A small place with nice decor and Francisco as the owner and chef. Venezuelan food, like much South American food is best described as flavorful comfort food. Francisco serves homemade dishes, using spices for deep flavors but not heat. The pork empanada is full of flavor and fried to a perfect crispy crush. The yucca fritas are cooked to perfection. Do yourself a favor and get the green chile dipping sauce. It complements the fritas perfectly. His Cuban Sandwich has the delicious ham and pork, crunchy pickles and a surprisingly good Velveeta like cheese. The black bean arepa my wife had was also well flavored, a nice balance between the tangy black beans and white cheese. The bread holds it all together and is made in-house. We were in town for a wedding and ventured into the delightful downtown area. Arepanita's is a gem and Francisco sweats the details- or as he says, makes his food with love. Check it out! read more

You arrive and everything smells like burnt oil, I wanted to order something and the person who was attending I think that apart from not having education he was very bitter like the one who does not give affection for a long time, I asked for the menus to see what we could order and he told me that if I see them at the table that I am not blind, despicable bitter and unprofessional. read more

What a fantastic addition to Waukesha. The empanadas and Arepas were amazing. The owner is super friendly. I would highly recommend.

This place is one of the many hidden gems of the town of Waukesha. Venezuelan food is kind of hard to find all across the USA, so I was blown away to find a place in this town that doesn't just do Venezuelan food -- it does Venezuelan food right. The owner is one of the nicest people you will meet and you can see the sheer passion just oozing from him. He makes you feel like a guest in his own home and he is so obviously proud of the food he serves. That pride is well deserved -- this is some of the best Venezuelan food I've ever had, anywhere in the world. The pabéllon and the reina pepeada are especially worthy of mention, with the pabéllon in specific being one of the best things I've ever eaten. The yuca frita is delightful -- fried to perfection, with a delicious chimmichuri-esque drizzle. The kids arepa is hilarious and hilariously good -- a ham and cheese delight tuned for the very German influenced palate around here. My kids and I hope to sample every last item on the menu. My only worry is that this is not a style of food that generally gets a lot of attention in this town -- this place is always rather empty whenever I come. I would love to see lines out the door, because that's what this place deserves, and that's how good the food is here. The fate of many ethnic restaurants in this area seems to be to go under -- and oftentimes that's not commentary on the quality of the food. The palate of the general population in this area tends to be less adventurous, and that puts restaurants like this at a disadvantage. That is to say: please come experience this place. Please come eat here. Please help make sure that this place sticks around. read more

We loved the peril with added plantains and avocado. Service great. Small with 3 tables

Bolitas de chicharrón, papelon and pabellón a caballo? Nowhere else in or around Milwaukee. Visit Francisco at Arepanita's ASAP; you'll discover parts of your tongue that have been asleep your whole life. read more

Lovely place, owner, and food. The real deal and the best arepas around. Thank you so much Francisco!

Super great and welcoming place in Waukesha. Francisco was very professional and attentive. I'm from Peru and they did have Peruvian beer which was a super plus on my books. Totally recommend this place because their seasoning is as good as a Peruvian restaurant I believe. The ambiance was very welcoming and comforting. Definitely give it a try! read more

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Thank you to the Yelp community for helping me discover this hidden gem. This will definitely be a regular place of mine throughout my stay and on future visits. The restauranteur graciously accommodated my last minute order which was very close to their closing time. The rear entrance was a bit confusing at first, but it eventually opens up to a colorfully decorated dining area with a South American theme. I tried 3 different arepas: chicken, pulled pork, and one with scrambled egg and sausage. They were all amazing and delicious in different ways. Though I admit the chicken was my favorite of the 3. Got a coconut water to wash it down and I was totally satisfied with this meal. Definitely worth a stop whether you are ordering to go like me or looking to dine in with a group of friends. My new favorite in Waukesha. read more

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What a great place! The vibe is great with the Latin music and the food is even better! The owner/chef was amazing and so kind! I highly recommend stopping in! read more

