Saya Saltena

I honestly was searching for fries in the area and they popped up so I ended up trying other things: Spicy Chicken Salteña, 7/10: If you're into meat filled sweet bread then this is a plus for you, this is basically a Bolivian style empanada. I hate mixing sweet bread w meat so it just was a no for me but I still enjoyed it 🤷 Tres Leches, 20/10: Tres Leches is my favorite cake 😩 I haven't really explored the city enough to see the full Leches cake scene out but this one DEFINITELY beats EVERY SINGLE ONE I've had so far from the dmv area!!!! You will not be disappointed 🔥 Mocochinchi, 10/10: This is a Bolivian drink made by peeling and drying out peaches then sitting them overnight in water and boiling them w cinnamon and sugar. Tastes as if it were a peach, cinnamon tea and I liked it a lot 👍

Discovered that Saya Saltena had finally opened around the corner from my office. The store decor is amazing, and has a very inviting atmosphere. The interior design is fabulous! The staff was helpful, friendly and attentive. The lunch was amazing. The flavors exploded with great textures and the way they all come together is like no other local restaurant. I would rate them a 10 out of 10, will definitely come back again.

Nothing special. Flavors are not there, if you are looking for authentic Bolivian street food this is far from it. The chicken saltena was better than the sandwich de chola. But still lacking a lot of flavors. Sandwich was pretty much served in a burger bun with a side of frozen French fries, definitely not a Bolivian thing. The meat in the sándwich, I can tell was just reheated in a microwave and it did not taste like the traditional one, was more like a bbq pulled pork sandwich to be honest. The dough in the saltena was rock solid, very rustic, I don’t know why. Definitely not Bolivian Street food.

Everything was so wonderful the first time I ate here, I came back a week later with a friend. The food is delicious and the prices very reasonable. Last time I had a Relleno de Carne ($8), Sopa de Mani peanut soup with beef ($9), and Mocochinchi peach drink ($4). This time we tried Beef, Vegan, and Chicken Saltenas ($6). There's a reason why they come with instructions on how to eat them. The Coffee Flan ($4) was a great dessert. Looking forward to coming back to try other items on the menu.

So disappointed! I finally get the chance to visit this place and I was so excited since this is the only Bolivian place in DC. I purchased a chicken salteña and a Pukacapa. The salteña’s dough was undercooked and the filling didn’t taste like salteña- the Pukacapa was super greasy and the cheese super salty, the dough wasn’t close to the dough of a Pukacapa. Next time I prefer to drive to Nova and get Salteñas from “Luzmilla” and pukacapas from “La Cochabambinita”. Please try your products before putting out to the public! BOLIVIAN FOOD is too good to be misrepresented! 🇧🇴

My wife and I was walking around after taking care of business at the U.S. Passport Agency office down the street. Great food. Wonderful service to add also. When my wife and I are back in this area again will for sure come back to this establishment. 5 star all the way!

When you need a taste of Bolivia, whether you are Bolivian or not, stop by Saya Salteña in DC. Their food is great! They have salteñas, humintas, relleno de papa, cuñapes, sopa de mani, and so much more. Oh, how could I forget, they have my favorite, mocochinchi. And to add the cherry on top their customer service is superb! A definite must have.

Made me SO happy to see this place pop up when I was looking for lunch. Got four salteñas, steak and chicken (think soup in a demi-sweet bread shell, it's an artisanal meal with beautiful contrasts). Mocochinchi (think sweetened iced tea - peach with cinnamon notes, and a raisin peach to wrap it up). And this adorable little mug. Can't wait to visit DC to come back here again.

Delicious Bolivian Saltenas which are like soupy empanadas! The Vegan Saltena made of quinoa and potatoes was dry (not soupy) and surprisingly very flavorful with a sweet outer shell. It reminded me of the Indian samosa and used my own dipping sauce. I wasn't a big fan of the Relenno de Queso and Potatoes, and didn't match the appetizing photos from the website. It was very greasy and messy and tasted like a cheesy mashed potatoes in a crispy shell kind of like an ovestuffed arancini. After a few bites, I threw in the towel, glad I got the Saltenas. Highly recommend the Saltena, will come back for more!

I had to stop into Saya to check out there Bolivian street food. I kept hearing about it on various social media. I tried several specialties, including a spicy chicken saltena. Everything was really tasty! The saltena was the best thing I tried, although I would not call it spicy. I would love to come back here and try more menu items! The service is very friendly, too. The shop is more of a to-go place than a dine-in spot. You order at the counter, and they will give you a to-go container with heating and eating instructions. Love!

It was the first time here and taste the salteñas great pleasure for my palate, 100% recommended and the staff very nice

Their sálteñas are extremely overpriced! $ 6.00 for one sálteña!! That's insane! Yes they have to charge more because they are appealing to a different demographics and rents are high in DC, however I still think it's way too expensive! It's something that shouldn't cost more than $ 3.00 max! Obviously I won't be buying them at Saya's any longer!

