5411 Empanadas

I really loved the concept of this place. Little packages of goodness that are bakes and not fried. They’re small enough where you can mix and match, which is great. I feel like they should add some kind package deal if you get three or something like that. As it is, they’re $ 2.50 each, which is OK. I think you can do like 3 for lunch. 4 if you’re really hungry.
The empanadas were nice and warm and stuff. The shell is done well. Crispy and soft in parts. The main thing is… The fillings. I’ve tried 4 of them… And they were mostly OK. Kinda on the blander side, which was disappointing. They also charge you $.50 for a little thing of sauce, which I found annoying, because without the sauce there was no flavor at all.
Spinach — pretty normal flavor as you’d expect for spinach and cheese. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Ratatouille — this one was Ok too. It’s almost as if the bread was covering up the taste of the filling.
Caramelized onions — OK, speaking of bland… This was definitely not that. But it was literally all onions. I mean, I realize that’s what it’s called, but you don’t expect it to be just a fistful of onions and nothing else. I mean I like onions, but not by themselves like that. Like mix them in with something…
Mushrooms — same as the others. Good, but not too flavorful.
Overall, I don’t know. I think they could’ve done better with the fillings.

The taste is good but the price is really prohibitive. The empanadas are tiny. This place is a perfect example of trendy city restaurant where you pay more for style than for food. Given, you need to have 12 of these to fill yourself up but that would cost over $ 24. This is a place for snacking not for an actual meal. Its kind of surprising that this place hasn’t changed their menu (to introduce an actual entrée/​larger empanada), added more options or the price. They’ve been open since 2009 and this tells me that the people who run this place just don’t care about anything but your money.

Delicious and priced as if they had fawking gold flakes in the dough used to make them. The low rating is for the overly ambitious pricing on the TINY empanada.

This is my second Time here this week! I’ve had the Malbec beef, chorizo and egg, ham and cheese, date and goat cheese. The Malbec is delicious! The first bite you take is very juicy. The crust is baked. People are very friendly and they offer a frequent diner card! Definitely not filling though. But quite delicious for a snack!

My previous rating of 3.5 stars still stands so I’m balancing out the average.
This update mostly concerns the bacon, date and goat cheese empanada: Wow! It was delicious, the flavors are perfectly balanced and very interesting. I thought the chorizo and patatas bravas was just okay though. I ordered two empanadas with the thought that it would be an afternoon snack but I would have needed 3 or 4 for a complete lunch.

Unfortunately, my experience wasn’t a good one. The malbec beef was dry. The beef wasn’t good. Ratatouille was salty. Mushroom, bleu cheese and thyme was salty. Nutella and banana was not good and very cheap on the nutella. Spinach and cheese was edible. BBQ Chicken — was never received so I can’t rate it. I was so excited to try this place. I won’t order from here again. Based on the great reviews I was really looking forward to a great lunch. This is why consistency is so important.

I tried this place for lunch at the suggestion of my friend. We ordered using the Ritual app so it was fast and convenient to pick up. The empanadas are rather small so I would say order around 4 for a full meal. I ordered two BBQ chicken, a Malbec beef and a Patatas Bravas empanada. My favorite one was the Patatas Bravas. I also got the chimichurri sauce which was tasty. The empanadas were solid but i wouldn’t say it was knock your socks off good, just pleasant. The restaurant itself is very small with minimal seating so I would suggest doing a to go order if you have the option.

I always get 3 for lunch. I love the malbec beef and bacon, goat cheese and date. I’m not too into the sweet empanadas. I like nutella, but the savory empanadas are the way to go.
Malbec beef tastes like a pot roast. The beef tears apart easily and the veggies in it are soft like a stew. It’s always one of my firsts to go.
Bacon, dates and goat cheese sounds like the super fancy Top Chef meal in an empanada. There’s sweet, salty and crunchiness. The flavors really balance out.
My third empanada is always a toss-​up. I might double up on Malbec beef or bacon, dates and goat cheese or I get a spinach and cheese one. It doesn’t sound like much but it’s good. Plus you get your spinach in for the day.
My least favorite is the chorizo and potato. I thought I would love it since I like potato, but it’s just too salty. It also kind of tastes like a burrito you refrigerate but left it in the fridge too long and once you heat it up in the microwave then it’s not that good.
I haven’t tried their sauces since the empanadas have enough taste. It comes in a little cup and I think it’s a lot of sauce compared to the size of the actual empanadas.
I love that they have a food truck too. The truck itself is a cute powder blue too.

