While I was waiting, fresh empanadas were being delivered to this location. I loved it Even though the location is quite small it is bustling and the empanadas are freshly made and fried right while you wait . There are other specialties but these are my favorite. I always get the Greek and empanada because I love feta cheese. I get the beef empanada with shredded beef and it is quite tasty. They serve empanadas with 2 or 3 sauces on the side and I like the green sauce

Everyone always talks about this place and I had never been. I finally went with a friend last week, this place definitely lived up to the hype. the empanadas were made to order so they were fresh and hot. you could tell the fillings were seasoned well and made perfectly. I had the cheeseburger, to die for. and the pepperoni pizza, also amazing. I definitely recommend this place.

Really good food. They make everything fresh infront of you, so there is a bit of wait. Definitely call them ahead and pickup once your there . Saves so much time. Everything on the menu is about 2-3 dollars.

Very good empanadas. Never disappointed. I purchased a Cuban, which was not my favorite, beef and potatoes was great, and last but not least guava and cheese, which is a sweet and savory favorite of mine. Good spot for a quick bite to go.

Best if you order you food 20 mins before you get there. There is usually a long wait and it takes about 15 mins to prepare and cook your food. Great selection and hot sauce. We usually pay extra for green and red sauces to mix for the perfect spicy.

The chicken empanada was delicious. I love how the sauce comes in a packet now.

Delicious food, busy place because of the great empanadas it was my first time at this location it’s smaller then others but they have a great, kind and hard working staff.

Can you ever go wrong with Mama's Empanadas? Ordered Pizza, spinach and cheese, broccoli and cheese, and for dessert; Nutella and peanut butter, and apple cinnamon. Shared amongst four family members. Don't forget about the sauces. Try both you will not be disappointed.

Fast service and the food is always delicious!

+6

Empanadas and the sauces are delicious. Especially that green sauce !!!

Excellent Food ! Extremely attentive and very helpful staff!! The best Empanadas ever! Worth the drive from Staten Island

You can never go wrong with Mamas Empanadas! Very fresh and delicious with their signature green and pink sauce. They have multiple flavors to choose from, I usually get the ground beef with the corn flour crust. When I’m in Queens I usually stop by to get my favorite empanadas.

The food here was good because i was with a group of people and the staff and the staff bought the ham and cheese, Hawaiian and others. The service was reliable and the atmosphere was busy because people cooking it and meal time.

Duv Valdes

Empanadas are really good, and rhe place is kind of vintage.

Fernando

3rd update. I'm upset, they changed the empanada size without letting us know. Cannot describe how much I love this place. The caramel and cheese, Italian sausage and cheeseburger are some of my favorites, and the best part, always fried to perfection. 😊 2nd update, how can you top perfection? You can't. A nicer location would be nice, but not a deal breaker

Maria Hernandez

This is the best location for Mama’s empanadas. The wait and the line can be a bit long because of how busy they get however, the ladies that work in the register are very nice and accommodating. My personal favorites are the beef with potatoes, cheeseburger, and for dessert the caramel with cheese. Definitely the best location to go to. 5/5

C

This Mamas Empanadas is pretty small! However it’s in a great location. If you are craving empanadas, this store haves a variety of selections! They even have desert empanadas! You can get about anything in here. Since this location is famous, It gets busy here so be aware. Parking is very limited here as well!

MEEKA

These empanadas are my go to place! Whenever I go for empanadas this is the ONLY I will go to. I’ve tried plenary of other ones but, none get as delicious as these. This location is ALWAYS busy so expect a wait and the waiting area is outside so be prepared for the cold winter months whenever you want an empanada. My favorites are the Hawaiian wheat empanadas and the chicken and potatoes in corn empanadas. The only bummer is that it is CASH ONLY. But I’m sure you’ll save some cash to buy one of these delicious finger foods ☺️

Friendly and respectful customer service. My and my family's favorite empanadas are: veggies & chicken (pollo), Rice & beans, Cheese & broccoli; all made with corn flour. Top favorite for dessert is Arequipe (Dulce de leche) & Cheese. Docking 1 star bc this location 1. is not yet partnered with any delivery company/app eventhough other locations do deliver and 2. because they still do not have a credit card reader. Hey, it's 2022 ¿para cuándo?

