08/31/17
Empanadas are a popular dish in Latin culture, especially as a street food. They are small fried pies that are traditionally filled with things like chicken, beef, or pork. However, the empanada factory has a much longer list of fillings to choose from. I decided to go with the spicy shrimp for one and pepperoni pizza (go ahead and judge me, folks, because I don't regret it) for the other and a side of garlic parmesan fries to complete my meal. Now, before I go on, let me explain something: these fried pies are everywhere in Louisiana. We call them Natchitoches meat pies and I have had a ton of variations on them, so I'm pretty familiar with them. But the spicy shrimp empanada was definitely the best empanada I've ever had. The sauce was just spicy enough to kick you in the mouth while the shrimp were perfectly cooked and paired with just a little bit of pineapple. It was awesome. Really, the only thing I regretted about this was not ordering more spicy shrimp ones. The next empanada on my list was a pepperoni pizza one. I know, I have very exotic taste. However, it really was great. As appetizing as this will sound, think of a MUCH higher quality hot pocket. The marinara sauce was sweet and flavorful and the cheese was melted and gooey, and they used large pepperonis so you actually got a bit of one in each bite. The side of garlic parm fries were great, but I could eat a few of the spicy shrimp empanadas every day for lunch. With a ridiculous amount of other empanadas to choose from, the Empanada Factory is a must-visit place in Wake Forest that will definitely have me back. But I know I can always trust the spicy shrimp.