The Nada Cart Restaurant Review - A Pop-up in the South End Neighborhood of Boston
The Nada Cart South End Restaurant Review
The Nada Cart is a new pop-up in the South End neighborhood focused on perfecting the craft of empanadas. They describe their taste profile as exploring traditional Latin American flavors with a twist. Their original location is in Woburn but they are temporarily operating out of South End’s Yum Mee Garden’s restaurant and offer delivery and takeout. They are renting Yum Mee Garden’s kitchen, which is such a great way to try out a new area without the storefront commitment. The menu features five empanadas options with vegetarian options included. Whenever a restaurant specializes in one particular dish, that is usually a tell tale sign that it will be executed really well. And when the restaurant owner is there taking orders, that’s an even better sign.
Owned and operated by Stephanie and Keneddy, The Nada Cart launched in February of 2020. This is the first time that I’ve ever seen gruyère on an empanada menu and as a melty cheese lover my heart fluttered. The Nada Cart is a four minute walk from The Upton so I ordered pick-up and ate them fresh. Their pop-up has limited indoor seating and I recommend ordering to-go or through delivery. If you receive the empanadas through delivery or have a longer walk, The Nada Cart advises customers to reheat the empanadas in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes in order to achieve ultimate crispiness. And were these empanadas crispy!
The Nada Cart Empanada Breakdown:
The empanadas are on the larger side and fried to crispy perfection. Some empanadas are more doughy and chewy, but I found The Nada Cart’s to achieve the perfect balance of a nice crackly outside and thin layer of doughy-ness inside. They were covered in glistening little blisters but there was no oil residue that left a greasy after taste. I ordered a Pollo Guisado empanada (chicken), Vegetariana empanada (mushroom + gruyère), and Que Choclo (roasted corn + shredded gruyère). They also sell sides of the following sauces: garlic aioli, jalapeño crema, and salsa rosada. The Pollo Guisado empanada was filled with delicious pulled chicken in a savory tomato base. I have never seen empanadas be sold with a side of dipping sauce but I thought the sauces complement them nicely. I am someone who always orders extra sauce on my pizza so this was a welcomed addition for me.
Vegetarian options can be disappointing sometimes, but not at The Nada Cart in the South End. The cheese and corn empanada was one of the best empanadas that I have ever had and was oozing in melty gruyère. The corn was slightly crunchy which added texture to each bite. The mushroom empanada was packed with mushroom and had a more subtle gruyère flavor. Both vegetarian options were delicious but if you are a big cheese person, go for the corn.
Each of the three empanadas had distinct flavor profiles and featured fresh ingredients. Two is the perfect amount for a mid-sized meal that can be easily eaten on the go or at home. As the weather gets warmer, this is a great bite to grab while enjoying a walk. We can’t wait to try the rest of their menu! Thank you for coming to the South End neighborhood, The Nada Cart!