Calavera Empanadas And Tequila

The food is quite tasty and inexpensive. I don’t get a chance to visit this place as there are other good restaurants in the area.

One of my favorites in downtown Raleigh, it is small so the noise level can be a bit high but a fantastic place for a date or a fun dinner out. The empandas are reasonably priced and you must try the seasonal Key Lime Pie or my personal favorite Pumpkin Pie for desert!

Great atmosphere! Empanadas were really good. Drinks good but at 9 a little high for the size you get. Service was good. I would recommend it to a friend.

Our first time coming here, I thought «wow this place is small and dead», but didnt realize there was another floor. My husband asked me if I was sure I wanted to eat here. I said we were already here. The server took our drink orders (mango mojito and sweet tea). The mojito was so refreshingly good. It wasn’t to syrong but just right. The menu was every basic and simple. With empanadas you can’t add or take anything out. My husband ordered the Pork Caritas nachos (added avocado) and I ordered Havana (chicken) and Champs (veggie) Empanadas. When i took a bit of the Champ empanada I was like omgee. the bread was so soft yet crispy and the flavor was juat right. The Havana has a sweet and spicy chicken flavor, it was delicious. The side sauce was so flavourful. My husbands nachos were bomb. The chips were salty and the amount of topping was just right. I think it was our first nachos that we agreed on the best nachos ever. I had to order another Champ because my husband ate half of it. Our bill was only about $ 34. That wasn’t included with gratuity. We will definitely come back and recommend it to others.

Love empanadas and dig the variety they have here, some I’ve never even thought were possible.

I’m giving Calavera three stars instead of four on the basis that my food was fine, but I am unlikely to return. I had two empanadas: The six cheese and the pearled couscous. Between the two, I thought the six cheese was the best, but the couscous was fine. I thought they had some really interesting ideas of what to put into an empanada.
My group agreed that the pastry part was excellent. It’s flaky. Two others in my group also got the pearled couscous and just didn’t like it at all. An additional two people had empanadas with chicken in it. Both said the chicken was dry. You get one side of sauce, but it’s not really enough for two empanadas. The sauce was nothing special. I’m not even sure what it was.
I also had the Cilantro Jalapeño Margarita. It was fine. It was spicy (in a good way) but overall, not so great that I wanted to run out and order a second one.
They do make their empanada fillings in advance (as another reviewer noted). Someone in my group asked about that because she wanted to see if she could get an ingredient left out of one, and the answer was no.
The best deal seemed to be the nachos. One member ordered these with the pork. The nachos are 9.00 and they are a ton of food. The person who ordered them did enjoy them.
I get that 3.99 seems expensive for an empanada, but I was ok with it. I thought the size was fine for the price, and there was definitely plenty of filling in them. As a table, we thought that two was a good amount. We left full but not overly stuffed.
Overall, Calavera was a fine place, and certainly a unique experience. But it’s not so amazing that I would make an effort to go back. Worth trying once to see what you think.

Overall, I’d place Calavera at a solid 3.5 stars which I’m rounding to 4 stars for a few excellent experiences we’ve had there. It really can be a hit or miss, they change their empanadas menu often and it’s more of a snack and drinks place rather than a full meal. Plus, they’ve recently (at least since my last visit) raised their pre-​empanadas price; you’ll now be paying $ 3.99/empanadas instead of the original $ 3 price tag.
What you should do: get a flight of tequila! They’ll help you pick and it’s served with a «shot» of bloody mary mix. This is a great experience if you’ve never done it before.
If you’re a nachos fan, the Pork Carnitas «Macho Nachos» are a good option. Ringing in at $ 8.99, they’re a solid 4 star. If you can overlook the fact that all the good ingredients have been smothered by a cheap and basic queso sauce, you’ll enjoy the dish.
Of course, you have to try an empanadas while you’re here. I usually order two (if I’m not super hungry!) and that keeps me satisfied with a cocktail on the side. All the flavors are interesting, but I usually go for the Piggly Wiggly, Al Pastor or Habanero Pork.
Cocktails ring in a $ 9/​piece and they have them down to a science {they specialize in margaritas here}. If you’re looking for something on the sweeter side (although not super spicy), I recommend the Spicy Pineapple Margarita. Although I personally prefer the less sweet (but still sweet because that’s how they do things here) Cilantro Jalapeño Margarita. One note, if ordering this, you might ask them to strain the cilantro, otherwise you might end up with a clump of it in your mouth.
My favorite time to visit Calavera’s is during a downtown festival as a mid-​way snacking point (good location to downtown and relatively fast) or on a sunny Sunday afternoon (hopefully the crowds won’t be as large as it’s a very small restaurant), sitting at one of the outside picnic tables.

