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The Empanada Spot

4.8 (438 reviews)
Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

Order The Empanada Spot Takeout or Delivery

The Empanada Spot Photos

Business Info

THE EMPANADA SPOT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - The Empanada Spot

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John A.

Came out with the wife and in-laws for some breakfast. Very good empanadas. Chill vibes & good service. Salsas are always good.....

Silvano G.

The Empanada Spot is literally the spot for empanadas! The make them per order so you know it's fresh and hot! Service was good order taker was helpful and friendly! Ambiance was good. Enough space to sit and eat a dozen if you dare! Check them out and get the chicharrón one!

Best empanadas I've had, Costilla De Puerco, bean & cheese are my favs & get that Birria Broth to dip them in it's real good
Andy M.

Best Empanadas in SD hands down! Chile De Puerco is my fav but don't sleep on the Bean & Cheese especially when you dip it in the Birria broth they have. Birria De Queso also good, the Chicharron one is a hit too, especially with the Nana & Tatas, so bring them they'll love it, they have that old school Mexican flavor the Chicharon, Chile De Puerco & Bean one. They have others that I plan to try & a nice mix & match special if you buy a dozen. The taste to the empanadas is amazing with the breading baked to a perfect crisp & always fresh. The salsas they have are fire! Desserts/sweets they have are good too. It's a cute little shop with a few tables inside & out with a lot of parking. The customer service is very good, friendly, fast & polite. They actually gave me 2 Chile De Puerco by accident instead of one being the bean & cheese one but it was ok I ate it & went up to buy the bean one she nicely said another one? I said oh no you guys mistakenly gave me 2 Puerco ones but it's ok it's my fav so I ate it. She smiled & said, it's ok this one is on us & I'm sorry. Now that's great customer service. Me & the fam plan to come back for sure, they have loyal customers in us. And a tip, they have a great new Coffee Shop next door so you can buy & have some coffee with your amazing Empanadas, see you soon Empanada Spot.

Michelle P.

* Fast service * Great service * Tasty food *causal ambiance This is a hidden gem in Chula Vista! I've been here a few times and the empanadas are always fresh and made to order. They also have more options now compared to the last time I visited especially more dessert flavors, which has me excited to come back and try more. Today we tried the rajas con queso, chipotle chicken, are super cheesy and the churro cheesecake (a must-try ). and flavorful! Just a heads up they come out SUPER hot, so be careful on that first bite . The spot is clean and there's plenty of parking. FYI as for napkins! Definitely recommend if you're in the area!

Hot sauce was amazing
Eric S.

Pulled up to this empanada spot with 2 of my homies. These empanadas were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside the kind where you gotta pause mid-bite and say Ggggyyyaaaaat! We ordered the dozen option (pro tip) so everyone got 4 each, and honestly that's the move. Perfect for sampling without fighting your friends over the last one. They also give you hot salsa/sauces if you eat there. I got the Birria, pot pie, OG and Churro empanada. I love that there are hella options, so no matter your vibe savory, cheesy, sweet you're covered. Everything came out hot, fresh, and cooked right. See ya soon!

Mural commissioned through local middle school
Maniel D.

Amazing empanadas! Alejandro greeted us with a smile and "thank you for being here!" Super sweet and friendly! Nice decorations as well beautiful mural!

Phamhong G.

Worth it to try if you're in the area. Good customer service. We ordered a dozen and our favorite was the Quesabirria. I also enjoyed the pepperoni one, it tasted like a fancy hot pocket and had plenty of pepperoni. The empanadas are a little overpriced but a good size. The 3 salsas are all AMAZING and definitely add to the flavor of the empanadas. $6 is very steep for an agua deluxe..basically an extra $2.50 for a chamoy candy rim. The main negative I have is that you have no idea what you're biting into and basically have to guess based on the ingredients listed on the menu. I wish they added toothpicks with little signs or something to each empanada that indicate which one is which, but I guess the surprise is part of the experience. I'd come back if I needed a quick snack and to also try the dessert empanadas.

Riley S.

Supppeeerrrrrr excited that starting this year they open early !! I'm always craving these fire ass empanadas but work alllwwaaayyysssss gets in the way :( today we went in for some coffee and their " OG BREAKFAST SANDWICH " bomb. Basically a whole breakfast plate inside a sandwich !! Super bomb. Affordable and filling !! Super happy this sandwich legit had me full all day until dinner time so thank u guys for opening early. The coffee shop next store is fire !!

Cute wall
Tiff H.

