Empanadas in the Triangle for Messi

Our World Cup eats series heads next to Makus Empanadas, a no-frills restaurant serving some of the Triangle's best empanadas.

Driving the news: Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, stayed alive with an epic comeback over Egypt earlier this week — making this the perfect time to sample Argentine cuisine.

Zoom in: The Durham location is in a Hope Valley strip mall. Makus is pronounced "make us" — as in "please make us some empanadas."

• Interior walls are lined with photos of the founders — best friends who grew up in Argentina — as well as star Argentine athletes like Messi, his predecessor Diego Maradona, and basketball player Manu Ginóbili.

Best bites: The menu centers on empanadas ($4.25 each), baked pockets of dough filled with meat, veggies or cheese. They arrive piping hot, stamped with letters indicating what's enclosed.

• Our favorites were the ham and cheese, spinach and pork chimichurri.
• We also loved the chipa ($4.75 for four rolls), circular cheesy bread that is addictively chewy inside thanks to tapioca starch.

⚽️ What's next: The World Cup is being narrowed to a field of four this weekend. Winners will join France/Morocco in the semifinals:

• Spain vs. Belgium Friday at 3pm.
• Norway vs. England Saturday at 5pm.
• Argentina vs. Switzerland Saturday at 9pm.

If you go: There are two Makus locations:

• 411 W. Morgan St., Raleigh (inside Morgan Street Food Hall).
• 1125 N.C. 54 #304, Durham.