This guy’s used to have a great empanada.
Today I bought two dozen and they sucked! The dough is chewy and flavorless. The stuffing for the beef has been so processed that it’s become a mush, also lacking the great flavours of hard boil egg and olives, so authentic of argentinian empanadas. This is a great example of growing too fast and just worrying about making money and not a good product. As a fellow argentinian I’m very disappointed and embarrassed about it.
On a last note, Jesse needs to get a bit more training on customer care on the phone and in person.

Pretty good food truck, they come out super quick and are still hot. I’m a normal portions eating dude and I can get full off 4 for sure; I think each was about 2.50−3 bucks. I got the malbec beef, bacon/​date/​goat cheese (Best one!!!) and the chorizo/​potato. All were great, will definitely come back.
Wasn’t a huge fan of the chimichurri, it seemed chunkier than the others I’ve had (I like the one from Empanadus). I’m not sure which is more authentic, but I prefer the less chunky (although the more chunky probably means more fresh).
Anyways, definitely check it out if you see it!

I pass by this restaurant all the time and never knew it existed until now. It wasn’t until I found it on the Ritual app that I actually noticed it there. The restaurant doesn’t have a flashy sign or anything.
It’s a tiny restaurant. Once you enter, you’ll notice a small bar counter along the window and about three tables that seat a total of maybe 10 – 15 people. If you’re going during lunchtime on the weekdays, you’re better off just doing take-​out. Skip the line and use the Ritual app. Easy peasy.
If you tend to eat two people’s portions worth like myself, three of these empanadas won’t cut it. You’ll probably need 4 – 5 (maybe five to be safe), and each one is $ 2.50. I literally took one and held it against my palm, and the length of the empanada was the same diameter as my palm. I don’t have large hands by any means, mind you, so you get the picture on the size. Definitely order the chimichurri sauce. It’s $ 0.50 for one cup, but it’s enough for 3 – 5 empanadas if you ration out appropriately.
Beef empanada — apparently the most popular one according to the Ritual app. This was probably my least favorite since it was somewhat bland and dry without the chimichurri sauce. I wouldn’t order this again.
BBQ chicken empanada — this was my favorite one out of all three. It was packed with flavor and tasty enough to eat on its own without the chimichurri sauce.
Malbec beef empanada — this was my second favorite. The beef didn’t taste dry like the regular one. It has a unique flavor.
Despite eating three empanadas, I felt like I had only eaten an appetizer. In order to further satisfy my hunger, I drank a big glass of water and devoured an entire package of M&M’s.

Good place, tried it for the first time this past weekend. We drove in from the suburbs, so were surprised at how little seating they had. We decided to order them to go. They did have a wide variety of empanadas to chose from, so we tried many. One issue was, we could not tell which was which when we went to eat them.
They are for the most part tasty, but a bit small based upon the price. Not being a fan of Fried Foods, I love that they were baked. I think another chicken option would be great! The BBQ Chicken, to me was a bit dry. My favorite was the egg, bacon and cheese.

the food tastes really good and it is on the healthy side as it is baked instead deep fried, the stuffing tastes great, espeically the date with bacon one
only downside is the portion is too small, i ordered 3 for lunch and was still hungry by 3pm

This place was decent. I tried four empanadas and the bacon, date and goat cheese one was amazingt. The Malbec beef and chorizo with potatoes were a little dry and needed the sauce to make it tasty. I did not like that they had an extra charge for the chimichurri sauce. They were baked and not greasy which is a plus. They are a decent lunch stop if not crowded and 3 – 4 of them should fill most guys.

