A small bakery we love coming to for delicious empanadas! Breakfast and BBQ Pork are my favorites…read moreand my husband loves the Cuban, Chicken Curry, and Ropa Vieja. He also likes the Beef Ball and Square Pie. Their sweet baked goods are good too. We've tried a cookie cake and a macaroon. The location is small, but they're very popular! The place seems clean and the service is friendly.

I went to OBRA Handbakery to try their empanadas. If you're not familiar, an empanada is a baked or…read morefried pastry turnover filled with various ingredients--here they bake them. Originating in Spain, empanadas spread to neighboring countries and across the Spanish colonial network, resulting in many styles and fillings. The online magazine longbeachize.com has a great article on the owners of this business. By now, I've tried every empanada they offer at least once. What I order depends on my mood, but there are plenty of fillings to choose from. I have to say, this shop is consistent--the size and shape of the empanadas and the bread-to-filling ratio. I also appreciate that they mark the pastries, so you know exactly what's inside. But do not think they only serve empanadas. They also have sweet cakes and pasties as well.

Firstly, the service is amazing. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and super clean. The staff…read moreare incredibly nice and the owner offered to get my dog water as we sat outside. The food itself is very much worth it, the Arepa is as beautifully cooked nice and crispy on the outside and the flavors were nicely balanced. The garlic and picante sauce paired perfectly. Nothing was over powering or underwhelming. I would def come back here again! Thank you for a delicious meal!

My first time trying Arepa and I'm a fan now…read more The bread is very unique, kind of reminds me of an english muffin but made out of corn. I had the Pabellon Arepa and even though I don't like sweet in my food I think the plantains went very well with the rest of the ingredients in the sandwich. Overall, it was very enjoyable. Also came with two dips which is always a plus. I do think the price is a little too hefty for what it is though. For that reason, I am not sure how often I'd go back, but I'm glad I tried and I think so should you.

I am so impressed by this place. The quality of food is superb, the taste of the food is delicious,…read moreand the presentation of the food, even in a to-go plate, is beautifully done. Everything is fresh and cooked to order. The service is friendly and quick and I appreciate that. I had the Reina con tajada arepa, and not only was it delicious, it's incredibly filling. The price point is definitely worth it and I will be back!

Cariaco To Go is a tiny grocery store that also sells food. There are two small 2-person patio…read moretables out front facing the street. I normally order takeout online, which offers exclusive items such as an extra side with your arepa. You'll even find a secret menu on the website under the "More" tab. FOOD ORDERED The arepa plates were massive, with generous amounts of filling spilling out of the maize dough. I am moderately active and can't finish the plate in one sitting. I kind of wish there was an option to split the one gigantic arepa into two smaller ones! I liked that the arepa shell was not oily. The outer part of the grilled dough was crisp and dry, but the inside soft and creamy-ish. The shop's creamy orange and green sauces brought out the corn flavor and added moisture. I'm not sure what the sauces were, but they were good. The orange was slightly spicier than the green. - Reina con Tajada Arepa ($14.35 + $1.90 for Yucca fries side upgrade). Cold, creamy mayo-avocado chicken salad was topped with cilantro, more avocado, and two fried plantains. The taste was savory and satisfying. My only complaint was the price of nearly $2 for 3 sticks of fried yucca. But the yucca fries were thick like potato wedges and tasty: crispy, not too oily, starchy and fluffy yet chewy, lightly pressed with chili salt. - Vegetarian Pabellón Arepa ($14.35). Black beans with spices, diced tomato, two fried plantains, avocado, and white cheese. Hefty and tasty! The fried plantains were not too oily and offered some sweetness. Huge chunks of buttery ripe avocado tied the flavors together. I opted for two sides of salad, which tasted similar to a savory and lightly dressed cole slaw. The salad mix included shredded carrots, green and red cabbage, and diced tomato. - Pabellón Arepa ($14.95). Shredded beef, black beans, fried plantains, and white cheese. Omg, so good. The bite was juicy, umami, creamy, and a little sweet all at once. The stewed shredded beef had the same warm spice profile as the vegetarian version. - Caripe Empanada ($7.80). Ground beef with spices, fried plantain, and cheddar cheese filling. Nearly $8 for one empanada seemed pricy, but the size was more like two small empanadas put together. The filling was yummy, wrapped in a soft corn dough that was slightly crispy and lightly oily. - Yuca Frita Side ($6 - 5pcs). Five pieces! I thought the upgrade to yucca fries on the arepa plates were expensive until we ordered these! I guess I can't fault the restaurant though. The yucca plant is apparently so expensive that there is now a black market for it.

We live a 5 minute walk away but the past weekend the line was too long, so we went today,…read moreWednesday. Got our order in right away and about five minutes later the food was bought out to our table. The shredded chicken in the Red Queen was nicely spicey, the chorizo in the east LA was perfect. Gonna try the 405 next time! Will for sure be going back!!

