Chile Lindo Empanadas

I passed by this hole in the wall place on my way to tartine. Decided to try the classic beef empanadas because of the good reviews. It was pretty good, a little on the small side. The downside was that they were premade and just reheated in the microwave (are there such things as fresh empanadas?), so it didn’t surprise me that they tasted a little old. The owners were very nice, however, and the woman saw that I was trying to dip my empanada in the sauce and then came over and pointed out that I needed to pour the sauce into the empanada instead!

Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this empanada at all. First of all the crust is good but on the inside it has beef, raisins and an egg… very odd tasting combo. Also it came with a tiny little side of salsa that didn’t compliment the flavor at all. If you’re going to include salsa at least make it a scoop.
Plus it was $ 6.50 + tax for one empanada. Sheesh.

Very tasty empenadas, which although a bit on the pricey side, are fairly substantial. I appreciated that the ingredients are carefully sourced.
The sweets are especially delicious: carmelly, flaking wonders.

Yummy small meal. Also love that they have an egg inside (woo protein). Super fresh ingredients and baked to order. Cash only so bring that paper

Cash only.
They make one of the best empanadas I’ve ever eaten so far. They aren’t your typical empanadas and it’s the reason why I think it justifies the $ 7.50 price tag. My friend and I shared a chicken empanada for lunch and ate it outside. It was so good that I decided to get another one to go on my way back to LA. There is no seating but there is a standup counter right outside the store. I will have to come back next time I’m in the city.

The empanadas here are $ 6.90 each, which seems fairly expensive, but they’re also pretty large in size. I got one chicken & 1 beef. My favorite was the chicken, although the beef was also good. Both were large & contained egg, which I’ve never encountered in an empanada before. Overall I felt the quality of the empanadas were really good. The only reason I didn’t give this place 5 stars is that they contain olives, which I’m not a fan of. But if you love olives, then you’ll love these empanadas.

I had the pollo empanadas. I was honestly not expecting much but these are the best empanadas I have ever tried in my life. They’re about $ 7 but are completely worth it. The meat to dough portion was perfect. The stuffing also had olives and raisins in it which brought all the flavors of the empanadas into one beautiful circle of taste. I also had it with the salsa the owner provided (pico de gallo). The owner was very passionate about her Chilean empanadas and had a nice conversation with us. I can’t wait to come back to SF to get one of her pollo empanadas.

Cash only.
Ordered: Chilanga — cheese and jalapeño
For $ 7.50 is a little steep in my opinion… granted it is a decent sized empanada. I have never been to Chile nor have I had an authentic Chilean empanada… so I can’t verify the authenticity. But it was cooked on the spot, and it was so gooey and fresh. The order takes about 5 minutes to prepare and you can be on your merry way snacking at the bar or taking it to go.

Best authentic Empanadas in all of San Francisco!
Paula is super sweet and will entertain you while you eat your empanada! The pebre is to die for!

Didn’t like them at all:(too tough pastry and have nothing with good Chilean empanadas.
2 stars only for the availability to order by phone and in time.

Cute little cash only, take out shop. The empanadas look amazing. They have a variety. The woman that works (owns?) it will recommend her favorite which is chicken.
They’re light, not greasy and fantastic. Truth: mixing hard boiled egg, olives and raisins is never a good combo. But trust me these are delicious. I hate raisins and was surprised to see them in there (my bad for not reading what pino was) but I picked them out and ate the rest.
They’re bigger than Argentinian empanadas but I still think that $ 7.50 is a bit too high for them. One is enough but you can totally eat two.

Came here with a buddy. Key warning: There are no seats. This is a place where you order and stand if you want to eat. Not a big deal since you empanadas isn’t something you need to sit in order to eat.
As for the food, they were fresh. We ordered and the guy made a fresh one for us. Didn’t take too long and the hot sauce he had was good. Good if you want a quick bite before heading out somewhere.

I was born in Chile. So, naturally, I am constantly trying to return home. We have the most beautiful country that no one has ever visited or heard of outside of «some miners getting the shaft once» and that «horrible dictator person with the funny name». I quote for you the things people have said to me.
«Chilenos are not real latinos, after all», I was once told. («What is a latino?», is another conversation.) Our skin «too white», too Basque, painfully polite. Our food «not spicy enough» for the odd American consumer accustomed to the wilds of Central America. How many hipsters in the Mission can quote Neruda but, couldn’t find his country on a map and have never eaten a Chilean empanada? More than I can count. This place is for fixing that.
This is a solid empanada. I’ve had better. But, only in Chile.
If a 1,500K plane ticket isn’t in your budget at the moment, this place is a good alternative.

This place has great empanadas and I would always get one or two of these bad boys before I walked to work. The lady in the morning is pretty nice, albeit we didn’t really talk. Food is on point and not a bad little thing for you to try when you are coming through the area!

The guy that works here is so freaking sweet and nice they get 5 stars for that alone.
The empanadas are delicious, if that’s what ur looking for. For me it’s more novelty and it’s nice to get exposed to the culture. But mexican food has such a strong hold in the area it’s hard to compete.
Regardless, I recommend everyone trying this spot for themselves!

I have been walking past this place for several months now and I finally decided to give it a shot–
They have about 5 different selections, I went with mozzarella/​jalapeño one. Not a bad empanada — not sure it was worth $ 7.50, but not bad — a little light on the cheese, but the jalapeños were good. The dough was a bit floury and undercooked a tad.
I will likely give it another shot and try the beef, but certainly not when I am extra hungry. Note — this is a cash only place.

