Really tasty. I ordered the "mami" which consisted of pulled pork, shredded cheese, and avocado. The first bite was delightful. It was so delicious that I didn't mind that the pork was a bit dry. Regardless, I wouldn't mind coming back to try more arepas. read more

Arepas Cafe - Venezuelan Near Me - Astoria, New York

Came here with a group of 6 friends on a Saturday Night. Got seated right away. Food was great. Just thinking about it waters my mouth. Waiters were friendly. I'm definitely going to go back. Got parking right in front of the restaurant. Though being in Astoria, public transportation is good. read more

Decent place. Small but the Arepas were delicious. I had the Arepa Pabellón, my friend had Carne Mechada Arepa. Both hefty filled and one is filling enough really. Awesome portion and so tasty. My other friend had the Pabellón Criollo platter. For appetizers they had (bc I came later) mini empanadas and the Yucca con Guasacaca. Wow! I got a taste of the Yucca...and I was in heaven. So tasty and crisp. Waiter was a little distracted and even charged an order of beer on our ticket when we didn't have liquor to drink, but error quickly corrected by manager that was on site. I guess we all have our off days. Will still definitely come back to try more of the other dishes. ..FYI don't be afraid to use your hands in to get into those tasty Arepas! :) read more

Just okay. I was really hoping that since arepas are vegan and gluten free, that there would be more creative options on the menu for those of us who happen to be both vegan and gluten free. The sangria is overly sweet and the menu is very traditional. read more

Always a solid option when I work late and am too hungry to head home and cook. Guyanese tropical and passion fruit sangria. Nothing else needs to be said! Yelp, however, insists that I write more so here it goes... This place is solid. I've had almost every arepa in the menu and have never been disappointed. The service is fast and friendly plus the prices are right. Glad to have this staple net the office. I usually have no problem finding street parking after work (6ish) read more

Awesome place to have Arepas! My go to is the Arepa pabellón. It has maduros(sweet plantain), 2 different cheeses, shredded meat, and beans. We also always have the tequeños, nice and cheesey. This place can get full but its sooo worth it! read more

Arepas Cafe - Arepa pabellon - Venezuelan Near Me - Astoria, New York

Man oh man I'm so glad that this place is open again during this COVID season. I just moved into the area and have this giant foodie bucket list but unfortunately won't be able to fulfill it as I'd like to. But at least I got to experience the excellence that is Arepas Cafe! Ordered 2 arepas (beef and pork) to go, as well as a large sangria, and the process was seamless. The store is pickup/delivery only, and even so a mask is required for entry, and there is a tub of hand sanitizer so they are clean! Order was ready in 10 minutes, hot and fresh, accompanied by 6 little bins of sauces. These arepas are the PERFECT size for a meal. I loved the combination of pulled pork, beans, avocado, plantains, and cheese. The flavor runs so deep you know they cooked their meats for hours on low heat. Definitely worth buying and supporting this business instead of trying to make your own at home! The sangria wasn't that large, and it tasted more like rum than wine...will probably skip this in the future. But I can't wait to try their other menu items!! read more

Never had an arepa before - got blown wide open here. I ate the Pabellon arepa - shredded beef, aged white cheese, black beans, and maduros. With a bangin glass of home-made brown sugar lemonade. I gotta say this stuff was so tasty and just enough to keep you goin.. If I had a bigger appetite at the same time I wouldn't have hesitated on getting another or trying what could've been some delicious sides. Also another plus - delicious home-made sauces! Almost had to jack both bottles but I figured that seeing as I already deposited half in my stomach I'd shed mercy. read more

4.5 I love this place. I love love love this place. Honestly, it doesn't matter what you order. I think i've had about 7 different arepas. THEY ARE ALL DELICIOUS. I personally add the bananas to every single one. Its warm in there, which....i dont like. It has cheap wine- which i like VERY much. I highly recommend. read more

I salivate while lusting after these arepas when I'm not in the neighborhood, and like any fair-weather friend that you keep around for that 1 reason, this café delivers when it's open, and lets you down when it's closed on Mondays. There's a looong list of arepas, with chef's recommendations highlighted with stars. Follow your instincts on this one; you will not regret ordering one of the starred items! Succulent meat that drips and falls out as you eat, perfectly seasoned, with just the right amount of cheese. and the arepas aren't the only thing to die for here. do NOT miss out on the selection of house-made drinks, including brown sugar lemonade, and Venezuelan-style chicha. Lunch specials range from $7 for one arepa+drink, to $12 for more encompassing combinations. If you're taking out, prepare for a 5-10 minute wait since everything is made to order. Happy hours include beer and sangria pitchers ($15). read more

