La Arepa is a great food cart with tons of authentic Venezuelan food. I had never tried Venezuelan food before, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and variety of this place. Their menu is quite large, and there are options to suit many dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free). I particularly enjoyed their cheese empanadas, refried black beans, and vegan Pabellon arepa. Everything came out hot and absolutely delicious, and the service was pretty fast even though there was a bit of a line. I can't wait to go back and try more of their food. read more

Great Arepa cart near my home on Halsey. Had the Pelua, shredded beef with a generous amount of cheddar. Be sure to add their spicy garlic sauce to complete this crunchy, hearty meal. Must try! read more

I visited this pod with my wife, and we each shared items from different carts. Being the smart one in the family, my wife chose La Arepa, and went with their Shredded Chicken Arepa as her choice. The wait for her food turned out to be much shorter than the expected few minutes, as a fresh Arepa happened to be immediately available. This meant that I ended up trying to grab more than my share as the other order from a different cart took a bit longer to materialize. This allowed me to appreciate the flavor, and, for me, the wonderful combination of textures in La Arepa's cooking. Between the arepa itself, the chicken, and the cheese (Cotija?) that came on top, every bite told a lovely and varied story. I'm very much looking forward to exploring more of their menu. read more

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We were here for the ramen cart next door, but unfortunately it was closed (for unknown reason). Frustrated and hungry, we turned to La Arepa for some deliciousness! Since I'd never tried Venezuelan food, I decided to turn to the picture menu for extra information. I ended up getting Pabellón Criollo and my bf got a Arepa to go. My Pabellón Criollo was good, I like the plantains with the rice, bean and pulled beef. I also like my rice topped with the egg. While I do like my dish, I was really impressed by the Arepa! The grilled cornmeal bread has this airy, chewy and crunchy texture that totally surprised me. I was hooked but I didn't want to eat my bf's entire sandwich... Next time I'm going to order 3 Arepa. Yes, that's my plan! read more

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Wow, what a gem. I've never had anything so simple and flavorful before. The cold chicken salad is wonderful, hot and crispy corn shell and perfectly seasoned chicken, not to mention travels well. 20 minutes later, still warm shell and not soggy. They've got frying down to a science! Food feels light and not greasy. Highly recommend to anyone who likes good food at a crazy reasonable price. Like seriously, you got 7 bucks? You got lunch! Have to give them respect for keeping their prices fair. A lot of carts now are getting really expensive, and while I totally get rising prices and overhead, part of the experience of street food is that it's less expensive because your not paying for atmosphere, and you can try more and different items, in my opinion. Fast and friendly. Some of the menu items may not be familiar to most people, but they make trying new things less intimidating and have a really nice menu with full pictures, really helpful when choosing items. Will be back soon. Dreaming of that chicken salad. read more

Really yummy flavors. Will be back. We got the pabellon in arepa form and in empanada form. Both were great.

I had a pabellón arepa. It was so delicious and really filing. Definitely worth $10. And the person who took my order was super helpful. He said one arepa would be enough and recommended I try it with the garlic sauce! The garlic sauce was a perfect compliment to my meal. Love the barley pod food carts. read more

La Arepa - Pabellon Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Probably closer to a 3.5, but workers were nice, so I'll bump it up. Honestly though, my biggest issue is the portion of food you get for what you pay for. I compared it to other food I got, and this was meager and skimpy. As for the actual food itself. The Beef arepa was pretty good. The meat could have used a little more flavor, but the corn meal bread is pretty dope tasting.. I also like that when you check in, you get a lil something to show appreciation. You get choice of beans or "salad." I got the salad, which turned out to be cole slaw. I'm not a big cole slaw fan, so it was whatever for me. However it was nice to get it free. Overall, I was curious to try Venezuelan food since I've never had it. I do like the arepa, but think $5 for what I got would be a better price for it. If you've ever wanted to try Venezuelan food, check this spot read more

La Arepa - Beef Arepa and cole slaw - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Wow. Blew me away. So delicious. Got #9, the avocado, plantains, beans and shredded beef one. Pretty to look at and just wholesome flavors. Tasty, crispy but soft, masa "buns." So yummy all together. Pricy for $9, but the flavors are real! The salad was also pretty good - Venezuelan cole slaw. $3 read more

La Arepa - #9 arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Best food ever. The vegetarian patacon is something to dream about! The sandwich is fresh, creamy and crispy.

