Love this. Quick cheap and good. It's basically hot dog stand. You walk in and order then sit om that island across from Yale coop. Tasty and easy. read more

I've been waiting to try Ay! arepa for a while now and finally got the chance. I had ordered the chicken empanada to go. It wasn't as crispy, but maybe because I did take it to go. It was also more of a thicker corn shell, different than I've had before but very flavorful. Would definitely be back. Note: Parking available at the shops of Yale ticketed parking lot or metered street parking. The shop is small, but there is outdoor seating read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - Chicken empanada - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Basic fried food slow staff and long lines. Place has no spot for indoor for seating, Food is greasy fried EVERYTHING. Not impressed. read more

I've heard some glowing reviews about this spot, so I decided to check them out when visiting the shops at Yale. I've had a lot of authentic arepas and empanadas, and these didn't stack up to that standard unfortunately. The chicken on the arepa was dry, and the pieces of corn in the arepa tasted like they came from a can. I feel bad because I really wanted to like this spot, and the staff were nice, but I definitely don't see myself returning here over the authentic spots I know. read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - Chicken Single Plain Arepa - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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I wouldn't know how their food is because when I went to go pick up an order that I had to an app they had pork in it and I asked them I even called before I went there and they said no problem to switch it with chicken and I would pay more if they would let me do that guy wouldn't let me do it and so I spent 10 bucks on food I literally can't eat I gave it to two homeless people outside the restaurant and all this just because they want to switch out the park for the chicken because I already paid the 10 bucks for the app I told him I'd give him extra money still wouldn't. And I always try to support local business put this upset me because we are regular customers there there's no reason for that basically if you know exactly what you want would be very specific don't let the mess up cuz you still have to eat with a messed up read more

This was my favorite back when they had a cart on york and elm. Still delicious and generous portions but almost twice the price.

Had always wanted to try Ay! Arepas because it looks so cute. Finally got a chance because of a TooGoodToGo bag- for $5 got good rice, good red sauce, great plantains! Split the food with my husband, so can't comment on the empanada, but definitely enjoyed what I did try for a great price!! read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - Empanada - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Nasty. Just nasty. Greasy, cold, overpriced nonsense. A Latin spot that can't even cook a plátano correctly? Meats in the rice bowls were dry as to have been sitting out all day. The rice tasted like the precooked rice in a bag. Just don't waste your time. read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - pork rice plate - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Had the birria tacos and I did not regret it, highly recommend. This is 10/10 comfort food. read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - Birria tacos - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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OMG! This may be my favorite food truck by the hospital!!! It is so delicious and the meal size is perfect for the price point!!! The arepas here really yummy with a hint of sweetness, richness, and small amount of cheese baked in the corn bread. The veggies are fresh. I've tried the chicken and the fish one by now. I prefer the chicken one. You can get the meal with rice or salad if you feel like eating healthy. It comes with some plantains as well. The taste of the food here is really flavorful but well-balanced. I love all the sweetness, richness, crisp veggies, dollop of guac, spicy hot sauce, and umami from the protein. I want to try the nachos in the future. But definitely bombass arepas read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - a meal in a styrofoam container - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Probably one of THE best food carts I have experienced in New Haven, not only the best value for the cost, but also best quality of ingredients. I had never had an arepa until now, but had heard how delish they were and how good the Ay! Arepa truck was. I happened to be at Yale/St. Rae's campus for a work meeting one day and parked right where the truck was parked. It was lunchtime, and I was hungry...perfect opportunity to try it out! I went for the veggie arepa and wondered if it would be filling enough...well it was...loaded with assorted veggies, combined with the right sauces and spices...flavors were out of this world. I was sufficiently stuffed after eating the entire thing. The side of plaintains were an added bonus....awesome. Everything was hot, fresh and cooked to order. For a fair price, I got a meal better than in some restaurants. Can't wait to go back! read more

Have you ever had a arepa? These gluten free, cheeses corn cakes are a delicious treat. If you are looking for a meal try their Pork Arepas which are so delicious. read more

