Empanola

Came in and the music got me wanting to learn how to salsa or bachata. The 2 people working were so sweet and very helpful with my questions about the many flavors. There’s a wide variety of flavors that can be very simple to very complex and some flavor combos I’ve never heard of like guava and cheese. The empanadas themselves were DELICIOUS. My favorite was the Asian dumpling wow. They came to us quickly too so overall 10/10 would recommend.

We came in very close to closing and the gentleman behind the counter stayed after and was so patient with us. Amazing service. We tried 4 empanadas and the tres leches and everything was very good. My favorite was the beef one and his was the cheeseburger. Best tres leches we have ever had!

Delicious empanadas with a variety of flavors! Grabbed a six pack so I can sample and share them. They're a bit pricey, but worth the price! Great service and the interior was nice and clean. Just good vibe all around.

I was unsure of what to get but the person there was very polite when I needed help deciding on which ones to get. I got the spinach artichoke, buffalo chicken, chicken Peruvian, mushroom and cheese empanadas. I absolutely loved each one especially with the creamy green sauce and the chimichurri sauce. Before I leave, I’m making this a must stop by because their food was amazing!

I love empanadas! Period. These are the very best I’ve ever had. Order at the counter, nothing fancy, terrific prices. But WOW! Had the Peruvian Chicken and the Impossible Added the Chipotle Lime sauce on the side.

Who doesn't love an empanada and Empanola has a wide assortment, making it hard to choose, so always buy extra cuz you can always heat 'em up later. Great walkaround food when shopping on Magazine Street.

Reasonably priced for quality food. The crawfish etoufee empenada was wonderful. I loved the interior design and the attendant was peaceful..

The establishment was unoccupied during my visit. The service was efficient, and the empanadas were satisfactory. I would consider returning in the future.

Stopped by for a snack while shopping on Magazine Street and it was the perfect bite(s). Tried the crawfish etouffee empanada and really enjoyed this fusion take on a New Orleans-inspired empanada. Would definitely recommend. The real reason I stopped by though was to try their guava king cake and OMG it's the best thing ever! I bought a slice and then immediately decided that come hell or high water I had to buy an entire guava king cake to bring home with me in my backpack. I repeat, I only traveled with a backpack. The staff was extremely supportive and really helped me believe in myself :) Don't ask me how, but a miracle happened and I managed to finagle all my belongs in such a way that I was able to pack the full sized king cake in its box into my backpack with minimal smushing. It was perhaps the best money I spent the entire weekend and 100% worth buying the whole thing and finding a way to bring it home with me. So the moral of the story is... go get their king cake! You won't be sorry!

Best stop to in for a snack while you're shopping on Magazine St. or a full meal. It's right next to the Garden District if you work up an appetite walking around oogling at houses like we did! The empanadas came out steaming hot so bring your patience or burn your tongue your choice! The yellow curry was soooo freaking good. I already want to go back for another. It the perfect level of seasoning and fresh veggies. The crust was perfectly crispy and solid to hold everything in. The cilantro lime sauce was the chefs kiss to balance all the flavors. Don't skip out on the sauce!! They have a several combos with salad or soup if you want to mix it up or go a little lighter. There was plenty of seating when we went but it's small and probably fills up. There are a few outdoor seats in direct sun during lunch time. There are several other locations in Nola.

Best king cake in NOLA!! They do fruit flavored cakes, and their guava was spectacular. Fruity and rice -- not dry like others. Well priced as well, ~$4 for a slice, Interior has a lot of seating. Service was fast!

Very tasty empanadas that are cutely labeled as to their filling. The descriptions of the empanadas are on the paper menu. The staff helping us warmed them up thoroughly. We got the crawfish etouffe, beef Argentina, and mushroom&cheese, and a chimichurri sauce. The sauce was a very small amount so I wish they were bigger since you pay extra for them. Otherwise, everything tasted great. Very hot and seasoned well. Definitely recommend trying some of their many flavors!

