We wanted a quick, casual bite at the awkward late Saturday afternoon time. We'd always wanted to try this spot. We stopped by -- and it was spectacular. It packed the flavor punch of homestlye cooking and would rival more expensive sit-down restaurants. What a gem! We ordered the Venezuelan arepa, birria empanada, mushroom empanada, side Macondo salad, and passion fruit juice. Every dish was fantastic, and I'd easily recommend any of the above. Venezuelan arepa -- the was ridiculously yummy. The perfect balance of creamy, rich avocado sauce with chicken. It was hearty, balanced, and perfectly seasoned. Birria empanada -- this was delicious, rich, and perfect for the particularly chilly late afternoon. Birria on point. If you're craving birria in a delectable, crispy empanada format, you'll be quite happy. Mushroom empanada -- yummy. We love mushroom empanadas and they executed this one well. Macondo side salad -- surprisingly fantastic! Did not expect it to be so tasty. It was only a side dish for the combo, but it held its own among the baked goods. That's how yummy it was. Passion fruit juice -- sweet and relatively thick. They definitely didn't water it down! If you're a fan of passion fruit juice, you'll must try this one. Environment was fast casual. Only drawback was althe comfort level of a few of the dining chairs, which sloped backwards in an awkward way. The bench actually felt more comfortable, so we opted for that. Take out seems easy and common here, so we'll like try that as well in the future. Located on a busy street, but you can almost always find free parking down one of the perpendicular side streets. Looking forward to coming back for a delicious, casual bite! read more

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It was my first time ordering from here, so I was excited and decided to get a little bit of everything for our family to try. We ordered the Venezuelan, Colombian, and Pulled Pork BBQ arepas, the birria empanadas, pandebono with dulce de leche, and the chocolo arepa. Unfortunately, we couldn't finish most of the food. The birria empanadas and all three arepas were way too salty. I'm not sure if they went a little overboard with the salt today, but it was overwhelming and made it hard to enjoy anything. The pandebono with dulce de leche was also disappointing. It's described as being filled with dulce de leche, but it was actually just a plain pandebono with a small side of dulce de leche. The texture was also a bit too chewy for my liking. The only item I truly enjoyed and was able to eat was the chocolo arepa that one was actually decent. Overall, I was pretty disappointed because I really enjoy arepas and was excited to find a new spot. I may give them another try in the future in case it was just an off day, but this first experience didn't live up to my expectations. read more

Friendly customer service. Very small. Somewhere to grab & go. They have a couple seatings if you want to sit in. I had mushroom arepas. Really good. Great place to come for a quick bite. Will come back & try more. read more

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The empanadas are the star of the show for me. This place is like your aunties cooking inside and serving the home made food you grew up eating. Not that expensive, hot, and full of flavor. And yo can buy them ala carte if you don't want to spend too much. It's small, no seating but a small bench outside, so it's basically to go only. The ladies are nice inside, and are fast. It's a small little Alameda gem. read more

This place is sooo good for empanadas and arepas! We got the birria arepa and the banh mi arepa, a cheesy bread, passionfruit juice and chicken empanadas. Arepas were pretty filling, we had chicken empanadas for later and those were so good also! I love the flaky crust and the filling wasn't dry at all. Will definitely be back- all the flavors were delicious! Heads up that this place is more of a takeaway situation- there's no seating inside. Some small cafe tables are available outside on the sidewalk. read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Banh Mi Arepa and Birria Empanada - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

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The birria empanadas when fresh were so so good that we went back after ordering to get another set. Small pop up shop so definitely be ready to eat outside or eat on the go. The food was pretty good and if you can't decide gotta always go with their recommendations and they didn't disappoint read more

