Love me an empanada…read more Made fast and price was not too bad considering we were in a high tourist area. Nice variety and a side of chimichurri. All was good and tasty little snack

This one is definitely on me. I did not study the menu…read more Spinach empanada- spinach and cheese, right? Nope. Think thick bacon chunks show up and take over. There is nothing I hate more than bacon, I even run away from the bacon smell alone in public places. I'll be back for veggie options only - this one was a no for me.

Oh my goodness! This was my first time here and also my first time trying this Argentinian staple!…read moreI came alone on a quiet Saturday night, and the moment I walked in, the lady in the back immediately welcomed and helped me. I ordered the spicy beef empanada, and OMG it was SO good. It was packed with flavor and perfectly crispy. I loved it so much that I ended up getting a second one, the chorizo and that one was amazing too. The chipotle spicy sauce and chimichurri complemented the empanadas perfectly. One detail I thought was really cool was how they stamped the restaurant's name, "VENGA," around the border of the empanadas. Such a small touch, but it made the experience feel even more unique and authentic. The food, hospitality, and cozy atmosphere made this such a memorable experience. Definitely would come back here again!

If you haven't been to Argentina no worries the empanadas here are a fun treat and make you feel…read morelike you're in Buenos Aires. The dough is a mix of chewy and flaky and the traditional ground beef with hard boiled egg is so pleasing. The chicken empanadas are also great as are the mushrooms. Definitely buy to eat on site then take several home.

Solid! I had the…read moreBeef, Chorizo, Mushroom, Chicken and the Carne Picada. All were good and I really light dough. Solid breakfast, Lunch or Dinner option.

Hello Yelpers,…read more Wanted to share with everyone a phenomenal Empanada Joint located on Polk Street I the city. Wife and I had the unfortunate experience of having to get our passports expedited and had to return to the Federal Building on Turk. To make the best of a bad situation we ducked into a small establishment called Cafe Buenos Aires. Let me begin with saying this little gem of an empanada establishment has me yearning to return to San Francisco. I am not a city boy by any means and avoid the city like a bad rash. Wife and I ordered 4 empanada's and a special protein and collagen latte. Everything has me saying Obrigado! (Thank you). We had the Carne Picada (Choped Sirloin) was beyond good. I have had empanadas all my life and can simply say this one has blown my mind. Spice and seasoned to perfection with potatoes and quality chopped top sirloin cuts. Chicken (Pollo) same thing with quality ingredients. Beef (Ground Beef) also excellent not my first choice but why not. I'm already here. Service was friendly and the lady working today was awesome. Not much seating inside more of a to go spot but fit the bill. Finally the Protein Cafe Latte with collagen had the wife raving about how good it was. Trust me when she says we may have to go back is a rarity for her especially in SF. Can't wait to swing by when in the area. Don't miss this place it's worth a visit and revisit in my opinion.

Why 5 stars? Because despite a few non-ideal circumstances, it was very worth the visit…read more --- --- --- After eating lunch nearby, I had one final stop to make here for coffee and dessert, before I headed to SFO. The issue is that I was definitely pushing it on time if I planned on making my flight. As I was driving here, I had the thought that if there was an annoying parking situation or a line, I would just have to pivot and forego patronizing. But as it turns out, there was one spot available right next to the front door and no one inside. But then when I requested a nitro, the owner (I assume?) was extremely apologetic that their coffee machine broke. I asked for a few alternate types of coffee, but it turned out said machine controlled it all. So we shifted to the pastries. I read on the website that they had something with guava, so I asked for two of those: one for me, one for the wife. He even offered to heat mine up, which I will say yes to 100% of the time. I then jumped back in the car and was back into "don't' miss your flight mode." Of course, when you're in a hurry, you manage to hit every red light along the way, so I was doing a lot of yelling at electricity and God. But then I figured I might as well take the time to try the pastry that I'd originally planned on eating on the plane. As it turns out, it brought me into a nearly immersive experience of zen. The only bad thing is that I devoured it within seconds and then it was merely a thing of the past. My wife is fortunate that I have the amount of integrity that I do because I am sitting on the plane as I write this and I could easily inhale that 2nd pastry with her being none the wiser. If you're reading this, wife, remember that you hit the spousal lottery.

Great empanadas! They toast them up to a temp that results in a perfectly hot n toasted, fresh…read moretasting empanada! I tried their beef as well as mushroom. Both are repeats for me! Don't forget to ask for their chimichurri sauce. I also love the vibes of the spot. Felt like I traveled to Argentina for a brief moment.

Very delicious taste and very small place in town and not a high price…read more Recommend the classic empanadas

I was walking by this place when the empanadas caught my eye. I love a good empanada. This is a…read morelocal, small-business owner, also known as a legacy business in SF. She was so friendly and amazing to talk to about the area. I bought some chicken empanadas, and the flavors were amazing. The location is designed for takeout and enjoying warm empanadas. Walking through the Mission is a wonderful experience.

