There are too many tacos in California, we need more empanadas! I love hot tasty meats wrapped in a warm, buttery, and delectable pastry! Sadly, this touristing San Diegan Yelper was already full from brunch, but just had to try one...Beef & Egg! The musical medley of beef, egg, spices, and secret ingredients wrapped in lovely pastry was a perfect symphony of flavors and textures in my mouth. The extra chimchurri sauce was a perfect encore. Friendly staff, California eccentric surfer vibes, kept the interactions interesting. Will try to stop by again on my rare road trips between San Diego and LA or Disneyland. read more

1st time here! Friendly service and tasty quality handmade empanadas. Today I got 10 (variety). I got it through a special deal, so I plan to freeze them. I tried 2 (the veggie lentil one and the cheeseburger one). I was a fan of the cheeseburger. It was flavorful and just the right amount of American Cheesy. The lentil one had a dry texture and was too salty for me. I look forward to trying the chicken one and any of the other flavors I was unable to get this time. Note, this shop is located in a very busy commercial area. It is best to get to it by foot. Parking seems to be a real pain in this area. Tight street and packed parking. Thankfully, I was able to park in the small lot right in front of the store. Give them a try! 2 thumbs up!! read more

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Great empanadas and friendly service. Highly recommend the dipping sauces- especially the chimi-inspired sauce

I was super excited to try this place out, but it didn't impress me. Ham and cheese - glorified hot pocket and was on the saltier end. The ratio of cheese to ham was uneven Beef and chicken - honestly just tasted like ground meat that lacked flavor and I felt like the sauces didn't pair that well I would still recommend to try for yourself read more

The Real Empanada - Ham n' Cheese Empanadas, Beef Empanadas, Chicken Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

Amazing empanadas. I love the spinach and cheese one. Very lovely people working as well. read more

Not sure if I can fully trust YELP REVIEWS as I'm a yelper myself. LACK OF FLAVOR AND LACK OF WELCOMINGNESS from the crew, maybe they are young and wants to surf instead of serving behind the counter. Ordered few different flavors just to explore, nothing was really makes me want to comeback, too bad. PS : I see very very good reviews about this place, that's why I decided to give it a try, but I guess it's very personal and subjective, while my palate can't lie and hence the one star. Sorry. read more

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My family tried The Real Empanada today at a school function and the food was delicious! We tried the chicken, beef and spinach and cheese empanadas served with chimichurri sauce. All were so good and the sauce was not too hot. We will be back and appreciate this restaurant supporting our school events! read more

The Real Empanada - Spinach and Cheese/Vegetarian Empanadas with Chimi Churri sauce. Yum. - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

Came in today to check it out, my dad lives a few blocks away and hadn't tried this place. The gal working was nice. Unfortunately we got 2 beef and 1 chicken despite ordering 2 chicken 1 beef--no biggie. I wish I knew their chicken had olives (the menu lists olives for the beef but not chicken). I think they can do without olives for at least the chicken empanada. The sauces were lacking. The garlic habanero looks really unappetizing (doesn't taste great) and the chimichurri definitely needs more work as the herbs were really big and not chopped well. I basically used it as a flavored olive oil. The lemon tang was also incredibly watery. I think the food would be better overall if their sauces were better and if they could throw a Malbec beef on the menu since the chicken and beef options with olives feel redundant. read more

The Real Empanada - Chimichurri and Garlic Habanero - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

Great, friendly and attentive service not to mention very tasty empanadas. Noah took great care to pair the sauces with the various empanadas. The "experimental" pumpkin pie with fresh whipped cream was a wonderful dessert for the ham & cheese and chicken. Would like to try some of the other choices. I hope our time in town allows it. read more

The Real Empanada - From the bottom Ham & cheese Chicken and last but not least the pumpkin pie (complimentary because it was "well done") - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

Definitely not even close to Argentinian or Chilean empanadas. There's a hair in one of them. Lack of customer service, 2 young guys that not even greet, with vibes that they don't want to work there. Feel bad for them. The beverage fridge with only 1 kind of ice tea . Not even coke, sodas or water. Not recommend. read more

The Real Empanada - Hair in empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

Best empanadas ever, great taste, excellent prices, customer service is awesome. Thank you again

