Pica Pica Arepa Kitchen

Always some good stuff here! They no longer use their 10-​punch cards, which I admittedly had been holding onto for a few years.
THE WAIT: None on a Friday around 8:30pm. It was busy but we got a couple spots on stools along the wall.
See my pics for additional details!
* Lemon Coconut Juice — 4 stars
This was great. Slightly heavy on the lemon — I only got a tiny hint of the coconut.
* Spicy Chicken Catira on Classic White — 3.5 stars
Tasty but incredibly spicy! My eyes were watering. The arepa as always has a good crisp, soft gritty filling.

I had some high hopes for this spot after binge watching some episodes of Diners Drives ins and Dives. Damn you, Guy Fieri… you made this place look SO GREAT, MY MOUTH WAS WATERING, I HAD TO GET THERE RIGHT AWAY.
No rush.
Came here on a Sunday early afternoon surprised to find it was basically empty (bad sign). I guess it was too early or all the other Mission-​folk were waiting in line somewhere for brunch. It is a quick order at the counter service type place. I decided on the Vegetariana Cachapas (yellow corn crepes filled with grilled tofu, avocado, plantains, black beans purée and folded over). The counter staff assured me without the aioli it would be all vegan (yay) and it came with a nice side salad and the dressing was vegan as well. My boyfriend got the Shredded beef plate (with Coconout rice, black beans & sweet plantains). The total came out to around $ 27.00 without tip (sheesh).
We were the only people in there so the food came out quick and it was hot/​fresh. I was just not impressed. My Cachapa was SO GREASY. The tofu was a bit under seasoned and the combination of grease and super sweet crepes with sweet plantains was just kinda over whelming (I added some hot sauce for a bit of heat). My boyfriend said his was good, and the portions were quite filling. I am disappointed in the quality of the food, I was expecting some bold and fresh flavors but was left with a greasy plate of bland food.
Only redeeming qualities is that this place is clean, service was quick/​prompt and I guess it would be a good option if you are looking for brunch when everywhere else in the mission has too long of a wait. I personally, probably won’t be back, sorry Guy Fieri, this place does not reflect «flavor town,» you have let me down again.

Came here cause hubby saw it on triple D. A very small place in the Mission. I had Nachos Pica Pica, very good, large portion, enough for two people. Hubby had pulled pork arepa, rice and sangria. All good. We bought a bottle of the mojo spicy pickled sauce. It’s too hot for me (I’m wimpy) but, everyone else loved it. Very good. We’ll be back.

Came here for a quick casual dinner on Saturday. It is an order at the counter, then sit and eat your meal (which I am a fan of when I want something quick but good). The place is small, but it seemed that there were not really people waiting for tables long, or hovering without a place to eat. The food was really tasty, though my one friend thought it was a bit sweet. I got the shredded beef arepa and it had a lot of flavor!
We have been here a few times and will be back.

i would have given 1 star, but the service was good.
i just spent $ 22 on two arepas, one crispy chicken, one beef.
got home to find hardly anything inside of the sandwiches. the chicken was dry, clearly old, and barely present. the beef was less pathetic than the chicken, but not by much.
don’t waste your money here.

— Grilled chicken arepa: Super tasty flavorful and moist chicken, served in an arepa that’s thick and lightly crusty
— Yuca fries not as amazing — tasted pretty oily to me
Very casual spot, great for lunch. Would definitely come back

I felt dissapointed when I tried the food in this place. As a venezuelan I think this food doesn’t have any of the flavors of traditional venezuelan food at all.
I tried the cheese empanadas which were ok. The arepa however felt far from a traditional one. The dough wasn’t coocked properly and the mix of a traditional beef pabellon which is just all the ingredients mixed poorly and almost no cheese.
I came here with four other Venezuelans and it generated the same reaction with everyone. In general I would not pay this price for the quality of the food.

My parents and I were looking for a quick bite to eat while exploring San Francisco and this came up while browsing. I was excited because I haven’t had Venezuelan food in years and this place had good reviews.
Menu is simple and clear. Pick what type of arepa you want and your choice of meat. I ordered the Pulled Pork Pernil which was good. I felt like it need a bit more flavor specially for an arepa that costs $ 10. Place is clean, there was no line and food came out pretty quick.
Good but not dying to comeback. Way overpriced.

*3.5 stars*
Never having tried Venezuelan food or even hearing about arepas, my friend and I decided to venture to this place to give it a shot. I had no expectations coming in, but I’m glad to say that Pica Pica proved to be a very pleasant surprise.
I ordered the pulled pork arepa in the sweet yellow corn pocket. You have the choice of ordering either their classic white or the sweet yellow. I’m glad I chose the sweet yellow because the sweetness of it perfectly balanced out the savory meat. The pulled pork (or pernil) was tender, very flavorful, and even had hints of citrus and sweet aromas. If that’s typical of Venezuelan food, then consider me a fan! The arepa was stuffed with the pulled pork, sliced tomatoes, avocados, a great garlic aioli sauce, and their pica’pun sauce. Their pica’pun sauce added the perfect hint of spice to the arepa. There’s more of it on the tables that you can use to add to each bite if you’d like (I definitely did). The arepa also came with a side of slaw — nothing special about the slaw but it was a nice addition to the meal.
The price you pay for an arepa is very reasonable considering how much they stuff the arepas with your choice of meat or tofu if you’re a vegetarian. I left very content and would love to come back to try some of their yuca fries!