If you are searching for a place based on food alone this is a great choice! It was fun to explore the menu of a cuisine that is not very well represented in our community. I have never had Venezuelan food before, so I was eager to try. As appetizers we ordered the Bolitos De Queso and an arepa with plantain and cheese. The Bolitos De Queso were piping hot and fresh when they came out. They were filled with stretchy cheese and had some sour cream and cilantro oil on top. These were delicious. Specifically, the cilantro oil was so deliciously addicting that we asked for extra and put it on everything we ate throughout the whole meal. The arepa with plantain and cheese was very underwhelming. The plantain inside the arepa hidden under the cheese was very mushy and kind of dark looking (like a banana might look when it is old or left too long which starts to turn brown). In addition to this, the combination of cheese on a sweet plantain in an arepa was not very enjoyable. For my entrée, I ordered the pabellon with pork. I was excited to try it as it is described as the national dish on the menu. The pork was so tender and flavorful, the rice was cooked well, and the beans were a nice compliment. I added a decent amount of the aforementioned cilantro oil to add a little more brightness (I love cilantro) and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of this dish. My boyfriends ordered the Cuban Sandwich. I docked off some points here because the sandwich he was brought (although it was tasty) was not a Cuban sandwich. Cuban sandwiches have some slow roasted pork + ham + pickle + mustard +/- cheese. This sandwich which is called "Cuban" had salami in it, no pickle, no pork, no mustard, and a lot of cheese. Like I said, the sandwich tasted good, but it was not a Cuban. The yuca fries that came with the sandwich were also tasty (especially with the cilantro oil seen on top). Another thing that this restaurant could really work on is how it presents itself to customers. It is bright and vibrant, but it does not look well kept. It is dirty (dining room and bathroom). The building needs more upkeep. Condiment containers need to be wiped, tables need to be wiped and disinfected, the bathroom needs to have toilet paper and soap. Things like this. When a restaurant lacks these basics, it is easy to start wondering about the hygiene of the restaurant itself and the safety of the food you are consuming. Lastly, when we went, we noticed that it was only a one man show. The same gentleman who was cooking the food was also the one taking orders, being the waiter, and processing payment. Because of this we had to wait longer than acceptable to get our bill/boxes/pay/leave. read more

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A small Latin fusion restaurant with about three dine-in tables. Food is amazing. Cuban sandwich highly recommended, as are the cheese balls. read more

This place is a gem! Authentically decorated with Latin music playing in the background it has a cozy vibe. The owner/cook is very friendly and takes time to answer any questions you may have. And the food is DELICIOUS! Make sure to put this spot in your dining out rotation! read more

Delicious food and great service. I can't wait to go back to try more items from the menu.

Enjoyable food in a cute place. This was our first time there and I am looking forward to going back. read more

Arepanita's - Venezuelan Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

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I absolutely enjoyed this restaurant. It has a very comfortable ambiance, located in a house like setting. The owner is also the host, waiter, and he even makes all of the meals. He's one of the kindest dudes and we could all tell that this restaurant is his passion and that he is a very honest and very dedicated person. This was actually my first time having this sort of South American food. I'm so glad that this was my first impression. There were five of us dining on our lunch break so considering that it was him running g the entire place by himself, it did take a little while for us to receive our food. I would recommend just about anything on the menu. Especially the fresh juices as well as the cheese ball appetizer. I feel like the portions were generous and the prices were totally fair. I got a Papaeda, which is essentially a sandwich in what reminded me of a pita pocket. There are a good amount to choose from. Mine was chicken, avocado, mayonnaise, and I added pickles, onion, and cheese, and sour cream. It was just the perfect amount of food to fill me up. read more

Arepanita's - Venezuelan Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

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Authentic Peruvian food that is so tasty. My husband and I went to Peru a few years ago, and the owner does a good job at making us feel like we are back here with his cooking. Small little restaurant, but worth it to support a small and local business. read more

Cozy little place with amazing food. The owner Francisco is also the chef and wait staff. read more

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I was looking to take my wife to someplace different and we found Arepanita's. Quite funky and artistic decor! We had the pleasure of meeting Francisco, the owner, chef, and artist and authentic Venezuelan -- a great ambassador. Francisco recommended a couple of authentic Venezuelan dishes including the Pabellón criollo that we ordered. The beef, plantains, beans and rice were flavorful and tasty. We had a vegetarian arepanita. Dinner was served with a special homemade green Venezuelan verde sauce with a nice heat. But most of all, Francisco was a great host and his enthusiasm for the cuisine helped make the evening an adventure! read more

