Delia’s Empanada Cafe — Restaurant in Trenton

Delia's Empanada Cafe is a beautifully renovated Puerto Rican restaurant in downtown Trenton. This restaurant is located directly next to the restaurant "The Big Easy." Be aware there is no signage outside indictating the name of the restaurant at this time. They are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 4 pm. If you are looking for a wheelchair accessible option, there is one small step up to get into the restaurant but the bathroom appears accessible. The menu features a variety of items including breakfast and dessert options. Make no mistake, their empanadas are the star. We ordered 5 different types of empanadas, a shrimp mofongo dish, and 2 drinks. Our order totaled $39.00. For the amount and quality of food, I felt this was a great deal. The empanadas were large and filled generously. They were seasoned well and not greasy like other competitors. The crust is soft, flaky, and golden brown. They also came with their own homemade dipping sauce. The flavors of empanadas that we chose were shrimp, chorizo and plantain, plantain and corned beef, ground beef, and guava and cheese. The shrimp mofongo was also generous and filling with large shrimp and a bold criolla sauce. This was very well done and the shrimp was very fresh. We were served by the very charming owner Jose Pantoja who assured us that all the food was home made and everything we ate was delicious (I've have eaten out enough to know that this is not always the case). The food also came to us very quickly. We were able to complete lunch in under 40 minutes eating slowly. Although not advertised on the menu, they also offer various locally made desserts. All in all, Delia's Empanada Cafe is a great locally-owned casual lunch spot with a reasonable price point. I wish this business the best of luck and success...

Positives: -the chicken empanadas were delicious, but it was the meat inside that tasted amazing, the dough was lackluster -the empanadas look pretty -the desert empanadas were delicious and not many places can accomplish this

Negatives: -overall, the empanada dough tasted a bit undercooked and chalky. Wished it was fried a little bit longer because I needed a glass of water to get through it -beef empanadas were dry -tostones were limp

I think this place has a lot of potential and hopefully, the next time I visit...

If the City of Trenton has an award ceremony for the best-flavored restaurant, where do I place my vote? First of all, when my coworker and I walked into Delia empanadas cafe, we where immediately HIT with the vibe, music, and compassion of the Latin culture. The establishment is clean and eccentric! I also love the fact that I can see the chefs cooking and dancing; enjoying what they do. As a vegetarian always breaking my neck trying to find a place to cater to my taste buds, I think I finally found my spot. One...