LOVE their Empanadas & go there often! Had out of town guests & wanted them to try them, so I ordered from their website & had them delivered. An hour later they still had arrived, so I checked my email to make sure that the order had gone through. There was an email telling me when they would be delivered, which was nice, but it was an hour & a half wait! That’s far too long on any night, but on a not busy Monday night? My feeling is that if it is going to take that long, it might be nice to know BEFORE the order is placed.

This place is one of my staples in the neighborhood. It’s consistently good and very affordable. Each empanada is only $ 2.50 which makes it a great price point if you’re looking to get just a couple for a snack or more to make it a meal. They’ve got a great variety of empanadas, both meat and veggie, which I love. Even dessert empanadas are available. My favorites are the ratatouille, bbq chicken, & bacon-​date-​cheese. All empanadas are baked which is also nice.
The service here is great as well. I’ve always been satisfied every time I’ve come. The one guy who has been there a while and is usually working (Jesse, I think) is great. Always friendly, knowledgeable, and personable.
I also like that this place is a local success story. It’s awesome to see that it started as just a food truck and now has 4 locations here in Chicago!
The ambience is nice as well. Clean, simple interior great for a casual date or laid back meal/​snack. They also have a patio in the summer which is nice.

Super high quality with amazing taste. The bacon and goat cheese, and sweet onion were amazing. I love how the crust is crunchy but overall its easy to eat. The portions are a bit to small for the price but its worth it.

I ordered two: the Malbec beef and the spinach and cheese. While I really liked the Malbec beef’s flavor, I found it to be dry. The empanadas are stuffed full of meat and it reminded me of a beef stew, which was perfect for the cold weather, but I just couldn’t get pass the dryness and the fact that the dough to me tasted like it was undercooked a bit. I am used to a much crispier and flakier crust/​dough and am not sure whether or not I like 5411’s version. The spinach and cheese was tasty as well but the dough, especially the rolled edges were really chewy. Price isn’t bad, $ 2.50 for each.

I ordered a couple of different empanadas from their truck today which was a BBQ chicken one, a beef one and a ham and cheese. I must say the ham and cheese and the beef were good, just a tad of more stuffing would have been great for me. The BBQ chicken was okay just not to my liking the sauce was a little on the tart side and I normally like sweeter sauce so that is just a preference of mine but besides that they all were good.

I tried this place with a friend last weekend, and I think I’ll be back. I had the bacon, date & goat cheese, BBQ chicken, and spinach & cheese empanadas. Out of these, the BBQ chicken was my favorite, and the bacon, fig & goat cheese was the most disappointing — I couldn’t see or taste any goat cheese. The empanadas are reasonably priced at $ 2.50 each, but they’re quite small. That being said, what I had kept me full for a while. If you’re looking for anything to go with your empanadas, I didn’t see any side options other than bags of potato chips at the counter.
The service is very friendly. The guy at the register made sure to ask how our days were going, and when we left, a different employee thanked us for stopping in. The seating inside is limited; my friend and I sat outside on the patio even though it was kind of chilly outside (I imagine it was probably one of the last weekends for the patio). If they had more seating and more side options, I’d give them five stars.

Too bad for this this location. The register Lady they have taking orders is very unfriendly. Does not even ask to help customers order or even says hello with a smile. The empanadas are good though. A bit expensive. Not sure if I would come back for the unfriendliness and pricy small empanadas.

I give it to them, they have some mediocre empanadas. The uniqueness about 5411 is the rare combinations they have, however for the price they are fairly small. The service is not that great, I guess my expectations were higher for a joint like this.

