At Guasaca, they have a simple offering of delicious, quickly prepared South American food based on serving Arepas, about a four inch round sandwich made of crispy fried patties. The fillings can be chicken, steak, salmon, or vegetarian. They seem to specialize in chicken fillings, offering crispy chicken, chicken avocado, and grilled chicken. There are several other ingredients to add like onions, beans, plantains, salsa, etc. You can choose from pre-set signature arepas or "build-your-own" custom arepa. If you don't want the bread, they offer bowls that cost a little more but also serve more food. When you walk in there's an overhead menu board like McDs and you stand in line in front of a glass covered service counter to order from servers who assemble your meal. (The servers and cashier seemed checked out and just waiting for their paychecks.) They have plenty of seating in a large high-ceiling space. The acoustics are fairly loud, even when there are only a few people there. That's the only drawback to eating inside. There's no signs to let you know if you're supposed to bus your own table but we did. Outside there are a few tables to enjoy. I loved the chicken avocado and the salmon arepas we ordered. The arepas crispy bread patties are great and I'd like to come back to try different fillings. The price for one arepa is $7-9 and they're filling enough for lunch or a light dinner. I imagine they get a big lunch crowd from the area businesses. read more

I like that Guasaca has a unique spin on other build-your-own-burrito-like-thing places. It's just unfortunate that their arepa dough is So. Sweet. Anything you order will taste like dessert. The fact that the filling combos are actually good is almost beside the point. Unless you just had a savory dinner and you're ready for some cake, or you have a sweet tooth that won't quit, you won't leave here feeling like you had a main course. It also doesn't help that plantains are a main fixture in many of their signature combos, and plantains are sweet too. But putting aside the dough for a second - the vegan and salmon arepas both had great flavors and I enjoyed scooping the filling directly into my mouth with a spoon after I gave up on the dough. Their green sauce is great and I recommend pouring it liberally on everything. If I come back, it'll definitely be rice bowls for me from now on. read more

Please have the cilantro sauce, I can't express how great it is. The food here is so good and flavorful. The staff is super nice and this place is very casual. I've had great experiences at all the locations I've been to so far, but I go to this one the most because of its location. I always stop in here after I'm done grocery shopping and want some lunch. There's plenty of parking and it's in a great location. read more

Fresh delicious food that you can create to suit your tastes.Friendly helpful service. Place was super clean.

This was my first experience eating arepas and it was a good one! I was recommended by a friend to get their bowl with a plain arepa, and the sides in the bowl were great! The plantains and slaw were really nicely sweet and refreshing along with everything else in the bowl, and the arepa was a great texture. I love the slightly gritty texture of the arepa in combination with everything else in the bowl. Yum!! And a great price point as well. Good for a quick meal - the line was long! read more

Guasaca - Plain arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Yum! So glad I went to try this after several friends recommended it. It was clean in there and the service was good. Sort of a modern set up with plenty of seating. When it comes to the food I found the flavors to be delicious and well developed, which was a nice surprise for a chain restaurant. I would absolutely recommend coming here over places like Chipotle. I had the vegan arepas with no onions but added Guasaca. It was all very wet to eat (even without guasaca) BUT somehow not messy to eat which I appreciated. My only qualm was that it was overall a bit too salty for me. Nevertheless I enjoyed my meal. 10/10 would recommend! read more

La atencion es pesima las personas que atiendes casi todas son groseras y atienden de mala gana, parece que no les gustara lo que hacen, que pesar hacen que el lugar no sea agradable, la comida muy rica read more

Good authentic arepas. Nice selection of proteins. Service was friendly and speedy. Will definitely be back.

Guasaca is a great option for fast, healthy, delicious food. The employees are very nice and the line is never too long. I love the sweet corn taste of all of their arepas. My favorites are the signature Vegetarian Arepa and the signature salmon arepa. Sometimes, though, if you wait too long, the arepas can get a little soggy. read more

The food was a step above fast food but the service was terrible. I asked for the allergen list and was told I would have to look over the counter at it on the wall. It would have been easy to hand to me as it wasn't even attached. So I asked what was gf and I was told I don't know by the staff. I ended up leaving because they were so unhelpful. read more

Fast food that's healthy and tasty is what brings us back to Guasaca again and again.