You can't do better than Arepas Cafe for killer, affordable Venezuelan food near the Museum of Moving Image. The arepas here are excellent - the meats and cheeses are fresh and flavorful - especially in the Arepa Pabellon - and their green sauce is heaven on earth. For appetizers, avoid the mini platter and double down on the excellent empanadas and yucca fries, which are two of the four appetizers included. (The other two were a *tad* bland for my tastes.) I also HIGHLY recommend the happy hour deal for sangria - $18 for a big pitcher. Sweet! I'll confess that I like sister restaurant Arepas Grills slightly better do the bigger, less cramped space. But really, they are both excellent places for tasty arepas. read more

Arepas Cafe is a little hidden gem in Astoria, close enough to all the popular spots yet away from the foot traffic of some of the more crowded restaurants. You'll always be able to walk in and sit anywhere you'd like without waiting, especially now that they've extended the dining area. My ideal meal here is: - A pitcher of passion fruit sangria (yummy and potent) - An order of assorted mini empanadas - An arepa (either the Mami or Pabellon, the latter being really popular because it seems to have the most stuff in it, but you can always add more fillings to an arepa too) - And finishing it off with tres leche and cafe con leche (they claim to have the best - I would agree! In Queens, at least) for dessert And don't forget to throw their green sauce on everything! (except the dessert) I would avoid getting the chicha drink (their version of horchata) with your meal - it's like drinking a full glass of rice pudding and you won't have any room in your belly left for dessert. The sangria is the most expensive item of the meal, but if you skip it, you can easily find yourself with a $25 or less bill for two. Arepas Cafe is a lot cheaper than similar arepas places in the city, with quicker service too. read more

I'm not sure I can add much to the already outstanding and super informational reviews below, but I'd just like to say this: My husband & I were standing out on the sidewalk down the street from this place discussing dinner options. We mentioned a couple of restaurants by name as potentials when we were approached by a man pushing a stroller. He apparently turned himself and his toddler around to pitch in his 2 cents regarding our dinner dilemma. He told us to forget about everything else and go straight to Arepas. We were so incredibly happy we followed his tip. Thanks so much, stranger with a stroller! P.S. I got the Arepas platter and it was outstanding. Beef with beans & rice and fried plantains! NOM! read more

I live in the hood and LOVE this place. I usually order the mami and yuca. Additional good things: The sweet plantains w/cheese, the mango juice, and the mini empanadas. I also might be addicted to the green sauce. Watch out for the orange colored hot sauce -- packs a punch but is flavorful and amazing! Enjoy!!! read more

I had the arepa pabellon: shredded beef, black beans, plantains, and white cheese. It was tasty but...it's all about the green sauce--it adds another layer of flavor to make it really satisfying. If the spiciness of the sauce is too much, I would suggest trying to get a plantain in every bite because the beef is a little bland by itself. Oh yeah and its cheap-- was around $6! Definitely coming back. read more

This place does make some delicious food and the drinks are tasty too. I would come here all the time to hang out. After a long time of not visiting this place, I decided to go eat there with my family, the food was still good but service wasn't the best that it used to be. I'm not usually that picky about the service but after having a 18% gratitude tip added, I wanted to complain a bit. Mind you, it was a four person party and we were eating during lunch time...not dinner. After asking the waitress why there was an additional tip, she said it was "automatic" in the system to charge you an additional 18% tip if you spend over $40. What nonsense is that??? The charge is applied AFTER the tax! As much as I enjoy the food, which is a 5 star~~ The service isn't what it used to be!! After taking our orders, the waitress didn't bring my brother water, even though he didn't ask. When I asked her for a cup of warm water, she brought water with ICE. She didn't even bring one cup, she brought two cups, both containing ice... If you want good food, come here and take it to go, otherwise you'll pay an extra 18% for service! read more

Last night was my first time at this restaurant. We were a party of 8. We were seated promptly and our waitress was so so nice. I ordered Jugo de Parchita(passion fruit juice) and it was nice and refreshing! I can see that this would be a favorite during the summer time. We ordered the Mini Platters as appetizers, which consisted of tequenos, mini cachapas, mini empanadas, and fried yuca. The mini fried empanadas were so delish! Then I ordered the arepa pernil(roasted pork). This was also pretty good, the pork is what you would typically expect in a pulled pork sandwich but with some extra spices. It was really JUICY but not greasy at all. Overall, the food was good and the service was great. Without the wonderful waitress I would only give 3 stars since the food wasn't anything out of the ordinary. read more

My husband and I are regulars here! The Mami arepa never fails to impress and it's such a cozy spot with music and consistently great quality tasty food. read more

