Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Papa Luna's Perpetual Empanada Eating Contest

Papa Luna’s Empanadas (1404 Garnet Avenue ) hit the Pacific Beach casual dining scene a few months ago with epicurean gusto – garnering an instant following for their stonerly twist on the classic snack pocket, dishing out free ‘nadas on a recent Friday, and now hosting a ongoing eating contest in order to reward sporting indulgence in the name of glory.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/06/31069/

“Every few days we’ll have someone come in and proclaim they can eat twenty empanadas,” say owner Simon Baer, who inaugurated the challenge last month.

“So far no one has been able to accomplish that and I’m really hoping to see it happen in September. It’s always about the sixth empanada when they throw in the towel.”

As of now, the reigning runners-up have been Ryan Cullenward of Pacific Beach with 12 empanadas and his successor, Rick Telles, who ousted Cullenward by ingesting 14 empanadas in a gut-busting 70 minutes.

To accept Papa Luna’s challenge anytime during operating hours (daily at 10 a.m.; closes Monday -Thursday at 10 p.m., Friday - Saturday at 2 a.m., and Sundays at 8 p.m.), simply:


  1. Inform the cashier that the eating challenge is being accepted

  2. Empanadas are paid for upfront and reimbursed if the challenge is won

  3. Empanadas must be consumed within a 90-minute window

  4. The patron may not leave the premise while eating

  5. Consume more empanadas than the previous title-holder to become the new champion, receive a shirt, a full reimbursement of the meal and full bragging rights.


With the record as it stands, more than 14 empanadas must be consumed in 90 minutes in order to be crowned the new champion.

“We have a few people who have come in saying they are in training for the challenge,” says Baer. “It’s fun to see people getting into it.”

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/06/31070/

All of Papa Luna’s empanadas go for around $3 and include mostly-organic epiphanies such as Camarones y Tocino (tiger shrimp, smoked bacon, garlic, white sauce), Pacific Rim Ahi (ahi, Sriracha cream, soy glaze, rice), and Turkey Dinner (turkey, stuffing, and cranberry on the inside, mashed potatoes and gravy on the side).

Make sure to save some room for dessert!

Banana Nutella ‘nadas with semisweet chocolate sauce, gordito bohemio?

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Escondido planners nix office building switch to apartments

Not enough open space, not enough closets for Hickory Street plans
Next Article

Poway’s schools, faced with money squeeze, fined for voter mailing

$105 million bond required payback of nearly 10 times that amount

Papa Luna’s Empanadas (1404 Garnet Avenue ) hit the Pacific Beach casual dining scene a few months ago with epicurean gusto – garnering an instant following for their stonerly twist on the classic snack pocket, dishing out free ‘nadas on a recent Friday, and now hosting a ongoing eating contest in order to reward sporting indulgence in the name of glory.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/06/31069/

“Every few days we’ll have someone come in and proclaim they can eat twenty empanadas,” say owner Simon Baer, who inaugurated the challenge last month.

“So far no one has been able to accomplish that and I’m really hoping to see it happen in September. It’s always about the sixth empanada when they throw in the towel.”

As of now, the reigning runners-up have been Ryan Cullenward of Pacific Beach with 12 empanadas and his successor, Rick Telles, who ousted Cullenward by ingesting 14 empanadas in a gut-busting 70 minutes.

To accept Papa Luna’s challenge anytime during operating hours (daily at 10 a.m.; closes Monday -Thursday at 10 p.m., Friday - Saturday at 2 a.m., and Sundays at 8 p.m.), simply:


  1. Inform the cashier that the eating challenge is being accepted

  2. Empanadas are paid for upfront and reimbursed if the challenge is won

  3. Empanadas must be consumed within a 90-minute window

  4. The patron may not leave the premise while eating

  5. Consume more empanadas than the previous title-holder to become the new champion, receive a shirt, a full reimbursement of the meal and full bragging rights.


With the record as it stands, more than 14 empanadas must be consumed in 90 minutes in order to be crowned the new champion.

“We have a few people who have come in saying they are in training for the challenge,” says Baer. “It’s fun to see people getting into it.”

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/sep/06/31070/

All of Papa Luna’s empanadas go for around $3 and include mostly-organic epiphanies such as Camarones y Tocino (tiger shrimp, smoked bacon, garlic, white sauce), Pacific Rim Ahi (ahi, Sriracha cream, soy glaze, rice), and Turkey Dinner (turkey, stuffing, and cranberry on the inside, mashed potatoes and gravy on the side).

Make sure to save some room for dessert!

Banana Nutella ‘nadas with semisweet chocolate sauce, gordito bohemio?

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Free Tuesday museums

Next Article

Downtown: Nose to the phos at Pho Xpress

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader