Empanada Kitchen

What a fantastic, cozy find!! From the moment we walked in we were warmly welcomed by the staff (a sweet lady), & the delicious & juicy empanadas (chicken, beef, etc), & alfajores (shortbread cookie pie with dulce de leche filling)!! And, the Humm Mango Passionfruit kombucha was so good!! We’ll definitely be back for more Argentinian food!!

This small cute little restaurant has some of the best empanadas I have ever had, I love coming here for the lamb empanadas. Service is friendly and easy .

Been here several times, Amazing Empanadas!!!! It was my moms choice for her mothers day breakfast. The new sausage flavor was our favorite today, she had to go back for another.

Wow. This place is amazing. Not only are the Empanadas the best I've had in San Diego (so far) but the staff is absolutely loving and gracious. I will FIGHT anyone who Karen's these fine people. Please please come through. The love they put into their food is apparent and you will feel it and taste it too. Each empanada is folded in a unique shape and they give you a cute card that shows you which unique fold is which flavor. Great food. Great people. These are the kind of restaurants we should be supporting. All the best Empanada Kitchen! ♥️

I ordered 6 dozen frozen empanadas to bake at home for my party for appetizers for ~50 people and thought there would be leftovers but they were all gone! They were a huge hit. Guests really loved them and said they were all delicious. I love how many vegetarian options there were. My favorite is the mushroom and goat cheese. Super easy to order and pick up. Lovely service. Tasty food. What more can you ask for?!

Phenomenal empanadas! The sweet corn and basil was the best. Then the mushroom and goat cheese came second. The empanadas were kept in a heater so they were served warmed. The crust was crunchy but not too dry. I am not too big of a fan of meat so I didn't taste the meat ones.

The young lady behind the counter needs smiling lessons, seeming annoyed that we were interupting her screen time. When we got home, we found that 2 of our 6 empanadas were not ones we'd ordered. The empanadas were good but not great. I've had them elsewhere with more abundant filling.

It was my first time visiting this venue and I’m happy I did. They have tasty empanadas with a decent variety. They even have rotating specials daily. Very convenient and quick if you need to eat on the run however they even have indoor and outdoor seating. I’d recommend checking them out.

17-Sep-2025 Today my 4 boys were super hungry on the way to the barbershop. I usually carry a healthy snack for them, but today I totally forgot. I decided to find empanadas and came across Empanada Kitchen. I am so glad I stopped! Joanah was working the evening shift and was so kind to greet me, even while helping another guest, when I arrived and quickly helped me choose my empanadas. I bought 10 (6 chicken and 4 beef). The ambiance is like a nice coffee shop. It's certainly not some old ma and pa shop. It's modern and really clean and quiet with black and yellow colors. What I found to be really cool is that there is a small stamp or impression on the corner of each empanada to tell you what flavor you have when you open your mixed box. They provide this a unique card to help you. Amazing! If you are looking for a quick delicious empanada spot this is highly recommended. Price point is pricey, but there is a 3 for $11 deal. Gone are the days of $2 empanadas! Thanks, Ashley

Is there anyone out there that doesn't love empanadas?! I mean, what's not to love! If y'all have read my reviews before, you know that the Hubs and I love to do a beer day - Hopping around to different breweries trying new brews.. and of course, some new snacks along the way. Empanada Kitchen has become one of my favorite snacks on said beer days and would be one of my go-to spots regularly if there was one in my direct neighborhood - * cough * Maybe Carmel Valley should be the next spot for a shop! Empanada Kitchen has 3 location in San Diego - North Park, La Jolla and Downtown {with a few pop-ups at select Pure Project locations}. Great idea - Is there a better combo than Brews and Empanadas?! I think not! Aside from visiting one of the locations, you can also order delivery via Uber Eats, Door Dash and Grub Hub - Score! Plus, catering for all of your Empanada needs. And all locations are open 7 days a week - Just check their IG for exact hour for each location - @empanadakitchensd The empanadas come in a variety of flavors: Veggie, Chicken, Mushroom & Goat Cheese, Beef, Caprese, Ham & Cheese, Sweet Corn & Basil, Lamb, Breakfast {only available during breakfast hours} and Specialty Flavors that rotate based on season and location. My top 3 {in no particular order}: Ham & Cheese, Sweet Corn & Basil and the Caprese. And do not skip out on the chimichurri - This kicks it up to a whole other level! You are also wise to get three as there is a 3 for $12 deal - or another $12 deal for 2 empanadas and a salad. You will also find a nice selection of non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy. I'm already thinking about my next visit! When you go - Let me know what you try!

