Island Empanada

Finally got around to trying this place, and I am so happy that I did. It was delicious!!! Nothing was greasy, and everything had wonderful flavors. I have definitely found a new place to put into the take-​out rotation.

What can I say that I have not said before… we ate at the Medford location. the pernil tasted so fresh I think it was made to order as these tasted way better than we have had before, drippy with fat on the inside all sorts of goodness coming out. The plantains also were really good, seems extra cooked for a few minutes makes a big difference. As always we will be back :)

Island Empanada is the «bomb». Everything they make is fresh and absolutely delicious.
My favorite Empanada is the Latin Shrimp. My daughter loves the loaded Baked Potato Empanada. For the traditionalist, the Beef is great too.
The Rice and Beans are sooooo tasty.
The Plaintains are the best I’ve ever had.
Next time you pass by stop in at Island Empanada, You will not be disappointed.

Love it!!! food and staff are great

I feel as if the Empanada gods have answered.
Island Empanada is absolutely excellent! Hats off to this establishment.
My buddy and I were craving Spanish type cuisine. So driving by on 112, we just so happen to spot this little place in the corner of the little shopping center. Instead of going inside and ordering we decided to look up the menu and order over the phone, because we still had a bit of running around to do, we figured after we were done the food would of been ready for us.
We decided to do the 10 in a box deal. Its self explanatory. You pick 10 of the empanadas you’d like to have in the box. My friend and I decided we would split every empanada we got, so we can just pick 10 different ones and go to town. The best way to rate this is to make a list here:
1) Spinach and Feta = Very good, reminded me of those hors d’oeuvres you get
2) Buffalo Chicken = Okay, It could use a ranch
3) Spicy Cheese = Excellent !
4) Traditional Beef = Very good
5) Chipotle Beef = Very good
6) Chicken Bacon Ranch = Good
7) Loaded Potato = Excellent !
8) Pork = Very good
9) Chorizo & Potato = Excellent !
10) Traditional Chicken = Okay
I highly recommend this place! They still have a few more Empanadas that I need to go and try! I’ll be back. Don’t you worry…

The food is so good. Always fresh. My favorite is the traditional beef and cheese. Always good in a pinch and inexpensive. I never go away hungry!

Been a long time since I tasted empanadas this good. I have to say that i was really pleasantly surprised at how good they were! There are so many awesome choices and for a minute I was overwhelmed but the staff was really helpful which made my decision easier.
The story goes: took a short vacation with my gal pals and everyone was bringing food and drink. Well, dinners and breakfasts were taken care of so that left lunch. Went to Unilocal and started surfing around. That really helped.
Ordered 20 to go: beef, veggie, chicken and the 4-​cheese. ALL were extremely tasty and my friends were equally smitten. While I was waiting, I had a nice lunch. One beef, one shrimp with mango and a very healthy portion of tasty rice n beans. DELISH! Great food. Very clean. Friendly service. 5-​Stars!

This was my first time at Island empanadas and I have to say they are delicious. The staff at the time I was there around noon or a little after we’re not friendly. Barely looked in my direction when asking for my order and the other staff were standing around looking like they did not want to work. The guy who took my order asked if someone could fill my box order for the empanadas. They just stood there. Not a very good first experience for me, but the empanadas were delicious. I would go back but I would not expect any friendly service from them. Side note I did give a tip in their tip cup by the register. Just wanted to be the bigger person that cares about how tips can help workers in the long run. I gave a four star the the delicious empanadas.

Put both your location phone numbers on your home page! And when a customer contacts you to complain… Respond! I called Ronkonkoma location thinking it was Medford. I had no idea there were 2 locations. Medford location response was pretty much «oh well» & I had to go to Ronkonkoma.

Great lunch spot!
This place, like their sister location in Lake Ronkonkoma, is a great spot for an affordable lunch if you want a break from deli or fast food. They offer many varieties of empanadas, and the lunch special includes two empanadas, rice and beans and/​or fried plantains, and a fountain drink for around $ 7. Plenty of room to sit inside. I always get an extra side of R&B to take home… they are that good. Some of the Empanada flavors are exotic (shrimp and mango) and they even are open to suggestions. The staff are always pleasant and friendly and it’s a family owned business, which I always prefer over a faceless corporation. They even deliver! The only suggestion I have is that I would like to see more non-​soda drink choices, such as lemonade or limeade. Definitely a spot worth checking out for a good lunch. The empanadas are cheaper when you buy in bulk. Meeting some friends to watch a game on TV or play cards? Show up with a box of ten empanadas and see how quickly they disappear.

