La Empanada Loca — Restaurant in Florida

My wife and I were born and raised in Puerto Rico and were craving some Puertorican food after a day in the beach. We were sadly disappointed.

During my college days I mostly drank Medalla (beer) as it was/is the most affordable in the island. I am very familiar with the taste. This was NOT Medalla. The taste was extra malty. It tasted closer to a Malta India than to the actual Medalla Light. I would've thought that importing the beer changed the flavor, if not for the fact that I've been to Casa Borinquen in Hollywood and their Medalla Light actually tastes like a Medalla.

I ordered a trifongo with shrimps (a la criolla). The shrimp's sauce/sazón were good. The issue was the trifongo itself. It lacked green plantain (used for the mofongo). The sweet plantain was predominant and then the yuca (I may be knit-picking here but guys you can remove the stems from the yuca when making the trifongo), the green plantain's flavors and most importantly consistency were missing. It came very well garnished in a 'Pilón'. The 'Pilón' itself was half full, so the portion was not great.

My wife ordered rice and beans with churrasco. The rice was ok, but the beans did not encapsulate the Puertorican cuisine/flavor. They were a bit watery (missing more tomato sauce to thicken them up) and had a bit of spice to them. I love spicy food, I even put pique (hotsauce) on my pasteles, but those beans could not even comparable to a Puertorican school's cafeteria beans. I did not know how much I undervalued those until today. Missing on the beans was surprising. The churrasco was a bit under seasoned (which is not common for Puertorican dishes), although the chimichurri sauce was perfect, perhaps the best thing we ate.

We also ordered a side of 'yuca al mojo' which was the second best thing we ate. It came in a little 'calderito' which was nice.

Overall I'm extremely disappointed on the restaurant. Maybe it was a bad day at the kitchen? Maybe we ordered the two items in the menu that were not their strong suit? The ambience was nice, and the servers were courteous and delivered the food relatively quick and with care...but the food completely took me out of the experience.

We paid $80 without counting the tip for the 2 beers, 2 plates and a side.

Although I don't see myself going back to this restaurant given that first impression was poor, I do wholeheartedly hope that they take these points into consideration and try to...

My family are from Puerto Rico, my mother use to be the main cook and would make the most amazing authentic Puerto Rican dishes. My and sister and I were excited to find this place especially with all the great reviews, we walked in, were seated immediately, we told our waiter it's our first time there and I think we must of looked excited, we got Puerto Rican beers, he asked what we wanted, we told him alcapurrias, he asked what's else, we told him we were still making our minds up, and wanted to start off with that, again our first time there. We needed time to review the menu( I honestly wanted 3 of everything) they came back with the alcapurrias and a pasteles(which we shared) , it was full of flavor. He came back and we asked for another two pastels and he said they didn't have anymore, my sister and I looked sadly at each other , and he's said, "well let me check maybe I can find one back there for you", we advise him, we were hoping to take some to go, well he came back with more, pastels. We ordered some arroz con gandules which we didn't eat. Then we wanted to order some alcapurrias to go and as I was trying to decide how many(honestly the moment it took me to turn and look at my sister to ask her how many she wanted, my waiter said something which I couldn't make out what he said, but as I looked at him he did the hand gesture like "hurry up" I was in shock. I couldn't believe it, the whole time we felt rushed and when we asked for the alcapurrias he said they were completely out, he never asked if we wanted another drink. We felt as if he didn't want to attend us, I don't know maybe they have a limit? Maybe he was on a rush to go home, Or maybe he was having a bad day... everyone else we briefly encountered seemed nice, and brought us our food with a smile.

Son mi gente and we left so disappointed and heartbroken, somewhere we thought would feel like home. I can say I would never go back, we were nice and left a tip(which he didn't deserve) Server on my...

Experience the Flavors of Puerto Rico at La Empanada Loca - A Vibrant Culinary Journey!

La Empanada Loca, a Puerto Rican restaurant located near my workplace, caught my attention while I was searching for authentic PR cuisine. Despite the unconventional name (as we usually refer to our savory pastries as "empanadillas" or "pastelillos" in Puerto Rico), I decided to give it a try. Upon entering, I immediately felt the Puerto Rican vibe and was greeted warmly by the staff. I was promptly seated without needing a reservation.

The waiter kindly offered me a drink, suggesting the iconic Medalla beer from Puerto Rico. Without hesitation, I ordered one. As for the appetizers, I chose the alcapurrias, which were slightly small in size but packed with delicious flavors. The empanadillas, on the other hand, were generously filled with meat and tasted delightful. For the main course, I opted for the mofongo with fried meat. It was truly spectacular, although the garlic sauce on the meat was a bit overpowering for my taste, and that's saying something since I'm a garlic lover. Next time, I'll request the sauce on the side. The mofongo was accompanied by a flavorful broth, traditionally used in Puerto Rico to moisten the dish, as it can sometimes be a bit dry. This touch truly captured the essence of Puerto Rican cuisine.

Inside the dining area, the walls are adorned with murals depicting musicians from the island, creating an excellent backdrop for capturing memorable photos. I intend to return to La Empanada Loca to explore more of their traditional dishes, which I'm confident they craft with authenticity and care.

If you're seeking an immersive culinary journey through the vibrant flavors of Puerto Rico, La Empanada Loca is a must-visit. From the warm welcome to the mouthwatering dishes, this restaurant offers a genuine taste of Puerto Rican cuisine in a...