Julia's Empanadas

Tucked away in the heart of Adams Morgan, I stumbled upon Julia's Empanadas and was immediately drawn in by its cozy atmosphere. Faced with a wide variety of options, I asked for the most popular choice and was thrilled with the Chilean-Style Beef empanada. It was filled with a delicious mix of ground and chopped beef, raisins, hard-boiled egg, onion, and olive, with a perfectly spicy kick. The filling was absolutely delicious. I can't wait to go back and try more flavors!

No trip to DC is complete without a stop at Julia's. After having dinner nearby my wife and I grabbed a stash for our hotel room. Perfect snack for any time of day. The salteńas is a beautiful mix of flavors. 10/10

Reliable food ready in seconds when you’re hangry. Today I had the chorizo with black beans and rice, along with the guava peach for dessert. Affordable. Filling. Fast. Tasty. When you’re sick of pizza by the slice, cross the street; get an empanada!

Anna was the EXCELLENT lady behind the counter and the one who baked our 36 little cocktail party empanadas fresh for my pick up. I called her 2 days in advance so she could plan. They were absolutely beautiful (design and taste). You should all buy her 36 package (you can choose 3 different fillings of 12 each and we did). I will be coming back here. I hope they don't ever close down. The Dupont Circle location shut down because I think the building owner is renovating so they had to leave.

Freshly baked, sumptuous empanadas. Absolutely delicious and worth a stop if you’re in the area. Limited seating but great as a snack on the go. I tried both the chorizo empanada and vegetable empanada and both were excellent. Good amount of filling and spot on seasoning. If you like and appreciate this review please give it a like or a thumbs up so that I know what content to include in future reviews.

i had high hopes but the food was quite unimpressive. the chorizo empanada was just beans and rice and had no other flavor. the sweet empanada was interesting and unique but the dough was kind of raw. not sure i would go back. i really wanted to like this place and it was very sweet of them to give me a free sweet one along with my order since i arrived just before closing

This place is a classic!!! I've been coming here for a league night snack for 20 years! Still as popular and authentic as ever! They offer both savory and sweet empanadas that always hit the spot!

Julia’s Empanadas focuses on empanadas and offers a wide selection of fresh offerings. Their focus on empanadas is used more broadly, so you’ll find Jamaican beef patties, Italian calzones, and Israeli bourekas inspired options on the menu. They make them fresh by hand every day and rarely run out of any types. There are two locations now – one south of Dupont Circle, and the original one in Adams Morgan. The original location in Adams Morgan is tiny and plain, but that doesn’t matter – you’re coming here to grab an empanada to go, not to sit and enjoy the ambiance of the restaurant. They offer savory and sweet empanadas. I would recommend sticking to the savory, more traditional empanadas. The Chilean style and Saltenas empanadas are among the best options on their menus. I wouldn’t recommend getting a sweet, dessert empanada – they taste like the cheap mini store-made pies you find at the grocery store. They also offer combo deals – the Healthy Meal Deal is the best value (empanada, soup, and salad) for $8.55. Their menu prices are very reasonable, especially given the DC area. If you’re nearby and want something hot, savory, delicious, and fast, Julia’s Empanadas is a great option.

Service was fine, but I was not a fan of the empanadas. I prefer mine fried instead of baked, but still wanted to try out the fillings. I ordered the steak on and only about half of the pastry had filling, the rest was just dough. I ended up tossing the unfilled part, but the steak filling was sweet? It was weird. Texture and flavor was off and I didn't even finish it.

This is such a great spot! I got the Chilean and Jamaican empanadas and they were great. My fave was the Jamaican for sure. A bit expensive but the price is expected given the area it's in. I also got the apple dessert empanada and it was amaaazing!! Would definitely return.

Must try!! This place is one of the signature spots of Adam's Morgan! It's been around for a while, and it's not surprising. Veeeery delicious empanadas, good selection (including vegetarian ones), always fresh and warm!! Highly recommend!

Cute small shop, there is no place to sit so a take and go place. food was good, be prepared for cilantro and onions in everything!

It's great to have an empanada place in the neighborhood, but this place frankly was a skip for me. I was immediately rubbed the wrong way when I found out this is a cash-only establishment. In the world of Square readers and digital payments, there really is no reason for this. The empanadas were fine but not particularly memorable. The chicken empanada was my favorite; I loved the curry-inspired flavors. The dessert empanada is a skip. Strawberry jam inside what tastes like an old pie crust wasn't quite as delicious as I had hoped.

