Empanada Mama Times Square (40th St)

This might just be the biggest (and tastiest) surprise of my trip! A colleague of mine—originally from the Dominican Republic—recommended this place, and I’m so glad she did. These are traditional Caribbean or Central American snacks that look like beautifully wrapped dumplings, with different fillings inside. We ordered four: two beef with corn dough and two seafood (crab and shrimp- but it is called Viagra on the menu lol!😂)with flour dough. They turned out to be an absolute delight—and the seafood one totally blew me away! Juicy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned. They’re also ideal for takeout—we had them as snacks on the train. Neatly wrapped, easy to eat, and surprisingly filling. I only had one and a taco, and I was almost full! If you’re looking to try something new and a little exotic, I highly recommend giving these a go. Everything is self serve. Mostly for to go.

Stopped by to grab some empanadas. Got two wheat flour ones, El Jefe and Jerk & Cheese. It took some time for the order to be ready but both were stuffed with meat and cheese. Enjoyed both the green and red sauce that came with it as well. Recommend if you’re craving empanadas!

Small to-go place with a few stools along a high-top table attached to the wall. Deliciously fresh empanadas. Overstuffed with whatever you want from the menu. Fried empanadas with choices of corn flour or wheat flour, and also baked. The coffee with milk was Colombian style aka hot latte. Great stop for quick eats.

The empanadas here are delicious! You walk in, order and pay on a screen, they cook your food and call your number for pickup. I believe there are 4 or 5 stools on the far wall for dining in, but it’s not roomy at all. They were out of all soda and water yesterday when I was there. Drink options were very limited. The cheese empanada was hot and fresh and loaded with cheese. Very delightful!

Great empanadas. We got the shredded chicken, shredded beef, viagara, and Hawaiian. The only one I wasn’t a fan of was the Hawaiian but my husband liked it. The green sauce is SO good. The red sauce was okay, very vinegary. They’re not super big, so get at least 2-3 to make it a meal. Small area, mainly for takeout but there are about 6 chairs at the bench against the wall for seating. We went at lunch time on a Monday and it wasn’t too busy. Edit: We came back again and had the Cuban (a new favourite with cheesy goodness), the Bombay (also good but a bit too much cilantro flavour for me) and the El Jefe (which was great). We got extra green sauce this time 😋. In summary, still a fantastic place for empanadas. Our favourites are the Viagara and the Cuban!

The neighborhood's reputation improves with additions like this. This place has a welcoming vibe. The dishes are delicious, prices are sensible and service is great. I judge places by their service, and this restaurant tops the charts. The employees were attentive, the dishes were excellent.

Wheat buffalo chicken and cheeseburger were great! Stuffed inside. Buffalo chicken 8/10, cheeseburger 7/10

OMG The empanadas were absolutely delicious. I order shredded chicken. They're fried and made of what we call Hojaldre. The empanadas take like 5 or 7 minutes to get prepared it's really fresh but you have to wait. The only little thing I didn't like was that I had to pay almost 1 dollar for a tiny little extra container of their delicious green sauce. It.was so GOOD! 100% RECOMMENDED. They have a bunch of different kinds It was worth the $5

The empanadas are Always good. The service is quick. Very small but if you want to grab a corner, you can eat inside.

This place was on the corner from where we were staying and let's face it, I was tired of NY pizza. The inside is small, with seating for maybe 10 people. You order via touch screen but there's a full physical menu on the wall if you prefer that. I went with the birria empanada and the spinach and cheese. The food was reasonably priced and was served to me hot and fresh. By looking at it I knew it was the real deal Holyfield. The meat was well seasoned and not over salted like other places. The portion size was very good too. The star of the meal was the green sauce. It gave the empanadas a nice little kick plus it had a little tang to it. My only criticism is that they serve the sauce in those small and narrow cups which restricts you from dunking your empanada in it. Instead you have to carefully pour the sauce into it. This has all the makings of a mom and pop shop and should be cherished as one. If you're staying new Times Square and want some delicious bites you gotta try this place.

