NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

The Best Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill

  • NC Triangle Dining Food Blog
  • Home
    • Blog
  • Best Restaurants and Bars
    • The Best Restaurants in Raleigh, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Durham, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Cary – Apex, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Chapel Hill – Carrboro, NC
    • Best Food Specials and Deals in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill
    • The Best Bars and Lounges in Raleigh, NC
  • News
    • Coming Soon to the Triangle – New Restaurants and Bars
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Cary and Morrisville
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Durham
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2021
  • Index of Reviews
    • Cary – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Chapel Hill and Carrboro – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Durham Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Raleigh Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • NC Video Reviews
    • Travel Reviews
  • Food Photos
    • Food Event Photos
  • About
    • NCTD Blogger- Ron Wen
    • NC Triangle Dining Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog Policy
    • Working with NC Triangle Dining
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog and Social Media Statistics
Restaurant & Bar Reviews » Durham » Media: Makus Empanadas Bakes Up Some Tasty Stuffed Pastries

February 14, 2017 by Ron Wen

Media: Makus Empanadas Bakes Up Some Tasty Stuffed Pastries

Front of Makus Empanadas in Durham - NC Triangle Dining
Front of Makus Empanadas in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

If you’re a fan of empanadas (stuffed pastries) you can often find them at many Latin American restaurants in the area or an empanada specialist like Calavera in Raleigh. So I was intrigued when I got the invite to check out Makus Empanadas over in Durham. I had heard a bit about them online as being an Argentinian style empanada so I was pretty excited to go check them out on a Wednesday night for a media event!

Media night at Makus Empanadas in Durham - NC Triangle Dining
Media night at Makus Empanadas in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

Located in a new strip plaza in Durham’s Hope Valley neighborhood along with some other cool spots like Tre Forni Pizza, Makus Empanadas sits in the back corner of the plaza with a brightly lit sign overhead. Inside I meet up with Tessa, the event organizer along with quite a few other friends, bloggers and media types (Meg – MeghereandThere, Jennifer – ShopLocalRaleigh, Kristen – GadaboutFood). The space is small and cozy, a casual dining area with counter order in the back. It’s a cheery space and bustling with activity, this media event unfortunately means some customers will have to take their orders to go!

Hernan, Santiago and Ricky at at Makus Empanadas in Durham - NC Triangle Dining
Hernan, Santiago and Ricky at at Makus Empanadas in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

We’re introduced to the people behind Makus Empanadas: brothers Hernan and Santiago Moyano along with friend and chef, Ricky Yofre. As you can guess they are originally from Argentina and were brought to the area to launch Makus Empanadas (Makus was the nickname given to Hernan by his late wife). Hernan tells us a bit about the whole process of launching Makus Empanadas and how this trio of friends really had NO previous restaurant and food experience amongst them. So there was quite a bit of trial and error but here they are now, empanada professionals! After their presentation it was now time to dig into some of their delicious eats and empanadas…

Dining room at Makus Empanadas in Durham - NC Triangle Dining
Dining room at Makus Empanadas in Durham – NC Triangle Dining
Chipa bread at at Makus Empanadas in Durham - NC Triangle Dining
Chipa bread at at Makus Empanadas in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

Before the event had officially started, Makus Empanadas had sent out some samples of their chipa bread which is similar to what I would call pao de queijo or cheese breads. These breads are soft, stretchy and luscious, dee-lish! Definitely try them out, they’re not that easy to find in the Triangle. And then the fresh-baked empanadas are brought out to the dining room. An array of baked treats across the nine flavors that Makus offers. Traditionally, the most popular flavors would be beef along with ham and cheese in Argentina. But Makus has added some variety for the locals including a pepperoni and bacon-cheese empanada to the menu. Makus also offers a lunch special for $9.95: three empanadas, a side, drink and sauce.

Tray of empanadas at Makus Empanadas in Durham - NC Triangle Dining
Tray of empanadas at Makus Empanadas in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

So as I’m in line waiting to choose my meal, it’s a bit tricky. With all these flavors, do I go traditional or spin it up a bit?! Ahhh, I think since this will be my first Argentinian empanada, I’ll go with the basic beef, ham and cheese along with a sweet corn empanada for good measure! Makus empanadas are baked and sport a nicely crimped crust around the half-moon shape. The dough is thin and tender but sturdy enough to hold the delicious fillings. At about 6″ or 7″ across, I’m thinking three of these should fill an average appetite up for lunch.

And while the empanadas are beautiful with their leopard spotted crusts, I break mine open to get a look at the fillings inside. The ham and cheese empanada is beautiful! Luscious cheese contrasted with bit of pink ham for a delectable handful. The beef empanada shows off chopped onions and beef in a savory sauce. And I love the the sweet corn empanada which is a nice change of pace from all the savory meat and cheese, bueno! Overall I found the empanadas at Makus to be very nicely baked with a tender crust as the gastronomical foil.

Sweet corn empanada at Makus Empanadas in Durham - NC Triangle Dining
Sweet corn empanada at Makus Empanadas in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

While Makus Empanadas now has a nice storefront, they started their business in catering and have their baked treats available at a variety of venues including PNC Arena, Durham Bulls ballpark, Kenan Stadium and the Dean Smith Center. And empanadas make for a great food to be eaten out of hand so it’s a perfect snack while you catch a game. So thank you Hernan, Santiago and Ricky for the fun evening. And for all of you savoring over these empanada pictures, go enjoy these authentic Argentinian treats at Makus Empanadas in Durham and throughout the rest of the Triangle!

 

Makus Empanadas

125 W NC-54 #304

Durham, NC 27707

919.390.7525

 

Location on Google maps

Save

Save

Save

Related

Filed Under: Durham, Media, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Latin-American Restaurants

Subscribe to NC Triangle Dining

Popular Reviews

Ideal’s Sandwich and Groceries in Durham – A Northern Take on the Classic Hoagie

Di Fara Pizza Tavern, Cary – An Exceptional Example of Classic NYC Pizza for NC

Locals Oyster Bar in Raleigh for Some of the Freshest Seafood Around

Don’t Miss

  • Coming Soon to the Triangle – New Restaurants and Bars
  • New Restaurants and Bars in Cary and Morrisville, Now Open
  • New Restaurants and Bars in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, Now Open
  • New Restaurants and Bars in Durham, Now Open
  • New Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Now Open
  • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2021 Edition

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

New Reviews!

  • CowBar Burgers & Fries in Raleigh for Beefy Perfection at North Hills
  • V Pizza in Cary – For Wood Oven Fired Neapolitan-Style Pizza
  • Alimentari at Mothers & Sons in Durham for Sandwiches, Groceries, and Gravy
  • Sushi Nine, Raleigh- All the Asian Food Options Under One Roof

Connect with NCTD

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

NCTD Email Subscription


Handcrafted with on the Genesis Framework