This was my first time trying this establishment and I will definitely be a repeat customer. I tried the Ratatouille, the Spinach & Cheese, the BBQ Chicken, and the Carmelized Onion & Parmesan with Chimichurri Sauce. I would get all of them again except the BBQ Chicken– the flavors felt almost against the whole essence of Empanadas. I loved that they were servings of 1, however, as it allowed me to experiment!
I did takeout– the service was very quick and the prices were fair ($ 2.50/ Empanada). I really appreciated that they had a guide saying 3 – 4 Empanadas is good for a meal (unless you’re a linebacker) because I would have had no idea how many to order. I also noticed the place is BYOB, so I‘ll definitely be coming back with a bottle of wine to dine in.
The reason I‘m only giving 4 stars instead of 5 is because I think they should add more chicken empanadas to the menu, as they have multiple beef options (chicken/​cheese/​spinach anyone?)
Summary: I’ve already recommended this place to others and will continue to do so. It’s a great option when you want a quick bite to eat but don’t want fast food!

A nice joint if you’re a fan of empanadas. I grew up eating these small tasty snacks but the Filipino version’s fried and not baked. But whether you’ve tried it before or not these Argentine version with chimichuri sauce is a killer. Just be willing to spend at least $ 15 bones (5pcs) just to have your fill. They’re pretty small IMHO but they’re so good! There’s a little bit if space to dine in but I would think it’s better for takeouts. They started as food trucks within the city and now opened their brick and mortar stores. I would suggest the bacon dates with ‘goat cheese’. So far that flavor was a sure winner :-)

Finally stopped by for a taste after the ridiculous line on opening day.
There were a few people in front of me on a fine Tuesday afternoon, but the line def grew soon after.
I got the chorizo with black beans & egg and a mushroom with thyme & blue cheese empanada. The chorizo one was ‘meh’ as it was pretty bland, while the mushroom empanada was delish. Although a little salty, it was full of mushroom flavor. Can’t wait to try others as I’m sure most of them are amazing as well and probably wouldn’t need the additional chimichurri or hot sauce.
My order was pretty much ready for me a minute after placing it, which was nice, so wait time is definitely at a minimal.
What did dampen my thoughts on this place was hearing another customer ask about the hot sauce. The cashier while nice, simply said he did not know, as he didn’t make it. Sure, you’re not the chef, but everyone that works there especially the one taking orders should be knowledgeable about its offerings and ingredients.
I would come back for a pick-​me up snack and not so much a whole meal as $ 2.50/empanada sounds like a great deal but they are on the small side (at least the ones I got), so it definitely adds up.

First time trying empanadas and I was immediately hooked. Been to the food truck three times already and planning on more. I’ve made it a goal to try all the flavors.
I completely understand why there’s 3 locations and a food truck. These empanadas are great and very addictive. My all time favorites are bacon, dates and goat cheese, malbec beef and BBQ chicken. They are small but 3 fill me up easily. There’s so much flavor packed into these little tasty pockets of meat.
The meat ones aren’t the only good ones, the vegetarian ones are good too. I like the spinach/​cheese combo and the sweet corn. You’d think you wouldn’t be full from a few of these, but you will be.
The taste is definitely worth $ 2.50 a piece. Try it if you ever get a chance to.

I’ve had these empanadas in a number of instances: food truck, HANGRY at the Wicker Park location, Lakeview location with a Groupon. Always delicious.
The Groupon was an awesome buy: $ 19 for a dozen empanadas with 3 sauces. Definitely enough to feed 3 people, maybe 3.5. I eat A LOT, so believe me when I say these things will get you full.
I advise to try to eat them day-​of. Not a good next-​day food. I mean, I’ll still eat it and love it, but not the same affect as fresh from the oven.
Favorites:
Bacon, Date. & Goat Cheese
Spinach & Cheese
Banana & Nutella
Malbec Beef
The chimichurri is a must-​have.
The Wicker Park location I like best. They serve beer on tap, which is nice if you want to grab a quick bite and drink with a friend or suss out Tinder dates.

