It was my first time visiting Queenstown from the U.S., and I was immediately intrigued by all the food options in this particular area of town. Caribe caught my attention due to its colorful Latin-inspired decor and tables/seating. I initially asked to order the prawn & cheese empanada, but the cashier told me they did not have prawns. Instead, I ordered the mushroom & cheese empanada, which did not dissapoint! The outer layer was crispy, flaky, golden goodness. The mushroom and cheese combo was not something I've had before. It didn't scream "Latin" to me, but that didn't stop it from being delicious. I also got an order of the vegetarian arepas, which was my least favorite of the two. I wish the veggies that came with it were more hearty; it appeared that they used something similar to a frozen mix of peas, corn, and diced carrots. Again, it was still yummy, but I think it could be elevated with beans! The arepa breading itself was fresh and crispy. read more

Caribe - Left is the vegetarian arepa. Right is the mushroom & cheese empanada. - Latin American Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

When missing Latino cuisine in New Zealand, this is the place to visit for that! They have a mix of Mexican, Brazilian, Argentinian, Colombian, and Peruvian snacks, meals and drinks. We ordered a passionfruit and regular frozen margarita and both were great! The place itself is colorful, cozy and vibrant which is exactly what you would expect from a Latin restaurant. The food came out pretty fast which is another bonus. The beef empanadas were some of the best I've ever had seriously. The arepa was another great choice and so were the quesadillas. Stop by if you're ever in Queenstown you won't regret this little gem. read more

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Where to start? Blink your eyes and you might mess it... my eldest says it's messy and that's how you know it's good??!! I am a little less messy but impressed!! It's next to a restaurant with an obvious sign hanging next to it so yes you may walk by it... but you should hear the beautiful sounds of Latin music... we tried the beef empanada (pastille) based on another review... pretty good but hubby doesn't do rice... Spicy pork burrito no rice, spicy!!! The red bottle has more spicy stuffs!! Brownish bottle more like BBQ and green kinda like Chile Verde but sweet (from US Cali perspective)... pretty average serving size compared to CaliMex where a large burrito is insanely huge!! Food super tasty! Great open setting and service was good!! read more

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We grabbed a quick lunch to go on our way to the airport. The small restaurant was empty but alive with its beautiful decor. The prices were fair and they have a fairly comprehensive menu from sandwiches, pastels to some seafood options. The staff were friendly. We both ordered the Cuban sandwiches which was wrapped in a cute box for to go orders. I enjoyed all the seasonings, sauces mixed in with the sandwich. The toasted bread alone was delicious. I would check this place out again for some other menu items. read more

Caribe - Latin American Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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We were looking for a late night spot to eat after playing some frisbee golf in the park. We'd passed Caribe earlier on in the day so we came back to check it out. We dropped in on a Thursday evening (around 9:45pm) and the place was still busy. The inside is cutely decorated with framed pictures, posters (of their 4 hot sauces) and Latin American flags on the ceiling. The menu consists of tapas, arepas, nachos, burritos, quesadillas and tacos. Some things are shockingly expensive ($7.50 NZD for horchata) but that seems to be the case with many ethnic restaurants in town. - Reina pepeada arepa ($10.00 NZD) - roast chicken and avocado. You can get the arepa deep fried or grilled; we went with the latter and it was excellently done. Great texture. The roast chicken and avocado mixture was tasty and flavourful. - Pork burrito ($14.00 NZD large) - beans, salad, rice and avocado Caribe sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla. We requested our burrito to be spicy and for once, it was the real deal. Tongue got a little hot. The burrito had great flavour and balance. One of the best burritos I've had in a long time. Make sure you add the verde (tomatillo) sauce. It's goooooood. Great value and tasty options at Caribe. We'd come back again. read more

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First meal in New Zealand and we were pleasantly surprised! It was lunch time and we figured our best option would be downtown. Caribe was the first restaurant that caught our eye. It's loud and colorful (in a good way) and it seemed popular among the locals. However, since we have good mexican food at home, we thought it would be good to at least check the rest of the downtown area. Needless to say, our first option was the best option. We were intrigued by the cornbread sandwiches, so we ordered a chicken and beef one. We also ordered what looked like a beef empanada appetizer to share. The food took awhile to arrive. Even people ordering other items after us started to pick up their orders before us so we started to worry a bit. Fortunately, the items were delicious. Fresh and warm right out of the oven! We will definitely be back! This will be a great lunch or dinner. read more