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The Venezuelan food here is exquisite. Chef and restaurant owner, Francisco, creates his dishes with perfectly balanced flavors, using the freshest ingredients (ie all the veggies are crisp and flavorful). He has a real flair for marrying flavors together and really lets the ingredients sing versus just throwing a bunch of seasoning or sauces over it. It all equals delicious food! The restaurant has a cozy, friendly atmosphere. read more

Not sure who exactly is writing these glowing reviews, but I'm at a loss to reconcile our experience with them. I'll point out that we are very familiar with arepas and Venezuelan food. We stopped by on our way to an evening event in the area and both ordered beers and arepas, as well as a side of fried yucca. With the exception of the beers it was uniformly terrible: limp, greasy yucca, chicken filling for my arepa essentially chicken pulp, arepas themselves poorly prepared. Restaurant interior features bright colors and grime. Lots and lots of grime. Restroom downright icky--I needed to use it after a long drive there, but decided to wait (and tried to erase the mental picture from my mind while waiting for what turned out to be a terrible meal). We stopped at Walgreens on our way out to purchase snacks to make up for dinner. read more

We were the only customers on a cold winter night. Everyone else missed out. The owner recommended our meals and we were not disappointed. Our first time to have Venezuelan food. It was amazingly flavorful without being masked by heat. We had Pabellón Criollo and Capacha with chicken. Bolitos de queso (fried balls of cheese) for an appetizer. And for dessert Quesillo, a Venezuelan dessert like flan. All delicious. 10/10 recommend! read more

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Food is reasonaby priced, delicious, and most importantly while dining here you will be transported to a place far away.Eat somewhere else ... high end, for $100 a plate ok ? Then eat here. I will telll you that I enjoyed both the ambiance and the flavor at Arepanitas read more

I was going to do the big screen bistro for lunch and a movie and then I remembered reading about this place earlier in the week so I watched the movie and didn't have any food so I could eat here, it's 3 miles away from the Majestic theater. There is no street parking so I turned down a side street and I was relieved that they have parking in the rear. The place looks like the color monster threw up on every inch of the place, see my pictures. There is a cozy room on the right as you walk in with a couch and chairs. Ther is a second cozy seating area straight ahead as you walk and the dining room is on the left as you walk in. The front porch has some out door seating. There is a fancy espresso machine behind the counter if your in to that. The menu is one page with arepas, empanadas, appetizers etc. Latin fusion cafe is on the front of the menu and I have never had Latin fusion food so let's try a couple items. I will have the ground beef empanada and the pulled pork and tomato arepas. This is one of those places that you have to walk to counter and place your order and they will bring it over to you when done. My two items were $15 and change which I thought was pricey when I saw what I was served. My service was good and there on top of that but I was the only person in the place at the time. I had the ground beef empanada with sour cream, tomatoes and onion. It was good but it was very tame taste wise and I could mostly taste the corn shel. The pulled pork and tomato arepa was just that corn flat bread, pulled pork and tomatoes. Once again the corn flat bread was the dominant flavor of the arepa. The pulled pork had a mild pork flavor and nothing special. Overall the food was good and fresh but there was no big flavors and nothing was wowing me. I guess I was expecting bigger flavors from Latin fusion like spices and herbs or bold flavors. The menu could use some Latin plates or dinners. I do feel that my food was over priced for the portions that I received when an average decent entree is about $20 and I just spent $15 and change. read more

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Look, Admit it... most people are not searching for Venezuelan food because most people are not familiar with what to expect. So maybe this will help. Expect the friendliest owner in Waukesha. Expect great service. Expect interesting, tasty and satisfying dishes. Expect a flavorful Latin fusion experience. Expect a reasonable tab. Expect feeling welcome and staying as long as you like to have wine and beer before and after. Take a chance. No risk. Paul read more

Great food and great service we popped in on a Sunday and overran the owner who was there alone with a group of 8. He warned us that he was alone and it would take some time to serve us and it was worth the wait. read more

