Empanada Mama LES

"Tearing apart a mac and cheese empanada ($4.25) from Empanada Mama was not only the best thing I ate last week, but also, if we’re being honest, the best thing I did last week. The crackly, blistered fried dough ripped apart easily, exposing cheesy noodles that were somehow as creamy and warm as if I had just made a pot of the pasta on the stove and spooned that into the pastry shell. I ordered it via delivery and it was so good that I had to order it again the next night, just to make sure the flawless execution wasn’t a fluke. (It wasn’t.) — Erika Adams, deputy editor" - Eater Staff

"This Lower East Side mainstay serves some of Manhattan’s most reliable Colombian fare. Highlights include a classic South American breakfast of beans and rice with eggs, intensely spicy arepas, chicken soup studded with cilantro and rice, frozen margaritas, and stellar corn empanadas (try the ones filled with shellfish or beef). The 24/7 schedule makes it particularly useful for those who get hungry in the after hours. [Order on ChowNow at the Lower East Side or Hell’s Kitchen locations]" - Ryan Sutton

"There aren’t many places in NYC where tourists and hungover New Yorkers come face to face. But that’s exactly what happens in this 24-hour empanada spot. Empanada Mama is essentially a neighborhood diner that caters to the masses. Like most diners, you won’t find any food here that will make you want to Airdrop photos of soup to strangers on the train. But every neighborhood needs a solid option that never closes. If you can’t decide what to order, go for the simple corn empanada filled with beef." - Team Infatuation

"A 24/7 Colombian fare restaurant known for its arepas, chicken soup, and corn empanadas." - Eater Staff

"This particular campaigning day was very Zoom-heavy, so it was a situation where I was just ordering whatever I wanted. I thought, Oh, I want ramen for lunch, and I’ll have Empanada Mama for dinner. Empanada Mama is great. I had arroz con pollo, and a banana-and-chocolate empanada for dessert."