Caribe - Latin American Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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Came here twice on a short few days in Queenstown. It's pretty hole in the wall, but delish! The first time we all got different arepas. I'd have to say the one they recommended (chicken arepa) was by far the worst one, which unfortunately was mine. It was more like chicken salad, cold and mayo-y. The other ones were so good though, I was eyeing my friends with jealousy. The second time we came back we were pretty hungry and all got large burritos. The stewed meats are so flavorful and definitely hits the spot. There are tons of hot sauces on the table to douse whatever you order with. We thought this place and Fergburger were really good casual/cheap eats! read more

Caribe - Latin American Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

My girlfriend and I came here for lunch and we ordered the chicken & avocado arepa and chicken burrito. My first impressions of the arepa, a Venezuelan flatbread, was that it is quite crunch. All the meat was on the bottom and all the veggies were on top, so it was a bit difficult to eat. The chicken burrito was good although it tasted much healthier than a normal Mexican burrito. I'd say order the arepa as it is much more unique. The place allows self seating and the food is brought out to you once it's ready. read more

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If you're craving some decent food at a reasonable price with no frills in downtown Queenstown, I recommend stopping by. Their arepas are refreshing and delicious. They also have complimentary wifi. My big complaint is that the employees are not very friendly, especially to young children. One of the women behind the counter was visibly annoyed the several times we ate here during our recent trip. It's not like his presence made her job harder. She spent most of the time socializing with her friends. So, in summary: rude service, decent food. read more

Caribe - Arepas - Latin American Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

So easily 5 stars! Caribe was our first and last meal in Queenstown. We had been dying for anything resembling authentic Mexican. While Caribe is more Central American, with their mouth watering arepas, everything was so delicious that we fell in love. Highly recommend anything with their pork. It's marinated with lots of orange and mojo, and so flavorful. We got it in the burrito, and in the arepa. The beans are great, the Caribe sauce is great, and even though it's not normal in my burritos, I did enjoy the freshness of the slaw in everything. I was also highly jealous of the yummy looking nachos and quesadillas I saw everyone around us eating. We also tried a chicken taco, which was amazing. Nicely spiced and marinated shredded chicken (like tinga, if you're familiar), and GINORMOUS. The price looks high, but it's basically the size of a small burrito. One taco is very filling. The counter staff is very friendly and helpful. There are only like 4 tables outside, and a few stools inside, but we never had a problem finding seating. There is also tons of outside areas to picnic in all around Queenstown if you don't mind the casualness! We loved Caribe - the combination of the great flavor and the super reasonable prices cannot be beat! read more

Caribe - Medium pork burrito! - Latin American Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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Super good chicken taco. It was perfect for an afternoon snack. If you like spicy stuff, then this place is an excellent option for you.

I got the large pork burrito with medium spice level and the reina pepeada (chicken avocado) arepa. The large burrito was $16.40 and arepa was $11. The burrito was tasty although not spicy, so if you prefer spicy definitely get it spicy or extra spicy. The large is a good size i'm not sure medium would be filling enough for me. Also if you want cheese it's an extra $2. The arepa was fine, you can get it grilled or fried and I chose fried. It basically tastes like a chicken salad sandwich. You can probably skip the arepa and go for a burrito instead. read more

Caribe - large pork burrito, medium spice - Latin American Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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I loved this cute little spot, I am a big fan of arepas having spent a few years of my childhood in Venezuela. It is quite hard to find the perfect arepas back home in Brooklyn and when I walked past this spot and smelled the delicious scent I knew I had to try it. I ordered the carne arepas fries and it was delicious! They added a twist with the Cole slaw and my sister really enjoyed the Cole slaw part. The bread tasted like childhood and it was fast and delicious, I will definitely be back before I leave! read more

