Caracas Arepa Bar

Came here with two friends on a Monday night around 7pm. Was able to find a table right away. Around 8/8:30 it got very crowded.
Service was great and the food was great. We got the chips and guac which came with 3 different types of chips, the hot queen (chicken + veggies — was not spicy and the buns were very tough but I’m not sure if that’s normal for an arepa), tajadas (highly recommend), and croquetas (highly recommend).

STOP THE PRESS. Crazy stupid good. The wait can be on the longer side so I would recommend going during off hours or grabbing take out but the place is super adorable inside and it’s worth dining in at least once. The space is tiny though and I wouldn’t recommend a group of more than like 4 people max.
The arepas are delicious but the appetizers were what really blew my mind — we tried most of them and they were all amazing.
Run, don’t walk.

Here’s how 90% of my visits to Caracas have gone:
1) Me to friends: «Hey, let’s meet up for dinner and drinks at Upstate»
2) *Show up to Upstate and the wait is 3 hours long“
3) *Everyone checks their phone to find something delicious nearby“
4) The answer is always Caracas Arepa Bar
This place is awesome. There’s usually a little bit of a wait outside, especially on the weekends, but it’s very reasonable and it tends to move really quickly. The place is small and cramped, but that’s part of its charm, and the service is quick and friendly. When you come here with friends, you can enjoy a couple of reasonably-​priced beers, split an order of the plantain chips and guacamole (though it’s just never as good as California guac…), and order ~2 arepas per person and be ready to share bites among yourselves.
Food: ⁴⁄₅
Service: ⁴⁄₅
Value: ⁵⁄₅
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅

This place is small but serious game. Its like dining at a 5 star restaurant in a small shack! Nice pretty cozy atmosphere in east village.
Its eye opening how well they season their food. The The food? Simplest traditional exotic at its best. Some of my favorites include chilled carrot beet soup. Butternut squash soup. Pulled pork arepa.
The price? For 1 arepa that fills my tummy just under 10 bucks!

This is a good place to go to if you’re in town. I went with my boyfriend 5 min before they opened and boy did it fill up fast! I enjoyed the food, however I’ve had better. If you’re a fan of Caracas or enjoy Venezuelan food I would HIGHLY recommend eating at Arepas café in Astoria. In my opinion it is one of the best for Arepas! Nonetheless, Caracas was a cute & satisfying place for lunch :)

DELICIOUS! Highly recommended. The chips (which are plantain chips) and guacamole were stellar! The passion fruit juice was just beyond refreshing! The arepas were just to die for! We enjoyed ourselves and would love to visit again!

Everything on the menu is ridiculously good.
But you must get the taquenos and plaintains with cheese. Oh my. I started dancing.
I make all my friends come with me to this spot now. Whoa.

Arepas are awesome and so is Caracas!
I got the De Pabellon, and I would suggest it to anyone. I really like black beans and plantains in arepas, they really make the dish. Maybe I would choose pork over the beef. but all the other toppings on the De Pabellon were exactly what I wanted.
I sat down at the counter and the arepa came out very quickly (nice and hot too!). And OMG the sauce, THE SAUCE! Smother some of their sauce on that arepa and prepare for flavor exploding in your mouth.
I happened to be by Caracas at random, but I’m sure glad I walked in. I know there are several places to eat in the area, but I don’t think any other place has arepas, and if they do, I bet they won’t come close to Caracas.

I’ve had this place bookmarked for quite some time and finally decided to see what Venezuelan arepas are all about.
It’s a small spot but people are in and out so the wait time isn’t bad.
I already knew what I was going to order since I was obsessing over the Unilocal pictures– La sureña ($ 9.25) Grilled chicken, hearty pork sausage, with avacado slices and complete with their famous chimi-​churri sauce (nice kick). I also tried La de Pernil ($ 9.25)-it was OK. My friend and I both agreed that La Sureña was the winner. My 2^nd trip here, I tried the Playa Deluxe– tilapia, mushrooms, onions, and avocado slices. I couldn’t really taste the homemade herb mayo. This was a bit bland and I needed extra sauce to get some flavor in it.
As far as service goes — there’s always someone around to take your next order. The drinks were decent but I would stick to the Arepas!
Esther’s comment: «Mmmmm mmmmmm»

Great place to eat with friends. The prices are fair for the food’s quality.
I really like the ambiance, the décor, the staff who works here is very friendly and attentive.
If you want to give a try to Venezuelan food, I highly recommend this place.