Oh this place gives any empanada place competition. They make empanadas you dreamt of. My favorite is Cubans sandwich. I eat a few others and they make breakfast ones also. But this place is heaven. They make them fast and hot. I been to locations but I found this on 42 and was so happy. It's a small place I didn't notice it before it has no seating other than one window bar kinda seating area so it's more a pick up spot

This review is strictly on the service that was provided tonight by a bald guy behind the register. Long story short I was accused of stealing a $3 dollar water ( I was looking at the benefits) after I just spent $40 on food. Once I realized he was accusing me of stealing I asked for my money back because I felt disrespected. The man then said he was talking to the Caucasian lady that was sitting on the side of me ( he wasn't, she was gathering her things to leave with headphones on) . He then stated he did not care and did not need my money once I kept asking for my money back because who wouldn't after being wrongly accused of stealing. The situation continued into a very distasteful situation and he started to record me. I asked him to stop but he didn't and I didn't either. Once I received my voided receipt for my record I left. I will never return again to this business, which is a bummer because the workers in the day and AM are cool and the empanadas good. But I am a human being and a paying customer and expect to be treated like one !

Heard amazing things about this place. It's so small if you weren't looking for it you wouldn't find it. It's such a great find! It's small with a counter for maybe 4 people to sit at. No tables. It's best for take out. The place is very clean. The staff is friendly. I placed an order on their kiosk. So easy to do. All empanada descriptions are very clear on the menu. One I place my order I waited about 10 minutes for fresh, hearty empanadas. I ordered 3 empanadas; a Mac & cheese, el jefe and Cuban. The order total was $15.37 for all 3. A bargain for what you get! I ate one on the way home. The Cuban was packed with pork and so full of flavor. It was a hearty serving!!! The ingredients are fresh and flavorful! Once I got home I warmed up the Mac & cheese and El jefe. They were absolutely incredible! Each empanadas had unique flavor. No two are alike. I'll be sure to stop here when in Midtown from now on. So worth the trip!

Long overdue review! I bought a large order of these for delivery and when they arrived they were still hot! Super easy to order directly on the Yelp app. Each was package nicey and those that were different flavors were clearly labeled which was appreciated because we had a couple in the group with dietary restrictions. The empanadas are pretty large in size with two filling me up pretty quickly. I appreciate the unique combinations and names. I liked the Viagra and El Toro flavors best. Empanadas have a crisp exterior too.

One of the best empanadas that I ever tasted. They have various kinds of empanadas which are delicious and freshly cooked. Service is fast and while the place is small, it has a lot of customers for delivery and to go just like what we did.

I'm not even going to lie but after a night of drinking, I don't know how I even got here. I was with my coworkers after a big party, and we were looking for something to grub on. Someone recommended this place, and I am so glad she did. Couldn't tell you how the service was and what the actual atmosphere was like cause I was too gone to remember lol but I do remember that the empanada I had was DANK. I ordered the Mac n cheese one, and it came out piping hot and stuffed. With each bite, I doused it in the red hot sauce which revived my soul. Honestly still thinking about it as I write this review, that's how good it was. Didn't try any of the other flavors but do not skip out on the Mac n cheese one. There's some ham in it as well. I should probably come try this when I'm sober lol, but it really hit the spot after a night out. Open pretty late too so that's also a win!

I bragged to my husband about my experience at Empanada Mama a year or so ago. We were walking to this location and I realized it was not the sit down restaurant I was at for my first experience. We still decided to enjoy some empanadas I love that the empanadas are flavorful with every bite. As you can see the empanada's are packed and you taste goodness in every bite! We also tried their fresh mango juice and it was yummy!