Easily one of my new favorite places. The curry, Peruvian chicken, and gumbo empanadas were absolutely fantastic. And do not skip the sauces!!!! I would've eaten here every day if I could have. Perfect size empanadas, perfectly filled, perfect temp even. Not much seating but it's a little hole in the wall you will not want to pass up.

We popped in for a quick snack. My son got a chorizo empanada and I got a yellow curry one. The yellow curry empanada with chimichurri sauce was so delicious!! This was the day before thanksgiving and the person (not the owner I assume) running the shop seemed a little irritated and ready to close the shop at 4pm and head home. So he was almost rushing folks out. The shop is a small hole-in-the-wall type of place with few high chairs to have a quick bite, which seems like the right ambience for a place like this. Would have been a 5 stars if we didn't feel rushed out.

Strolling down magazine st and saw this location, joyous, so happy we went n in! The man with the perfect eyebrows and long hair was darling and super kind! My mouth dropped when I saw the muffaletta option! Shut your mouth! Along with bacon/egg & sausage&gravy! (He got 3 different ones but I forget) We decided to take out instead of sitting in the cozy space BUT I've been a fan since St Roch market location and so happy yall have expanded! It's a must to have yall!

Enjoyed the crawfish etouffe empanada. It honestly tasted just like a bowl of the actual dish. Wanted to try the gumbo empanada but the staff was unable to tell me what type of meat it had inside. So if you have certain allergies or certain food restrictions you're kind of in your own. The king cake was so good. You can't go wrong when you add guava to sweets. Place was pretty quiet inside.

Cute little empanada shop in the French Quarter. There's a small restroom for customers and small seating area to dine in. They have delicious empanadas. Ask the contents of each empanada so you know what your eating

Cute spot for a quick bite on the go. The empanadas are delicious and the flavors are different which is a plus. The empanadas are also very good.

Was wondering around and happened upon this spot. Very quaint. Good mix of menu options and pricing. I was so happy to find somewhere with vegetarian options. The vegan yellow curry was sooooo delicious! Loved the chimmichurri sauce. The Apple Pecan wasn't bad, needed a little more oomf.

I really enjoyed eating at this restaurant. We came in while we were along the French quarter and decided to get a quick snack. We decided to share the crawfish etouffee Empanada and it was very flavorful very rich not too salty. The staff was very nice and even took the time to suggest different sauce pairings with empanadas. Me and my partner decide to split the crawfish etouffee and we were delightfully pleased. I will definitely make a stop back here when we travel to NOLA again.

First time visitor Located in the garden district This place gets busy! Indoor and outdoor seating available So many to choose from: vegetarian, meat, unique flavors, traditional, and so forth! Each empanada is label exactly what is order so there is no confusion! Fresh, hot, tasty, with or without the sauce (extra charge) is a wonderful snack or light meal with! Upbeat vibes in the establishment though they are busy they are friendly and patient. Wish they did online orders out of state!

We ordered our empanadas to go and they came with heating instructions. We enjoyed them the next day and they came out of the oven perfectly and all were very tasty! I equally enjoyed the ground beef Argentina (with peppers, onions and olives) and the more complex Chicken Peruvian (shredded chicken, ahi amarillo peppers, parmesan cheese and olives). I also had to try the bananas foster empanada and it was nice, but I prefer the savory options. Pro Tip: it is easy to forget to order sauces as they are a small uncharge (like 25 cents) , but they really make the empanadas! I highly recommend the chimichurri sauce.

That was underwhelmed by this place. On the outside, and upon walking in, it comes off as posche with the ingredients nicely engraved on the empanadas. I got the Peruvian chicken, which was supposed to be spicy, And heated. Of course. It was crispy, but had very little flavor. I could taste the cheese more than the seasoned chicken. And it was definitely not spicy. The chimichurri sauce helped a little bit, but overall, I had higher hopes For this given its appearance. The staff were nice and welcoming. We swung by for a quick appetizer while waiting for the rum house, And honestly, I would not come back.

A quick meal that is also delicious. You can get your sauces and anything else you need while you wait.

