Budare Arepa Express

Really delicious food! The arepas are fresh, authentic and so good. We had the perico, dominó and peluda. All of them were great. We also ordered empanadas for a party and they were a big hit. This is a great spot for gluten free people because a lot of venezuelan food is made out of harina pan which is naturally guten free! So the arepas and empanadas are gluten free.

Reipa pepiada and Pelua (recommended by waitress) arepa: 3.5−4 stars pretty good, nothing to complain about
Natural juice: 5 stars (I forget the name, it’s sooo good and refreshing. sweet white colored drink recommended by the waitress)
Tocinillo del cielo (I think it’s the flan that the other reviewer recommended) — 5 stars delicious
Only thing is some of their everyday specialty menus don’t have prices on them which makes it confusing.
Service– 5 stars waitress was friendly and helpful
Overall: 4.5 stars
To the person who put arepas in the same sentence as subway 6 inch sandwiches: I have nothing to say

What a joke, went here for my b-​day with my family, we ordered our food and after waiting almost 45 minutes and seeing everyone else eat, the cook came out to say he ran out of Cachapas and he had burnt mine (the last one???) this happening an hour before closing??? So I guess it was closing time without anymore food right??? Last time going there, sat for an hour and only enjoyed a bottled water…

I first tried arepas in Miami and was happy to find a spot that specializes in arepas here in Houston. Columbians and Venezuelans fight over who makes the better arepas and Budare is a Venezuelan establishment. I had the arepa with shredded pork shoulder and yellow cheese. While pretty greasy, I enjoyed this arepa more than the one I had in Miami. Good size with a good amount of meat, have an arepa if you’ve never had one for the experience.
I also had the tequenos which are kind of like bready mozzarella sticks. Very good. The tequenos were served with a red sauce and a green sauce. Not sure exactly what they were but they were both good. Casual spot, nothing fancy but good for some authentic Venezuelan food.

The two stars are specifically for the food. I just think the arepas are overpriced.
The service it’s only good when the owners are there (except the son of the owner) –shame on you!
I went there with a few friends and the place was just empty, filthy, and no one in the front. The owner’s son (I’m guessing because the way he acted) took our order and took about 45 minutes to make 4 arepas. After 45 minutes, I asked for a hibiscus juice, and he said «I can’t make it, because I am the only one here» (Still don’t know what that really means! Lack of multitask and good service? –for sure). His five friends showed up, and they got the food before us, not only that, but he left the cashier desk and sat with them and just left us there…
Not coming back again, I downloaded a recipe how to make my favorite arepas, and I can be just fine making them at home without having to worry about a terrible customer servie.
Willl certainly not recommend.

We came here on a Saturday night around 8pm and there was only 1 table.
The place is very small, and hardly any Venezuelan décor. (bunch of newspapers and magazines). I wanted to see/​feel the Venezuelan culture, instead it made me feel like I was in a Hispanic subway. This place was right next door to a «Mi Pueblito» which the place was like 4 times bigger.
We ordered:
Reina Pepiada — On point — but hardly any avocado.
Empanada de Carne — Fried in old oil as the empanda was really dark — it was no bueno –hollow in the inside. Hardly any meat in the empanada.
Arepa Guayanesa — Best Arepa ever! The cheese melted just a bit and plenty of it too.
Sancocho — On point but it would be better if they used dark meat chicken.
We used the green sauce for everything — not sure if it guasacaca but it was good!
Frecolita and jugo de piña — those drink were delish
Overall, it was a pleasant experience. Good customer service. A little pricey for Venezuelan food but it was good.
I would say the arepas from here are better than Sabor Venezolano food truck and Tuttopane. So, if you want a decent Arepa come to Budare!
I would definitely come back to this place to try their other dishes

Tried two different arepas: reina pepiada (delicious esp with the green sauce) and pabellon (ok). Also ordered the cachapas (good). Service is friendly and food is very fresh. They make their white cheese in house. Only downside is it took a while for our order to be prepared. Will definitely be back!

Comida venezolana en toda la expresión de ka palabra. Queso guayanes hecho en casa. Patacones, arepas, reina pepia, todo lo q quieras q te hace recordar ese auténtico sabor venezolano.

