read more

Get the Cotopaxi Breakfast - yucca patties filled with cheese - Yes! Comes with big chorizo links and perfectly over easy eggs. Get the empanadas - Quito, Spicy chicken and Beef are all filled with a crispy exterior. Get extra salsa. Nina's burrito was big. Fruit salad was fresh and sweet. read more

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Nina's cafe is a hidden gem! Think home cooked American and Ecuadorean food with fresh and clean ingredients. Must try the Ecuadorian "Cotopaxi" breakfast special, which has a unique plantain patty. Their shrimp ceviche is also very good, empanadas are delicious, and the drinks are to die for! I was pleasantly surprised to find Chicha Morada (a blue corn drink) along with rare fruit juices (Tomate de Arbol and Naranjilla). SO good! There is something for everyone here, as they gladly made an egg and cheese quesadilla for my son. The service is wonderful and warm. Highly recommend! When the weather is nicer, you can sit outside by the water. read more

Nina’s Cafe - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

Dang I just had some of their empanadas at the Burlingame Farmer's Market and they were delicious! Freshly fried, crispy and airy. I will be back. read more

Lovely atmosphere, kind service, but unfortunately unimpressed by the food and drink. My friend and I both ordered the Cotopaxi breakfast. The good: plantain and yucca patties stuffed with cheese were quite tasty and hearty. I appreciated the meal came with fruit salad. The not so good: chorizo, while plentiful, arrived nearly cold and didn't have much flavor. The red and green salsas were on the watery side and lacked any type of kick. The eggs were fine, though underneath them on the plate was quite a bit of oil. In short: breakfast was underwhelming, especially for the $20+ per plate price. We sat on the patio: a beautiful spot for a sunny day. I'd return to try their empanadas, but skip the brunch. read more

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What a fantastic experience! The lady who served us was incredibly kind and friendly, and the atmosphere of the place felt so welcoming, just like their menu. While we only sampled the empanadas, they had an enticing variety of other dishes. We're definitely planning to return to savor the Chimichurri sandwich and indulge in the beef, spinach & mushroom empanadas again - these were our absolute favorites today. We highly recommend this spot; plus, there's plenty of parking, and the outdoor view is simply breathtaking. read more

Nina’s Cafe - Beef, chicken, mushroom and spinach, cheese. - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

Came here for brunch on Sunday for a quick meal before pickleball. In the beginning we sat outside because it looked sunny and nice outside but it was super windy and the weighted umbrella looked like it was gonna come down. Most of the outside crowd moved in. Wonder what time of the year it'll ever be less windy. We shared a breakfast burrito and 2 empanadas. I'm so glad we shared the burrito because it was huge. The fruit salad that came with it had the sweetest fruits! Not one sour berry. We tried the ham and guava empanadas. A bit small for the price so definitely evened out it with the burrito. They did forget our coffee but I think there was really just one server and cashier (who I believe might be the owner), with a full house, so no complains - she is super kind. Will definitely be back as it's next to a UPS while I run other errands to try the other empanadas next time! read more

Nina’s Cafe - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

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Wow! what a local gem hidden in Foster City's Edgewater Plaza. It is our first time to try this place and it didnt disappoint.. We ordered their bestsellers like ORINAL BEEF EMPANADA, Mushroom Empanada and Spinach empanada all are Amazingly delicious.. What I loved about their empanada is the crust-it is flaky,thin and crispy not oily ,not soggy and the interesting part is the filling you can taste it's freshness and you can tell that it is made from scratch... The ambience gives us a homey atmosphere,it feels like your family is serving you a heart good meal. Amazing service as well.. We will definitely be back for more read more

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I knew that this place was selling empanadas so I went straight to order some. They have several kinds but my favorite is the one beef Quito. Is very yummy have beef, bell pepper and raisins, that give an especial flavor to the empanadas. Next time I will order other kinds to try too. The order was fast and nice served with salsas. The place is small but has a nice view on the back patio of the water. read more