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Love the food here! It's cheap compared to other options in the area. I cane here 3x in a span of a week that I was in Queenstown so that should say something about this place. I loved their burritos (you can mix veggies and a type of meat), as well as their chicken and avocado wrap. Delish and highly recommend! read more

As an American living in Queenstown, I was quite keen to try different foods when I got to NZ but Caribe kept me coming back nearly every other day. - Best chicken quesadilla I have ever had!!! - Amazing spicy and flavorful hot sauces. - Delicious pork burritos as well (not too much rice and beans with lots of veggies and meat). read more

I ordered spicy typed food. If you don't like spicy food, you need to tell 'middle spicy'. In terms of the meaning of 'spicy Latin food', it's not familiar with your tasting. read more

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Decent food. We really enjoyed the tequeños and their sauces. The pernil arepa was super over greasy and the pernil itself was ok (it's usually more tender and tasty) and the quesadilla with chicken really lacked flavor read more

I found this place walking around Queenstown. I have been craving an arepa for weeks so I had to go in. The arepa was so delicious. I went to Caribe two days in a row. The beans are incredible and they actually use Harina Pan!! I would definitely recommend! The first day I I got the domino arepa (cheese and beans), the next day I got just beans! read more

Caribe - Domino (cheese and beans with greens) - Latin American Near Me - Queenstown, OTA

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It's just not very good, and it's nothing like actual Latin American cuisine, so I'm not really sure why they call themselves such. Fusion would be more apt. We ordered the beef burrito and queso arepas, and neither were very good. It was cheap, though, and the service was fast and friendly. read more

Delicious and affordable Latin American food. It's worth the wait if there's a line--and make sure you try the sauces! FOOD: We stopped by twice, once for dinner and once for lunch. I had an arepa (a Venezuelan flatbread sandwich) both times. They're delicious, especially the chicken and avocado, although they are a bit tricky to eat--make sure you grab some napkins. My husband loved the lamb quesadillas so much he got them both times. :] We also got a couple of coxinhas, which were both tasty and a great way to sample the sauces the restaurant makes. SEATING: The place itself is on the small side. There isn't a ton of seating--bar stools inside and a few tables outside. You can get your food to take away, if you're in a rush, but people clear out pretty quickly. If there isn't seating available when you arrive, there probably will be some available by the time your order is ready. AMBIENCE: The restaurant feels like a street food vendor. Mismatched bar stools, tons of Dia de los Muertos-style art, and photos of various famous Latin American people and traditions are all over the place. DOWNSIDES: The wait at lunch was longish. At dinner, the cooks powered through the orders, so we were initially confused by the wait at lunchtime when the restaurant was quieter. We think we came in on the late side for lunch--as we watched the cooks, it seemed like one of them had switched over to dinner prep, so only one cook was handling the incoming lunch orders at that time. read more

The awesome sauces set Caribe apart from other Mexican restaurants - even some I've tried in California and Arizona! Probably one of the most delicious and quickest meals we had in Queenstown! read more

We were wondering around town and wanted a quick meal before doing an activity. A local had recommended this place and I initially thought, what do ppl from NZ know about tacos and burritos? We got the beef burrito and it was pretty good to our standards. Free wifi here which is a plus. We are actually glad we came here because one can't possibly eat burgers and meat pies everyday. read more

For all the vegans and vegetarians I highly recommend this place to you. The veggie burrito is on point! Full of sautéed vegetables and seasoned perfectly. The staff here is amazing as well. Tami is very friendly and accommodating. Love this place so much! read more

Awesome place, good music and friendly staff. Horchata is super good! Nice streetside eating area too. Big recommend

Open late which is a bonus. Good menu selection of south american food. And actually very good and pretty authentic arepas! Chicken avocado and veggie were both excellent. read more

Omg delicious!!!! Loved my chicken & avacado arepa!!! Fresh and amazing! The staff was soooo nice too! I recommend!

