Came here after the Durham Farmers Market with a friend and wow this place was a surprise. …read more I went with the grain bowl and honestly it is one of the best I have had in downtown Durham. It is built on quinoa and rice with black beans and kale, then layered with corn salsa, tomato cortido, guacamole, and a creamy acevichado style sauce that pulls everything together. It is finished with a crunchy mix of pepitas, nuts, and grains. The balance is quite ideal in my view. My friend had the rotisserie chicken with two sides, kale and slaw, and it was just as impressive. Crispy skin, juicy inside, and really clean flavors. Simple food done right and GF friendly. Everything felt thoughtfully prepared. Prices land right where you would expect for the quality, roughly 16 to 21 dollars depending on what you order, and it feels worth it. My bowl plus side of dark chicken was plenty. A few notes. Parking is what you would expect for downtown, so plan accordingly. Service was solid and friendly, but nothing that stood out. The vibe inside is festive and relaxed, bright and open, and just a fun place to hang out for lunch. Porbably not a special occasion. I also suspect it could get loud when full. This is definitely going into my regular rotation. That grain bowl is going to be hard to pass up next time, so instead of replacing it I will probably just add a side or an empanada and start working my way through the rest of the menu.

This place was amazing. We tried both the brisket and chicken sandwich, and they did not…read moredisappoint. We also shared a potato empanada that was recommended by another customer, which was also fantastic. The yuca fries and plantains were delicious. You also get a large amount of food for the price, definitely left us feeling satiated. Staff was very friendly, we will be back!

Husband has been a huge fan for a while since it's beer his work and he can swing by to grab lunch…read morequickly in between meetings. So recently he insisted we go so I could try it out. It did not disappoint. He knew what to order so that helped. If I went in by myself I would be so overwhelmed. The staff is quiet. They're not the most helpful but not rude either. Just there to fill your order when you figure things out. The helpings are more than enough. Two arepas are hard for me to finish in one setting. The only downside to saving for later is they get kinda soggy so you cannot eat them neatly with your fingers later after you warm them up. But they still taste so good! The ambiance is typical fast-food feel. I like being able to get refills on my drink on my own while I'm dining in instead of having to go to the counter and wait in line to ask for one. Tables seem to be wiped down and maintained in-between customers which is nice too.

Trying something new one evening while out running errands. The person at the front counter was…read morepleasant and welcoming. Arepa's are great balance of simple and comforting go to food. Gluten free options are always a lighter and a less heavy option, in my option. This is one of the perks. I tried the La Tica (chicken) and the La Surena (bbq). I enjoyed the chicken. Very flavorful. I wasn't a fan of the bbq - a bit on the dry side for me. The chicken was delicious but the cheese could've been melted and I would've preferred my food on the warmer side. Giving Grace with 4*, perhaps I tried this too late in the evening. Maybe these are intended to be served that way I received them. I do recommend Arepa Culture NC but I'd recommend go at opening or before lunch time for freshness. The rice and beans were good. The peach juice was okay.

Food is a solid 4 star, especially when considering the price. Service was 2 star but I chose to…read morestill aware 4 star for the food. This is located in a hospital cafeteria after all. I ordered the SHREDDED BEEF AREPA which also comes with plantains, cheese and beans inside. I chose garlic sauce and it was superb on the arepa! Very delicious and I suspect the arepa samdwiches are gluten free for those intolerant, but I didn't ask. The TORTILLA CHIPS that come with the meal are good, and suspect they make them in-house. The SERVICE was horrible. Guy behind counter told me the soda machine only had diet soda, which was what I wanted anyway. Out of curiosity I asked if it was hospital policy to exclude sugar soda or if the machine was just out of sugar syrups. He responded "don't know" in a "don't care" attitude. I went to fill my cup and the machine didn't serve ice either! This place could really help people in the hospital by smiling and showing they care about the customer. Most eating here in the hospital cafeteria are carrying the weight of poor health on their shoulders, whether their own or a loved one. It's a hospital cafeteria so its a place to sit down, and could be a good break from sitting in a loved ones patient room. It's not a restaurant that one would come to if not in the hospital.

It's harder to find arepas than it should be. There's just something about grilling corn that makes…read moreit irresistable. What's notable about this local chain is its extensive options for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diners. The default arepa apparently has some dairy and gluten in it, but options for getting one to suit a vegan or gluten-free diet are there. The filling options for an arepa are customizable and numerous, with a range of flavors and nutritional profiles. My takeout order was ready speedily. Oddly, they gave me an extra arepa, which was unlabeled except for saying that it was a gift. It didn't seem to be vegetarian, so I didn't eat it. I appreciate the sentiment, but they might want to think about at least making it clearer what's going on.

Wow this place is delicious! I'm mad I didn't try it sooner. I got the pork patacon sandwich,…read moremaduros, and fresh blackberry juice. Everything was excellent. I'll be back for sure!

They usually have good food, but they will literally insult you before accepting a mistake so this…read moreis a goodbye after being faithful clients for almost two years! Two sundays ago we ordered take out and the cachapas were very different from what we usually eat (we religiously eat their cachapas at least once a month!) they tasted different and were very undercooked and soft. The first bite I took had no cheese in it, so for a moment I thought they'd forgotten to put it and when lifting the cachapa with the fork it completely crumbled apart. It was like a mush. I told my husband I could not eat this (he is a very hungry man and though the quality was not what we usually expect from them, he had eaten half of his already. I, on the other hand, only had the first bite). We called and they asked us to drive back to the restaurant and bring in the cachapas for a refund, which we did. Never actually received the refund after multiple talks with them because according to them: "one was eaten halfway through, and the other one had been purposely smushed by a hand/played with." Yes, the cachapa was pretty much destroyed. Because it was so soft and undercooked it broke apart the moment I manipulated it with my fork and knife, as one does when eating food!! Also they claimed the product was the same as it always has been, yet it clearly tasted different as we know their cachapas very well, and their own cook spoke to us on the phone saying their cachapas came from an external provider and they'd recently changed the product!! So who's lying? We used to recommend them to all our friends because we support fellow Latino business and they are very close to where we live in Cary. But now I'll tell you all to try Pana's Flavors' Cachapas in Raleigh, for authentic cachapas actually made by Venezuelans!

excellent food and service!! Suprised about efficiency and the speed at which the food was made but…read morewas still excellent quality. amazing hostility and again excellent service!

AUTHENTIC! Quick service and nicely decorated…read more Having spent 12 years of my life in Peru, I feel confident with my assessment of Mi Peru. I was in town for business and as in every location I travel to, I look for Peruvian food. This is in my top three. One was in Austin, TX, one in St Louis, MO and now this one in Durham, NC. I had the lunch special. It included a drink, soup and entree. Of course you have to drink Inca Cola (tastes like Squirt with Cream Soda) nice and cold. I'll have to get a Chicha Morada to take with me (which I did, and it was fruity and sweet, like a non-alcoholic sangria with cinnamon). The soup was a chicken and lentil soup with various veggies. As soon as I tasted it, I knew I was in for a treat and prayed the Aji de Gallina would be just as good. It was! Aji de Gallina is a shredded chicken dish made with Peruvian Aji amarillos, nuts, Parmesan cheese. Add in all the delicious spices Peru is known for and you have a wonderful, homey, delicious dish. I will be coming back tonight for dinner. Can't decide if I want the Seco de Res or the Lomo Saltado. Both staple dishes in Peru. Part 2 - so...I was too tired to go back for dinner. BUT, I did order in. I got the Papa à la Huancaina (so delicious, it tasted like I make at home). It is a creamy, Aji Amarillo cheese sauce over yellow potatoes. I would have liked it a little spicier, but I understand having to cater to the general public, so I'll let that slide. But the flavor was as good as you could get. I also opted to order the Seco since I thought it would travel better than the Lomo Saltado. The rice was perfect. Not soggy or spongy. Just right. Flavored with a little salt and garlic. You could eat it by itself. The Seco meat was tender. I didn't even use a knife to cut it. In fact, it pulled apart easily with a plastic fork. I would have liked a little more of the cilantro sauce to soak up in my rice. The flavors were right on, but I love cilantro...so. It even came with a Salsa Criolla (lightly pickled red onion), which is authentic and served with many Peruvian dishes. I ordered additional salsa amarillo just to taste. It's a sauce made with aji amarillo and black mint. I know it sounds weird but it's actually so tasty and fresh. My only disappointment were the beans not that they weren't good and flavorful, but they were pinto beans. I was really expecting mayacoba beans (similar to a white canary bean). Sorry, I ate it before thinking about taking pictures. All in all, I would rate this highly for those wanting to try authentic Peruvian food. My next visit to Durham I'll be trying the Ceviche and Lomo Saltado.

