This is one of the first restaurants I have tried solely based off of yelp reviews in Charlottesville. I usually get a lot of recommendations from coworkers, friends, and family to try new places but no one had mentioned this place to me. I think a lot of that has to do with the location. It is tucked away in the corner of an extremely busy shopping center that includes the Alamo. There are lots of food options near them but somehow they have managed to stand out. The service here is top notch and should come as no surprise since it is family run. It has feeling of getting a home cooked meal from Venezuela. It's as advertised. The food is exceptional and really matches the prices reflected on the menu. The picanha was tender and well seasoned. I will be coming back and trying more of this menu. Could not recommend more read more

Arepas Steakhouse - House burger - Venezuelan Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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We had to make a trip to Charlottesville to pick up some car parts. Decided to go to 5th Street Station and decide when we got there. Settled on Arepas, which was a great choice. We ordered the the Paradilla which included an arepa, some grilled cheese, fried yuca, a salad with avocado and steak, chicken and sausage. It included a green sauce and mayonnaise for dipping. More than enough food for two big eaters. Our server was charming and brought more green sauce upon request. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was not busy and they had lots of pictures on the walls of their delicious food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] A great first visit. We shall return. read more

Steak entrees were excellent: cooked as requested. The big disappointment was that the lamb option was not available as part of the restaurant-week menu, and there was no substitute of equal quality and substance offered. (Many people do not eat pork, the only RW alternative to steak.) The butternut squash soup was like puréed baby food: not like soup. The server was very pleasant. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is quite plain: a little decorative effort would be worthwhile as the food is quite good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere should be more special to be in-line with prices & quality.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would go back! read more

Great place for a grilled steak and of course for arepas. Prices are reasonable. Service is excellent. Online ordering at https://www.clover.com/online-ordering/arepas-on-wheels-charlottesville read more

Stopped in for the first time having never eaten Venezuelan food. We decided to have a beef empanada and a chicken empanada. We weren't sure how big they were but when they arrived we realized they're the size of a small taco. The breading was good but the meat didn't have much flavor without the sauce which was really good. We then ordered the chicken and avocado arepa. It was the size of my palm and filled with what I'd describe as chicken salad mixed with avocado. It was ok but not my favorite. I'm a small eater so for me, I'd need two empanadas as a meal but my husband would definitely need 4 and he's an average eater. At $6 for each little empanada (comes without sides or a drink) and $12 for each arepa (comes without sides or a drink), the price just doesn't seem worth it. The service was good and if the price matched the servings we would try again but not at the current price. read more

This was our first time here and it definitely won't be the last! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance was great, both inside and out on the patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was attentive and the food was excellent, with flavors that shined without being overpowered by heavy sauces. We started with the garlic shrimp appetizer, and the homemade garlic sauce complemented the shrimp perfectly without overwhelming it. For the main dish, I had the burger, cooked just as requested and served on a perfectly lightly toasted bun. Delicious! We're already looking forward to coming back to try their signature arepas dishes. read more

Arepas Steakhouse - Venezuelan Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Food was okay. My wine was good as well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I'm sure it's someone's favorite place just wasn't my cup of tea.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The guacamole was the best thing I had. Definitely would order this again. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great location, great food and a great waitstaff, but the kitchen and bar are SUPER SLOW.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered the Tequenos and guacamole for starters and they were great...when we finally got them, like 30 minutes later. My wife ordered a painkiller and I ordered a spicy margarita. Those also took forever and the margarita was not what I would consider good. For the main course, my wife ordered a shredded beef empanada and a cachito de jamon and I ordered the Parrillada. Those were all delicious, but for a non-Spanish speaker, double R's and double L's only separated by an I, is VERY intimidating. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Need better signage, because it is hidden in a corner, a better POS system for the staff/kitchen and a bartender that is better making margaritas.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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A unique experience! Hispanic food can be hit or miss in Charlottesville. When it misses, you leave with a tummy ache and bad night. But, when it hits, your entire world is rocked to its core. Like the food truck it stems from, Arepas Steakhouse is a HIT! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The location is still finding its identity, as do most food trucks becoming restaurants can be. The decor could be improved, and some of the furniture is clearly "starter furniture." Yet, the thought and care that has been put into the DETAILS of this restaurant should not be overlooked.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The family friendly play-set is an unnecessary, yet, WELCOME addition to the area, and a genius way to draw families in.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The dental floss picks and mints by the restroom are actually EXCELLENT choices for date nights.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The portions are perfect for 2 people! The food is beautiful. The flavor, the presentation, and the colors are works of art on plate. They aren't kidding when they say that they are a STEAKHOUSE. I asked for medium rare, and I got medium rare! We ordered the Parillada. All meats on the plate were juicy and perfectly seasoned. The service could have been a tad better, but for a new place finding its footing, this can be understood. Everyone I interacted with was attentive, kind, and definitely happy. I will be returning soon in anticipation of more food and one of their incredible-looking drinks. read more

