In the press, — and on the walls.
Two major write-ups in our first eighteen months, a visit from Tampa's favorite TV foodie, and two awards since. We're proud of the company we're keeping.
"New restaurant opens in St. Petersburg's Tyrone area: Julio's Latin Twist"
The Times was one of the first outlets to cover Julio's opening in the Tyrone area of St. Petersburg in July 2023. The piece ran under the restaurant's original name — Julio's Latin Twist — and introduced the neighborhood to Chef Julio, his background, and the hand-folded empanadas that became the thing regulars came back for.
Six months later, we'd moved the whole operation to Gulfport and rebranded as Julio's Empanadas. The recipes didn't change. The crowd from Tyrone largely followed us south.
"Gulfport Just Got a Little Tastier with Julio's Empanadas"
Kevin Godbee of St. Petersburg Foodies came by during our first week in Gulfport and wrote the review that put us on a lot of locals' Saturday lunch lists. He hit the Cuban sandwich, the empanada trio, and — more than anything — our signature sweet onion sauce.
The article was published in January 2024 and we still hear from diners who say they found us because of it. If you haven't read it, it's a good place to start.
Charley Belcher drops by Julio's kitchen.
Tampa's most beloved on-location reporter, Charley Belcher, stopped into the Gulfport kitchen, picked up an empanada, and talked to Julio about what makes the crust fold the way it does. Charley's stamp of approval is Tampa Bay's version of a Michelin nod — we were thrilled to host him.
You can spot him standing next to Julio in the giant-empanada photograph on our wall. If the segment ever resurfaces online, we'll link it here.
The trophies, on the wall.
World's Best Popular Empanada
Taste Latino · Hard Rock Tampa · Hillsborough County · 2025
Best of BusinessRate 2024
Gulfport Restaurant of the Year
Writing about us? — Come on in.
We'll feed you, we'll talk to you, we'll let you into the kitchen. Drop us a line and we'll make sure Julio is around.