I got the potato beef ball--if left much to be desired. It came with a side of some sauce.

Saya Saltena was disappointing in every way. I got the vegan and the spicy beef saltenas, as well as the cunapes. The only good thing I had was the filling of the spicy beef saltenas-it was spicy, rich, and had amazing flavor. The dough tasted cheap and thrown together at the last minute, and the cunapes needed more cheese and flavor.

Fantastic homemade tasting spicy chicken Salteña and peach infused drink (omg the latter was so completely delicious it haunted me in a good way later). Prices are super reasonable/low especially for the DC area. Managed by super friendly and helpful staff. PS. This was very tricky to find for the first time using my iPhone maps as it was taking me to the wrong side of the street (it's located on 20th St side (corner 20th/Penn) not 19th where the CVS is located).

Authentic and delicious salteñas. Has the soupy consistency you expect from a real salteña.

Really delicious food and non-alcoholic drinks, and friendly staff. The vegan salteña was awesome!

Really nice! Reasonably priced and very tasty. It's mostly a takeout place to bring back to work. It's cute and I liked the little llama mascot lol. Def recommend for a quick lunch place.

I am currentlt visiting the area and found myself craving this Bolivian delicacy. Saya salteña definitely hit the spot and I am so happy I found them! A salteña is something that is not easy to nail, so kuddos to them for perfecting this. The shell or dough was sweet and had the perfect texture. The insides had so much juice and meat. The balance of this Salteña was amazing. The cuñape or Bolivian cheese bread was also super good. I must say, I made the order and my driving took super long but the people from Saya expressed their concern and were attentive until I got my order. Service is also a 10/10. Please try this place!

Recently had the opportunity to check out this place found inside Mess Hall. This nondescript building has got some major culinary creations getting pumped out like these incredible salteñas. What are salteñas? They are empanadas specifically from Bolivia. I've had salteñas before, but these are next-level. I tried their four main flavors - Chicken, Beef, Spicy Chicken, and Spicy Beef. These little packages are loaded with potatoes, peas, olives, hard boiled egg & spices baked in a sweet crispy dough. These are to be eaten carefully because it's a soup filling. So, basically, it's hand-held soup... which is great because I hate dirtying dishes. Overall, the salteñas are some of the best empanadas I've ever had. What's great is that you can order them fresh baked or frozen to bake at home. Ordering online is also a breeze.

So happy to find a yummy salteña place in DC! For those who don't know, a salteña is a Bolivian food that is kind of like an empanada with sweet dough but the inside is a savory soup with chunks of potato, meat, and other foods depending on the variety. I went to Bolivia last year and this was the food I missed the most! I highly recommend if you are also a salteña lover or if you want to try something new. They have many varieties (including a vegan one!) and you can even purchase frozen ones to eat later. I will note that the place is difficult to find. You have to go through a door that isn't very clearly marked and ring a doorbell to be let in. Aside from my difficulty in finding the place, pickup went smoothly.

I highly recommend Saya Salteña! The dough and fillings are just perfect. The menu is small but it's mighty. They offer cuñapes (amazing cheese bread), sopa de mani (peanut soup), and alfajores. I feel like this spot was made for me, they're all my favorites from Bolivia! The great thing is they offer baked and frozen salteñas, which is just perfect. I have some in my freezer right now (). You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. My boyfriend and I got a little of everything and it was all delicious. Also, great vegan options! Very grateful because vegan versions of salteñas and sopa de mani are hard to come by. I'm a customer for life!

Easy-ish pick up from Mess Hall in Washington D.C. I believe there are other options for pickup and delivery based on the day. The food: I tried both a beef and a chicken salteña and I absolutely loved it. I love empanadas but this is like the soup dumpling of empanadas. It's filled with this super flavorful broth, meat, olives, potatoes, and hard boiled egg. The outside is crispy on top, but still has a nice chew, and slightly sweet. Definitely would recommend!

As a Bolivian I was truly excited to finally try out Saya Saltena. The space itself was really well done. Loved the llama mural on the wall and the cute merchandise (mugs/tshirts). The main thing I came for was the Saltena. I got the spicy chicken since they were out of the regular chicken. The box had a disclaimer that the contents of the saltena were "Hot + Juicy". My saltena was neither of those things. I guess I'm used to really brothy and mouth scalding Saltenas that I get in Northern Virginia. Irregardless, the saltena was flavorful and fulfulled the craving I had. I didn't realize you had to pay for your green spicy sauce so make sure to order because unlike other Bolivian places these Saltenas do not come with them. I ended up getting the Papa Relleno (with ground beef) and the Sopa de Mani to split with my co-worker. I have to say that I was dissapointed in both. The Papa Relleno did have a nice golden crispy exterior but the potatoe on the inside were gummy and the beef filling was lacking in flavor. The Sopa de Mani was again IMO, overpriced for the amount you get. Also, the peanut flavor could have come through more, it felt more like a beef stew. All in all I would come back for the Saltenas and to try their coffee which are made from Bolivian coffee beans.

