One of my faves! I highly recommend arepa pabellón - shredded beef and arepa vegallón - avocado, plantain, beans, and cheese. Add tostones (they come with Cole slaw traditionally, so if you just want a sauce to dip into... specify that). If you have a sweet tooth, the churros never miss! You're going to love the vibe here. The service is always great and the staff is so sweet, very knowledgeable, & really patient with my children when they order in Spanish. I love that Richmond is getting more and more open to real food cuisines instead of those flavorless chains folks in this city love to cling too. I come here way too often... But that's OK because I love it. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Arepa Vegallon - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

We tried this place back in May 2025z Had heard about this place for so long since it made Yelp's Top 100 nationally a few years ago, so paid a visit on a Friday late afternoon. Service was super quick and the arepa was absolutely delicious - I got the avocado, beans, cheese arepa which had so much flavor. We also got a fresh mango juice which was a great pairing with the food. Would definitely have come here again to try more food when we are hungrier, and super sad to hear it has since closed. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

I got the crane asada arepe($10), churro ($7) , and soursop juice($5) . The arepe came out in about 10 minutes. The carne asada was seasoned good but some bits were a bit chewy. It was very flavorful with the sauce, but also quite oily. The churro was freshly made and hot when it came out. It was sweet, crunchy and very delightful. The only other negative is they don't have water so you have to get a bottled water for $1. Staff was nice and the inside was good. Overall I had a good experience and would come again. Food(50%): 7.2 Staff/service(25%): 6.0 Value(25%): 7.0 Overall: 6.8/10 read more

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Such a good place for lunch! The food is great and the staff is so friendly! The arepas are so delicious and so filling! This past time, I got a ham and cheese arepa and a chicken empanada! If you want authentic Venezuelan food, you should certainly try Bocata out! You will want to check to see if they are open before you go, as they have more restricted hours than most restaurants. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

When the Bocata Arepa Bar was on Rt. 10, we are there frequently. Since their move to Broad Street, rarely get there. When you enter you see to the left an open kitchen. On the right is a line of tables. Towards the back, it's all tables. Always warmly greeted there, though most often they are standing near the other end of the kitchen. On this trip, the order consisted of a cachapa, fried plantains, 5 shredded beef and 3 cheese empanadas. Their cachapa is very good ranking number 2 in Richmond. The empanadas are the best in Richmond. The fried plantains are solid. So the food is great and the people are welcoming, why only 4 stars? It's frankly the cost. Their prices are noticeably more than charged for similar food elsewhere. Will that stop a periodic visit there? No, but it won't be as often as we would go if prices were better aligned with the market. read more

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Bocata has closed. It was the first great place we found when we moved to RVA. The food was spectacular, very consistent, flavorful and fresh. I would like to have the sauces made fresh, but they too were delicious. Wish them the best on their next adventure. Cozy place, generally quiet. Service was a bit slow, truth be told, but it was on point, when needed, and it was easy to get attention. read more

On our recent trip to DC we stopped in Richmond for some Arepas and Empanadas from none other than Bocata Arepa Bar! I'm still thinking about how mouthwatering good this place is!!! When looking over Yelp-Richmond's Instagram page we came across this spot and immediately decided we were stopping on our road trip. Among Yelp's Top 100 Places to Eat for 2023 we now know why! To start, the service was nothing shy of exceptional. We were seated immediately and our server was so nice throughout the entire visit. We dove right in once we were seated and ordered a few empanadas and arepas. I went with the Pelua Arepa (shredded beef and cheese) and a shredded beef and a shredded chicken empanada. Both empanadas were delicious in their own right and super fresh. Perfectly seasoned meats in a crispy and flaky shell. The Pelua Arepa is what stole the show though. Perfectly seasoned and pull apart tender shredded beef paired with a perfect amount of shredded cheese...wow I'm wanting another one typing this review! Paired with the house sauce, it took everything in me not to eat this as quick as I could haha. My girlfriend got the Sifrina Arepa and I was able to taste it and it was just as good! A refreshing chicken and avocado salad filling with cheese was tasty and different as I had never tried anything similar before. We would hands down recommend Bocata to any and all locals and anyone passing through as well!! read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Arepa Pelua - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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I am so grateful I had the chance to try this 2023 Yelp Top 100 restaurant! The Yelp Elite Squad had had an experience with them before my time as an Elite. My best friend (who taught me about the squad) told me we HAD to try it someday. As soon as it made it on the Top 100, I ran (not walked) there. ***LOCATION*** Located in a strip mall in Glen Allen, it was totally worth the drive for me. It's easy to find parking out front. ***EXPERIENCE*** It's a pretty casual place with an amazing sign for your Yelp/IG photos. If you're looking for incredible Venezuelan cuisine, this is the place for you. I ordered the llanera arepa. The steak was absolutely divine! It was a very filling meal. My friend ordered an empanada (which a bit too greasy for my liking). I am thrilled to return to try more of their arepas. We also shared the chocolate tres leche cake which was so sweet and light! Our meal was heaven with every bite. ***PRICE*** I spent about $15 for an arepa and a coke. ***BATHROOM*** They had all gender single stall bathrooms that were clean. ***CONCLUSION*** Although this is a bit out of the way for me, I am excited to return and bring my friends to try more. read more