Wow. I have been searching for a place like this!! Fantastic. I recommend. First time, placed pick up order and tried a few signature arepas. Notes: -white arepa savory and my preferred selection -yellow arepa sweeter, cornbread like, great to balance a saltier selection - garlic and cilantro sauces are a must try! Wow. Flavor packed. Salmon signature was my favorite. Classic shredded chicken was an easy hit, yum. Vegetarian was delightful. The least exciting was the crispy chicken. I bet it could have been amazing if I did BYO crispy chicken, but the signature was rather disappointing. It was the flattest, least filled. I look forward to tweaking it next time! read more

Love this place. Food is delicious and the sauces are amazing. I have had the salmon, pork, and beef and all are good. Everyone in my family loves it. Nice outdoor area to eat. read more

YELP REVIEW INTRO Oops! Excuse the spill ... but here's the tea!! Location: 4/5 Parking: 5/5 Outside appearance: 4/5 Inside appearance: 5/5 Hospitality: 4/5 Food: 5/5 Price: 4/5 I love the arepas! The bread is always crisp on the outside and nice on the inside. I typically stuff my arepas with grilled chicken, beans, cheese, and pico. Even with the toppings, the bread hold up & doesn't crumble or get soggy. The salads are great too. The plantains are phenomenal!! There wasn't a line when I went & ordering was a breeze. The food was still hot inside & fresh!! I typically get the "green" and the "orange" sauce. Green is tasty & orange is spicy. They have specialty bottled drinks as well as fountain drinks. The inside of the restaurant was clean, open, bright, & welcoming. I would recommend this place to anyone! read more

See all

This was my first time trying arepas so I don't have anything to compare it to but I was largely underwhelmed. The actually arepa was good and I tried both the white and yellow and they do have a gluten free option but the two out of the three of the fillings I tried were not very good. The best of the three was the chicken avocado but the two vegetarian flavors were pretty funky especially the mushroom which I thought would be my favorite. The garlic, cilantro and spicy sauces were decent but the garlic sauce stood out as the best. I did not like the mustard sauce at all and I'm glad I tried a bit first before putting it on the arepa. This isn't in my neck of the woods but I might try a different flavor if there is a next time. read more

Note to self: come back to this place. The wife got a bowl - hers was awesome. I got two arepas, one steak, one chicken. Picked plantains as one of my toppings which in retrospect, I probably should've mixed up. I truly appreciated the quality of their ingredients, I just ended up with too many plantains by the end of it. First world problems - alas. Yeah, the food tastes great. read more

Guasaca - 2 Arepas - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Very excellent food. They regularly cater my work's events and the catered food doesn't differ significantly from in restaurant unlike some other locations around Durham. read more

I was going to start tossing rocks at their window (I do this every time I really like a place, it's sort of like a nervous tic, but a form of appreciation), until I remembered the mantra of my late, great Uncle. "Don't throw stones in Guas houses." So instead, I'm writing this review. What to get: An Arepa What was Eminem: A Rapper What does candy come in: A Wrapper Who is Grim and carries a Scythe: A Reaper Who is the partner of Ebert: A Roeper Are we done: Si, si, Ariba. How to improve: Make a few more complex arepas (such as Pabellon, Surena, Ropa Vieja) and educate the employees more on the cuisines of Colombia and Venezuela. I was going to give this place a 4 star rating, but that would be Guasaca-religious. It has to be a 5, even though it's not as good as the best arepas I've ever had (Barrocco of Cleveland, Caracas Arepa of NYC, Guacuco in Brooklyn, and a few others). It's still absolutely delicious and better than most incarnations of "street arepas." It's a little simplistic, and certainly doesn't have the complex flavours that some arepas in North America have. If you haven't had one before, it's a corn-pocket (like a pita, but not), stuffed with goodies, which are the native food of Colombia and Venezuela, two of the most amazing countries (with the most amazing women) in the world. So this arepa is "pretty good", service is nice if clueless about the cuisine and the region it is from. But it was tasty and filling and pretty substantial. If it cost the same amount as most arepas (between 6 and 15 dollars depending on where you get it), it might score 4, but the prices (under $5) are absolutely insane. I am literally shocked at how cheap these arepas are, and that has to count for something, so on that basis I am delighted to give them a 5 star rating. And I'm not surprised the star ratings for this place are so high considering how hard it is to find any arepas, let alone good ones, in the Deep South, or in any of the Carolinas. It doesn't surprise me that the best Arepa I've had in the south was from Durham, NC. It's one of the more multi-cultural and ethnically diverse towns in these parts. read more