Smallish space in a good location downtown. Small downstairs bar with a couple of high tops and then a cozy upstairs dining room. Could be cramped fairly easily with a bigger crowd. Nice list of tequilas and some specialty cocktails.
I ordered an upgraded shot in my jalapeño cilantro rita and it came in a water glass on the rocks with salt. Meh. Nothing more than a house rita to me. Also then tried to order a shot to sip. Three shots later I landed on one they actually had. Ordered a beer… oops, not in stock either. NOTE: If you are going to have Tequila in your name please have them in stock to order.
Food: Ordered the queso. Simply Cheez Wiz and Santitas bagged chips and they seemed to know it. The three empanadas I ordered: Steak, Habanero Pork and Cauliflower were all very good and pretty much rescued the meal. I would come back to order these again.
For $ 55 for one diner I was not impressed overall but as always would give them another shot on a subsequent visit.

Located on a corner so it can be easy to miss. The empanadas were good but we ordered 3 different varieties and they all basically tasted the same. The cocktails were fine, and the ambience was really nice. Our server was a little impersonal but overall this was a fine visit. It’s good to see downtown Raleigh spouting up hipster spots like this.

First time visiting Raleigh and I was in the mood for an inexpensive, well-​reviewed establishment. I saw that Calavera Empanadas was one of the most popular results on Unilocal so I thought why not? I was also in the mood for some Tequila so I was thrilled that Calavera offered a wide selection of both. When I first walked in I was greeted by a small bar with a few tables. One of the hostesses asked me where I wanted to sit so I chose the upstairs option. The second floor was more roomy, a little bit more lively and there were Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling which gave it a warm vibe.
Right of the bat, the waiter serving me seemed to be in a bad mood and was not very attentive despite the fact that there were only 15 people or less in the restaurant. I picked three different empanadas and a Mango-​infused cocktail. Food didn’t take long but when I bit into them I was sorely disappointed. The «dough» tastes like pre-​made cheap dough you buy in those tin cans at the grocery store. The fillings are also quite bland with no hint of Latin/​Mexican culture. It was quite evident that none of the chefs were from South America or had no control over the menu.
Overall, the menu selection is nice but the execution is horrible. I would buy a empanada from a food cart on the street anyday than at Calavera. It is a cheap imitation, an excuse! for South American cuisine. The only upside about Calavera was that the tattooed hostess was beautiful. I would not recommend this place to someone who is looking for AUTHENTIC empanadas.

Drinks are fantastic. I almost always get the strawberry lime margarita, and I’ve never been disappointed. My boyfriend is partial to the spicy pineapple, but I’m not a fan. I’ve only had empanadas once or twice, and while they’re good, it’s just not my thing.

