There is a walk-up window on SE 5th Ave in Delray where nothing is sitting around waiting for you. Every empanada at The Gringo goes into a bespoke Italian oven the moment you order it and comes out about three minutes later, which is why nothing here has ever met a heat lamp. Their own words are that the empanadas are never fried and never kept warm on a heated display. On Friday and Saturday nights the counter does something most lunch spots would never attempt: it stays open until 10, turns on live music, runs drink specials and calls the whole thing Empanadas After Dark.

What You're Getting Into

First thing to know: there is no dining room. You walk up to a window, you order, and you sit at a picnic table outside under an umbrella. That is the entire operation, and it is a big part of why the place works. Bring the dog, they are welcome.

The empanadas are Argentinian-style and they are baked, not fried, which means the dough comes out light and flaky instead of heavy and greasy. They run $6.39 each and there are about a dozen flavors. The birria is pulled beef with cheese and spices and it is the one people come back for. The 'De Messi' is steak with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, chimichurri and cheese. The classic carne is ground beef with peppers, onions and green olives, which is the traditional Argentine build. If someone in your group doesn't eat meat, the truffle mac and cheese is the vegetarian one and it holds its own against everything else on the board. The cubano style has pulled pork, ham, cheese and pickles. The buffalo chicken and the spicy pork with habanero are the two that get named most often in reviews after the birria.

A heads up on portions: these are not the giant fried empanadas you get elsewhere. They are on the smaller side, and if you are hungry you want four. Add a 2 oz chimichurri for $2 or a chipotle aioli for $1.25 and do not skip it.

There is also a whole other menu from the building's past life as a smoothie shop. Açaí bowls are $16.95 in four builds including superberry, piña, banana nut and Nutella. Smoothies are $12. They pull Lavazza coffee, with an espresso or americano at $4 and a cappuccino or latte at $4.50. For dessert there is a Nutella and strawberry empanada at $6.39, baked to order like everything else.

Two different rhythms here. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 am to 4 pm, this is a daytime counter for lunch and coffee. Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 10 pm, it becomes a hang.

The Insider Move

Go on a Friday or a Saturday night. Empanadas After Dark is the version of this place worth planning around, and it runs both nights, not just Friday. They have a beer and wine license, so a Modelo is $4, the house IPA is $6, and a glass of red or sparkling rosé is $5. That means a full night out, two empanadas and a beer, lands around $17 a person. It is the cheapest date night in east Delray and nobody is rushing you off a picnic table.

Two more things. Their ordering page discloses a 3% credit card surcharge, so bring cash if you want to skip it. And they are closed Sunday and Monday, which is the mistake people make. Do not drive down on a Sunday afternoon expecting empanadas.

On parking: SE 5th Ave is the southbound side of US-1 through downtown, with SE 6th Ave carrying traffic north. You are about a mile south of the Atlantic Ave crowds, a four minute drive, and street parking down here is a different world from hunting for a spot on Atlantic on a Friday night. There is also a thrift shop right next door if you get there early.

What People Are Saying

The reviews are remarkably consistent on two points. The first is the texture. People keep noting with some surprise that these are baked rather than fried, and that they came away flaky and crisp without feeling heavy afterward. The second is Alan himself. Customer after customer mentions the owner by name, calling him welcoming and genuinely helpful, which is not something you see much in a takeout window.

The After Dark nights are showing up in reviews now too. A 2026 visitor described the outdoor seating, the music and the thrift store next door as just such a vibe, and specifically called out the Saturday live music. Another reviewer summed up a Saturday night as beers, wine, provoleta and a band. The one recurring complaint is price relative to size, and even the people who raise it land on the same conclusion, which is that they are worth it.

Quick Context

Alan Solari Brown grew up in Buenos Aires and opened The Gringo with his wife Kimberly in March 2022, in the space that used to be Surf Shack Subs. That's why the açaí bowls are still on the menu. The name came from friends joking that he had lost his accent.

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