Yum, yum, and yum. Went here with a group of 4 last week for dinner, and this place wins for having excellent food and being very reasonably priced. We got the guac, sweet plantains, and two caraffes of sangria to share, and we all got individual arepas.
Between the four of us, we got the Hot Queen, Los Muchachos, Volvere, and the Playa Deluxe. I tried a bit of each of them, and they’re all super different and flavorful in their own way. My personal favorites were the Volvere and the Los Muchachos. I added black beans to the Los Muchachos and this definitely added flavor. Highly recommend it. The fish in the Volvere was perfect, super tender. Don’t forget to top the arepas with the sauce that’s on the table, which definitely gives it an extra kick.
You can’t go wrong with this place, it’s great for vegetarians as well!

Amazing. Naturally gluten free. Perfect as a snack. Or have a few and make it a meal. Plennnnnnnnnty of vegetarian options. And that sauce you douse em in? Can’t get enough of these old-​school snacks made and served with lovvvvve. I go for the leaks.
They deliver if you’re in the hood, and cheaper off their very own app.

This review is for their smaller «to-​go» spot next to the actual restaurant. Two friends and I came here Friday night at about 8pm and were able to snag a seat pretty quickly.
You order at the counter here and they bring it to your table (a nice pro is that you don’t have to tip!). I think the menu features most of the items on the regular menu. We each orders an arepa (I got la surena) and shared the tostones and tequeonos.
I loved my arepa! It was filled with chicken, chorizo, avocado, and chimchurri sauce. The corn bun was perfectly crispy and held together nicely. The filling was flavorful and they were generous with the avocado which I appreciated. The only downside was that everything was very greasy and leaking out juices. We had a heaping pile of napkins by the end of the meal.
The tequenos were deep fried sticks to mozzarella cheese. I thought these were quite unique as I never had anything like them before. The tostones were great as well, but the price was rather steep — you only get four pieces for $ 7.50.
Overall it was a great meal! I’d come back to try their many other arepas. One issue was that people waiting for a seat were eyeing our table like hawks and asking when we would be done. I don’t like feeling under pressure while I’m eating and catching up with friends, but I guess it’s inevitable when you’re at such a popular place!

We came in here because we were waiting for our spot at a close by bar. I am so glad we came here.
This is a mexican spot with a twist. Not the usual tacos and cheesy corn (which is all I beed sometimes though!). This spot specializes in Arepas which are corn flour sandwiches. Worth a try! It is delicious and is one complete meal. I did not try their mocktails but could not hold myself from trying out the coconut dessert.
The staff is cordial, service good, ambience casual and food rocks! Must try when you feel like having some mexican street food. I am coming back here.

This place is a tiny hole in the wall totally worth the trek to especially if you are in the neighborhood. It has the typical small coz restaurant feel with the nicest guys behind the counter. The food was delicious and very well priced for what they were offering. Because it’s so small, there is almost always seating for small groups even at peak times and while you might wait a little for the food to be cooked (hey, it’s not fast food), the savory flavors are totally worth it!

I’ve never had an arepa before so we decided to check it out based on all the Unilocal reviews. It’s a small place so we were lucky to get seated right away for lunch. We tried the pork and chicken arepas — they meat and chicken were good but the arepa wrappers were a little on the dry side and a bit hard. They are medium sized so you’d need to order two to get somewhat full. Overall interesting experience but nothing mind-​blowing to come back especially with all the other great food in EV.

Wow. What a Gem this place is. Delicious and well worth the Wait for your food. 100% handmade ingredients. I also tried the Michaelita (sp). Very nice!