Wow! Chorizo empanada was bursting with so many different flavors. Piping hot and wasn't reheated. Spice let's you know it's there but doesn't overwhelm you. Could taste the freshness of the dough. Service was friendly, will definitely be returning to try other ones.

The chorizo empanada barely had any chorizo and was severely underseasoned! The pastry itself wasn't great either

This place is so good and is a gem in Adams Morgan. I got two empanadas Chilean style beef. And chipotle steak. Both were really good but chilean beef was my favorite. The empanadas are large so you really only need one or two max. The chilean style beef has onions, hard boiled egg, olives, and raisins. It has a big diversity of flavors in every bite. It is savory and balanced well with sweet and salty that come from the other ingredients. A must try. The chipotle steak was a special item on the menu. It was a nice and spicy treat with great balance and a good portion size. As far as service they are very nice and quick. The only thing that you should know is it cash only.

We ordered five different empanadas here. I'm not a big fan of empanadas with this kind of dough/baked but a good filling can always make up for it. Not all of the fillings were very flavorful. The beef one was my favorite. The spot is grab and go and relatively inexpensive.

I heard this place was a "thing" in DC - truly not sure why. Hands down, the blandest empanadas I've had in my life. The saltenas tasted like nothing. The spinach one was far more flavorful but was still basic. Also, the cashier was being colorist and/or anti-Black by speaking to a white Latinx person in Spanish but not responding to my Afro-Latinx friend speaking Spanish.

Julia's Empanadas has large tasty Empanadas. This is a grab and go type of restaurant, no seating inside. Look at the picture, you only need two max if you're hungry. The Empanadas are filled with meat inside and they're delicious. They raised the prices to $7.33 per empanada so it's getting expensive tbh. I'm not sure why people saying it's cash only, I used my credit cards at least 6+ times here. If you want to grab good food in 1-2 mins, check out this place!

I have been craving empanadas after having some good ones recently. I was in the area and hungry, so I stopped by Julia's. These didn't satisfy my empanada cravings though. My first thought was they were pricey at $6. I still bought one, trying the Chilean version, which is beef, raisins, onion, egg, olive. The dough wasn't what I thought. It was kind of a light, soft dough. The flavor of the filling was good, but I was looking for a more dense dough and packed filling. It wasn't terrible, but with the price and not the type of empanada I like, I wouldn't return.

If you're looking for authentic empanadas, look no further! While here, we learned that they're open later than 9 and they take cards, so don't be fooled by the signs on the door!! Stop by and ask for Anna, she'll get you right! There are tons of flavors to choose from, you can indulge in some sweet empanadas for dessert or stick to their savory options. I went with the Jamaican style empanada, tons of flavor in the beef, tiny diced potatoes and a nice thick pastry. My boyfriend opted for the chorizo empanada and was pleasantly surprised by the tenderness of the meat. We definitely intend to come back and enjoy some more options.

Super simple shop but super tasty. They had 7 different hot empanadas and so I just got one of each for the 5 of us that were eating. Which was plenty of food. Very filling. I thought the spinach and cheese and the chorizo and egg were the best, but they were all good from what I hear. Cash only.

These empanadas now cost $8,00 dollars each. This is insane! On my visit my spinach empanada has been reheated and seemed stale. After more than 15 years Julia can forget about me as a patron. The Chilean lady has lost her business sense.

My goodness, talk about a good deal. Well balanced curry in the Jamaican style empanada with a pleasantly surprising crispy crust considering the empanada is baked and not fried. There's no where to sit but that's ok, the small size of the establishment adds to its quaint appearance. The staff is friendly and serves the empanadas quickly and efficiently. There's a wonderful variety of sweet and savory empanadas. Although the prices went up recently, it's still a cheaper eat and honestly a better quality eat than other stores around. Would happily eat again.

I missed out on Julia's Empanadas from an event that catered from them, my friends were raving about the food so I had to go to the store myself and try it. Visited this location and bought 2 saltena, 1 chorizo, 2 chilean style beef, 1 Jamaican style and 1 dessert peach guava empanadas to go. I think it's due to my taste buds acting weird recently but unfortunately I didn't like any of the meaty empanadas at all, only kind of liked the peach guava. My SO ended up eating 90% of the empanadas over a couple of days (they are huge) and he said he liked all of them. Will try again in a month, hopefully I don't miss out on some pretty awesome food.

