Photo by Neidy Gutierrez / SOC Images.
Sometimes, neighborhoods are described with words like “vibrant,” “rich” or “a hidden gem.” But that doesn’t tell you about the homegrown residents who roam the streets with smiles on their faces as they dap each other up and fill the air with chatter that carries on with a passing bus or car motor.
And on the corner of Ocean Avenue and New Street, that’s just the case. A lot of times, that chatter walks into Lady G’s Empanadas, a restaurant bar and grill located at 269 Ocean Avenue in the southside of Jersey City. Even if you haven’t been there before, they’ll welcome you with a smile and “How you doing, sweetheart?”
Lady G, who was born, raised and still lives in Greenville, told Slice of Culture that she wanted to bring something better to the neighborhood; somewhere people—especially on the South Side—can “just come in and enjoy.”
“I just see the lack of food in the neighborhood, I see the lack of quality food in the neighborhood [and] there’s not a lot of Black-owned businesses,” she said.
“… We wanted to bring something to the South Side that people could come in and enjoy, look around, see the art and really enjoy a place to eat. It’s nice being on this side of town.”
“[Come] have some fun. We make the best drinks and some of the best food in the city.”
Lady G’s—who’s known for their mix of Latin and Southern soul food empanadas—is one of the 2026 participants of this season’s Jersey City Restaurant Fest. It will run until Saturday, March 28. You can find their special offer here and to redeem, just mention “Jersey City Restaurant Fest.”
From The House To The Streets
Back when Lady G was a full-time culinary student and full-time utility company employee, she’d still find the hours to cook her family’s favorite: ground turkey empanadas. She’d make 30 of them for one night, but would hardly get a bite thanks to her three sons and husband, “Like, ‘Hey guys come on!’” she laughed as she reminisced.
Every month, she’d create a new flavor and creating it was always “so fun,” she said. Then one day, a friend from work told her that she could be selling these.
Soon enough, she did.
Lady G’s Empanadas officially started on Dec. 2, 2016—her birthday. The business was officially finalized in April 2017.
Her empanadas soon moved from her home kitchen to an on-the-go food truck, vending at festivals in Camden, New Jersey to New York and even Texas.
“We got more of a variety [of flavors] to show customers and they loved them,” Lady G said. “… We make empanadas that you don’t need a sauce. Everything you need is inside.”
Ground turkey was their very first flavor; it’s packed with a melted mix of ground turkey, spinach, feta and asiago and mozzarella cheeses. Then they added their shrimp and crab empanada and steak and cheese empanada to their menu.
Today, they’re up to 25 different flavors, including vegan and vegetarian options plus dessert flavors.
As Lady G’s continued to grow on the road—serving at local festivals like the All About Us Fest in Liberty State Park and Newark’s Brick City Jam Festival—the owner said she thinks God chose 269 Ocean Avenue to be the restaurant’s first storefront.
“It became available. I called the owner a week later and the following week I had the keys. So it worked. When something’s that easy, it’s a no-brainer and I wanted to have the first brick-and-mortar here in my city,” she smiled. “I live like three blocks away!”
A Piece Of Jersey City—Everywhere They Go
Ocean Avenue has been the homebase of Lady G’s for about a year now.
And they’re not just serving empanadas. Now they also offer full entree dishes like a cowboy ribeye dinner on Seafood Wednesday, a chuck filet steak dinner on Soulful Thursday and a whiting fish sandwich on Fish Fry Friday.
They’re open every day except Monday, so you can stumble into the restaurant and find:
- Taco Tuesdays (and sometimes bingo)
- Seafood Wednesdays
- Soulful Thursdays with R&B
- Fish Fry Fridays
- Brunch Saturdays and Sundays with R&B
In between the shuffling of seafood boil trays and hip-hop or R&B songs blasting, you’ll constantly catch a glimpse of the door opening and a dap up or hug to welcome someone in. The staff—who Lady G said she’d be ‘nothing’ without—can be heard near and far from the bar asking, “How you’ve been?” Tables and chairs are stationed along the long space to the right and more seats can be found on the left side near the bar and even along the walls, which are decorated with photographs of bridges from Jersey City, taken by Lady G’s cousin.
“There’s a story in all of it,” she added.
Lady G’s takeout side is available every day except Monday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. while dine-in is open from 4 p.m. to late. If you get there too late—especially Wednesdays for their Seafood Boil—you’ll probably have to wait for a seat to clear up, but if you get lost in the music, people and/or drinks, it won’t feel that long.
“The community [and places like] the City of Jersey City, Newark [and] Bayonne, when I tell you they have supported [us]… The community really came [out] and even when we built this [location, they’re] like, ‘Wow, what an accomplishment. You guys were in a truck and now you’re here,’” Lady G said.
“They support every place we’ve been. People really come and find us.”
And soon, Lady G hopes: to be on the road again, vending every weekend somewhere out of state; open a second brick-and-mortar location; and release two new empanada flavors she’s been working on: salmon, spinach and sun dried tomatoes plus a vegan buffalo chicken.
You can find where Lady G’s lands next by following their Instagram @ladyg_empanadas.