Food is phenomenal especially with the chimi churri sauce. Forgive my spelling . Stopped by for a happy hour beer to wash down my favorite Asian inspired empanola delight. Can't say too much else about this place, it's pretty much perfect in the most normal way. Great staff, inside seating is big enough but not too big. This location is just right !

This was the treat I didn't know I needed in my life!! A quick bite (so I can fuel my body but also get back out to explore the French Quarter) but also FREAKING DELICIOUS!! It was torture trying to figure out which one should be my last bite because they were both so good!!!

We just happened to walk past this hidden gem. The crawfish and buffalo chicken empanadas were delicious! I highly recommend Empanola and will return on my next visit to NOLA.

Love this place, the selection is insane! I'm working my way through the whole list and have yet to find one I don't like. Will always be back!

Got the chicken Peruvian (Chicken, aji Amarillo, nuts, olives, parmesan cheese). You order at the counter and they heat up your empanada to order. The flavor of the filling and the empanada dough are just ok. You don't really taste the individual components of the filling. Even though you can see the olives, I couldn't taste their flavor at all. Not terrible if you just want a small snack as you're walking along magazine Street but I've had better.

Wow oh wow!!! I'd seen this place on several social media, and it always looked so good! I was walking down magazine, when I noticed Empanola! I had to stop in. There were so many options it was almost hard to choose! I bought 7 empanadas to try: 2 beef, 2 pepperoni, 1 impossible beef, 1 mushroom and cheese, and a Mexican chorizo. They were all delicious! I can't wait to go back and try more!!!

We could not get enough of these bad boys! The shrimp and cheese, Chilean chicken, beef basil egg and corn was my favorite one. The service was top tier and very prompt! The restaurant was clean and efficient getting customers in and out!

Stopped in for a quick snack and had a great time here! The menu is extensive and a bit overwhelming, but there are plenty of choices, and you could easily get a huge amount of food to share. There are plenty of tables and stools by the window for people watching the busy street outside. I also found the meal itself very well priced and my empanada was delicious!

Cool little spot in Magazine. Gumbo Empanada was delicious! We will be back to try more.

An empanada, name comes from the Spanish empanar which translates as 'breaded', that is, wrapped or coated in bread. This place literally has a library of empanadas to choose from and some of which I would consider a desert. I may not be an expert in the traditional empanada, but I have had a few fakes that made me want to look the other way at every one after that. After having a few at Empanola, I am sold. The staff are great, they do take about 8 minutes to prepare, but come out perfectly cooked. If your picky like me, and I do mean PICKY, do yourself a favor and ask about the ingredients in each before ordering, this way you will know what to expect to pick out. Cheers!

I love the idea of having so many variations of empanadas, and adding the name/kind of each one onto each individual empanada is such a great touch! There was a good array of cultures reflected in the kinds of empanadas. I ordered the yellow curry empanada, my sister ordered the gumbo empanada. Fairly priced and very satisfying, the interior was also very comfy and relaxing. Highly recommend stopping here while shopping on magazine street!

This is such a cute and creative spot! My boyfriend and I walked by and were immediately intrigued. We ordered the Crawfish Etouffe empanada and it was delicious! It really tasted like I was eating some crawfish etouffe. They had tons of cool flavors to try and it was fun to look in the case and choose you favorite!

I do consider myself an empanada connoisseur and I would say this place is solid. Beef Argentina was my favorite followed by Yellow Curry. I think gumbo is best eaten the regular way but it was worth a try. They do have a wide variety to choose from in addition to other menu options like pizza. The restaurant itself is very chill and I appreciate that. Not too pricey, quick efficient service. This spot is definitely worth a stop for a delicious snack.

People are so nice and are happy to give recommendations. Indoor seating with a few outdoor tables outside. We ordered Chorizo, Beef, yellow curry and mushroom & cheese. More than enough food for lunch. Our favorites in order; chorizo, beef, curry and mushroom. However that may sound misleading because I really enjoyed the heck out of the three and would given the chance, would order curry again. Don't forget the cilantro sauce. We ordered one four the four empanadas but could have easily tried another. I would definitely go back and if I have time, I definitely will! Thank you Empanola!

