Maria Empanada - South Broadway

Beautiful Argentinian café, very well decorated and with lots of available seating. The biggest highlight is that they stay open late, which is rare for Denver coffee shops. The location is good, but parking can be tricky depending on the time. Food quality is good, but portions are small and prices feel a bit high. Service was disappointing — staff wasn’t rude, but they were cold and robotic, missing the usual warm vibe you expect from Latin places. Worth visiting once to try their empanadas, but I probably wouldn’t return often or perhaps at all.

My husband wanted to stop here because this restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. I see why! Both workers I talked to were very welcoming and the 2 empanadas I had were delicious. I also really like how they are labeled, so you remember which is which.

I very rarely leave reviews, but I just started recently working in the area and as someone who is vegetarian and always struggling to find quality food, this place was so amazing with a bunch of different options for people who don’t eat meat. Very pretty restaurant with a great atmosphere and the employees who helped me were very nice and gave me recommendations and everything! 10/10 would absolutely recommend!

The Veggie Croissant might be the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had. So fresh and flavorful. The croissant is soft and buttery. Perfect.

The staff was extremely kind. We had super great hospitality, we felt right at home. Atmosphere is great. Empanadas taste like a slice of heaven. Can't recommend enough! We had a handful for empanadas and the staff gave us some free sauce samples since it was our first time in! All empanadas were incredible and the sauces are a lovely complement! We had the Denver passport which is what brought us in, sangria's were yummy.

Great empanadas! I tried the Ham and Cheese and the Chorizo. Both had good flavor. The hot chocolate was great too!

What a great experience today Maria Empanada (Broadway)! Yummy empanadas and coffee. It is really cool how they are able to stamp the name of the empanada directly on it. Atmosphere was comfortable, relaxed, great staff, and I was able to get work done while I ate. Definitely recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #supportlocal #supportlocalbusiness

Delicious!!!!!! So fresh! So good! Huge portion of empanada. A little on the pricey side but worth it. We bought a dozen for $54.40 and tiramisu for $8.99 lots of beverages options as well. Fresh coffee and alcohol drinks. Place is nice and clean. Will come back again and again! Ps. Staff is extra nice! 😊

I so love Maria Empanada. It's got one of the best handhelds in Denver, and the variety of flavors would make anyone happy. I love the signature empanada, but also the cheesy one. Prices are pretty reasonable, and you can park in the neighborhood nearby.

Visited Maria Empanadas during Tango music night and it was packed! Great for the business but less great for the patrons who also want to sit and enjoy a meal. The staff was kind and working as fast as possible to get orders taken. There were 0 open tables but on the plus side the place was 100% full and had extra chairs out for the audience. We listened for a bit and took a dozen empanadas to go. Would like to enjoy this next time they host an event and now we know to try there EARLY to snag a seat. Would highly recommend trying the choripán if they are still serving it. As an Argentinean it's always nice to experience our culture in Denver.

I haven't tried enough empanadas in my lifetime to give you a good comparison but I thought they were good. They ask if you want them heated up to eat there. BUT, if you have never tried (yerba) mate service, aka pour your own mate tea, you are missing out!!! It was so fun. Perfect for a hang out with your friends while drinking tea. There's a little step-by-step card to show you how to prepare it. Pretty much you don't want all the small tea leaves and dust to go through the filter straw. It doesn't necessarily taste like canned yerba mate, but if you add enough sugar, it almost does. It gets bitter if you let it steep for too long. They give you lots of tea leaves, enough for 4+ cups. By the end, you'll have yourself a nice caffeine buzz. There's a large TV that's playing soccer if that's your sort of thing. If you like tea time, you gotta come try. So worth.

We visited for the first time when they had a special night with live music. So it was a little busier than normal. We were unable to get a table but the food was delicious! I would definitely come back on a different day.