I'm Venezuelan and those days I've felt homesick...I've ordered from this place. Great food A++ People is great and you can feel it. Restauran in SE is perfect to hang out as well. read more

This cart has lasted, yet I rarely see any customers. The Arepas take ten minutes to make and you can taste the freshness. I've been satisfied with the few varieties I tried, today it was a tilapia mixture that popped with flavor. It's cliche to complain about prices (there are so few places that scream value), here the price to portion ratio is poor. Most would probably need two Arepas to satisfy as a lunch so including a drink you're at $20. I'll go for something indoor for that amount of coin. They offer your choice of creative hot sauces which is a nice touch. Unfortunately, I wasn't partial to the buttermilk one. The lady was very friendly. Right across the path I often order one of the best breakfast burritos around for $6.50. It's filling enough that I often split it into two meals, so the price ratio is super. read more

La Arepa - Good, but price to portion is no value - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

If you are looking for some authentic Venezuelan food this is the spot to go! Generous sized empanadas and arepas. So delicious and definitely worth a stop. read more

Here's the thing, the food here is good. When you can get it. The last three times I have ordered food I've gotten a version of, just sold the last one, oh we're out of that, or nooooo we cant make that right now with no excuse or reason at all. I end up getting a plain bean and cheese version (delicious) almost every time because we're out of fish, or out of plantains. I would like to try something else (without meat, that's my thing). I probably won't try again. Last time I was trying to impress a date and then got this, "we only have enough for one of those." Come on. read more

Ultra-flavorful Venezuelan favorites like arepas are served up in the unassuming food cart in a pod in North East. This truck, manned by one guy, who is so friendly and has incredible sweat equity, is dishing out really great options like the #9: an arepa with black beans, plantains, shredded beef, avocado and more. Plus, he can recommend salsa for the different dishes on the menu out of the 4 he makes. Both of the salsas I ate with my arepa, which was huge and initially too hot to pick up, went really beautifully with the components. It was savory, salty, sweet, crunch, chewy, all of the things. I really want to try more menu items like some of the plated meals that I recognized. The wait time is really long during meal times, but just grab a beer at Baerlic and chill out until it's ready. read more

La Arepa - #9 arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

SLAPS. The reina pepiada is so good. I want to move to Portland just to eat these forever, everyday, 24/7. I've never had an arepa like it.

I've always wanted to try Arepas but have never had the opportunity until today. I ordered the Pabellón Arepa, Plátano Frito, and the Quesillo. Everything was super delicious. The arepa it's self reminded me of these fried quesadillas my mom makes. The fillings were great and the shredded beef was seasoned well. The Quesillo really reminded of flan. This place has set the bar for arepas and I'm looking forward to my next trip to PDX to eat these again. read more

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Loved both the shredded beef and chicken arepas. Hubby and I both commented that the beef was juicier than the chicken but both had excellent flavors. Got a side of black beans with cheese which was a perfect light meal for the two of us. read more

La Arepa - Menu - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Obsessed with this food cart! I love the beef and cheddar arepa and the appetizer that basically just plantain with cotija blew my mind. You also can't go wrong with a plate of tostones and a quesillo for dessert. I dream of this food. read more

Venezuelan food?!?!! It's about time! :-) I had already ordered a lunch when I sauntered by to check out the new cart (opened 2 weeks ago) so instead of getting a full meal I decided to just try their Quesillo dessert. For only $2, it was delcious and the perfect compliment to my lunch entree! A smooth, creamy, custardy-quieche-ish slice of pie made with eggs, milk, vanilla, & caramel, topped with a pice of pineapple... SO GOOD! ^_^ I can't wait to try their arepas and see how they stack up against Fuego De Lotus (the current arepa king in my book :-) read more

La Arepa - Their delicious, creamy, sweet&smooth dessert! - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Venezuelan food how I have missed you. Arepas, tequenos, beans with cotija cheese. So good and it's been many, many years since I've had anything like this. A La Carts are an interesting little pod. Native American food, Himalayan food, a tattoo cart and a beauty salon plus some usual standards like Thai, Mexican, Korean, burgers, bbq, Vietnamese, and two chicken places. Get your hair done while you enjoy a bahn mi or bbq chicken. Get a tat while enjoying a mushroom burger or tacos. It could work. I went with La Arepa mainly because I hadn't eaten that cuisine in a long, and I mean long time. At least 15 years, I think. Texas didn't have that type of fare, or at least I never found it and I know I had some while working in NYC. Good food but a little small for what you pay. I got a shredded beef arepa for $6 and the meat was tender and flavorful in it's little bread pocket but I wished there was more. The black beans with cotija cheese were $2 and it was a good amount for a side. They were actually a little on the sweet side. The tequeno was essentially a fried cheese stick $2, just one. But it wasn't mozzarella cheese and it was fried differently and the cheese also had a sweet quality to it. I got a side of salsa picante verde that wasn't that spicy but had a great taste to it and was even a little creamy. All in all, a great experience and I definitely will return there soon. Enjoy. read more

La Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The food here was AMAZING! So flavorful, and juicy. I've never been to Venezuela pero I'm sure this is as authentic as it gets. We got some pabellón and beef arepas and all of the ingredients went so well together. The cornmeal that the arepas are made with have a slight sweetness that would make them delicious all on their own! We also tried the pabellón criollo and everything was made to perfection. I'd would highly recommend visiting this spot and staying awhile to enjoy the flavors. Definitely coming back, and on top of it all the people were so kind! Thank you read more

Owner and staff are amazingly friendly. Food is always delicious and well-priced. A super dining experience at The Zed location.

