03/12/07

Uggghhhh

by i2ivis

If McDonald's sold empanadas, they would probably still be better than the ones served here. You can tell they were made from frozen contents. There is barely enough elbow room to move around in there if it becomes even slightly busy. With so many restaurant choices in the area, you would have to pay me to go back to this place.

• Pros: quick
• Cons: food, space

12/14/06

Great empanadas and sangria

by memmy16

The empanadas here are awesome - especially the cuban one and pulled pork. Desserts are great too, and the sangria is the best I've had in the city. It is really small and the waitstaff can be slow, but the food quality makes it worth it! And the prices can't be beat...

10/21/06

Very tasty empanadas

by ftoomsch

I have eaten here about 5 times and never been disappointed with the flavorful, moist empanadas. They are small, 3 is a decent lunch. I liked the chicken, pernil, viagra (seafood + rice), pizza and apple flavors, but not the spinach. Haven't tried the others. Only 1 of the 5 times did I have an unreasonable wait; unreasonable because there were no line and few customers at the odd time I went but I still had to wait 12 minutes for 2 empanadas and get a 'tude. Otherwise it's been courteous service and fast enough considering the line at peak times.

• Pros: food
• Cons: not much seating

09/22/06

Believe the Hype!

by dbernal

This place must be under new management or something because I have gone a few times in the last two months and the service was good & fast. The food has been great and I have tried practically one of each empanada and the daily specials! This is a nice small place to go to for good, inexpensive Columbian food. There's a nice variety of choices for everyone and the deserts are good as well. I would highly recommend it.

05/28/06

Don't Believe the Hype

by kathis

This place opened a year or two ago in my neighborhood so we decided to try them out (back then). The seafood empanada I got was mushy and parts were cold inside - as though they were frozen and sent in...I suspect they all are. Service was incredibly slow. Yet there is a Time Out review framed in their storefront...the folks at TONY must be asleep at the wheel because this place is an insult to the few remaining other great and authentic restaurants in the neighborhood.

12/28/05

very slow and uncaring service..

by gaudy

Not worth eating here. You get the same or if not better empanandas on a street corner on the upper west-side. I ordered the chicken tamamles and it was soggy inside like cream of wheat. The young lady taking the order had no personality, was slow to the point that it took 10 minutes to get 2 empanadas just to go and even then she didn't put napkins or plastic-ware inthe take out bag. I was short 1 cent and she wasn't willing to write it off.

• Pros: no reservations reqd, okay for take out
• Cons: slow service, tiny place, over priced

11/12/05

Best Empanadas in the City!!

by ditoballori

I am afraid to post a really good review of Empanada mama in fear of losing it to others. the pizza empanadas have no comparison and the mango shake is to die for

10/08/05

Decent Food, but the employees are rude

by centralpark

How hard can it be to be courteous, smile, and provide good service at a counter service restaurant? Obviously, very hard. The people that work there don't want to be there, give plenty of attitude, and make you feel unwelcome. Don't go near closing because they put the chairs up on tables 15 minutes before closing. When you get the food, they are tiny. Since they are so tiny, they should really offer orders of 6 like McNuggets.

If they could be nice, listen to what you say, smile, and say thank you, it would be make for a better experience.

• Pros: freshly painted, decent food
• Cons: narrow, poor service, tiny potions

09/22/05

A hot little pocket of Latin American goodness on 9th Avenue.

by Erin Behan

The Scene
It's hard to miss this space, both for its splashes of bright colors--lime green, red, yellow and more green--and for the line of office workers and neighborhood regulars creeping out the door. Inside, English- and Spanish-speaking diners brush past metal tables to the take-out counter. Table service is available, too, with busy waitresses delivering the piping-hot goodies in woven baskets.

The Food
A chalkboard lists the restaurant's main attraction, empanadas, plus a few tapas, tropical fruit-based drinks and desserts. The empanadas' thick, puffed skins create perfect little pockets for the flavorful meats inside. The beef (pulled not ground) satisfies the savory, greasy empanada craving best, and there's enough cheese in the spinach and cheese to make you forget about the spinach. Other combos are more daring: the Elvis with peanut butter and banana and the Viagra with shrimp, crab and scallops. Dessert empanadas, like the guava and cheese, are cheeky sweet.