Overall: cooked well, crispy exterior with a juicy interior. El Toro: 8/10 2 friends said it was great but I felt that it could've had a little more salt/flavor, besides that wasn't bad Brazil: 9/10 (Recommend) Flavor bomb. Meat inside was just cooked well. Ground beef didn't feel disconnected and the flavors inside were just phenomenal. Viagra: 7/10 Felt like this could've been better. You can tell there's Shrimp and crab inside when you look at it, but it just felt like it was under seasoned compared to the other two.

I wish this location had more than 1 choice of vegan empanada, but the one I ordered was tasty. It was the veggie corn flour one, and the insides were flavorful although I didn't love the corn flour exterior. Also had the red beans and white rice - wish there were more beans and more flavor. The lentil soup was perfect. Staff was helpful and welcoming. Ambience is typical for this type of eatery in NYC. If I had stayed in NYC longer, I would have loved to have tried the Lower East Side location, which offers many more vegan options.

Visited for a quick bite after a night of drinking. Ordered on the kiosk and my 2 empanadas came out in about 10 minutes which was a little longer than I had hoped for but they were hot and tasty! This location was clean, conveniently located by the train entrance. Definitely a grab and go location, not if you're looking to sit down and chat.

You know the food is great when you forget to snap that Yelp photo before devouring it! We tried the Desayuno Colombiano empanada and the Cuban empanada. Both were delicious, but the Cuban one was phenomenal! Try that one... trust me. We also had a mango smoothie, which reminded me of my grandmother's jugo de mango con leche back in Colombia. The staff was friendly. The space was tiny, but they made it work.

your driver did not deliver my order i paid for. he came to my building and took a picture of the building and claim he made the goddamn. i just signed up for the first time with you and this is the service i get. i want my $35.64 back now please or as soon as possible. thank you.

Just had the sancocho for this cold weather and it hit the spot!!! The server was very attentive

I love a good empanada and while these are not the empanadas from Caracas at Far Rockaway beach, being that these are so accessible, I am a fan. I picked up an assortment of 10 empanadas to take to a party and they were a huge hit. I wasn't sure about the "fried" arepas being too greasy given I am used to baked empanadas, but I really enjoyed both the baked and fried options that I tried. I wish that they offered more baked options as those are more "basic" - just chicken, beef, cheese, potato and some of the more specialty empanadas are truly delicious. In particular I liked the bombay, greek spinach pie, and spicy chicken. While the 10 empanadas just came in a paper bag, each was individually wrapped with a stamp on the bag as to which flavor it was.

Quick. Fresh. Always a vibe! Viagra, & Pernil are my favs! (Honorable mention: cheeseburger) The Passionfruit juice is incredible!

Easy to order empanadas to go! Can't go wrong with their super filling empanadas. Order in advance or order on the spot.

A Late night must!! We stayed right across from Empanada Mama & I'd do it again. This location is a to-go one so at night you order & pick up from a window. This one is also not a 24/7 location, but still closes fairly late. They have such a large selection of flavors to choose from. Their empanadas are so crispy when you bite into it & bursts w/ flavor. I'm typically not a seafood girl but have heard a lot about their Viagra (crab & shrimp) & knew I had to get it. I was not disappointed! Paired with their green salsa omg you won't regret it. The Mac N Cheese I'd probably pass on next time to try something else. These are made to order so it took like 5-10 minutes. Cant wait to go back to NY to get this!

I've had a lot of Mexican food in my life, especially it being my favorite food. All I can say is that this is some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. Service was great, the restaurant itself is decorated very colorful and fun. Everything was clean. Anyways, recommend 10/10.

The menu needs to be updated with items that are no longer available. The customer service was ok. It would be nice to be more engaged with customers, especially recommendations. The food was hot and tasted good. The price was a bit on the higher end. Limited seating.

