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House of Empanadas
Category: Restaurants Latin American Latin American [Edit]
1220 Bute StVancouver, BC V6E 1N4
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 669-8977
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
17 reviews for House of Empanadas
Review Highlights
"Oh and that Chimichurri sauce is divine."
(in 6 reviews)
"Filipino Spicy Pork = fusion, yes, but damn, delish."
(in 5 reviews)
"...Yl3g-qpQ) - everything from "traditional" beef empanada to..."
(in 2 reviews)
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17 reviews in English
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Review from Michael H.
Vancouver, BC
10/6/2011
I've eaten here 4 times in the past month and I've enjoyed it each time.
While going to university in Montreal I discovered Empanadas at a small Portuguese bakery that was on my way to work. I quickly grew addicted to them and bought 1 or 2 daily for lunches. Back then it cost about $2.50/empanada or 2 for $4. When I moved back to Vancouver i kept trying to find a good place to fill my Empanada cravings and my 7 year search is finally over!
There are so many things I like about House of Empanadas that I have to list them off:
1. Owner, Chef and staff are very friendly. The owner has given me free food every time I've seen him there.
2. The pastry chef is very highly trained and has worked at 5 star restaurants before.
3. They use high quality products: grass fed meats, organic vegetables, no plastic bottles, home made paletas with real fruit, etc...
4. CHIMMICHURRI!!!! If you're not aware of what this is then you definitely need to go here asap. Chimichurri is an Argentinian sauce that they serve as a dip/sauce. It is basically a Parsley Pesto with oil and lots of garlic. It's not spicy but it's packed full of flavour. I was in there a few days ago and saw that they are starting to sell the Chimichurri in bottles to take home and use! (I immediately bought 2 jars)
5. The ambiance is very homey. After speaking with the owner, he told me that the majority of the furnishings were his own that he brought from all over the south america. It definitely feels like you're in his livingroom having a home cooked meal.
These are my favorite empanadas: Classic Beef, Spicy Pork and Spinish & Feta. You have to try it for yourself and ask for extra Chimichurri sauce!!! -
Review from Kate W.
Vancouver, BC
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ordered a mushroom empanada and got home, took a bite, and it was ham and cheese. I'm a vegetarian...
Tried to call and not only doesn't the new location NOT have a phone number listed but the phone number for the location on Davie's phone number goes straight to a full mailbox :/
Well, that was a waste of money. -
Review from honky t.
Vancouver, BC
10/31/2011
Great well priced empanadas!
I like the mini mango...addictive!
Speed up the service...and we'll be lining out the door!
(remember, many of us are illegally parked and need to get out fast!) -
Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
1/31/2012
This is for their Davie location, but their new one on Denman is a new, spiffy-looking that earns a 4 star.
Had the beef enpanada, first time, I think it's a bit too hard for my liking. I was offered to try out this cake, which was kinda nice, kinda like an angel one. Seems it's freshly-made and give marks for its uniqueness in its decor.
Friendly service but not exactly itching for a return anytime soon. -
Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
9/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great hidden gem along Bute St and just off Davie St. One of the many locations that should have the recognition of places along Davie, but aren't so they are what I call - "Off Davie".
Friendly people with great food and great service. The main attraction which of course are the varieties of empanadas some filled with organic ingredients such as corn or the more expensive ones such as wild salmon.
If I need something more fulfilling than a samosa, but not as big as a calzone, I reach for an empanadas. For $3.95, it's a meal replacement in itself.
Talk to the guys behind the counter and they will gladly help you out with any questions you may have and even provide a sample to try.
They offer it in ready-to-eat hot and toasted or if you plan on getting a couple for the next day or a party, they also have the cold ones so you can heat them up yourself and they will be as fresh-tasting as the toasted ones like you just got them straight from the store.
Kudos to the owner. I don't mind it being Off-Davie. It keeps the prices low and the quality ingredients high. This place has potential. I can't wait to see what other filling he can concoct next. -
Review from Sarah O.