A good place to snack some great tasting empanadas but parking is limited. The service is very friendly. Bright and yellow inside.

I made a to-go phone order. I requested twi orders of the 3 empanadas for $12, with the chicken, beef, and corn. The sweet corn was definitely my favorite, and the chimichurri was delicious.

Pretty good empanadas. the corn one was good with the chimmichurri sauce. really nice worker

This small cute little restaurant has some of the best empanadas I have ever had, I love coming here for the lamb empanadas. Service is friendly and easy .

This review is long overdue! This is a small kitchen, but don't doubt it's got big flavor! I've been frequenting this location for a long time. It's so hard to just get 3 empanadas, but when you need that quick fix of deliciousness, it hits the spot! We love trying the special flavors but our fav is definitely the beef empanada and the chicken empanada as our second! The bacon and egg empanada is only offered during breakfast time (just an FYI if you want one in the evening). You get a small chimichurri to dip with your empanada, but when that's not enough, get the big jar! We love it, so we buy the jar! It's about $12, but we use it for others things and it's definitely more than enough for the empanadas! They also make it spicy! Only a few seats inside and out. They have a small parking lot, shared with the Wise Ox. You can quickly grab your empanadas and be in your way. 2025:26

I have been wanting to come here for a long time now. I drive passed it all the time and finally stopped by wishing I had done so sooner. It's a cute, bright little shop that hurt my eyes a little bit (in a good way). My guy and I tried the Chicken and the Mushroom & Goat Cheese. I really liked the dough for both empanadas. The chicken was definitely juicy, as the description warns, but the overall flavor was on the blander side. The mushroom one was soo good! Next time, I want my own. No sharing this one ever again. Neither my guy nor I enjoyed their chimichurri. It was all oil and no actual flavor. Their spicy chimichurri was way better, but wasn't actually spicy. I did come here late at night, so I'm looking forward to trying it when the empanadas and the chimichurri is fresher.

Stopped by about 1 hour before closing and most empanadas were still available. We got the Beef, Ratatouille (Veggie), and the Sweet Corn & Basil. For $4 each it's a pretty decent deal. Inside is very vibrant with a few tables. Between the 3, I felt that the Beef had the best flavor overall. It was nicely spiced and very savory. I also enjoyed the Sweet Corn & Basil one which came with a creamy sauce and was still balanced with the sweetness of the corn. The dipping sauce is some sort of chimichurri which was decent but wasn't necessary for every single empanada. I do feel that the empanadas could be stuffed a little more. They aren't particularly plump but rather more flat and thin. The texture of the outside was nice and semi-soft crispy though.

Been driving by this place for months, finally popped in today. We are so HAPPY we did! Bright, clean and cheery store front with two high top tables and stools. We were greeted with a smile. She was pulling them out of the oven when we walked up. They smelled so good! Today's special was Choripan, but the ran out. We ordered: Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Corn & Basil, Mushroom & Goat Cheese and Veggie with both spicy and regular chimichurri sauces. They were the perfect size so you can have more than one. The dough to filling ratio was on point. Each one was so juicy and didn't need sauce. Our favorite was the Mushroom & Goat cheese but they were all very yummy! She threw in the apple because they ran out of the special. Will be back to try the others!