The Arepa Stand is a different but delicious take on arepas. Arepas are both Colombian and…read moreVenezuelan. Dating back thousands of years to indigenous populations, they were made long before modern borders existed. Both countries claim the arepa as a national staple, but they prepare and eat them differently. Here the corn masa sandwich is filled with various interesting ingredients. I ordered the Classic Combo which was a main arepa, the The Red Queen- Shredded chicken, pickled red onions, avocado sauce, dutch cheese and cilantro. The Classic Combo offers Your choice of arepa + drink + fried plantains. The arepa arrived huge and packed making it a bit messy to eat but that is not a big problem. The Plaintain were delicious. This combo was very filling and satisfying. For street like food the price was a bit high but the flavors were very tasty.

We found Encuentro Cafe as we were walking around Old Town San Diego. Service was amazing, very…read morefriendly, and they checked on us to make sure everything was good as we waited for our meal. The meals were very tasty and portions were just right. I can only speak about my dish as I didn't have a taste of the other meal. I had the El Vainero (sweet corn pancake with Mano cheese, shredded beef, black beans and plantains). The flavors were so amazing together. You will just have to try it. I also ordered yuca fries. The three types of "sauces" were mild, medium, and hot. All three were tasty in their own way and I enjoyed all of them with the yuca fries and towards the end of my meal, it added a little kick to my dish. As for beverages, we had water and I ordered the hot chocolate. I know, hot chocolate, but it was so good. I love an authentic cup of hot chocolate with a bit of real whip cream and some cinnamon. In all, our experience at Encuentro Cafe was great from the service to the food. It is very intimate and we ate in the covered patio. It was as it would be eating outside with tropical decor. Not crowded and noise level as it would be eating in an enclosed patio, not too noisy with the sounds of Old Town patrons walking/driving down the street. I will definitely look forward to visiting this restaurant again when I visit San Diego.

The food and atmosphere were amazing!! Unfortunately, the service left a lot to be desired…read more I normally pride myself on leaving a generous tip, but the service was extremely lacking. Our server took our drink and food order, and everything seemed great up until that point. Then we realized she had forgotten to put in our drink order. When she finally brought my drink, it was the wrong one. When our food arrived, my order was incomplete my extra bacon was missing. So I ended up watching my wife eat her meal while I waited. My food finally came out right before she finished eating. After we finished, our server eventually made her way back to the table. I asked about the military discount, and she nodded and said they offered one. When she brought the check, the discount hadn't been applied, so I had to ask again. Between the mistakes with our order and what I could see and hear happening at some of her other tables, I'm guessing she was either brand new or just having an extremely rough day. We've all been there, so I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt. That said, we're definitely excited to come back and give this place another try because it has so much to offer! Hopefully, we catch our server on a better day next time. If the service had matched the food and atmosphere, this would have been a 5 review all day long!!

We had the avocado toast, which was phenomenal! The cold brew was also excellent, and you can't…read morebeat the view!

freshly made and very delicious. 2 kids size açaí bowls and 2 vegetarian arepas came to $54…read more nice to have this cafe on the beach. approximately 54 steps (i'm a counter). no pics because i was getting food for my friend and i while she was having an endoscopy and everything timed perfectly. the staff is so very friendly and cheerful! definitely have a meal here when you're in SC at T street!

Hands down the best, most authentic Venezuelan food in Los Angeles. I come all the way from West…read moreHollywood to have an arepa. The staff is so friendly and make great suggestions on what to order. There is limited seating inside, but great outdoor options that is covered. They're adjoined to a Pasadena Public Parking lot. $1 for 2 hours, a great deal! Can't wait to come back! My favorite at the moment is the Reina - chicken & avocado

Came here for Sunday brunch - menu was pretty straight forward but the chocolat and the rest of the…read moredrinks on their menu was overwhelming. I wanted to try their chocolate but still wanted coffee and I had both. oh so good. Food wise, it tasted so authentic & fresh. The place was quite small but just right, people are in & out. I like the outside seating. I can't wait to try their other drinks. P.S. they guy that was there was super helpful. very knowledgeable of what they are offering.

This place great! They are located in a home beautiful garden area. There are a lot of flowers and…read moretrees. Overall, very nice area! Food is so delicious. Also, they have very reasonable prices (very hard to find now on days) and portions are big! My go to is the pabellon. The guys working there are also very nice! Highly recommend it.

As we waited you could tell they put extra care into the order. There was music playing in the…read morebackground and it created a welcoming vibe. The food was fabulous and we are definitely making plans to come back again. We dined in their front yard seating area. We brought back the pabellón for my mom who is a native Venezuelan which she approved of as totally authentic. We hope continued success for either careering or for a more permanent location in the future.