The MidNord Empanada Truck

I love food truck season in Minneapolis. This week my co worker and I tried the MidNord Empanada truck and I wasn’t expecting to really love it, but was pleasantly surprised. By far the STANDOUT item on their menu is the cuban-​ada! Amazing flavor and filled with lots of meat. We also really like their mac and cheese one, but it needed a sauce (which they have lots of on the side that are good). We also tried the loaded potatoes which I would recommend to share.
The only things we didn’t love (thus 4 stars over 5) was the «sauce» or «salsa» that came with the chips? It was like watery and flavorless. We also felt the traditional chicken & beef were to potato heavy and not enough meat.
If we go again I will get a couple of cubans for sure!

Empanada. I dont know another language except for Pig Latin, but I would guess that Empanada means «HaHa Gotcha!» in Spanish, perhaps. Tried the mac and cheese «HaHa Gotcha!» tonight and for a moment wondered why the universe has decided that food trucks need to happen. Inside was dry tasteless mac and cheese, outside was some orangish coating thing that tasted like it was fried 3 weeks ago and slightly warmed tonight for my unenjoyment. The slice of lime was delicious though. 5 stars for the lime, 0 for the «HaHa Gotcha!», truncated to 2 stars for this gastronomic unwonderment. Thanks, universe.

I have to heartily disagree with the lower rated reviews by a couple of my dear Elite friends, it must have been an off night!
My most recent visit to Indeed yesterday brought me to MidNord. I was there with a friend for happy hour and was planning on bringing some empanadas home to the hubs for dinner. Before ordering my to-​go food, I ordered a side of their chipotle corn salad to munch on while my friend and I hung out. Mmm, it was perfect! A decent sized bowl, it was refreshing and delicious with just a touch of heat from the jalepenos. My friend ordered a couple empanadas and the tostones which she shared with me. Can’t go wrong with fried plantains! They were nice and crispy and paired well with the mango chutney.
I ordered my empanadas (2 of the cuban and beef and one of the mole special) to go. They took the 30 min drive home well, still warm and not soggy. We were both happy with the fillings, finding all 3 flavorful, spiced well, not dried out. I will say the crust where the empanadas were sealed seemed a little doughy, but the dough around the actual filling was nice and crisp. I can’t remember the last time I had an empanada so no idea if that’s how they are supposed to be.
So 2 thumbs up from me, I’d have no hesitation ordering from them again! One thing to note, if you’re short, you may have trouble reaching the counter… :)

My dog has begun to develop quite an obsession with food trucks. She figured out long ago that delicious food is distributed from those wildly painted metal-​encased kitchens on wheels, but these days she thinks every order that comes through those windows has her name on it (thanks in part to the fellas of MidNord Empanadas)…
It was a warm summer evening in Minneapolis, so Island Boy and I decided to grab the pup and hit up a brewery patio to grab a couple pints and cool off. We hadn’t yet eaten dinner, so when we conveniently stumbled upon MidNord at Fulton Brewery, we felt like we hit the jackpot. Little did we know our dog was gonna be the BIG winner.
Surprisingly Fulton’s actual patio is not dog-​friendly, but thankfully they had a few high tops set up in the parking lot where MidNord was stationed, and they didn’t mind if we hung out with the dog there. We ordered up a pair of empanadas (one pork, one chicken), and they were hot-​n-​ready in no time. After we were midway through our own empanadas, one of the guys hollered from the truck, «I’ve got an extra… would your dog like one?». Being a beagle, food is her favorite thing in the world, and if you give her extra special human food, she’ll be your best friend. So the nice empanada man came down from his truck seconds later and delivered our four-​legged foodie her very own mac-​n-​cheese filled pastry!
I can’t comment on what her empanada tasted like, but if the speed by which she devoured it is any indication, I think she would give it 2 paws up. Our pork «cuban-​ada» was a little on the bland side, but the flavors were much more developed in the traditional chicken empanada. The mixture of yukon gold potatoes, red peppers, garlic and cilantro really came together with the roasted chicken to create quite the little flavor pocket – it’s something I’d get it again.
Overall it was a great experience. I would certainly give ‘em another try, but I won’t necessarily be stalking them around town anytime soon… although my dog just might!
3 stars for the food, 5 stars for the service, and pooch approved!

Cravings. yes I just had these great delights yesterday night and I am pretty sure I am going to go hunt them in downtown Minneapolis for lunch today again. Had the pleasure of attending a friend’s studio opening over by Bauhaus and they hired MidNord to provide the food. I had the chance to try all the different empanadas they offered and by far the Cuban (pork) and the Mac Attack were my favorite! They were piping hot and the different salsas they had were a great complement to the flavor. Favorite salsa was probably the chipotle one.
The staff were fun to talk to and the service was quick and fast. Highly recommend so please stop by if you see them around!

Awesome empanadas. I particularly love their classic chicken empanada and their pork «Cubanada.» I’m not crazy about the «Mojo sauce» they have, but their other sauces are great.

