Empanada Express Grill

As a person who passionately write reviews on Yelp, finding a restaurant many call a hidden gem is a prideful moment. Last Sunday (on the day many were getting ready for their Super Bowl gatherings), I was busy running some errands in Sunnyside neighborhood. All of a sudden, the thought of eating to entertain my 70% empty stomach hit me, I searched for the word "empanada" as I wanted some finger food and this restaurant came up in my search. Upon finding out that it was about 5-10 minutes away from where I was, it was a no brainer to me.This is a Venezuelan restaurant with almost 5-star review. Not knowing much about Venezuelan cuisine, my first thought was that they might have similar dishes as the surrounding South American countries like Columbia do. But most of all, I was so eager to try their empanadas. I've had Argentinian, El Salvadorian, Columbian and Nicaraguan versions of empanadas in the past. I wondered how different Venezuelan ones would be...I was warmly greeted by a young lady upfront upon arrival. This is a small/family style restaurant. The number of tables is very limited but you can sit outside as long as the weather permits. There was a large table of 7-9 people having a birthday party. I think I hit the place during the peak lunch time.Their empanadas are priced at $8 range. This was a bit pricey to me at the first glance but since I didn't know what kind of portion size they'd be made in, I thought I'd give them a try. I got me Reina Pediada, Sweet Domino and Fish. The total came to $27 with some change. Yup, you usually don't pay this much for a few to several empanadas but hey, like I said, I decided not to judge at that point.The young lady who took my order impressed me with some careful attention to detail. I placed my sunglasses at the ordering counter where the space was very limited. She had to move them just a little when she placed the credit card receipt for me to sign it. "I worked in the optics before." is what she said when she gently placed my sunglasses a little to the side in a very careful way. What a kind/considerate gesture that was! This kind of minor and yet incredible care didn't escape my notice. Thank you!!!When my food was ready, the same young lady handed me my bag. It was quite heavy. As soon as I got to my car, I opened it and there they were; my beautiful empanadas were large and dense/heavy!! They appeared to be all deep-fried so I wonder if Venezuelan style empanadas are all that way? Not sure. Anyway, I was on my way to a job duty so I had to eat quickly. I started to take a bite out of each one and ohhh yes, they were dense with a lot of fillings inside. Although I must frankly say that I like the flaky baked kind of empanadas more, these Venezuelan ones were equally impressive. Yes, this was a surprise find. I will definitely stop by here when I'm in the neighborhood for sure.

Very tasty, very authentic Venezuelan food. Incredible sancocho. Just great food across the board, a must stop.

Okay, I can't wait to come back here again!The service is absolutely wonderful and friendly. I asked for recommendations on the best arepa and the best empanada for someone that has never visited and isn't afraid of spice. So, let me give you the low down!I tried the shredded beef empanada (the recommendation) and a chile relleno (because I love a yum chile relleno) andddd both were delicious! I definitely favored the shredded beef empanada based on juice and flavor. I loved the fresh crunch when biting into them! I would order them again... especially the shredded beef. It was a great suggestion.The arepa recommended was the pork and avocado! So, for this arepa alone, I would come back. It was my favorite item. I enjoyed the seasoning on the pork meat and how the avocado and cheese blended to give that ooey gooey deliciousness. The ground maize dough tasted great too, it just breaks apart fairly easy. So, be prepared to fork and knife it.I was happy to visit and the server gave me an extra hot sauce when I told her in the beginning how I love spicy food. She knew I wanted to turn it up and I thought that was really thoughtful.

I brought two new Venezuelan friends into this restaurant today (they recently arrived in Denver) and they said the food was 'muy rica!' So that's the most authentic review you can find! They both took business cards so they could recommend it to other Venezuelans. I had the lunch plate with the rajas (chile poblano, sour cream and cheese) empanada and it was really tasty! The service was excellent and the food came out faster than expected.I also want to thank the owner and her family who generously donated food and time to our immigrant population from Venezuela on Thanksgiving (& possibly other times as well). I highly recommend supporting this local business who gives back to the community.

My good buddy is really into the arepas. He loves them. So when a new friend told us about this place we had to try it. The Arepas were good, I would Defiantly eat here again. I got the chicken and also one beef. The 2 sauces were spiced but not too much. Perfect, sauces for the food. I love sauces so this helps. The place itself is very basic. A register, tables, and drink cooler is all you will see in the place. Pshhhh, places like that are usually the best. Defiantly recommend this place.

I'm not a huge fan of Denver food in general -- overpriced and rarely that great. And I don't write reviews often. But, these are the best empanadas I've ever had! They're not doughy or lacking filling like you usually see. They're crispy and the perfect proportions with fantastic fillings. Places like these need support to flourish and set a higher standard. Check them out!

Every year for Christmas Eve we've ordered empanadas for the whole family. This has been our ongoing tradition for 11 years. Every year, the mini empanadas are a good size. They have good amount of meat inside of them and the kids love them. This year they got super cheap. The mini empanadas were half the size of normal and some of them had just a small pinch of meat. They've gotten cheap, but their prices went up four dollars. You would think that they would try to take care of a customer who's been going there 11 years and is ordering a $150 - $200 order. But whatever. I just know that next year I'm hiring a Venezuelan to make me empanadas in my house. I will not spend my money here.

The food was authentic,the service was outstanding , very attentive server, every dish was well preparedWe were passing by Denver and found this wonderful food

Amazing food always great service the only place I go for great empanadas can't wait to go back

Always bomb af, I love the rajas empanada and the green salsa. My girlfriend LOVES the Taste of Venezuela plate, she always get the Reina Pepiada empanada and arepa. Always good and they have amazing service! Love the food one of my go to places!