Was looking for a new place to eat in queens and stumbled on to a Time Out article that mentioned this place. I tried it and all I can say is, " This place is BOMB!" The arepa's were outstanding. The beef and pork were so tender and so well seasoned. The quesillo was a great dessert and the cafe con leche was an excellent cup of coffee. Will absolutely be back. The waitress I had was excellent and not hard on the eyes either. Loved it! read more

Arepas Cafe - Mami Arepa. Soooo good! - Venezuelan Near Me - Astoria, New York

See all

Simply fabulous food. Small place with a chill atmosphere, though it can sometimes get kinda loud. If it's empty, then the owner often comes by to chat you up, which can be either good or bad. I often take out food & eat it at home--the ambiance is fine, but the appeal is the food. - arepas: they're all simply fantastic. I love the guayanesa tropical & the tuna. I don't eat meat, but my carnivore friends love the pulled pork. - chicha: good, but really really thick. It's basically a drink that's like sipping rice pudding. - brown sugar lemonade: great. - passion fruit sangria: pretty good, but a bit too sweet for me. Really, really sweet. - maduros: sweet fried plantains. Great. Try the kind with cheese on top. read more

A perfect eatery for movie night near UA Kaufman. It is approximately a 5-10 minute walk, or a 2-minute drive from the theater, but a noteworthy getaway from the bland food options directly across from the theater. [1] Passion Fruit Sangria I'm beginning with this because it is this drink that is the focal point of the experience. This take on the traditional sangria is a delightful experience, and you won't be able to help but to order another pitcher. [2] Cachapa This dish was also well worth the trip itself. A mass of cheese wrapped in a sweet pancake layer. [3] Arepas -Reina I was only able to have one on top of the other dishes ordered. It was difficult to decide which arepas to have given the variety of choice. The Reina was average compared to past arepas, but again I would have to try more in order to fully evaluate it. A must try pre-theater dinner! It adds to the film experience after having multiple passion fruit sangrias... read more

Wow, what a great place for lunch. Food was fresh inside the arepa. Had the scrambled eggs mixed in with cheddar cheese, avocado, plantains, etc. Very delicious! The coffee was hot and perfectly brewed. Service was top notch. My waiter was so cute! Will come back to explore the Venezuelan food. My first time and not my last. read more

See all

Arepas Cafe is delicious! The arepas are light, thin, buttery, and big, the meat is seasoned and cooked to perfection, and the assortment of fillings are of quality ingredients. I had the Pelua (Shredded beef with cheddar cheese) and the Bomba (Shredded chicken with sliced avocado and Guayanés cheese). I topped it off with a side order of rice & beans and sangria. Overall great food, prices, and portions. It would have been five stars if the venue wasn't so small and ugly. read more

If take-out is an option, call away, or be prepared for sub-par service and Happy Hour hooliganism!!! After a pleasantly long museum trip across the way, my date and I decided to pop into Arepas Cafe at 3:53pm. Like, for real though, at 3:53pm. Happy Hour was from 4-7, and we didn't order right away just in case any nonsense went down (which proved futile). Our food and drink orders were mixed up, we didn't get the waters we asked for, and to top it all off, our drinks weren't Happy-priced! They were priced quite UNhappily, in fact, because...as it happens...we ordered a mere three...minutes...before happy hour. THREE. 60-SECOND INTERVALS. FROM HAPPINESS. Now, contrary to what the tone of this review suggests, we didn't make a huge thing out of a few dollars, but we were a bit disappointed. Our inattentive (yet spunky) server, however, was still sweet, and asked her boss if she could make an exception. Her boss was completely over it, to say the least, and we were very assertively told that no, she could not. Well gee thanks, Arepas Cafe! Although, in all honesty, I'll probably come back, because those arepas were off the chain...but I think I'll come at 5:00 next time. read more

We came in to order the food to go so we sat at the counter and waited. I don't know...the staff was not very welcoming but I'll just count it as a fluke...because I loved the food we got. It was a little pricy at $6-7 each but delicious. We got the Reina, Pernil, Mami, and Fungihi. Also got a passionfruit juice ($3). I am addicted to the green cilantro sauce and the hot sauce. I kept dumping more on my arepa and the flavors all worked together harmoniously. read more

I love this place. After my first time here, I found myself craving arepas! The food is fresh, delicious and quick and the staff is very pleasant and helpful. Last time I was here, I had the Mami Arepa. It was stuffed with lots of moist pulled pork and tasted even better with the hot sauce that comes in the bottle on your table. My friend had the tuna arepa which she really liked. I look forward to returning! read more

Arepas Cafe - Mami Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Astoria, New York