Guasaca - Guas da matta wichu - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The arepas are little dry and the inside fillings have little flavor. Confusing ordering experience: You cannot customize as you go like at a subway/chipotle. I recommend ordering online. Overall a disappointing experience. I will not be going back unless I was forced to. read more

This place and all its flavors have special meaning to me. When I think of comfort food I think of Guasaca and Arapas. The warm pockets of deliciousness never disappoints. read more

While the arepas are still very good, the service is spotty. The ordering system has not changed a bit - and chances of getting what you order is low unless you are insistent. Seems that the staff prefers the set items and not the build-your-own. My wife and I both had to correct our orders several times, and the staff acted annoyed about it. The line is noisy, and the sneeze guard effectively blocks the staff from understanding orders. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - this place needs something more efficient like a touch screen kiosk or even something as simple as a paper 'check the box' ticket. If I'm in the area and it's not busy, I would try Guasaca again - otherwise, not so sure. read more

Never had arepas before, Guasaca is definitely a good primer. we ordered 4 arepas, chips, and 1 drink. 1 chicken signature, 1 pork signature, 1 custom steak: rice, cheese, onions, 1 custom pork: black beans cheese. Total was $22 Steak was fantastic, super savory, combination of steak, rice, onions and cheese was perfect.. made me feel warm inside. While i was not a fan of the mustard sauce, the cilantro sauce and red sauce add color, flavor, and/or spice. While theyre great, the sauces are not necessary at all to enjoy the sandwich like you sometimes see with other foods. My wife didn't like the chicken as much as the pork, while i agreed it was not bad by any means. I don't really care for pico de gallo but on my wifes chicken arepa, it tasted great. These guys are on groupon like all the time.. In my opinion, groupon restaurants have a pretty negative stigma..after eating here I dont know whether ive been unfair of restaurants on groupon, feel sad that good food has to resort to groupon for sales, or be happy that I can use groupon to get some tasty arepas.. either way, great food, look forward to coming back. read more

Guasaca - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Their arepas are "to die for"! We've only had their vegetarian arepas in both yellow and white corn arepas and boy are they delicious! My office used to order catering from them; this was in pre-pandemic days when we had in-person meetings. Almost everyone looked forward to the days when Guasaca catered. The arepas are not expensive and they are very filling and tasty. They do offer bowls, which basically are the fillings of the arepas and no arepa. I think the signature of this eatery is their arepas so better to try that first. What more can I say? :) As of now, employees are all masked. There's outdoor seating if you want, or just take the food home. read more

I can not believe this place just charged me almost $9 for a scoop of rice and a scoop of beans & called it a vegetarian bowl. Are you kidding me?!? I know the prices have gone up but this is absolutely ridiculous. It barely covers the bottom of the bowl. This is shameful and I won't be eating there again. read more

Guasaca - A scoop of rice and a scoop of beans. - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

YES! Why are there not more arepa places out their?! This places gets it. Great customer service and truly excellent fast casual food. We did the build your own arepas with the avocado chicken. They have many options for toppings including black beans, black eyed peas, coleslaw, etc. The cilantro sauce is excellent. You must get a side of chips & guasaca which is similar to guacamole with more veggies. read more

Came here with a friend because I had $6 off an order through groupon. It was the first time I had arepas & was pleasantly surprised by how fresh everything was. We tried the following Chicken - solid Beef - my friend said this was his favorite out of everything, the most flavorful Steak - my favorite, not dry and seasoned well Tilapia - eh, I would pass. I thought it was going to be a piece of tilapia but it was shredded (think canned tuna texture) Pork - I don't eat pork but my friend said it was tender Avocado chicken - pretty much a piece of chicken covered in guac, probably wouldn't get it again. The guac is sweeter than the ones at chipotle I'm pretty sure it's because of the kind of onion(?) they use, and chips aren't as salty. The people who work here are super nice and sweet too! read more