I stopped by this food cart last Fri. I asked them what's popular and they recommended the fish arepa ($8), so I ordered one. It was served up in less than 5 min., so I headed over to the grove by the hospital to enjoy it accompanied by some live jazz. The arepas themselves were quite large, and contained a generous portion of vegetables served on the side in addition to the fish. The vegetables were served over a bed of quinoa and contained plantains, which were a nice touch. The flavors of the arepas in particular were bold and delicious, and the portion was filling--so much so that I became full and was unable to finish it. I ordered sour cream and salsa on mine and found the salsa to be rather spicy, so I suggest omitting it or asking them to go light if you're averse to heat. As a disclaimer, I haven't visited the restaurant that runs this food cart (Rubamba), so I can't compare the food between the two. However, I'm awarding this cart a 5 star rating because I believe it's one of the best ones on Cedar St., so if you're at the hospital or the med school, be sure to check it out! read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - Fish arepa - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Phew! (Loosens belt one notch) CAUTION: This meal will induce "the itis." Be sure to have a pillow and blankie handy. This is a diesel lunch, definitely not meant for the "I'll have a salad and water" bunch. This is the lunch you have when your STARVING. One arepa top with chicken, pork, fish, shrimp or veggies and pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole. Like if that isn't enough, you also get rice and beans and sweet plantains. And the price? Cheap, cheap, cheap ($5.50 to be exact). There's so much food, I only eat half the arepa platter. Half is definitely enough to send me into a food induced coma (not recommended if you have a busy afternoon). Its well worth it though, the arepas are delish. Don't leave without getting your buy 9 get the 10th free card punched because, trust me, you'll be back. read more

Taco trucks. Yes. I couldn't believe this was going to be good. They make Ecuadorean and Colombian dishes. I had the Veggie Arepa which one of the bases looked like polenta but was basically a milled corn mixture. Everything was cooked perfectly, inclining the plantain on top of the rice. Juicy, sweet, salty, different accents. I was happy. I need to come to New Haven more. read more

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When I am working and have a chance to get lunch, this is always a good option. With all of the food carts available on Cedar Street during lunchtime, this is my favorite choice. I always get the pulled pork arepa with the works. This is a simple lunch that is very satisfying. If you are unfamiliar with an arepa, it is a corn cake with cheese in it. This is then topped with your choice of fish, steak, pork, or veggies. Then pico, sour cream, mild or hot salsa is layered on top. Served with rice and some plantains. For $7 you can go wrong, a delicious and filling lunch. The cart is usually about 1/3 of the way down from Congress and if there is a line don't worry, it moves very quickly. Get the punch card and get yourself a free lunch after you buy 10. read more

Ay, Dios Mio, that's a whole lotta arepa flavor! Having just had their pork arepa for lunch today, the taste and lasting flavor memories are fresh in my head and I wanted to get it down on virtual paper ASAP for the Yelp community. I've got their Mexican Salad in the past based on my co-worker's recommendation that it's the "best tasting salad you will ever have." Sure it's not the lightest or healthiest salad, but it really was extremely flavorful with the blend of Latin flavors from the creamy guacamole to the pico de gallo to the flavorful grilled chicken. Definitely a unique and memorable salad and far superior to the $9 salads I used to get when I worked in Manhattan. Today I went with the pork arepa, which comes with a side of rice and gandules (pigeon peas/beans) and sweet plantains. The pulled pork is covered with a ragout of vegetables, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. Being the hot sauce lover that I am, I was happy to see the variety of hot sauce brands they have for patrons to mix and match with once they receive their food. Check out the pics I posted to the photo section for some visuals. The thick corn-based arepa was sweet and creamy in the middle, but had a nice burnt crust around the edge to create a nice textural contrast. Each bite was bursting with bold flavors from the pork and plethora of toppings and the rice and plantains were a nice way to compliment each savory arepa bite. Overall, a great deal for $5.50 and this cart serves as yet another example that well executed international cuisine can be found in cart-food-form on the mean streets of Cedar Street. read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - Pork arepa with everything - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Looking for something filling and full of flavor... this is the spot. My first visit here was for the Pork Arepa. Having no idea what this was, i didn't have any expectations going into it. Oh my... the amount of flavor, diversity, and overall amount of food was out of this world. Not being a fan of plantains or bananas, i was hesitant to try these ones, but they were the first thing gone! Nicely cooked rice and a whole mixture of pork, tomato, corn, sour cream, guac, etc. every flavor i was craving. But that arepa... WOW! being a tad bit sweet on its own was a welcomed balance to everything else going on in this dish. Worth $7.... For sure! - be prepared for the itis read more

