Slip inside Smallcakes Keller and follow the savory scent wafting past the cupcake display. At the counter’s edge lies a glass case of golden, hand-crimped pastries. It’s arguably one of the area's best-kept secrets: Bariloche Empanadas, a Patagonian treasure hiding in plain sight.
Empanadas have long been a staple across Latin America, each region shaping the handheld pastry into its own reflection of home. In Patagonia, they’re defined by their tender, buttery dough and slow-simmered fillings. It’s a humble comfort food meant to be eaten warm, by hand and savored with your nearest and dearest.
Brothers Ivan and Pablo Segovia grew up in a family where food was both livelihood and language. Their roots stretch from Chile, where their family still runs a beloved Chinese restaurant, to the windswept lakes of Argentina’s Patagonia, whose flavors inspired Bariloche’s name and menu.
“We wanted to share what we grew up with,” Ivan says. “Simple ingredients, folded with care.”
Each empanada begins with dough rolled whisper-thin and folded over fillings that balance tradition and invention. The Beef Empanada tucks a tender onion-studded stew and a slice of hard-boiled egg inside a rich, flaky pastry crust. The Chicken Empanada carries their family recipe of bell peppers, onions and six secret spices; the Shrimp and Cheese melts mozzarella into wild-caught shrimp; and the Vegan Empanada is a mouth-watering mix of mushrooms, corn, olives and potatoes. Other favorites, like the Spicy Chorizo, Italian Style, and Corn and Cheese, prove that everyday comfort can still feel artisanal.
The Segovias sell their creations daily inside Smallcakes, through DoorDash, and every Saturday at the Bear Creek Park Farmers Market in Keller. They also pop up at events like the Trophy Club Market, where locals quickly learn to arrive early. The flaky, buttery turnovers disappear fast.
The concept is humble. A few trays, a small oven and flavors that make the short drive from Southlake an easy yes.