This was my first time tryna Venezuelan food and I was impressed. I ordered the Arepa Trio and the…read moreNachos Pica Pica. The Corn Arepa's were light and filling! The flavors were incredible. I especially liked the variety of sauces as well. I just wish the bottles were filled! The Nachos Pica Pica was the best part. Easy for sharing, I took half home to finish later. There is so much more to the menu, I want to experience more flavors of Venezuela next time. If you never had an Arepa before, this is place to try them.

Unfortunately, my recent visit was disappointing. I had mid-week lunch here with a good friend and…read moreremembered this place as being quite good. This time, however, the quality and taste were lacking. The spicy chicken arepa was very dry, and the chicken tasted like it had been sitting out for a while before being reheated. The white arepa itself was also dry, and even the sauces couldn't really improve the dish. My friend ordered a vegetarian arepa and was also disappointed. It's a shame, as this used to be a great spot for Colombian treats.

A cozy, casual spot in Civic Center offering comforting Colombian-style dishes with rich flavors…read moreand hearty portions. The food feels homemade and satisfying, especially for anyone craving warm, traditional comfort meals. Service is usually friendly and quick, and the atmosphere is simple rather than fancy--more about taste and value than presentation.

Decided to grab lunch at this food truck while they were stationed at Open Sauce in Cow Palace, and…read moreI'm so glad we chose this over the other food trucks. I was really craving something dank, and so I got an arepas de queso rellena from Colombians Food Factory, and everything was so delicious, The arepa with steak was rich, but the sweetness of the corn in the actual arepa dough helped dial back the overall savoriness of everything. The dish with fries, crispy potato sticks, sausage, beef, and sauce (sorry, I don't know the name) was SO good and satisfying for an empty stomach. The sausage, potato sticks, and sauce really elevated everything. Seriously, if I find this food truck again, I'm ordering with no hesitation. Loved our food :)

Delicious! I've never had a fresh version of this cookie before. Reminded me of a Stroopwafel. I…read morewas curious and ordered: Dulce de Leche (classic): So good! The outside is so fresh with crunchy and the caramel in the inside was incredible. It was very sweet but balanced out nicely with the outside crust. The filling was so milky and delicious. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall, very delicious dessert. It would pair amazingly with coffee which I didn't have. Will try their kit next time which is $10 for 3!

My Colombian friend brought us here to enjoy obleas and pandebono. I've had the little wrapped…read moreobleas, but these were a whole different level of amazing gesture/taste. The wafer is light and crisp. The dulce de leche is drool worthy and perfectly sweet. When paired with the cafe, it is perfection. The pandebono is also delicious! The one I had was untoasted, but I highly recommend roasting it. There is a light cheese flavor and the texture is really nice. It is also gluten-free which worked out well for my other friend. I also had a sip of my friend's coffee and it was fantastic. Not bitter and very smooth. Reminded me that while I don't drink coffee, it is still very delicious treat. There was no line when we arrived, but people started coming by once we were in line. The staff are so kind and generous. I don't go into SF often, but I look forward to visiting Bocadito again soon!

Great San Francisco lunch or happy hour spot! Close to City Hall and the Main Library…read more The food is amazing and the servers are so helpful. A ton of great tequilas. Give them a chance and you'll be glad that you did!

I came here for a work lunch and it was decent overall with a festive vibe, but the service was a…read morelittl euneven that day. I normally cut a lot of slack when a restaurant is serving a group, but it seemed like there were problems with the kitchen. That said, the server/manager-type guy was very warm and welcoming; he checked in a few times apologizing for the delays. We received our food a bit more than 45 minutes later, so had to rush through the eating part. I got the Tajin Fried Chicken which was nicely cooked. The plantains were excellent and everything was very fresh. It was good chicken, but honestly I didn't notice Tajin in the chicken or the sauce. I almost wondered if they forgot it? The fried brussels sprouts were awesome though and I'd definitely get it again. In conclusion, I think they just had an off day, but it has all the right pieces to be a good restaurant.

We wanted a quick, casual bite at the awkward late Saturday afternoon time. We'd always wanted to…read moretry 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!

It was my first time ordering from here, so I was excited and decided to get a little bit of…read moreeverything 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.

WE LOVE PARCHE! WOW…read more What an great spot. This place exceeded all expectations. Every dish was delightful. Great (strong) drinks, great music, and friendly/lively atmosphere. It was an upscale meal without the pretentiousness of a stuffy white-tablecloth place. We will absolutely return.

