Ribs, sweetbreads, flank steak, choripanes and empanadas with recipes from different provinces. On September 26 and 27, the Palermo Racetrack brings together two great traditions of Argentine cuisine in an outdoor festival to taste, compare and discover how the same classic can change depending on where it is prepared.
Everything begins around the fire
First comes the smoke. Then, the sound of meat on the grill. And finally that aroma that makes it hard to keep walking without stopping.
On Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, the Palermo Racetrack once again hosts the Festival of Barbecue and Empanada, a gastronomic celebration that brings together grill masters, restaurants and ventures around two undisputed protagonists of the Argentine table. There will be more than 35 stalls and food trucks to explore from noon until night.
The idea is simple: arrive hungry and build the route along the way.
Many ways to understand a barbecue
Talking about barbecue in Argentina means much more than a dish.
There are cuts, cooking points, types of fire, side dishes and techniques that vary from one grill to another. But there is also a ritual: waiting, talking, sharing and letting time mark what happens over the coals.
The festival will feature choripanes, ribs, rump tail, pork shoulder, stuffed flank, offal, sweetbreads, flank steak, skirt steak, pamplonas and ribeye, among other preparations. Classic chimichurri and criolla sauce will be joined by more contemporary combinations.
Rather than choosing a single dish, the charm lies in trying different techniques and versions.
Because even with the same cut, two fires never produce exactly the same result.
One empanada, many provinces
On the other side of the route appears a much smaller dish, but one capable of condensing enormous diversity.
The empanada changes as you travel through Argentina.
The dough, the crimp, the size, the cooking and above all the filling may vary. Some recipes include potato; others, olives, egg, scallion, raisins or different seasonings. The meat may be ground or hand-cut, and each province defends its own way of preparing it.
The festival proposes precisely a federal journey, with empanadas representative of different regions of the country.
The Salta-style, for example, combines hand-cut beef with potato, hard-boiled egg, scallion, cumin, bell pepper and paprika. But just a few imaginary kilometers away, the recipe changes again.
Tasting them side by side reveals something interesting: we talk about “the Argentine empanada,” though in reality there are many.
Eating can also be a way of traveling
This is perhaps the most interesting side of the festival for visitors to Buenos Aires.
No need to travel thousands of kilometers to taste regional flavors. For one weekend, different gastronomic traditions meet in Palermo and allow you to build a small route through the country, dish by dish.
The fair format helps: instead of sitting with a single menu, you can walk among stalls, watch grill masters at work, choose an empanada from one province, share a cut and then continue.
In addition to meats and empanadas, there will be wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and desserts, so the outing can extend from lunch until the early evening.
The ritual of sharing
Another thing unites barbecue and empanada: they are rarely enjoyed completely alone.
A dozen in the center of the table. A board that circulates. Someone cuts while another passes the bread. The inevitable question about which was better.
They are foods closely linked to gathering.
And the festival takes that logic to a larger scale. Couples, families and groups of friends can share different dishes and turn tasting into part of the outing. Free admission also allows you to come without much planning: enter, walk around and decide what to try once inside.
Two classics that are never exactly the same
It might seem strange to organize a festival around two foods that are part of everyday Argentine life.
But perhaps that is precisely the attraction.
Barbecue and empanada endure because they can change without ceasing to be recognizable. There are inherited recipes and new interpretations; old techniques and cooks who seek to take them elsewhere.
USEFUL INFORMATION
🔥 What
Festival of Barbecue and Empanada 2026
📅 When
Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2026
🕐 Hours
12 pm to 9 pm, both days
📍 Where
Palermo Racetrack, entrance at Av. del Libertador & Dorrego, Palermo
🎟️ Admission
Free
🍖 What you’ll find
More than 35 stalls and food trucks, with ribs, choripanes, ribeye, pork shoulder, stuffed flank, offal and other grilled cuts
🥟 Empanadas
Recipes representative of different Argentine regions, with varied ingredients, seasonings and preparation styles
🍷 To accompany
Wine, beer, non-alcoholic drinks and desserts