Legendary empanadas! The place is small but mighty on flavor! They offer great meat or vegetarian options to please everyone!

Worth every penny! Kind and informative staff, wish I had gone sooner. Great selection from savory to sweet.

They're open late on weekends to serve the visitors, but it's a perfectly respectable stop for non-drunk locals during the day as well. The empanada is an eminently convenient food item, and I got mine and reheated them for a holiday breakfast when nothing was open. The have a vegetarian spinach and cheese one by default, as well as a rotating vegan one. The spinach one was a bit heavy on the onions and might merit some sort of breath freshening effort, but it certainly wasn't bad. By itself, one empanada costs a lot, but the combo deals they offer allow you to get a dessert empanada, a drink, or a salad, for a very reasonable price (in cash). The guava dessert empanada I tried was certainly satisfying, and the canned green tea included in the deal gigantic. Fancy? No. Easy? Yes.

Love this place! Every time I'm up in Adam's Morgan, I make sure to stop at Julia's Empanadas. The staff is always friendly, the food is always great on the go, and there's a nearby park that is great for eating outside. My girlfriend is vegetarian and loves the spinach empanadas here, and I'm a big fan of the Jamaican style! They also have a seasonal flavor for chipotle steak, yummy. If you're looking for something sweet, you can get an empanada full of fruit (pineapple, apple, guava, mango, etc). Close walk to other shops and right off the main road too!

TIME IS WRONG ON YELP!!!!!!! PSA TIME IS WRONG ON YELP. they close at 11pm, swung by a few min after and gentleman was nice enough to serve me but they had almost nothing left! only two flavors left vegan & saltenas (lady right before me took a last min grab of the chorizo lol). not their fault so not going to dock any points off but will say the selection here is slim; 7 flavors! think the one on connecticut has more. also didn't get to try the famous chilean #boo HOWEVER i did manage to snag two saltenas and boy they were not delicious. hefty in size they cost $5 each (more expensive than your typical snack) and $10 MINIMUM for cars making sure you buy at least two of these babies. Now for why it's rated three stars: maybe bc they weren't fresh but skin was SUPER THICK i ripped off almost all the crust. found the filling kind of bland, threw some spicy green sauce they had but even that just made it BLAND, spicy... but BLAND. also did not love the olive added in. bleh. I don't know if my experience was just bc they were closing or if the empanadas are truly just not up to par. BLEH KNOCKING THIS DOWN ONE MORE STAR CAUSE ENDED UP W A HUGE STOMACHACHE AND SPENT MY NIGHT ON THE TOILET.

Usually frequent this place after the bars but.. we gave it a try during the day time this time around! The veggie empanada changes fillings so keep an eye out for that! It was probably my least favorite, flavoring seemed just a smidge off. Couldn't pinpoint why. The Caribbean was really good! Our whole office has been on a Caribbean food kick so this was a hit! The chicken was good also. The pastry was delicious and satisfying. The owner was super friendly and helpful. The only downside was parking to get here. It's in Adam's Morgan so parking is always terrible but now that they've closed a part of the streets to allow for outdoor seating, it's gotten narrower and harder to get around.

A little disappointed I must say I was craving these empanadas for weeks and when I finally sat down to take a bite it wasn't as I remembered. I paid 19 dollars for two drinks and three empanadas, I could have easily gone somewhere else that sold cheaper empanadas that tasted way better but for some reason had Julia's heavy on my mind. The chorizo empanada literally had no chorizo in it I think the little red specs we had seen could have been it but it was to hard to tell. The chicken empanada had good curry flavor and that's about it the curry was the only thing that shined through everything else was bland. As for the spinach one, nothing exciting the cheese had no real robust flavor and in the end I was just eating cooked spinach with cheese swirled into it. In the end there was no wow factor to these empanadas as I remembered when I would come here after school, things change just wish this wasn't one of em.

Always love to hit up the spot no matter when!! I grabbed a few empanadas to round out our takeout meal from another AdMo restaurant on a Sunday evening. Got the Chilean beef & great flavor!! and two dessert empanadas: peach guava, and pear almond. I will forever love the almond with tasty marzipan inside and wrapped up like a cute little gift!! The staff is always very relaxed and friendly.