Nina’s Cafe - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

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Lovely location on the water -- there are a few canopy-tent covered tables along the dock railing and a few on the patio closest to the interior area. You order food at the front register as you come in and they will give you a table number. The steak and chimichurri sandwich was about ~$20 and comes with a simple salad and plantain chips. The steak is thick-cut and the chimichurri had a nice flavor. It wasn't anything to write home about, but eating it outside along the water gives it experiential value. Service was friendly but they forgot about my friends' empanadas for a good 20-30 minutes and we had to follow up. If I came back, I'd probably give breakfast a shot. Parking was easy with a giant lot shared with other storefronts. read more

My bf and i ordered the omelet and empanadas. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. Everything was sooooo good and fresh. The empanadas are so airy and fluffy. They stuff them just right and it's so flavorful. Definitely will be coming back for more. Best I've tried in the bay. read more

Nina’s Cafe - Cheese, beef and spicy chicken empanadas. - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

Quick take: Yummy empanadas Nina's Cafe offers a breakfast and lunch menu. I ordered 2 beef empanadas ($5.50/each) to test out. It was crispy and the filling is delicious. I noticed in pics there are 3 sauces. I only got 2 out of the 3 in my togo order. Definitely, will be back for more empanadas. The check-in area is right inside the front door. Not too much room to wait so I waited outside. The rush of people started at 11:30am. There is indoor and outdoor patio seating. A lot of people ordering togo as well. read more

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Beyond disappointed! This place used to be quite good, but more recently, they are skimping on ingredients! The fish entree was really disappointing: only 4 small pieces of fish! They should have called it a vegetable dish garnished with fish...This was a ripoff! We find their empanadas coming short on fillings. The ones we got seem like they are from yesterday or the day before. Some are actually half hollow inside! All of us feel we can find better food quality elsewhere. WIth regard to the price, the entrees were too small. I was still hungry afterwards. The service was barely ok. Actually, no one checked whether we needed anything or asked how the food was tasting. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend. read more

I love this place. Supporting family owned businesses is so important to me especially these days. It's so refreshing to see some variety im foster city, something I feel we lack in this area. Authentic Ecuadorean food is a lovely addition for this area. We've tried almost everything on the menu except for dinner. The service is always great, food tasty, and perfect for a lunch stop with views of the water. My fav are the guava empenadas and breakfast dish with plantain . The sangria is fresh and not too sweet read more

Nina’s Cafe - Sangria with a view - Empanadas Near Me - Foster City, California

Beautiful patio area with great customer service! Very sweet family that was super patient and kind with my very energetic 4 year old. Food was delicious, coffee was great, view was beautiful, service was even better! read more

I ordered some ceviche guayas here, and that is the PERFECT dish for a hot day. The fact that I could eat it right by the water was an added bonus. As a whole it was so refreshing, and the prawns were perfectly cooked. The sides (plantain chips, popcorn, and roasted corn nuts) added some saltiness and crunch, so it was nice to take a break from the ceviche itself and snack on those. I also usually get empanadas from Nina's Cafe at the Foster City Farmer's Market, and they're always pretty solid. Servers were very kind and cordial; they made it feel like they really cared about your food and your experience. Would come again and try their breakfast! read more

I first learned of Nina's on the GoLocalFosterCity site. Tried them at the 4th of July event. Ordered Chicken, Ham and Cheese, guava and received a free cheese empanada. Was super happy to learn the last they were opening up a retail store front so close to home. Stopped by this week to support their grand opening. I placed my order via Instagram two days before. When I arrived, I was excited to see they had taken over the old Olives location. Their patio on the water is the best! Also happy to discover they offer food choices other than empanadas. This time I ordered beef, chicken, ham and cheese, Nutella and guava (guava being the least favorite for the fam). This time husband reheated them in the air fryer for 3 minutes and they were perfect! FYI- the price is $1 more in the store, than the farmers market. Only reason for deducting one star. Hope they do well here! read more