It was good. We waited a while for our food, but that's fine if it's made fresh. My vegetarian empanadas were good. Nice late night spot for cheap eats.

Great Food. Good prices. Different preparation from the one in Jackson Heights (greasier) but still very good. Feels Horrible driving/parking options, requires extra passenger. Pink and green sauces are over priced but are still better than the other sauces billed anywhere. Not really made to eat at location. Like all the other locations it will have a lot of traffic.

Stand shop good for a quick grab and run! Empanadas always made fresh and delicious. I have to state that yesterday the empanadas were filled in just right definitely not stingy! I’m not a fan of the specials because they give you the worst unpopular empanadas filling. For example, Cheese and broccoli, beef and potatoes, rice and beans yuck! Go for the Cuban, Chicken, Beef, Cheese, and Pizza! 1 special two empanadas one soda and one pizza empanadas cost $7 can’t beat that but I wouldn’t do the special again. Regular 2,65 an empanadas. No parking it’s near the queens center mall so if u go to mall yes park there but for just Mama Empanadas-no parking.

Excellent empenadas and so many choices. No seating being that it's a stand, really, but you'll love the food.

the food is really amazing, i love a good stuffed empanada! they are not frugal with the stuffing, and its so flavorful. the only reason i give this place 4 stars is because of the girl at the cashier on the first shift, she is nasty and has an attitude, as if she hates her job. girl even through the mask you can feel her rage.. do better

I actually like this place. Will definitely go back soon. Our order did get messed up, it was a large order, but still wish it didn't get messed up. But the food is good and the staff was friendly. Accidents happen, we'll just have to check our order before we leave next time.

This place embodies New York on-the-go food. There’s a very limited seating area and small corner to wait for Togo orders. I highly recommend avoiding nighttime hours on the weekends because it’s just way too busy. That being said, the empanadas are actually pretty good, especially with the sauces they provide. If it was an off hour, I’d definitely pop in for one. Expect standard New York costumer service. It’s quite evident they’re there to sell food, not make friends.

MangoManiac (Daisy)

Their food is good and somewhat cheap, I like the variety of empanadas available. However the service is always a hit or miss…. Sometimes you gotta wait extra long.

E C

Food was a bit of a wait since they had to fry up the broccoli and cheese one i ordered, but it was delicious! They gave us the green and orange sauce for free, more than enough for the 3 empanadas i ordered. I would come back again!

L. King

DELICIOUS!! So many options and decent prices. Everything I ever had here was fantastic. Like others have said, service could be quicker, but they're still great.

S G

If you know, you know. This place is a hidden gem in NYC. It's probably one of the top 5 best empanada spots in the city. The prices are great. This is not a sit-down spot, and parking is very difficult. But if you are from the city you know how to make a quick stop and go happen. Plus the bus stop is literally right in front of the shop. The stamp the bags with the type of empanada you order. This is a great feature, especially when you order variety. But let me tell you, the variety here is insane and ready to go. The spicy chicken is my favorite. Lastly, shout-out to Queens, NY this is our Flagship Empanada Spot.

Daniel C

No frills counter spot for good empanadas. You can order preset combinations of different empanadas for slightly cheaper than buying per empanada. They have a variety of dipping sauces that come with your order, and you can get extra for a cost. Be prepared to wait as the place can get busy and the empanadas are fried to order.

Alright, let's start off with the empanadas. One is better than the other ones, but they still don't reach the level of "Colombian empanadas" believe me, I have had tastier Colombian empanadas. I guess they come out like that because it's a business and not for home eating. I also gave it 3 stars because they lack organization, thus taking a few more minutes to give you your order.

food is good but one time i went they told me they’re already closed when it’s only 10:30, they close at 11:30.

I've only ever tried their cheese empanadas and their beef empanadas. I enjoyed the beef, but not the cheese. Service is pretty quick, and they're inexpensive (I got 4 empanadas and a can of soda for $10 .. fyi, cash only). Convenient location, right by the mall & the train station

Out of all the mama empanadas, the one on 9120 59th Ave is by far the worse. There is absolutely no parking nearby. Fine - easy fix. Just dont take the car there. But the wait is still extremely long. I waited over an hour last time I was there for 4 empanadas. 😪 also, they are counting their hot sauce. I only got one small container and when I asked for one more, she told me I had to buy it. Mmm Ok? .... at least provide enough of that for the amount of empanadas I purchased. They also sell the bags of frozen empanadas which I always buy because I live so far away from any mama empanadas. The bag costs about $20. They should also take that purchase into consideration when I asked for more sauce but no... i needed to buy more. Hey! Be nice to your customers who patiently wait for over 60 minutes to get their order when you are supposedly selling a fast-food product. And also dont have any seating area or a decent area to wait. 🤷‍♀️ STEP IT UP!