The Gumbo Empanada is probably the best thing you'll eat in NOLA. Crawfish Etouffee and Yellow Curry were amazing too.

Great South American spot for either a more substantial meal or a snack. We stopped by for a quick snack, as they have two different vegan empanadas: a yellow curry and an Impossible ($4.50 each). We ordered one of each to split. Both were ready in about 5 minutes and were both delicious. The Impossible was particularly well-spiced, accompanied by peppers and onions. Great spot.

honestly, i really like empanola because i loooove empanadas! it takes about 10 minutes to wait for an empanada, they have great choices & nola native options (gumbo & crawfish etouffee) which is so dope to me. a solid fusion. that also have dessert options including banana foster & apple pecan. you can bundle and get 3 for $13. They also offer salads, soup, coffee, and tea! And of course alcoholic beverages such as pisco sours, wine, and beers in bottle & on draft. It's a very casual place to just pop into during your walk down Magazine St. for a great snack! if you're an empanada lover, try it out!

Changed my life. The coconut curry empanada has a perfectly crunchy exterior, wonderfully creamy interior, and a good balance of flavor that makes it the best ever.

Decided to try this spot for our weekly after school snack. Parking was street parking and easy to find since it was kind of early. The store was not crowded and the workers were super friendly. There was plenty of option to choose from. We ordered 2 crawfish etouffee, pizza and banana Forster empanadas. My total was less than $20 and It took about 7 mins to warm up. I would say all items were very good. My son especially loved the banana Forster.

Most likely the top and best empanadas restaurants I've been to in over a decade. This gem of a spot not only supports that small city block with good food and attraction, but the size of the food is a perfect match considering you won't feel too full but you won't feel to empty and you can keep going on your walk. Bold flavors done right, what you expect in gumbo, what you expect in etoffee, and chicken Peruvian. The label on the empanada is exactly what your expecting, gumbo tasted like gumbo. I was blown away how good the food tasted and then mix in the hot sauce, cilantro lime, and the chimichurri on each one of the empanadas, it changes the entire flavor. It's almost like you getting 3 different flavors with 1 empanadas. It's crazy how the flavor profile changes with each sauce. I had 3 empanadas and 3 sauces so I got 9 different intense, strong, bold, creole, Louisiana flavors. Amazing, I need to franchise one of theses places in Houston Texas.

Visiting Nola. Had a rainy day so decided to order in and saw Empanola reviews on TikTok. I ordered the mushroom and cheese, spinach artichoke and bananas foster empanadas. Presentation was adorable. I love how the flavors are stamped on the empanada. Perfect amount of filling and great flavor! I will definitely visit them again the next time I'm in town.

I came here on a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon. I walked in and was immediately greeted with a smile and welcome from the nice young lady behind the counter. I reviewed the menu and ordered beef, gumbo and spinach and artichoke. I wanted to try one of each a meat, a unique and a vegetarian. The space is small inside maybe 5 or 6 tables and bar stools along the window as well as a couple of pub tables outside. I sat along the window to people watch and waited for my empenadas. As I looked around, I noticed how clean the restaurant is. And most people get there orders to go. There's a big glass case showing their goods like in a bakery. The workers are very kind to everyone that walks in. The pies came out quick, under 10 minutes. They were a lovely shade of brown with the name of each empanada branded on each pie, I loved that! The first one I tried was the gumbo and ended up being my favorite. Who would have thought to put gumbo in a pie? I loved the flavors and the amount of filling to dough was spot on. Those pies were crunchy and perfect. I enjoyed the beef as well. It has spices but was not spicy. I did enjoy the spinach one but overall gumbo was number 1. I haven't visited the Freret Street location yet but absolutely plan to go there and be back at this magazine location as well. I highly recommend.