I had quite high expectations for Calavera Empenadas as I had heard good things from my wife and the reviews were good. At first I thought I would be giving five stars, but they missed a few details. When we get here early Saturday evening we were told it would be a 2 hour wait — wow! But as we were almost about to head back out, the hostess turned around and said; unless you want to sit right here, pointing to a small table for two next to the bar. At that point I would have agreed to sit on the floor to eat because I was so excited to try the Empenadas. That’s when I realized how small this place is, the downstairs is basically just a bar and a couple of small tables and the upstairs is not much bigger. It is very colorful inside, I like the décor.
Even though the place is so small, there are a lot staff running around. None of them seem to be from the Latin American continent, which I thought was a bit unusual. So basically 90 percent of the menu here is the different empanadas, but they also have some other dishes. My wife and I decided to share everything and had the elote, mango guacamole, the champ, chicken jerk, poblano loco, the shrimp Empenadas and chicken tinga. The server came over with the elote and said they were a bit small, so he decided to give us one extra each — thanks! When I first started nibbling on this corn on cob, it just tasted ok, but as I kept eating it it grew on me and towards the end I felt I could eat elotes until I explode, it is that good, and only 3 dollars. It is not often you can find such a good appetizer for that price. But to be honest, the elote they serve in Boku is even better, but they charge 7 dollars. I only really liked two of the Empenadas, the chicken jerk and the champ. I was quite surprised about the champ, it tasted so creamy, and compared to the others had so much flavor. It has three different types of mushroom, sweet peas, carrot, celery, cheese. My wife thought the shrimps in one of the Empenadas tasted a bit off. She had the king of Kong for desert which apparently was a highlight of the evening, a nice size desert for just 3 dollars. We were pretty set on trying the key lime Empenadas that they have on the website, but apparently it was only seasonal and they replaced it with pumpkin flavor instead.
I almost forgot to mention the sweet mango habanero guacamole which was the biggest disappointment. There was hardly any habanero or mango in it! So that leaves just a plain simple guacamole for 7 dollars. There was like one chunk of mango in it. I thought the mango would have been spread out into the the rest with the avocado. So the sweet green mango gave no sweetness and the habanero gave zero heat, I got it only from one bite where all of it had clustered. Clearly the guacamole was not mixed properly. Also, the bowl was tiny and you could hardly pick up the guacamole as it was the tiny bowl in a large tray of chips.
We also tried the mango marguerita which was pretty strong and tasty. The sauce portions they serve with the Empenadas should have been bigger considering we had ordered 5 Empenadas. Had to scrape it to the end. One sauce is red, one is green, the green is the best.
Service was somewhat accommodating, the staff would come by to «check on you» but disappear within one second. This one girl would come by multiple times and say; was everything AMAZING!?! Which I thought was a bit funny. It was a busy night in there so they did a good job. It did get quite packed towards the later hours and crowds were gathering in the middle of the bar and groups on 8 – 9 people hanging around tables for four.
So to conclud, I have been whining and complaining quite a bit above, but am still giving it four stars. Why? Because the elote, the champ, the chicken jerk, and the King of Kong were that good. Next time we know what to get and will just order those and maybe a marguerita. The other Empenadas were just flat in comparison with minimal flavor and spice. Also the ambiance is very cozy, warm and vibrant. It’s cool to have a place in town that specialize in Empenadas, I’m already looking forward to my next visit.

Loved this place! The atmosphere was great, cool decorations but all that was surpassed by the food! Tried the guacamole, the chicken nachos and multiple empanadas. The chicken nachos were very large and the chicken was delicious. I would encourage everyone to order that to solid before the empanadas: I tried the Havana jerk and the holy frijoles: both were delicious and it took everything not to scarf my food down! I also tried the pineapple habanero margarita and I would high recommend that as well! It was amazing and I will definitely go back!

