Nina's Cafe

I wanted to find somewhere that had nice outdoor seating to grab a snack. It was a pleasure dinning at Nina’s cafe. I enjoyed a chicken empanada, a beef empanada, and some sweet potato fries. All were delicious. The women working were very sweet! And it had a nice seating area along the water.

Amazing service, very cute inside with a great patio. We had the delicious empanadas, the omelet, and a pitcher of mimosas on the patio overlooking the water. Can’t wait to go back and make this a usual spot for us.

Christina Jain

Small local restaurant next to a Foster City waterway with indoor and outdoor seating. The kids liked running around on the deck outside while we waited for food. The empanadas were great and the fish stew had nice flavors. My pickiest kids had the ham empanadas. Service was casual and friendly.

Crystal Kung

What a delightful breakfast experience--this place absolutely deserves more love. We ordered a generous spread and every single dish felt fresh, thoughtful, and well-executed. The Cotopaxi Breakfast was solid. I chose the yuca and plantain patties, and wow--soft, muffin-like with a cornbread soul, filled with melty cheese and perfect for soaking up sunny-side-up egg yolk. The eggs themselves were cooked just right and the dipping sauce tied everything together beautifully. It also came with a generous and heaping cup of fruit and two hefty chorizo links that made this feel like a homemade breakfast. The Chicha Morada was such a pleasant surprise--refreshing, unique beverage for the area, and homemade. I don't drink much alcohol anymore, but this non-alcoholic drink gave me sangria vibes with subtle holiday spices without the guilt. Their coffee was good, they offer regular and decaf. The Lagoon Pancake was a large, fluffy plate sized pancake, and topped with a nice cup of berries, butter, cream, and syrup. The House Omelet was also carefully cooked, generously sized with crispy heap of potatoes. And then there was the chicken empanada. Fried but not oily, crisp without being heavy, and bursting with flavor. The filling was an unexpected flavor bomb--like a perfectly seasoned chicken hand pie with umami goodness and no soggy bottom. My taste buds were very happy. The space itself is small, but it more than makes up for it with warm service, friendly owners. It felt like going to a friend's house and their mom made you a hot meal. There's ample parking, outdoor seating with nice views, mimosas if you're in the mood for bubbles--and best of all, no hour-long wait. This place is seriously underrated. It beats out the nearby "trying-too-hard" brunch spots with DJs and Instagramable decor. I'd choose this cozy, delicious, joyful cafe any day of the week.

Marce Coral

Nina’s Café an Ecuadorian Restaurant in Foster City is a true hidden gem, serving up authentic and delicious Ecuadorian flavors in an unbeatable waterfront setting. From the very first bite, it’s clear that the flavors are spot on—just like you’d find in Ecuador. We started with beef, cheese, and ham empanadas, each perfectly crispy on the outside and filled with warm, savory goodness. For the main dishes, we had the bolón mixto, a hearty and flavorful plantain dish, and the encebollado, Ecuador’s famous fish soup, which came with all the right sides—chifles, tostado, and lime—to enhance every spoonful. Everything tasted fresh, comforting, and full of traditional flavors. Beyond the incredible food, Nina’s offers a wide selection of other classic Ecuadorian dishes and even Inca Kola, making it a go-to spot for anyone craving a true taste of Ecuador. The location is just as amazing as the food! Right by the lagoon, it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind, whether you’re stopping by after a day of water activities or just looking for a peaceful spot to enjoy a great meal. With its delicious food, friendly atmosphere, and scenic views, Nina’s Café is a must-visit for Ecuadorian cuisine lovers and anyone looking to enjoy a beautiful dining experience by the water.

Judy Margaret Chen

Stumbled upon this place when we visited Edgewater Plaza for a peaceful morning walk by the lake. The restaurant was small and cozy, but we opted for outdoor seating for lake views. It was such a peaceful brunch time! We didn’t know this was an Ecuadorean restaurant and didn’t read the reviews beforehand, so we just chose the most basic for brunch, omelette and pancakes. Those were very good actually. We had great time, so we’ll come back again. Next time, we will have their specialties.

Arad Noghrehchi

Wow, this place is a hidden gem! The food and service was fantastic. The food tasted so amazing and tasted like a real home cooked meal. The staff were incredibly nice and I have no complaints at all. We got the spicy chicken, beef, and cheese empanadas as well as the house omelet. The omelet and potatoes were very good but the empanadas were the star with the cheese and beef being our favorite.