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First time ordering Colombian food. Got a little bit of everything. The Perico Arepa was good I had a few bites to taste it and saving rest for breakfast. Like a fat thick tortilla. The Quesabirria Arepa was very good BUT they gave a tiny little container of consome. That's enough for two BITES. Same with the Lechona Empanada. Very good but TINY container. You need to quadruple that container size lads. The desert was Aborrajado and it's like an apple pie that's deep fried in ball form. Very good an rich. I was so full and bloated I couldn't finish it all. 11/10 would have diabetes again. read more

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No pics of the food bc we devoured it so fast! There's no tables to eat at, just pick up. Would recommend the Perico Arepa for breki and the Colombianisima Arepa! read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Decor - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

Macondo Columbian Fusion! Excited for a new dining experience in Alameda. Was planning to eat at Macondo but realized when we arrived it's a take out restaurant. Ok, so we will go home to eat. The menu had some yummy selections and what we thought were samples of the empanadas in the case looked huge and we were excited! We ordered a mushroom, birria and lechora empanada, a banh mi arepa, Macondo salad and beet salad. We didn't look into the stapled bag until we got home. Missing the beet salad. Darn it. We were feeding three people and wanted to sample a little of everything. Why are the empanadas not the size of the ones we saw in the case -- or were those not empanadas? And we also realized some empanadas are baked and some are fried-- but we weren't given a choice in our order and all appeared to be fried. Barring those questions and discrepancies, the food was tasty but not as exciting as I was hoping. But I think I need to go back to understand what I really ordered. And try them again. read more

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I discovered this place while searching for a lunch place in Alameda. They seemed to offer a wide variety of food with fusion flavors so I decided to try it out. I ordered online and got the colombianisima arepa, banh mi arepa, birria empanada, and lechona empanada. I got everything to go since the store is very small and either had no or limited seating (can't recall). My favorite out of the bunch was the banh mi arepa. I loved the filling that it had, the mix of the tender meat with the cabbage/onions and the sauce that accompanied it. The meat in the colombiansima arepa could have used a tad bit more seasoning, but I appreciated that it wasn't dry. Both arepas were soft and had a nice chew and had ample amount of filling. I was honestly surprised with how much was stuffed inside! Unfortunately, I was not as impressed with the empanadas. The lechona empanada was super super hard, almost as if it were fried twice or just old, and came with a broken exterior. I almost didn't want to eat the outside because it wasn't appetizing. The filling was dry as well, though could be covered up by the sauce. The birria empanada was definitely better, as the outside was fried well, but I think I'd just stick with the arepas. I like that this store offers different flavor combinations that you wouldn't usually find in arepas and empanadas. Pickup for my order was quick and easy and staff was very nice during my time there. I think the food was not bad but could be a bit better for the price. There were a few other flavor combinations that I wanted to try so I think I'd give this place another shot if I was in the area again. read more

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This is a very late review, so my apologies! I stopped by to order the banh mi arepa and farmers arepa. The banh mi arepa has yummy juicy brisket (meat). I unfortunately can't really handle spicy stuff like the jalapeno though I know that's a common ingredient in banh mi. It also contained carrots. I thought this was an interesting and unique item since I haven't often seen fusion cuisine arepas. As for the farmers arepa, it was also pretty good, it's more on the sweet side because of the plantains. I do wish they had more vegetarian options, especially ones that have plant-based meats, to be more comparable to the meat-containing arepa options. read more

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The service was quick and the workers were nice. We got the beef, lechona, and birria empanadas. The birria one was my favorite and we actually went back to order more after we finished these ones. The worker recommended the fried ones over the baked ones and I'm glad we got them because they were nice and crispy on the outside. They have some benches outside for a quick place to eat but other than that there aren't any tables inside to eat at. The parking is only street parking as well. read more

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0 stars for their consistent lack of people skills. I've been coming here on a weekly basis...for awhile now. Not once have they ever said hi, thank you, or anything like that. Today, my order took 30 min (I called ahead and they said give them 20). K I'm not trippin. They got my order wrong....ok just for charge me for the avocado that you left out even tho I saw the slip and it was on the slip. What kills me is I didn't get a "sorry about that" or anything. They just take you order and take your money. So, I'm done with this place for a good minute until they up their service levels. There are lots of choices for food out there and those place just misses the mark on customer service read more