THIS PLACE IS THE BOMB!!!
The empanadas are absolutely DELICIOUS – you have to go just to try them yourself. Oh, and get the chimmichurri sauce – you won’t even regret smelling like garlic for the rest of the night because you’ll only be reminded of how delicious your last meal was.
My favorite is the bacon/​goat cheese/​date combination, although my savory-​exclusive friends think it’s borderline too sweet.
The place is kinda small though, so don’t try to bring a party of 15. I’ve fit about 6 – 8, though!

Without a doubt one of my favorite, if not my favorite, restaurants in Chicago. This particular restaurant offers a number of pretty spot on authentic Argentine empanadas (specifically, the type you might find in Buenos Aires) along with a number of clearly Argentine-​American hybrids. In fact, the name, specifically the «5411» part, is the calling code in Buenos Aires.
While I am not an expert on Argentine empanadas, I’ll try to put these into context from what I know. For the most part, empanadas in Argentina are either baked or fried – the south, including Buenos Aires, bakes, while the north fries. These are baked. So far as what goes inside, I have found that the most common varieties (in BsAs) are beef and ham & cheese, though you seem to also find every so often corn (humitas) and cheese & onions (queso y cebollas).
5411 offers a mix of some empanadas that very much remind me of Buenos Aires, specifically the beef (not the malbec beef), the ham & cheese, and the onions & parmesan. You’ll even find an olive inside the beef empanada, just like you would in Buenos Aires. The ham & cheese is the best I’ve ever had. If anything is different, it is simply that these empanadas at 5411 are a tad smaller and a tad greasier (note: USA).
The Americanized empanadas are fantastic as well, with the chorizo variety being a standout to me.
In addition, you can find a number of popular Argentine café items and treats, most notably cortados (an espresso with the bitterness slightly «cut» by hot milk) and alfajores (a sugary confection).
The restaurant itself is quite small, with fairly limited seating, but with a clean and hip look to it (all light wood). You order at the counter and the empanadas will be brought out to you in 5 – 10 minutes, possibly longer if it’s busy (as it often is). Each empanada has a specific pattern in the dough, to indicate which is which. The ham & cheese is the most drastically different looking one, but its look is exactly in line with what you might find in Buenos Aires.

Before I get into the details, I will summarize with: the empanadas here are amazing!!! You must try them!!!
I stumbled upon 5411 one night last February when I was out running errands and looking for a quick bite to eat. I was about to go across the street to the Creperie when the empanada joint piqued my interest. I have since returned with my husband and will continue to go back. This is a great place for a pre-​movie dinner (right next to Landmark theatre) and they are BYOB. You just need to be lucky enough to snag a table or spot on the ledge by the window.
They feature 12 different varieties of empanada ranging from sweet (banana & nutella), meat-​filled (malbec beef – my favorite, barbecue chicken, chorizo and vegetarian (spinach, ratatouille, sweet corn). Each empanada is creatively rolled with a different pattern on the edge.
We ordered a dozen that we enjoyed over a bottle of red. You can reference the drawings posted around the restaurant to match up the pattern of the edge to find out which one you’re eating. (or, you can surprise yourself). Their empanadas are baked, and this is a good thing. They are not greasy or heavy. Somehow between the two of us we managed to eat 11 out of the 12.
Another thing that strikes me about this place is the drawings of each empanada actually remind me a boutique in Buenos Aires called «Nobrand» (
) that has created graphics representing many parts of Argentine culture, including the empanada. I wonder if the owners were inspired by this? I don’t know the history of the restaurant but a fellow diner did mention that «5411» is a type of area code, to Buenos Aires like «312» is to Chicago.

A friend and I purchased the Groupon for one dozen. We tried the following flavors in order by fave:
1) Bacon, date, and goat cheese
2) Sweet Corn
3) Malbec Beef
4) Beef
5) Ham & cheese
6) Ratatouille
BD&GC is the *BEST* one and Corn is a close 2^nd. MUST get the CHIMICHURRI sauce! It is a BYOB joint. The chairs look nice, but they’re just hollow plastic. Brightly lit place. After you order, grab your own plates, flatware, and cups. Although I wasn’t sure where to dispose of my trash when I was done with my meal, so I assumed the guy behind the counter took care of it? I did try the ginger fresca and it was alright, but plain water will suffice during my future visits. I intend to go again and try the chorizo & patatas and the spinach & cheese ones.