These were "just okay" for us. It may be authentic, however, I thought it lacked flavor and spice. We got a box of assorted flavors so we had the opportunity to sample different fillings. Street parking and tons of foot traffic for the neighboring restaurants but no line at this place.

Best Empanadas in SD! They also have a location on C Street in the East Village. Bring back the Little Italy location please:)!! Our favorite is the sweet corn empanadas. They are made with corn, mozzarella, and béchamel sauce. Delicious! They are also available for delivery on DoorDash and likely other delivery apps as well.

Really wanted to try other things but the beef was calling my name. And they didn't have the caprice available. First bite, was kinda mid. But man after adding the chimichurri sauce, that was a def game changer. It added so much more flavor. I liked my empanadas, I will be going back to try others. The dough was really tasty too. Parking is kinda hard. Small, cute little spot.

We got the empanada deal 3 for $12: 1 chicken, 1 beef and 1 sweet corn and basil All three were so delicious and there were so many more flavors we wanted to try so we are definitely coming back ! Service was fast and friendly - the empanadas were ready and hot to serve Four tables to sit inside and two tables to sit outside - more of a grab and go kinda place. Parking is rough but tbh I think it's worth the hassle for food this good

So delicious. So easy to order. So easy to understand which one you're about to bite into. They give you a guide to help reveal which ones you have. Hardest part is deciding what to order when your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Everything was seasoned well, had nice crispy and soft dough, and delicious chimichurri to pair with them.

Truthfully, only walked in because it was the only closest bathroom around. Thought I'd buy a quick empanada on the way out. Turned out it was the best one I've had! These empanadas are delicious! I ordered the lamb empanadas and let me tell you, the filling was so savory and packed with flavor. I don't usually like lamb but for some reason I read the sign saying it was slow cooked for 10 hrs so immediately I said yes. The meat was tender and the juices were oozing greatness. Wish I could have bought more on the way out! This is a great place to work from home as it instills peace and quietness away from the busy beach setting!

Every time I come to this place, they are well stocked with hot, yummy empanadas. They have fantastic deals which means they are an affordable option for lunch or a light dinner. While I have yet to see the same person working, whoever is helping is always nice, albeit they seem to take their time coming up to the counter to help. I usually will eat there and enjoy the experience well enough. However, the chairs are backless, bar height, metal, and as such rather uncomfortable after about 5minutes for me. Tasty food: check. Service that gets the job done: check. Timely service: maybe not so much. Cozy location: no check. Do I go there frequently despite imperfections: absolutely. The food and chimchuri sauce is YUMMY!

The food was good! The empanadas were flavorful and juicy on the inside, perfectly crispy edges on the outside. My favorite was the sweet corn and basil although the chicken was very good too. Service was fast but it was really hard to find parking since there's a very small lot in front. Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5

Was in town in January and stopped by while on my way to another food place. Tried the chicken and beef empanadas. They have letters on the empanadas so you can identify them, which is very helpful when you are ordering a variety. The empanadas were so good. They had a lot of meat in the filling and it was moist and tasty! The dough was fresh and not too heavy and doughy. They were both juicy and full of flavor. The woman, whom I thought may be the owner, said they import the flour. She was very informative, helpful, and friendly. She also offered me a free Alfajor Chocolate to try. It was light and sweet. There's seating indoors. It's bright and clean. If I lived in the area, I'm sure I'd be a regular. It's the perfect snack to have.

Such a great spot! I had heard great things about these empanadas so thought I had to try for myself. I ordered the trio, with beef, chicken, and sweet corn and basil, and the worker was so sweet and gave me an extra so I got an egg and bacon as well. Great service and all the empanadas were uniquely delicious and packed a lot of flavor. Easy to reheat in the over and quick service!