I finally got to the Caracas Arepa Bar in East Village and compared to the one in Brooklyn, they’re both great. Of course, the East Village one is a bit more tight on quarters (pretty close to sharing the next table’s arepa with you!), so if you want a more lounge-​y/​roomier experience, head over to the Brooklyn one. Came here on a Sunday night as promptly seated and no wait. Note that there are two doors here, one is for the Arepa bar and the other one is for the To-​Go Arepas!
FOOD: De Pabellon, Los Muchachos, and La Sureña are the way to go. I split three arepas with my friend and three for two people is very filling. The arepa itself was very good in terms of the well-​seasoned filling of meat (that chorizo and shredded beef!) and the vegetables were perfectly cooked. Also, that cheese? I am not a huge fan of cheese, but this place has got some bomb cheese. That white cheese is delicious! Although the portions may seem small, the actual food is quite filling!
Come here for a dim and laid back atmosphere. I have seen this place get pretty busy walking by it, but the wait is worth it! I may even consider To-​Go next time!

Tiny little hole in the wall where you practically have to sit on a stranger’s lap to eat. It’s worth it though, when you’re hounding down arepas like they are the key to eternal youth.
My sister works in The Public and this is one of their favourite destinations for post-​work food. I’m tremendously jealous, because I’m still thinking of all the tasty morsels she gets to nibble and I am too far away to have. I was adamant that I wasn’t hungry the night we visited together, but ended up completely demolishing everything that was put within arm’s reach. There were no misses, and I wanted to work my way through the menu and try it all!
Jugs of sangria help the mood and are recommended.
Restrooms are teeny tiny, as you’d expect. Suppose it adds to the ambience, in a way?
Advice is to go, but go early. And wear stretchy pants.

Yes yes yes! Using the nearby feature on Unilocal I found this place by my Airbnb on 6^th St. I was very excited that I immediately had to go and I’m so glad I did. Had one of the vegetarian arepas — Volvere with guayanes cheese, tomato, avocado, sauteed peppers and chimi-​churri sauce.
Let’s talk about how amazing this flavor combo was. The texture of the white cheese and avocado with the peppers to finish it? My mouth is watering right now wishing I was back in NY to have more. I would eat here once a week if I lived there. So. Good.

Gotta love those arepas.
After years of only getting takeout from here, I finally came to give a shot in person. Braving the tiny, cramped tables is a whole different experience unto itself, although the food has remained relatively unchanged. That’s a good thing. There’s a reason it’s become so popular over the years, and it’s good to see that the quality has remained relatively consistent over the years.
I’m all about the De Pabellón arepas, which consist of shredded beef, beans, salty cheese, and plantains. Also, the Surena arepas (chicken, chorizo, avocado, chimichurri) and pernil arepas (pork shoulder, tomatoes, mango sauce) are pretty excellent too, if you enjoy the spicier side of things. I’m always a little reluctant to pay $ 9 for a smaller «sandwich», but these babies come pretty loaded and end up being pretty filling. I’m also a big fan of their tequenos, which are like mozzarella sticks, Venezuelan style.
Service was pretty quick and attentive. The prices, as previously mentioned, are a bit more on the expensive side, but everything is still mysteriously filling, so take that as you will. Regardless, you will get some pretty unique and delicious flavors regardless. It’s also pretty nice that they’re pretty vegetarian-​friendly, which a good number of vegetarian arepas. Yet, just about everything has cheese, so sorry vegans and lactose-​intolerant people.
I can’t say that I would love coming back to eat at the location, but I will definitely continue to order takeout when I get the chance. My recommendation is to eat them as soon as you get them, or else the corn flour «bun» will get too soggy, so take that into account. Overall, Caracas is great for a quick, casual dinner or showing your out-​of-​town friends something tasty and out of the ordinary.

