Johnny Pacific

The best empanadas I’ve ever had! Hands down, they’re fast, friendly and always hook it up with extra sauces. Nice little clean spot, with delicious food. The only negative part i can say is that their parking lot is small so when it’s a busy day, I have to use the parking lot across the street. Oh and my favorite is their dessert empanadas, the Nutella banana and the flan! It’s a must try

I heard awesome things about this place, so when I had a craving for empanadas I ran here. I got a beef tinga, kaluha pig and chicken el pastor. I love Colombian (corn) empanadas so I’m used to them being small. These are huge! I ate half of all 3 and was stuffed. 2 would have been plenty. They pair each flavor empanada with their recommended homemade sauce. This is what made the meal for me. I crave those sauces! They make the food quick, it’s a nice spot to eat, and it’s affordable! It’s definitely the best place to eat in the area.

There are few places that I can go and literally eat anything on the menu to satisfy myself. Johnny Pacific is one of those places… My favorite empanada is the Kailua Pig. It’s so good that you almost feel guilty for eating it. Try it with the basil aioli or chipotle sauce.
I absolutely love their salad also, which my wife thinks is witchcraft haha. It has mixed baby greens, blackberries, fresh cut mango, honey roasted pecans & goat cheese with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. I add chicken to it also which costs a little extra, but is totally worth it.
For a drink I highly recommend the Watermelon Refresco.
If you’ve got room for dessert, you have to try the Flanada empanda! I sometimes just stop in to treat myself to one of these. They’re simply amazing.

Fantastic and tasty I went for the 1^st time today the nice man behind the counter help me pick out some fantastic empanadas so I did the 4 pack had. A corn one (yummy) veggie one (very good) a chorizo (drool) and bacon (orgasmic) the parking lot is tight so be patient however very worth going to

01.29.16 This place is delicious! Came here on a Friday night an hour before closing. It was out first time so just got the two most popular dishes to try: the #1 Island Style Korean flat iron steak skewer and be #2 Chimmi Churri angus steak skewer, both medium rare with one beef tinga empanada and one Kailua pork empanada. Everything was pretty good although the skewers were a little chewier than expected medium rare and the «sticky rice» that came with the #2 was more like soggy rice like when you put too much water when making rice. Other than that, we enjoyed everything and the marinade for both skewers were very delicious. Basil aoli sauce was the best, chipotle sauce was ok, definitely skip the sweet and sour. Balsamic dressing on the salad was sooooo good! I’d definitely come back to try their salmon plate and maybe so of the other empanadas and guava aid!
Ambiance: small but cute little shack. Not too busy on a Friday night, seems like most ppl pick up takeout here. We came before closing and around 10 – 15 minutes before they close a sea of ppl came in for takeout
The good: friendly, fast, delicious!
The bad: sticky rice
Tip: get the basil aoli!

To find a good empanada is to find happiness. I’ve been meaning to try this place for a while and finally stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The restaurant does not seat many people, there are only a few tables and chairs. We walked up to the register and the cashier gave us a few suggestions on the most popular items on the menu. The menu is simple and written, chalkboard style, right above the condiments. We opted for the island skewers (the number 1 and the number 2) and two extra empanadas.
The Island Skewers #1 (Island Style): is grilled Korean style flat iron steak skewers served with sticky rice, a green salad served with guava red wine vinaigrette, and a choice of an empanada. The Korean style skewers had red pepper and onion and we sweet and savory. The meat was tender and the marinate of soy sauce and sugar was a nice combination. The green salad was simple and the vinaigrette was actually very flavorful.
The Kailua Pig Empanada: this was the empanada we chose for the Island Skewer #1 combo. The empanada was crispy on the outside and it was not dripping in oil. It’s very difficult to come across a restaurant that knows how to properly fry (and dry) empanadas. The filling was shredded pork and the side sauce was a sweet and sour sauce. The pork was flavorful and the sauce was similar to most sweet and sour sauces, but the combination was tasty.
The Island Skewers #2 (Chimi-​Churri Skewers): is grilled angus flat iron steak skewers with chimi-​churri served with french fries, a green salad served with guava red wine vinaigrette, and a choice of an empanada. The chimi-​churri sauce was super flavorful and refreshing. I enjoyed the acidity of the sauce and the essence of the herbs on the beef was a nice twist. The french fries were thinly cut, seasoned and fried to a crisp.
The Beef Tinga Empanada: the exterior was crispy and not super doughy. Upon the first bite you get the juicy meatiness that’s stuffed inside the empanada. The meat is tender; the beef tinga was shredded beef and the side sauce was a chipotle sauce. The chipotle had a nice kick of spiciness and went well with the beef tinga.
The Cajun Sausage Empanada: the empanada was filled with mildly spicy sausage and ooey-​gooey cheese. Even with all the cheese filling, the empanada was far from soggy. Super crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside. There were many levels of flavor in this empanada (probably my favorite one!) The sauce served was a basil aioli. The basil flavor was not very forthcoming in the sauce, but the creaminess of the sauce helped balance the saltiness of the empanada.
The Potato & Chorizo Empanada: super tasty combination of the classic potato and chorizo mix. The potatoes were soft to the bite and cooked very well together with the savory, spicy chorizo. The side sauce served with this empanada was the chipotle, but I found myself dipping into the leftover chimi-​churri sauce. The lemon-​y flavor went so well with the potato and chorizo.
I enjoyed my first visit to Johnny Pacific and will come back again soon to try other empanadas! I’d like to try some chicken & veggie empanadas on my next visit. And the desert ones as well! The restaurant lies in a shopping center that doesn’t have a massive parking lot, so be prepared to look for nearby parking. We parked in another shopping center behind the restaurant that was much larger.

