Restaurant Review – 5411 Empanadas

This week to me to a place I’ve been dying to try: 5411 Empanadas. 5411 is named after the international dialing code for Buenos Aires, Argentina. The shop started as a food truck and became so popular that they’ve expanded to five brick and mortar locations in Chicago. They also have an outpost in Houston, Texas. The menu is simple: empanadas, desserts, and beverages; my kind of place. The server recommended that we order at least two empanadas per person, more if we were really hungry. Everything sounded incredible, it was so hard to choose only two! I finally narrowed it down to the Malbec Beef and the Mushroom, Thyme &  Blue Cheese. The Malbec Beef was very tasty, the meat was flavorful and rich, complimented by potatoes, carrots, and onions. It reminded me of a pot roast, but wrapped in pastry dough. The Mushroom, Thyme & Blue Cheese was hands down my favorite. The flavors were fantastic. My dad ordered the Bacon, Dates, & Goat Cheese and the Chorizo & Patatas Bravas. The Bacon and Date empanada is unbeatable. It’s a perfect balance of sweet, smoky, and salty- I would order this again in a heartbeat. The Chorizo was very good as well, the meat is wonderfully spiced and I’m a sucker for patatas bravas. My mom ordered the Caramelized Onion & Parmesan and the Spinach & Cheese. The Caramelized Onion was wonderful. I loved the sweetness of the onions mixed with the salty parmesan cheese. The Spinach & Cheese was very tasty, but compared to the other ones we had, nothing to write home about. I can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the flavors!

The Southport location is at 3715 N Southport Ave. The hours are Mondays through Thursdays from 11 am to 10 pm, Fridays from 11 am to 11 pm, Saturdays from 9 am to 11 pm, and Sundays from 9 am to 10 pm. Find other location information, online ordering, and catering information here.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO