Stephanie Spear Reston’s newest eatery is Empanadas de Mendoza, located at 1478 North Point Village Center. The petite spot will celebrate its grand opening on December 6th, and serves sweet and savory Argentine-style empanadas seven days a week. Since it first started as a pop-up vendor at a local farmer’s market in 2013, Empanadas de Mendoza has become a local favorite. Read on for more about the team behind Empanadas de Mendoza and what diners can expect.
About Empanadas de Mendoza
Tyler and Gabriella Steelman are the husband and wife duo behind Empanadas de Mendoza. The Argentine empanadas are made with love, using traditional recipes developed by Gabi and her mom, Lilia. Empanadas de Mendoza started in 2013 at the City of Fairfax Community Farmers Market. Gabriella and her mom, Gabi’s husband Tyler, joined the business and helped start the company’s first food truck in 2015.
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The empanada business that started as a farmer’s market stand now has a full catering operation, two food trucks, two regular farmers market stands in Arlington and Fairfax, and, as of December 6th, 2025, two permanent retail locations. The new Reston shop will join the original Lorton location, at 8534A Terminal Road, which is also home to Empanadas de Mendoza’s production kitchen.
Tyler walked us through the menu, explaining that the empanadas are ordered baked or fried, depending on the customer’s preference. “Everything is made by hand at our production kitchen in Lorton,” he said. “The fillings, the dough, everything.” “There are traditional fillings, like the spicy chorizo, traditional beef, and humita,” Tyler said. “And then we have some flavors that we’ve experimented that have become part of the menu, like the honey bbq pork and pineapple chicken.”
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The team uses halal meats in the beef + chicken-based fillings, and there are a handful of vegetarian options, and even a vegan empanada. The sides include chimichurri-dressed French fries and a citrus-dressed salad. The menu includes choripan, which is a traditional Argentine sandwich featuring chorizo dressed with chimichurri on a sub roll. “We also have traditional Argentinian pizza,” Tyler said.”It’s a little bit different way that the crust is made, it’s very airy and fluffy, and very crunchy.”
The Reston location is petite: orders can be placed and picked up, but there is no seating. Everything is prepared to order. “We’re excited to be here,” Tyler said.
Empanadas de Mendoza will be open Monday through Saturday from 11AM to 9PM, and on Sundays from 11AM to 6PM.
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