Most empanadas I’ve have been on the bland and or dry side (even many when I was in South America!). Not the case with MidNord! I picked up a trio of beef/​pork/​chicken for lunch today. Armed with the the house «mojo» sauce, and a couple ramekins of hot sauce I attacked these bad boys. Plenty of flavor of plenty of juicy filling. To my surprise the chicken ended up being my favorite, maybe due to the abundance of cilantro and potatoes inside as well. Definitely be going back, though the thick bread on them makes them much more filling than I figured so might just get two next time, though I probably will still get three…

My dear friend Louise had sent me photos of her «failed» homemade empanadas, because this goddess of baking/​cooking had not reached her usual pentacle of pure perfection with them. Something about having to throw them out because the dough was not perfect or blah blah blah, I don’t know, I wasn’t listening because I was too busy being jealous of a goddamn trash can.
But a few days later I was able to rejoice when I stumbled upon the MidNord truck at Bauhaus. Well phew, I can now get empanadas that I’ve since been craving, but more importantly, won’t have to get caught dumpster diving behind Lu’s house (picture me getting caught in the beam of a flashlight, rabid and hissing).
Well I don’t know, the free dumpster empanadas weren’t sounding so bad after I ate MidNord’s offerings. Damn did I try to hard like them too — I think I tried every item on the menu that night! The mac & cheese empanada was dry and crumbly on the inside, I didn’t pick up any flavor in the carnitas one except for gaminess, the brisket one was mild and left no impression on me, and the chicken empanada was full of big cubes of chicken, rather than tender shredded chicken, and again lacked flavor and even salt. The yucca fries were way too dry; I actually forfeited these to my friends… Who I think were too scared to even try them since I, of all people, turned them down.
The silver lining of the empanada is that they had really great service and I am love with the concept, just not the execution. Maybe I’ll try to get my fix again when they rotate the menu again (old habits die hard).

Today I went to Fulton Brewery and was starving. This nice food truck was there. I ordered 2 empadas here. The chicken mole one and Cuban one. They come with a dipping sauce that was really good. Included was about a handful of homemade tortilla chips and salsa. The chef yelled out peoples named loudly when your order was up. We went inside Fulton for Lonely Blonde Ale and shared a table with strangers. Very good snack that filled me up. Not greasy either.

A-​maz-​ing! This little food truck packs a mighty bite! I can’t recommend just one of the empanadas. Get 3 and sample one of each! Try the Mac and Cheese one. The Cuban is exceptionall. I was not an ecstatic fan of the Traditional Chicken, but it was ok. If a tap room has this for truck. I will pick them going forward. This is the perfect food at the perfect portion at a perfect price. So, in summary, make a gluttonous moment if you find them.

This review is really for the MidNord Tostones Truck
It looks just like the MidNord Emapanada Truck except it doesn’t have any Empenadas. It just has Tostones.
While I like a fried plantain as much as the next guy I was hungry for a little more.
Maybe next time they will bring more dough.

So… empanadas…deep fried goodness!!! Recently went to the food truck fair in Uptown and saw plenty of people walking around with empanadas… I stop one of them and ask where I can get my own share… to which they pointed at the MidNord Empanada Truck.
I slowly made my way over and found a line 30 hungry people deep… damn this better be worth the wait!
Finally make it to the front of the line and I quickly blurt out chicken and mac attack… yeah, mac empanada… that actually happened. I waited in the blazing hot sun and hear my name, YES… empanada time! Along with my empanadas comes a side of a green spice sauce (really wish I knew the name!).
Chicken Empanada = Awesome
Mac Empanada = Game Changer
I’m definitely hitting this place up for lunch when they’re in downtown Minneapolis!

I could see myself getting busy with these guys on a regular basis. Good thing they are not located too close to my work.
My empanadas were good. Initial reaction was way too salty, but I think the salt shaker lept on to one corner of my first bite and decided to hang on for dear life. After that first unfortunate bite, the rest was blissful. Really great flavor-​potatoes, chicken, garlic= Goodness.
Great customer service with a smile.
Will return!

Tried the truck out for the first time this week and was really impressed. Awesome customer service and quick turnaround for their crack empanadas! I had 1 chicken and 1 Cuban as the menu offers 3 flavors for 2/​$ 7 or 3/​$ 10. Really reasonable compared to the other trucks. They serve them with limes (super dry-​boo) and mojo sauce. They also have 3 hot sauces to try on the side. WARNING: the ridiculous sauce is really ridiculous! Don’t blow your palette! I loved the empanadas — tons of flavor with the perfect amount of spice to the meat. I would definitely go back for the chicken.
Kudos Midnord!

A personal find for me as Latin-​Caribbean fair is hard to find in this town. The empanadas were big, full of good ingredients and were excellent tasting.
This new generation of Minnesotan is showing some serious promise. Don’t be put off by the fact that the staff/​cook doesn’t look Spanish, Caribbean… vaguely Latin. These guys can cook.
Go and enjoy!