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Very interesting to find this little gem near our home. My mother had seen the reviews (from Texas), and suggested we try it out. Honestly, I had no idea this was even in the area, so I was game to give it a go. The restaurant is located off Broad St in a strip center that is home to all sorts of restaurants as well. The decor is nicely done, very clean, and we were greeted by an enthusiastic young lady who sat us immediately towards the back of the restaurant. We were handed menus and drink orders taken. The menu is pretty good at describing the items for those (like me) who are unfamiliar with some of the Venezuelan dishes. All of them looked very tasty, so it was difficult to choose. I settled on the "Patacon," a fried plantain sandwich filled with meats, coleslaw, avocado, tomato, and topped with sauce. It was divine! We had also tried the fired plantains for an appetizer. They were very delicious, and a good balance of sweet and savory to start the meal. She had the "Pepito" for her meal - a sandwich (roll) filled with chicken, avocado, tomato, cheese and sauce. Really nice! For dessert, we opted to share the Tres Leches cake. WOW!! This was really done right! You could tell there was time and effort put into this. Each bite was better than the previous. For those looking for something new...please try them out! They are only open 4 days a week, so check in advance. The food is well prepared and the staff is great. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Plantains - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

I wrote in the notes on my DoorDash how much I missed the avocado salad arepa (forgive me for forgetting the actual name) but Eduin literally sent me the exact arepa I wanted + extra sauce on the side. And THAT is how you deliver customer service. The rest of y'all need to take notes! Not to mention the rice I ordered is on POINT. The plantains were excellent but I personally do not like them any other way besides a dessert. Rest assured if you can eat them whenever wherever then these are most def for you! I love trying new cuisines and Bocata is IT! Can't wait to go through the whole menu read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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Wow, this place lives up to the hype! I had never heard of, or eaten an arepa before coming here, but saw the rave reviews and had to try it. I did not know what I was missing out on, and am sold now! Staff was very friendly (and helpful) explaining what an arepa was and the menu. We split a chicken empanada, beef empanada, and an arepa. All were amazing. The empanada breading was so hot and crisp on the outer shell, but fluffy on the inside. The sauce that comes with was delicious. The arepa was great - stuffed to the brim! It was our first time experiencing Venezuelan cuisine and will not be the last. We finished with the tres leches cake, which was out of this world. It might not look like much in the container, but this was so moist and delicious. We were fighting over scraps and the last bite. I could have eaten 4 pieces of this cake it was so good - my mouth starts to water just thinking about it. Had a great experience here. I would definitely recommend and definitely return! read more

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Amazing Venezuelan place. The best I've had in the USA, even though I used to live in S. Florida. I'm very glad I stumbled upon this place driving past Richmond. I've been here 4 times and every time it is perfectly fresh and tasty. I live in NY so don't come often but I always try to come when driving past the area. My go-to is the arepa with egg, cheese and avocado. The pabellon is also great. This time I tried the cheese empanada and it was crispy and delicious. read more

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This place has amazing food! We ordered the arepa pabellon, arepa catira, plantains and a cheese cachapa with chicken. We will be dreaming about this food until we can get back. We were drooling over the cheese cachapa- sweet and savory perfection. Extremely kind and friendly staff with a simple bright inviting interior. read more