Well I happen to stumble upon this place as I was taking an alternate route home. I usually stick with the same drive, but I'm so glad to check this place out. It's very cute stepping in and everything looked delicious. I had the beef, chicken and special and I must say I'm a fan I enjoyed the chicken out of the selection I made and I'm sure I'll go back to try more verities and definitely would place a catering order during the holiday. They were very delicious . The service was very nice and helpful. I highly recommend making an effort to get out and try this place.

I'm not a huge fan of empanadas but I loved the empanadas here. They're so flavorful and full of meat, the sides of are crunchy and the chimichurri is delicious. I wish the spicy one was spicier but it was good. We got three flavors: lamb, beef and chicken. The lamb was my favorite. We'll be back again :) they serve their empanadas at the pure project in balboa park!

I came here for the first time this week and had a nice experience. The staff member who took my order was friendly. I was the only customer in the shop, so the ambiance was quiet. I ordered a beef empanada and a mushroom cheese empanada. The beef empanada was average but the mushroom cheese one was really yummy. I've had lots of empanadas in my life, so these fell short to me but overall they weren't bad so I would come back.

I used to think maybe Empanada Kitchen wasn't good, because I never saw anyone in there. Then I finally went, and I was in the restaurant for about 10 seconds and I understood why I never see anyone inside (cause you get your food instantly :D) The empanadas are magic. Spicy beef ftw They also have these cookies that are really good (a bit crumbly though if you're not into that sort of thing)

So juicy and flavorful! I got the beef empanada with chimichurri sauce. The pantry was crispy on the edges and soft in the center, not dry like other empanadas. Best empanada I've had!

inside is clean and shares a space with a burger place! parking can be tricky though. empanadas are fresh and good size! their sauces that they give are also a nice touch. service is great! i got the chicken, beef, and sweet corn chicken was not dry but lacked a bit of flavor, with the sauce it was good beef was delicious, i would get this when i come back. has great classic empanada flavor sweet corn was also a nice treat. a bit more savory but still delicious.

While waiting for our order from Wise Ox, I decided to take a peek at the Empanada Kitchen that's also been here for a while. I did order the three (3) empanada special for $11.95. I chose the beef, chicken and mushroom with goat cheese. It came with a spicy chimichurri sauce to dip. They were all so delicious! I have to mention that the customer swevice was great too! Makes the experience Al the better. Geez. This can be a bit dangerous being I only work down the street from them.

We have ordered from here several times. We finally made it to Empanada Kitchen! So if we have ordered a lot then you should deduce the empanadas are delicious and filling! Typically we get the beef and an apple. You cannot go wrong with those choices!! The location is small and cute! Love the colors and the staff are a delight to talk to. My son is a huge fan and wants the beef every time we order! Come by or order from one of the delivery services! You will not be disappointed!! Oh would have taken pictures of the empanadas it they were eaten! Go do yourself a favor and enjoy some empanadas!!

Went in at 7pm and they were only out of the special and bacon & egg empanadas. The 3 empanadas special is decent for a little bit of savings. There is a small lot but I never see parking as it's shared with a few businesses. Street parking is available but due to its location, you might drive around a bit. If I wanted to eat empanadas just for dinner by myself, three were good enough. The person working wasn't the friendliest but they were out outwardly rude. It's a cute spot with some seating inside and they also sell some beer to enjoy when you dine in. I got the Lamb, Beef, and Mushroom & Goat Cheese. Lamb was the best as it was the most flavorful and the meat was very tender. Beef is next and it had a tad sweetness from the onions. I love mushrooms but this was meh. The mushrooms were chopped really big and I ended up with no filling after a few bites. Wouldn't order that one again, but I would definitely order the lamb next time.

I got the braised lamb empanada today! And the lovely cashier gave me a free bacon and sausage empanada. I honestly love the vibes in the spot, it's calm and not packed. Both were so gooood!

These were the best empanadas ever! So many varieties, all delicious, and since they were baked and not fried, not greasy, either! There are many empanada sources near us on the East Coast, but the Empanada King reigns over all!