6/6/2011
I love empanadas. Just seeing the word 'empanada' conjures bubbles of delicious images in my head that make me salivate. Although this place doesn't fit my definition of the most perfect empanada, I'm giving it a whopping 4 stars and I'll tell you why:
The man working (owner?) was extremely kind. I was simply asking about the variety of available flavors and he insisted that I try them- for free. And not just a small piece, no, no- but a whole piece that they actually sell. He actually kept trying to give me one of each flavor and I had to argue with him to stop! Why is this man so awesome, I have no clue but I must tell the Yelp world about him. Everything about this place has a home-cooked, warm, family atmosphere.
I generally don't have a sweet tooth and don't like dessert-like fillings in my empanadas so the guava/cream cheese and the dulce de leche weren't my favorite but the chile verde sauce was yummy on the pollo empanada. Next time I'm in the area, I might go back to pick up some other flavors, or maybe just to say hi to the awesome empanada man.
AND. They serve churros! Love! -
Review from Namit M.
11/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Like the spicy pork emapandas. Our traditional beef ones a tad bit cold on the inside. The dessert emenadas were were very good. Two large (savoury) and one dessert Empanadas hit the spot. The price is right and the servers/counter people are friendly.
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Review from Charly S.
11/14/2011
Delicious. Loved the Spicy Pork (not too spicy, just a hint of chipotle) and the chimichurri sauce is the best I've ever had. We bought a little jar ($3) and have been eating it on just about everything - yum! Tried the Tres Leche de Coco as well and were not disappointed, very moist (as tres leche should be) and the flavour was fantastic. Lovely ladies working here, very friendly and helpful. A great find.
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Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
Here's why you've got to Go. There. Now.
Guava + Cream Cheese = Bite size bodaciousness!
Filipino Spicy Pork = fusion, yes, but damn, delish!
Chimichurri* Sauce - It's homemade! HOMEMADE!
Whether you're a seasoned empanada lover or a novice, you're in for a treat with these baked pockets of meaty goodness. And yes, they're a meal size indeed for $3.95. But if you want my advice, go with a friend, order 3 different types and split them all down the middle. It'll be like your very own sampling plate! And if you're like us, you'll end up buying more for tomorrow's lunch too. Yup, they're that good, and portable!
But... Get. There. Early. They sell out.
*Haven't had chimichurri before? It's a green sauce with parsley, chilies, oil and vinegar. Great on grilled meats and slathered a top of a empanada. And the bottle I brought home from Argentina (where it's from) doesn't even begin to compare to the homemade goodness of House of Empanadas.Listed in: Favourite Vancouver…
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
3/16/2011 3 photos
* Empanadaria Fusion *
Combine some traditional recipes with some West Coast ones, throw in some classic West Coast food norms like grass-fed meats grown on organic land, cane sugar and fresh organic greens and you have this fusiony empanadaria.
They have a wide variety of flavours in their multiple display cases (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...) - everything from "traditional" beef empanada to Pacific Wild Smoked Salmon Salad Nicoise empanada to cranberry almond goat cheese empanada back to dulce de leche empanada. You get the drift.
I ordered the traditional beef empanada (yes, I'm old fashioned) for $3.95. It was served piping hot, nicely plated, with a side of fresh made chimichura sauce. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Breaking into the empanada revealed a generous amount ground beef (which was slightly under seasoned), mixed with hard boiled eggs, olives, and plump raisins. The crust itself was nice and flaky. The chimichura sauce added a nice flavour punch to round things out and it made the slightly under seasoned beef make sense to provide overall balance to taste. I must say this empanada was much better than I expected based on the fusiony aspects of the menu. Photo: http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
Service was extremely friendly as well - really going out of their way to make everyone feel very welcome.
I will certainly be returning!Listed in: Vancouver Latin and Caribbean…
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Review from Evilyn T.
3/25/2011
Do not be fooled by this little hidden location, these empanadas are worth checking out! OMG! I had walked by this place pretty much twice a day to and fro work, and after reading Marc D's review I had to stop in and check out the goods. And they were good goods!
I guess I hadn't bothered to try this place because I always think of empanadas as having meat in them, so I figured it would be a waste of my time to bother checking for veggie options. As it turns out, they have a whole selection of veggie empanadas! The first time (yes, I liked it so much I went back before I even had time to write my first review!) I tried the spinach and goat cheese one, and it was super good. It could have used a bit more goat cheese, but I always want more cheese, you know, cheese please! People always ask me, did you want some more wine with that cheese? What a silly question, of course I want more wine with my whine....
