Food was excellent and plentiful Mixed grill for 2 would probably feed 4 Sorry I just don't like yuca fries the potato fries were fine The green sauce gave a great zing to everything not spicey just tasty I will absolutely return read more

Unreal meal it was so flavorful and delicious with great portion! They have good brunch menu and a really nice heated patio on the inner building as well as a patio at the front with a few more tables - dog friendly to both! Very nice people also! Will go back. read more

Rica Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is one of those restaurants that feels like you're walking into someone's home and trying their food. The staff is super kind and knowledgeable, willing to explain options and provide their own personal favorites. There is so much indoor seating and it's really well laid out. The portions are huge and the food is so delicious. The tip to combine the garlic sauce and the hot sauce is fire. I would love to come back here and try more! read more

Rica Arepa - Rica Mix Sampler - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Instagrammable restaurant serving various fusion arepas! Walking in there was photo op walls & open seating from high tops to low tops. The menu was vast with various selection of protein from beef, pork, chicken, etc. No complaints on the service but we did go when no one was there. The arepas were hardy and did the job. read more

Rica Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Been here a few times and will continue to come back! Things I love: tequenos, cachapas, vegan 2 arepa, rica punta arepa, and passion fruit juice. Honestly, anything I've tried has been at hit (these are just the few I remember off the top of my head). Speaking of my head, the arepas are huge (bigger than my head lol). I love the white sauce condiment too. I need to keep visiting and trying more items off the menu! I'm a big fan! read more

Ordered these to work and they held up pretty good! It was my coworkers first time trying them and they all enjoyed it. It is a messy thing to eat but the maiz held up and the meat so very tender. I would love to see how they come out fresh. read more

Rica Arepa - La Parrillera - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Great local spot! This family friendly location has a fine selection of Venezuelan arepas and other local cuisines. We tried both the chicken and steak options and loved each of them. The service was friendly and prompt. We also enjoyed looking at the different packaged Venezuelan treats they had for sale as well. We will certainly try the next time we are there. read more

Food and service was amazing! First time traveling Venezuelan food! Estephanie and Ivy were great servers! read more

Rica Arepa - Rica Reina - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing food! I am not a foodie and I go to restaurants with foods I'm not familiar with very skeptic and usually end up disenchanted. I might've given them a five except they must've been very shortstaffed because one of the bathrooms had no soap or toilet paper and the service was slow. But I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

Papelon Con Limon (Venezuelan lemonade) is different from normal lemonade. It's sugarcane juice and lemon! I can taste the difference, and I like it read more

Rica Arepa - Papelon Con Limon (Venezuelan lemonade) - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I do not recommend this business to anyone. I have been coming here since it's opened and there is always a bad vibe with the service. Very poor communication and bad vibes. This last time when I came with my family we were not treated welcome. Although they were open and sat us, the server rushed us and said that we needed to hurry up cause they were closing. It was shortly after 7pm, and their site said open until 9:30. After this rude exchange, without any last call, they refused to refill drinks since they decided they were now closed. Service is something entirely in control of the staff- and the server chose to stop serving us after they agreed to seat and host our family for dinner. My wife and family are Spanish speaking local Latin family that has lived in the neighborhood for generations and we're regularly not treated like respectful customers. It is unfortunate we will no longer support this business. read more

Came whit friends We order empanadas Cocktails Arepas And margaritas evrething was very good we be back for more 4 to 5 pm during the happy hour margaritas are $6 read more

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Definitely coming back! The place is very jive and hip... great for those instagram photos! The service was very fast and drinks and food was timely correct from each other. Eve was our waitress, she was great, gave us suggestions specially because I wanted to order the whole menu. The plates are very large and the taste was rich and yummy! They have hot sauce and a white sauce that are both great to match with anything you order. The food when served had good temperature, fresh and juicy. Very clean all around. And everyone was very attentive. Def coming back! They also have private party section and it's Instagram ready! Thank you I had a great experience read more

Wandering the streets of Lincoln Park, we were drawn to Rica Arepa for brunch after hearing some bops on their speakers. I've always had a soft spot for arepas and I'm happy to save I've found a new go to spot. The Criollo Brunch was delicious and the perfect amount of food. My girlfriend also loved the Rica Arepa. Furthermore, the service was wonderful. Our waiter had great energy and was extremely eager to share the joys of arepas with us. I can't wait to come back. read more

Rica Arepa - Criollo Brunch - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I stopped by this place right when they opened and there were already three tables waiting to order. This got me excited to try this place and it was good. I got the tequeños and this arepa with egg, cheese, onion. This is a cute place to have a meal or maybe a nice brunch. I will definitely be coming back again! read more

Rica Arepa - arepa with cheese, egg, and onion - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow, what a great find! We were in the mood for Arepas and decided to check this out. If you love Arepas this is a must try. We stopped by for lunch and had the Arepa Sampler appetizer which I highly recommend if you can't decide which arepa to try. You get 5 mini arepas and a choice of 3 fillings. We chose beef and 2 different chicken fillings, all were equally yummy. Don't forget to use the insanely delicious garlic sauce condiment provided on the table. The empanadas are huge, a little greasy but totally worth the indulgence. We washed this all down with the passion fruit juice the server highly recommended and were pleasantly surprised it was more like a smoothie than juice. If you have never had passion fruit, do not miss this treat....delish! The server was very nice, friendly and helpful. Bonus-they have an outdoor patio in the back. Will def check this out when the weather warms up. read more