What is an arepa? Basically a Venezuelan stuffed pita pocket.
And one arepa will fill you! Don’t be deceived by the look of it. I’ve taken so many people to this little hole in the wall, and everyone is always amazed they hadn’t found this place sooner.
I haven’t had anything on their menu that I didn’t like. Arepas are freakin’ delicious. And the place is always packed (so make sure your entire party is there because they won’t seat you otherwise). They have a to-​go place next door so if you don’t want to fight the crowds just head there.
And, as a side note, the staff there is incredibly kind. I was sick once when I decided to wander in, and the waiter there made me a special hot drink that would soothe me. And sooth it DID! I have no clue want it was, but it tasted like a warm blanket. ;)

One of the best Venezuelan Arepas places in Brooklyn, Astoria Queens holds title. Caracas offers a lot of latin flavor and options in their menu. The Cocada which is a coconut milkshake is really good except they add too much ice. The Tajades are fried sweet plantains with Venezuelan cheese, which were ripe and juicy.
As for my main course, I ordered the traditional Pabellon which is a stuffed arepa with shredded beef with black beans, plantains, and cheese. they truly make it with love! My girlfriend ordered the playa deluxe which is tilapia with mushroom, onions, and avocado, I had a small bite and it was good. This has been my 2^nd visit the 1^st time the waitress was so-​so and totally didn’t care about us and the 2^nd time the young lady was very attentive and truly checked on us to make sure we were happy. I still have a lot more to explore and will probably provide an update in 3 months.

It’s funny because I think I’ve gone here before so when I came today everything felt too familiar. However, I don’t remember it being that good, so maybe it wasn’t the same place because my experience here today was a definite 5 stars.
There is a variety of arepas to choose from and they have the lunch special ($ 9.75 for an arepa and salad or soup of the day). I ordered the lunch special with a Hot Queen aprea (chicken, onions, peppers) paired with the lenti & potato soup of the day. The soup was warm, just salty enough, and filling already. The arepa was even better; the sauce at the table (had no idea what it was but it was yellow and kind of sweet) gave the perfect taste. My friend ordered the same arepa along with La Pelua (lots of cheddar cheese with shredded beef).
Our waitress was very friendly; no complaints about the service at all.
My friend ordered the coconut Tres Leche sponge cake for dessert and I got the chocolate mousse with walnuts. I didn’t think it would be that good considering the many different mousses I’ve tried in the past and all were pretty much the same. However, I was blown away by this one. The chocolate mousse was sweet, but not too sweet (I don’t have that much of a sweet tooth) and creamy. I was already really full by this point, so I didn’t even get to finish all of it.
I love Hispanic food either way, but this place just strengthened my preference even more. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a quick, easy lunch in the village!

I wanted some arepas, but I didn’t want to wait in line. Plus I wasn’t hungry enough to wait around for a full on meal. So I went next door to their «To Go» spot, which is not takeout only at all. You can order the same food at the same prices and there are a few seats available. There is just no table service, which is fine and to be expected.
It is dark and cramped in there. I saw a slightly larger table open up. So I sit down and they tell me that a party of two cannot claim this slightly larger table… o. O… Bummer. Oh well…
So you order at the counter and when they tell you your food is ready, you grab it from the counter.
We shared a sangria and some fried sweet plantains. The sangria is very sweet as are the plantains. It is also crunchy. I thought it was plenty sweet on its own. The syrupy sauce it came with seemed unnecessary to me.
De Pabellon ($ 9.25) — shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese, and sweet plantains
Usually I find shredded beef dry and stringy, but it was pretty juicy. I liked it with the black beans and white cheese on top. The sweet plantain was at the base of the arepa. The arepa didn’t have much taste on its own, but absorbed the meat juices quite well.
La Surena ($ 9.25) — grilled chicken, chorizo, avocado slices, and spicy chimi-​churri sauce
Yay chorizo. Side note: why is it so hard to find chorizo in grocery stores? This one was okay, but I liked the De Pabellon a little better. Grilled chicken had decent flavor, but chicken dries out easily. Arepas are pretty dry on their own. So I thought it needed more sauce on it. Good thing we ordered sangria.
If I ever came back, I might grab a quick snack. But for $ 9, I kind of wish the corn cake sandwiches were a little bigger though.