I got the last 2 empanadas of the night before they ran out, and I felt special. Imagine if that had happened at a restaurant, I’d be perturbed that they would be so irresponsible as to run out of a staple item. It’s all about expectations, kind of like micro-​breweries; because it’s called a micro-​brewery, we are ecstatic just to be let in the door, and don’t mind there is no food, napkins, mixed drinks, or servers, and only a couple beers to choose from. Imagine if you went to any big bar downtown/​Uptown and they only served 3 beers.
Empanadas were great.

Again I am loving food truck season. The lines were really long at the ones I really liked from last year and I was in a time crunch. It must have been kismet because I got the chance to try the chicken empanadas. They are so good. The citrus sauce on the side gives it a nice hit of acid (and not the trippie kind).
I would definitely come back.

My buddy and I were out for our our biweekly, new restaurant run in the cities. My friend heard about this new MidNord Empanada Truck on Marquette. Score! I have heard of empanadas on DDD and No Reservations. I have always wanted to try them, I would have preferred baked, but I had to try the fried kind, which is all they had.
They had a mixed up menu from their normal one, which is normally chicken and tuna and beef, so I ordered the buffalo chicken and my friend got the Cubano. After about 5 minutes, with no line, since it was pretty cold, we got our food in a great take away sack, which is huge, as in good! I hate when these food trucks just give you a paper boat to take your stuff away. There were two kinds of hot sauce, but no cups to put them in, on a shelf outside the truck. Boo! My buddy had some kind of issue with paying with his smart phone, but I couldn’t tell what it was.
We walked over to our normal stomping grounds and I opened up the silver football size meal. I was pleasantly surprised to see 3 or 4 fried plantains sitting in the side of the boat. Well played MidNord! What a great surprise.
My friend and I split our orders, so we got one of each. I tried a plantain dipped in the buffalo sauce first. Oh my gosh! Not too hot. Not too cool. Creamy from what I am guessing is a melted butter mixture of spices and love. The buffalo chicken was grilled perfectly and melted magically with the blue cheese dressing and spices involved. The crust looked a little over cooked, but it wasn’t greasy at all. I really loved this one.
The Cubano was totally different. There was a spice mélange in the second bite. The pork was succulent, but the buffalo chicken was so awesome I had to give it the winner.
The guys in the truck were awesome and thanked us after the purchase, which was a nice touch. My only complaint was that it seemed a tad over cooked, I would have like a little softer crust. and hey! Plantains!

First time at The MidNord Empanada Truck; guys were very helpful explaining their menu and seemed genuinely engaged with me while I was ordering. I had the Beef Empanadas — it came w/​lime wedge and sauce… it was very good. My only complaint is price, for $ 7 I think you should get a side of something as well.

Under constant pressure from our Community Manager Annie D., here is my review of @MidNordTrucks.
My search for a good, savory Empanada in Minneapolis started a few years ago after my trip to Washington D.C., where I was able to taste the famed Chilean Empanadas from Julia’s Empanadas in Dupont Circle. I spent a good year afterwards trying to search for something similar in Minnesota and finally just gave up. The internet didn’t help me much in my search and my adventures around the Latin American/​Mexican restaurants in town only turned up dessert empanadas. (If you are the person that knows where I can find some at a store front in Mpls, please let me know!!)
Anyways, I was super duper excited last week when the Twitterverse showed signs of an empanada truck in the St. Paul area. I, naturally being the freak that I can be, excitedly tweeted them like crazy about how much I wanted to try their food. I mean — what’s there not to be excited about? I get my combined love for food trucks with a food specialty I’ve been waiting years for.
I read about their story on their website and made sure I got there ASAP when they were close to my office in DT St. Paul. I was super surprised at how cute the guys are. I mean, good food and good looking doods? Heavenly!
Okay…okay.now to the actual food review.
I ordered the Tucuman-​Style Beef Empanadas (Spring Onions, Pimento and Vinegar), Tucuman-​Style Chicken Empanadas (California garlic, Yukon potato, hard boiled egg, red peppers, green onion) and Tucuman-​Style Spicy Tuna Empanadas (Hamita, Red Chillies, Green Olives, Merken). My friend said I wasn’t allowed to get everything! I’d like to try the fried plantains and the dessert one next time.
My favorite was the Chicken… it had a nice balance of favors and was «light». Chicken was moist the way chicken should always be served. The beef was okay for me, it wasn’t completely memorable. The tuna was my least favorite because I expected something completely different. When a menu says Spicy Tuna I immediately think of fresh tuna like in a sushi roll, so I was disappointed when it was… cooked tuna? Was it canned tuna? I’m not sure. My imagination had already ran wild with the possibility that someone figured out how to put raw spicy tuna inside an empanada and how amazing it was to be. I blame my experience w/​the tuna due to my completely wrong expectations. But that’s an idea though… you should try it out boys! Something fresh inside a fried crust!
The crust was not what I expected due to my previous experiences, but it was good. Light and crispy — I think I prefer it this way. A tad bit on the greasy side though but that’s why food trucks can be awesome.
I’m excited to go back and have some more… now if only work would stop scheduling meetings during the lunch hour. *sigH*.