Rica Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am vegan and have a very particular diet on top of that! I called Rica Arepa on W. Armitage first to see if they had anything I could eat. The woman who answered the phone was kind, helpful and super courteous. After hearing her tell me the options, I went there and enjoyed the Arepa vegan 2 option, with black beans, fried plantains, and avocado. It was delicious! The server was the woman who helped me on the telephone and she was as lovely in person as on the phone. The food was so delicious that I ordered another order of plantains as well. The service was excellent, and the locale was pleasant both outside in the terrace and inside. I wish I lived in Chicago so I could go back to eat there again and again! read more

Love this place! One of my go to spots for Venezuelan food. The staff are very friendly and the place is no nonsense casual. Everything is fresh to order so prepare for longer wait times. I loved the breakfast dish I got -- a whole arepa, shredded beef, black beans, and maduras would highly recommend. read more

Loved my first Rica Arepa patio experience! I've enjoyed take out in the past, but the location is a hidden gem! Tropical - This is the third arepa I've tried and I think it's my favorite thus far! The garlic sauce at the table complimented it perfectly! Papelon con limon - Very sweet but very enjoyable on an 80 degree day! I wouldn't get it every time, but it was the perfect compliment to my meal on their beautiful patio! I did notice from my friends' orders that some arepas with beans, tomatoes, or other "watery" ingredients tended to fall apart a lot. Still super tasty, but just messier to eat. I loved how crispy my arepa was and how gorgeous their covered patio is! Service was also excellent - Our waiter was prompt and provided great recommendations! Will definitely return!! read more

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Definitely a welcome surprise. I went in with low expectations but left extremely satisfied. Nothing was bad, food actually had delicious flavors & surprisingly good textures. The rice had a fried & simultaneous sushi aspect to it. Definitely indulge in the accompanying sauces provided at each table. Most surprising aspect is my family of 3 all ate here for about $40. That is fucking insane because this is Chicago as well as inflation being what it is. The lemonade isn't regular & I'd make a cocktail out of it if you could. My chicken arepa was delicious. Plantains had a subtle saltiness to them. I'd come back here in a heartbeat read more

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I loved their food! I need to return to try other dishes. Service was great! It was quiet when we went there but I imagine when it's busy it gets noisy. We sat in the rear covered patio. I'm already planning what I'll order the next time!! read more

Very delicious Venezuelan food!! Came on a Friday night and plenty of seating. We ended up sitting outside -- nice ambiance. Ordered the Rica Punta and Rica Reina -- super fresh ingredients! Recommend adding the garlic sauce :) read more

Rica Arepa - Rica Punta - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Whew-- attention all foodies, this is the mom & pop shop dreams are made off! They are serving up authentic Venezuelan arepas and it's certainly worth the stop in! I started with the ceviche in a tostones "cup"/"vehicle" situation and it was delicious! I've never had anything like it before. And the arepa, chef kisses! It was packed full of flavor and I added sweet plantains to top of off. The service was wonderful and I will surely be back! read more

Rica Arepa - Pollo Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Rica Arepa lives up to its high Yelp! review average! I've had this place on my list for a while, and my husband and I happened to be driving by it today and spontaneously stopped in. Not realizing there was a back patio, we grabbed a sidewalk patio table out front. I ordered a pabellon arepa, and my less hungry husband got just a side of rice and beans. Everything was fantastic! The arepa was huge and generously filled with juicy, delicious pulled beef, black beans, cheese, and sweet plantains. Besides the flavor being great, the fillings were evenly distributed throughout the arepa, showing lots of care in preparation. The rice and beans were also perfectly done, and even presented nicely. The service here is also excellent! We will definitely go back to try more of the menu, though it will be hard not to order the excellent pabellon arepa again! read more

Rica Arepa - Side of rice and black beans - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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3.5 - The food you could tell is quality. Taste wise - wasn't bad but probably would get this again. I did take out so can't speak too much on service but they were nice enough. Ambiance was nice - not too busy when I went but it was around early afternoon. The food was pretty pricey imo but nothing crazy. This arepa was over $15 with tax and everything. read more

Rica Arepa - Pabellon Arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We came here after an event in the neighborhood. It was after 9pm and they closed at 10, but the hostess told us to sit. We went to the patio in the back and were given menus and water. Then we waited..and waited..it wasn't very busy, a couple of parties in the back, one party in the front outside. I visited the ladies room, which was small but clean, and the Dyson dryer was broken! Finally our drink (no booze but BYOB; we didn't bring any booze so we don't know if there is a charge)and food orders were taken by a friendly waitress. A party of 8 or so showed up and we were worried that they would get all the attention. I realize places are short staffed. The Papelon with Limon was ok but it had an odd taste; it looks like iced tea with lemon but IT IS NOT THAT. I got the Frescolita, which is basically like bottled strawberry Fanta. It was good but very sweet! I got the Arepa Caribena, the arepa with plaintains and cheese. My other party got the arepa ensalada with mariscos (salad and seafood). I can't find it on the menu online and I didn't get a picture, sorry! The food was messy but good. The Arepa Caribena is more or less an appetizer but I was full after having it. Service was slow but friendly. We ordered tres leches cake to go, and it was EXCELLENT! Sweet, moist, traveled well. I'd go back when they are less busy and I can bring wine. read more

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Delicious arepas large and tasty. Soursop delicious too. Nice clean atmosphere and friendly staff.

