La Masa Empanada Bar is a popular Latin American-inspired restaurant located on Brady Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, known for specializing in scratch-made, oven-baked empanadas.
What Makes It Unique
La Masa distinguishes itself by focusing on the empanada as its star, offering a wide array of both traditional and creative fusion flavors. Key unique aspects include:
- Scratch-Made & Oven-Baked: They use an authentic Argentine Mendocina dough recipe and bake their empanadas to order, emphasizing quality and freshness, rather than frying.
- Diverse Fillings: The menu features classic Latin-inspired fillings like Argentine Beef alongside creative, often locally-inspired options such as the Cheese Curd N’ Bacon and Wisco Corn empanadas.
- Empanada Bar Concept: The focus on empanadas is paired with a full bar program that includes signature Latin American cocktails like Sangria and Pisco Sours, offering a complete dining and social experience.
- Unique Labeling: They use a small, food-safe stamped letter on the crust of each empanada to easily identify the flavor, a small but appreciated detail.
History and Significant Events
La Masa Empanada Bar first opened in 2015 on Brady Street in Milwaukee’s Lower East Side, quickly filling an “unexplored niche” for small, Latin-inspired bar food in the area. It was founded by Brad and Megan Todd, along with Scott and Becky Berger, the owners of other Milwaukee establishments like Stubby’s Gastropub.
A recent significant event is the planned expansion to a second location at the Milwaukee Public Market, which was announced in 2025 (based on the provided search results’ timestamp). This move signifies their success and appeal to a broader audience, with plans to offer their classic empanadas, sauces, and retail items like take-and-bake empanadas and house-made sangria at the new stall.
Highlight Menu Items
The menu boasts about 12 core empanada flavors, with customers often praising the variety and quality. Highlighted items include:
- Argentine Beef: The classic, made with seasoned ground beef, green olives, raisins, and hard-boiled egg.
- Grilled Chicken Pesto
- Queso y Poblano
- Spicy Shrimp Curry
- Mushroom Truffle Parmesan
- Wisco Corn: A local favorite with roasted creamy sweet corn, peppers, and onions.
- Dessert Empanadas: Unique options like Chocolate Chip and Nutella-filled empanadas.
- Sauces: House-made dipping sauces like Chimichurri, Ají Amarillo, and Creamy Garlic Lime are highly recommended.
- Beverages: The La Masa Sangria and their creative takes on cocktails are popular choices.
Customer Feedback
Customer feedback is overwhelmingly positive, often highlighting:
- “Phenomenal” Food Quality: Reviewers consistently praise the fresh, flaky crust and the vibrant, carefully crafted flavors of the fillings. The generous filling-to-crust ratio is frequently noted as a major improvement over other empanadas.
- Excellent Service and Ambiance: The staff is often described as friendly and attentive, especially in accommodating food allergies. The atmosphere is noted as a “great vibe,” “dark and moody,” and perfect for a date night or a casual outing.
- Variety and Sharing: The option to order the La Masa Trio (3 empanadas) or a Platter (12 empanadas) allows customers to sample a diverse range of flavors, making it a fun, shared dining experience.
Location & Contact Information (Brady Street Location)
| Category | Detail |
| Address | 1300 E Brady St, Milwaukee, WI 53202 |
| Phone Number | (414) 885-1866 |
| Website | http://www.lamasaempanadas.com/ |