Honestly, some of the best Arepas I have ever had. Definitely recommended the steak and the shrimp Arepas. Always ask for extra sour cream it really blends the flavors together! read more

The Colombian arepa with chanco (orange pulled pork). With everything. Goodness gracious yes. Platanos in the side, soooo sweet/savory. read more

It only takes 6 dollars to get into heaven everyone (the street cart). This place is straight gold. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, arepas, you name it they make it and they make it good. Arepas by the way for some of you folks who haven't had them are small circular pancake like object sent down from the gods covered in your choice of meat and toppings with a side of rice and fried plantains. Do you work in New Haven? Better question.. Do you want to be happy with your life? Alright ill see you at lunchtime first ones on me. read more

This is a great value lunch option, in no small part because arepas are freaking delicious in general. Is the meat here perfectly cooked? No. It's pretty average for a street cart. But to me a lot of the quality of an arepa is determined by the proportion of the ingredients (can I actually get some in every bite?) and this place kills at that. It's a healthy helping of lightly sweetened corn cake, veggies, meat, and other toppings with a bunch of well-flavored rice. It totally hits the spot for me, and the price is right. If this is a lunch option for you, definitely hit it up. read more

After my friend reparked, we went on to another cart even though I was getting stuffed. They don't call me BELT (Big Eyes, Little Tummy) for nothing! I want to eat everything but can barely fit it all in my little stomach. Anytime I see fish tacos on a menu I have to order it. I am still looking for the best fish taco on the east coast to rival that in San Diego. At Ay Salsa food cart, I ordered tilapia arepas with salsa, rice and plantains, and horchata. Even though it was not a fish taco, it was pretty darn close! Soft pieces of tilapia (not fishy smell) with mango salsa on a round sweet corn cake (arepas- which I have never had before). What a delicious combo! The horchata (almond drink) drink was cool and refreshing! I hit the wall while my friend ordered shumai at the Japanese cart. Where does he pack it all? Can't do it... Later we wandered over to the corner of Sachem and Prospect parking lot where there were more carts: Mexican, Indian, Middle Eastern,Thai... We could not eat another bite, but my friend chatted up a nice Filippino woman who was manning the Mexican cart. He was trying to get her to cook us some Filipino food since there are no Filipino restaurants in the area. She told us to come back to the cart next time and tell her what we want and she will make it for us. Sweet! (Now if we could get her and her husband to open a Filipino restaurant...) read more

Loved my pollo arepa today! I have had some in Fairfield county before, and these are by far superior - not greasy, very flavorful, and almost along the lines of a tamale. Great value when a complete, tasty meal is only $6. Smiling, professional service is an added bonus. read more

I was so sad when I thought that Ay! Salsa had closed only to realize that they had moved on to food trucks and a new restaurant, Rubamba (which I'll have to try the next time I'm in town). This is definitely one of the best deals in terms of food cart fare. An order of arepa fetches you a delicious arepa with cheese with a side of rice and gandules, sweet fried plantains, sour cream+hotsauce, plus your protein source of choice. I go for the pork arepas every time. They never fail! However, they are so tasty that you might have to go for another. Occasionally they'll have horchata. They didn't have any the day I was there but the milky drink is one of my favorite and pairs perfectly well with the arepas. Ay! Que rico! read more

The primary appeal of Ay! Arepa (the food cart of the quite excellent Rubamba) was that their arepa prices were significantly lower than you would pay in the restaurant itself. Recently, they've increased the prices by about $2 each, making it $7 for meat or veggie arepas and $8 for seafood arepas. Add to that the fact that the cart arepas, while delicious, don't measure up at all to the food you can get at their restaurant, and the cart no longer holds a real advantage. Don't take this review to imply that there's anything wrong with the food that they're serving. The arepas and Peruvian salad are both excellent choices, and it remains one of my preferred options when I feel like grabbing lunch outside at the carts. It's just far from the fantastic deal that it used to be. read more

Very tasty. Very dangerous. Very addictive prone. There is a Peruvian salad option if you desire to minimize carbs. I highly recommend the Shrimp Arepa. read more

Stopped at the York street cart over by Yale a few times in the last month for a $5.50 pork burrito -- both times very good, left satisfied.