Empanadas were light with lots of filling, great flavors we had all the four sauces I like the habanero the best, my wife like zesty lemon. We had the vegetarian also we had the ricotta and spinach, ham and cheese, and the chicken empanadas. The top sellers are beef and chicken empanada. This family business just opened last November and they are originally from Argentina. And they have parking. read more

The Real Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

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We were walking down the Avenida Del Mar and we spotted the place and decided to get some lunch. The staff were very nice and it seemed like it was run by a family. We ordered 6 empanadas and used $3 off. We got beef it was perfectly seasoned meat with a special blend of peppers, garlic, onios, olives, and hard boiled eggs. And chicken also was lightly seasoned and marinated with citrus juice and blend of peppers, garlic, olives, and hard boiled eggs. My favorite was veggies empanadas made with lentils, carrots, potatoes and special blend of spices We tried our empanadas with Chimi Churi made with persely, garlic, oregano and chili peppers mixed with oilve oil. And my favorite Garlic Habanero. They have parking spots on the front of building. read more

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Food was really tasty. That's the good news. It was so expensive for the quantity. The counter staff was not helpful or friendly at all. Like this is a new experience for some of us customers and we might benefit from some conversation. The ambiance was less than meh. Not squeaky clean and definitely not welcoming decor. I came in with high expectations. I might still come back for a bite when I can afford it because the food was a quick yummy treat, but I'll come with lower expectations of the overall experience. read more

I tried to come at 7pm on a Saturday night and they were already closed, yet your Yelp page has the business hours listed until 8pm. You should update your business hours, as I made a trip all the way from Laguna thinking you would be open but it wasn't. :-( read more

Absolutely love this place. The owner and staff are fantastic as well as providing very warm welcome. The food was great. Fresh and had a great taste. I actually liked all of them. So you can't go wrong with any of the options. I will highly recommend The Real Empanada to my family and friends. If you are in San Clemente or order some to go. You won't be disappointed. read more

Was so glad to finally try the Real Empanada!! We had driven by many times but finally ordered to go for lunch. They were fast with the order and pick up was easy. The place is really small inside so not big enough for many people to eat. We got beef, chicken and veggie and loved all three. The beef was a favorite of everyone and we would order even more next time. They are a great size and could be used for lunch, appetizers, etc. The sauces were all good but really not even needed. The chicken had a little curry spice to it that was really good. Will for sure be back and highly recommend! read more

Love the chicken and lemon tang sauce. The lady who runs it is super nice. Great place. read more

This place was great, I tried one of each of the empanadas (including a Chorizo one that was not officially on the menu) and they were all delicious! The beef empanada and the chorizo empanada were my favorites. The portions are decent, each empanada is about 4 inches long, with the exception of the ham and cheese which has more of a round shape. My usual complaint with places that sell empanadas is the seasoning, this was not an issue here, I found everything perfectly seasoned. As for the place itself, its more of a take out location, there are no tables to dine in. We had no issues finding parking, the business has some but theres also plenty of parking in the surrounding area. Will definitely be coming back again if I find myself in the area! read more

The Real Empanada - Vegetarian, Beef, Ham n' Cheese, Chicken, And Chorizo Empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

The hours posted are wrong. just came here thinking it's open til midnight. It's 10:45pm 12/17/22, and it's not open. read more

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Service was amazing and the food tasted great. The owner even gave us all the sauces to try! Definitely will be back! read more

The Real Empanada - Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

Really yummy with great service. Love the beef ones, can't wait to try them all. I'll be back! read more

My wife and I have always been empanada fans so we thought we'd try The Real Empanada. We had 3 empanadas: the spinach and cheese; the beef; and the dulce de leche. The spinach and cheese one had sauteed spinach with ricotta and parmesan cheeses. Very indulgent! The beef empanada had peppers, garlic, onions, olives and hard boiled eggs. Wonderful! The two savory empanadas were served with a delicious chimichurri sauce that we dipped the empanadas into. The dulce de leche was the first dessert empanada I've ever had. It's filled with dulce de leche and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Very tasty! My wife and I became fans of empanadas when we visited Argentina in 2019 and this shop definitely has empanadas that hit the spot! The shop is a simple take out spot with a counter where you can eat the empanadas. The owner was very warm and friendly. read more

So yummy! I literally drove 30 mins for this special treat anytime I have the time to go and treat myself to a delicious treat. Their sauces are to die for. read more

