Maria Luisa Empanadas — Restaurant in Seattle

I would have given this 0 Start at this time but that option is not available here. I've been a loyal customer for a long time, and I've always raved about your food, especially the empanadas. I've even bought them as a gift for friends because they're consistently excellent. But this experience was nothing short of horrid.

The main reason your empanadas stand out is the chimichurri—it's what truly elevates them. I ordered a dozen to share and was incredibly disappointed to discover there was none in the bag. I called immediately, and the person on the phone simply said they didn't have any. Why wasn't I told this at the time of purchase? It's a key part of the order, and if I had known, I would not have bought them. The empanadas are simply not the same without it.

What makes this even more frustrating is the lack of a real solution. I was told, "Sorry," and that was it. Then, after I'd already left and been told you were out, I received a call saying you suddenly had chimichurri again. The whole situation was handled poorly and was a huge disappointment. This is not the quality I've come to expect from you, and it’s...

I was really excited to try a place dedicated to empanadas, but unfortunately, it fell short of expectations.

Parking: Very limited—only about five spots. If you visit during busy hours, expect to find street parking.

Food: Overall, the empanadas were excessively salty and oily, with flavors that didn’t stand out. We tried six different varieties:

Caprese: The only one I somewhat enjoyed—it had a nice pizza-like flavor. However, my husband found it dry, and my children wouldn’t eat it. Lomo: Lacked flavor. The steak wasn’t tough, but it wasn’t particularly tender either. Beef: Decent, but got boring after a few bites. This was the only one my 5-year-old would eat. Mushroom: Hardly any mushroom flavor. Dulce de Leche: Underwhelming and surprisingly bland. Fugazzeta: Overwhelmingly salty with a weak onion flavor—easily the worst of the bunch. The dipping sauce was good, but since the empanadas were already so oily, I didn’t want to add more.

If you do decide to visit, I’d recommend ordering about two empanadas per adult and one for a child.

I really wanted to love this place, but sadly, the empanadas just...

Top notch empenadas. Most places don't have the variety of empanadas like Maria does. I've been getting empanadas from Maria's since they were in sodo and made them out of the other restaurant. I can say in my opinion, they only gotten better. I feel lucky. Lol.

I think they make theirs using a flour based dough, which is common. Rarely do I find them using a heavy corn based. They also make dessert empanadas and have various other pastries and drinks. It's got an empanada cafe vibe. Would be great to come in for a quick and simple date night. I'd even come for a quick lunch with friends or solo.

The service is pretty solid. I came in to redeem a special and they had a typo which the teller handled well. I decided to dine in seeing how the interior is so beautiful especially compared to their old shared location. There were several other people enjoying empenadas for lunch. Nice job guys. Keep it up.

The only downside of the new location is the parking. Not much in front, but there's plenty within a...