It was great!!!! Love the Chilean Empanadas!!!! We get them every time we visit the DC area.

Instead of empanadas I'll have to call these empa-everythings (see what I did there?? It's not good, I know.) Anyway, I'd say pass on the veggie empanadas and go straight for the meat ones. Salteñas (chicken), Jamaican beef, and turmeric turkey are all flavorful with perfectly soft melt-in-yo-mouth dough. The other ones sounded incredible too but I do have my limits as much as I try to deny it. In the past I've tried the veggie special (just fine, although interesting) and the spinach and cheese (honestly not my fave). The dough just compliments meat better. Fruit ones are okay. Best I've had is the guava peach, the rest were just a little too much dough and too little fruit flavor.

Late night classic after leaving the bar. Just do it. Bummed not at the old spot in DuPont anymore, though. Can't really speak for this location, though.

This place is pretty polar but the queue moves fast. Loved the Jamaican empanada. Perfect spiced blend and perfect size. 5/5 The staff is really nice and made great recommendations.

Julia's Empanadas is one of the better, affordable spots in town. As soon as you walk in, you're welcomed by the aromas of the fresh bakery. The crust is perfectly flakey, but still maintains the integrity of empanada well. I personally enjoyed the Chipotle Steak and Jamaican style empanada and thought both were excellent, but preferred the Chipotle Steak. The verde sauce is also a must try. I will definitely be coming back. At $6 per empanada, one makes the perfect afternoon snack and two would be a solid meal.

Julia's is the perfect spot to grab a snack for your afternoon walk in Adams Morgan. A no frills, quick walk up spot that has a wonderful variety of empanadas to choose from. I opted for the chorizo that had a mix of rice and beans in it, delicious. I also grabbed a bite of a curry chicken type that my friend had, just as good. It appears they have their staples in their daily items, but they switch out veggie options each week. The empanadas were definitely larger than what I'm use to, and I felt that the price was pretty good. The service is extremely fast, the employees were friendly, the food was delicious. Very impressed with my first meal in DC!

We always go to the Julia's near DuPont but decided to stop by this location after finishing our falafel at Amsterdam falafel down the street (plug...go try them!!) This Julia's location is relatively the same size as the DuPont location. We got there around 3pm on a Friday afternoon and I would say the savory empanadas were on the low side The good meal deal is 7.95 for a drink, savory empanada, and dessert empanada. We always opt for this deal to share together as a snack The Chilean is our go to, this time we tried the salvordoran which reminded me of a warm curry chicken pot pie all in one. Chilean is still my favorite. My go to dessert empanada is the peach guava. Flavor is unique and pair well together. This time we tried the strawberry creme which had a small bar of creme cream and strawberry jam. Pretty good. The best part of this Julia's location is the bench out front. With a white bag full of warm, oozy empanadas you can sit right in front of the store and people watch.

Been eating Julia's Empanadas for over 10 years and always loved them but this review was prompted by their mini empanadas. I ordered a bunch of minis for a baby shower and they were a hit! When food is miniaturized one might worry that the bread-to-filling ratio will skew towards bread-y and dry... this was NOT the case. The mini empanadas were juicy and the dough wrapping was delicate and beautiful. And the price was really good as well. I am told some people call fat baby's feet empanadas... so perfect baby shower food!

I went to the Georgia Avenue location. I got the Jaimacan Style which was okay. I liked the crust, but the filling wasn't seasoned enough for me. My friend got the Chipolte Steak with Onions. He loved his. He got another one to go. I purchased three more to take with me, Chorizo, Saltenas, and the Steak and Onions. The Jaimacan empanada did not live up to my expectation based on the reviews. I'm hoping I will like one of the other three better. The empanada was filling. There were two people working in the store when we went. The female was cordial, but the male that came out to assist us was really friendly and welcoming.

Julia's Empanadas rock!!! I came here after a night of shenanigans at...Shenanigans and these empanadas were exactly what I needed. At first, my friend and I decided to share one empanada but next thing I know, I was back at the counter ordering another one. These empanadas are STUFFED with goodies - very worth the $5 price. The second time I visited I ordered two for myself right off the bat and had no issue gobbling up every crumb. I got the: - CHILEAN: Ground and Chopped Beef, Raisins, Hard Boiled Egg, Kalamata Olive, Onions, & Spices (HIGHLY recommend) - SPINACH: Spinach, Mozzarella Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Onions, & Spice (delicious, but i prefer the meaty empanadas!!!) Everything is so packed with flavor, you don't even need extra dipping sauce!! Definitely will be coming here at least twice a month!

