Empanola

Absolutely incredible selection and delicious food! Something for everyone. The impossible vegan empanada was amazing. Friendly staff. Highly recommend!

I had a great experience with the two foods I got, but my friend got the bananas foster and when she bit into it, it was full of apples, cinnamon, and pecans. We told the lady working that it must have been labeled wrong, but she said no that’s just what bananas foster is. They were also selling apple pecan empanadas, so we know it got accidentally labeled. My friend is allergic to cinnamon, and now is having to receive treatment for her swelled tongue. Mistakes happen, but they should have owned up to their mistakes. Disappointed.

Is it possible to love empanadas anymore than we do? It's an amazing meat pie w/ amazing deep flavors. Empanola makes many different flavors & everyone of them is delicious. We loved them while they were in Auction House, we love them at Freret, and we'll love them on Magazine. This time we got their Shrimp & Cheese, Spinach & Artichoke, Beef Argentina, Gumbo, Crawfish Etoufee, & Banana Fosters. Each came w/ some delicious sauces: Salsa Verde, Salsa Roja, and a sweet chocolate dip for the Banana Fosters PS: it's so cute that they stamp their empanadas w/ the fillings :) @PhidingtheFam

What can I say? I'm addicted to these delicious, beautifully packaged empanadas! Just pick up a dozen. We don't order anything less. Beef, Peruvian chicken, cheese, and mushrooms are our go-to favorites 😍 .

Several different kinds of empanadas. I had the Yellow Curry, Gumbo, Breakfast, and Chicken Peruvian. The Gumbo was my favorite! My gf got the banana foster empanada which she loved. The Tres Leches was my favorite part, it was delicious.

I used to eat here a lot and then I moved from New Orleans to Latin America and now I can officially confirm- Empanola has the authentic empanada flavors mastered. Would highly recommend!

Delicious and absolutely packed with filling!

Great variety good option for a quick inexpensive dinner.

Wow! Jimena is an amazing restaurant owner! She personally contacted me after I left a not so positive review about service, not food. I gave her more details about what happened, she took the time to listen, reflect, and make changes accordingly. Thank you, Jimena. You are amazing! And, quite honestly, I NEED my Friday night order.

Had to stop here since I was at Tulane and it's literally just a few blocks away. Since I was there at an odd hour (right before 6 pm), there were only 2 other people there. Friendly service. They didn't have the empanadas out on display but honestly they all look the same (except labeled with the name) so wouldn't have helped me choose anyway. Decided to get the 6 pack so we could try a few various flavors. They were all tasty but the gumbo, spinach & artichoke, and mushroom & cheese were probably my favorites. The cilantro lime sauce was also great but you have to pay for these separately. Would definitely go again!

Now, I'm not an empanada connoisseur but I definitely think the empanadas here are super tasty! My favorite is the spinach and artichoke. Although, I do think the beef argentina is also good! They have a variety displayed so it can be hard to choose, but it's worth trying! Also, they're pretty filling, so it will take a few times to try all of them. I really like how they have the flavor imprinted on the empanada; I think that's a pretty nice aesthetic touch. I hold many events for work, and I usually contact Empanola for catering. They're pretty inexpensive and are easy to grab for lunch. They will also individually wrap them if requested. I've never had an issue with catering, and I would recommend it!

Empanola opened up back in 2017 and quickly became noted for their high quality South American empanadas which are available with a variety of great fillings. New Orleans is no stranger to food items like empanadas as crawfish pies and meat pies have long been popular in the area. Empanola has a good menu with enough items to please nearly any taste as long as it involves empanadas. Many people consider this the best South American food empanada option in New Orleans and they provide some great South American food empanada options along with a lot of fun. My video review of Empanola is here: https://youtu.be/vauhzEv8wYc

Hits the spot for a simple but flavorful lunch spot. I recommend Empanola to a Green Wave and LSU students

First, I will say that we had this delivered to us by DoorDash. The Dasher was quick and the empanadas were still warm when we got them. Unfortunately, that was the best part. We ordered several different flavors of savory empanadas, and every one of them was simply lacking in seasoning. The fillings had adequate taste and texture, but the empanada shells were like thick pie crusts, extremely dense and flavorless, and they negatively affected the flavor of the fillings, leaving us with a thick chewy bite that simply didn't hold up. We also ordered one of each of the dessert empanadas (apple pecan and bananas foster). The apple pecan tasted like a McDonald's apple pie, but the filling had even less texture, as the apples were cooked so far down that they were practically liquid. The bananas foster tasted sour. All in all, we were greatly disappointed in our experience after having seen so many good reviews.