I have only had Venezuelan food once at a market in London. And oh the memories that came once I bit into this sweet corn arepa here at pica pica. This is also a gluten free paradise as even the chips are either plantain or taro.
We had the shredded beef arepa, garlic yucca fries, and the pork nachos. The little coleslaw that comes on the side is nice because it’s not heavy and is tossed in a light citrus vinaigrette. The nacho are HUGE! They offer sauces on the table– chipotle, salsa, and aioli. I’m always big on sauces so I appreciate this. Just know that the aioli is not true aioli and is made with mayo rather than egg whites.
The place is a walk up and pay at the counter type so it has a very casual atmosphere but it’s great if you want something quick Latin American other than Mexican food.

Arepas! I first tried Pica Pica at the SF Weekly DISH event at the Metreon. I wanted to like you arepas BUT you just didn’t wow me. The Pernil (Shredded Roasted Pork) was somewhat bland.
I do like their location on the corner on Valencia Street but gave you arepas a 2^nd chance and you failed me again. The corn cakes are good but the protein and filling not so much. Like I paid $ 10 for plate of curtido and corn cakes only! Best arepas I’ve had were in Chicago and I’m still thinking about THOSE arepas sadly.
For now I would just stick with the hand cut yucca fries which are delicious… if I strike out on the arepas again next time. They have a variety of sauces you can dip it in.

I came here on a Sunday night at 7pm and the place was practically empty. You order your food at the front, pay, and then seat yourself.
I’ve only had Venezuelan food once and it was an arepa, so I opted to try something different. I ordered the pulled pork cachapas and a basket of yucca fries. The fries by themselves lack flavor, but it comes with a side of guacamole and there are also 2 different sauces on the table to try it with. The cachapas are delicious and I love the sweetness of the crêpe and the juiciness of the pulled pork.
I was pretty hungry and I was stuffed by the time I was done. I’ll definitely come back again.

I’ve eaten here several times. The arepas always disappoint. So much flavor missing, the consistency is all wrong (you gotta have Manny’s arepas at The Palace, and you will feel me on this).
The yucca fries were aight.
The veggie nachos surprised me. Who knew. If not for these yummy thangs, I’d knock a star off.
Plus 10 points for them serving alcohol. Makes a difference, ya know.
Buen provecho.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I’ve never had Venezuelan food but after this visit I must say its my new favorite. Came here for the first time on Wed around 430p after work (day before Thanksgiving) and surprisingly there was a few parking spots right in front of the resto. Loved that right away!
There was no line and only 5 other people dining and seating was not a problem. The lady at the counter was super friendly. Being my first time here, went with her suggestion with the pulled pork corn arepa. Also ordered a side of garlic yuca fries and a passion fruit sangria.
The order came out extremely quick. Everything about the arepa I thought was delicious! Not dry at all and flavorful. The yuca fries were yummy. I’m a fries person only wish it was double the order haha. That’s just me. I was so excited about eating that I forgot to try the sauces. Will definitely try them out next time.
All in all, I had an excellent experience.

After hearing about this restaurant from friends and watching an episode of DDD, I had to see what all the hype was about. The restaurant is located at a busy corner of Valencia. I found parking right across the street (thought I should play the lotto after that!). There was a short line when we arrived and I happily spent a few minutes reading the menu. Unfamiliar with the cuisine, I couldn’t decide. I ordered a pulled pork arepa as recommended by the lady at the counter. It was just ok. It wasn’t awful — in fact, it is exactly how it appears. The corn pita (or pocket) was dry, a bit flaky, the avocado gave it some creaminess, and the pulled pork was bland. Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing?
The restaurant itself is narrow with seating around 3 walls and the kitchen and restroom taking the space in the back. There are also a few small tables in the middle of the restaurant. It is dimly lit and cold inside so I wasn’t really comfortable. Our table wobbled, too.
3-​stars. I just expected more and something a little better.

This place is awesome!!!
Probably one of the most satisfying places I’ve been to.
I was craving some Colombian food and couldn’t really find much, however I came across this place that has amazing Venezuelan arepas.
I got the shredded beef pabellon, which had plantains, black bean purée, shredded beef, and queso fresco. Wow explosion of flavors in my mouth, I couldn’t have asked for a better arepa (btw you do have the choice of sweet yellow arepa or classic white, I got the white).
My fiancé got the pulled pork pernil, which had pulled pork, avocado, tomato, pica pun, aioli, and she also got the classic white. Hers was also pretty delicious. We also got the fried yuka with garlic, I could’ve gone without the garlic even though with garlic was pretty good.
Overall this hipster arepa joint its delicious, sure a bit overpriced, but so is everything in sf.

This was my first foray into Venezuelan food and it was delicious!
Me and the boyfriend got two arepas to share! Arepas are the Venezuelan version of Colombian pupusas or Mexican tortas. I could be totally mixing up all these Latin American foods. Fail. I apologize! But pika pika is definitely the culturally appropriated version. Come on. Only white people would advertise gluten free as a health benefit.
My favorite was the pulled pork with the sweet yellow corn tortilla/​bread/​shell. It’s a bit pricey at around 10 bucks for just the sandwich but it’s meaty enough to be worth it, imho. I also enjoyed the garlic yuca fries! Imagine thick steak cut fries covered in garlic :3

Acabei indo comer nesse lugar porque foi a primeira opção que apareceu na minha frente em um momento de desespero. Foi uma ótima escolha! A atendente foi super atenciosa e o prato super bem feito e delicioso. Voltarei para provar os outros pratos!