MAGNIFIQUE! hands-down, the best empanada I’ve ever eaten and believe me, I have eaten my share of empanadas; all the way from Spain!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chris
Delicious empanadas!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Raul Chaluleu
I highly recommend the chorizo and shepherds pie as well as the dulce de leche banana dessert empanadas. As an Argentinian, this place gets my full stamp of approval!
The empanadas were great, service was terrible. We have ordered to go as we have already had lunch and wanted to enjoy the empanadas later. We ordered 6 empanadas for $25 and 2 alfajores cookies for $5. We also gave a generous tip of 20%. 15 minutes later they called us to say it was ready, double checked the order. We had to remind them of the cookies, he proceeded giving us one piece, we said we ordered two. He went on checking, spending 5 minutes arguing about it, and it looked like the girl before didn’t order 2 for us but one. Fine, we left. Later at home we also found out that we only got 5 empanadas and not 6 that we paid for. The experience sucked and we wish we didn’t tip at all. So, enjoy the empanadas, but check your order and don’t tip, they only do the minimum required.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Empanadas
Annabelle Hammers
It was not what we were expecting at all. As we walked up to order the cashier put in one of her airpods. We thought that everything was handmade but was told that it was premade at the other location which is not what handmade means. I figured we could customize the empanadas to our liking then they would be handmade and cooked. Whenever we got our food some of the empanadas were cold. We were not impressed with the way that some of them tasted. Overall this was a waste of money and a very disappointing experience.What we ordered- Carolina BBQ (2/5 outside was warm meanwhile the inside was cold)- Pulled chorizo (2/5 outside was warm meanwhile inside was cold)- Fries (3/5 didn't taste fresh)- Chicken with cheese baked on top of it (2/5 didn't have any cheese baked on the top like I asked for)- Cheese and pepperoni (4/5 wish it was a little bit hotter)- Dulce de Leche Banana (2/5 was cold)- Fountain drink
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Kasey Halodik
delicious and very flavorful. would recommend the steak empanada and the creamy cilantro sauce!Wheelchair accessibility: have to enter optimis hall
Sporadic W.
Went a few years ago with one of my kids. We did a mukbang and tried a few of them empanadas. My favorite by far was their most unique in my opinion- guava and cheese! I also tried their spinach which was regular and not sure which meat one my daughter got. Service was fine, nice enough. We sat outside and that was good. The vibe of the food hall is hectic and busy but also kind of trendy. Food prices reflect that vibe.
Kaicey W.
Service was quick and friendly. The menu offers a great variety. Only issue I had was trying to narrow my selection to three. We ended up going with the Carnitas Taco, Bacon Date 'n Goat Cheese, and Pepperoni Pizza empanadas. All great options! We had originally planned to take them to go as we had sampled a few different restaurants this trip and were pretty full, but I didn't realize the Carnitas Taco had toppings that likely wouldn't travel well. So we ended up splitting that and taking the rest to go. I'm glad we did because it was still hot. The dough was fresh and crispy and the carnitas filling was flavorful. I would definitely get this one again. The Bacon, Date 'n Goat Cheese caught my eye and I just had to try it. I loved that the bacon was thick cut. It paired well with the sweet date and tangy goat cheese. I do feel this one could've used a little more filling but it was still good overall. Like the other, the dough was perfectly crispy and fresh. We had the Pepperoni Pizza empanada later that night and it reheated well in the air fryer. I feel like it would've been perfect dipped in some marinara sauce but was still very good on its own. I would order any of these options again. I also enjoyed the dipping sauces they offered. My favorite being the mambo sauce. Their hot sauce is really good too (and pairs nicely with the Texas Cheesesteak next door if you happen to visit them.) Next trip I will definitely be ordering at least one of these empanadas again, but I also have my eye on their sweet options as well. All in all, I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. They're perfectly cooked and have great filling options no matter your preference.
Brandon Loveland
Unbelievably good. Ordered the cubana and carnitas taco. Both were amazing. The girl at the front was also super helpful and friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stacy Monsanto
They were good, but as a born and bred puertorican definitely doesn't pass. The pizza empanda ones have like a spec of sauce in one corner the rest all bland cheese. Chicken empanda was a bit over seasoned, a little charred taste, but it's eatable.
