When the owners of Empanadas Lab decided to close, Fire Department of Montgomery Township volunteer fire police officers Gabe and Lorena Mejias jumped at the opportunity to continue bringing the Iberian and Latin American delicacy to the North Wales Borough community and North Penn at-large via Empanada Noshery.
Operating since July 1 out of the corner store of a tiny retail strip along Main Street next to North Wales Running Company, Empanada Noshery LLC has no affiliation with the previous occupant.
“It is not coincidence (that another empanada restaurant is replacing another one). We knew the owners of Empanadas Lab for many years,” Gabe said. “As a matter of fact, we helped them out with marketing by creating the logo and social media when they first took over the restaurant.”
Gabe, who worked in finance for 18 years before taking on the venture of a new restaurant, said being that the brand was already established in North Wales, it was best for business to keep it there.
“In May, they expressed a desire to sell the business. It has always been a dream of ours to have a restaurant, and this was the perfect opportunity,” he said. “We know that people are always looking for variety when it comes to places to eat, and we have faith that the business will fare well.”
Think of a pierogi, and you basically have the gist of the empanada, which translates from Spanish as “breaded.” The deep-fried or baked doughy turnover is often filled with garlic-seasoned beef and a tomato paste-based mixture of vinegar, cumin, chili powder, oregano, chopped bell peppers and onion. Often, it is dipped in something, such as an aioli mix of lime juice, adobo sauce, and mayonnaise.
“We are going to continue to offer empanadas,” Gabe said. “However, being that I am from Puerto Rico and (Lorena) is from the Dominican Republic, we are incorporating flavors from the islands.”
There are plans to expand the current menu and offer weekly specials and desserts, which could be convenient for Sumneytown Pike commuters heading back and forth from Merck and the Spring House area.
Its current fare includes 10 different varieties of empanadas, like Italian (mushrooms, red peppers, onions, spinach, Italian herbs, mozzarella, and parmesan); Columbian (corn masa, beef or chicken seasoned with Latin herbs and spices, peppers, onion, and garlic); Caribbean (Latin herbs and spices on seasoned chicken or beef, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and olives); BBQ pulled pork; and mixed vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and garlic). Dipping sauces range from chipotle mayo to marinara, and Empanada Noshery also offers garden salad and Latin cabbage slaw called curtido.
The Mejias also offer dessert and coffee to their customers, including classic Puerto Rican vanilla flan, Puerto Rican cheese flan, and a Puerto Rican cake called Bizcocho Puertorriqueño made with sugar, Bacardi rum, and anise extract syrup.
Empanada Noshery is located at 119 N. Main St., in the heart of North Wales Borough near Walnut Street/North Wales Road and Sumneytown Pike. It accepts walk-in orders, online pick-up, and delivery. It is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, click here.
See also:
Optimism Shines as Downtown Lansdale Businesses Build Momentum Following Pandemic
Sultan Indian Cuisine Named Lansdale ‘Business of the Month’ for June
Empanadas Lab in North Wales Unexpectedly Closes, New Business to Take Over Location in July
Former Army-Navy Near Five Points to be Replaced by Car Wash Following Demolition
New Wawa at Broad and Cowpath in Hatfield Set to Open Friday Morning