Calavera is a cozy little corner joint that you might miss when making your way from City Market to Fayetteville Street. But you will absolutely not want to pass by this spot on your travels.
The interior is colorful and inviting. There are two floors but dining space is somewhat small. A few large parties and overflow will spill out the door.
We were lucky to arrive on a Saturday afternoon before the rush. Our service was speedy, drinks were flowing, and the food arrived fresh and hot.
The cilantro jalapeño Margarita was scrumptious. It had a zing without being too spicy. Not in the mood for tequila? Try the Mojito! It’s stuffed with mint and so delightful, you may not be able to have just one.
The chips and queso blew our socks off. The queso was rich, tasty, and so very addictive! The homemade chips were a little heavier than the light, crispy ones that are common at Mexican restaurants. They had a dusting of a delicious spice that blended so well with the queso. Two thumbs up for that starter!
We tried a selection of Empanadas. The dough was flaky and light. Very impressive. Three of them will be more than enough for a meal.
I tried the Champ (mushrooms), the Poblano Loco (poblano pepper), and the Camarones (shrimp) and loved them all in that order. My husband had the Havana Jerk Chicken, the Habanero Pork, and the Chicken Mole which he liked in that order. I much preferred the cheesy ones so I was not really a fan of his selections. Overall, the ones that featured spicy ingredients were not extraordinarily hot but they did have a little kick.
On the second floor, there are three TV screens and in the middle, the Three Amigos plays on a loop. Hilarious!
As we were finishing up, two large parties were seated and it was apparent that there was some scrambling going on. As we came downstairs, we could hardly get through the crowd that was waiting. I would imagine that the key to a successful visit would be timing. Ours worked out perfectly and we had a wonderful late lunch! We’ll definitely be visiting again soon!

Tried this today for lunch. So good! I had the Al pastor and Poblano loco empanadas which were savory. Couldn’t pass up the King of Kong for dessert which has Nutella and bananas. Tasty chips and guacamole. Probably could have had one savory and one dessert empanada and it would have been enough. :) Great service. Great food. I will definitely come back.

Decent location in walking distance to entertainment (music, dancing and drinks). Arrived with two other friends… fairly busy on a Friday night (1030 pm). Tried the Picadillo, habanero pork and Havana jerk; incredible flavor profiles… pleasantly surprising. Was slightly disappointed that they’d run out of our initial requests for camarones al diablito, piggly wiggly and chicken tinga. However, will visit again.

Finally had dinner here and I have say I was not as blown away as everyone I’ve spoken to seemed to be. I ordered the Camarones and Mole empanadas and my husband had the al pastore and the picadillo. Of those four the only one that was flavorful and interesting was the al pastore. The others were just ok. My real disappointment came from the cilantro jalapeño margarita. It didn’t taste any different than a regular margarita — I was expecting to taste the cilantro and more importantly get some heat but nothing.
If someone invited me to go again I would, but it likely wouldn’t be a place I proactively plan to go to again.

Delicious empanadas. The dough is delicious. The queso was also very good. Atmosphere is adorable and so lovely to sit upstairs and look out the window. Didn’t love their corn on the cob, but everything else was delicious.

Very good empanadas. So far the best I had in NC but I am not a connoisseur or running after them. This might change it. The dought taste really good and the fact you can pick each of them with a different filling is really cool. The service was fast and everything very tasty for a very reasonable price.
I also loved the 2 sides sauce which combined with your all different empanadas can create a large variety of tastes to try ;)

Located in central downtown Raleigh, the outdoor seating is totally hipster and lighting creates a nice ambience. The beef empanadas are my personal favorite and if you’re up for dessert the Nutella empanada is amazing

Came to this cute little spot after the North Carolina State Fair. My friend said someone highly recommended this place. There’s a parking deck connected to the building, apparently free on the weekends. As we enter, we pretty much just saw the bar and a few high tables. They were also a few picnic tables outside on the sidewalk. You really can’t beat the empanadas for only 3.50. I ordered the chicken mole and especially liked the texture of the crust. It also came with some red and green salsa. My friend and I split the nachos covered with pulled pork which was seasoned very well and tender. There were three TVs upstairs in the dining area and the décor was very quaint. Very clean restaurant with excellent service. We went on a Saturday afternoon around 12:30 and there was no wait.