Gotta be honest... they may have the best empanadas in San Diego. The place is clean, food is amazing and the staff are really helpful. Parking sucks though- look at street parking for sure.

What a great place to get empanadas love the ham and cheese, the apple, the spinach and cheese to name a few, they are from Argentina and love the alfojores as well. Come check them out so delicious and friendly staff, they have multiple locations but I went to the one In North Park.

On a very rainy Tuesday afternoon, we stopped by and got three different empanadas: Chicken, beef, and lamb. They were all delicious! They came with chimichurri sauce which went well with the empanadas. We also got two cokes which came in glass bottles which always tastes better to me.

Nice and hot and fresh spicy sauce was a hit yummmmm two beef I'll be back to try other ones wow

I spotted Empanada Kitchen while walking to Pure Project nearby and we decided to get some takeout to enjoy with our beer. You can get three empanadas for $11.95, so my friends and I each did that. I ordered the mushroom and goat cheese, beef, and ratatouille. We also tried the chicken and one special of the day. I wish you could order online for pickup, but we sent our friend next door to place the order. She came back within a few minutes and had a fun little card that shows which empanada is which based on how it's folded. It also had reheating instructions, which were helpful. The mushroom and goat cheese empanada was definitely my favorite - it was really flavorful and delicious. The ratatouille was my least favorite, I just wasn't feeling the vegan option that day. The beef and chicken were both really good, too. I'd definitely order more empanadas here.

5/5 Parking is limited so you'll likely have to park on the street and walk to the establishment. So we ended up popping in here after a sweet Yelp Elite event at Pure Project. I highly recommend stopping here for empanadas and then bringing them over to Pure to enjoy with a nice cold IPA. First off, the individual who assisted us was so friendly and knowledgeable. They really made our experience a pleasant one and we were in and out in no time. Shouts out to them. You can see their personality in the pictures below. Okay on to the goods. We tried several different empanadas and they were all bomb. I'd definitely say they are the best I've ever purchased. We had the spicy beef, beef, and the goat cheese/mushroom. All of them had a beautifully flaky and delicious crust with tons of flavor packed into the filling. There were several other flavors we wanted to try but we agreed to try them another time. Prices weren't high per se, but I definitely recommend buying them in bulk for a slight discount. Honestly they were so good, we ended up having some delivered from another location the following day. Thanks EK for some delicious food and some awesome customer service!

This place is fantastic, fed me through law school, will still drop by when I'm in the area.

I ordered the chicken ones and they were delicious. Only gripe is the sauces neither tasted good with it. I would suggest pairing with your favorite red or green sauce from the taco shop. The service was fast and friendly. I took mine to go but there was plenty of seating available.

I found myself pretty hungry after leaving Pure Project Brewing around the corner. When I saw the sign for Empanada Kitchen it felt like it was my destiny. (I was pretty stoked) Unfortunately, since it was the end of the night my options were a bit limited, so get there earlier if you have your heart set on something specific. I still got an assortment of empanadas and loved each one. I've been to another Empanada Kitchen location and they are a solid choice no matter the neighborhood that I'm sure I'll be returning to again and again!

We came here to get take out and then go around the corner to the Pure Project Brewing. Great decision! These were the best Empanada's I have ever had. We loved the corn basil and the ham and cheese. The beef was good - but the other two were wonderful. We also had an apple pie for dessert. Really good taste on the fillings and the crust texture was perfect. I love the little initials in the dough, so you know what flavor it is. The gal on duty was polite and the place was super clean. Highly recommend for a quick on the go bite,