Awesome arepas! The restaurant and the truck! Always Fresh ingredients... yum! Hopefully I can get there tomorrow

Yum. I think this is the only food cart i've seen by Yale medical school with Latin American food. The arepas are thick with pieces of sweet corn hidden throughout. They are a little on the sweeter side so I might use more hot sauce next time...still awesome though. They come with a side of rice and beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, sweet plantains, and your choice of meat all for $5.50. The food tastes fresh and they didn't skimp on the chicken. They also have one of those buy 9 meals and your 10th one is free cards! The guys behind the cart were also nice and friendly. read more

Freaking delicious. My favorite is the pork! It comes with the corn arepa, delicious porky meat, fried plantains, some guac/corn/pico/sour cream mixture. The dish is definitely on the sweeter, yet savory side. I always order an arepa, so it comes out super fast. read more

I'm so conflicted when writing this review of the Arepa cart on Cedar st. When I first started going to this cart maybe 3 years ago I was very impressed with the food and the cost of arepa or a salad. It was 5 dollars. In the 3 years, the prices have jumped form 5 dollars to 7-8 dollars for most items. I don't see a change the quality or quantity of the food so I'm baffled to why they keep raising their prices. I do think the quality of the food is good and it is very tasty, I can't see spending this much money on cart food when everything around is as good and less costly. read more

(this is reviewing their food truck on the corner of Cedar St and Congress Ave): As far as food trucks though, this one is by far my fav. I work at the hospital and have tried many a cart, but this one takes the cake! Their food is fresh and tasty, not overly greasy. The arepa portions are large in size for only $5.50. The people at the cart speak both English and Spanish and are super friendly. This food is so good I literally crave it. Sometimes even if I'm not working I'll drive down just to get this treat! :) read more

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"What the H*** is an arepa?" was my first question when I first spotted this truck. After looking at the reviews here, I got the general idea, plus was very intrigued with the description, as well as the almost universal praise (which, honestly, triggered my skepticism a little... what can I say, except I'm a New Englander :) So, with friend in tow, I descended on this truck at the opposite end of Cedar St from where I usually go, and threw caution to the wind and ordered a pork arepa. Faith rewarded! Everything was great, as was the price. My friend even said he had to look up the recipe and see if he could recreate this newly found culinary wonder. Bottom line, very happy with my choice, and would go again. Highly recommended. read more

I love these guys.... and their veggie arepas! The corn cakes topped with guac and sour cream, sauteed veggies, Pico de Gallo and cheese goes great with a the spicy sauce and seasoned rice and fried plantains. But it's ALL good eats! My go to treat for myself when I haven't packed a lunch. It's great that they take credit / debit cards at the truck too, and offer a discount if you bring your own container. (Great way to help out the environment too!) read more

This place is amazing, everything is great. The food in the restaurant is better than the food truck. But the food truck is still really good read more

The prices are great, but the food is only okay. I got a chicken arepa and it definitely came out quick and at a good price. The found the arepa and chicken to be dry. The overall flavor was decent. read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - Chicken arepa - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I cannot get enough of this place. It's a good thing they're not closer and I have to take the Yale Shuttle to get there (for me anyway) because I'd be eating here daily. Their arepas are the best I've had - sweet with a light crust on the outside and soft on the inside - and everyone serving the carts are super friendly and helpful. They even gave me a sample the first time I walked stopped and looked curiously. Plus: $5.50 at the food cart compared to $9 at Rubamba restaurant It's a no brainer ;-) read more

The arepas are ON POINT. The combination of sweet from the sweet corn arepa with the spices from the meat and the creaminess of the guacamole just make it spectacular. And for $5-$7 you can't beat it. Highly recommend and the trucks are open until 4pm so you have plenty of time to check it out. read more

Ay! Arepa New Haven - Chicken arepa - Mexican Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Quality/portions have gone down and prices practically go up everyday. This is the same with the sit down restaurant, Rumbaba, which has basically doubled in price in the past year. I know that price increases are sometimes necessary, but the rate of the increase has been a bit ridiculous. I used to frequent this cart with a big smile at least once a week, but we are no more. read more