I tried 3 empandas at one of Biloxi’s trendiest new restaurants and spent less than $15
One of the newest restaurants on the Coast seems as if it was designed specifically for South Mississippi.
Empanola Biloxi is a new cafe that sits on the corner of Popp’s Ferry and Pass roads in Biloxi and offers a unique blend of a Spanish and Latin American dish, the empanada, with the familiar tastes of New Orleans-style dining.
The result is the empanola, a culturally diverse treat that fits seamlessly into the wide-ranging culinary landscape that Biloxi and the surrounding area famously offers.
“Inspired by New Orleans’ stimulating cuisine and our love for cooking, we dreamed of bringing our delicious South American empanadas to town,” Empanola’s website says. “Empanola was born in 2017, allowing us to see our project manifest. Bringing to our customers Latin-inspired, Louisiana-influenced, and lots of vegetarian flavors.”
The original location sits on Magazine Street in New Orleans, but the newest spot at 310 Popp’s Ferry Road does a grand job of transporting its customers to the Garden District.
Vibrant colors emanate from every direction of the cozy cafe with French accents peaking through from the murals to the lining of the baskets.
Coffee and pastries are among the classic options, plus a salad bar with various soups. But the main attractions here are, of course, the branded empanadas.
The menu offers 12 different options, as well as combos with salads and soups. For my trip, I decided to give three empanadas a try.
The first was a no-brainer: the crawfish etouffee. The dish perfectly blends the two worlds the cafe intersects. I love crawfish in pretty much every form and after enjoying my etouffee wrapped in a pastry, I may have found a new favorite way to indulge myself in the deeply cajun meal.
I also got the Argentina Beef empanada to ensure I get to the Latin side of the fusion-food. Once again, I was not disappointed. Packed into the dough was ground beef, peppers, onions, olives and egg and it tasted as good as it sounded.
Finally, I had to bring it back home with the cafe’s dessert offering, the bananas foster empanada. Stuffed with banana, cinnamon, rum, hazelnut spread and pecans, it was the perfectly sweet end to my meal.
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Much like Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. (I am a sports reporter), this restaurant has all five tools working for it.
It’s affordable. A pack of three is $13.50 before tax and they are much more filling than they look. Just like the actual empanada, I was completely stuffed at the end of my meal.
It’s delicious. The most important factor for any restaurant, Empanola Biloxi passes the taste test with flying colors.
It’s different. You will not find what the Empanola brand offers anywhere else on the Mississippi Coast. If you’re looking for a new brunch spot, this cafe is more than worth your time.
It’s fun to say. Empanola’s empanadas. It’s funner if you say it out loud.
It’s healthy. Or, at least, if you want it to be. There are vegetarian, vegan and chicken-based options, perfect for whatever you’re looking for.
The franchise is located next to Smoothie King and there are plans to open another Biloxi location soon.
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This story was originally published April 7, 2023 at 7:50 AM.