Holy Empanada this place is awesome! Normally - I'll hit a place a few times before writing a review - but this was just solid out of the gate. It's a small place - tucked in the middle of a small shopping center. Look for the big smoker outside the Wise Ox. I got three empanadas: Lamb, Chicken, & Mushroom & Goat cheese. The Lamb was incredible - the meat just falls apart. The crust is just the right amount of crunch and soft gooey goodness. The chicken is diced with what I think are sweet onions. It's so tasty with the spicy Chimichurri - more on that later. The Mushroom & Goat Cheese is just as stellar as the previous two. I would make the humblest of requests and hope they add collard greens to it someday. That goat cheese has just a hint of sweetness which pairs well with the mushrooms and onions. The spicy Chimichurri was exactly the right amount of fire. It got me sweating there for a second. I really want to try their regular sauce. Be safe and get one of each! And the 'Girl from Empanada' (Southern cousin of Ipanema) was super nice. Her recommendations were spot on. She also told me that the owner is from Argentina - home of 'The Best Empanadas on Earth' and Messi. I'm definitely going back!!

Delightful! I don't think they have a single menu item that disappoints... their chimichurri sauce is delicious. My favorite of the empanada flavors is: Corn & Basil. Lamb is a close second!

The braised Lamb Empanada and the mushroom goat cheese are the absolute best that's all I came here to say. Oh also please be nice to people who serve you? Why do customers come in and take their anger on people who give them food??? So rude.

Food is delicious. I recommend getting takeout. You can order online. They have a small parking lot with 2 spots for 15 minute pickup. The parking lot is tight. I wouldn't recommend going in with a full size truck/suv. It's a shared, small lot so I wouldn't go in there expecting to find parking. No bathrooms. Staff is nice & friendly. My elementary aged kids ate 2 each. I had 3 but probably could've easily eaten 4.

We accidentally took a wrong exit and found this "EMPANADA KITCHEN" while driving. We came in and it smelled so good, and the walls were painted yellow. It's a small place with a few tables and chairs, but its alright 'coz I think people who come here mostly order to go. I only ordered 3 of them to try; *BEEF - ground beef , onion , red bell pepper , green onion, olive *HAM & CHEESE *CHICKEN They were all good, my Favorite was the BEEF one. It was really meaty and good. And when I added the sauces, it got an even better taste. The Chimichuri sauce was really good, but I don't remember what the other sauce was called. I will come back again to try some more of their Empanadas next time that I'm in the area.

So I watch a show called The Horror of Dolores Roach. In it they serve empanadas. So I was jonesing for some. Rolled into Empanada Kitchen 45 before they closed. Sofia was super friendly, nice, chipper and gave us the run down of the all the empanadas available. HOLY ____! Did those empanadas hit the spot. I had the beef which was really really good. So much flavor and the dough perfectly crispy. The special flavor the Italian sausage was just as good! The sweet corn and goat cheese was a very interesting mix. Might be too sweet for people but still good. I tried my friend braised lamb and it was probably my fav! All reasonably priced too! Cute little spot in a mini mall but this place is packed w FLAVOR! Go try it! I know I'll be back

great empanadas. fabulous selection. lovely service. these empanadas warm my heart like a soft blanket for the soul.

My BF grabbed some empanadas from empanada kitchen while the rest of our groups grabbed sandwiches next door at wise ox. He was in and out really fast and while I was waiting for my item I was lucky enough to to get a bite of a couple of his empanadas. They were really good. He really enjoyed them too. Fast forward a couple days. We were discussing what we wanted to get for lunch, and I kept suggesting empanadas. He agreed that he was craving them too and we got some for takeout. I had the: lamb empanada - which is lamb leg braised in onion, red wine and rosemary for 24 hours. It was quite tasty. Beef empanadas -the most traditional and also had a good flavor. Ham & cheese empanadas - I really enjoyed this one too. Simple and a classic taste. I really recommend getting multiple flavors. That way you can take a bite of one, enjoy it, and switch up the flavors. I will definitely suggesting empanada kitchen again. I can't wait to try the apple empanadas and some of the rotating specials look great too. (Choripan and spicy Italian sausage I'm looking at you).