I remember when this place was in Lakewood. It's come a long way with the cool, open brick walled space at the corner on Broadway. The cordatito, which is exactly what the name says, is maybe my new favorite coffee drink in the neighborhood. I have never had an Española so I tried it this morning. On order is a half of the round onion/potato/egg pancake/quiche so it's plenty of food. As the description of three ingredients would indicate I might call it "bland". However, with the sour crema sauce provided I couldn't stop going back to it. Perfectly fluffy and dense and eggy and potatoe-y at the same time. It was good enough to distract me from my chorizo empanada (which is definitely not bland). And for the price you could feed two people for a steal. The staff is quick and attentive. If you have read this far and are worried about the line don't sweat it--they move fast.

Love this little gem in Denver CO!! Such a nice vibe when you walk in and the workers there are really nice ! It's such a cute and relaxed area this is a perfect spot to take non-locals when they come into the Mile High City! My beef and chicken empanadas were BOMB! Their desserts look very appealing, I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for something small and savory to eat!

Went here for a work dinner with our women's networking group - what a fun night! We entered and were greeted with a reserved table with some alfajorcitos (the best cookies ever, bought some to take home). We got to speak with Victor, the brand ambassador, and a special treat, Lorena (owner) stopped by to talk to our table about woman empowerment. We got to try six different empanadas - my favorite was the Argentina. They also brought out all the salsas - chinichurri obviously delicious but also really enjoyed the green onion crema. Excited to eat the rest of my dessert tonight. The staff was SO, SO nice and I love what Lorena said about her story - such an inspirational woman and business. Also fun fact - apparently they're the only restaurant in Denver that makes mimosas with fresh-squeezed Oj! You can even see the machine chugging away and crushing oranges. Hadn't been to the Broadway location before but how fun they have tango dancing night every Wednesday too!!

such a great vibe in here; plenty of seating, modern decor, and nice natural lighting. the perfect place for a first date or for remote workers looking for a peaceful place to chill outside of home. the empanadas are rich and flavorful, with lots of veggie options. there's also coffee, tea, alcohol, and amazing cookies/dessert. quick service. love.

ME has been my go-to place for picking up a few items for a quick bite to eat for lunch or late-night snacking. I spent a good 1.5 hours at a brewery downtown for a networking event. I only had a glass of a fruity sour there so when I got out of the place, I sure was a bit hungry. Then a thought of getting me some yummy empanadas hit me while I was driving to get home. I wasted no time to get ME in a hurry. Today/tonight, I wanted to pick up something I had never tried before. I usually opt for the vegetarian and/or vegan option so I wanted to get me something that had some meat in it. I also wanted a few sweet kinds, too. What I got me tonight are, 1) Napoli which is a Malbec steak with oregano, 2) Banatella (no explanation needed here as the name says it all), 3) Pears in Marsala (again, not much explanation needed here for this one, either.) I only needed to eat one of them tonight so I went with the Napoli. And oh boy, this is my favorite now. The meat does taste like Malbec. And there was a hint of oregano at the end; this truly is the enhancer. I like it when It tastes like the name says it's going to taste. There was absolutely no disappointment in this piece. I will eat the sweet kinds tomorrow probably in the morning so I'll update this review later this week. I truly appreciate ME. It's still a bummer when COVID shut down one of the locations (the one in DTC.) Well, this Broadway location is still within a reasonable distance; I would never mind the drive here. Service is always good (almost forgot to mention before I concluded this review.) It was close to its closing time when I got there but the workers were welcoming. Check-out was super quick with no issues. I was sent off with a quick and yet meaningful "thank you". P.S. - I noticed the outdoor seating on the south end of the (on Louisiana Ave) today as it was nice and lit. I couldn't help taking a picture of it as it was so cute.

Came in for a snack since I had a free empanada sticker. Was delightfully surprised I got the Nepali - it was packed with meat. Being from LA I've had great empanadas. Will definitely be back to try some others. Service was prompt and professional. Ambiance was 10/10 loved the wood accents with all the Argentenian decor. They have roll up doors that are prime for any beautiful day in Denver. Also have some wine and a few beers on tap with a few nonalcoholic beverages

Maria Empanada is a quaint little bakery serving up, yep you guessed it, all things empanada. They also have quite the coffee selection as well. I was impressed with the range of flavors and styles of the empanadas, they even have a couple breakfast versions. I went with the Napoli (a special edition for the month) and a Beef. They heat them up briefly prior to serving and allow you to pick one of three sauces to compliment the empanada -- I went with the green onion sour cream sauce. They were both pretty good, granted I wasn't too hungry at the time so ended up taking some of it to go. The inside has several tables and some cool decor that honors its history. Prices range from around $5 for a single empanada, to $28 for a half dozen or $54 for a dozen. You can expect to eat 2-3 per person.