A coworker of mine introduced me to this place and I have been coming since. Every time I have a craving for some empanadas while I'm at work, this is the only place that comes to mind. I have only tried the Shredded Chicken Wheat empanadas as I am currently trying to eat less red meat. The empanadas are decent. What I like most about this place is the empanadas are STUFFED and I mean stuffed. From the first bite, you are guaranteed a mouthful of filling. My only complaint is that for such hefty empanadas you're provided with such small containers of dipping sauces. I have only ordered take out as the inside is small. They do have seating available (bar style). You can place your order at the kiosk or at a register. Service is pretty quick here.

Walking by with no intentions, but stopped in on a whim and had an amazing treat for my taste buds Tried five different empanadas for tasting all our handmade fresh and amazing Tremendous flavor spice worth stopping on 40th near sixth Avenue

Very good spot. It looks like a little hole in the wall but the food was amazing. The beef had more flavor than the chicken ones although I thought it was out of this world. The service took a little longer than expected but I am so happy that I was able to try this place. Nothing in NY is cheap anymore so prices are reasonable.

Really big variety on types of empanadas they have. I ordered cheese burger, viagra, bourbon chicken , pepperoni and El Toro. My personal favorite was the El Toro! The green and red sauce it comes with is also really good, very welcoming and service was very fast! The ambiance was nice and clean as well. This is my 3rd time coming and I reccomend it.

Omg so good. Corn beef is a must try with that green sauce. Yum! Also tried their fried toastones. Def coming back to try other flavors

We ordered to go. I expected the meat to have more flavor than it did. The shredded chicken was good but it had to be saved by the red sauce-same for the beef empanada. There felt like there was too much corn for the beef empanada so I tore off chunks and eventually just took a fork and scooped the meat out after pouring sauce on it. I love Latin food but if I had to choose between this and a slice of pizza I would choose pizza.

Going to be in Midtown more often and it could be a touristy food desert. That's where Empanada Mama comes in for a quick bite that's not a slice. Great salsas as well. Street food for the people! Food: 5/5 Value: 5/5 Experience: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 3/5 Good For: Quick lunch! Late night eats. Recommends: Brasil Empanada, Oxtail Empanada, Spinach and Cheese Empanada Notes: This is a to-go place. No sit down. If you want to eat with friends, take it to Bryant Park down the street.

Great experience ordering catering for a party. I ordered a mix of empanadas and they arrived on time, well packed. The crowd demolished them: of all the foods we offered, these went first.

Visiting NYC and staying on 40th St. been to NYC at least 10 times and have never eaten here before. This place will now be on our go to list when we visit next. Small spot , so nowhere to sit and eat, but who cares with these delicious morsels. We ordered 6 different flavors (seafood stew, Cuban, oxtail, Colombian pork, spinach and cheese,pernil ) and every one of them was incredible! The filling was so plentiful and so tasty. The outside crust was so light and flaky. A must try if you're visiting or a local!

Tasty late night option! Empanadas around $5 each. Walk up to window at night. Each empanada came wrapped separately.

Oxtail empanada is the winner! (Wish I ordered 2 of them). The cornmeal cheese empanada was okay, not sure if I'd order it again. It was a bit too hard on the outside and didn't mesh well with the cheese. You can either order at the front counter or make an order via the self ordering system inside. Most of the empanadas are made to order, so it will take it about 5 to 10 minutes to receive your order. Super tasty!

This is of a "to go" type of empanada and was surprisingly really good being a chain. We came in for a quick bite for lunch and ordered the cheeseburger empanada and Buffalo empanada. There's 2 kiosks at the front that's all touch screen and you just place your order and then wait to pick it up from a person behind a register. This really adds to the "to go" experience which depends on preference. Empanadas were both really good! But we expected them to be bigger for the price. They were about $4.80 each. Maybe because this place is in a tourist trap area and or inflation but it's kind of expensive for the amount of food you get.