If I want to take a luxurious lunch break, I make my way out to Arepas Café. From Gotham, it's two stops on the N/Q. And it's totally worth the trek. I've had a lot of different arepas, and they're all messy and delicious. The seafood one features an array of different ocean-dwelling animals (shrimp, fish, clams, bay scallops) and a sauce that will get all over your hands. These sauces will all get all over your hands. It's kind of the point when you pick something up and eat it. The pabellon, the carne mechada, the mi amor...all of these are delicious in an arepa. I've also twice had the cachapa with just cheese, and it's a much less sweet cachapa than I've had in the past. So good. If you're hungry for lunch, take advantage of the lunch special with two arepas and a drink (the brown sugar lemonade, or the passion fruit are good, but a little sweet. Chicha morada is NOT included, unfortunately, but you can still get it here). If you're only a little hungry, take one arepa and a drink, and if you're somewhere in the middle, order one arepa and split the cachapa with a friend. What a wonderful place. read more

This must be a cultural comfort food because I found the dough to be very bland and I soon grew tired of it. The baby shark tasted kind of fishy. Overall, this isn't for me, but the waitress was unbelievably nice and pleasant. And you can eat pretty cheaply here, and it's pretty darn filling. On another note, there was a Yelp deal for checking in, but the waitress said the owner is "fighting" with Yelp to get the deal removed because they no longer honor it. I'm not sure what the fight is about, but the deal still pops up when you check in and they're not honoring it. read more

when people talk about astoria and how it's known for the great food, it's probably because they've been to arepas cafe. unlike a lot of other spots in astoria, arepas is not a restaurant you visit to be seen or to see. the ambiance is nothing to write home about at all because their focus is on the food and the food alone. i have only ever eaten the arepas as an entre here. there are so many to choose from at very affordable prices ($5-8 per arepa) that it's easier to try more things this way, and getting toe should fill you up nicely. my favorites are the arepa pabellon and the guyanese tropical (good for vegetarians). last night I had the mami (Venezuelan pork, avocado and cheese) and i really am not a pork person but it might be my new favorite. every arepa is sooo flavorful and delicious. i love a good sweet/salty combo which you can achieve in any arepa that has plantains. i've been here with my step dad and boyfriend who both have huge appetites - instead of arepas they ordered one of the platters/main entres (around $12) and were completely satisfied. get the passionfruit sangria. it's delicious, only $5 per glass and $22 per pitcher and WILL put you on your ass - don't be fooled by it's sweetness like I have been several times now. read more

Arepas Cafe - appetizer sampler platter and a pitcher of passion fruit sangria - Venezuelan Near Me - Astoria, New York

Arepaaas!! Okay so usually my go-to is Caracas mainly because it's near my apt and haven't found anything better. However, I was walking back to the train station from an appt I had nearby... and saw this place on my way back. Kerry thoughts: "Hmm... arepas do sound good... and I AM hungry... let me check yelp. Oh damn, 400+ reviews and 4 stars?!?! DONE". My main arepa choices are usually the reina pepiada and the el pabellon. Simple and classic. This time, I ordered the: -Reina ($6 shredded chicken with mixed avocado and little mayo) -Camarones ($7.75 shrimp cooked with tomato onion sauce and cilantro) The reina was phenomenal, exactly what I had hoped for. I used to get this in KC at small, local restaurant and was my favorite. I was hoping that Caracas would be just as good but found it to be too chicken-y and a little dry. The reina here, however was creamy, moist chicken pieces and perfect amount of mayo mixed with it. It was absolutely delicious. Camarones - Okay at first I thought a shrimp arepa would be a little weird but the server convinced me that it's really good so I figured I'd try it. What a surprise! The little shrimpys were cooked well and and the sauce had a garlicky (which I love and not complaining) flavor and not too tomato-y. Oh yeah and so arepas usually are best eaten with the sauces they have provided on the table. The sauces here are bomb. I prefer to add the sauce for every bite, but that's just me. Overall, the staff here was extremely friendly and you can tell it's an authentic place with usual patrons coming in as opposed to the tourists who take over Caracas at any given hour of the day. One downside, it's quite a trek from my place (EV) to here, but since it's so good, I'll be coming back for sure. read more

My first time trying Arepas, and what a great experience I had! I came here with a friend for some post-work unwinding - naturally, we got the $15 passionfruit sangria, which was every bit as delicious as we had assumed it would be. It's one of those drinks that really sneaks up on you so drink responsibly! ;) I got the Pabellon Arepa which has shredded beef, black bean, grated white cheese & fried sweet plantains. It was absolutely delicious, and the plantains had a great sweetness factor in it, which really united the flavors very well. Let me just say, the cilantro sauce and habanero sauces were both fantastic and perfect for the arepas! Just go a little easy on the habanero sauce though, it's quite spicy! read more