We really love empanadas so we're excited to try these! Thank you for the elite perk. The perk was nice but I will still provide an objective review. We tried six different empanada flavors: Beef Argentina (BA) Chicken Peruvian (CP) Chorizo Mexicana (CM) Ham & Queso Crawfish Etouffee Gumbo They were all delicious! BA & CP were nothing like other empanadas I have had. They were all very flavourful and well filled! We would gladly buy them again as they were delicious and also affordable. I didn't choose five stars because I prefer empanadas made with buttery rough puff pastry...nothing like buttery goodness. Otherwise, these are nearly perfect! I also really wanted to try their salmon and leek empanada, but they ran out :( Hopefully they will have it the next time we visit! I also got the sauces not knowing they had a fee--$0.25 each. I don't regret getting them as they are delicious and had a great flavor to the empanadas. I highly recommend getting them! Cilantro, hot sauce, and chimmicurri! The Alfajores was also delicious! Thank you @empanola and @yelpnola!

Empanola has two locations, and this one on Magazine just opened about 3 months ago. The little empanada shop is spacious with a casual vibe. The Christmas tree in the window is cute! When you walk in, you can see all of the empanadas displayed in a glass box, and each one is baked fresh upon ordering. You always know you'll get a freshly baked treat. I also love that they have SO many flavors and about 5 vegetarian options. I think they have a few extras that are not listed online as well. I tried 7 different flavors and they were all FANTASTIC!! Seriously delicious!! Each empanada is about the size of your palm with plenty of filling in every single one! No skimping on the best parts (the filling, obviously) with these! I would say eating 3 or 4 is enough to fill you up for a meal, so the portion is fair! Especially for being located on a hoppin' popular street like Magazine, the empanadas and the desserts at Empanola are VERY reasonably priced! Not expensive for what you get at all! I also bought a few extra sauces to try, but in all honestly, the empanadas are flavorful enough on their own, that you don't really need the sauces. However, that being said, the cilantro lime sauce and the chumichuri sauce (blend of oil, herbs, spices, and garlic) were really yummy. I put it on the "crusts" of my empanadas after I ate all the parts with filling in them! I was able to pick out 3 to try complimentary with my Yelp Elite Perk, but I also purchased 4 extras to try. I had the: *Crawfish Etouffee ($4.75) - Amazing, just what you would expect. Very "New-Orleans-y" *Gumbo ($3.75) - I would prefer it to be a little runnier and zestier, but still really good! *Shrimp and cheese ($3.75) - Creamy and delicious *Chicken Peruvian ($3.75) - Flavorful and perfect *Mushroom and cheese ($3.75) - Fabulous, just what I wanted as a mushroom lover *Yellow curry ($3.75) - This one was a little but bland, but still yummy! (Keep in mind, I have high standards for curry though, since I'm used to eating great curries due to my boyfriend being Nepali and an amazing cook!) *"Impossible" empanada - Fantastic!! (This is the same as their Beef Argentina, but using the vegetarian "Impossible burger meat" instead.) I also got to try their alfajores complimentary with the Yelp Perk. The alfajores is a traditional Argentinian cookie, but the ones at Empanola have a New Orleans praline twist. It was two cookies with a soft praline filling sandwiched in the middle with pecans surrounding it. The cookies are crumbly and light with the praline cream being rich and sweet. It was delicious! Because I was feeling particularly hungry that day, I also purchased their torta tres leches dessert ($4). It was like a creamy parfait minus the fruit. Soft moist cake with cream and meringue on top! Plus, you get a good amount for the $4, so it's not overpriced at all. I will definitely be coming back soon! I LOVED this place!!

Really wanted to like this place. But the empanadas were just not very good. We ordered 8 different flavors most were just okay. If I was to come back the gumbo and Asian dumpling were above average

I have been trying to get back to NOLA to try these empá Nola's. I finally came in today and tried the spinach, artichoke and cheese empáñada. It was delicious. The spinach was well sautéed, the cheese and artichoke melted and blended together. The baked empanada was freshly baked to order. Served piping hot. I had it was a cold beer. I did wonder if they had sauces and while edging y food I did notice they did have them, but none were offered to me. There were specials that I saw while sitting down that also weren't offered. That can easily be corrected by educating employees to offer customers extras. All in all for 4.50 I had an amazing empa Nola. Restaurant was clean and well maintained. Will definitely come back and try more of there over 12-15 Emma Nola choices.