Plantains - perfect combination of savory and sweet. The plantains were caramelized and topped with a savory sauce and cheese. Tostones - super crispy plantain topped with coleslaw. I liked how the coleslaw added some freshness to it. This was my favorite dish out of everything ordered. Shredded Chicken Empanada - super crispy on the outside but the shredded chicken was extremely salty. I could not finish it because of how salty it was. Arepa Carne Asada - the arepa was crispy on the outside. The carne asada was very chewy. I dipped it in the sauce it came with. read more

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Just stopped by this amazing restaurant! We were greeted right away and because it was mid day we were the only customers. There are tons of tables to sit inside so we decided to eat there. The food was fresh and soooo good! We will be back soon! read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Chicken arepas, chicken empanada, seasoned white rice and steak arepas - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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Very disappointed... I fell in love with arepas after my first visit to a place near NC State. There the corn was perfectly sweet, the meat was tender & flavorful, & the sauce just topped it off. It was also half the cost. I went here expecting the same experience, but that wasn't the case. I got the El Pabelon - it was big & I didn't feel the need to finish it. The meat was tough, my jaw was tired eating it. The meat was also not very flavorful. The arepa itself wasn't sweet at all either. The only thing I particularly liked were the plantains & the sauce so it was not very satisfying. Additionally, I don't recommend eating in because they will not give you tap water so if you want a drink you're going to have to buy a bottle, & as you might've already read they throw on their own 20% gratuity charge. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

I tried them today and the atmosphere was great!! They have a lot of plants at the front door which I appreciate(I'm a plant mom myself). It was really clean and bright. I was greeted by a guy, I didn't catch his name but he was so nice. My mind was fried from work so I was really speaking gibberish but he played along and made it less awkward lol. I ordered two arepas. One Arepa Pabellon and an Arepa Sifrina. They were both equally good but, complete opposite flavors lol. The sauce complimented both of they nicely. I ate half of both and was STUFFED!!!! The price for each one was $11. I mean come on that's cheap af for the quality of food you're getting. Not only that but they are pretty huge. I've never had an arepa before but I did not expect them to be that large! That's a good thing. You have a forever customer! (I was rushing to take picture, but trust me it was delicious) read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - The Arepa Pabellon - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

I'm Cuban and I am very glad to have a place like Bocata in Henrico. Good Latin food. Great service, very nice people. Cool and chill ambience. My to go is the pabellón bowl. I hope all the success to this place. read more

Literally run don't walk to Bocata Arepa Bar. The food is incredible. All made fresh right in their open kitchen. I've been more than 3 times since the first of the year and have yet to have a bad meal or service. You will not regret eating here. read more

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On a recent trip, me and my boyfriend stopped by here for lunch. The server was really nice and the restaurant was clean. You can order to go or sit and eat and be waited on. I ordered the arepa sifrina which had avocado chicken salad in it and lots of yummy cheese. The cold salad along with the hot and fresh arepa was perfect! The arepa was slightly crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. The chicken empanada was great as well! The chicken inside was seasoned nicely. It was fried in a shell that kind of reminded me of tempura batter and not a traditional empanada coating. Overall it was a great place to stop for lunch! read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Arepa Sifrina and Empanada Chicken - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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So grateful to Yelp for introducing me to this restaurant. It's located in a strip mall that I've passed so many times but never have gone into. We were quickly greeted and ordered some amazing frozen pina coladas - the waiter told us the machine had over-frozen the drinks and gave us an extra shot of rum to help melt the drink. We ordered two arepas and the arroz con camarones. The arepas were crispy and chewy - the perfect combo! My favorite was arepa pabellon (shredded beef, beans, plantains, cheese) - so flavorful and huge. My husband really loved the rice in his dish. We will definitely return to try the fried yucca and some more arepas. I know there's so many dining options in the innsbrook/short pump are and I hope you'll add this to your list of go-tos! read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Arepa Pabellon and Arepa Catira - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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5/5! I recently went here for lunch with my brother and his girlfriend as they wanted to introduce me to something new to eat in RVA. And all I can say is, I'm glad they took me here. The food was incredibly delicious and the staff here were very friendly and attentive! The food: I decided to try two things, since I'm not here often and we'll, why not? I had the Llanera Arepa ($8) and the Criollo with Chrizo ($12). The Llanera Arepa had steak, cheese, avocado and tomatoes. It was hands down the best arepa I've had so far. The corn meal was cooked perfectly and didn't crumble or breakdown on me. It was perfect.! The steak was cooked perfectly and the portions were very generous. I would've been good with just one arepa and maybe a side of yuca. The Criollo was delicious as well, I had no complaints on anything. The service: the staff were friendly and attentive while we were there. Had a few check ups to see how our meal was, and food came out in fairly good time. Overall, I highly recommend coming here. I know I'll be back, and I'm looking forward to try new items! 5/5! read more