I actually thought I was going to a different location because I’m a fan of mamas empanadas but ended up here. The empanadas were good but I’m giving it only 3 stars because they sugar coated what I thought was my Nutella peanut butter empanada and when I bit into it, I was surprised with a pepperoni filling. Not a very good combo and I was disappointed not to find my Nutella order. The only suggestion I’d make is making sure all bags are labeled, as we’re sharing we were guessing which ones were which. Still a great empanada spot.

I love mamas empanadas but this is the worst one Whoever has been making them has been burning them every single time. I’ve been ordering from here for a while hoping things would improve but they haven’t. Change the cook, stop burning all the food.

Eh, very basic empanadas. My mom makes them 100x better! They're too sanitized, almost americanized. Of course non Colombians will not know the difference haha They skimp on the filling, potato to meat ratio is like 3/4. Only meat feels very light and underwhelming. They also need more seasoning! The hot sauce is needed to get any real taste. And for the price, they are tiny! My mom used to sell empanadas twice as large packed full of shredded meat, very little potato and seasoned to perfection for just a dollar! Here, $2 a pop, more for meat only which is not shredded but almost like pate cat food consistency. And the wait times are ridiculous, 10-15 minutes for 3 empanadas! Would have waited more if I hadn't asked if they are ready. This place is in a busy area but only 2 employees! Need at least 3 or 4. Also can't wait inside have to wait in street. All that said, empanadas are still a rare find in NY so I always stop by when I'm near.

They are SLOW! 1. I called to order. I was put on hold @ Queens Center 2. While on hold, I started to drive towards the OTHER Mamas @ Steinway. 3. I was able to pickup my food @ Steinway and was STILL on hold at Queens Center. 4. The Girls at Steinway are MUCH faster and are able to multitask between phone calls, UberEATS and front lines. 5. I tried again @ Queens Center.......Tick Tock never fails.

Just bought an arepa from here.... I’ve only eaten their empanadas which are good. However, the arepa was the worst arepa I have ever tasted. They gave me a cold arepa with cold cheese (unmelted) which I have never seen before and the arepa was extremely bland and tasted like nothing. Not worth the money or effort! Also when I went to say something they told me that the arepa is supposed to be cold, didn’t offer to have me exchange it or heat it.

The empanadas are great but the customer service was very bad 👎. I tried to place my order ahead of time on the phone by calling twice and before I can say hi they placed me on hold for over 20 minutes. I go to place and had to place my order in person, that's how long I was waiting.... the cashier was not too busy but she couldn't handle the phone calls and the people who were waiting for food. She had a bad attitude and didn't even greet anyone. She looked and sounded like she didn't like her job! 🤔

Unfortunately the food was just not good, we got chicken and beef as part of the combo platter and it was edible. The exterior corn has no flavor but that would be acceptable if the inside also wasn't bland and flavorless. The service and atmosphere were fantastic though, love the mood.

Disappointed! I haven't ordered from here in a while and I was expecting the same quality and flavor as in the past, but I was wrong and regretted it. I ordered two different types of empanadas and both of them were salty and the Greek one had an extreme taste of garlic. I was surprised to see the establishment empty and now I understand why. Service was quick (of course, it was empty).

I walk by this stand nearly every day and have only bought something there twice. It's menu doesn't really appeal to me. I've ordered a corn patty with mozzarella cheese which I liked the first time. Recently I stopped there again and ordered the same thing but they gave me something like an egg roll with mozzarella inside. It had no flavor. That said the prices are very inexpensive and it's always busy.

Marcos Lapaix

How is it possible that this place is so famous but only takes cash, while the other empanada places don’t? Could they be laundering money or something?