Came back to Calavera with my girlfriend this evening. Another employee was running expo and brought our empanadas to us. My girlfriend asked her for a soda and the woman snapped, «You’ll have to order that through your server.» I thought that was incredibly rude. That woman should’ve either gotten my girlfriend her soda, or told our waitress real quick that we needed something. Maybe if our server could be bothered to, I don’t know, actually bring us our food, then we would not have had to ask some other employee for something. It was a soda, not something really complicated. It’s also a small restaurant, and they weren’t that busy. Just plain rudeness and laziness!
Okay, so it seems to be that the service here will be just God Awful. Whatever, fine. Back in May I said I’d put up with crappy service to get great food. But I will not put up with crappy service for crappy food. Tonight the food was a swing and a miss. I saw something on the menu I didn’t notice, empanada al pastor. Okay, I’ll try it, I thought. Al Pastor is supposed to have pineapple in it. I didn’t taste or see any pineapple, though. You don’t get to just call something Al Pastor if it isn’t Al Pastor. Just like McDonald’s doesn’t get to say their burgers are filet mignon.
It’s to the point where I think, «okay, I’ll go to Calavera, but what will be the problem tonight?» If the service is this awful, the food better be perfect. Since it’s at that point, this place is not worth my time or money.

We were downtown recently for Sparkcon and wanted to get something to eat besides the food trucks that were there… looked up restaurants on Unilocal and found this spot I’m always down for some empanada’s but they are NOT authentic empanada’s I think that they were baked… the taste was good but nothing that would make me double back, paid $ 9 for a margarita that was so full of ice and served in a small glass, I’ve had much better, all in all it was just ok
I will say the waitress was really nice, courtious and fast…

I went to Calavera and ordered an empanada and nachos. The empanada had a nice, soft flaky crust that was delicious to eat. They’ve really mastered the baking of their empanadas. I ordered the picadillo which had ground beef, potato, onion, tomato, and green chile. It was very tasty and there’s a decent amount of filling inside. The ground beef was seasoned very well and all the vegetables were cooked well. You also get some fresh salsa to dip the empanada into as well. Empanadas in general aren’t that big, so I would honestly have to order 3 – 4 to be full for dinner.
I ordered the carnitas nachos also and it was huge. You get very generous amount of juicy braised pork that was seasoned well not top of a bunch of chips. Everything was covered with their queso sauce. The queso had a thicker consistent and wasn’t most flavored queso I’ve had, but it was cheesy and melty enough to hold everything in place. The nachos is the way to go if you want the most food here.
Overall, Calavera is known for empanadas, and I thought they were really good at making them. It may seem pricey at $ 3.50 each, but it’s worth trying. The Nutella banana dessert empanada is also really good and is a great way to finish your meal.

Yay this place was great! Super cheap beers, REALLY good mojitos and tons of fun empanads you can mix and match. Our waitress was really nice and got everything perfect (we were a table of 8). The Piggy Wiggley was my favorite, but my haberno pork and chicken tinga were also great. It was good and CHEAP and fun.

My friends and I decided to dine here to celebrate completing another successful boot camp session. This was my first time dining here and coincidentally it happened to be National Tequila Day.
The restaurant is located downtown, has outdoor seating, and two floors. When we arrived the place was already extremely busy but we were greeted at the door by a really nice hostess who politely informed us that it could take more than an hour to be seated since our group was very large. Ultimately my group decided to break up so we could be seated faster.
The restaurant is decorated in a modern style which isn’t over bearing like most Latin restaurants. The colors are moderately bright and well lit. The menu is primarily focused on empanadas, nachos, and other yummy treats.
After a 15mn wait we found a few seats at the bar and decided to order food/​drinks there. The bartenders were extremely attention and Chris the manager was amazing. He greeted us and made a few of our drinks when the bartenders were occupied. A great restaurant experience in my opinion is when you see the manager going above and beyond excellence to make your dining experience five stars… Chris definitely did this for us.
Our group decided to order chips and guacamole, a variety of empanadas, and elote. I tasted the Al pastor and Havana jerk chicken… oh my it was delicious. I love how light the empanadas crust was. Most places fry it so heavy it takes away from the ingredients in the filling. The crust was light, cooked perfectly, and flaky… just the way I like my empanadas.
The drinks were amazing. I tried the raspberry mojito and mango margarita. I love how the flavors were blended perfectly. i just learned this place delivers and I will definitely be ordering delivery soon.

