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!

We drove quite a distance to see what an authentic Venezuelan arupa was all about. While it was a…read moredelightful experience overall, I would not be tempted to drive that far in the future on a whim. We ordered two Arupas, one cheese and one fried pork. The corn flour dough is salty and moist, almost the consistency of mashed potato, but is crispy on the outside. While good, the garlicky fried pork filling did not appeal to me so much. The cheese-filled one had a huge serving of chilled shredded and jack cheese inside. It was plain and the cheese not melted, but I really thought this one was the more delicious of the two. Shredded beef platter. Loved the tomato-ey sauce it was stewed in. Very rich tasting, and the meat was very tender. I would kill for the fried Plantains. These came with the platter and were ripened to a sweetness that is uncomparable.. Loved them. Black beans, well seasoned also came on the plate. Loved them, too! It was a real treat eating them mixed with the plain white rice and the overflow of gravy from the meat. A great choice. I am completely incapable of passing by an empanada opportunity. So, we ordered just 1 beef empanada which the owner made on the spot because she had run out. Big and showy. We had hoped for the spicier ground beef version, but instead, it was filled with the same tender, beautifully seasoned beef as the beef platter, but without the tomato sauce. The dough was fried, but had a different consistency than Cuban and Mexican empanadas, not tender or flaky as I had hoped. I would liken the texture closer to the heavier texture of a chinese sticky, rice flour even though it is probably made from corn flour. I was not in love with this dough, even though the shredded beef inside was tasty and generous. This is a very cute place with a very big heart. The owner is a lovely person, and was taking in generous donations, huge boxes of necessities to send to the victims of the massive earthquakes in Venezuela, June 2026.

I love the food here. The quality is amazing and the service is always great/quick. I have tried…read morealmost everything on the menu and as a Venezuelan I can say this place has my stamp of approval!!!! This place is forsure in my top 3 favorite Venezuelan food places in all of SoCal!!! I never mind driving here from Culver City because it's SOOO worth it. I recommend the cachapa, the arepa de pabellon, and the pastelitos!!

We stopped by today because we were in the area and had never formally eaten Venezuelan food. This…read moresmall restaurant caught our attention due to the good ratings and pictures of the food. If I could eat more, I would've because everything was so delicious. I even brought my mom home some food and she loved it. The lady who attended us was very friendly and kind, and of course attentive. The place was open and brightly lit, very clean, and had plenty of seating. I will definitely be coming back.

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!

Delicious food, it seemed like it was all from scratch. Ordered pabellon criollo, which has a…read moretexture similar to Mexican ropa vieja. The meat was tender and a little sweeter, though, with a different flavor. A friend suggested mixing the beans/rice/meat all together, and he was right: the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.. Green sauce was very fresh tasting and flavorful, but orange sauce may burn a hole in your hole. Parking in Glendale has AIDS, so either bring lots of quarters, download the "pay by phone" app in advance, lest you stand there for 15 minutes trying to figure it out it while the sun peeks from behind the clouds to make your phone virtually unreadable, or figure out the 888 number on the side of the meter.

I can't believe that I haven't left a review for Amara yet, because this is one of our very…read morefavorite places. Everything we've tried is fresh and delicious, but our personal favorites are the arepa la suegra with black beans and plantains, the churros (just a little bit crunchy and crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside and not too sweet), the guava pastelito, and of course the Venezuelan drinking chocolate. As much as we love the food, what really keeps us coming back is their hospitality and sense of community. As locals, we really feel welcome and it is great to see the same faces week after week. (Our husky is always especially delighted to see her BFF, Valeria!) Finally, while the small inside area has a nice cafe vibe, the sidewalk seating and covered patio have been perfect for us with our husky. Amara is the kind of place that makes Pasadena special, and I definitely recommend them if you are in the area!

I m glad I found a this place. Their hot chocolate was pretty close to European style. It was milky…read moreand thick. Their place was a bit tricky to get to. It's located right next to entrance of the public parking. They have both indoor and outdoor seating and ambiance was casual. The service was great. The server explained different hot chocolate styles they have and recommended me. Their empanadas were also delicious. I can't wait to come back here again. Highly recommended.

Good store Usually just come for their marinated meats. I've…read moretried their carne asada, pork ribs, and chicken. All very good and good prices too. Workers are helpful and store is clean. Will keep coming back.

I've been coming to El Gaucho Meat Market for over 20 years, and it's still one of my favorite…read morespots. The quality has always been consistent, and you can tell they really take pride in what they do. The empanadas are hands down my favorite--always fresh, flavorful, and perfectly made. It's one of those places you keep coming back to because you know exactly what you're going to get every time.

My first time having an arepa and I'm glad it was at The Arepa Stand!…read more We ordered: - The 405* - The Red Queen Both of these were extremely yummy! To me, shredded chicken has a tendency to have a rubbery texture and I'm happy to report that isn't the case with the Red Queen! Full of flavor and extra delicious paired with the Arepa Stand's hot sauce. It's difficult to choose a favorite between the two arepas I ordered, but I'm leaning my preference towards The 405 simply because I believe every dish with platanos and black beans is perfect. Obviously this was delicious and I can't wait to have it again! I will note that this is a very messy meal! Be prepared for a lot of spillage, but just know it's worth it. The Arepa Stand pops up at a few locations - enjoyed mine at The Hollywood Farmer's Market (every Sunday).

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.

My husband and I recently discovered this place and I am obsessed. Have been here so many times in…read morea span of a couple weeks. Their arepas are amazing. I've had many of them now but my fave hands down is the chicken breast. It is so so flavorful and the green sauce on the side is so yummy. Great coffee as well. Service is quick and friendly and arepas are made to order. Fair prices too. Haven't tried the pastries yet but they look great. Just hard to order anything else when I know how good the arepas are!

This used to be my favorite spot for arepas, but after today's experience, I won't be coming back…read more I called ahead and clearly explained my order: three arepa orders, with one having the masa scooped out. I also specifically asked about the price and was told it would be $13 per order, consistent with what's listed online. However, when I arrived, I was told the orders would be charged separately, and the employee became visibly frustrated when I asked for clarification and requested that everything be grouped as discussed. What made the situation worse was the pricing. I was charged $15 per order, which didn't match what I was told over the phone, nor what's listed online or even on Yelp (where it shows around $10). When I politely questioned the discrepancy, the employee became argumentative and made the interaction uncomfortable. I paid, because that's not the issue--but being treated dismissively and feeling misled is. Pricing should be consistent and clearly communicated, and customers shouldn't feel like they're being taken advantage of for asking reasonable questions. Really disappointing experience from a place I used to enjoy.