I've had like 4 different type of empanadas here and they've been great. Sometimes I would ask for them to be heated a bit more, but I love the variety of flavors! Chicken, beef, corn, egg, veggie, all kinds of options! And nice little sizes. The staff was super friendly and they have hot coffee drinks. And the sweet bread plain pastries were delicious! Super soft mini cookies too. I forget the proper names, but great stuff. A fun way to introduce a new culture of food to the kids.

We went to the location inside Stanley marketplace and it was amazing. We tried the breakfast chorizo and the corn empanadas and if we hadn't been on a snack quest would've gone back and bought everything they had! Food was incredible. Staff was so nice and the vibe was way too fun! Will be back!

Super cute and comfy atmosphere. I tried 4 empanadas and they were all good (Mushroom, Argentina, Sierra, Beef). I love that the name of the empanada is on the empanada, so you can know which one you are eating. It's cute and practical :)

I have been wanting to try this place for awhile and finally made it in and we were not disappointed. The inside of the restaurant is very pretty and the music selection and volume was perfect. I like the garage doors to bring the outside in, it made the environment perfect on a summer day. Service was great all the staff were extremely friendly. The empanada selection is not big which I appreciate, too many options can be overwhelming. I got the egg, potato, and salsa and the ham and cheese empanadas, they were both delicious but the ham and cheese was my favorite. My wife ordered the sierra and chorizo and she said the chorizo was her favorite. We also ordered the Espanola Classico and the tarta Victoria which both were amazing, the Classico was so soft and fluffy. The tarta was not sweet at all which I loved and had great flavor. We will definitely be back to try some more!

Girl meets delectable empanadas with authentic & professional service in a stylish and serene spot!

First time in, and will not be the last! These artisan empanadas are hand made and completely stuffed with deliciousness! We tried the egg and cheese, mushroom and ham and cheese. The beautiful lady that helped us was very informational, we had not tried Mate tea before, we gave it try, it's very strong, as she informed us, not sure it's our thing but glad we gave it a shot! This is a family friendly place, we were here early morning which was quite, as we were finishing up, others were coming in, seems like a hot spot. Can't wait to return to try something different.

High quality empanadas that are prepared well! Reasonably priced with friendly staff in a warm atmosphere.

I've been wanting to try Maria empanada forever and I'm so glad I finally made it in first of all the inside is super cute. I felt transported out of Colorado and into Argentina (I've never been yet) or Europe or something. That was really cool. I had the lemon dessert and it was so good. All the desserts looked really really good. I was just stuffed from having lunch next-door first, so missed out on trying an empanada selection. I also had a latte which was super yummy and all of the empanadas looked delicious so I will definitely be looking forward to making it back and, eating empanadas like it's my job.

Delicious empanadas! I got the mushroom and spinach empanadas with chimichurri sauce. Really delicious vegetarian options. The ambiance is awesome, enjoyed the outdoor seating on a nice day and service was great. The chocolate drink was a little disappointing though, it had chocolate chunks and didn't mix well with the frothed milk.

Loved everything about it. We received a great introduction to our options and tasted almost everything on the menu. Every flavor was fantastic. Napoli was my favorite. And the banatella was delicious.

Maria Empanada is delicious!! All the empanadas are top tier. We love going here whenever we're nearby. The price is reasonable and the service is fantastic. The store is always clean, there's lots of places to sit, and it's very modern. we love Maria Empanada!!!

