Is Maria Empanada Still Open? Update (Denver, CO)
Current status
As of September 2026, Maria Empanada is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
Last verified
What the source shows: Maria Empanada's own website lists 1700 Platte Street among its current Denver locations, and Yelp's listing for that address, updated August 2026, independently shows active reviews and current hours.
- Season / episode Season 23, Episode 9
- Original air date
- Address 1700 Platte Street, Denver, CO 80202
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What happened after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
On the September 2015 episode 'By Hand and By Fork,' Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Maria Empanada, an Argentine empanada shop in Denver's Riverfront/Platte Street area. The segment centered on the shop's hand-folded empanadas, crimped to order in a range of sweet and savory fillings drawn from owner Lorena Cantarovici's family recipes. Maria Empanada's Platte Street storefront was one of its earliest locations, in what has since grown into a small local chain with several Denver-area shops. According to the restaurant's own website, the 1700 Platte Street shop is listed among its current Denver locations, and a Yelp listing for that address, updated in August 2026, shows the shop keeping hours of roughly 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
Maria Empanada, an Argentine bakery-cafe on South Broadway in Denver run by Lorena Cantarovici, contributed empanadas to the June 2021 Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode 'Takeout: Shipped, Sweet & Savory' (S34E5), according to Food Network's episode description, which paired the Denver stop with Cajun food from Los Angeles, crepes from Las Vegas, and barbecue from Taylor, Texas in the same takeout-themed show. Maria Empanada makes as many as 1,500 empanadas a day, filled with beef, chicken, spinach, corn, and other ingredients, and the business has grown to locations in Denver and Aurora, according to Westword.
Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
- Original air date
- Episode title
- By Hand and By Fork
- What was featured
- Argentine-style empanadas folded and crimped by hand
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Maria Empanada
- Original air date
- Episode title
- Takeout: Shipped, Sweet & Savory
- What was featured
- empanadas made in-house at up to 1,500 a day
- Role
- Featured restaurant
- Name on the broadcast
- Maria Empanada
Frequently asked questions
Is Maria Empanada still open in 2026?
As of September 2026, Maria Empanada is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
What happened to Maria Empanada after Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives?
On the September 2015 episode 'By Hand and By Fork,' Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Maria Empanada, an Argentine empanada shop in Denver's Riverfront/Platte Street area. As of September 2026, Maria Empanada is open — confirmed via the restaurant's current website/social account, accessed September 2026.
Where is Maria Empanada located?
1700 Platte Street, Denver, CO 80202. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.
What season and episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Maria Empanada?
Season 23, Episode 9 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, first aired September 25, 2015. The episode is titled “By Hand and By Fork”.
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Visit info
- Address
- 1700 Platte Street, Denver, CO 80202
- Venue type
- restaurant
- Official website
- mariaempanada.com
- State hub
- TV restaurants in Colorado
Businesses change fast. Always confirm directly with the restaurant — call ahead, or check its own current website or social media — before making plans around anything on this page.
Sources
- mariaempanada.com — https://www.mariaempanada.com/find-us
- Yelp — https://www.yelp.com/biz/maria-empanada-denver-5
- foodnetwork.com — https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/episodes/takeout-shipped-sweet-and-savory
- westword.com — https://www.westword.com/food-drink/maria-empanada-to-appear-on-diners-drive-ins-and-dives-this-friday-7175506/
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Record ddd-0825 · last verified .