Well, now. Finding truly authentic Venezuelan cuisine wasn't on my 2026 bingo card (as the cool…read morekids say), but I'm definitely stamping this square. Dios mio, what a meal! There was not a bad bite to be had. We might've cut the roofs of our mouths with the crisped-to-perfection Patacón, but I don't care--I think all sandwiches should be encased in fried plantain instead of bread. And the succulent pernil filling? Dios mio otra vez! Though, tbf, when is pernil ever a bad choice? Then there was the stuffed-to-the-brim Cachapa filled with carne mechada and Venezuelan cheese. It was enormous. Like, Jesus pulling from the neverending fish basket enormous. It never ended. We had to take it home. But before we did, I practically ate all of the arepa, which was the sweetest, bursting-with-corn-flavor arepa I've ever had outside of South America. It was so good, I practically cried with every bite. Tears of corny joy, mind you. We got an entree of grilled fish (Filete de Pescado a la Plancha), which came with a complimentary side--in our case, arroz amarillo cuz I gotta have my grains. The fish was perfectly crispy on the outside, meltingly tender on the inside. As with everything else, it was also way bigger than it had any right to be. Finally, we ended with what we THOUGHT would be a small item--the Arepa Arcoiris Llanero--but we were mistaken. It was stuffed so full of fresh avocado, shredded chicken, and various veggies that it had to be further encased in a paper wrapper for fear of the arepa wrap giving up on its job. We didn't make it more than a few bites before having to regretfully pack it home, but those few bites were chef's kiss. Venezuela has long been on my bucket list (who doesn't want to see Mount Roraima or Angel Falls?), but until I can get there, I'll be more than happy to "settle" for coming to this beautifully modern paradise of culinary delights. Throw in the huge portions and unbelievably low prices, and it's kind of a no-brainer to make the trip.

At Maracaibo you can expect a lovely environment of hearty music, playful conversations, pretty…read morefood and drink presentations. The service wasn't too bad, my cup ran empty every now and then but wasn't egregious. Let's talk presentation, the way drinks and food come out is clearly something the head of Maracaibo wanted to place extra detail on. Though the extra presentation is a bit gimmicky, it still got the job done for the most part. The sampler came in a giant Ferris wheel contraption. Not pictured, but my cocktail came with floating cotton candy. Nevertheless, the food was still incredible. The sampler is a must, not only for the presentation, but for the delicious eats that can push you out of your comfort zone. For first time Venezuelan eaters the amount of ways plantain could be prepped and served may be jarring, but I would encourage bravery and just try everything and anything you can on the sampler. Each bite was worth it! Let's talk main entrees, you won't be disappointed by the portions. If you enjoy plantain, definitely go for the patacon - if not, I'd suggest holding off as you may get your fill of it elsewhere. The skirt steak (churrasco) was cooked to my liking, went well in my patacon sandwich. It is massive, I couldn't eat it all - had to take some back. Onto the arepa bowl. Though the contents of the bowl instead could be something you may get elsewhere (like Chipotle for example), it's the addition of the arepa bowl blended with the flavors of everything else and the sauces they drizzle on top that completes this dish. It's unique and it screams for you to taste and pay attention. Overall - great foods, great ambiance, great people. Bit gimmicky but it is what it is.

Amazing Venezuelan spot…read more 1) The beef chachapas were amazing, must try. 2) The beef arepas were excellent, must try. 3) The wheat empanada shell with beef and corn empanada shell were fantastic!

Empanadas are still great, but sad to see them go from the $2 range per piece to the $5 range per…read morepiece. I know everything is more expensive now, and it took a while for them to raise their prices. It just changes the calculation of when Empanadas X-press makes sense, I might look elsewhere for $35 for two for lunch.

BE CAREFUL WHEN ORDER TAKE OUT FROM THIS PLACE. THEY CHARGE…read moreYOU 15% service fees no matter what. HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE . When I realized that they charged me the 15% then I called them asking the reason and the answer was "WE CHARGE THE 15% SERVICE TO ALL OUR CUSTOMERS NO MATTER WHAT, IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING" and then the woman just hung up the phone and i was like "???" SO RUDE!!! And even I talked to them in Spanish to see if they could be more friendly or nicer but I was wrong. I definitely not coming to this place anymore if they don't correct their behavior!!!

