Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar Open, Full Menu

November, 03, 2011 , by David

Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar is as simple as that, one side of their opening menu offers Tequila drinks and other cocktails and the other side offers a selection of $3 empanadas. In case you haven't had an empanada, the simple ~~fried~~ baked cuisine originated in South America, but has spread across central America and the US. It consists of a pastry shell filled with meat, potatoes and other ingredients.

While 101 was a modernist masterpiece- the frigid echo filled interior was too cold to truly lounge. Calavera has successfully warmed the space with a deep red and Mexican decorations.

The simple offering is Calavera's strength. While they do offer some simple salads and other appetizers- the empanadas are the focus. Patrons can order rounds of the little snacks and they are delivered quickly. While one or two empanadas probably isn't enough for a meal, they could make a great snack.

Calavera's service was excellent and the empanadas were hot and delivered quickly. There was some light burning on some of the empanadas but they were perfectly edible. Dessert empanadas were quite good but unfortunately topped with fake whip cream. The extensive tequila selection offers all of the varieties you are familiar with at competitive prices. We can easily recommend Calavera, the experience was top notch.

Below see their full opening menu, since updated with additional salads and drinks:

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Openings Menus Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar Tequila Empanadas

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OldeSchool
11/03 11:30 AM

Um, whoever edited this menu missed “Rasberry”. And I didn’t see honey chicken biscuits on the menu. Other than that, looks promising.
Jess
11/03 11:35 AM

i went last night….it was good….except my desert empanada was burned so much it took away the taste…i’d try it again…
ashley
11/03 11:47 AM

if this place specializes in tequila it would be interesting to see their list of tequilas with the expectation that they have some of the less common higher end bottles.
OldeSchool
11/03 12:50 PM

They are now open for lunch, so I just ate there - good stuff!
Empanada/salad combo works well. FYI, the empanadas are baked, not fried.
jeff
11/03 03:33 PM

my wife and i went there on halloween. we liked what we got and will be back.
matt
11/03 06:19 PM

Unpretentious, pretty, awesome. Can get a little crowded ‘cause it’s small, maybe needs a little bigger bar- no other drawbacks yet!
MAS
11/03 07:31 PM

Um, where’s the tequila? Like Ashley said, that’s the differentiator ... good tequila ... and not the sugary rubbish we get here in the U.S.
David
11/03 07:53 PM

Thx OldeSchool- I updated the post.
WILLNCSU
11/04 10:33 AM

May try this tonight, see how it stacks up to Sarah’s Empanadas in RTP.
Carl
11/04 03:39 PM

$10 for a crappy cerveza? Rip. off.
Todd Morman
11/04 05:01 PM

Went last week and liked the food (and friendly staff) a lot. They were very receptive to the idea of adding more vegetarian empanadas, too. The Holy Frijolies was good, but there should be at least one other option (maybe a few of the others can be made meatless on request?) if they want vegetarians to come back.

Speaking of awesome vegetarian-friendly places, has anyone hit that Turkish spot in City Market? Tasty, reasonably priced, lots of veggie-friendly options…it was great.
Jon
11/07 12:58 PM

Went this weekend. Tried three Empanadas…all great. It took a while to get our food, but the atmosphere was cozy and friendly so not a big deal.
MAS
11/08 01:13 AM

Yep, Troy Mezze is the anti-Sitti.

It’s good. It’s affordable. And it’s not Neomonde + $4 for decor. It’s a counter to the latest Raleigh trend of being overpriced and underwhelming.
Ann
11/10 07:48 PM

Went last Friday, waited an hour for a burned empanada, while everyone was very nice there was no apology for (or even acknowedgement of) the long wait for food. I won’t be going back.
matt
11/11 09:23 AM

Ann, did you point out you’d been waiting an hour (I would have said something at 20 min, 30 min, 40 min etc) and that the one empanada you ordered was burned?

Because I’m faithful that they’d attend to reparations in such a case.
sccarmor
11/11 03:56 PM

I visit Calvera Empanada & Tequila on 11/08 with my brother & his girlfriend Mary. My brother wanted to go there because he knew the owner and it was his birthday. I order the King of Kong & Manza- Manza Empanada. I also had a Brasilian Cosmopolitan. We went on a Tuesday so business was slow, but I still enjoy myself. The service was good and the restaurant decor is very cool.
I also learn that the word calavera or (calaverita) means skull in Spanish.
Nate
11/14 11:11 AM

I went this weekend with a friend. It was a great new place. Though I would not agree with the empanadas being served “quickly”. They weren’t slow but not paticularly fast.
Heather Setzler
11/27 06:33 PM

This place is terrific!
Murphy
12/18 05:24 PM

Umm… for those asking for the tequila list just lift your fingertips and wander over to:
http://www.calaveraraleigh.com/

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Calavera Empanada & Tequila Bar Open, Full Menu