A small bakery sits beside the Driving School of North Texas, quaint and almost unnoticeable when driving by. The owner welcomes customers inside with a beaming smile, giving them suggestions  and explaining her dream to start an empanada store, bringing family recipes and inspiration from Buenos Aires to her migrated family in New York City all the way to Tango’s Empanadas & Bakery in Allen, Texas.

In case you’ve never heard of them, empanadas are turnovers typically stuffed with meat.

Tango’s offers a unique selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian empanadas and Argentinian pastries. After a day out with friends, trying different shop selections and sharing them with each other, I couldn’t help but be impressed. Everything tasted amazing, from their signature beef empanadas (filled with ground beef, hard boiled egg, sliced olives, onion and spices) to their spicy corn empanadas to their alfajors de maizena (a chocolate coconut macaroon-like dessert) to their delicious fruit empanadas (the apple is a must-try). Their signature sauces only add to the already delicious, flaky and fresh treats. I can’t help but look forward to my next visit to try another kind — I feel like a kid trying to complete a collection.

Although the bakery itself may be a bit crowded to enjoy these delicious pastries inside (there really aren’t any designated eating areas), Tango’s provides a perfect light lunch for a picnic or something similar.

And just when I thought this bakery couldn’t get any better, I found out that Tango’s caters. Shipping is free, and they even have mini empanadas. Super Bowl snacks, anyone?

Please give this lovely bakery your business. It’s not every day you get to try authentic Argentinian food in Allen. Tango’s Empanadas is the epitome of why small businesses flourish; the service, atmosphere and most importantly, food, is unmatched.

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