Since you're wondering... Came here right before closing and was so happy with our decision and hustle (they closed the door right after us). They have a decent variety of things to order, I was actually a bit overwhelmed with the amount of things they offer. Eventually I ordered a Spicy Chicken Empanada, Shredded Chicken Empanada, and an El Toro Empanada. They were all great BUT the Spicy Chicken was my favorite and actually had a kick. Sometimes chicken empanadas can be dry but that was not the case for these. I also enjoyed the way the meat was cooked on the El Toro but it was too sweet for me because of the sweet plantain (maduros). A close friend ALWAYS gets the Viagra Empanada. I will definitely be trying that one the next time I come. The inside is pretty small but we were able to grab some of the high chairs against the wall to eat. This was probably my third time having Empanada Mama, first at this location, they never disappoint.

I expected more given the reviews and recommendations. The atmosphere was pleasant, and the service was adequate, but there was nothing particularly memorable about the meal. They take a long time and it taste like the oil is old. It's an acceptable spot for a quick bite, but I was hoping for a bit more in terms of flavor and overall experience.

Who can pass an empanada place and not stop!!! They have a very large selection of empanadas. We did the Bourbon Chicken Melt, Reggaeton and cheeseburger. They were all made fresh and serve steaming hot. There are only 5 stools so this is really meant to be a to-go joint. The service was fast and they have a kiosk to order from as well as the cash walk up. Nice little spot if you are walking by and want fresh, hot, inexpensive bite to eat!

Delicious, great variety, good prices, really easy. Always stop here when I'm in a rush but don't want to sacrifice taste.

I come here every time I'm in NYC. It's my go-to late night spot. The very best thing here, for me, is the chicken soup. It's got TONS of flavor and everyone who tries it, wishes they ordered it too. It sort of this homemade, rich, cilantro heavy chicken broth with tons of goodies. The oxtail soup is super good too, with green plantains, but it's a bit heavier of a meal. They have so many empanadas and I love most of them. You can't really go wrong depending on your vibe. Every once in a while I'll try one and be like "meh" but overall I've never had a bad experience. The corn empanada with cheese is my favorite. With the Chicken soup. Done. This food is hard to beat considering the lower price and late night nature. Either way, this is a must in NYC. Any location, including Times Square (to go only).

Takeout version of the best empanadas in NYC, especially the viagra, which has shrimp, scallops, and crab.

I found myself in Times Square. (3/8/22) Omg.... In the area for the first time in a long time (it's forever changing) and I needed to grab something quick before the curtain time of Aladdin. I parked a few avenues over and figured I'd walk closer to the theater and probably grab a slice. Believe it or not I didn't pass any pizza spots. As I turned on 7th, I saw the Golden Arches and figured I had to settle for that. As I approach 40th street, I happen to see the glow of EM to my right and quickly diverted. A small location, perfect for the grab and go (just like a pizza shop), it was bright, minimal and clean. I quickly scanned the menu, which is displayed in a few places along with the QR option for both the menu and app. I order 2: Wheat Flour- Spicy Chicken (Fried) & Wheat Flour- Shredded Chicken (Baked) and they came with 2 sauces. A green sauce (likely salsa verde) and red sauce (a hot sauce). Service was pretty quick and friendly. The empanadas were good and definitely did the job prior to the show with limited time. The spicy chicken with & w/o green sauce was more flavorful then the baked shredded chicken, albeit still tasty. Two empanadas (only) came to $11 ($10.91 to be exact). That was a little rough to swallow knowing that uptown and in The Bronx, I can grab a couple of empanadas 2x sometimes 3x larger for about $2each. Granted they don't have as many flavor options and rent in Times Square is sky high. However, for me (I don't eat red meat/ pork) just getting chicken, it was a little hard to justify price/size/flavor vs total. Nonetheless, they were good, came in clutch, and cheaper then a sit down dinner that normally accompanies Broadway tix. Just A Note: They are just 2 blocks from 42nd street and they have an App (everybody has an App) where they offer a discount on first order and the option to order in advance.