Cut and pasted from their website: "Macondo is a fictional town described in Gabriel García Márquez's novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude." "The yellow butterflies of our logo appear in the novel "Cien años de Soledad" (Hundred Years of Solitude)." Quality/Quantity - The quality of the food is 5 stars. The quantity is 4 stars. Pulled Pork BBQ Arepa - One of their best sellers and it did not fail. Perfect blend of pork and cabbage, etc. Quesabirria Arepa - This was good also, but needed way more sauce. At minimum, two sauces. I know this is fusion, but I am used to dipping birrias. Also, the pickled carrots were a very nice touch and with good flavors. Mushroom Empanada - My daughter's and mine's favorite, especially with their sauce. Chicken Empanada - Our least favorite. But again, the sauce is/was amazing! I can put this sauce on everything. Both empanadas were good, just too small. Am I being greedy? These are baked? Tasted and looked deep fried. Simple menu done well. Atmosphere - Even with GPS, it is not easy to find. It might have been me, or the rain, or a busy Webster street? But once I parked, I found the place easily by walking. If the city allows, can I suggest bigger and more signage? Very small take out business. Simple, nice decor, see pictures. Street parking, metered right in front, and free residential parking around the corner. Small display, but missing signage. I would/might have liked to try a few items, if I had known what they were. I might have made a few impulse purchases...? See pictures. Small open kitchen. Bench seating inside and outside for waiting. It was raining today, so I chose to stay indoors. Service - Good. I shared that I was a first time customer and asked for suggestions. She answered the question, but it was not a suggestive sell, so I asked for a few more minutes to read and study the entire menu. Price - $27, I was worried it was not enough food after I saw the size of the empanadas. But because we are light eaters, it was just enough. FYI - Pricing on your website is outdated, please update or take off the prices. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2022. Why did it take me so long to discover you? read more

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The arepas are amazing. I fully recommend them. If you're craving for a Colombian food, you won't regret it. Take in consideration that the place is a to go restaurant, even tho they have some tables out, probably is going to be busy. read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Salad - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

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This place is a hidden gem in Alameda! I can't believe I haven't been here before. A Colombian friend of mines recommended that I come here for authentic Colombian food. It's a super cute grab and go restaurant, and they make everything fresh daily. The owner is Colombian and from Bogota, and brings traditional recipes to Alameda. There are benches if you want to sit inside or outside after your food is prepared. We went for dinner and tried the empanadas, arepas, and bunelos. It was my first time remembering having arepas so delicious. The arepas are fusion with different flavors. We had pulled pork, quesabirria, and banh mi. The banh mi was super unique and tasted like a banh mi with a jalapeño. Their pork is so soft and flavorful. It was like lechon. Buenlos were fresh and their cheese was melting as a took a bite. Empanadas are traditional with a spicy sauce and lots of flavors to choose from. We had lechona, beef, and mushroom. Their fruit juices were also fresh. I loved the mango! The staff is super friendly and welcoming. Excellent customer service from when you order to when your food is ready! When we were there, they had so many customers come in and out, you can tell this spot is a local favorite. We will surely be back again and again. read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Food was extremely AMAZING!!!! so fresh, tasty and good price. The people who work there, are extremely nice and patient. They gave me a good recommendation on what to get. Highly recommended. Can't wait to go back! read more

In my opinion, Macondo is currently the best spot on Webster to grab a quick bite on the go. The arepas are fresh and delicious and you can see the labor of love that goes into the cooking process by literally looking into the open kitchen while your meal is prepared to order. As soon as I enter the cozy shop, I feel like I'm transported into an abuelita's house in the campos outside of Bogotá. If you've never had arepas, they are a universal crowd-pleaser: a base of sweet corn tortilla filled with cheese, meat, and or veggies. Crispy, chewy, warm, savory, and best of all... portable! read more