This place seems to be really popular with DC residents who, if I had to guess, never tried an authentic empanada. For starters, the empanadas weren't disgusting, but they definitely didn't live up to the hype. They tasted like something between a stale hot pocket and a microwaved calzone. However, given the price you pay, "not disgusting" doesn't cut it. The price is ridiculous. There is absolutely no reason to charge $6 per pastry. Given the $10 minimum for credit card purchases, most people forced to buy 2. Empanadas in Latin America run you between $1-1.50 in really nice restaurants. While first world inflation is a thing which could justify a slight increase in price, $6 an empanada feels like a scam, especially for such a mediocre product. If you are going to spend $12 on empanadas, you might as well give it to a Latino friend who could probably make them just as good.

I am not used to this type of empanada that is too doughy. So far, the only empanada that is my favorite is in Queens NY.

Stopped here for a quick bite to eat before heading to a friends get together and I'm happy I did so. The empanadas were delicious and filling. Each was $6. I would definitely recommend this spot if you're in the area and looking for a quick meal.

Been eating empanadas from here for my entire life and have been able to compare to the natural flavors from hometown country kitchens. The empanadas here are perfectly flavored and cooked and the portions are fair. Highly recommend any of the savory or sweet flavors!! In a prime location in Adams Morgan.

I had Chilean, Salteños and spinach ricotta and they were all delicious! Shared with my husband so we could each taste them. The owner was so nice. Will definitely be back!

I was perhaps expecting too much. And yes, I should have expected, given Julia's is surrounded by bars, most reviewers wouldn't have had the clearest mind, or senses (as in taste bud senses) when they consumed the empanadas. It was okay. Nothing special. And they do have this shiny sheen that makes them look like those plastic food replicas that you see in many Japanese restaurants.

Open late, delicious sweet & savory empanadas, and super cheap. Don't expect to come and lounge, it's a stop-and-go type of place for a tasty late night snack. My personal favorite is the Jamaican-- freshly prepared piping hot and loaded with beef, onions, potatoes, and curry spices. The spinach, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese one is a close second. But really any flavor you get is guaranteed to be good. The outside is flaky/crispy crust and the insides are so flavorful! They also make mini-sized empanadas, as the regular size is pretty filling. They have other food offerings, but the empanadas are what you come here for!

Unique, delicious, fresh, friendly service, beautiful golden brown. What more could you ask for. If you haven't been here yet, GO NOW!

Very worth the drive Left out with 5 different types And they were all delicious Wish there seating was a bit bigger But other than that totally worth the buy!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE their empanadas. The outer shell is more baked than fried, and it's thin not thick and oily like many other empanadas. The fillings are QUALITY!! Huge chunks of filling and flavor. I love their turkey empanada the most, but their beef are good too as well as their spinach, which is tons of creamed spinach and onion. Every time i visit DC I make sure to stop here for a snack and for my ride back to NJ.

I arrived to the store On 8/11 at 7:50 to try one of the famous empanadas during business hours. However, the door was locked and the employee decided to close down 10 minutes before the noted time of 8PM. Perhaps next time I return during business hours, they will be open.

This place sucks the prices are too high and the sáltenlas don't taste like authentic Bolivian sáltenlas

Haven't had a Julia's empanadas in a while! We checked them out during Adams Morgan day and we thoroughly enjoyed their empanadas. We tried the Jamaican style and chorizo and they're both very yummy! They portions are decent and they'll fill you up so it's good for a snack. The store is pretty cramped since they have a small store, but it's not bad. Would recommend it if you're in the area and needing a snack.

There's a diverse selection of eats on that stretch of 18th St. in Adams Morgan but Julia's Empanadas are my favorite. Julia's is on the top of my list when I'm in D.C. My favorite is the "Jamaican". The empanadas are around $3 each, and while they're pretty large they're also pretty moist, the meat doesn't get dried out. Even on a hot and humid summer afternoon, I could eat those empanadas anytime of the day and it's open late in the evenings to help with the bar scene.