I came here on a weekday afternoon, and they weren't swamped, so the service was prompt. The gentleman behind the counter was very kind and offered his suggestions. I opted for the street beef. The dough was Argentinian-style empanada dough, which is more akin to a cross between puff pastry and pie dough. The filling was flavorful, and the portion size was great. It was very good, and I recommend it. They have two locations: one inside Latta Arcade and the other inside Optimist Hall. Both are great and give off a food hall vibe, so it's perfect for casual no-frills dining.
David Blumberg
Amazing!! Really delicious Empanadas Chicken, Steak. Chorizo, etc. Located in Optimist Hall. Mambo sauce is spot on. Fries are a no however.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tondra H.
A few months ago someone mentioned this place and how delicious the empanadas are. We stopped by on New Year's Day. Fortunately, Optimist Hall wasn't too packed at all...somewhat quiet and very relaxed. Although I wasn't really hungry, I was determined to try the Bacon, Date, and Goat Cheese empanada. There wasn't a line when we approached the counter. We watched the ladies in the back work for about 5 minutes before the cashier walked in and we were finally greeted...he must've taken a bathroom break. While I was waiting for the order, someone else walked up and began talking about how the line is usually very long, so we lucked out on the holiday. The empanada was good. I like dates and bacon, and I love goat cheese, but the empanada was extremely rich and had a LOT of goat cheese. I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had an appetite, and if the portions were divvied up differently. That was my first time trying them out. I'll eventually return and try another kind.
JW
I had the chicken empanadas, rice and beans and fries. All were absolutely delicious! Very very flavorful! I had the creamy cilantro sauce and OMG! Sooo good! Service was fast! I highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David C
First experience after hearing of Felix’s since they opened their uptown location. The staff at Optimist Hall were impressively friendly and helped me choose my two empanadas for the combo. The side Cobb salad was delicious with a homemade dressing very unique and the size is very generous. I tried La Cubana and Chicken. La Cubana was unbelievably better than any Cuban sandwich I’ve had. The lady recommended the house made honey mustard and it was a perfect combination. The chicken empanada was also much tastier than I expected and full of juice. I used the “green” sauce with this one and the sauce is delicious. For the combo price (includes drink) this is a very good deal and I will be trying all the empanadas!
MAGNIFIQUE! hands-down, the best empanada I’ve ever eaten and believe me, I have eaten my share of empanadas; all the way from Spain!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious empanadas!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I highly recommend the chorizo and shepherds pie as well as the dulce de leche banana dessert empanadas. As an Argentinian, this place gets my full stamp of approval!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shepherd's Pie, Pepperoni Pizza, Empanadas
The empanadas were great, service was terrible. We have ordered to go as we have already had lunch and wanted to enjoy the empanadas later. We ordered 6 empanadas for $25 and 2 alfajores cookies for $5. We also gave a generous tip of 20%. 15 minutes later they called us to say it was ready, double checked the order. We had to remind them of the cookies, he proceeded giving us one piece, we said we ordered two. He went on checking, spending 5 minutes arguing about it, and it looked like the girl before didn’t order 2 for us but one. Fine, we left. Later at home we also found out that we only got 5 empanadas and not 6 that we paid for. The experience sucked and we wish we didn’t tip at all. So, enjoy the empanadas, but check your order and don’t tip, they only do the minimum required.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Empanadas
It was not what we were expecting at all. As we walked up to order the cashier put in one of her airpods. We thought that everything was handmade but was told that it was premade at the other location which is not what handmade means. I figured we could customize the empanadas to our liking then they would be handmade and cooked. Whenever we got our food some of the empanadas were cold. We were not impressed with the way that some of them tasted. Overall this was a waste of money and a very disappointing experience.What we ordered- Carolina BBQ (2/5 outside was warm meanwhile the inside was cold)- Pulled chorizo (2/5 outside was warm meanwhile inside was cold)- Fries (3/5 didn't taste fresh)- Chicken with cheese baked on top of it (2/5 didn't have any cheese baked on the top like I asked for)- Cheese and pepperoni (4/5 wish it was a little bit hotter)- Dulce de Leche Banana (2/5 was cold)- Fountain drink
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
delicious and very flavorful. would recommend the steak empanada and the creamy cilantro sauce!Wheelchair accessibility: have to enter optimis hall
Went a few years ago with one of my kids. We did a mukbang and tried a few of them empanadas. My favorite by far was their most unique in my opinion- guava and cheese! I also tried their spinach which was regular and not sure which meat one my daughter got. Service was fine, nice enough. We sat outside and that was good. The vibe of the food hall is hectic and busy but also kind of trendy. Food prices reflect that vibe.