I have never had Arepas before, so I never knew what I was missing out on until today. On the other hand, my partner has tried Arepas a few times before, but ultimately, Macondo's Arepas has topped all the other Arepas he has tried. Guess I got pretty lucky landing Macondo as my introduction to Colombian food! I came across Macondo randomly when searching up for a place to eat around Alameda. We came on a Friday night, around 7PM, to find out that it's a made-to-order and takeout only. Inside is basically just a counter for taking orders, some cute decor, and a few chairs laid out for customers waiting on their orders. I probably should have researched this part a little better, but oh well, didn't mind too much! Parking was fairly easy to find if you turn off from the main street, Webster. I visited the area last week as well and parking is relatively easy to find. We asked the lady manning the counter what her favorites were, and she suggested Quesabirria, Banh Mi, Pull Pork, and Venezuelan Arepas. I believe she also mentioned the Mushroom Empanada, which was perfect because I knew I wanted that! I ended up choosing the combo that comes with 1 Arepas, 1 Empanada, 1 salad, and a drink. I went with the Venezuelan Arepas and she informed me that that particular one comes at room temperature. Also, the Mushroom Empanada, the Macondo Salad and Blackberry fruit juice. My partner opted for the 2 Arepas combo that comes with a side and drink. As the kitchen seemed to be only handled by the counterperson and 1 other in the back, it took ~10 mins for our order to be ready. We ended up taking our order home to enjoy and throughout the whole way, we can smell how mouthwateringly delicious it was, haha. My blackberry drink was pretty sweet, but tasted like real juiced blackberry. Thicker in consistency than normal store-bought juice. It was pretty good, but I think I liked my partner's mango juice more, haha. The Macondo Salad was pretty decent in size for a side! It's tangy, fresh, and had a variety of texture to the bites. I'd definitely get that salad again the next time I go for a combo. Next, my Mushroom Empanada! I may be biased because I love mushrooms and this was a yummy empanada. Crispy on the outside, but flavorful and hot on the inside. There's quite a few variety of veggies mixed in, but they all blend well together! Lastly, the Venezuelan Arepas! I can only describe this as something similar to a pita pocket, but the outer layer is a bit gritty (like an English Muffin) and has a bit of chewiness to it. The inside was stuffed with chicken breast, finely stuffed cilantro, and supposedly some avocado, but I'm not sure I got much avocado in mine. I'd imagine it being a really good mix though if more was added. The chicken breast wasn't particularly dry, but not particularly moist either, it was good. The cilantro added a bit of a refreshing aspect to it. Everything combined together was great. My partner's Arepas was much more flavorful and juicy! Maybe I didn't get the best option for me, but I enjoyed it! Next time, I think I'll try the Banh Mi or Maite. I was a bit skeptical about the Banh Mi, but it seems to be a pretty popular menu item amongst the Yelpers. Service is informative and friendly! Definitely coming back for sure! read more

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Macondo Columbian Fusion opened in the to be Greek Meze space that never opened. just take out available, no dine in. a bench outside available for (s)eating. Macondo is a La Cocina alum. offerings: breakfast/lunch & dinner arepas, empanadas, salads, sides, sauces. drill: either call in or order in person. food ready in minutes. eats: quesabirria arepa (8) with consumme -arepa looks the Columbian version of a Med. pita pocket. it can be a versatile vessel for many different kinds of stuffings. -filled with a generous portion of tender, moist, juicy strands of braised birra mixed with cheese, pickled red onions, carrots, and cilantro. by itself it's deliz. with beef consumme added, this elevates this arepa to another unami level. degrees beyond the usual taco version. mushroom empanada (3.5) come with sauce -unlike other Latin versions, these are moist inside and soft on outside not an hard shell. -center has sauteed mushrooms & carmelized onions which are liquefied, juicy, not solidified semi-chewy. the orange sauce amplifies the unami sensation, not smothering it. sweet corn cake (comped) -owner was so nice to give me one as she thought i walked here. (i didn't) -delicate soft cake that goes well by itself or with any leftover sauces/consumme. 4.5 stars great value. unique usuage of arepas/empanandas to dispense food. take outs: -haven't ate arepas in quite awhile since discovering them decades ago in the mission, s.f. -there's parking somewhere around the block or across the street. -March is women history month... read more