Boyfriend and I came here on a weekday for lunch. We wanted good food but also outdoor seating because of the lovely weather and chose Guasaca. I had the rice bowl--although the arepas were tempting--with black beans, cheese, sour cream, cilantro sauce, and guasaca (their version of guac). It came out to about $7.50, an okay price for the amount you get. But it tasted delicious. The cilantro sauce and guasaca in particular were amazing; I would go back just for them. I also tried a bit of the plantains in boyfriend's bowl and they weren't so bad. Guasaca is a great lunch spot that I would definitely recommend. There is also a good amount of parking. Taste | 5 Atmosphere | 4 Presentation | 3 Service | 3 OVERALL | 4.5 read more

Guasaca - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

A DURHAM STAPLE AND MUST TRY!!! Super casual and affordable. Build your own or pre-made choices. I typically order two arepas and am always FULL. Plenty of protein options and sauces (orange is spicy). Highly recommend eating the arepas fresh so they don't get soggy! read more

Guasaca - a plate with three sandwiches on it - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

5 Stars for this location! Guasaca also has a Raleigh location and they are great too. I like this one because of the size of the building. Its a nice sized restaurant with lots of parking and room for eating outdoors. Its the same great family dishes that the Raleigh location offers but the facility seems to be better to me. For the past 3 times I've been all I get is the Rice Bowl. I don't actually do the Apera. Its just a personal thing. 5 Stars for this spot as the food is killer! read more

Guasaca - The bowl is where it's at! Great stuff - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My go to quick lunch/dinner. I love the arepas especially the simple shredded chicken. Their guacamole is also great! I always order for pickup and it is ready on time and the workers are friendly. Great spot! Great alternative to chipotle if you're sick of it. read more

I just love this place and the salmon arepa or bowl are my favorites! Simple; that is the review.

One of my favorite places to eat. There's generally parking in the area though the ones closed to Guasaca have time limits. I always get the yellow corn arepas with grilled chicken, plantains, pico and cheese with the green sauce. Service is always fast and there's always table space. It's great for groups of people though you can't combine tables as they are fastened to the ground. read more

Guasaca - Grilled chicken arepas with plantains, pico and cheese - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I'm surprised that I've never written a review for Guasaca after having eaten Guasaca so many times in the last two years I've been in Durham. It's a chipotle-style restaurant where you can get rice bowls or their signature arepas. My standard is usually an arepa - obviously the vegetarian one I love the taste of the arepa (A corn based bread pocket) itself which is a bit sweet , but packs enough carbs to make me happy. Also really good fried plantains. My boyfriend tried their beef bowl and really enjoyed it too. Their spicy sauce on the side is really good too! The service has never disappointed me so far. They've had the right amount of getting your order vs conversation for what's a fast food place. My only small hope is that we get some more veggies for the veggie option - like mushrooms. In any case, I'll always be going back to Guasaca. read more

Guasaca - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

It's Guasaca. Best South American food in Durham, at a fantastic price point. I've had catering from here quite a few times; some standouts are the Shredded Beef, Coleslaw, and Plaintains. The green salsa is also some of the best I've ever had. I had a Chicken Arepa and a Steak Arepa last time, and the Chicken Arepa was definitely superior. These things are quite hefty too, 2 of them left me very full. (Though you should eat them fast, because they get soggy). The chips and Guasaca (guacamole) were also on point, exactly what you're looking for! Overall, you can't really lose with Guasaca. If you haven't tried it, what are you waiting for? :) read more

I came here for lunch on a Monday and tried their Mechada (shredded beef) arepa. I decided to order it with plantains, caramelized onions, and pico de gallo, as well as the cilantro sauce and sour cream. It sounds like a weird combination, I know. But I enjoyed it. The Mechada had spot-on flavor, and the spicy sauce gave it a nice kick. The meat wasn't dry, either. The plantains were just the right amount of sweetness, and while I wouldn't necessarily recommend it paired with the Mechada, I personally liked the contrast of sweet and spicy. My wife ended up picking hers out and eating them separately - she liked the plantains by themselves. The caramelized onions were a great addition to the Mechada, though. I was also a fan of the cilantro sauce - it wasn't overly cilantro-flavored, which can be a little off-putting for some people, but it added another layer of flavor to the arepa that I appreciated. The outer wrap of the arepa was nicely fried, giving it a crispy texture, while not being overly heavy. The place is very clean, and the service was friendly and prompt. It's a fast casual restaurant, and formatted similar to Chiptole where you can customize your own arepa / bowl / salad. The price isn't unreasonable, either. I ate one arepa and was satisfied, but probably could have eaten two and been super stuffed. read more

