I’m a huge fan of a meat pies. I have no idea what it is about them, but give me some sort of meat wrapped in flaky pastry and it’s pretty much one of my top meals. And so many places have some sort of take on meat inside of a pastry: Cornish pasties, empanadas, New Zealand meat pies, pork pies, steak and kidney pie, chicken pot pie… I’ll eat them all. I also have a friend who is Chilean, and she raves about the empanadas from her homeland and how well her family makes them, so when I saw that there was a Chilean empanadas place in the Mission, I definitely knew I was going to have to head there to give them a try!
It’s basically just a tiny storefront just down from the 16th street and Mission BART station with a few seats outside if you really do feel the need to sit there. They have a small selection of empanadas from the traditional beef (and a spicy version of the traditional beef) to ham and cheese to a vegetarian cheese only empanada. I decided I couldn’t try them all (even though I really wanted to) so I went with spicy beef and a ham and cheese empanada to take home. I also decided to give one of their alfajores a try as I’m a huge fan of the caramel based cookie dipped in coconut. In case you really want tradition, they also make a Torta de Mil Hojas (the Chilean Thousand-Layer Cake), but I don’t know if it’s something you have to order ahead.
The empanadas were definitely very tasty with the beef one my favorite of the two. The filling was a lot drier than I expected it to be, but perhaps that’s just because I’ve not really had Chilean empanadas before. They also serve it with some home made salsa which added a bit of lightness and freshness to the empanadas. The ham was nice, but it didn’t wow me as much. The alfajor was incredibly tasty, and unlike any other one I’ve had. The crispy cookie part seemed more like a cracker or a water biscuit, so it really helped cut down on the sweetness as the caramel filling can be a bit overpowering. It was really crumbly and melted in the mouth and I was definitely really happy when I was eating it.
Honestly, I can’t really judge how authentic Chile Linda is, but I can say that it is pretty tasty with its flavors. They are also slightly larger than other empanadas I’ve had in the past, but at around $6 each, it’s not overpriced. I think I’d swing by for a quick bite if I was in the area, but I think it’s probably best to be eaten right away instead of bringing it home (like I did) as they will be warmer and feel a lot fresher. I should also tell you that while they have a Square sign in the window, when I went they were cash only, so be prepared so you won’t have to run down the street to the ATM like I had to do!
Score: 4/5
Recommendation: Spicy beef empanadas and an alfajor!
Chile Lindo
2944 16th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