My wife and I are huge foodies and have traveled the world eating. She said this is one of the best places she's eaten in the U.S. Absolutely delicious. Truly gourmet, chef-prepared dishes. Each dish had a perfect balance: spices, herbs, fresh ingredients, perfect preparation, good fats (like creme fresh and chicharrones). The herbs and oil on the Yuca Frita are one of the best things I've ever tasted. Super reasonably priced. Collectivo Coffee. Bravo Chef Fancisco. Completely delicious food and a great experience. read more

Arepanita's - Venezuelan Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

The food was amazing ! 10/10 would recommend and come back. The ambiance is very nice and gives off a true Latin America vibe. The music was lovely as well. read more

I enjoyed the opportunity to eat arepas or pockets made of yellow corn filled with meat or vegetables. You can order the filling and the dish will be prepared as you wish. I found the setting simple, clean and the service friendly. However, there was only one person doing it all. The owner is planning to move the business to a more accessible place of downtown. The experience was what I expected with typical items. My fav was yucas with a sort of chimichurri. Yummy. read more

The food was delicious, plenty of options, and the service was excellent considering the owner took care of everything - literally everything - from seating us to ringing us up. He was flat out awesome! read more

Very friendly owner who helped us pick out dishes. The restaurant interior is very colorful. Food is authentic and good.

Would highly recommend! Our food was so incredibly good and the owner Francisco is so friendly and welcoming! Will definitely be returning here! read more

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First time trying Venezuelan and it was delicious food, the restaurant is quaint with delightful quirky decor and a wonderful host. Definitely recommend. read more

Amazing little gem tucked away in Waukesha! Took my family here and it was amazing, the owner was so personable and sweet! We will be back again! read more

OMG you guys this place is amazing !!!!! The service right away was great. The owner is the nicest guy ever and you can tell he really puts his love into not only the food, but your experience at his restaurant. The food was amazing !! I cannot wait to come back for more and try everything on the menu. You guys have got to stop here for a meal and more. You will be completely impressed and much more than satisfied !!!! read more

First time visit , friendly service, had apps and taps a big order pricy but flavorful

I visited for the first time with my husband and daughter. Having Celiac's makes it really difficult to eat out, but around 98% of the menu is naturally gluten free!! It was so nice having actual options to choose from instead having one or two things to pick from. The restaurants itself is very fun, it's a big purple house on St. Paul and the inside is also painted in a very fun theme. The owner/chef was very pleasant and happy we were visiting his restaurant. This was definitely a great place to try and my family will go back for sure. Just a heads up, the arepas are extremely filling so be prepared to be FULL! read more

I went here for lunch today and decided to get carry out. Service was a bit slow but understandably as you are given freshly made food. However, you may want to consider calling in first to simply pick up your order. Otherwise, grab a table and be prepared to wait. Anyways, I was excited to see this restaurant open as there are way too many Mexican restaurants and not enough restaurants representing other Latin American countries in the Waukesha/Milwaukee area. Well I ordered the Reina Pepeada Arepa and while the description said it had chicken, I didn't feel the texture of chicken at all. I imagined marinated shredded chicken with avocado slices and a drizzle of some sort of flavored mayo. The corn cake itself was good but I tasted that and the onions more than anything. The avocado didn't have any flavor at all. Just disappointing. Personally, I think the chicken should be chunky and some garlic should be added. I love garlic in my Guacamole. As for the Bolitas de Queso, they were very bland. I actually had to put some salt on it. Without the dipping sauce, it's pretty much tasteless. Perhaps a stronger cheese could be used so that it comes out more. I'm a fan and often make Brazilian Pao de Quejo which is similar and Parmesan cheese can be used to get the cheese flavor to stand out. I really wanted to like both dishes but maybe it wasn't a good day. I may consider to trying this place again but I would definitely call ahead next time and after there are more reviews. I wouldn't drive here on the weekend from Milwaukee to eat here. read more

Arepanita's - Reina Pepeada Arepa with cheese. Not what I had in mind. The description on the menu was "avocado, chicken, mayonnaise" - Venezuelan Near Me - Waukesha, Wisconsin

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Incredible food, wonderful service all done by the owner. So much time goes into the preparation of the food and it is well worth the wait. Can't say enough about the quality and experience. New favorite in Waukesha. read more

This place is so good. Love their food. Authentic Venezuelan food! Definitely go. The sauce makes it. And the arepas are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Just the way they're supposed to be! Love it. read more