My only regret not getting more lol Tried chorizo Caprese Chimchurri chicken Spinach Beef Classico And mushroom All were good but the chimchurri stole the show flavor wise. Even the "vegetarian friendlier" options weren't bad. Appreciate the labeling the empanadas for easy designation for my group of hungry consumers. Service was quick even with what seemed like little staff. Didn't spend more then 10 minutes from entry to deciding to leaving which is prompt service for sure. Recommend if in the area FOR SURE

It took me 4 years to finally try Maria Empanada & I really wish I tried them sooner! I went today around Noon & ordered Take Out. The Start Here sign tells you where to start and there were about 2 groups ahead of me, but when 1 employee took their order, another quickly jumped in & took the next order. The glass cases (2 of them) were filled with warm empanadas in 1 & a variety of beautiful desserts in the other! The empanadas had very buttery, flaky dough & they were filled with every option conceivable! I went with the Breakfast (Egg, Potato, Cheddar & salsa), the Beef Classico, a Ham & Cheese, and a speciality empanada, the Argentina! I've eaten 2 already and they were excellent!!! The corner restaurant was big, and very clean, and ready for the lunch rush! Fountain sodas were available to help yourself, as well as a variety of Mexican soft drinks. They definitely have plenty of empanadas to try & the desserts looked fantastic! I'll definitely be back to sample some more & maybe a dessert or 2!

Maria Empanada has multiple locations around town, and a great business success story (Lorena - read her origin story here: https://www.mariaempanada.com/our-story). We love to support this small locally-owned biz whenever we can. Stanley Marketplace has so many food options, and this is one of our favorites to just pick up a small nibble when we're not in the mood for a big meal. We also love to get a dozen to bring to the office, and they mark the empanadas with edible ink so folks know what they're eating. My favorites: The Sierra and the Chorizo. Go with a friend and get a few to share; you won't be disappointed.

These empanadas are great!! I love empanadas that are super soft and these are exactly that! They have vegetarian options too the mushroom and Caprese were fantastic! They also had a dance class when I happened to be there which is cool! It's an order at the counter type of place! I'll definitely come back! The only con is they don't have parking so you have to do street parking!

Recently I was back in and it seems they've made improvements to their new pastry recipe for their empanadas. I had remarked previously the new change did not taste as good. But happy to say the recent improvement is a lot more similar to what I remember several years ago. Still different but much improved. Props for listening to your customers!

Really cute empanada place. The inside is very modern and warm - they currently have holiday decor up. You go inside and they have a variety of empanadas you can choose from including vegetarian options as well as plenty of meat options. There's a half dozen deal where you get $2.50 off. The service is self serve after you pay. There are also many drink options!

Some damn good empanadas! As a fellow peruvian who has both Argentinian and Peruvian empanadas, these empanadas were tasty and full of flavor. Their pastry wasnt too sweet nor flaky, and the carne, pollo, and asada were juicy. Def recommend this place for good, authentic, and flavorful empanadas!

This was the cutest little empanada place with outdoor seating. I came in during the late afternoon for a quick bite, and this place did not disappoint. We got six different empanadas and they were all delicious. I think my favorite was the mushroom and cheese. We also got to pick from a few different sauces that we're all very flavorful. They were all cooked perfectly and none were too dry. The presentation of the empanadas were also adorable. He got their specialty tea which was also very good. Everyone was very friendly, and when my husband rudely declined any sauces before he paid, the cashier offered us sauces free of charge. What a kind gentleman! We will definitely be returning if we are in the area again!

UPDATE: so many years later, they're still very good. They've really settled into the neighborhood, and they continue to offer great Argentinian food and drink. They've got a base list of empanadas, about a dozen different kinds, along with a couple of breakfast and dessert ones, but now they're offering an occasional special which might make it onto the regular menu in time. Each one is full of flavor and you'll easily find several you like. After some issues during the peak of COVID, they've fixed everything and it's back to being what we all know and enjoy. Get a couple, get a dozen, whatever, just get you some. This is the kind of place we need more of in Denver!

Maria Empanada is delicious in the morning but I have found the empanadas dry out as the day goes on & aren't quite as tasty. Overall, these are some of my favorite empanadas because they are not too much breading / better flavor that most.

Tasty, unique finger food. Soul reviving food! Friendly people and environment. Win all the way around!

