Chicago's 4 best spots to score empanadas on a budget

Chicago's 4 best spots to score empanadas on a budgetNini's Deli | Photo: Dan P./Yelp
Hoodline
Published on April 10, 2020

Got a hankering for empanadas?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable empanada hot spots in Chicago, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fill the bill.

1. Nini's Deli

Photo: Brandon F./Yelp

Topping the list is Nini's Deli. Located at 543 N. Noble St. in West Town, the spot to score empanadas, sandwiches, coffee and tea is the highest-rated budget-friendly empanada spot in Chicago, boasting five stars out of 908 reviews on Yelp.  According to the website, each empanada comes with its own dipping sauce.

If you're looking for more information, we found these details on Yelp about Nini's Deli.

"Nini's is a neighborhood family restaurant that celebrates the diversity inherent in Latin American cuisine," the business says in the history section of its Yelp profile. "For over thirty years, the Riesco family has existed as an essential part of the framework of their neighborhood, feeding generations of people with the same care, attention and love that one feels when they eat at Nini's today. The food is at once conceptual in its blending of cultural seams — the intensity of Latin Caribbean flavors with rich, nourishing Mexican textures, while remaining sincere and compassionate in its delivery."

2. Bistro 6050

Photo: Anna G./Yelp

Next up is Portage Park's Bistro 6050, situated at 6050 W. Irving Park Road (between McVicker and Meade avenues), near the Chicago Public Library. With five stars out of 259 reviews on Yelp, the creperie, which offers empanadas, ice cream, frozen yogurt and more, has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for an affordable option. 

In terms of signature items, "Pan-global homemade cuisine: Baked empanadas, hamburgers, soups, savory or sweet crêpes, artisan ice cream, chocolate mousse, bubble teas, smoothies, Italian and Belgian drip coffee, loose leaf and edible fruit teas and Charcoal Nuts™," the writes on Yelp in the section about specialties. "We are available for parties, meetings and small gatherings."

3. Lito's Empanadas

Photo: Mark D./Yelp

Lito's Empanadas, located at 2566 N. Clark St. (between Wrightwood Avenue and Deming Place), is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the budget-friendly spot to score empanadas and more 4.5 stars out of 479 reviews. 

Yelper Shree P. wrote, "After roaming around the streets, my friend and I popped in for some snacks, and we are so glad to have come! The place is pretty small, but it's nice and cozy. The prices are affordable as well!"

4. 5411 Empanadas

Photo: Tim M./Yelp

This outpost of the well-known chain 5411 Empanadas, a spot to score empanadas and more in the Loop, is another low-priced go-to, with four stars out of 366 Yelp reviews. Head over to 175 N. Franklin St. (between Lake and Adams streets) to see for yourself. 

Yelp can tell you more about 5411 Empanadas.

"5411 is a premium brand founded by three Argentine friends with a common goal: Give Chicagoans the option of delicious finger food delivered right to their door," the business notes in the history section of its Yelp profile. "5411 stands for quality, simplicity and a sense of fun."

In terms of signature items, "We do the most delicious Argentine gourmet empanadas in Chicago," the business states on Yelp in the section about specialties.


This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.