This is a pretty cool little stand along 16^th street just a little east of where it is really dense with restaurants and bars. It’s just to the east of Mission on the north side of the street, before you get to S Van Ness. When I say stand, that’s pretty much what it is. There is a serving door that faces the street where the owner will take your order. The empanadas are preprepared, but she heats them up for you fresh when you order. There is also a nice selection of drinks, including sodas and espresso drinks.
Once you get your food, there is a little counter where you can sit, but not much in the way of a large seating area. It is super-​cute, though, and the empanadas are delicious. It’s a little expensive, but you get served by the owner, who can answer any of your questions about the food, which is probably the best part. Plus, I’m sure that rent in this area (despite being a bit off the beaten path) is still super expensive.
Check it out sometime.

Rushed over at 7:51pm to get an empanada and what do ya know? They were still open and serving. Yes!
I ordered the Chilanga (cheese and jalapeños) it was sooo good! The best empanada I’ve had so far in the Bay Area. The dough was delicious and it was soo cheesy. Next time I will definitely get an extra salsa because I didn’t have enough to use on my whole empanada.
Although this was the most expensive single empanada I’ve ever bought at $ 7.50 it was totally worth it. If they were $ 5 I’d be back all the time. I can’t wait to try the rest of their menu when I feel like treating myself again.

Chile Lindo’s Ham, Cheese. & Jalepeno Empanada is like a…
… warm
… crisp edged
… homemade with love
… filled with quality ingredients
… a higher price tag to match
… totally worth it
… all grown up
… but don’t wanna cook
HOT POCKET.
(This is a good thing!)

I have fond memories of Chile when I traveled south to Patagonia a decade ago. I was alone with a backpack and a worn Frommer’s Guide trying to get used to the midnight sun. I was in the main town down there, Punta Arenas, getting used to eating dinner at 11PM. That’s the last time I had Chilean-​style empanadas. I remember very well the more complicated folding technique they applied that made them look like crowns rather than turnovers. I’m not sure why it’s taken me this long to try chef/​owner Paula Tejeda’s empanadas at Chile Lindo, but Jamie W. and I finally had an excuse because we were waiting to get into the Victoria Theater to be extras in a documentary. We were early but not incredibly hungry yet. I actually didn’t realize it was just a kitchen with a few stools on the sidewalk (photo:
).
Perfect. There were five empanadas to choose from, all $ 7.50, which struck us as a bit high, something that is explained in painstaking detail in a laminated flyer entitled Chile Price Adjustment (photo:
). Jamie ordered the Jamón y Queso with Jalapeño, which did look more like a Hostess fruit pie from the outside (photo:
), but it was quite tasty with the melted cheddar and mozzarella mixed together. Regardless, I preferred their signature creation, the Classic Pino with Niman Ranch Beef (of course), onions, paprika, cumin, raisins, black olives, and a slice of hard-​boiled egg. Now there’s my crown (photo:
). The savory and sweet blend worked very well with the egg a nice touch. El Porteño’s empanadas are cheaper but smaller and not as fresh tasting. I read her explanation while I chewed. OK I get it.
FOOD — 4 stars… handmade empanadas, authentic and pricey but not necessarily overpriced
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… really just a food stand
SERVICE — 3 stars… attentive enough
TOTAL — 4 stars… worthy of a try and then some… if you don’t mind the premium price

Ich habe in den letzten Monaten viel Zeit in Südamerika verbracht und Empanadas gehören dort zum Leben dazu, wie die Fleischpflanzerl-​Semmel in München oder die Currywurst inBerlin. Empanadas gibt’s einfach an jeder Straßenecke und sie eignen sich sowohl für den kleinen Hunger zwischendurch, als auch als Mitternachtssnack.
Ich hatte schon viel von Chile Lindo auf Unilocal gelesen und hatte es daher bereits mit einem Eselsohr vesehen. Und gestern Abend war es dann schließlich soweit: ich war auf einer Party in der Mission eingeladen und da ich nicht genau wußte, wann und/​oder wieviel zu Essen es dort geben würde, wollte ich meinen knurrenden Magen beruhigen. Ich zückte also die Unilocal-​App hervor und sie geleitete mich zu diesem Imbiss ganz in der Nähe von der 16^th Street Bart Station.
Chile Lindo is so etwas wie die chilenische Version von einem typisch deutschen Straßenimbiss: durch ein Fenster gibt man seine Bestellung auf und man kann dann draußen auf Sitzhockern auf sein Essen warten. Der gute Mann, der gestern Abend Schicht hatte, war sehr freundlich; ich bestellte bei ihm folgendes: Empanada de Pino Tradicional (Empanada mit Niman Ranch Rindfleisch). Er meinte, es würde ca. 3 Minuten dauern und bat mich in der Zwischenzeit doch Platz zu nehmen. Als ich mit voller Erwartung dann auf meine Empanada wartete, kam noch eine andere Kundin vorbei, die sich für die vegane Version interessierte; ihr wurde bestätigt, dass es sich in der Tat um eine total vegane Empanada handelt.
Bald schon war meine Bestellung fertig und ich betröpfelte die Empanada mit kräftig scharfer Sauce… herrlich! Ich fühlte mich wie in den Straßen von Lateinamerikas…

Esta es la prueba a todos mis amigos chilenos, que si, existe este lugar. Solo, es un lugarcito bastante escondido. La proxima vez, vamos.