Sergio I

I support small businesses, and I’m all in for my Latino community. It gets to a point where a small business can only be small if it’s doing well for a good amount of time, mamas empanadas shouldn’t be labeled a small business and that being said I’m tired of this place never taking card. This place has multiple locations, one in times scare mind you, with some miserable workers, food is amazing, but I’m tired of them avoiding filing taxes by only taking cash.

Food & service was horrible. Walked in no one was there to seat us. I got the mixed ceviche after waiting 40 minutes. As soon as i tasted the snapper in the ceviche i could not stand the fishiness the rest of the ceviche wasnt great either but i ate it because i was starving also afraid that it would take another half hour for food to come out. I called the server over which was impossible to flag down. Finally i told him i couldnt eat any of the fish and then he says, "its fish it should smell fishy". Uh no. Ill leave it at that.

Very bad empanadas Really old Some of the ones I got were still frozen The lady at the counter was very unwelcoming

Was rudely turned away because they arbitrarily decided to close an hour earlier than listed. No explanation was given, not even an apology.

I have ordered 16 empanadas and have asked to provide a decent amount of green sauce due to a big order, they have provided only 2 sauces for the entire order. On top of it all, 2 of my empanada’s had black hair inside. Very disgusting 🤢

Lackluster. Old empanadas Rude staff Making Colombian empanadas and the Mama's franchise look disgusting Also lying about being able to pay with a card on previous review comments Get a grip

I went here with my mother because she loves this place. We order our food and place the money on the counter, the lady walks away. The guy comes up and is calling out numbers and my mother is continuously repeating “we never received a number.” They’re both ignoring us so a couple comes in front of us and the lady is taking their order and my mother says “we never received a number.” The lady says that we left and now she’s taking the other peoples order first. 😑 Very rude and disrespectful!!!

I pay extra for green sauce and they don't send it. Thieves take my money and don't deliver what is promised.

THEY RUSHED SO 5 EMPANDAS WERE HALF COOKED!! NEVER GO B4 7PM!!

Bad service. Dirty annd unkempt. Workers do not wear gloves annd touch food. Ignored me while servicing the Latino customer. Would not recommend.

I ordered 8 empanadas de maiz de queso and a maduro con queso and I got 8 empanadas of flour with cheese and another flour empanada with peanut butter and chocolate. When I called I was told to bring them in to "analyze the problem ". I order thru uber eats for a reason! . The empanadas are delicious but horrible customer service.

why say it’s open till 11pm when it’s closed at 10:30pm? I called ahead and the lady said it was open, we arrive 10 minutes after, lady just stared at us, let us finish our order to tell us they are closed. Change your hours online if it’s not true. Waste of time. Never again. I do not recommended.

This place has been here a long time, and the empanadas taste like they’ve been frozen all that time. The fillings were gross. The chorizo was NOT chorizo. The vegetables is made from that green giant frozen bag mix. I got the maíz empanadas and the dough was sticky on my teeth not light and airy and sweet like a good maíz empanada is. This place needs new management and an updated menu.

The worker was rude one morning when I tried to place an order in person. Told me that I had to wait until he approached me to order and no one was waiting in line… i can follow rules it wasn’t about that he just wanted to be rude. I usually order online for delivery but it’s a hit or miss then also. I won’t be ordering from here anymore.

My daughter went in to order me a Pizza & Mac & cheese empanadas. They put a spinach & Mac & cheese in . That was about 20 minutes ago. I called to advise them of their mistake and to let them know Im allergic of Spinach it makes my nose bleed. The was rude and she said calm down with an attitude like she wanted to fight. I can assure you I did not hell at her. I told her I couldn't comeback right away . So I asked what time do u close she said 10:30 . She askewhat was my name and phone # . I gave it to her , I then asked her who am I speaking to . She said I won't be her . I said who am I speaking she said I won't be here and hung up abruptly Very unprofessional I don't know where she comes from but she needs to learn some customer service skills.. Lord Im glad we were not face to face with her bad attitude. The whole situation would have been different.

Cashier was rude and on top of that I waited 25 minutes. Yes, not exaggerating it was 25 minutes to wait for just ONE empanada!

Workers are extremely incompetent & rude. Placed an order for pickup and was missing an empanada from my order. I didn’t think it would be hard to mess up an order of 7 empanadas, but somehow they managed to. When I called back the lady over the phone said “I don’t think your missing any cause we don’t have any extra here..” I was clearly missing one of them from my order and all she told me was that “there was no way I was missing any”. Terrible customer service, not that hard to count empanadas.