We walked in for the 99¢ kids meal on Wednesday special and were very excited to see how friendly…read morethe staff is. They are super friendly with the kids and try to look for the best way to save you some money bundling things together. The food is delicious and fresh! Thanks so much! The restaurant is very clean and in a great location.

I came for lunch on a Wednesday and was warmly greeted when I entered. The service is very friendly…read moreand quick. I ordered a Sabor Especial Burrito with chorizo, and they definitely pack the chorizo with a good amount of spice, which I appreciate. The burrito also had rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, pico, and guacamole. Good flavors and generous portions. It was very filling and reasonably priced for the size of the burrito. That's all I had for lunch and was very satisfied with the amount. It is a great location near the Southpoint area and parking was easy to find. There was plenty of indoor seating, the bathroom was clean, and the ambiance is very casual with TVs playing in the background. It's pretty kid- and family-friendly. Other items on the menu sounded interesting, so I hope to return and try more items on the menu.

Overall, it seemed very slow when we arrived. A handful of people were sitting at tables and only…read more1-2 people ahead of us in line. The workers seemed slightly slower than the other location I have been to. No biggie. Finally, when it was my turn to order, the guy motioned to me and said something (I couldn't understand him, but it was obvious he wanted me to place my order) so I started my order and then he mid-sentence of me saying the order, he looked down at the monitor and said "one minute" as an online order came in and he started to proceed to make THAT order as I stood there waiting to finish my order. I am not thinking the world should revolve around me at all, but I have also learned that in customer service the person in front of you should be the priority. So finally, I placed my order and moved on through to the cashier. She had ZERO smile and ZERO eye contact. I pride myself on being a cheerful, polite person who also tries to give a genuine smile. She seemed to be tired and definitely didn't want to be there. I had to WAIT to pay bc she was turned waiting for something. No explanation like, "I'll be able to get your payment in just a second" or anything of the sort. The food was delicious, nonetheless. The lighting at night inside is a little too much on the cool side. We decided to take our order to go. Will we be back? yes, but to the Spring Forest Road location instead. the staff is friendlier and way faster!

Gluten Free Arepa now! Had vegetarian arepa $6.29 Not bad…read moreFilling and pretty healthy Kind of slow waiting for the gluten free arepa Good

I love fried plantains, and theirs were fantastic. First time having tequenos, and they were flaky…read moreand delicious. The woman that took my order was nice and efficient. I'm excited to try their empanadas next time. I would definitely recommend them just from the 2 appitzzers I got.

I placed an order for a Pabellon empanada and was told they were out of black beans (took one star…read moreaway as this is a signature Venezuelan dish that is supposed to come with black beans) and asked if I wanted to substitute with something else like corn or bacon so I chose corn. I also ordered a chicken empanada with cheese and pico added extra. I was told it would be 5-10 minutes. Only one other person was waiting for an order. Empanadas were fresh and hot and tasted delicious! Even the side of garlic sauce was yummy. Customer service was great too. Would recommend you give them a try. Note- prices on menu are not accurate to what you are charged. Instead of 10 for Pabellon it was 10.30, Chicken was not 7 but 7.72 additional toppings were not 1.00 but 1.03 just a little over a dollar more than advertised prices.

Delicious arepas! And only $6 each. I'm so happy I stopped by. I tried both the beef and chicken…read morearepas. I actually preferred the chicken (even though I usually don't go for chicken), but you can't go wrong with either. If you aren't too hungry, one arepa is probably enough.

Got the Cabimera tonite and 2 more Arepas..it hit the spot.The cabimera is a work of art..and…read moredelicious!!! Thank you for savung my life today..eating your food was the best part of my day!

Food great. Prices not so much, if you look at the prices on the website the plate we wanted it…read moresays it is $35.00 dollars but when you get there it is actually $55.00 dollars. Very disappointing on the price difference, more when we drove 2 hours to get there and had to pay higher prices for everything we ordered. Services was great super sweet lady, ambiance is ok. Small place.

Came here early evening on a Tuesday and it was not very busy at all. Sometimes not a good sign…read more But I was pleasantly surprised. It's a counter service restaurant and vibe. Friendly staff. We had a salad that the chef was actually cutting up in front of us. Fresh to say the least. We had a chicken arepa that was good and a churrasco with tostones that was very good. Great place to go for fast casual and good food. It's on the go to list.