Yum yum yum!
The best way to experience Caracas, I think, is to go with a friend, bring a massive appetite, and order a bunch of different arepas and share them all! I enjoyed the La Surena, Los Muchachos, La Mulata, Playa Deluxe, and Croquetas. Everything was yummy.
The arepas looks small, but are very filling. The bread is nice and crisp on the outside but soft on the inside, so all the chewing could easily tire out the faint of heart! And I agree with everyone that you really want to eat them as quickly as possible, so they’re still hot.
Restaurant is super small, so be prepared for a wait if you’re coming around dinner (like 6:30 — 8:30 time). They have a decent (but early) happy hour, so I think that’s more incentive to get there sooner.
Enjoy!

Arepas, arepas
Ellas son buenas
Arepas, arepas
Yo quiero mas
This place is the best, quick and delicious. The food is spectacular and in a very fun environment.

I was told by a friend this place was awesome, so I had super high expections, but I don’t see the hype.
We started with the homemade chips and guace, which actually were amazing. The homemade chips I would 100% go back just for these. Also amazing were the croquetas which are deep fried yucca-​potato cakes with chorizo, corn.
Then we got to the arepas, which maybe I ordered the wrong ones??? I ordered the De Pabellon with Shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and sweet plantains. It seemed not too flavorful and way too sweet for my liking? (Mind you I normally am in love with anything and everything sweet). Then the Vista al Mar which was tilapa was even more plan lacking any flavor. My friend ordered the La Pelua with Shredded beef and cheddar cheese and had the same comments that I did.
I would be willing to try the place again since it gets such great reviews but my experience was not as exciting as other Unilocalers.

The arepas were so good!!! I was in love and sorry I wasn’t hungrier when I arrived.
2 of my friends and I stopped by and were told there was a very long wait. they have a small take out place next door but we really wanted to be able to sit down at a table and enjoy the experience. So we put our names down, grabbed drinks in the neibhorhood and when we cam e back we were seated shortlyt after. We got a bottle of wine to share for a decent price.
I definitely want to go back! Soon :)

Talk about delicious.
A friend recommended this place to me. I totally now understand why. It’s an intimate, small Venezuelan restaurant with authentic Venezuelan style foods. Now, I wasn’t too familiar with Venezuelan cuisine, so I was definitely excited to try some.
The place was fairly busy, but the four of us got a table right away. I couldn’t imagine a large group here, so try it with your friend. We all weren’t too hungry, but enough for a small meal– which is exactly what we got.
It was perfect. We all ordered two different aperas, so i was able to try two different ones. My mom and I ordered the Reina Pepiada, which had fresh mixed avocado. My dad and brother ordered the De Pabellion, which was beef cheese and black beans. I must say, as much as I enjoyed mine, I really liked the De Pabellion. The perfect amount of savory in a small bun.
I’ll definitely am excited to come back and try more Arepas. It’s the perfect amount of food leaving you fully satisfied.

The chips and guac a re a must order (chips are plantain and taro). We dined here on a Friday night and were seated surprisingly quickly. As many Unilocalers have already said the arepas a re great, the food is cheap and the service is good so you should definitely try it out. The arepa I got wasn’t super filling so next time I will definitely be ordering two.
If you’re in the area you should definitely try it out and if there is a long wait you can get it to go at their location next door.

Really?! I haven’t reviewed this place yet?! I’m crazy pants!
I’ve been here too many times to count and it is ALL about their sauce. Honestly, the food is really good, but can sometimes be dry; e.g. chicken and plantains, but once you bathe those babies in sauce you will be in flavor heaven. *drooooool*
Their main restaurant is small so don’t be THAT group of 8+ people trying to take up all the tables and causing everyone else to wait forever outside for you to finish; four or less, then you’re good to go and you won’t get angry looks from everyone waiting outside.
After dealing with the huge crowds we started eating at their «to-​go» spot next door. Pretty much the same options, except less crowd and you can seat yourselves. There is a bathroom there as well, but the drinks are limited to the shakes and beers — if you want water you’ll have to drink their tap that they have out on the counter with the other utensils, napkins, sauces, etc.
No matter which arepa you order, just put their sauce on it, that is the key to happiness. As far as other items, the coconut shake is SOOOOOOO good. I’ve ordered two before on one of my visits, and I’ll admit that I probably would’ve ordered three if I didn’t think I’d be judged for it =X.
Don’t judge me.