Food was ok more of a pot pie than anything else.... Been all over the world and not really an empanada, however the flavors and the soup were great!!!!

So, I am very embarrassed to admit this, but this shop is less than three blocks from my house and it took me five months to stop here. Let me be the cautionary whale here; don't do this to yourself! In my defense, I very rarely go do some of the streets around me because it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for my daily comings and goings. However, I am puppy sitting a dog with entirely too much energy, so I have found myself going on 2-3 mile journeys every day and I don't like taking the same way twice. Fast forward to the fact that I've now made the effort to eat here almost every week this past month! The menu is basic. You have a selection of empanadas, in mostly unique flavors (hey breakfast beschamel and beef bourginon empanadas, I'm looking at the two of you!), a trio of sauces to choose from, and some basic beverages. You order what you want (averaging maybe $4 a piece, or you can get combos with multiples, soup, or salad type things), and they pop it in the conveyor oven and it's served hot and fresh right there for you. There's a couple of bar type seats in side and two picnic tables outside. It's a small operation, but if you're taking it to go, or to eat while you're walking a rambunctious pup, it's really quick and easy. Everyone who works there is very accommodating, and it's always at least worth swinging by to check out the daily special to see what you might be missing out on. Long story short, I find myself walking by here and never being disappointed by stopping in. Give them a try, especially if you like empanadas/pasties/handpies/meatpies/etc. WORTH IT.

I can't say enough great things about Empanola! Charming neighborhood vibe, with a few tables outside and a few more inside. Spotlessly clean. Super friendly staff who will happily help you select from the freshly made empanadas in the case. Great variety of mostly savory options and one or two sweets. I ordered four to go, the crawfish étouffée, mushroom & cheese, Argentine beef and Peruvian chicken, along with a bowl of tomato basil soup. After waiting 5-6 minutes for the empanadas to bake, they were packaged, bagged and ready to go. The smells coming from the backseat had my mouth watering for 20 minutes as I rushed home. Every bite was a taste sensation like no other! I honestly can't pick a favorite as they were all amazing... and filling! We each had two empanadas with a cup of soup, for the perfect lunch. I heard a rumor that they may be opening a second location on Magazine Street. I hope they continue to grow this winning concept with the cool name and perfect meat pies, each branded with the flavor so no guessing when you get home!

Is it possible to love empanadas anymore than we do? It's an amazing meat pie w/ amazing deep flavors. Empanola makes many different flavors & everyone of them is delicious. We loved them while they were in Auction House, we love them at Freret, and we'll love them on Magazine. This time we got their Shrimp & Cheese, Spinach & Artichoke, Beef Argentina, Gumbo, Crawfish Etoufee, & Banana Fosters. Each came w/ some delicious sauces: Salsa Verde, Salsa Roja, and a sweet chocolate dip for the Banana Fosters PS: it's so cute that they stamp their empanadas w/ the fillings :) @PhidingtheFam

Review is for delivery only. BUT HOLY COW these are delicious! I first discovered empanola last year when Rouse's had them in their restaurant to go section. Shrimp & cheese empanadas, yes please! Fast forward to this week... and some coworkers and I had received a delivery GC from a pandemic project we had worked on. So we ordered the munchies pack. Six empanadas were the perfect way to close out the project. Ordering was easy online and now that I know where they are I'll have to driver over and get some more! One of my coworkers loved hers so much (shrimp & cheese and crawfish ettouffe) that she order more today for a family event this evening. Don't sleep on these delicious treats! No pandemic comments since I had them delivered by a 3rd party.

Hubby and I came on a Friday afternoon, and there one other customer in front of us, so the service was quick. I got the impossible vegan, Yellow curry, and the spinach and artichoke. I loved the Impossible empanada. It was juicy and full of flavor. I usually dislike olives, but the olives added a nice touch. The Yellow curry empanada was delicious, but not as good as the impossible one. Lastly, the spinach artichoke was ok (to me). It was really cheesy which was perfect for hubby. He stated that he didn't have a favorite all 3 had their own distinct flavor. He couldn't pick a "favorite". For dessert, we shared a tres Leche cake. It was sweet and good. Well, we actually ate it before we got the empanadas. The cashier was very friendly! She made us feel like we were stepping into her home. We are definitely returning,especially for the Impossible vegan empanada.

