The restaurant scene in Houston covers a wide array of cuisines and specialized types of food from around the world. Jamie Faulk, owner of Yummy Mpanadas in Cy-Fair, is building a name for his restaurant on a gourmet Spanish cuisine that he says brings in customers for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.



"There is no other place out there like this," he said. "Some places might have empanadas on the menu with everything else, but no one specializes in it the way we do here."



Empanadas are made by folding dough or bread around stuffing, which usually consists of meat, vegetables, cheese or fruit. The restaurant offers 40 different styles of empanadas from which to choose. Crepes, falafel and a variety of sides are also offered, including rice and beans, tostones and hummus with pita chips.



Faulk took ownership of the restaurant in 2013. Although he has remained true to the original concept of focusing on empanadas, he said the menu is constantly evolving.



"I'd say we are adding a new item to the menu about once a month, whether it's something we come up with or something a customer suggests," he said. "We'll try it out, and if it does well, we'll keep it."



Buffalo chicken, quesadilla and guava with cream cheese empanadas are some of the customer suggestions that the restaurant now offers, Faulk said.



The stuffings and empanada breads are all prepared fresh throughout the day, Faulk said. The eatery fries all of its empanadas, but Faulk and his team are putting together ingredients in an effort to start providing baked empanadas as well.



The restaurant promotes various specials and combos through social media and an email distribution list, Faulk said. The Lunch Rush Combo—two empanadas and a side of rice and beans for $6.99—is offered daily.



Faulk has also looked for ways to become more involved in the community, including sponsoring Cy-Fair and Cy-Falls high schools, helping to pay for equipment and offering 10 percent discounts for students and teachers.



The future of Yummy Mpanadas could include new locations, Faulk said. Two spots he is considering are the intersections of FM 1960 and Veterans Memorial Drive and I-10 and Gessner Road. Faulk is also looking into agreements with grocery stores in the area to sell some of his products, including empanadas and pita chips.



"We also want to be able to sell it online," he said. "We make in-house pita chips, but we can't make enough on our own, so we're looking into finding a company to take our ingredients and make it for us to sell at stores."



Although he has big plans for the future of his franchise, Faulk said his top priority is continuing to make sure he serves good food for his customers.



"Whatever ends up happening, we're going to do it right," he said. "As long as my customers and employees are happy, I feel we are doing well."



History of empanadas



The empanada—a stuffed bread or pastry that can be baked or fried—has origins in Galicia and Portugal, first appearing during medieval times around the Iberian Peninsula. A cookbook published in 1520 in Catalan titled "Libre del Coch" is the first instance of empanadas being mentioned in print. The word comes from the Spanish word empanar, meaning "to coat in bread." The book describes empanadas made with seafood. Today, empanadas are made with meats, veggies, cheese and fruit and can be found in the Americas, Europe and Asia.



Owner recommendations



Southern Chicken—chicken, fajita, bell peppers, onions, curry spices ($2.99)



Southern Beef—beef fajita, onions, bell peppers, jalapeos ($2.99)



Brasileiro—ground beef, onions and potatoes. This is the most popular item on the menu. ($2.99)



Dulce de Leche & Cream Cheese—a dessert empanada made with sweetened milk and cream cheese ($2.99)



Strawberry Nutella—a dessert empanada made with strawberry filling and Nutella, a hazelnut chocolate spread ($2.99)



Very Veggie—squash, onions, potatoes, tomato, mixed peppers ($2.99)



Yummy Mpanadas



12925 FM 1960 W.



Houston 281-469-8669



www.yummympanadas.com



Hours: Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.