I haven’t met an empanada that I didn’t like. This includes all the empanadas that I’ve had at 5411.
The décor and ambiance of this place is super cute and has a good vibe. Super clean and inviting. The staff are ok-​never super friendly, but they get the job done.
My favorite empanada here is the sweet corn. Not a huge fan of the spinach and cheese. The goat cheese and date one is super good too. They also have a wide variety of desserts and beverages. They have a full espresso bar and serve metropolis.
This place is absolutely great for an afternoon snack of an empanada and a cappuccino.

Today I ran into the food truck, and on a whim I decided to give them a try. The nice young man recommended I try the Ham n Cheese Empanada. Boy was it good!!! Imagine warm ham surrounded with delicious gooey melted cheese, all wrapped in like a crossaint ball. Very very yummy. The only draw back was that the ball of deliciousness was so small, like the size of 2 donut holes for $ 2.75. I would probably need three of those for a meal.

A cute lil place that delivers scrumptious empanadas in many different meat and veggie choices, it’s a self serve place that is relatively inexpensive for about $ 2.50 a pop… the guy serving us was one of the most kindest server I have seen, I tried the spinach + cheese and the malbec beef I believe, it was recommended by the worker and it was a excellent choice
Will definitely be back at this place when I’m in chicago

I LOVE EMPANADAS.
I came here with a friend and we ordered two empanadas each — we each had one bacon/​date/​goat cheese, I had a Malbec beef, and she had a chorizo/​patatas bravas one.
The Malbec beef was great — the filling was like a beef pot pie, really tender and flavorful meat. The bacon/​date/​goat cheese was very unique and delicious, though sweeter than I expected it to be.
The interior of the restaurant is cute, though it’s a pretty small space — just be warned!

Sweet Corn Empanadas
$ 2.5 Each only !!! It was really good, the crust is flaky and firm. it included mozzarella cheese, sautee onions, bechamel sauce and nutmeg, with right amount of Sweet. The Staff is friendly and welcoming. The store is small, it feels like a quaint café. (Argentine food) Small treat after dinner, awesome !!

Gourmet empanadas?! What? I had no idea they existed and truthfully, my experience with empanadas were the ones off the On the Border menu. Shameful, I know… Well, that has been changed and never will I look at empanadas the same.
First, make sure you check Twitter to see when they are on the way to the stop. You’ll want to get there within an hour of their arrival since they sell out quickly. I’ve stood in line and watched as flavor after flavor got crossed off their chalkboard list.
You can also ensure you get the types you want by calling ahead before 10:30 for same day pick up. They will charge your credit card over the phone. You don’t have to wait in line and most importantly, you get what you want.
In three trips, I have sampled the following:
Beef: simple yet executed well and great flavor — beef was perfectly cooked and the pastry outside was perfect.
Malbec beef: this empanada has shredded beef and sauteed carrots and onions in a Malbec reduction. This one is like the beef empanada, but with way more flavor. Unfortunately, I ate this one too late and didn’t experience the flavors when they were fresher.
Caramelized onion: This is the perfect mix of sweet (the onions) and savory with the addition of Parmesan cheese.
Ham and Cheese: this one is my favorite so far. It is simple, but executed well. It is filled with slices ham, Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. The dough is baked perfectly and all the flavors worked really well together. It’s way better than a ham an cheese sandwich!
Banana Nutella: this empanada tasted great, but was a bit messy to eat and the filling kept oozing out of it. I did love that it was warm and who doesn’t love Nutella?
I would definitely eat these ASAP since they can get cold quick. I’ve never tried nuking them in the microwave though, but I assume they won’t taste as good. The beef and ham and cheese goes really well with the chimichurri sauce, which is a must.
I can’t wait for my next trip! Up next is the Sweet Corn and the vegetarian options!