I first been to Carcas a few years ago and to be honest, my knowledge of Venezuelan food especially, Arepas was pretty limited. I grew up in a predominately Hispanic neighborhood and I was familiar with only the Columbian version of an Arepa that came at the end of a chuzo which is Spanish Shish kebab. The Columbian version I am not crazy about, it is a smaller Arepa and it is very light and not very flavorful, the Columbian version kinda reminds me of styrofoam so I was a skeptic to try the Venezuelan version. This place is super tiny and tight, if I am not mistaken, there is the restaurant and a few stores down there is a to go place with a few tables as well. This place is super popular and gets crazy packed so go early and I would say go with 4 people tops since I don’t know how well they are able to accommodate larger groups.
The food:
Tequenos– Deep fried white cheese sticks wrapped in wheat flour dough. Oh holy hell! It’s deep fried cheese, so good. It’s such a simple dish but such an easy party pleaser. The flavors are good but this is kinda a filling dish, so I say you share this.
De Pabellon– Shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and sweet plantains. This is the dish to get here because it is freakin awesome. It’s so good from the beef to the beans to the plantains. This is my favorite arepa here since it really does make a perfect pairing of sweet and savory and I typically am not a sweet and savory fan. This is a must.
La del Gato– Guayanes cheese, fried sweet plantains and avocado slices. I don’t normal care for items that don’t have meat in it lol, but this is the exception. It’s insanely good. I love cheese, I love sweet plantains and I love avocados, so yes please!

El mejor papelon con limon de Los restaurants que he ido aqui en NYC, Las Arepas (Nunca van aser como Las de Nuestras madres alla en Venezuela)! Lol
Pero aqui en «Caracas Restaurant» Son deliciosas!