I've tried this place a couple of times, first time was through uber eats. I was pleased but not ecstatic about it. Not until recently did I start to absolutely love it! Service HAS always been friendly, and it's the perfect place to get a delicious bite when you want something quick. The two empanada with salad combo is perfect. Both the chorizo and crawfish are by far my favorite flavors. What I was really blown away by was the banana empanada! Wow. A great way to finish the meal for sure.

So happy we stumbled into this little gem while walking to brunch! This place has so many different empanada combinations for you and will warm them for you if you also want to take them to go-- my favorites were the pepperoni & the ham and cheese

I have been to empanola before and enjoyed their empanadas so couldn't wait until they reopened. they recently reopened so i ordered the spinach and artichoke - which was really good; the ratatouille - which was alright; and the crawfish which apparently was also good the spinach empanada with the accompanying mint sauce was

I was tired of all my normal take out places and decided to check this place out. So glad I did!!! So good!!! I got the cheese and shrimp, chicken, and Mushroom and cheese empanadas. Plus the banana fosters (good but not "amazing" like the others). All were excellent! Very far from the empanadas I know from my 3 years living in Puerto Rico (but empanadas are from all over and I was a gringo living there a short time)....but I would eat these every day if I could! I can't wait to check out the rest of the options!

Found some empanadas from Empanola in the old hot line at Rouses on Carrollton, which is great when I don't want to make the trek Uptown to their restaurant! The downside - they only have three flavors available at the Rouses - Crawfish Etouffe, Shrimp, and Spinach & Artichoke - and I wish they had the chicken one available there as it was my favorite when I tried them before. BUT, c'est la vie. The Shrimp & Artichoke was the one I got and was soft and fluffy and flavorful. No flavor overpowered one another and it meshed very well. They also unfortunately don't have the sauce accompaniments available at Rouses, but it's a great choice for a quick lunch! It was 3 good-sized empanadas for $10.

I ordered the goat cheese and guava king cake that was wonderful! It tasted like a Cuban pastry and it reminded of Miami! It was so delicious. The employees were super nice and I got a topo chico to go! Love places that have TC!

The Asian Dumpling empanada was soooo delicious... I have left NOLA and dreaming of it. This is a must stop on Magazine Street. It shows love when into making these empanadas!

Empa Nola If you're ever in the auction house market you may drive right past @empanola. A small family business, traveling all the way from Chile and Argentina. They've mixed a little of our New Orleans cuisine with their South American empanadas. Khi and I went during what we call snack time and decided to give a few of these bad boys a shot. Khi loved the shrimp and cheese empanada with green onion, shrimp, and mozzarella cheese while I grabbed the crawfish etouffeé one. Unfortunately, it was missing a little bit of that creole taste or maybe just a little salt. Then I ate the chorizo mexicana empanadas which I enjoyed much better! The empanadas came with two sauces. I was not sure what they were but one was green the other was red. The green one had more of a cilantro lime taste and the red had a tomato taste. We also added tomato soup, which was very yummy, very homemade. The soup was paired with a spring green salad made with cranberries, mixed greens, feta, and sunflower seeds with a vinaigrette dressing. Finally, Khi and I loved the Banana Foster/Nutella empanada! Amazing! Warm chocolate goodness! Inside was stuffed with banana, cinnamon and pecans! So good! Overall

Location; within a the neighborhood close to Tulane University. Lovely little spot perfect for the snack we needed. Menu; Have to say I have tried many, but my empanada was pretty darn tasty! Today I ordered the Spinach and Artichoke empanada, it was so good and have to mention the green sauce. The green sauce was so amazing, almost wanted to take a gallon with me to dip everything in. Service; super outgoing and helpful.

I sooo wanted to love this freakin empanada! Anything wrapped in a flaky dough is my jam and this place does make a buttery, flaky dough. This place is suited for pick up although there are a few high top stools and outside seating. They make these to order so definitely order in advance as they take 15-20 min to bake. I chose a simple empanada..the Argentina. It was supposed to be filled with ground beef, onions, peppers, olives and scramble eggs...although mine lacked egg..unless i missed it. It was pretty small for the price and tasted okay. It came with a tomato based dipping sauce that didnt really pair well with it. The staff was friendly and they have several different empanada options so i do want to give them another chance to win me over.

Best tres leches I've had in a while! The meringue top was soft a delicious. Couldn't try the empanadas because of allergies but recommend this place on the desserts alone.

Baked empanadas. If you have a nut allergy be careful as a lot of them have nuts - I'd recommend the Chorizo Mexicana. The impossible one tastes JUST LIKE the beef argentina, basically spot on. The mushroom and spinach ones are just okay. Gumbo one is delicious and unique! The breakfast one is okay, and the dumpling one is way too salty. Service can be slow but the empandas seem pretty fresh.