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Look what I got today--Colombian frijolada from Macondo! Delicious, hearty, and perfectly paired with crispy empanadas and cheesy buñuelos. A true taste of Colombia! Shoutout to the amazing owner and the phenomenal team--they make every visit special! read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

Looking for a new place with great food in Alameda? Macondo is your next stop! They opened recently, so definitely try this place soon! Staff and Service: - There aren't any tables here, so it is a place to order and eat elsewhere - I think the person who helped us is the owner - such a nice woman. She allowed us to try the juice before ordering, and we ended up ordering two! Food and Drinks: - Passion fruit juice: tart juice packed with a lot of flavor. - Quesabirria Arepa: My, oh my. This was so tasty! Comes with a small cup of consome, and comes with a ton of flavor. There are some shredded carrots that come on top of the super flavorful meat / cheese mixture. I will definitely be ordering many of these next time I visit. - Banh Mi Arepa: the toppings made it taste like a banh mi (pickled carrots, jalapeños, etc.); however, the meat was not that of a banh mi. That being said; the brisket was still tasty! I did get some fatty pieces I couldn't eat, but the flavor was good. - Beef Empanada: I do wish this was larger in size - was quite small (about three small bites). The flavor was good though. - Beet Salad: average beet salad - comes dressed already (couldn't really tell what the dressing was). Miscellaneous: - Parking is pretty tough on Webster, especially Saturday afternoons close to the hours of the farmers market. - A bench and two chairs are available inside to sit on while waiting for your food - Food is made fresh to order, so expect to wait a little bit (nothing absurd) read more

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Very tasty. For the longest time this was an abandoned place that was a Greek place I think. Once I saw the place back alone with colour and life, it was interesting to see Colombian in Alameda. I like it. Rare and savoury. Before seeing the menu I knew arepas more or less had to be there. I then notice the title says fusion so I was ready to see what was in store. I went for the banh mi and pulled pork arepas. Baked plantain. The place is very small. Only benches for the wait time and it does get crowded. Wait time was okay and worth it as my food was delicious. Got my order to go and the packaging was very well wrapped. Prices are reasonable. The smell was so good that I was already tasting the flavour mid air. I would have preferred my different arepas in different smaller boxes but it's fine. The banh mi was a little less with flavour but was my mothers favourite and the pulled pork was nice, savoury, sweet, and very warm. The garnishes with the cabbage and veggies bring it to a new level. I must say that it's upsetting that the sauces cost a bit but they have several to enjoy. Empanadas and some drinks are on the menu as well. Place seems clean and you can see your food being prepared wide open. Recommend. Closest BART station is downtown Oakland or Lake Merritt AC Transit buses 20, 51A, O, 96, and 78 go by here easily. read more

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Yes, please go. Didn't realize it was a to-go spot but no one else was there so we sat and ate our order on the one bench inside the restaurant. We shared one of the specials that came with a salad, arepa, empanada, and drink. Arepa was quite filling, empanada was smaller. Both tasty. The salad was very fresh and delicious. Loved the fresh juice. Definitely will go back to try the different offerings. read more

quick pick up location with no seating for eating. it's a great place to grab a bite before heading to the beach! the food is AMAZING. i have never tried this type of food before but i was pleasantly surprised. we tried the bbq, asada and mushroom. please share with a friend bc they gotta try the goods! definitely will come again to try the asian inspired choices read more