Loved this place. The food, the service, and the drinks were great. I was waiting with my sister for our cousins to arrive, so we were just browsing through the menu. The waiter noticed that we were struggling a bit on deciding what to eat, so he kindly recommended a few dishes to eat. I don't remember the name of the arepa I got, but it was the chicken one. We also started off with he mini platter which was a great way to sample different dishes. The passion fruit sangria was fruity and sweet but definitely not watered down. The food was delicious and pretty cheap, would definitely come again. read more

Arepas Cafe - Venezuelan Near Me - Astoria, New York

I haven't had a lot of things from here but I'll be coming back to try more. This place has great, original food that is hard to find anywhere else mostly because it's Venezuelan (I think). The ingredients are fresh and it's an authentic spot (lots of spanish stuff everywhere and spanish speaking workers). I recommend the empenadas for the appetizer. The sampler platter was disappointing because apart from the empenadas, everything else was just deep friend and it all tasted very similar. At least the empenadas have spiced meat in them which adds flavor and leaves you wanting more. I only had 2 arepas from here which were both really good and filling. The beef (I think first or second on the list) is a great way to go if you're unsure of what to get. Also lookout for some arepas which are served cold. I wasn't a fan of the Tuna arepa for this reason. If you haven't been here- try it out, even though it's in a sketchy part of town. Go during the day. read more

I had lunch here yesterday while watching the Chile v. Spain world cup game. The food was great. I had the Mami Arepas which is Pork, Avocado and Cheese. I also had a side of Rice and Beans. The food was great and the sauces they give you on the table made it even that much better. Meat was tender and flavorful. How could you not love rice and beans. I thoroughly enjoyed my Brown Sugar Lemonade! I honestly wanted to ask for another on my way out to keep me cool on the first 90* day in NYC but I held back. Sweet and refreshing! I will definitely be stopping by again soon! read more

What a great find! I had to work out of Long Island City for one week and was not very pleased with the food options in the neighborhood... ENTER AREPAS CAFE. Get this: (1) Yuca con Guasacaca (2) Arepa Pabellon (3) Passion Fruit Sangria CAUTION: This place also has a 'Passion Fruit Juice' which is NOT the sangria. Avoid my amateur mistake please! I had this for lunch and came back to order the same exact thing the next thing... THAT good. I'm not even an arepa guy but these are phenomenal. The assembly of all ingredients come together brilliantly in the Arepa Pabellon (shredded beef, black bean, grated cheese, fried plaintain). Also, careful with the sangrias, I'm not a lightweight and definitely felt the punch from one sangria. If I lived anywhere remotely close to this place, I'd come every chance I get! read more

really good food! the yucca fries are realllly good if you mix the green sauce with the hot orangey sauce for a little bit more spice. the plated dish: Pabellon Criollo (shredded spiced beef, rice, beans, sweet plantains) has super authentic venezuelan flavor. soooo good!! i liked the tuna arepa & the pork arepa however, the chicken arepa was just okay for me their tres leches cake is verrry good!!! i have yet to try the cachapa- sweet corn & cheese arepa but will def get it next time! read more

See all

I think this place is FAR better than Caracas. Get the Arepa Pabellón, you won't regret it! read more

Mm mm mmm! I am ecstatic that I tried this arepas place and that its so close to home! I have been dying for some arepas and this definitely hit the spot. That green sauce - can I take some home with me so that I can slather it on everything before it enters my mouth? It doesn't have the overpowering taste of cilantro, it's garlicky, and it isn't thick and creamy like a mayonnaise based sauce - perfection! I got the guayanesa tropical arepa and it was pretty good. I was afraid of what the cheese would taste like but I would compare it to a chunky slice of fresh mozzarella - soft, delicate, and doesn't have a funky taste like goat cheese or bleu cheese (yay). Service was slow but nothing to complain about. We were a bit impatient due to trying to catch a movie nearby so I don't want to judge too harshly. tl;dr - Great food, average service, and you have to wait a while for your dish to arrive because it seems like everything is fresh and made to order. I will be back!' read more

One of my fav spots in astoria. I come here quite often and bring my friends to try arepas. I always order arepas pabellon. Soo goood. Great lunch deals. The chicken soup is delicious. Love their drinks. Good spot!! Its small but i never had to wait. read more

This is my go to spot! Awesome Prices, great food, great staff. I normally get the Arepa Pabellón and replace the black beans with Avocado Slices. If you're looking for authentic Venezuelan Food with great prices, look no further! read more

See all