Service was quick and friendly. The menu offers a great variety. Only issue I had was trying to narrow my selection to three. We ended up going with the Carnitas Taco, Bacon Date 'n Goat Cheese, and Pepperoni Pizza empanadas. All great options! We had originally planned to take them to go as we had sampled a few different restaurants this trip and were pretty full, but I didn't realize the Carnitas Taco had toppings that likely wouldn't travel well. So we ended up splitting that and taking the rest to go. I'm glad we did because it was still hot. The dough was fresh and crispy and the carnitas filling was flavorful. I would definitely get this one again. The Bacon, Date 'n Goat Cheese caught my eye and I just had to try it. I loved that the bacon was thick cut. It paired well with the sweet date and tangy goat cheese. I do feel this one could've used a little more filling but it was still good overall. Like the other, the dough was perfectly crispy and fresh. We had the Pepperoni Pizza empanada later that night and it reheated well in the air fryer. I feel like it would've been perfect dipped in some marinara sauce but was still very good on its own. I would order any of these options again. I also enjoyed the dipping sauces they offered. My favorite being the mambo sauce. Their hot sauce is really good too (and pairs nicely with the Texas Cheesesteak next door if you happen to visit them.) Next trip I will definitely be ordering at least one of these empanadas again, but I also have my eye on their sweet options as well. All in all, I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. They're perfectly cooked and have great filling options no matter your preference.
Unbelievably good. Ordered the cubana and carnitas taco. Both were amazing. The girl at the front was also super helpful and friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They were good, but as a born and bred puertorican definitely doesn't pass. The pizza empanda ones have like a spec of sauce in one corner the rest all bland cheese. Chicken empanda was a bit over seasoned, a little charred taste, but it's eatable.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas, Pizza
Restaurantji Recommends
I came here on a weekday afternoon, and they weren't swamped, so the service was prompt. The gentleman behind the counter was very kind and offered his suggestions. I opted for the street beef. The dough was Argentinian-style empanada dough, which is more akin to a cross between puff pastry and pie dough. The filling was flavorful, and the portion size was great. It was very good, and I recommend it. They have two locations: one inside Latta Arcade and the other inside Optimist Hall. Both are great and give off a food hall vibe, so it's perfect for casual no-frills dining.
Amazing!! Really delicious Empanadas Chicken, Steak. Chorizo, etc. Located in Optimist Hall. Mambo sauce is spot on. Fries are a no however.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
A few months ago someone mentioned this place and how delicious the empanadas are. We stopped by on New Year's Day. Fortunately, Optimist Hall wasn't too packed at all...somewhat quiet and very relaxed. Although I wasn't really hungry, I was determined to try the Bacon, Date, and Goat Cheese empanada. There wasn't a line when we approached the counter. We watched the ladies in the back work for about 5 minutes before the cashier walked in and we were finally greeted...he must've taken a bathroom break. While I was waiting for the order, someone else walked up and began talking about how the line is usually very long, so we lucked out on the holiday. The empanada was good. I like dates and bacon, and I love goat cheese, but the empanada was extremely rich and had a LOT of goat cheese. I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had an appetite, and if the portions were divvied up differently. That was my first time trying them out. I'll eventually return and try another kind.
I had the chicken empanadas, rice and beans and fries. All were absolutely delicious! Very very flavorful! I had the creamy cilantro sauce and OMG! Sooo good! Service was fast! I highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First experience after hearing of Felix’s since they opened their uptown location. The staff at Optimist Hall were impressively friendly and helped me choose my two empanadas for the combo. The side Cobb salad was delicious with a homemade dressing very unique and the size is very generous. I tried La Cubana and Chicken. La Cubana was unbelievably better than any Cuban sandwich I’ve had. The lady recommended the house made honey mustard and it was a perfect combination. The chicken empanada was also much tastier than I expected and full of juice. I used the “green” sauce with this one and the sauce is delicious. For the combo price (includes drink) this is a very good deal and I will be trying all the empanadas!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Empanadas