JP’s is a place I would go for EMPANADAS. The skewers were really good, along with the salad. But the empanada that came with the combo was a bit paltry. From the exterior, the empananda looked plump and filled with goodness. To my dismay after taking a bite it was definitely lacking in the filling department.
My girlfriend ordered four other empanandas and they were all perfect. By the end of the meal, I felt a bit uncomfortable due to all the fried-​ness. I ask that JP’s try to vary their menu by adding something that isn’t so fried or so sweet.

This is one of the few spots ever that has me coming back time and time again. I’m usually pretty intent to not eat at the same places because I like trying new things and supporting small businesses, but Johnny Pacific earns every penny I spend there.
SERVICE is always EXCELLENT. Honestly, I have never met an unfriendly person here. The owner (who I’ve met on a couple of occasions) must treat his employees well because every time I visit I’m greeted by a welcoming face who asks me about my day and always makes me smile.
FOOD is always DELICIOUS. Quality ingredients, consistent quality, unique flavors. The empanadas are just always good. I visit at night, in the middle of the day, early afternoon they are always good.
Prices are fair. Almost everything they serve is made in house and they use fresh ingredients so it’s worth every penny.
I just love this place and I will continue to frequent this neighborhood gem.

Food is very fresh!
#1 was amazing.
Their empanadas beef tinga is out of control good, with a side of their Chipotle sauce.
The sticky rice and the beef skewers are super food.
I am very very pleased.
Did I mention customer service was great too?

Oh my goodness — best empanadas I have ever had.
After a day of scrambling around boulders at Stoney Point, Kathleen W. and I stopped by here to get our empanada on, thanks to how everyone on Unilocal raves about this place. We were not disappointed. The cashier was incredibly patient and kind as we struggled to decide which empanadas to get, as all of them sounded like winners. We went with some of her suggestions and some of what we wanted to try:
— Chicken al pastor
— Beef
— Mushroom
— Kahlua pig
With heaping piles of salad and fries accompanied with different dressings and dips for the empanadas, we were definitely happy campers. The empanadas were both juicy and crispy, and it was difficult to pick a favorite.
Affordable and delish, I can’t wait to come back here and try some of their other choices. Noms.

Found this place on Unilocal as I was looking around what was nearby my friends house to eat. Let me say this place is well worth the trip around the corner. However it is a bit pricey, but I can’t complain… everything is handmade and ready to order.
I ended up getting the spinach and cheese empanada and the dessert one which was banana and nutella. The veggie one was so savory and the dessert one just had the perfect sweetness to it (came with carmel sauce on the side). They were both very delicious. Will be coming back to try out more flavors !!!

All empanadas are made fresh, and hot but not too hot! It’s the perfect amount of heat: D I suggest cutting them in half first to help cool the insides down a bit if your mouth burns easily!
All lunch combos come with 2 sauces to pick from! And a ½ salad and ½ fries. Salad consists of a simple garden salad, nothing special. Fries are mediocre with seasoning on top.
Beef tinga: very juicy and savory! When you bite into it, some of the juices flow out so be careful! Love how it’s not too much to be messy but at the same time, enough to make it juicy? Lol
Cajun sausage: this one was my favorite! It is the only empanada I’ve tried where I felt like I didn’t need additional sauces or condiments. There’s just so much flavor in it already! Plus, there is some creamy white sauce in it which I am biased towards all food. It kinda reminds me of a pizza hot pocket or pasta carbonara ish. Try it :)
BBQ pulled pork: the shredded texture of the meat is delish! And love the BBQ flavor! Dip this in additional BBQ sauce for the extra sweet tangy flavor!
Kailua pig: the texture of this was super similar to the BBQ pulled pork. I actually couldn’t even tell the difference :/​but still yummy!
Pros:
–very friendly, nice and good service! It was our first time there and the guy at the cashier kindly gave us bomb suggestions/​recommendations that we didn’t regret!
–lunch special can be ordered all day! No time restrictions!
–a lot of people seem to order party trays of freshly made empanadas and then cook it at home! Great for potlucks or a big family dinner
–all of their empanadas are made from scratch and fresh to order! I saw a tray of freshly made ones ready to be cooked but I was on the way to the bathroom so couldn’t grab a snapshot of it :(
–self serve water cups
–I like how their trash can is a big ceramic like pot with a trash bag draped over it! Haha
–some of their paintings are cool and stand out
–vegetarian options
–bathroom on the left all the way to the back. Gotta walk through the kitchen. Kinda cool cause I get to sneak peek the insides of their kitchen: d
–clean bathroom for a relatively small place
Cons:
-.however. Having to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. Not so sanitary?! Just the idea of customers going in and out through the kitchen where the food in eating is being cooked doesn’t seem too hygienic for me :(
Tip: I would just order a set number of empanadas and mismatch the savory with the sweet ones as dessert!