Whew just left here, wait time is RIDICULOUS!!! I ordered 4 empanadas and waited 30 minutes, and on top of that the service is ATROCIOUS!!! I was in line and was constantly skipped by people who spoke Spanish and when I said something I was cursed out and the lady behind the counter defender her saying she got out of line.. well she needs to get back in line that’s WILD!! If you’re black..skip this place THREE TIMES!! Go to the pizza spot next door…

Rude staff. Asked for extra sauce and the guy who packed it looked at me and said there was in the bag, however there was nothing when I checked not even on the dish. Which was a small portion. I have no problem paying for the extra sauce, I’ll gladly pay. But why lie to me and say there is when there’s not. Every time I go there always stingy about giving extra sauce. They have you pay for extra but it seems like they don’t like it when people do pay, so which is it?

I went to Mamas about 30 minutes before close as a hungry individual coming home sweating from a baseball game. I expected excellent empanadas yet they tell me that the place is closed. Either they have to update it on their website or not lie to my face.

This was the worst experience I have ever had. I have been coming to this place for approximately 3 years, and I went there on 06/17/22 around 2:03 PM and the lady infront of the cash register that was taking orders said....I have to pay first before she take my order. I told the lady my husband went to the chase ATM to get money and she refuse to take my order and said they would not make the food if I don't pay first. First of all I have never heard that with any food place usually you order, and when the food is ready you pay. I ask to speak to a manager and she refuse for me to do so, I asked for the manager name and she said paula. I ask when the manager was going to be in she said 5PM. Like I am stupid. These people have no customer service skills anymore and it is sad to see should a great business be put the shame because of the lack of courtesy and customer service skills. She is very rude and nasty and had no kindness at all. I am a medical professional and this not how u treat customers at all. This is very unacceptable 😤 I will never come back. Most of my family memeber go there because they have such great empanadas but I will definitely share my experience with them. This is a family owned business that has been there for years now and I have never dealt with anyone that is as disrespectful to ever in my life. They should definitely have someone else infront of the cash register thay would be pleasant and welcoming to customers... then maybe they will want to go back.

First of all the cashier was extremely rude, we ordered a Salchipapa to go but when we got home and look the salchipapa it have maybe 4 pieces of sausage, what it’s this? A huge amount of fries but 4 pieces of sausage? This is ridiculous I was about to the salchipapa back but it was already too late and it was close.

I'm a empanada girl all the way. I could eat them for breakfast lunch and dinner. With that being made clear I was more than excited to get busy on the order of empanadas I placed. While waiting I was watching them being cooked. The cook prepping my order was eating himself and I understand sometimes that's the only second you have to eat yourself, especiay being the only cook on shift. While eating he had his gloves on, touching his boom box, changing his stations etc. Again no worries, if your gonna slam the empanadas from the grease and slip them in a bag, BUT he touched my food. He touched my whole empanada order in front of my face, like I was some kind of clown and would be ok with that. I gave him the benefit of the doubt until time came. He does this everyday. He knows what's right and wrong. DONT TOUCH PEOPLES FOOD WITH YOUR HORRIBLE HORRIBLE DIRTY GLOVES. It leaves people to wonder what else goes on in a place that could have nothing but five stars. Very disappointed. Not even a sorry. A complete dead stare.

8.875% tax on cash payment which is illegal! They should only be charging that if your paying credit or debit. Be aware

Today I bought some and I left upset because they treated me quite badly. The name of the rude person is ROSA, she was very rude. When there are so many people looking for work, I think they should give the opportunity to a person who is nicer to people.

First off, this place has good food. The problem is that their customer service and quality control is so poor that you simply cannot reliably get it. Only go to this place if you have time to waste AND you're flexible on what you want (because they probably won't have it) AND you don't mind if they screw up your order. Because one of those things WILL happen to you. Also, don't bother ordering on the phone. I've seen them blatantly ignore it for ages. GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Very upset came from buffalo and they got my order wrong after making me wait 20mins lol plus takes only cash which is a hassle, Atm near it doesnt even work . Horrible

I called to order a delivery, the lady that took the order hung up the phone and I couldn't give her my name and address. I called back and gave her the information, when I asked the estimate time for delivery she said literally: "One hour, if it can be delivered at all". I honestly didn't cancel the order because my kids love their food and I promise them. If they cannot make deliveries they shouldn't offer it. The lady at the front is very nasty, has no courtesy at all, awful service.