The second time I tried the mushroom one, and the BF tried the squash and red pepper one, they were both pretty deluxe. I got a little cranberry/almond/goat cheese one too and it was super flavourful. I also really liked the green sauce (its kind of like pesto but not) that they give you to go with the empanada. But my favourite part was the super cute boy working in there, hubba hubba! Haha! Ok maybe there was another reason I went back so soon, but that's just the cougar talking. Maybe I'll take a beefy empanada after all.... to go!Listed in: Beers, Steers and Queers
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Review from Jeff K.
Vancouver, BC
10/28/2011
Feels home made and the little shop has a warm, slightly hold in the wall but clean vibe. The food is very good and the history of emphanadas written on the wall is a total WIN.
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Review from Luisa D.
4/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Warning: if you have a close quarters meeting after eating here you'd better hope your associates like garlic breath.
I grabbed a couple of colleagues yesterday and we went for a stroll down Davie in seach of HOE. We each got two empanadas at $4 a piece. I chose the spicy pork and the beef options. I ordered a drink but don't think the server heard me. No problem - they have a water station if you're thirsty.
The empanadas I remembered from Argentina had flakier pastry but these HOE ones were delicious nonetheless. I loved the currants, olives and egg in the beef one. The green chimichurri sauce that was served on the side looked like a lot but it was so good I added some to every bite. Two empanadas was definitely really filling. I will be back to try the curried chicken one next. -
Review from Kas D.
Vancouver, BC
5/15/2011
I went here the other day after walking by nearly everyday and saying "I need to try that place sometime." I am glad I did! The empanadas are tasty and affordable. The staff is also very friendly! I got the Chicken empanada and the husband got the smoked salmon one. I really like the fact that the meat is organic and grain-fed (huge bonus in my books!) We also split a squash and garlic mushroom empanada which was very interesting and yummy. For dessert we tried the bite-size strawberry and pecan empanadas which really hit the spot. Yum. Definitely will go back and can't wait to try the goat cheese and spinach empanada *drool*
Oh and that Chimichurri sauce is divine! (Even if I smelled like a garlic factory afterwards!) -
Review from Josh G.
Vancouver, BC
8/8/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Holy moly are these things tasty. Just a random discovery walking back from the beach, tried the beef tradicionale empanada and it blew my mind. The description seemed weird, beef with onions, raisin, olives, egg and cheese....but the flavors worked so well together I had to go back yesterday to try the Pork empanada, another smashing success. So TASTY!! and with the homemade chimichurri these little hand held meat pockets make the ultimate snack. If you've been reading my reviews lately, you've seen my street meat 2011 project has been an epic fail....but don't peg me for a food snob or some picky eater.....you could serve these empanadas off the back of a truck and I would sit beside it all day long with a smile on my face =) !!
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Review from C R.
Vancouver, BC
8/20/2011
I love this place. I've tried almost every empanada and they are all tasty. The chimichurri sauce is a touch and I love that you can purchase them to bring home. Also, LOVE that this place serves organic! It's very rare to find organic, healthy ethnic foods. It's great for picnics, snacks, quick bites and parties.
My husband doesn't care for the raisins in the beef empanada, but it reminds me of the Philippines. Speaking of which, both times I've been there, the Philippines Style Empanada was not available, which was disappointing. I will keep checking back though!
Warning: the pork empanada is VERY spicy...too spicy for me, but my husband loved it.
My only other complaint is that I wish the savory MINI-empanadas were always available and didn't have to be pre-ordered. Basically, the sweet ones are available mini-sized, but savory fillings are not. Not a big deal, but I have 2 kids and would love access to the mini ones.
All in all, we will keep coming back! -
Review from Kelvin L.
Vancouver, BC
3/17/2011 1 photo
Tasty bite sized empanadas from 1.50z. Curried chicken. Pulled pork. Coconut pineapple! All your heart desires! Larger meal sized ones for 3.95. Home made in the kitchen just behind the counter. Highly recommended