Had really high expectations for this place based on the stellar reviews, but the execution fell…read moreshort. It's a 3-star experience at best--mostly decent food, but a frustratingly poor experience that means we won't be recommending. The Good: The Sauces & Service: The sauces here are beautifully executed, and our server was friendly and attentive. The vibe is a bit crowded but lively, don't fully stretch your hands, you might accidentally hit your neighbor... if you are tall enough! Santa Maria Ceviche: Hands down the best dish of the night. Fresh, perfectly marinated fish, and an excellent sauce. The Mid: Empanada: Decent flavor, but the pastry skin was a bit thick, leaving the innermost part undercooked and doughy-stretchy. Arepa: It was "interesting"--felt less like a traditional arepa and more like a deep-fried potato patty. The mushrooms on it were delicious, though. Fried Salmon Skin: A bit fishy, and you could tell the deep-frying oil wasn't as fresh as it should be. Drinks were ok, nothing special, but a bit pricey. The Absolute Worst (and why it's a generous 3 stars): The Grilled Sirloin was a massive disappointment and easily the worst dish of our entire trip. The quality of the cut was subpar--barely scraping the bottom of "Choice" grade, if not completely unrated. One entire end was so riddled with tough tendons it was literally impossible to cut through, and the rest was some what dry undersalted. It tasted "under-beefed," exactly like a steak that had been buried in the back of a freezer for months and lost all its essence. We politely mentioned the tendon issue to our server just so they could let the chef know. Somehow, this triggered a visit from the manager, who brought over three shots of "something sweet" to end the meal. Irony alert: the drink was packed with something like angostura bitters and wasn't sweet at all, lol. Instead of an actual apology, the manager condescendingly lectured us that sirloin is a tougher cut of meat. Duh. No one is comparing this to A5 Wagyu or a prime ribeye; it couldn't even compete with a basic supermarket sirloin! To rub (the missing) salt into the wound, he ichallenged our feedback by implicitly out that we ate most of it. I literally had to tell him that there were plenty of partially cut, inedible gristle pieces left right there on the plate for him to go verify himself if he cared so much. Great sauces can't save bad meat and defensive management. I cannot recommend.

Carnival in San Francisco is coming up this Memorial Day weekend and many countries are represented…read morethrough entertainment and food. One street which Carnival parade passes by is 16th street. Walking on 16th street you will find many different types of cafes and restaurants. There are some restaurants which have been there for decades and some there for years. You will find cuisines from China, Philippines, Thailand , El Salvador , Vietnam, Spain, Italy , Mexico ,Pakistan, and some Americana bites like the Pittsburgh sandwich( from Pennsylvania not California). There is one place which is named after a South American dish where you can enjoy food from Venezuela and it is called Arepas. Walking down memory lane by strolling down 16th street where the young Don Juan grew up in San Francisco I landed at Arepas. Inside there are lots of tables and a full bar along with a wine bar which serves Rosé , Malbec from Argentina , Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile , and Pinot Noir from California ( like Don Juan Pinot Noir). On the menu you will find chicharron ceviche with plantain chips. You will also find Venezuelan empanadas with cheese , beef, and plantain Maduro ( not talking about Maduro the ex-President of Venezuela). They also have hella arepas. The arepas are often compared to tacos and pupusas. I find them a bit different since they are gluten free but they both have lots of similarities. I got the Arepas Santa Barbara with steak and shredded cheese and on a grilled corn pocket. It was a bit cheesy and a bit corny like some in SF. The Arepa Catira had chicken and shredded cheese and crispy lettuce . It was savory and tasty. Come to Arepas to get some Arepas. Come take a stroll to the old neighborhood of "Don Juan Pinot Noir" to Arepas a Venezuelan restaurant with live music and a "wine bar "and pair it with an Arepa Camaron that has some "char" with some Maduro the plaintain not the ex-President of Venezuela or the "Maduro Cigar" Go to Arepas and get food from "Venezuela" historically known for one of the most Ms. Universe winners and also for their "telenovela " when it comes to Arepas they have "hella" they have some in SF that are so corny and cheesy filled with shredded "mozzarella"

Excellent food, but terrible customer service! I accidentally placed my order 15 minutes early,…read morecalled, and a very angry woman answered. I asked if I could wait while they prepared my order, and she said yes, but a few seconds later they canceled it. Even though I order every day, they clearly don't care about making sales! Hire more staff because these people, including another guy today with the same awful attitude, will bankrupt the business! Adding to that, I always order food here because my partner really likes it, but they always send me food I didn't order, even though I've spoken to them about it, they don't seem to care!