YES YES YES. I cannot express how much we loved the empanadas here. We were a group of a Panamanian, Filipino, Mexican, and an Argentinean, all from Houston- so our standards for Latino food is pretty high. This place blew away our expectations. The girl that attended to us was so sweet and welcoming too. Definitely coming back here again when I make another trip back to NOLA

Awesome empanadas, tried mushroom with cheese, chorizo, crawfish, Nutella and banana. All were fantastic, I would recommend.

Absolutely delicious! Had been on my list to try for some time now and I'm so glad we finally did! I can't pick a favorite- everything we tasted was delicious! Amazing flaFriendly staff and cute place! Will definitely be back! a few tables outside (perfect for a pretty day) and some bar seating inside. This location seems to be more for take out than their Magazine St location.

Tasty empanadas! I haven't had empanadas in quite some time, and each one I tried was good!

Came here after the UCF Tulane game, green wave lost but shout out my friend Phil. Place was warm and welcoming, empanadas were hot, delicious, and the perfect taste of home. 5 stars!

Even in NOLA, where all the food is delicious, Empanola stands out for its amazing flavors. Where else can you find a Gumbo empanada?? It paired perfectly with their homemade hot sauce and cilantro lime dipping sauce. With tons of meal options (1 empanada with salad, 2 with soup, 20 to go!), Empanola is the perfect place for a quick lunch or a hearty dinner. Their ham and cheese empanada is filled with gooey cheese, and their tomato soup tastes like fresh summer tomatoes. If you're in Uptown, you have to check this place out.

Welcome to Nola, rather Empanola. I just discovered this diamond in the rough. My husband and I had planned to go to another restaurant, but couldn't get to it because of street closing for the parades. We drove by and decided to try. It was amazing! Need I say anything else? We had 6 empanadas. The shrimp and cheese and the spinach and artichoke were super incredible 10/10. The beef and the chorizo were not my favorite, but my husband loved them. He rated them 8/10. We both didn't care for the crawfish. It was hot, the dough was great and the service was great. The price very reasonable. We will definitely go back. I think they would taste good at room temperature. I promise I am not being biased because the owners are fellow South Americans, neighbors Argentina and Chile (I am from Brazil in case you didn't know). Follow me on #thenolacritic on instagram for more Nola reviews.

I really wanted to love this place but it just didn't do it for me. The flavor was off putting on the empanadas I bought and the mushroom and cheese empanada upset my stomach. The filling for the crawfish empanada was really thick and pasty and over salted. I bought the 6 pack and didn't eat any of them fully except the mushroom one. I wasted my money and I won't be returning a second time. :( Update: I definitely have food poisoning.

The empanadas look delicious, but I couldn't get past the rude cashier. I ordered three empanadas, when looking at the menu closely... I realized you can get three for $13. Instead, she charged me for each empanada, and didn't bother telling me about the deal. I inquired about it and she was very rude. Also I ordered one sauce and she charged me for two, and was not willing to reimburse me $.75. Not good business.

the empanadas were great, and not too expensive for a 90 piece order. delivered it on time, consistent.

This was BY FAR our favorite place to eat during our trip to New Orleans. We're still talking about these empanadas several months later!! You get to choose from a variety of options with different flavors and fillings but the hard part is choosing which ones to get. On the menu, it says "One is never enough." and that absolutely true. We all picked the 3 pack so we could try as many different flavors as we could and we still didn't try them all! And though we didn't order any of the veggie empanadas, I'm happy to see they're offered for the non-meat eating folks. The sauces you get with your order are yummy, but not needed, as the empanadas are so flavorful and delicious all on their own. Warm, flaky, moist, and filled to the brim with goodness. Yum!! There's a few small tables outside to enjoy your food but really, these make a great portable meal to just grab & go. If you're in the area, go right now to order 3 (or more!!) empanadas and if you're not local, think about making a trip just for Empanola. Seriously. :)

Empanola is an excellent spot for a satisfying lunch. It is right by Tulane's campus in a small, neighborhood storefront. It is an order at the counter restaurant with limited bar seating. I ordered the Combo 1 which includes 1 empanada, soup, and salad. The soup and salad came out first while the empanada was cooking. They were both very large portions and I feel the combo meal is a great value. The it was a mixed green salad with a light vinaigrette dressing, cheese, cranberries, and some nuts. The soup was a pleasant tomato. My Beef Argentina empanada was quite tasty & filling. The empanada gets very hot, so be sure to let it cool down. I will definitely be making Empanola a regular lunch spot of mine. They have mainly street parking & not much bike parking.