I confess, before last week I didn't realize there was a Venezuelan restaurant in RVA. Wow, I am glad I learned about Bocata Arepa Bar! We went for Saturday lunch, the restaurant had a steady clientele but we were seated immediately. Service was friendly and efficient. We started with an appetizer of fried plant with sour cream and cheese. This was my second recent serving of savory plantains and I think I like them better than sweet presentations. The serving was generous and we were glad we had shared because the arepas are stuffed full and incredibly filling. My companion ordered the chorizo and cheese ($7) and I had the sifrina ($6). The sifrina is chicken avocado salad and cheese. Bocata's incredible corn-meal sandwiches are gluten-free! We split the Tres Leches Cake. We look forward to returning!! read more

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1) Food: food was amazing! We came here for brunch, and will definitely be coming back. Taste, portions, and price were all spot-on. 2) Service: our waiter was super friendly and attentive 3) Ambiance: the interior is colorful with lots of natural lighting, and plants. The music selection was also nice. 10/10 read more

Love love love this place. I just work my way through the menu at this point. Also, my fav cafe con leche in RVA! Wish I lived closer but I'm happy to make the drive. It's casual and laid-back inside with maybe 10-12 tables. Service has always been great with the food coming out hot and fresh. read more

Hell yes and Hallelujah! There is a very good reason this place is one of the top in Richmond. The funny thing is that it's such an unassuming place in the burbs. The service was amazing from start to finish. The arepas though!!!!! Amazing and I can't wait to go back. The plantain appetizer was a both sweet and savory. Both arepas were made fresh to order and came out hot. My favorite part is the white sauce and I was very excited to be able to buy some to bring home. Can't wait to try the tres leches cake when I have more room in my stomach. read more

Came here for dinner on a Saturday night. It wasn't crowded and they have a parking lot which is awesome. We were seated immediately and given menus. The menu has a lot of options, a few of which are vegetarian. I got the arepa vegallon and it did not disappoint! The combo of the sweet plantains plus the well seasoned black beans was perfection. I also got plantains with cheese as an appetizer and they were so good. Only downside was getting water in a plastic bottle, not what I was expecting and would love a more sustainable option, but you can't beat the food here! Definitely planning to return. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Arepa Vegallon - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

A great 1st visit here for brunch at this cozy unassuming but very welcoming spot. Service was speedy and friendly and the food was rib stickin good. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Queso frito - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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So good! Ordered for curbside pickup during COVID. Only took about 20mins for me to pick up. Got a beef empanada and pabellón arepa. DELICIOUS! You can tell they were made to order, fresh & hot. The empanada was nice and crispy. The arepa was stuffed to the max. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Empanada (ground beef) - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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Friendly service and great arepas! Bocata Arepa Bar is a great place for a casual lunch.

I'd give them five stars for the carne asada arepa and the steak pepito! I wasn't impressed by the yuca fries, maybe because the yuca fries I had at another restaurant were spot on. Maybe my expectations were too high. That said, I didn't come for the fries. I came for the arepas! You should come for the arepas too! read more