Food is good but this this a restaurant. NOT a political stage. Sadly will not be going anymore since they are more concerned about politics than they are business Sad! read more

Amazing! My kids loved it, empanadas are great and our go to is the farmers arepa. My 3 year old loved the arepa Venezolana. Also recommend the sauces combos, salads and juice. read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Arepa venezolana - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

Not the empanada that I'm used to, but it was tasty. Cute location very convenient. I love a good one hand snack! read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Beef Empanada - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Food is delicious! Definitely recommend all of their empanadas and Arepas! Their agua de maracuya is also so good!!! read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Birria Empanada and Mushroom Empanada - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

Sometimes "fusion" is just "too creative " for me. But here at Macondo, the combination of flavors is a nice balance. They mix in a little bit of other flavors just to enhance the traditional arepas. I just wished the arepas were slightly crispier. They probably were when they were made. That is a challenge with take out only places. We walked down the block to the benches and the arepas were starting to crumble. Nonetheless, delightful! I enjoyed the quesabirria arepa and its pickles. The sweet choclo was very cheesy. Not fusion. Once again delightful. The beef empanada, not fusion, was crispy. read more

We had the hawaiian, lechon and beef empanadas. They were all delicious and the side sauces were stellar. Service was attentive and helpful when deciding what to get. It's a small space but they have an outside bench and seating for 4 inside. read more

What a cute little place!! The arepas were absolutely delicious; soft little crispy corn buns that envelope delicious cheese and meat. I've been to authentic Colombian restaurants in Miami and in Bogota and Cartagena (and I'm going back this summer to Colombia again) and this food is absolutely spectacularly authentic and delicious. Got the Banh Mi Arepa and a Cheese Arepa and I'll be back every week for more - such a great local small business and incredible decor inside. Highly recommended! read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - So delicious! The entire menu! - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Esta cocina es una delicia, muy bien presentada muy sabrosa con grandes salsas. I have known Colombian cuisine when I was younger , this is fun and first rate! read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

This place is so lovely! The food is delicious. While I am a total meat-atarian my favorites are the mushroom empanada and the veggie arepa. Both have such wonderful flavors. The quesabirria arepa, banh mi arepa, chicken empanada, and beef empanada are all delish too. Don't forget to order some aoli it's a great dipping sauce. The interior is adorable, you can tell someone has put a lot of thought into how it looks. Clean, bright, and beautiful. read more

I have been coming here with my wife since it opened and we love it! It's always a quick, reasonably priced, and delicious. Our favorites are the Colombiana, Birria, and Banh Mi. read more

Estaban buenisimas las empanadas fritas, muy bien servicio, tambien tienen jugos naturales . read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Cheaper than a plane ticket to Columbia! AND GLUTEN FREE! Arepas and empanadas filled with a multitude of deliciousness, from fusion inspired Bahn Mi to traditional flavors. The beef is so flavorful and tender, the empanadas are light and seasoned perfectly! Bonus, they carry Colombian single origin coffee too! read more

I'm not very familiar with Colombian cuisine, but Macondo is amazing. I tried their banh mi arepa and it was exactly what I'd hoped: hot, fresh, flavorful, and just the right amount of messy. I'll be back, and often. read more

Macondo Colombian Fusion - Banh mi arepa - Colombian Near Me - Alameda, California

Amazing food! Tried 3 different types of arepas and 3 different empanadas and they were fantastic! Everyone was happy and we can't wait to go back to try the other varieties. The combo special of empanada, arepa, salad and a fruit drink was a great bargain with so much for the price ($16 or $17 I think?) Only downside is you need to take it to go. You might end up wolfing it down on the bench outside because you can't wait to tear into it. read more

It's been hard to find Colombian food in the Bay but if you're looking for an arepa for some comfort food then this is your new go to spot!