The best Venezuelan food in Katie Texas. I couldn’t ask for more… the cachapas tequeños to die for. Love this place

The arepas were delicious, obviously grilled to order. The fillings were overall pretty good. My husband had the pernil and avocado, and my daughter had the shredded beef with cheese. They both really enjoyed those. I was very pleased to find three different vegetarian options, and decided on the very delicious white cheese, plantain and black bean one. My son, however, had one with tomato and something they claimed to be chorizo, but was really a very uninteresting breakfast sausage patty that was promptly left uneaten.
All in all, in was nice to get something different. We will definitely go back if we are in the area again.

The food is great and authentic. Awesome cachapas and frescolita.
The owner is extremely nice and social with his customers. Nice little spot

The best pan de jamon in Houston. I really like the hallacas too. I come here all the time for the arepas but they also have a lot of other plates. My mom likes the Callos a la Madrilena. It is attended by the owners so if you ever have an especial request just ask he may do it.

Food is amazing and authentic! The service is superb! The owner himself came out and insisted that I try some of his signature ham bread with raisins! Such a wonderful family run business… with the right advertising, this place has massive potential! Loved it!

Little pricey but worth it, arepas were stuffed with meat & toppings. Pabellon is a must try!!! Also got the blacked beef (added avocado) which was delicious also & the pork shoulder/​yellow cheese
Pretty authentic little place, it was a far drive but if you’re ever in katy area well worth the stop.

Best cachapas around, hands down! Little pricey but WORTH it!!! Arepas are also great. Fresh ingredients and clean place!

Maybe a little more expensive than you would expect, but the arepas are made fresh– it’s not like they are just pulling out a couple slices of bread. This also accounts for the slightly longer wait time. The 3 arepas my family tried were delicious– Pabellon, Reina Pepiada, & La rápida. They don’t look very big, but arepas are much denser than a sandwich. I can easily eat a 6″ Subway sub and some chips, but I wasn’t able to finish all my Pabellon. A woman on a diet or looking for a smaller portion could split their arepa in half, especially if you add some chips with it. This is a wonderful gluten free option as well.
To the critics– if you want really fast and cheap, there’s a taco bell down the street.

I love the unique food, nice break from the standard Tex-​Mex that is utterly ubiquitous to Texans. This is Venezuelan cuisine that friends have assured me is authentic. But I have to give this place a mixed review. The food is delicious, and there’s enough selections to please picky kids and adventurous adults. I like the guy, owner apparently, who served us. It’s a family owned place. Again, great food, but it took a while to come out. And it was a bit pricy. I will go back for the food and comfy family feel, but I would be back more if it was a bit quicker and a bit less expensive. You should try it at least once to experience the very tasty dishes.

EXCELLENT arepas… we went there and had Pabellón, La de Pernil, and Reina Pepiada recently and they were all awesome. we go to Caracas and Puerto La Cruz often because of family and friends and these are right on par with anything i have had there.
i will definitely be back and and recommend this place to friends.

The prices increased 15%… my arepa is now $ 5.75. I think it’s a tad bit high considering they left out the avocado in my reina pepiada… one of the four main ingredients.
In the past, the arepa would come with a soft drink and it does not now, so that’s another reason for knocking down the rating.
I doubt we’ll be back because there are two other options that are not too far from us.

Rip off!!! Almost $ 8 for an arepas. No fries. No drink. I asked for water and he wanted to charge me the cost of a soft drink for a cup of water. The food is tasty but I’m NOT coming back. What a shame they have to gouge their customers. Could have been a great place.

Yum! the arepas are delicious! As far as Venezuelan food, this is the real deal. I didn’t find the food overpriced, after all, for under $ 6 we got an arepa with drink and it was quite filling. Also tried their flan, and it is what I consider one of the good ones. There are so many places that sell disappointing flans, but not to worry, you’ll like the one at Budare.
I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, who suggested that we try hallacas, the Venezuelan tamales. They are wrapped in plantain leaves and filled with stewed pork, raisins and olives. They are made for special occasions and always found at the Christmas table. Those were a little pricey at $ 7 ea but I would splurge for a special occasion. They are absolutely delicious.
They also carry a small assortment of tropical fruit juices and malta in addition to the usual carbonated drinks. I did not try cachapas or empanadas, may do so next time, as I will definitely return.
BTW, Budare is a flat griddle made of iron or clay, used for cooking arepas, cachapas and the like.