Chelle T

A lovely place for empanadas, this place just opened recently and my friend suggested it for lunch. We ordered beef, ham, mushroom and guava empanadas. So yummy especially with sauces, freshly made and crispy. The chimichurri beef sandwich and the turkey wrap was good as well but our favorites were the empanadas.

RONZKIE23

Wow! what a local gem hidden in Foster City’s Edgewater Plaza. It is our first time to try this place and it didnt disappoint.. We ordered their bestsellers like ORINAL BEEF EMPANADA, Mushroom Empanada and Spinach empanada all are Amazingly delicious.. What I loved about their empanada is the crust-it is flaky,thin and crispy not oily ,not soggy and the interesting part is the filling you can taste it’s freshness and you can tell that it is made from scratch… The ambience gives us a homey atmosphere,it feels like your family is serving you a heart good meal. Amazing service as well.. We will definitely be back for more👏

Jackson Foster

Wow. This new Ecuadorian restaurant is incredibly delicious. I had the Chimichurri Steak Sandwich which was super flavorful! We also tried the beef empanada and the guava and cheese empanada. The guava and cheese one reminded me of Porto's bakery and was SOOO GOOD!!! And the new owners are really nice and helpful; the service is great! Looking forward to trying everything else on the menu!

Ashley Muller

I wanted to find somewhere that had nice outdoor seating to grab a snack. It was a pleasure dinning at Nina’s cafe. I enjoyed a chicken empanada, a beef empanada, and some sweet potato fries. All were delicious. The women working were very sweet! And it had a nice seating area along the water.

Shana Marie

Ninas cafe is one of my favorite empanadas places. They sell them at the Burlingame farmers market and a physical location in foster city. At the sit down resturant they have Ecuadorian dishes and drink options. Would highly recommend.

Alexandra Nusawardhana

Delicious empanadas and great place for breakfast right on the water!

Kathryn Holper

First time trying out this new restaurant and OMG I am in love! The empanadas are amazing and I sincerely can't pick a favorite. They were so good and the staff were lovely. They have some seating inside and shaded seating outside that overlooks the lagoon.

The food is delicious and well made! The staff is friendly. The atmosphere inside is cozy, with an option for outdoor seating that overlooks the water. It is well priced for what you get. The empanadas are some of the best I've had in a long time!

Best omelette I ever had in the bay area. Highly recommended. Definitely revisit next time. Their empanadas are really good. Recommended mushroom.

This is such a wonderful little cafe. Their food is incredible, everything I’ve tried so far has been amazing. The waterside ambience is wonderful, especially on a sunny day.

Nina’s Cafe makes some of the best empanadas I’ve ever had—perfectly baked and packed with flavor. The lamb leg is a must-try: juicy, tender, and deeply satisfying. What really makes this place special, though, are the owners, Nina and Paula. They’re warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind—it’s clear they care about both the food and their guests. A cozy spot with fantastic food and even better people. Highly recommend.

Nina's is the perfect little community café. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is quaint and welcoming. I have only experienced the utmost professionalism and friendly energy. Nina and her staff are not here just to serve, but share their heart and culture through food. I'm proud to have them and their establishment as a part of our community!

Andrew C

Best omelette I ever had in the bay area. Highly recommended. Definitely revisit next time. Their empanadas are really good. Recommended mushroom.

Ivette Garrido

The food is delicious and well made! The staff is friendly. The atmosphere inside is cozy, with an option for outdoor seating that overlooks the water. It is well priced for what you get. The empanadas are some of the best I've had in a long time!

Brie Jones

Nina's is the perfect little community café. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is quaint and welcoming. I have only experienced the utmost professionalism and friendly energy. Nina and her staff are not here just to serve, but share their heart and culture through food. I'm proud to have them and their establishment as a part of our community!

Piotr Zajac

Simply the best! Don’t think too much! Just get those empanadas and enjoy! Whole family loves them! Buy more for next days, easy to reheat in the oven, fix some small light salad with it and dinner is ready!

Eric Yi

Nina’s Cafe makes some of the best empanadas I’ve ever had—perfectly baked and packed with flavor. The lamb leg is a must-try: juicy, tender, and deeply satisfying. What really makes this place special, though, are the owners, Nina and Paula. They’re warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind—it’s clear they care about both the food and their guests. A cozy spot with fantastic food and even better people. Highly recommend.