I've been wanting to try this spot for a while now, been following them on social media. We got a selection of flavors to try out. We ordered a gumbo, crawfish étouffée, Argentinian beef, spinach & artichoke, chorizo, and Asian dumpling. I think the Asian dumpling was a rotating flavor and not always available. We ordered a 6 pack for $22.50. Some flavors were better than others, I can't remember which were our favorites. It's a fun meal or quick on the go snack. You can also getting dipping sauces (chimichuri, cilantro lime and hot sauce).

I ordered catering with Empanola through work and it was set to be delivered during the terrible weather on April 10th. Early in the morning me and EZcater tried to work with the restaurant to reschedule our order but they were completely uncommunicative until their poor door dash driver picked up the order and then got stuck in the floods. After hours we had to cancel the order and then they tried to charge US over $200 for the order. Terrible business practices-- will not be ordering from them again.

The savory emanadas were incredible, pizza and spinach flavors were very good and the crust is great! the banana fosters wasn't my favorite. Service was excellent, everyone was very kind!

Omg the mushroom and cheese and the spinach and cheese were sooooo good . I'm from Nashville and I visited with my wife we are definitely returning to this area to get more.

Nice place that seems to be a little hidden as it was not crowded at all. The empanadas were delicious! The staff were friendly. They tasted as they were baked, and not fried so better option if watching food intake. The only negative is they are a stingy on their sauces. One little sauce for 3 empanadas is hardly enough. You may need to ask for more.

I'd like to state from the outset that I'm not here to hate on empanola - I think they're a wonderful local business that has done its best to thrive in the community through the pandemic, and I really appreciate how their unique approach to making empanadas the center of their business rather than just coffee, croissants, or other common bakery things. That being said, I just genuinely think this place isn't for me - despite its merits. I've been to empanola's location on Magazine in uptown five times now, and have tried their vegan options - yellow curry and impossible - as well as their beef, banana foster, and gumbo empanadas. I've also had coffee here - a latte and an americano. I just haven't found an empanada that I like, much less an empanada that I think justifies spending $4 a snack-sized piece. While I assume the fillings are made in-house, the empanadas themselves a machine-made quality to them - almost too uniform, like a pb&j uncrustable or some other item you'd expect to find in the frozen food section of the grocery store. Even then, I haven't had one that made me want to order a particular filling again, hence why I've tried so many - even branching out from the vegan/veggie options - when I visit. I think there's also an issue or two with the ambiance of the location on Magazine - and issues that would be really easy to fix. For example, every time I come in, there isn't any music playing in the space - making it feel kind of awkward. The cloisters (glass display domes like you'd keep a cake in) are usually empty, or the art on the wall is just generic pictures of crawfish, a plant, or various "nola.jpeg" images -making it feel very bare-bones and lacking personality. I also noticed the trash bins not having bags, the water dispenser being left empty, or packages of cokes/teas being left out in the dining area while waiting to be stocked into the cooler - despite the cafe seeming to have a back storage area. All of that being said, I'm not going to give empanola less than five stars - I think what they're doing at their uptown location could be improved a lot, but all with minor tweaks to what they do on the day-to-day. I've also seen other people come in and really enjoy the empanadas, even if they don't 'hang out' for too long - maybe that's just not the vibe that this place is going for, and if so, who would I be to judge? I'd still recommend empanola to someone looking for a quick snack while walking along Magazine, or anyone already in the area.

Great concept! Perfect for a quick bite. A huge selection of empanadas, the worlds best hand held food! We had the ham and Queso with a cilantro lime sauce and my new favorite empanada: bananas foster with chocolate sauce!