Lovely spot for a quick snack and coffee!! I mostly come to El Porteño for the coffee because the…read morelocation is super convenient for a morning pick-me-up, and it's often my favorite part of the morning. The coffee is rich and nutty, and it pairs well with all of their milk options (they have oat and almond for my fellow lactose intolerant folks). I have yet to try one of the empanadas, but they smell and look divine -- I'm always super tempted. Depending on when you come by, sometimes you can catch the staff working on the next batch, which is always fun to watch. The team is friendly, and the space is quite large. It's usually pretty quiet -- even though they have a decent flow of foot traffic, most folks don't stop for long. If you need a relatively quiet place to work for a bit, they do have a good number of tables and outlets, although there, tragically, isn't WiFi.

Super disappointing experience here. First, I waited for more than five minutes at the cashier's…read morestand before anyone even showed up. At 1:45pm, it's a ghost town inside?! When someone finally showed up behind the counter, it was a chef who didn't seem to know much about the POS system. Seems they are severely understaffed. I ordered an empanada which he said would take 15 minutes to get ready, sure no problem. I ask to pay with Blackbird as I've already scanned the puck and checked in during the five-minute waiting period. He then says I can't pay for the $7+tax empanada with Blackbird for some reason. Okay...? All of a sudden, he doubles the total that I "owe" (for food that I have not received and was told would be ready in 15 minutes). I say I only came here because I could pay with Blackbird, and I don't have another form of payment. He says sure, you want a coffee instead, pointing to a coffee station with no barista. Wtf is going on at this place? I left, still with an empty stomach and a puzzled mind about how this place is still in business.

Great place to come for breakfast, tamales, pastries and especially the bread rolls. Prices are…read morevery reasonable, food comes out quick and it's usually packed with people eating breakfast and other things. I am a big fan of the breakfast sandwich with plaintains, eggs, beans, cheese and crema and usually get some bread rolls to take home to make my own sandwiches. Parking can be a bit tricky in the area but I have found that it is usually fairly easy to find a spot on one or the side roads as opposed to on mission itself. Staff seem friendly. Majority of customers seem to be Latin which is always a good sign for a place like this.

Just happened to stumble in on my way to work and found this hidden gem. This cafeteria style…read moreGuatemalan bakery serves a hardy breakfast and other unique drinks that looks freshly made every morning. The ladies are extremely friendly and had no issues ordering what I wanted. Once I paid in front, the food came out immediately, very efficient! My plate comes with my choice of scrambled eggs ( a few styles that I can choose from), a slice of cojita? cheese?, and a hearty serving of beans. I also ordered a rice drink thats not too sweet. Perfect The meal came with a bread roll that by far is my favorite. It brought the whole breakfast together. The bread had a nice crust and pillowy soft inside. It's a bakery after all the serves breakfast and other meals. Would definitely come back again :)

Gaucho Parrilla Argentina is decent, but it didn't totally live up to the hype for me. The meat is…read moregood and clearly high quality, but for the price, I expected it to be a bit more impressive. Everything tasted fine, just nothing that really wowed me. It was super busy when I went, which made the place loud and kind of stressful. Service was friendly but rushed, and we waited longer than expected for our food. Overall, it's not bad and I don't regret going, but I'm not in a rush to go back. Good food, just not as amazing as people make it sound.

If you know about eating food from around the world then you know some countries do certain food…read moredifferently and better. I am fortunate to live in San Francisco where you will find international foods from all around world. There is one region in the world which are known for their empanadas also their meats. It seems the focus recently has been in the region of South America in 2026. The country of Argentina is famous for winning the World Cup in 2022 and is favored in the 2026 to repeat as World Cup Champions. Argentina is also has a region named Patagonia which is the rival jacket to California's own North Face jacket when it comes to jackets among the tech workers in San Francisco. There is a place in San Francisco which serves meat dishes which are served from a food truck in the city Tourist Trap. On a 2026 Fisherman Wharf stroll I went to Tanguito. This place has lots of beef dishes like the steak sandwich with cheese along with the cheeseburger. I wanted to try their empanadas. I got the ham and cheese empanada. It's was delicious and had it was pretty cheesy and it was a little flakey like some in SF. The ham was savory and tasty. I will come here again and try their different meat dishes. Come to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco and try some "Argentine" meat "cuisine" and get the Argentina chimichurri which is a sauce that's "green "and Tanguito is a great addition to the San Francisco food "scene" South America is known in the soccer and now the political "arena "but you can come to a place in Fisherman's Wharf that serves food from "Argentina" just less than a mile from the "Marina "and a block away from the new "Taco Bell Cantina"