Not a normal sit down cafe, you order at the register, get a number, then sit down and wait for your meal. If you order a coffee you get a good coffee but no refill. I ordered a house omelette and two empanadas that I would take to go when I was done. The house omelette was quite good but the potatoes that come with them were mostly bell peppers and the toast was one slice of what sure looked like regular grocery store bread cut diagonally, with a small pad of butter on each half. It was barely toasted. I paid for it all with a 30% tip so I ate it. Got the empanadas to go and they were really good. They were small, only four bites each, but they were delicious. I’d give this place four stars overall if they didn’t do me wrong on the toast

We saw this restaurant on Yelp with excellent reviews so we decided to try it. I love the service and the place with the view. Unfortunately, the food wasn't good. We ordered a guava empanada, which looked more like pink sauce than guava, the size was small and not what we expected. And the Cotopaxi dish shown in the photo, the plantain is green and not ripe plantain, so feels tasteless. The chorizo usually has a lot of flavor but this was definitely not the best choice. The potato is delicious, and so are the eggs. They put a sauce that we didn't really taste, it looked a bit greasy. They could do a lot better since for the value it's not worth it.

sean murphy

Not a normal sit down cafe, you order at the register, get a number, then sit down and wait for your meal. If you order a coffee you get a good coffee but no refill. I ordered a house omelette and two empanadas that I would take to go when I was done. The house omelette was quite good but the potatoes that come with them were mostly bell peppers and the toast was one slice of what sure looked like regular grocery store bread cut diagonally, with a small pad of butter on each half. It was barely toasted. I paid for it all with a 30% tip so I ate it. Got the empanadas to go and they were really good. They were small, only four bites each, but they were delicious. I’d give this place four stars overall if they didn’t do me wrong on the toast

viviana suarez

We saw this restaurant on Yelp with excellent reviews so we decided to try it. I love the service and the place with the view. Unfortunately, the food wasn't good. We ordered a guava empanada, which looked more like pink sauce than guava, the size was small and not what we expected. And the Cotopaxi dish shown in the photo, the plantain is green and not ripe plantain, so feels tasteless. The chorizo usually has a lot of flavor but this was definitely not the best choice. The potato is delicious, and so are the eggs. They put a sauce that we didn't really taste, it looked a bit greasy. They could do a lot better since for the value it's not worth it.

I went with my family. Food - all dishes were very under seasoned. The fish stew was bland and the lentils were mushy. Couldn't tell there was supposed to be fish in it. Chimichurri steak sandwich barely had any chimichurri sauce on it and the steak itself was not seasoned. But it was very tender so bonus there. It came with plantain chips that were slightly stale. Also tried the Cotopaxi breakfast. The chorizo was delicious and it came with egg and two vege patties (your choice of plantain, yuca, or potato). We had the plantain and yuca. The menu didn't say this but they were both full of cheese. These were also under seasoned , although better with the chorizo. Omelette was average and decently sized and again under seasoned. the potatoes that came with them were more sauteed than fried and somewhat soggy. Atmosphere - Narrow restaurant, but right on the water. Would have been lovely to sit outside but it was a bit too windy. Decor of the restaurant was nice and simple but a tight fit indoors. Service was friendly but a bit odd at points. Maybe she was new ? I wasn't asked what type of bread for the sandwich or as a side for the omelet. Asked for waters for the table twice and when she finally brought it she didnt bring enough glasses for the whole table.

Lani X

I went with my family. Food - all dishes were very under seasoned. The fish stew was bland and the lentils were mushy. Couldn't tell there was supposed to be fish in it. Chimichurri steak sandwich barely had any chimichurri sauce on it and the steak itself was not seasoned. But it was very tender so bonus there. It came with plantain chips that were slightly stale. Also tried the Cotopaxi breakfast. The chorizo was delicious and it came with egg and two vege patties (your choice of plantain, yuca, or potato). We had the plantain and yuca. The menu didn't say this but they were both full of cheese. These were also under seasoned , although better with the chorizo. Omelette was average and decently sized and again under seasoned. the potatoes that came with them were more sauteed than fried and somewhat soggy. Atmosphere - Narrow restaurant, but right on the water. Would have been lovely to sit outside but it was a bit too windy. Decor of the restaurant was nice and simple but a tight fit indoors. Service was friendly but a bit odd at points. Maybe she was new ? I wasn't asked what type of bread for the sandwich or as a side for the omelet. Asked for waters for the table twice and when she finally brought it she didnt bring enough glasses for the whole table.