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Difficult to find a great steak for lunch. Went at noon. Just opened. Great service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Spacious (due to the timing)[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Very good rack of lamb ($30.) Yummy NY steak - 10oz for $35.00 Garlic shrimp needed more garlic, but was tasty. We shall return. read more

First time here and it won't be the last. We were seated quickly and immediately served water which was nice on a warm day. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The inside is very cozy and offers a great space to dine with friends or family.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered the garlic shrimp appetizer (so good!) it was lightly coated with their signature garlic sauce recipe and it didn't overpower the soft sweet taste of the grilled shrimp. We had burgers as our main dish and they were perfect! Can't wait to go back. read more

Great food chicarrones were great Whole tilapia was fantastic Great addition to cville read more

Have been a couple times and always enjoy the food! The steak is flavorful and my husband raves about the whole tilapia. The Caesar salad is well done and you can't go wrong with an arepa. Their lemonade is delicious! Like so good I think about it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is great but the service is a little slow.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The last time we were there it took 45 minutes to get our first round of drinks. It's not a large restaurant and an experienced bartender should have no problem keeping up with a restaurant that size. Unfortunately I think they don't have an experienced bartender. The margaritas are also disappointing. It did not taste like a margarita. There also no vegetables on the menu. I think the addition of some vegetables would just make it more well rounded. Overall highly recommend. read more

Awesome meal - our steak and lamb were cooked to perfection - rivaled the much pricier steak houses in town. The guacamole, sweet plantains and back beans were also outstanding. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Low key atmosphere with very friendly and attentive service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Can't wait to go back read more

Nice people. Decent steak with tasty chimichuri. Sides were just ok. Hope they do well at a challenging location. We will be back!

Their guacamole is amazing the chips are like potato slices then fried. Highly recommend!

Zero stars. Horrible service. Do not recommend. We booked dinner for two for Valentine's Day. Showed up, were seated fairly quickly at a table with a water jug. We sat, and sat, and sat, and drank the water. A table of four was seated next to us, immediately served (drinks and appetizer order taken, drinks brought out! before we were served). About 15-18 minutes after being seated, and trying to make eye contact with anyone, the bartender who served the table next to us came over and said "how is everything?" ???? We then asked if we could put in an order for drinks and appetizers and she explained that she did not assign a waitress to our table, which is why we were not served or looked at for over 15 minutes. She took our drink order (just a single cocktail I might add) and left, without telling us who our server would then be. The single cocktail took too long. We then waited AGAIN for someone else to come take our dinner order. We sat, and sat, and sat, only to have to flag the hostess down and ask if she was our waitress, to which she said no. So then we asked "well then who is??" Some random waitress then came over, no introduction, and so again, I asked, "can we put in an order??" So she took our order. The food was subpar at best. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was kitschy and uncomfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The price we paid for this experience is appalling and quite honestly ruined a nice Valentine's Day date night. read more

Absolutely wonderful from service to food! We ordered chips with cheese, chips with guacamole, Venezuelan beer, ribeye steaks with 2 sides each and we savoured every bite! Simply delicious and presented artfully. We highly recommend and we will definitely be returning with our family and friends! read more

Very pleasant. Different flavors than the typical restaurant but very tasty. Extremely helpful server helping you through a menu different than most are used to. Well with a try read more

Food is fantastic but it's certainly quality over quantity. I get it, meat is expensive and the establishment was fairly empty when I went so I can understand having to charge what they do. Service was fantastic and felt custom to what they figured we would want. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance was alright, just a little empty at the time.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

The hamburgers we had were delicious. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It has a great atmosphere and is kid friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The other food looked delicious but we were craving a hamburger. The service was fantastic. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]It looks like a generic Mexican restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] But the food is gourmet. I was shocked at how good it was. The service was really good. I've never had a better empanada. And the Arepas were better than that. read more

If you live in this area and can make Arepas Steakhouse a regular outing, consider yourself lucky! We are from out of town and do eat at restaurants constantly. The food here is incredible! The empanadas were the best we have ever had - they are fried and piping hot. The chicken is excellent, and the beef is a close second. My BF ordered the New York strip steak with chimichanga sauce and the flavor is the epitome or charbroiled flavor, and very tender, and was cooked to a perfect medium. There are things on the menu that I've never seen, so that's refreshing. I got a Long Island ice tea that was mixed perfectly. Great beer list, and reasonable wines including a dry prosecco. I would say the value here is also excellent! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Pretty sure you can sit outside if you want.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]One note to the management - it would be nice if you could soften the lighting at night.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]With that said, the interior is nice and high-end.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Excellent place to eat!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more