I absolutely loved Rica Arepa! My family and I happened to come across it while in the area and decided to try it out because our previous lunch plans had fallen through. The restaurant is so colorful and the staff was so welcoming to us. The menu had so many vegetarian options available at very competitive prices. We ended up ordering way too much food because the arepas were a lot larger than we expected them to be. I would highly recommend stopping by if you're in the mood for arepas! I will definitely be back! read more

Good arepas and kids menu! Also, the plantains were a really generous portion and the garlic sauce is excellent.

Great food, best cachapas in town, the staff always makes you feels like home, really good service and always good promotions

My first time trying Venezuelan food and I really enjoyed it! We star tree s with the sampler platter which was a great way to try a little bit of everything. I really liked the sweet corn flavor of some of the apps as well as the fact that they were not shy with the cheese! We each had an arepa - chicken for me and beef for my friend. The chicken was great but the star was definitely the beef with black beans and plantains. Very tender meat with a great flavor. Overall, it was a great meal with fantastic service- it's also byob! read more

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Delicious arepas! Got the peluda with avocado and it was amazing. The dulce de leche coffee was great too. Cozy seating

2nd arepa experience. They are on the smaller side, so getting a side of some sort (yucca fries are the way to go) is a good idea. Be sure and have plenty of napkins, they can get kinda messy but so worth it. Wonderful outdoor seating on a nice day. Great experience over all, although I would say the arepas are a tad expensive for how small they are. read more

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This is an absolute hidden gem. Literally everything we got was perfection. Some of the best Puerto Rican food I've ever had. Staff was super friendly and place felt very clean. They have a huge patio as well that I think is heated and covered so great for the winter. Highly recommend!! read more

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Holy! This place is sooo good! The arepas are HUGE and full of flavor. We had the La Parrillera (steak, chicken, chorizo, avocado, homemade cheese) and Rica Reina (shredded beef, chicken salad, cheese) and both are absolutely delicious. If you don't want to mess up your make up I highly recommend eating these arepas with a fork and knife haha. My favorite between the 2 was the rica reina, however my boyfriend preferred the La Parrillera.... AKA just get both!! Seriously this place is a gem. Staff is friendly and attentive. We got there at 7 and it got pretty busy and packed by 730. If you have the option to get there when they first open, do it to avoid a wait time. They have an all season patio however I preferred sitting up front in the main restaurant area. They also have cocktails, plus a beer and wine menu. This is a place where I'll be coming back to try every item on their menu. Tummy is fully satisfied! read more

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Great experience! Came in midday and the restaurant was pretty empty. Ended up getting the Punta Trasera & Queso De Mano and a Jamon Y Queso Empanada. Quality of the meat and cheese on the Punta Trasera was phenomenal, and went well with the garlic sauce at the table! The empanada was deep fried and very oily but still tasted amazing and was very fresh. Definitely coming back here soon to try more! read more

Rica Arepa - Punta Trasera & Queso De Mano - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Absolutely delicious Havana arepa and chocolate smoothie. Came out pretty quickly. Cute little hole-in the wall vibe. Loved it! read more

Rica Arepa - Havana arepa - Venezuelan Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

First time here. Well the pabellan arepa was just basic for myself. I expected more flavor after seeing it. The bananas were mushy and soft. I did not have really any beans on this at all. The portion felt on the smaller side of things. The sauces were half full. The packaging was nice though and customer service ok. read more

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Our first visit. Great food and variety of options. The garlic sauce and hot sauce are so good The hard part was that the food did need the enhancement of the sauce, it was great on its own. Friendly and helpful team taking care of our group. read more

This place aaaaaalmost had 5 stars from me and maybe I'll change my mind, we'll see. First off, dog friendly is always a game changer in terms of places I will frequent. I arrived at 730 and they were able to quickly take my order and had my food out before 8 (closing). The staff was friendly and helpful with suggestions and loved my Bambi. The back patio was nice and warm and the entire place was full of spacious socially distanced seating. My absolute only qualm is that the menu prices did not match the prices on my receipt. Tequeños were inexplicably marked up $.50 cents and my arepa was marked as $8 but I was charged $9.50 PLUS $2 for adding... cheese. So all together, I was charged $4 extra dollars that didn't really make sense. My meal went from being 16-19 like I anticipated to $26 all together. I will probably be back, but I'm pretty disappointed in these discrepancies, it makes me feel a bit like I was deceived or tricked. Please fix your menus! I shouldn't have paid nearly $30 just for a casual dinner by myself. Other than that, I loved it! :) read more

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