Guasaca - Mechada arepas. Delicious and filling! - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Fun place to get arepas! Came in and made my own arepa and really thought it was excellent. I loved the price and the options for fillings. I took an arepa with avocado chicken, black beans, the spicy sauce, cheese and plantains on the side. Had to say that the arepa itself was the least tasty part (and I've had some good arepas in my life). However the fillings were so tasty, and I really loved the flavor of the avocados and chicken. The place itself is really cute and there is a lot of seating. Service was also great. Overall solid experience here! read more

Guasaca - 1 Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Having never tried the Guasaca in Raleigh, I was excited when I heard that one opened in Durham. It's located in Erwin Square near Baba Ghannouj. Basically, they are the arepa version of what Chipotle is for a burrito. You come in and order at the counter. There are 7 signature arepas or you can make your own as an arepa, bowl or salad. My husband and I each chose 2 signature arepas since it was our first time there. First off, these arepas are large (somewhere between the size of my fist and my head). I would've been full just with one arepa and a side of chips. The arepas were really good, though some had more flavor than others. The chicken avocado tasted a lot like chicken salad to me and it was heavy on the house sauce (that reminded me of mayo). The pork arepa also didn't stand out. However, the vegetarian arepa packed a punch and my favorite overall was the beef (which does get messy to eat). Also, the guasaca sauce is worth paying extra for. It's basically a more flavorful guacamole and even my husband who hates avocados liked it. I look forward to coming back and making my own. Guasaca's biggest competition will be Epachamo on 9th St and there are some differences between the two. First, Guasaca is lacking in decor. It's got high ceilings and is very bright but the decoration is very minimalist. They also are lacking on a full bar. They said they had beer but I didn't see it (they might not have gotten their liquor license yet since they are brand new). The one in Raleigh is next to a bottle shop which sounds awesome, so please, someone feel free to open a bottle shop next door as there is ample outdoor seating. The arepa dough is also a different texture than Epachamo's-- this is more crispy and fried tasting (more like a pancake); Epachamo's is much drier and tastes more baked like bread. And obviously Epachamo has a lot more diversity in their menu with sandwiches and hamburgers. The biggest positives for Guasaca (for me) is the price (all the arepas are under $5) and they are really fast. I would definitely come here if I was in the area looking for a fast, convenient and delicious lunch (I definitely think it will appeal to Duke students and people at the hospital). Durham has a great and growing list of empanada and arepa places and I think this is a great addition and adds something new to the scene. read more

Guasaca - Arepas! - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

I visited Guadalcanal today for the first time as I am traveling to the RDU area. I love arepas and the reviews were excellent, so I actually waited until they opened at 11 to grab a quick bite. First off, the staff was exceptionally friendly and went out of their way to provide top quality service. I was intrigued by the southern style arepas, so I ordered the pulled pork and fried chicken offerings. While they were tasty, I believe this fusion really detracted from what a really good arepa is. I should have gone for the traditional arepas, as the quality was very good. So while I stand by my rating of 4 stars, I will return and try their more authentic options. The plain arepa itself was exceptional ... so I have very high hopes. read more

Great place! The arepas look a little small at first but they're only $5 each and actually pretty filling. I got the avocado chicken arepa and it was really good and savory. You get to choose 3 sides to put inside the arepas, and the plantains were by far my favorite part. If you like some more flavor, the green sauce that you get with the steak arepa is really packs a lot! The outside of the arepa tasted pretty flavorless and starchy and I would have prefered either a softer bun feel or a bit more of a crunchy texture, but that wasn't a huge decider. So overall it was a very good value and food was fresh cooked, hot, and fast. If you're extra hungry though I would probably consider getting 2 arepas or a bowl instead. Ambiance wise, this place kind of reminds me of a frozen yogurt shop playing upbeat music. It's good place with lots of light in a good location on Erwin. Definitely recommend for other Duke students out there! read more

Guasaca - Venezuelan Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

I always order a salad bowl at Guasaca in other locations, and this is my first time coming to this Durham store. Comparing to the Morrisville and Raleigh locations, this store gave move almost only half the amount of food that I normally get. The salad bowl was only half full, and I was still hungry after finishing the bowl. It was the first time that I didn't enjoy my Guasaca salad as I didn't have enough food to eat. I would recommend the other locations over this one. read more