My friends chose this place and I am super happy with the choice! If I could go back and try one of the other vegetarian options, then I definitely would. too bad it’s 500 miles away!
Walking in, the atmosphere is very calm but fun, you can sit wherever you would like and we chose upstairs. Tons of seating and windows to look out over the streets, I really like that idea. Our waiter was extremely friendly and helpful on the choices of food and drinks. We all went with the lunch specials. Two empanadas, one empanada and a salad, or three empanadas. I like the lunch specials! I chose «The Champ» and the black bean & corn avocado salad. I’m not a huge fan of avocado so I just gave it to my friends. The Champ was AMAZING. AHHHH it was SO delicious. When I ordered the waiter even said if you like mushrooms, you will love it. I DID. The salad tasted great too, but it was too big for the plate it was on.
Great food and great drinks. I would HIGHLY recommend this place for some empanadas.

4 stars for everything but the food. Haha. I thought the empanadas were cool. I ordered the havana pork and the picadillo empanadas. Picadillo was okay and the havana pork was a little better. According to my husband, the piggly wiggly really was a star.
However, I loved this place because of the atmosphere, service, and drinks! As soon as we climbed the staircase, I felt like I had been transported somewhere else besides Raleigh, NC. I loved the décor, and the latin music. The star for me was the pina mojito. A sip tasted like a piña colada at the start but ended with refreshing mojito. I was really impressed. Top that off with some good service, and you’ve got a repeat customer.

Just what I was looking for!
I’m hooked on the new taco and tequila trend and love this spin. No one in Charlotte is offering Empanadas so this was perfect upon our weekend visit!
The pineapple margarita was amazing, as were all of the empanadas! I also highly recommend the mango habanero guacamole. Yep — we went for two of those!

I am a big fan of spicy drinks and this is the place that originally got me hooked with their jalepeno infused margaritas. The empanadas are delicious and unique too. One day, I will try them all!
This eatery is a bit small but they have seating outside, upstairs, and of course at the bar. In my experience of going on the weekend, I have at least waited half an hour for a table. It’s not too bad though since you can chill at the bar and get some yummy margaritas while you wait. You can also call in advance to make reservations. The staff is great, always a pleasure. They have a festive Latin theme with bright colors, candle decorations, and Christmas lights.

My first time at Calavera in DTR.
We started off with the mango-​habanero guacamole, which was tasty. The amount of guacamole was reasonable, but have had more at other Mexican places.
We split 4 empanadas, the habanero pork, Havana jerk, the camarones del diablito, the champ. All 4 were delicious, but I liked the camarones one least. It was the least flavorful amongst the 4.
One thing I want to mention is that the service was not the best… They could’ve been more alert and attentive.
However, the atmosphere was fun and casual. Family friendly and also a great place to get lunch or dinner.
Overall, great place and I recommend the cilantro-​jalapeño margarita. It was more sweet than spicy, and has freshly squeezed OJ. So yummy!

My friend and I had dinner here Saturday Night. Parking was easy find… yay! The restaurant is small, a second level upstairs… yes there’s Plenty of elbow room to eat.
I love the décor here is colorful and Bright! We were seated upstairs near a Window. Thankfully the weather was clear so we had a great view of downtown. I love the colorful lights on the ceiling… nice touch.
We both started with the Mango Margarita!!! Yassssss!!! The taste is very fresh and crisp… its like a burst of flavor in every sip. They even give you a FRESH Mango slice on top #Yasssss this drink seriously made my night!
If you’re looking for vegetarian options they have a good selection to choose from… I ordered the Al Pastor, Piggly Wiggly and Havana Jerk, I fell in love with these Empanadas!!! Ohh my goodness! And the prices…$ 3 each… What!!! Heaven!!! I was very satisfied with the service and food here.