This place used to have the best empanadas. I remember the wait time being unacceptably long, but the food was always delicious and served hot. Unfortunately, as others note, the taste and quality of the food are now terrible. It's disappointing to lose another gem.

NASTY HISPANIC WOMAN AT THE COUNTER JUST NOW. . SHE WAS SO RUDE AND DISMISSIVE AND WAS BAFFLED THAT I DID NOT KNOW THEY ACCEPT CARD.... NEVER COMING BACK

Food was late and the service was extremely poor. The food had a plastic looking thing cooked into one of the empenadas, would not recommend

It’s good however they overprice the food and $2.15 for a 12 oz can of soda wow

I had never eaten such thick empanadas. I had to chew carefully to take care of my teeth.

I purchased 2 empanadas (1 with beef and 1 with chicken)one for myself and the other for a colleague when they had finished preparing it they asked me if I need the sauce and I said yes I need 2 but they said they will only gave 1 even after I explained that it was for 2 different persons they refuse to gave another one…I was taken by surprise that a food place would be so impolite to their customers …what difference would that make…. What happen to persons who buy 1 Pattie…Also my colleague is Hispanic and when I told her that they gave me only one sauce and refused to gave another she said that she don’t get that issue when she buys from them…so I want to think is it because I am not of Hispanic heritage…??? Well once I experience this I will never purchase again from them…I am have a birthday party I was advised by that same colleague to order from them but I will consider ordering from somewhere else where I will be treated fairly and politely

Horrible food I ordered two tamales,and one of them was really disgusting, I'm pregnant and they shouldn't sell food like that,very unsafe😡If I could give them 0 starts I will...

Lady at the cashier would not bother to take customer's order. Waited too long. She has a chip on her shoulder.

They don’t accept credit cards. Also, people tend to get hungry while walking around malls, and even not-so-great food can taste good in that situation.

Minerva Claderon

The girl was nice, but the guy, supposedly the cook, was very slow and more focused on his phone than on his work 😥

Alejandro Soto

The people running this spot got no respect for the customers times. This is not a Grab N Go Spot but a pay and wait 10 minutes for your order spot. If you know there will be a 10 minute wait, it is common courtesy to let the customer know BEFORE taking payment. People are in a rush, and this is New York, catch up with the pace.

Zairus Punzalan

I would say the Manhattan location is way better than this location. They even charge 50 cents for a sauce. I bought 2 empanadas and it only comes with 1 sauce. In Manhattan, they don’t even charge for the sauce. Like how can you squeeze in 1 sauce for 2 empanadas? I don’t mind paying but it’s just very sad that this store is just greedy with sauces.

Cel C

These employees so rude make wait longer just doing online order also the empanadas is not that good how use to be not recommend

Joshua Degreiff

This place is a joke…..15min waiting for one empanada, which is ridiculous. The workers don’t wear gloves and touch the food. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. Oh yes, they don’t accept credit cards

+4

Hannah Daisomont

I ordered a Nutella and peanut butter empanada and this was in my empanada. I really do not know what it is , probably some kind of cheese but that’s not what I ordered. What if I was deathly allergic to cheese and ate this? It does not taste like cheese. Also there was no peanut butter. I also called two locations asking what it was and neither would give me an answer. One hung up on me the first time cause I didn’t speak Spanish (I’m sorry I’ve been trying for 5 years). Everything else was good though.

Chris Thompson

They take everyone’s orders, cook it ALL then stack ALL THE ORDERS up on the counter instead of serving them!?! SO EVERYONE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE LAST ORDER WAS COOKED. If I had not spoken up telling the guy cooking that I could I see my order on the counter, he wouldn’t have served them until he was done with the last order🤦🏻‍♂️. I understand under staffing but Talk about disorganization- the cashier could’ve helped and gave everyone their orders that were all ready. CASH ONLY too

Mame moki

I ordered‘Stuffed corn cake’ it seems one of the popular here, Taste wasn’t bad before I realized the sticker human hair in Corn bread. It’s really disappointed.... I never back this shop.