Thank you Victor for hosting the Yelp event the weekend of Oct 17. We picked up our meal on Sunday…read moreand was quite pleased. I had been following you since you opened at the beginning of COVID and have been mightily impressed with your fortitude to start and grow a business. Articles here: Eater SF https://sf.eater.com/2020/4/22/21230298/arepas-en-bici-venezuelan-bicycle-delivery-san-francisco Good Morning America: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/story/make-chef-victor-aguileras-delicious-home-chicken-avocado-71755150 Hoodline: https://hoodline.com/2020/07/unemployed-sf-restaurant-workers-pivot-to-home-based-pop-ups I thought for are I would like the beef sandwich better, but it was the chicken and cheese that stole my heart. ALSO loved the cheese sticks, and the guava pastry.

HEADS UP- this is NOT a restaurant‼there is one chef who sets up a "pop-up" in various locations…read more We were not aware of this at first so we walked to two different locations before finding the right one, which was at Mayes Oyster House on Polk St. Finally came across the correct location on his Instagram story at @arepasenbici. Now we know to also check his website at arepasenbici.com *WAIT TIME- our party of 3 arrived right around 7 pm. We were a bit confused upon arrival since there were no other customers, only a bartender on FaceTime and a DJ jamming out by himself in the corner. We were worried that we went to the wrong place again, but it turns out that majority of the chef's customers just orders ahead online then picks up to-go. After asking the bartender if this was the right place to find arepas, she told us to walk towards the back and meet the chef in the kitchen. Then the chef handed us barcodes to scan and we did not have to wait extremely long for our orders but it also wasn't super fast since he had other orders to take care of. *AMBIANCE- fun, loud, "going-out" type of vibes at this specific location since it is also karaoke night on Wednesdays starting at 7 pm. *QUALITY- great! This was our first time trying our Venezuelan food and definitely won't be our last. Although we have no other arepas to compare it to, we can confidently say that it was prepped with great care and skill. Love how there's also a vegan option, which is the Dom arepa! *CUSTOMER SERVICE- great! The chef is friendly and highly personable, which definitely plays a role in us wanting to support him even more! He even surprised our friend with 2 pastellitos after finding out she didn't order some when both my fiancé and I did, which was very nice and inclusive of him. *RESTROOM- bathroom available inside at this specific location. *OUTDOOR SEATING- available, but no outdoor heaters. *PARKING- no private lot available, best bet would be metered street parking on streets surrounding Polk like Bush St which is free after 6 pm!

Nice people. The waiter gave me a free bottled water for my to-go Pollo Dorado$18. This dish is a…read moredeep fried chicken thigh with a little side salad and rice. You have a choice of beans or fries. They truncated the menu. One side is Mexican food, the other side is Colombian food.

I was in the neighborhood looking for a different restaurant which I realized was closed. This…read morelooked good so I stopped in. The owner was incredibly friendly and took great care of us. He gave us free bowls of soup and I had the pechuga pollo (grilled chicken) which came with a side salad, rice, and french fries. The portions were very large and I couldn't eat all of the chicken. Although the entrée prices were a little higher than I would expect from this type of restaurant, the portions were very large and seemed like a good value.

Why 5 stars? Because despite a few non-ideal circumstances, it was very worth the visit…read more --- --- --- After eating lunch nearby, I had one final stop to make here for coffee and dessert, before I headed to SFO. The issue is that I was definitely pushing it on time if I planned on making my flight. As I was driving here, I had the thought that if there was an annoying parking situation or a line, I would just have to pivot and forego patronizing. But as it turns out, there was one spot available right next to the front door and no one inside. But then when I requested a nitro, the owner (I assume?) was extremely apologetic that their coffee machine broke. I asked for a few alternate types of coffee, but it turned out said machine controlled it all. So we shifted to the pastries. I read on the website that they had something with guava, so I asked for two of those: one for me, one for the wife. He even offered to heat mine up, which I will say yes to 100% of the time. I then jumped back in the car and was back into "don't' miss your flight mode." Of course, when you're in a hurry, you manage to hit every red light along the way, so I was doing a lot of yelling at electricity and God. But then I figured I might as well take the time to try the pastry that I'd originally planned on eating on the plane. As it turns out, it brought me into a nearly immersive experience of zen. The only bad thing is that I devoured it within seconds and then it was merely a thing of the past. My wife is fortunate that I have the amount of integrity that I do because I am sitting on the plane as I write this and I could easily inhale that 2nd pastry with her being none the wiser. If you're reading this, wife, remember that you hit the spousal lottery.

Great empanadas! They toast them up to a temp that results in a perfectly hot n toasted, fresh…read moretasting empanada! I tried their beef as well as mushroom. Both are repeats for me! Don't forget to ask for their chimichurri sauce. I also love the vibes of the spot. Felt like I traveled to Argentina for a brief moment.