I've been twice and the empanadas have been terrific both times. I actually prefer the veggie (lentil, potato, etc) over the chicken. Surprisingly, my daughter (who does not love veggies) actually likes the veggie better, too. One is good for a hearty snack and two would make a satisfying meal. The sauces are great, but I definitely prefer the chimichurri read more

Cool new spot if you wanna grab a quick bite and go. I'm diggin the ham & cheese empanada w garlic habanero sauce . Catering options also available. read more

The Real Empanada - Hot ham & cheese empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

We got the beef, ham & cheese, vegetarian and received a special one on the house. Everything is good, including the chimichurri sauce. Amazing flavors! Also have very nice and welcoming staff! read more

The Real Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

Delicious! What a great addition to Del Mar Street! We got a box of 12 and tried all the flavors and sauces. All of them were delicious but the family favorite was the chicken empanada with the chimichurri sauce! Very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. read more

The Real Empanada - To go box of 12 empanada and dipping sauces - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

A great local find. Tried the ham & cheese with chimichurri sauce & the beef empanada with ponzu sauce. Both tasted great and did not disappoint. The dough/crust as perfectly done and the fillings had the right amount of flavor. Would definitely come back for more! read more

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Saw this place and wanted to try it as it's new to the town and I loved it. I got a box of 6 (ate a couple before taking the picture) and they're so good, full of flavor. I would definitely recommend this to a friend or even bring them to a small gathering. They have a few different sauces, i believe I had the chimichurri and habanero ones. Both were delicious and on the spicier side, which i prefer. Quick and easy service too. read more

The Real Empanada - Beef, veggie and ham empanadas - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

We stopped by this cute empanada shop today and bought one Beef for first try. Normally our kids are not big fan of empanada but surprisingly kids loved it (I guess bc it is fresh and full of stuffing!) and we had to come back for the second one Owner was really nice to explain flavors and sauces! We love it and will come back for sure!! read more

The Real Empanada - Beef Empanadas (3) - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

If you're like me, you love San Clemente but are getting a little bored of the food choices. If that sounds familiar look no farther than the Real Empanada! Food pricing was more than reasonable, and was to die for. These scrumptious empanadas will have you and your family licking your fingers and begging for more. I highly recommend you try all their unique sauces and styles of empanadas. I am definitely a carnivore, but their vegetarian lentil empanada is by far my favorite. Ain't it amazing that we finally have a fantastic vegetarian option at the same location our other peers without dietary restrictions can also enjoy their food? I have a strong feeling this Argentinian cuisine is going to blow up. read more

Love this place, especially during downtown events and street fairs! Nowhere else nearby to get good empanadas. read more

The Real Empanada - Empanadas Near Me - San Clemente, California

I tried the ham & cheese and let me tell you, yum! Also the Beef empanada was on point. The location by the beach makes it all the better experience. Friendly and informative staff definitely recommend giving them a try. read more

This place was great! My husband and I stopped by as we were waking on Del Mar. The restaurant was very clean and the staff was so sweet and amazing. The empanadas were really good and they had homemade sauces to go with each one. We will definitely be back and can't wait to see the company grow! read more

We recently moved to the area we came here to grab something quick and yummy to bring home. Josh (I'm assuming the owner) helped us out and was so pleasant and personable! You can tell he loves feeding people and takes pride in his work. We ordered a 12 pack. Our fav was the beef and the spinach. read more

Awesome food great service very reasonably priced was full after 3 I'll definitely come back again and do my check in and get my free emblematic read more

the food is so delish and the sauces are a must! Staff is amazing and goes above and beyond! Try the cheeseburger and the chorizo empindas my 2 favs. their take n bakes are good for my busy life... read more

I have been looking for an authentic Argentinian empanada for so long! I live in San Diego and came across this spot by chance while out in San Clemente. The guy who helped us let us know it's his families business and Argentina is there Home county. It brought me right back to my childhood when my uncle would make these.Beef, right amount of spices, lots of filling, green olive, and boiled egg. Total perfection! Wish they were in San Diego! read more

Fantastic food and plenary of choices for everyone. Menu is super easy to navigate and the customer service is fantastic. Environment is very contemporary and clean. The curb appeal of the business is awesome with a pretty wicked wall art outside the business. 5 stars all around. read more