Never EVER order from this place. I never got my food. This was the 14th/First Avenue location, but there is not other place to call. They said, literally too bad. I mean literally they wouldn't give a refund and said, sorry, nothing I can do. Then they stopped picking up the phone.

Bruuuhhhh Best empanadas ever!!!! get the cheeseburger and the cheese filled and eat them together - the breakfast and Philly are my other two favorites. I usually Grubhub them to my hotel, but dining in is always a nice experience. Staff are always super friendly.

I stumbled on this while walking late at night-- had the Cuban. Delicious crust delicious filling. Took ten min of waiting at 11 pm. I wish I'd gotten a second one as well, maybe the Brazil?

God bless. This feels like a thing in a story someone tells about New York twenty years ago and how good things were before you were there. After getting home from a birthday party we bought a sack of empanadas and ate them in bed in the hotel room. We were feral with hunger and they were so nice at the storefront. You think you want the corn, but you really want the shredded beef wheat.

We had a late night craving for empanadas, so we ordered Ubereats delivery. First time getting empanadas delivered and first time getting it from this location; previously always gotten them in person from the LES location. Surprised at how fast it came. Excited at how warm and perfect they were despite being delivered (hey you never know! And they don't come in containers w any form or structure to prevent crushing in a busy delivery person's packed bag). My favorites have always been the eggplant Parmesan and the Romeo & Juliet (how can anyone not like guava and mozzarella?). The spinach pie was a tad dry, but everything else was perfection.

The food here is solid. The yucca fritas with the agave and sour cream dips had an excellent flavor and texture. The cuban empanada was very good, but the other empanadas were only okay. The cheese corn empanada was extremely greasy, with a literal pool of oil inside that you could pour out. The Reggaeton had pork and pigeon peas that were dry. The Desayuno Colombiano had a great texture but lacked flavor. Fun vibe with plenty of seating and table space to eat at. Friendly and fast service (took 10 min to get order on weekend night).

I've had empanadas from several of their locations. We were famished after attenuation and nearby event so we stopped here before heading home. I will say that I'm not too comfortable ordering from the window on the sidewalk in this area because it just isn't that safe and with all the things happening nowadays, I was definitely on high alert while waiting for my order. I took a picture of the menu so that I could step aside and figure out what I wanted. Andrés was working the window and took our orders. The first thing I asked was whether they were out if anything. I've had my feelings hurt in the past when my office ordered from them and the nadas I wanted were out, so I just asked from the get go. I was very happy when I was told they had everything available. On. And. Poppin. I picked up some old faves, like the corn ground beef, Brazil, Bombay, Viagra, Jerk & Cheese and Cheesesteak. You can't go wrong with those. I was happy to FINALLY be able to grab the El Toro and Reggaeton. I even ordered some of their Sancocho with yellow rice and avo. We had the cheesesteak, Brazil and Toro...as expected the flavors are still amazing. The Toro in particular has a sweet element with the maduros that put a smile on everyone's faces. I'm glad I stocked up since I don't get to the city that often. I had to try that sancocho also. It is sooooo good! I did not expect it at all. I was side eyeing the price and thought I might be wasting money but on the contrary, the pieces of oxtail in that soup alone, are worth the pice tag. The serving size is good. . I received a quart soup container along with two small containers with the rice and avocado. I would eat that soup any day of the week. If in the area, I will definitely come back. The service was great. The staff is nice and we didn't have to wait long for our order, despite my ordering half the store. The one downside was the fight that broke out a few feet away that had my spidey senses tingling. I would suggest getting their info ahead of your visit so that you can order and pay electronically, and just pick up your order and head on out. No need to linger but it's still worth the risk.

I love the food and the service, empanadas are the best in the city, so many flavors, delicious! ME ENCANTA!

I got the Spinach and cheese which was not bad, but the corn veggie one was not really edible, would not recommend. I only can really speak to the vegetarian options but def needs a little bit of work.