I went to Maria Empanada twice, once to get my son's desserts and myself coffee, and then again for my purse (doh!) and half a dozen empanadas. You know what, it was SO WORTH THE stress thinking my purse was gone forever to try those empanadas. The desserts were very good - both boys had the tiramisu, which comes in a nice glass bowl that you can keep. Each boy finished theirs with no trouble (and very few breaths taken), and I loved my Ivi Lemon but made myself stop so I could have a tasty dessert later. We also had one of the Banatellas, which my son wasn't so sure about, but I couldn't stop. The next day, after I had been handed my purse (which they had found and immediately put aside behind the counter - they were very sweet S I exploded with relief - I ordered six empanadas. I got two beef, one corn, one mushroom, and two of the Diego. Which was best? Impossible to answer because they were all so amazing!! I had two that day, and then the next day my dad "offered" to split two. We had the corn and a Diego. Just so you don't think I'm just bad at picking winners, when I asked him which he had liked most, he told me they were both equally good. Six empanadas, which would be three filling meals, were $33.

What a cool spot! I stopped in for a pickup order and wish I could have dined in because it has such a cool seating area. It's fast service with empanadas premade and ready to heat up and serve. I tried the spinach (a TON of spinach), Argentina (my favorite!) and the Chicken Chimichurri (also delicious!). They forgot my Chimichurri sauce on the side, but I know it would have been gooooood. I also got a small pear empanada for dessert which was perfect - not too sweet, but packed with fruit. And the to go box is super cute which is a great touch! I'll definitely be back!

Surrounded by various shops and restaurants, Maria Empanada stands out with its corner real estate location. The inside is spacious and has a homey feel. They offer multiple flavors of empanadas that you can choose from, as well as other treats. Also offered is a wide variety of drinks, from wine/beer to fresh juices/soda. Service was friendly and fast. I ordered their spinach and veggie empanadas with the spicy (I think miso) sauce. As a little dessert I ordered the Banatella as well. Everything was so delicious! Love the empanada bread texture. Would definitely be coming back!

I visited Maria Empanada several times when I lived closer to this location. This is another business where I should've given a five star review a long time ago. I LOVE Maria's empanadas! They're baked to perfection! On my most recent visit, I ordered a half dozen to go. Some of the empanadas that stood out are the Argentina - Speciality, Chicken Chimichurri, Beef Classico, Ham & Cheese and Caprese. I love how they offer delicious dipping sauces as well. I ordered one of each. They have four separate sauces to try with your empanada. I also purchased a bag of their cookies that have dulce de lech inside with coconut. It's a nice cute bag of small cookies for about nine dollars. I also purchased a few of their pastries to go with coffee. The pastries are smaller size (2-3 small bites) that have chocolate and banana filling in one and pears in the other. Be forewarned when you bite into the chocolate and banana pastry, it may explode as you bite with chocolate erupting from it. This one wasn't bad. However, I loved the pastry with pears. It was delicious! Lastly, I ordered a cappuccino to go. It was fantastic! I had a Starbucks coffee earlier that didn't quite do it. Their cappuccino made it up for it, without a doubt! Every time I visited here, I always ordered empanadas or other foods to go. I will make it a point to hang out here on a Saturday afternoon while enjoying their fantastic coffee with some empanadas. This is a great place to hang out with friends, work on your computer, read or write. I imagine this would be a great venue to meet new people and make friends. I also love how Maria's empanadas are packaged for when ordering to go. I always receive my half dozen in a sturdy cardboard box. It's not cheaply made. My only challenge is inhaling the delicious aroma of the empanadas during my drive home while tempting to start digging into them. I feel that they're absolutely enjoyed best with a cup of coffee. The Argentina Empanada is my favorite. If you haven't checked out Maria Empanada, I highly recommend them if you haven't checked them out before or if you're in town visiting. Looking forward to my next visit! LOVE this place!

I'm addicted to the spinach empanada Just get one Take them to go and eat them for breakfast Sooooooo good And Mexican Sprite my fave Thank you Maria Empanada Consistency is key to a good business You guys deliver

We were excited to try the empanadas here and found that they were good, not great. The selection was smaller than I felt it should be and I wanted some different options with more proteins. Pricing was a bit higher than usual for these little morsels. I feel like the place got a little too busy and they are now making more than they can make with the quality they want them to be; good, not great. I will eat here more when in the area but it's not something I would go out of my way for again.

