08/25/18
Empamamas is a food stall at Armature Works, which is a really cool market and food hall in a restored warehouse right on the Hillsborough River in Tampa, just north of downtown. Armature works has several exceptional food options, and this spot is at the top of the list for me. They have several traditional empanada options like ground beef and chicken, but the undisputed top option is the Tampa Girl. This combines two popular Tampa/Cuban dishes - the empanada and the Cuban sandwich - into one, making for a really distinct little morsel of food. The empanada itself looks pretty basic and traditional on the outside, but their filling is out of this world. They somehow perfectly re-create each and every flavor of a Cuban sandwich inside. I should know - I conservatively estimate that I've thrown back a couple thousand Cuban sandwiches in my day. The empanada filling has the characteristic little crunch and acid from chopped up pickles, the sliced and diced ham and pork, and some melty swiss cheese, all coated in this perfect mustard/mayo blend that I've previously only truly appreciated on Cuban sandwiches. The amazing thing is that, despite being chopped up, thrown together, and deep fried in the empanada, every aspect of the dish is apparent when eating it. Nothing gets mixed up or hidden. It's one of my favorite dishes in Tampa. I introduced this empanada to my Cuban family and they couldn't believe how closely the flavor profile resembled an actual Cuban sandwich. I can't recommend Empamamas and Armature Works highly enough. There's a really nice walkway along the river right outside the doors at AW and a couple other cool spots in the neighborhood that are worth checking out.