THIS PLACE RULES! It's the only place we went to twice on our trip in Queenstown. Their burritos put Chipotle and other burrito bars to shame. The meats, the salad, the beans and rice, everything. And the sauces. Oh the sauces. Tried the Guaro, Verde, and Chipotle and loved all 3. The Guaro was definitely my favorite, but you'd be missing out if you didn't try them all. On my second visit I got the homemade churros with chocolate sauce. Good lord. I was in heaven. I could not stop eating them until the bag was gone, and even then, I wanted more. Best churros I've ever had and whatever chocolate sauce they used was addicting as well. One of my friends got the nachos, which were also incredible. I only had a bite, so I can't fully speak to their greatness, but she said they were the best nachos she's ever had. My initial reaction was to agree and I wish I had more time to go back and try an order of those too. They really just felt like icing on the cake though. This place could exclusively serve burritos and crush the competition of all the major burrito bars in Seattle. Add epic nachos and it's not even fair. To top it all off, the owner clearly has an eye for the style of Dia De Los Muertos. Everything about the style of the restaurant exudes a passion for that kind of art and a thorough appreciation for it. You'll see it when you go inside. If I were going to invest in a burrito bar in Seattle, I would want a Caribe franchise. They do everything the big chains (and small owners) do, but leagues better. read more

Best authentic South American food in Queenstown!! Vegetable burritos and quesadillas are 10/10! Loads of fresh veges, service super friendly and fast! read more

Service here was great, the cashier was so sweet and helped me make my decision. I had the deep fried chicken avo arepa, and yes it was delicious!! It's a very small cafe but you can easily walk outside with your food to find a nice spot to sit and eat. I was actually able to take mind over to the lake because they are located walking distance from it. If I had the chance to do it again, I would! read more

Had lunch here, quick service and food was delicious, nice environment and great prices.

I really wasn't expecting finding such a little gem in New Zealand. Really affordable and authentic and has a pretty nice location. Food was great and we enjoyed sitting and watching the people pass by. I'm from SF and I'd give the Latin food 4/5 but for New Zealand it might be 6/5. read more

Small space but the food was outstanding. The prices were also a little high but it's very worth it given the quality of the food and the atmosphere of the place. Was a great experience dining there. read more

Pretty good Latin American food a quintillion miles away from Latin America. I ate lunch here once. It was raining. There's a lot of stuff on the walls. That's all that I really remember about this place. It was a while ago but since I bookmarked it, I am compelled to write a review for it. So this is what you get, Internet. read more

So glad my husband and i decided to come to this spot. I had the chicken taco and it was amazing! My husband had the beef burrito and also enjoyed his meal. We are Latin so our standards for Mexican is high and they exceeded our expectations! read more

I think it's just ok maybe because I've had one much better before elsewhere so it's just ordinary , to me

Full disclosure: I live in the Mission in San Francisco, and I have pretty particular tastes when it comes to burritos. The Caribe burrito is very much unlike any burrito I've ever eaten, it's more like the bastard offspring of a coleslaw salad, and a lunch wrap (with some blacks beans thrown in for Mexican atmosphere). We ordered beef and pork, and were hoping for something resembling a carne asada burrito, or a carnitas burrito. Our hopes were dashed, and we got orange pork along with some pretty meh (and not nicely grilled) pieces of beef. For those of you with burrito standards, please pass on this. read more

Never have and never again will i have a quesadilla like theirs!!! Ended up buying the sauce that goes in it that they sell called Spicy Love. Nearly cried when it busted open at the airport. Asked a friend who's visiting there after us to get us another bottle. It's like crack, it's so good! Try the fried casava while you are there too! read more

AMAZING FOOD!! have been here multiple times, ordered multiple items and will definitely be back(: highly recommend if you miss the taste of Mexican food (I know it's not Mexican but I've been craving it from back home and this is the closest thing we've found) read more

The food was great for the most part. We had an arepa, quesadilla, nachos and churros. The minced beef nachos were our favorite. The quesadilla was too oily and soggy. I am deducting a star for the service. The people working there seem so unhappy and unfriendly. We would have come back again but didn't want them to ruin our day. read more

Wanted something quick for a takeaway and ended up with the best burrito I've ever eaten. Ordered the chicken one, it was delicious. If you're starving I would order the 12 inch, otherwise the 9 inch is good to fill you up. read more