Empanada Mama — Restaurant in Doylestown

Empanada Mama is tucked into a little alleyway/parking lot between State and Oakland Streets, I'm glad I found it when i went earlier this week, but disappointed in its execution.

I will be back, but my first and only visit thus far left a lot to be desired.

While there was a good variety of empanadas, asking any question about them and the variety of sauces was met with confusion and discontent. I realize its 2022 and I probably should have just ordered online like normal people do, but it was a place we stumbled upon, and I didn't think it would be such a hassle to interact with a human for a change. My only important question was whether there were eggs in any of the empanadas, to which I got a response "probably not, i don't think so". Ok, I guess... I wasn't gonna push it, but not wanting to risk it, we didn't feed any to our son. Fairly certain there was a good amount of egg wash on the empanadas, but I honestly do not know.

Your staff was more interested in hanging out with their friends than they were in serving their growing line of customers.

I asked about what sauces go well with the 7 empanadas we bought, but the response was brushed off, again, because the priority was hanging out with the non-employee friends.

All in all, the food was mostly tasty, some of the empanadas were dry, but I did enjoy most of them. I'll try it again, but at the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon, I'll have to go when the adults...

Having enjoyed authentic empanadas in countries like Colombia and Argentina, I was eager to try Empanada Mama in Doylestown. What a mistake. To call what they serve "empanadas" is an insult to the dish. These are nothing more than heavily overstuffed meat pies, bearing little resemblance to the traditional, flavorful, and often more delicately filled empanadas I've experienced.

The fillings were excessive and overwhelmed any potential for nuanced flavor. The pastry, while perhaps technically a crust, lacked the characteristic texture and proportions one expects from a genuine empanada. It felt like they were trying to compensate for something by simply cramming as much filling and odd flavors as possible inside.

To add insult to injury, the prices are exorbitant for what you receive. Paying a premium for authenticity is one thing, but overpaying for an inauthentic imitation is another entirely.

Frankly, I'm baffled by the apparent popularity of places like Empanada Mama in Doylestown. It's disheartening to see establishments serving such inauthentic fare thrive, while truly authentic and high-quality restaurants like Quinoa, Blue Mediterranean Grill, and Cross Culture struggle or even close. It makes one wonder if the local palate truly appreciates or even recognizes genuine (international) cuisine.

If you're looking for real empanadas, save your money and look elsewhere. Empanada Mama is a far cry from...

It pains me to have to rate a one star but after the service I received today, it was only fitting. I placed over a $100 order online to be delivered. When I got the order half of the empanadas I ordered were totally not the flavors I ordered. When I contacted the store, they told me they couldn’t find my order, and had another employee try to find the order. After several minutes, the order was found. I confirmed what I was missing and what I received. I was told by the girl working that they “weren’t sure if I could get a refund”. At that point I requested to speak with a manager. I was then told there was no manager on shift and someone would contact me tomorrow. I don’t understand how this mistake could’ve even happened. As someone who’s worked in customer service and the food business, orders should be checked for quality and to ensure the order is accurate to what was placed. There should also be a manager on shift or on call when issues like this arise. The only reason I placed the order was because the bacon and date was available, which is my favorite. The fact they didn’t give us ANY of the 6 bacon and date ordered, along with other substituted flavors, is...