We were feeling like some Latin/South American flavors for dinner and ordered delivery from here. I was DELICIOUS! I took leftovers to work for lunch (I teach high school and have SEVERAL students from Venezuela) and some of my students confirmed it's legitimacy as authentic Venezuelan cuisine. We will be ordering from here again! read more

REALLY good food! I mean, these arepas are seriously the best I've ever had. The only thing that really teeters me on a 4 star review is the inconsistency with hours of operation. I've visited 3 times the last month during their posted open hours, at both locations, to find them randomly closed. I seriously love their food though, so I keep coming back! read more

So freaking amazing!! My daughter & I both loved what we had (Arepa & Empanada). We don't eat beef or pork but their chicken is so tasty!!! read more

La Arepa - The menu - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This was such a treat! I have never had Venezuelan food before and this really hit the spot! I ordered the main dish PABELLÓN CRIOLLO. This was a nice spread of a few different items. Seasoned shredded beef with some killer flavor, white rice topped with an egg, black beans, avocado slices, fried plantains, and cotija cheese. Plenty of food for $10. Can of coke for $1. I really enjoyed this meal and would come back again for sure. The owners are very friendly and it was wonderful comfort food. They have empanadas and arepas to try as well. read more

Hot,fresh food and nice people. I come here on weekdays, weekends, early or late, always great quality.

I frequent this cart pod often but had yet to try La Arepa. I had been curious for a while so I decided to try it yesterday. Let me just say this food is amazing. Not only is it healthy but the flavors were off the hook! The service was on point. My new favorite place if I'm looking for a casual breakfast or lunch. I'm gonna get it again today because I simply can't stay away. read more

Hot, delicious, great portions and amazing service! I got the loaded beef empanada and it was amazing!!

The food was absolutely delicious and full of flavor and it was super fun just to chat with chef who was full of enthusiasm and hospitality, taking the time to share recommendations and all about Venezuelan food! We'll definitely be back! read more

Amazing authentic Venezuelan food! Great service from Jose, make sure to check this spot out. Cute comfortable outdoor tables in a food truck court. read more

Delicious food and amazing service. Definitely a place to come back to so you can try everything.

Amazing food, super kind and helpdul staff! seriously my favorite food cart in all of Portland.

Excellent hot arepas and friendly staff--I was impressed by the attentiveness of the young man taking our order and by the pairings of arepas and sauces that he suggested (in our case, la rubia and el perico). We'll be back--this place is a neighborhood treasure! read more

Naguaraaa Pana . This spot is it for Venezuelan comfort food. The atmosphere is chill and open, and the food is delicious! The pabellon y Reina pepiadaa are BANGIN. read more

I have to second Bryan I's assessment of La Arepa. An amazing array of delicious arepas and side dishes! I was a little overwhelmed by the massive arepa selection, but finally decided on shredded beef arepa ($6). I also ordered a taqueño ($2). The beef arepa served piping hot was excellent. Nicely seasoned with paprika, onion and pepper, it had a juicy buttery flavor. For the price, it was a generous portion too. The taqueño has a fried dough exterior and a cheese interior. For 50¢, you can add ham. The tasty a-little-bit-crunchy exterior is a cross between a doughnut and a scone from the Puyallup Fair. Very very nice. The inside is a soft melted white cheese. I only had one, but could have eaten many more! The menu indicates that the taqueño is a popular dish at Venezuelan weddings and parties. I aver that the arepas here are as good as those from Fuego De Lotus, there's no doubt about that! read more

Pod was not yet awake fully----ordered a $4 two ingredient arepa. Fresh but wished for more caramelization on the masa harina. Friendly, accommodating couple at this SE pod on Division---kiddie korner to North restaurant. PS Part of the A La Carte pods.... a low-key and quieter pod, if you will.. read more

Lack of Quality of food, inconsistency, overpriced makes this place garbage. Owners don't seem to care about theses issues. I took my mom here and I was embarrassed for taking her here. Empanadas we're soggy and under cooked. The cook didn't care and didn't offer to remake the food. Just like everything in this city, just a trash product and overhyped. read more

This was the first time I tried Venezuelan food and it was amazing. I ordered both the beef arepa and empanada so I could compare them. It was so hard to decide which one was better. I guess, if you like more "bread" to filling, and want a crunchy corn-based crust then go with the empanada. The arepa was also amazing, but my son ate most of it, so I'll probably have to get it again (poor me) The food was fresh and flavorful, and the beef was so tender and juicy. I'm definitely going back. read more

La Arepa - Beef empanada, arepa and a fried plantain - Venezuelan Near Me - Portland, Oregon