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Truly shocked by the good reviews. The folks here were super nice and this is not for the hospitality. But the food was SO BAD and the decor is hella tacky. This literally looks like a cafe designed by a boomer from the 2000s that has not been updated with cheesy signs, fake plants, etc. We got the pancakes, empanadas and flautas. The empanada dough looked so strange with a flaky/bubbly texture , something I have never seen with fresh made and was straight up bland. The flautas came out with literal shredded cheese like you'd get at the grocery store as well as lettuce and other toppings of the same variety. My pancakes tasted as if they came from a box as well, kinda chalky. I didnt want to order a latte cause I didnt think they even had an espresso machine to do it and I wasn't down for like, gas station drip coffee. I know this sounds savage but it was SUCH a bummer to go here with all these amazing reviews right down the street from our house and then literally have to go to starbucks after to get pastries and coffee. read more

We came here for Sunday brunch. The place was very much a hole in the wall with both indoor seating and outdoor seating on the water front. We ordered at the front and the food was brought out to us pretty quickly. The soup and the empanadas were all really good. My favorite was the mushroom and spinach empanada! I would say the prices are a bit pricier but this is a family run restaurant that started out selling empanadas at farmers markets. I can tell a lot of attention was put into the dishes and the people who run this restaurant are super nice! Would definitely come back again. read more

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Delicious! We had several empanadas, the empanadizo platter, and chicken aioli wrap. All were fantastic. cant wait to come back and try more dishes The owner was awesome to chat with too! read more

We wanted to sit outside and enjoy a water view while we ate breakfast. It was a Sunday around 2:30pm. Once you enter the front door of this place, you are required to order at the really small counter located immediately to the right. It can get backed up if someone is paying their bill. One host helping for both check in and out. The place is long and narrow inside. Out back is the wood planked deck. Once we picked our own table close to the water, our juice drinks arrived pretty fast. We decided to share our entrees. The House Omelette was not as fluffy as I expected. It was flat and included mostly veggies inside, not enough meat. The potatoes included were a skimpy portion as well. Disappointing. The Lagoon Pancakes was 1 pancake, not 2. They should describe it as such on the menu. The taste was mediocre and had banana slices on top, not inside. The server was friendly and only came out to deliver the food. Also, bicycles are allowed to ride by your table while you are eating. The patio is open to all even if they are not dining there. We left a bit hungry and for the price, we should not have. read more

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Nice selection of empanadas. Tried two - mushroom with cheese and spicy chicken. Both were good but too greasy for my taste.

Delightful meal at Nina's Cafe! A friend and I were looking for a restaurant with outdoor seating. With tasty food, lovely waterfront location, fresh breeze, and friendly service, Nina's delivered. We each ordered a pair of empanadas, which were fried (not baked) but so light and airy. I also requested a side salad, which wasn't on the menu of side dishes, but did come with one of the entrees, and the staff were flexible about accommodating that. (They were fantastic about my food allergies and made sure the salad didn't contain any spinach.) I'd considered ordering the sangría, but went with a passion fruit juice instead. The juice was refreshing and clearly not from a can. The set-up is informal: you order at the counter, and they deliver the food to your table. As others have noted, it's a little crowded at the front of the restaurant, as it serves as the entrance, the host station, the takeout pick-up spot, the wait staff entrance to the kitchen, and the cashier line. But the experience of eating delicious food at a local establishment with welcoming staff and a beautiful setting made up for the claustrophobic indoor environment. We chose a table outside because it was next to the water. It hadn't been cleaned, and the wait staff didn't clean it before setting down our food. I managed to clean it with a tissue and some water. This detail and the crowded entrance are the only two areas where I believe Nina's could improve. read more

Very tasty empanada. The filling reminded me of my grandmother's Piccadilly. Crust very light.

My husband and I went on a bike ride around Foster City and stopped by here for a quick lunch because they have this gorgeous outdoor seating in the back. We ordered the chimichurri steak sandwich, and it was not too oily, tangy, savory with the crunch of a slice of lettuce. What stole the show was the beef empanada. The pastry was light, not oily, crunchy and the filling was perfect balance of savory and umami. We had the Nutella empanada last as dessert and the temperature was perfect. I'd come back again and order all these items again. read more