I've been seeing the pictures for a few days now and the craving for these little Latin American treats has been building and BUILDING! So after a one day trip that turned into a four day trip I decide to treat myself to EMPANOLA as soon as I got home. Located in the St. Roch Market Empanola is serving some yummy empanadas with a little French/Cajun twist. The menu is straight forward; you can buy individual empanadas or a combo that allows you to pick your savory fillings. I went with the Ham & Cheese, Crawfish and Beef Bourguignon (the French twist). The empanadas took a little longer then expected but that's because they are freshly baked per order. The Ham & Cheese was my favorite, took me right back to being a kid at my grandma's kitchen. The crawfish and beef were also tasty but to me they didn't jive with the delicious sauces. Empanola is a great addition to the New Orleans food scene and I will def be back for more of these lovely flaky crust treats!

Tried 5 different ones and all were good cute atmosphere and everyone was friendly Beef Argentina Empanada

The combination of South American and Creole is fantastic. I had the crawfish empanada. But even more cool was that we were there just before the start of Lent, and I picked up a king cake. I grew up eating King cakes and this one is very hard to beat.

My friend and I stopped by during one afternoon to grab a late lunch. I got the beef argentina, chicken peruvian, and crawfish etouffee. The crawfish etouffee one was ok, but the chicken and beef were way too salty, especially the chicken one. Our orders also took quite a long time, and they forgot my friend's salad. Left much to be desired.

The empanadas (meat pies) were delicious !!! The Beef Argentina had the perfect amount of spices in the ground beef yummm; the mushroom w/cheese were superb together; la combinación perfecta!!! Had to take some home !! easy to eat as you either sit at their shop or walk around campus or mardi gras parades!!! Definitely a Must Visit while you are in NOLA! I suggest that the word meat pies be included in the advertising because many people do not know that empanadas are meat pies and these are TOO delicious to pass up!

Called and ordered 2 empanadas for takeout. They were ready within 5 min, hot and fresh. They came with 2 sauces, very delicious

So excited this food concept opened a store front! Good vegetarian options, although I always want more. Great music, service, and very clean too!

BEAUTIFUL AND HAND CRAFTED See my pic. These empanadas are absolutely stunning pieces of pastry. In fact, each variety receives its own special shape and design. The crust is flaky but egg-washed so it doesn't burn under the conveyor pizza oven. The cheese shrimp was my favorite, especially with a big dollop of the cilantro lime cream sauce. The muffuletta was packed with olive salad and cheese. The "gumbo" had an odd cloying sweet flavor though. BUT IT IS NOT QUICK These pastries are not pre made and frozen but are made to order. Then it takes them a good 10 minutes to cook.

This place is sooo good. The empanadas are delicious and I love that they had vegan options too. I had been meaning to try it for some time and finally did. Boy was I missing out!

Fun concept, but not exactly practical. I went to the Auction House Market with a friend for lunch. She chose the Indian place and I chose here. I ordered the combo plate with a Crawfish Empanada, Mushroom Empanada and a side salad. It was just one guy working there alone and he looked a little flustered trying to keep up with orders. He told me it would take 8 minutes to prepare and bake my order. I said ok and found a table. It actually took more time than he quoted (towards 15 minutes). It was all so-so. I would probably choose a different place to try next time.

Pretty legit empenadas. I highly recommend the traditional styles, but the Cajun fusion meat pockets are pretty great as well. Overall here is the breakdown of my rating: Taste: 5/5 - awesome Atmosphere: 4/5 - small location with very little seating Price: 4/5 - a bit expensive for what you get

Randomly decided to try one and got the mushroom and cheese by suggestion. It was so flaky and crispy!! I was worried the cheese flavor would be over powering but it was so balanced. So glad I decided to get one even tho I was already full.

I was kind of disappointed. The last time I had Empanola, they used delicious flaky buttery crust but now their empanadas are almost like frozen pizza bagels bites. I had the chicken Peruvian, gumbo, ettoufee, and beef Argentina. Good: dipping sauces and gumbo and ettoufee Bad: chicken Peruvian, beef Argentina, frozen food quality Next time you're in the mood for Empanola, I suggest you eat a frozen meal. You'll get the same quality for a fraction of the cost.

Unbelievable. Just have to wait 15 min for your order. They are made fresh raw the packed frozen. So for them to bake them it takes time.