Papa’s Empanadas- Jackson Heights and Astoria
They were right by naming this place Papa’s Empanada’s (Astoria 25-51A Steinway St 718-726-1400 & Jackson Heights 84-17 Northern Blvd 718-507-0400) because this little restaurant has spawned practically every kind of empanada imaginable. If you’re not familiar with the small Spanish pastry- it is a dough pocket with a sweet or savory filling, generally served hot and quick. The service is friendly but a little slow at this restaurant. The ambience resembles that of a fast food chain and is somewhat lacking, but gets the job done. The empanadas come in a a worldly selection- the Elvis- is stuffed with peanutbutter and banana, the Greek is a hearty spinach and feta, Italian is a meaty sausage surprise, Chilean melds together egg, raisins, beef and olives- the sweet ones ooz with your favorite fruits, like cherry, blueberry or mango- there is even one stuffed with macaroni and cheese or hotdogs and those are only a few of the choices. There are also traditional beans and rice dishes, yuca fries, and fruit and oatmeal shakes to wash it all down. Lunch specials and free delivery available.