Cute, small, tucked away empanada spot. The service was very friendly served us with a smile. This review is low because of the food specifically. Simply put, it didn't taste great. Every one my partner and I tried. We ordered The OG, chicken, birria, and a bean and cheese. Sad the to say the better of the four we tried was the bean and cheese, and im a pretty big meat eater so, this was pretty disappointing. We had high hopes but just didn't find any of them satisfying. The flavors were off and lacking. Some of the meat (birria and chicken specifically) tasted like it's been just soaking in tap water. Like a dull stewed water taste. This was already a place out of the way for me so, I probably won't be returning if I'm ever in the area. As always, you should try for yourself though!

Maira R.

Very solid spot! Grateful for the food, staff and service. 8/10, would come again. I loved how clean the space was, the staff went above and beyond to treat me kindly, the food was good!! I wish they were larger. I could easily eat 20, if I committed to it. They were yummy! The salsa wasn't bad, but it also didn't make me want to tell the whole world about it, either.

Shrimp and Cheese & Birria
Cayla Marie H.

A random craving for empanadas struck and when I was looking for a new place to try, The Empanada Spot popped up. It was worth weathering the rain and wet socks. It's a smaller shop with seating. Cute wall art and clean. They're in a plaza with a good amount of parking, which is a bonus. The empanadas are $4.50 each and they're made to order. Fried up to crispy perfection. -Shrimp and Cheese: mild flavor but pairs well with the complimentary salsas. -Quesabirria: immaculate cheese pull & tender beef (you can order consume on the side for a bit extra.) -Peanut Butter and Jelly: I think this was my favorite. I'm a sucker for a good PB&J.. and this was fried, so bonus lol I do think you should wait a couple of minutes before eating do the peanut butter won't drip out though. After it sets, it's petfect. -Churro Cheesecake: Yum, it's a cream cheese filled churro. Tasty. A bunch of people ordered ahead of time for pick up, so if I'm feeling generous and want to actually bring some home to share, I'll definitely do that. Lol

Quesabirria
Espy M.

Chicharrón with beans tasted just like my moms chicharron dish :) and definitely my favorite one! Delicious empanadas ... slightly crunchy in the outside soft inside. Salsa roja was very flavorful- loved it ( the lighter red one). My order of empanadas: Chicharron Chicken chipotle Chicken pot pie Birria I will be back soon :)

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2 months ago

Best empanadas ever! I tried with my sister who absolutely loves this place and definitely did not disappoint!

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4 months ago

the empanadas was crispy and good. The OG i didn't enjoy at all. Service was quick and multiple salsas.

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1 month ago

We ordered 12 empanadas or different variations.....all correct and served to us outside!

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This was a good visit. It was a quick stop to get a bite after a long day of work and before the…read moremovies. When we arrived, it was surprising to see the owner at the register taking orders. We had not seen him in at least 8-9 years, and at the University Avenue location back then. We ordered: 1 Small Gyro Salad (comes with warm pita bread, 1 4oz Cheeseburger Combo with fries and a drink, and 1 Bodega Sub (Chopped hamburger meat and cheese with fries, and 3 fountain drinks. Total was $57 + tip. Our food was prepared well. There was one issue, the owner who took our order forgot to let the cooking staff know that my Husband did not want mustard & ketchup on his chopped bodega sub. So, they had to remake the sub, which delayed us from eating together about 7-9 minutes. It was okay, they apologized to us and the owner took responsibility for messing up the order. This is a great location and we will still come back. They are a nice business and the food is delicious.

Services is great I walked in not busy after 3:00 Pick up…read morefood for late lunch / Dinner for our buddy 1 Pastrami combo 1 4oz steak burger with cheese And fries. Fries are abandons here 1 chicken strips and fries Everything is right on the money Every fries was seasoned with red season salt And crispy and hot My cheese burger was cooked well done But I'm wanted no onions there was white onions I took 'em off Buddies pastrami was good he was in heaven And 2 ranch dressing and 8 ketchups A chicken strips spilling out of the box chicken and fries. He had Root-beer I even had $5.00 discount on the chicken strips It was only $6.00 I really like the chicken salad here next time

Photos
Front counter
Front counter
Pastrami sandwich and chili cheese fries
Pastrami sandwich and chili cheese fries
Large Greek Salad with chicken/ Instagram @JudeeTheFoodee

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Large Greek Salad with chicken/ Instagram @JudeeTheFoodee

The Empanada Spot - empanadas - Updated July 2026

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