«Corerackass Arepa Bar» is for fitness-​conscious females (or transgender guys who have had boobie implants) who wish to focus on developing the middle part of their body. It’s food for those that focuses on the «core» parts of the body, especially the breasts (rack), and the butt (ass). Hence the name «Corerackass Arepa Bar.»
What to order: La Surena Arepa, Banana Shake, Papelon Con Limon.
Why: La Surena may be NYC’s most delicious meal.
And then what: Make me a sweater that looks like this food so you can «Arepa What You Sew.»
Lol. When shall I meet you here: ASAP. Quickly. Hurry. ¡Ándale! ¡Ándale! ¡Arepa! ¡Arepa!
«Carwreckers Arepa Bar» is only for (a) Scrap Metal Yard workers, (b) people who have been in at least 3 major automobile accidents in the last 5 years, and © Salt Truck Workers in Siberian-​climate cities. And they do take cards, whereas «Carrycash Arepa Bar» do not. They’re cash-​only, like my gf (hi babes).
Caracas Arepa Bar is, quite simply, one of the best places to eat in New York City. It’s some of the best Venezuelan food you will ever eat. It’s one of the most delicious ethnic eateries in the USA. It’s some of the best Latin food you can imagine. Are you on your way there yet? Do you think we need one more? Alright, we’ll get one more.
«Codecrackers Arepa Bar» is for Black-​Hat Hackers only. I’d just like to point out that I was involved with the Black Hat world long before it was all Hollywoodyish. If weird models ate here, it’d be «Caradelevinge Arepa Bar.»
The best Arepa you can get here is «La Surena». It’s a combination of succulent chicken, delicious white cheese, unbelievable avocado, some melt-​in-​your-​mouth hot-​sweet plantains, a host of heavenly spices and flavour, all stuffed inside a steaming, soft, dreamy, pillowy, quilted corn pocket known as — of course — an Arepa. But it gets better. Because they add this spicy Chorizo sausage that is off-​the-​charts delicious. The sausage takes the flavour from one level, off the charts, through the roof, and into the stratosphere. This is one of the best Arepas you will ever eat. Slightly overpriced possibly, but order it — devour it — love it — and see for yourself.
If it was in Rio it’d be «Carioca Arepa Bar.» Whereas «Caraccess Arepa Bar» is a drive-​thru. Speaking of drive-​thru, let’s make out.
Get all the sauces so you can try them and see which you like on your arepa. Some are spicy, some creamy, some sweet. It’s a matter of taste. The other arepas are pretty damn good, but nothing compares to La Surena.
«Catsuits Arepa Bar» is actually a strip club. But since a certain New Jersey Unilocaler relocated to Hawaii (lol) they lost 50% of their business and went from 1 Unilocal review to 0.
As for the drinks, Caracas has some of the best in the city, in terms of non-​alcoholic stuff. Their banana milkshake is smooth and delicious and addictive — but drink it straight away because it spoils easily because it’s made from fresh stuffs. And their «Papelon Con Limon» is basically brown sugar lemonade, and is delicious. It’s not too sweet, so be careful if you don’t like sour stuff. The one at Arepas Café in Queens is probably slightly better, but on every other level — Caracas wins.
«Carrie’s Arepa Bar» is unsafe. The owner has ESP and often destroys everything because people were mean to her in high school. At least it doesn’t have roaches though. Or it’d be «Cucarachas Arepa Bar» and would have tons of 1-​star reviews with gross roach pictures. And they’d play Papa Roach «Last Resort» ²⁴⁄₇. Or anything by Roachford.
There are two locations. This is the original, in the East Village on 7^th St. I’ve tried the Brooklyn one too, but Manhattan was my first, and my most recent, and I’ve been there probably 10 times in total, including taking my brother and several past girlfriends — who all loved it as much as I do.
«Cataracts Arepa Bar» is for people with impaired vision only. Whereas «Catamaran Arepa Bar» is moored in NY Harbor. I’m eating Arepas on a boat, motherf***er, like T-​Pain if he was Venezuelan. He’d probably be known as V-​Pain, then. Speaking of V-​Pain, if you’re experiencing some, I know a good OB-​GYN. Good on many levels.
If you only eat 3 things in Manhattan, get Chicken Tikka from Biryani Cart. Get a Chicken Biscuit from Cheeky Sandwiches. And get the Surena from Caracas Arepa. That’s how good it is. One of the best three — and possibly even the #1 — eats on Manhattan Island. Can praise get any higher than that? Like Jim Morrison once said, girl, they couldn’t get much higher.
Speaking of high, and speaking of things that the Northern part of South America is famous for, «Crackass Arepa Bar» is for those who like to do cocaine, but who don’t smoke it or snort it the way most of Los Angeles does, I mean the way most Coke people do. Instead, they… well, you know. They sit on it. Sort of like… well, are you cute? OK, good. Then in that case, let me demonstrate. OK, imagine my face is the cocaine. Now, what you need to do is…

This was probably one of the tiniest restaurants I’ve been to. Even though we waited 45 minutes for a table, I was excited to try my very first arepas, and also my first ever taste of Venezuelan food.
We started off with chips and guac, which were very delicious. We also ordered three arepas (Pernil, Surena, and Muchachos). While they were flavorful, I was disappointed that they were all consistently dry. Maybe they were particularly dry on that day, because even a pair of Brewskis could not alleviate the dryness. My order of Tequenos probably didn’t help. I couldn’t really taste the cheese, and the dough was also a bit too thick and dry.
However, the Yoyos and highly addictive dipping sauce that came with them were enough to convince me to make a trip back here at some point, despite the millions of other dinning options in New York City, just get another order. But I’d probably grab some yoyos to go, while skipping the arepas altogether.

Amazing food! Best place for South Américan food in NY! Bellísimo
La comida está buesima y el concepto es increíble, buen servicio y con mucha personalidad.
Buen precio! Love this place!

Tout petite salle mais déco au top
Un peu d’attente dehors avant d’accéder au resto (mais très correct)
Super bouffe avec du sucré-​salé, des jeux de textures et pas mal de finesse au total ! J’y retournerai