Wanted something different tonight and had read of Island Empanada in Ronkonkoma and Medford,
So I set out to the Medford location.
First things first — I walked into the place as two young men in Island Empanada T-​shirts and hats were entering (not sure if just arriving to work or returning from a break or delivery) and I was pleasantly greeted and the door held.
On walking in the first thing that hit me was the smell of the food. Heavenly — I may have salivated onto my shirt. I also instantly noticed the cleanliness and organization that is operating room-​like in it’s thoroughness.
The counter staff were all young, all clean, all friendly, and all polite. Are they world class waitstaff? No. Do they do a great job, know the product, speak politely, and smile? Absolutely!!!
Very reminiscent of Ralph’s Italian Ices. Young kids, working hard, being happy, and sharing that good vibe with their customer. Do you need more than that?
Being impressed I set out to select flavor a for my order. I brought home several varieties for my self and my wife, the idea being to find a favorite within a few trips. This is going to be difficult. I can see myself enjoying each of tonight’s choices again.
If you forced me to choose a favorite it would be difficult. That we’re all worthy on consideration. My favorites were chipotle beef with plantains and shrimp with mango salsa. The chipotle beef was deliciously hot, moist beef offset with sweet plantains. AWESOME.
The shrimp and mango salsa was less spicy but just as flavorful. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, maintaining their familiar shrimp flavor, cooked soft inside but with a snap when you bite them. My fear of rubbery shrimp was unnecessary (same experience with the Latin spiced shrimp).
In a world where strikeouts are common, and you are happy with a single or a double, this place was a ninth inning bases loaded home run to win the 7^th game of the World Series. It is just that good.
As I write this I am forlornly looking at the dessert empanadas that I just have no room for at the moment. I will add later my thoughts on the Oreo empanada and the caramel cinnamon apple empanada.
Honestly — how good or bad they are will have no bearing on my initial happiness with this establishment. Good job folks! As Arnold would say «ah will be Bach!»

Recently got catering from them as well. Thirty empanadas for $ 30 bucks? Sounds good to me. As always, the empanadas were all delicious, nice and fresh, and we had no hiccups with the catering. Everyone loved ‘em.
This place is the best: D

This place is definitely worth checking out; especially since there are no decent places to eat on 112 between the LIE and Sunrise Highway unless you like fast food and mediocre pizza.
As someone who spends a lot of time eating empanadas at the bodegas and Central American restaurants in Brentwood and CI, I was very impressed with the food here. The empanadas, although not made to order, tasted like they just came out of the fryer. I ordered the chipotle beef & sweet plantain and it was by far the best empanada I have ever eaten in my life. It had a nice blend of sweet, savory and spice. The dough was flavorful and crispy and the empanada was packed with fillings. The chicken chipotle empanada was not as good as the chicken seemed to have a funny/​old taste.
They offer two different types of homemade salsa (red and green) with your order which were both spectacular. I also liked the fact that they had an extensive selection of vegetarian and seafood offerings.
One last reason to eat at Island Empanada is the reasonably priced menu. Each empanada was only between $ 2.50 and $ 3.00! I can’t wait to come back and try the chorizo/​potato, slow cooked pork and the dessert empanadas. But if you’re looking for something besides empanadas, rice/​beans and plantains, you’ve come to the wrong place.
They also have a location on Portion Rd in Lake Ronkonkoma.

Definitely a fan! Everything was fresh and delicious. I recommend to all my friends and now they’re hooked. Keep up the good work and I’ll keep coming back

Delish!

Two words: OREO EMPANADA.
You will not regret it. Well, maybe your hips and thighs will. But your taste buds and wallet won’t.
This is the second location for IE (first one in Ronkonkoma). When I found out from my friend (her family owns IE) that they were opening a second location only a few miles from my house, I almost fainted from excitement. Who doesn’t love delicious-​ness, wrapped up in fried dough?
Shrimp and mango, chicken chipotle, spinach and feta, traditional chicken, Latin shrimp… the list goes on and on. Try them ALL. That’s my goal. Every single empanada had been delicious, and the rice and beans are tasty as well!
Check this place out. The family is super friendly and so is the staff.

So, after listening to all the hype, I decided to try this place out. Clean and spacious atmosphere, friendly service overall.
Food: To be fair, not a fan of fried foods. Ordered the lunch special which included 2 chicken empanadas, rice/​beans, and plaintains. Empanadas were just ok, no great shakes, even tried a friend’s mango shrimp empanada which was a dissapointment. It seems like they are using tiny frozen shrimp. Rice and beans were bland, lacking any distinct flavor. Edible though, of course. Plaintains were the best of the whole dish, tasted good, but this doesn’t say much. Got an unsweetened iced tea which came in a paper soft drink cup and tasted like unsweetened iced tea. Nothing special. Overall, nothing special to me, but Im only one person.
Price: Overall, I suppose the prices are reasonable, but only if you are going to be enjoying what you eat.
I would compare this place with Cactus Café which is also in Medford, but Cactus Café is way better overall with more healthy choices, quality, and overall customer value. This is a generous 3 star rating.

Brand new location! Conveniently located on route 112. I fell in love with island empanada in Ronkonkoma and I’m so psyched they have expanded. This is closer to my job so I’m happy I can swing by at lunch or on my way home. Picked up my corned beef empanada today! Love them!

New spot on this strip. Nice clean spot with friendly workers. I got the dinner special of 3 different empanadas, with sides of rice and beans, and plantains. Good amount of food, but I found the sides pretty typical. I had the shrimp & mango (which I wasn’t a huge fan of as it had a tonnnn of cilantro. I should have expected this. My faux pas.), the chicken, and the chipotle beef. Both good choices, but they have so many different types of empanadas here that next time I would try different variations. I’d also skip the meal next time around.

Soft opening today. Yummy. Can’t wait to try all my empanadas. Depending on them being as good as the ones from their other location.