It really hit the spot, my wife and I have been searching for what we thought we had eating in Peru / Bolivia boarder for years. Having eaten empanada's they just weren't the same. After reading the reviews and description her and I were like maybe we had a Saltena. YESSSS, the sweet bread with stew is perfect combination for hearty snack or lunch or dinner. Think of these like homemade hot pockets; if hot pockets weren't gross magma burn your face off disasters. We had the beef and chicken, both were great. We even reheated one for dinner and it was great. She sells frozen ones and she told me they take 20 min to heat up, which we'll do and leave a few in the freezer for kids or us if we don't want to make or order lunch/dinner. These are not pastries, they are on the go meals that need to be on every other corner of the city; these are GREAT!

Absolutely delightful saltenas - these were my first saltenas, but my friend has tried many before and was really impressed. The crust was wonderful, with a light sweetbread taste, and the filling was a hearty stew. We tried the spicy chicken and spicy beef. Neither of them are particularly hot, so don't worry about that - they're just well seasoned. We ordered online the night before for lunch with a set time for pickup because we were walking there, but you can easily order online or by phone same-day. She texted us when they were ready (5 minutes early) & we called when we arrived, about 15 minutes later, and they were still perfectly hot & fresh. This is a kitchen pop-up, so there isn't any seating area or bathrooms - but it's also right next to the Metropolitan Branch Trail, where you can set up a picnic. They plan to add some additional desserts & have just added a wine special to the menu as well, to make a full meal. Enjoy!

This place is great! Their spicy chicken salteña is my favorite. The vegan one is good too but I wish they would sell vegetarian salteñas so that it's more than just quinoa. I also really enjoy their sopa de mani (peanut soup). No matter what you get, be sure to get a couple alfajores!

There is no doubt I had an authentic Bolivian dish. The presentation and packaging was good. The salteñas had quality ingredients. My experience was also fun. Just like a noob I did not read the directions - AN ABSOLUTE MUST - and I had what amounts to hot soup everywhere. My issue here is me. I couldn't tell if I was having a pastry or not. I was expecting savory but it turns out these are sweet. I was really confused eating it, so just not a fan. I would encourage you to go and try for yourself.

Excellent food, really good service, and reasonable prices. I highly recommend Saya Salteña!

I have tried salteñas before and is the worst I have tried, for that amount I would have thought it was boom. The "beef" one was not that great. This is the first one time I have seen salteña with ground beef.

My friend brought some Salteña to us. It is so delicious with light sweet bread and juicy fillings Highly recommended! My Bolivian friends told me this is very authentic! Cannot wait to try the alfajores!

Simply delicious. We've gotten to go orders from here twice now and the second time we also stocked up on frozen ones. All the flavors are good though the spicy beef is my favorite--mild heat. My spouse says these take him back to the saltena stands of his teenage years in Bolivia, picking up a quick snack after school. Meant to take a photo but would have had to stop stuffing my face for a sec to do so. Located inside Mess Hall.

After reading about Saya Salteña in City Paper, I knew I had to try it, and it did not disappoint! I made a meal out of a vegan salteña, peanut soup, and alfajore cookie. It's hard to tell from the images on the website, but the portions are substantial--it was the perfect amount for lunch. I placed the order online, and it was ready for pickup 7 minutes later. The soup, which comes in a 16-oz container, was thick and subtly spiced, and topped with potatoes. The dough on the salteña was pleasingly sweet. I definitely recommend checking this place out. Just remember, salteñas are not empanadas--follow the instructions on the packaging to eat (from the top down, since the filling is partially liquid).

We saw the article in the City Paper, about how savory saltenas are the comfort food DC needs now, and we knew we had to tries these saltenas and we were not disappointing. I have never had a saltena before, which is a cross between an empanada and a soup dumpling. Also kind of like a potpie. First let me say the dough was light and fluffy. It was heaven and you could tell that all the ingredients were fresh. We order for delivery and couldn't have asked for a better experience.

I really enjoyed the food and the friendly conversation from the owner. Tried the spicy chicken salteña and a fresh-from-the-oven cheese rolla. The rolla was a little piece of heaven -- highly recommend them, especially if they're hot. The salteña had really nice flavor, more well seasoned than spicy to me. Hot and fresh. I wasn't sure how filling it would be. Both items together felt like a light lunch. I would get two salteñas for a fuller meal. Looking forward to trying more of their offerings.