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The food was tasteless and the waitress never brought me the bill before taking my payment. She just came to the table with the payment device and told us what we owed. Apparently an 18% GRATUITY IS AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED regardless of the number of people in your party (we were only a party of 2) . I didn't see this stated anywhere on the menu or in the restaurant. I would have of course left a tip, but for you to automatically include an 18% gratuity charge for a party of only 2 people is shady, not to mention that I didn't even notice this until the receipt was sent to my phone. A form of receipt was not even offered to me. I guess they send people the receipt via phone so that you don't notice the gratuity charge. I would have appreciated more transparency. I eat out very frequently and this has not happened anywhere else. Will not be coming back. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - No mention on the menu of the gratuity being automatically applied to the bill irrespective of the number of people in your party. - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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I wanted to try a new restaurant and I am glad I went to Bocata Arepa Bar. It's a small little restaurant in a strip mall filled with other diverse restaurants and it was a nice casual place to go to get good food. I got a Cafe con Leche, Plantains, a Domino Arepa, Ham and Cheese Arepa, and the Pabellon bowl. - Cafe con Leche: tasted great, not too hot or cold, had an almost hot chocolate like flavor - Plantains: ngl, underneath all that crema and cheese, they were almost as thin as a chip and burnt. For the price and quality, I would skip out on this next time as they were not what I expected to be ): - Domino Arepa and Ham and Cheese, these were GREAT fresh!!! Do not take them home as leftovers as they do not reheat well. The arepas were BIG and stuffed to the brim. Their house garlic sauce is also top tier and delicious to put onto anything they have. I wasn't able to try their house hot sauce/salsa. But, the arepas were cheesy and messy in the best way. - Pabellon bowl (not picture): The meat reminded me of Vietnamese beef stew or Filipino mechado but shredded. I loved the flavors of it all. It is a well-made dish and everything complimented each other well. They only add a small slice of avocado on top and once again, the plantains were thin and (slightly less) burnt. Overall, I would overlook some things as it could have been a bad day for those plantains, but I would come back again for what they're known for - the arepas. read more

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I am so happy I discovered this gem! The shopping strip it's in isn't the prettiest outside, but it's nice inside. The food here is delicious. Everything here is cooked to order and fresh. We got an assortment of empanadas and arepas. Honestly it was all great! Our favorites were the chicken and shredded beef empanadas. As for the arepas our favorites were the chicken & cheese and the steak and guac one. The chicken, cheese, and guac arepa was super different. It was almost like a chicken salad. The arepas have tons of meat in them and the cornmeal bread is perfect. We had the tres leches cake and we all LOVED it. Devoured it in minutes. My only advice- don't get this delivered. It's best fresh. read more

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Great gluten free options!!! We will be back!! Definitely a casual place, but the food is delicious! read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Great gluten free options! - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

I heard the word that this place was a must try and that is exactly right. You've got to stop in and have one of their arepas. I made a quick pit stop here, asked the very friendly and helpful waitress what her favorite item was and that's what I went with, arepa pabellon. Wow, incredible! The corn meal holds the sandwich together well, is soft and crispy at the same time. The plantains sweet and caramelized. The beef is tender, flavorful, plentiful and juicy. Cheese and black beans to tie it all together. I'd smash these everyday if I could. I can't wait to take my wife this weekend. There is plenty of dining space with clean tables. Get in there! read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Arepa Pabellon - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

I have never had a bad food experience....never. Was craving empanadas and I drove alllllllllll the way over here for the best!! read more

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Bocata Arepa definitely will see my face again! The food was so good. After months of drooling over their posts, I finally went in to try a couple of things. I ordered the Llanera arepa, which had steak, cheese avocado, and tomato. It was delicious! The steak was so tender and the cheese..... just set everything off!. I also tried the beef empanada which was perfectly fried. The crust was so flaky and golden brown and the ground beef was seasoned to perfection. No too much salt like one other places. The menu is not huge and overwhelming and everything looks/sounds so good. I'm definitely going back to order more items soon! read more

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Looked like a new place, so I checked it out for lunch one weekday. I walked in and everything smelled delicious! Gotta say, I've never had an arepa before. After a quick browse of their menu, I decided to try their Pabellon arepa (shredded beef, beans, plantains, and cheese). Delicious! The shape of it reminded me a little of a burger. Ambiance is def casual. Looks like a great spot for lunch or dinner. I get the feeling this is a family owned restaurant. We always love supporting local mom and pop shops. I'll be back. read more

When you go in just take a seat and they'll come to you; don't just stand there like we did haha. The arepas were sooo good! The tequenos weren't as good, like they needed to be more melted. Our waitress is nice. read more

Bocata Arepa Bar - Arepa Cheese and ham. An Chorizo Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Glen Allen, Virginia

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