I love the uniqueness of Calavela. As soon as I heard of an empanada-​focused restaurant in the area, I thought it was a brilliant concept and I knew I had to try it.
The atmosphere in the restaurant is great. We were sat at a table on the second floor and I loved all the of the lights strung on the ceiling. We had a table along the window and it was a great spot for people watching in a growing Downtown Raleigh. The restaurant was completely full (though, that’s not hard considering they do not have a lot of seating). If you come with a big party, I suggest coming in the off hours or making a reservation.
I ordered two of their empanadas: The Al Pastor and the Havana Jerk. Both were delicious, but the Al Pastor was my favorite. They are little pockets of goodness, packed with flavor. Each empanada was only $ 3.50! I love that you can order the empanadas individually so that you can try a variety of flavors and order just a snack if that is all you are hungry for. If you come for a full dinner, I suggest ordering at least 2 and maybe 3 if tend to have a bigger appetite. We also ordered one of their giant plates of nachos. $ 9 might sound expensive, but the amount that you get is totally worth it. They do not skimp on the amount of meat or toppings. In my opinion, these nachos are the best deal. Lastly, we ordered the King of Kong empanada for dessert. Soooo good. You can’t go wrong with nutella EVER, so it is a winner. I definitely will be going back to try the Pumpkin Pie empanada too.
The service wasn’t the greatest though. It took awhile for our dessert empanada to come out and our waitress seemed a little overwhelmed with her tables. We also had to wait awhile to get our check to pay which irritated me a little.
While the service wasn’t the best, I am still a fan and would go back to try some other things on the menu. This is a great place to come for a night out with friends, order some drinks and heaping plates of nachos to share.

Came for their drinks but ended up in love with their food!
Talk about empanadas done right~
Their empanadas were so flavorful and the bread was surprisingly soft and doughy (not hard and crusty as they might appear to be).
I didn’t even need to dip the empanadas in their salsa– yup, THAT flavorful!
I personally liked the kick the habanero pork one had.
The pork carnitas was also great! Loved their unique topping combo– no boring nachos over here!
I was not really a fan of their margaritas. Their strawberry and lime margarita was pretty bitter– likewise with the mango one.
The atmosphere is very casual. Definitely felt like a nice place to hit up for late night drinking/​snacking.
Set up is pretty awkward in my opinion– people are eating and drinking upstairs but the bar and Dj are downstairs.
As a result, no one’s really downstairs living it up.
I guess the life is in their empanadas so go try one!!!

This is a solid 3.5 star experience for me (come on Unilocal we need half stars!!!). It’s a really cute yet casual small bar. The décor is a little darker very dia de los muertos theme. As soon as you walk in you see a couple hi top tables and then there’s a bar. The bar is small but it has about 6 chairs to sit in.
We came on a Sunday around 4:30pm but on this particular day they were closing at 5pm for their holiday party (they are usually open late on any other day). We chose to sit at the bar and got something quick to try. The bartender was very friendly and helpful. He explained the menu and told us they even have tequila flights were you get three 3 oz shots of tequila’s of your choice $ 15 or $ 21 for premium tequila’s.
We ordered a strawberry margarita which was just ok it needed a little bit more of everything citrus, sweet, etc… My little sister got the chicken tinga empanada. This is not chicken tinga that we are used to. There was no chipotle flavors at all. It tasted like regular chicken. It was very tasty and we really enjoyed it but chicken tinga it was not. The salsa verde that came with the empanada was amazing very authentic in flavor.
I really liked this bar. It was welcoming and fun unlike the other places in Raleigh I checked out while visiting. I would definitely come here again and try more things. Give them a try I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.