Great find! We had the chimmi churri, chicken satay, beef tinga empanadas, bed empanadas, sort rib skewers, and banana Nutella empanadas. Everything was a hit, favs for me were the sticky rice, short rib skewer, and Nutella empanadas. If I was local, this would be a regular go-​to.

Stopped in to see what the empanada situation was like here. I had the Kailua pig, signature salad & watermelon refrescos. Both were really good, the salad was very refreshing to have especially on a hot day. The empanada was very flavorful, full of meat & served with sweet & sour sauce that I felt it didn’t really need. The refrescos could have been a little sweeter, was a bit watered down although I heard the pineapple is pretty good.

I’ve been here twice so far. Great experiences both times. Owner is super cool. Food is made fresh every time. Ambiance is fitting.
Empanadas I’ve had:
Cheese, Beef Tinga, Chicken Al-​Pastor and BBQ pulled pork. Chicken Al-​Pastor is by far my favorite. It has this mild Indian cuisine vibe that I love.

Johnny Pacific is a fairly new restaurant and it has really become one of the best places to eat in the valley.
The restaurant itself isn’t a looker. It is located in a ghetto shopping plaza and the interior is small, with only seating for about about a dozen or so people. However, when you look past all of that, you’ll find that this place is truly a gem. The empanadas are amazing.
I’ve been here a few times now and my favorite empanadas are:
— Jalapeño Bacon
— Kailua Pig
— Chicken al Pastor
— Banana and Nutella
All their menu items are really tasty, but these are just my highlights. They have a deal where 4 empanadas is $ 9.50. I always order the 4 empanadas and I never leave hungry. Its a steal at this price point because the food is so delicious, yet they still keep it cheap. I highly recommend this place. ⁵⁄₅ stars. It is the perfect restaurant: cheap, delicious, and filling!

For excellent EMPANADAS, head over to Winnetka?! Yep, and the name Johnny Pacific did nothing to curb my skepticism. But it’s true. You have to check the blackboard for available empanadas. On the day I went, there were 15 different savory ones and 5 sweet options. I ordered three — the KAILUA PORK, the BEEF TINGA and the SPINACH & CHEESE. I took them to go which I thought might make them soggy by the time I got to my friend’s place 15 minutes later, but they were still great! And mixing and matching with the four dipping sauces they tossed in was fun.
Much to my surprise… the spinach and cheese was my favorite of the three! I would definitely like to try their other food and eat in next time.

The value here is just as good as the quality of food. I don’t remember a place with so many different kinds of empanadas. This is the best thing there. Fried, not steamed or baked, they are the way to go! My faves are the beef tinga and the chicken al pastor. They make everything from scratch: from the empanada dough to the signature sauces. When you order they recommend a dip for you that pairs well with your empanadas. Trust them, they are excellent pairings!
$ 7.95 for 2 empanadas, a giant salad, and a drink!

I totally forgot about this place! Thanks to two fellow Unilocal friends, they reminded me this place still existed! I totally forgot they were still in the Winnetka area. I’m glad I went back to check them out after 4 years of not dinning here.
I called in my order for a lonely Saturday dinner all to myself. The phone line was busy for at least 5 minutes before I could even place my order. (I wish they had more than one phone line, to at least know I was on hold while they took someone else order) I was a little annoyed that I had to call at least 3x to get someone to take my order.
Food:
Plate Combo–
I had the dinner combo #3 Chicken Satay Skewers (grilled chicken skewers with a southeast asian peanut sauce, served with sticky rice and a side salad of mixed baby greens and mango) Very big portion too!!! The sticky rice was a bit to sticky for myself. I’ll tell you one thing I had leftovers for the next day since it was such a big portion.
Empamadas–
| FOUR– $ 9.50 |
Chicken Tinga — Good! Very Tatsey
Cheese & Spinach — Cheese was so good and fresh
Chicken el Pastor — Ehhhh… No Comment
BBQ Pulled Pork — A little to sweet for me! I wasn’t a fan.
Customer Service–
Phone skills great. Phone Line being busy not good. Pick-​up order on a timely manner. They got my order correct.

Using Waze was a huge mistake. I’ll stick with Google Maps next time.
Johnny Pacific serves Hawaiian /​Latin American food. I ordered island style skewers with a cajun sausage empanada and a side order of chorizo potato and Kailua pig. I must admit that the meal seemed to be overpriced. Not that I did not enjoy every single bite. The steak skewers were moist, the rice a bit soggy, and the teriyaki sauce was exquisite. Each empanadas was perfectly baked or fried with a crisp shell. The fillings were tender and moist, full of flavor. They provide you with complimenting sauces, but they aren’t necessary.
The interior is nicer than it would appear from the outside. It is located in such a run down area with a very bland sign, which blends into the surrounding businesses.