Mr Empanada

You would think because this location is the original that they would be held to a higher standard. Sadly, that is not the case. Today has been my second time at this location and I am beyond shocked and appalled.
Both the service and food are subpar here. The cashier was rude and not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Usually, the food is cooked fresh to order and I don’t mind waiting. My food was ready in less than two minutes. The fries and the empanadas were overdone. This was due to the staff «re-​frying» both the empanadas and fries.
I am contacting the management and bringing this matter to their attention. Do yourself a favor, stay away from this location.

Eh, this place is OK. I only really like the guava/​cheese empanadas and those were quite off the other day when I got them.
I won’t be back. West Tampa Sandwich Shop makes a much better guava/​cheese empanada than these people.

They had rude employees that were talking crap about me in Spanish because they thought that I couldn’t understand them — not a great first impression. We stopped here after a trip to the vet, and the food was mediocre as best. My fiancé got empanadas and I got a salad because I had pretty bad heartburn and opted out of anything that could exacerbate it.
None of the salad was fresh, and the dressing had completely separated. I ordered steak fries on the side, and those were the only redeeming quality of my meal. My fiancé said his meal was nothing great, and that he had been to other Mr. Empanadas that were better. I tried a bite of each one that he got, and I agreed it wasn’t anything great.
Considering the vast number of hispanic restaurants that were around us, I wish we had picked another one. We both agreed that we wouldn’t be going back to this location.

I can’t help but love the fried yummy goodness. It reminds of the late nights I spent at the reggae clubs in college. About 2am the beef patties totally hit the spot! My favorites at Mr. Empanada are the Italian Sausage and Beef & Cheese. Stay away from the crab empanada – the crab is mixed with a red sauce that just doesn’t compliment it.
For dessert, I highly recommend the guava and cheese empanada.
They offer cuban coffee from a machine that tastes like powdered coffee from a machine :(However, it has the caffeine jolt you may need after eating all that greasy goodness!

This is a local chain that has deservedly expanded & thrived. It is a reliable, quick, well-​priced source for high-​quality empanadas. This location is also the corporate HQ, and the retail outlet is small. They do a steady business; their menu is limited, but you get very fresh, tasty food… not ones that have basked and dried under a heat lamp. Their dessert empanadas are a real treat… love the guava.
Other store locations around town are larger & brighter, but all offer the same top quality. Congratulations to a local family success.

My school used to bring in Mr. Empanada all the time and everyone would always get very excited when they did. I visited the little storefront as well. While the empanadas are a bit greasy, what do you expect with something that is deep fried? I am always pleased with the food and flavors.

You have to try the crab empanada. So delicious. Sometimes you might get a little bit of shell in your empanada. I don’t mind it because it’s the real deal– real crab meat, tender and delicious. The picadillo is great as well. Lots of flavor and it really hits the spot.
The black bean and rice soup had too much rice in it. It felt like black beans as a side and rice as a side that were mixed together.
What I like about this location is the beig window in the dining area where you can see the empanadas being made– no shady business behind a big wall.