Saw this on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and it did not disappoint!!! The empanadas were DELICIOUS. So were the desserts!!

Was just in Denver for a wedding. Omaha where I came from is devoid of a good empanada so always on the lookout. These certainly satisfied the craving! Got 6 in all between my wife and myself. I had the Argentina, the breakfast egg & chorizo, and the ham and cheese. All were delicious but I'm a sucker for the classic ham & cheese. They also has an assortment of sauces including chimichurri, a Smokey salsa, green onion sour cream, & sweet chili Mayo. The inside seating was clean and plentiful but we chose to sit outside along the street on covered bistro style tables as it was a nice day. Highly recommend and will return!

They have lots of options for empanadas, both for meat lovers and vegetarian. They have ample seating indoor and maybe one table outdoor. It's been a while since I ate here so I can't exactly remember what we got. But I remember I got 3 meat and my friend got 3 vegetarian. I remember we both did not like spinach. I thought all of my empanadas were just average. The other two veggie ones were meh as well. We got two desserts. One wasn't great (a chocolate one) but one was tasty. Super helpful review I know. I just remember thinking overall "meh" prob wouldn't come back. Expensive for the portions, not very filling.

I LOVED this place. We got a chorizo, Diego, and beef empanada. It was fantastic! The chimichurri sauce was great too. The BEST a desserts are the chocolate cake and tiramisu. The chocolate cake has many layers and a crunch layer on the bottom that is to die for. I wish the tiramisu was in a different container because it's not much for the price but still amazing. I think it's just more due to the glass bowl, which is cute and you get to keep. The only dessert I do not like is the Berry Creme Brûlée. Crème brûlée is my favorite and I have never had a crème brûlée like this, it is very watery and a blended soggy bread texture... Not smooth and creamy at all. I thought maybe it was just mine and I got a bad one, but someone else mentioned it as well. Also, drinks are so good that are behind the register! Worth it :)

I don't know why I waited so long to get back to Maria Empanada at the Stanley Marketplace! I wasn't even hungry but the yummy smell wafting g through the hallway pulled me in and I picked up several to share at home. All three were delicious! We tried the Caprese, a mushroom, and a spicy chicken. We had a couple of salsas and a chimmichurri sauce as well. Everything was delicious even though I decided to wait until I got home to devour them. I warmed them up in the oven rather than using the microwave. I'm going to have to make more of an effort to get back there again, sooner rather than later.

This place is very good. The empanadas are super well done. They have fillings for everyone's taste in my opinion. I didn't like the caprese or the Diego but it's simply because it's not my cup of tea. The Argentina, beef, and chicken are good. All the sauces are great but I would recommend Having the asada with the beef and Argentina, or the chimichurri one with those two is good as well. The tiramisu is also pretty good not super sweet which I like and very creamy.

Saturday, March 25th, 2023 We are from South Florida and know a thing or two about empanadas. We vote for Empanada Mama in NYC, Vicky Bakery/Sergio's and other Hispanic places in SoFl but in Denver it's Maria Empanada. We specifically drove to Stanley Marketplace for Maria Empanada to stuff our bellies before heading to the airport. They had so many to chose from and delicious sauces, we ordered half a dozen for two people and it was the perfect amount. The staff were friendly, professional, patient and recommended their most popular and they're popular for a reason ;) We loved everything about our experience at Maria Empanada and recommend it to anyone in Denver at Stanley Marketplace. Looking back, we should have ordered less as we wanted to also try the legit ramen at Qi-Lin. But, no regrets on the half dozen whatsoever.

The empanadas are spectacular! This is a great neighborhood gem. I love the corn empanada and the sierra chicken. I would eat a corn empanada daily if I could. Sauces were good too! The banatella (banana and nutella, powdered sugar) were amazing. I wish I had ordered more of them.

The empanadas were very good but the crème brûlée was old and watery,no fresh . I usually come often I had never bought dessert and the first time I bought it and I took that disappointment

Stunning empanadas. I an no empanada expert but the ones I tried were fantastic. I forgot which kind I had so I have to go back.