The restaurant is small and stuffy, the tables are almost on top of each other and service is…read morelacking. But the food I will deal with all those little inconveniences for the food. I had a simple chicken breast accompanied by white rice and potato salad. The chicken was well seasoned and moist, the potato salad, out of this world and rice was just regular. As "dessert" I decided to try their lemonade sugar cane drink. Very refreshing. However don't be fooled by the name, this is not your old lemonade, maybe it's cousin that lived in South America for a while and came back much cooler and interesting.

Great place close to home. I would highly recommend. I was welcomed by Owner who was very pleasant…read moreand excited to share her menu. I love the decor it was modern and tranquil. It was exactly what I craved. I ordered and couldn't wait to get home and share with my family. Took attached pictures at restaurant as fearing not having the mind set to remember to do it at home. Jeje I ordered a little of three categories. I bought empanadas, patecone and a sampler of patecone. They were all so delicious. We vow to sit and eat there soon. Highly recommend to stop by for made to order food with the freshest ingredients.

I'm no Venezuelan arepa connoisseur -- let's make that clear before anyone comes for me -- but I've…read morehad my fair share in different cities, and this place... does the job. It may not be the best I've ever had, but when that arepa craving hits, this place steps up like a reliable friend who may not have it all together but still shows up with snacks. The fillings are tasty, the textures hit close enough to the mark, and honestly, it scratches that very specific itch only a warm, messy, cheesy arepa can. It's the kind of meal that makes you say, "Yeah, I could've had better... but I'm still very happy right now." So no, it won't change your life -- but it'll absolutely save your day.

Lulla's has that "slow down for a second" cafe vibe you usually only see in the movies. The…read morepastries are decent, but here is the real pro tip: if you're looking for a full meal and more than just baked goods, you can actually order off the Casa Ora menu here. Since they're sister restaurants right next door to each other, you get that upscale, Michelin-vibe food in a much more relaxed, airy setting. I went with the Paella, and it was fantastic; perfectly cooked seafood and the rice had all that rich, deep flavor you're looking for. The space itself is beautiful and super welcoming, whether you're just grabbing a coffee or sitting down for a legit dinner. It's definitely a new favorite in the neighborhood.

Second time here and both times, I came during non busy hours. I enjoyed the upbeat but relaxing…read moredecor along with the holiday decorations. Walking in you head to the lovely display of pastries and order over the counter. I do love their tables/booths. Makes you feel comfortable and elevated at the same time. For coffee, I ordered the cafe con leche which is made with powdered milk. I misheard and thought they said evaporated milk. Not my cup of Joe. Their drip on the other hand was good. For food, I ordered the cachapa. First time was with shredded chicken and it was not good. It was tough and a little bit cold. The second time around, I ordered it sans protein and it was lovely, flaky, and beautiful with the cheese and sauce me. The Pan Jamón, bread itself was a good texture but I felt the olive and raisins weren't in harmony with the piece. The pistachio croissant was a bit over the top. The croissant was nice and flaky but I had to take out the filling. Overall love the customer service, the decor. Still lots on the menu to try so willing to give it another chance!

Las cachapas estaban buenisimas, aunque por su puesto nunca como en Venezuela pero bastante buenas…read more La atencion es excelente! Recomendado

I was a little cramped at the bar, but I loved the food, service was good too. I started with…read moreMandocas, dough balls with cheese and honey, was delicious but more like a dessert. Think funnel cake had a baby with a cinnamon doughnut. The main was Pabellon, Shredded beef, black beans, rice and plantains. I loved this the meat was soft and tangy with a touch of vinegar, and the plantains were browned and out of this world. Yum! Would definitely recommend. May need reservations.

We visited Perros y Vainas after having tried their other location last year, and I have to…read moresay--the food is just as perfect. As a Venezuelan myself, this place really took me back. The flavors are incredibly authentic and truly represent the traditional food I grew up with. It's not always easy to find that level of authenticity, so this was really special. We started with tequeños, then ordered two hot dogs and two empanadas (chicken and beef). We also had a passionfruit drink and papelón con limón. Everything was absolutely delicious--full of flavor and made just right. On top of that, they were playing Venezuelan music like Rawayana, Los Amigos Invisibles, and Caramelos de Cianuro, which made the whole experience even better and added to the nostalgic vibe. I love Venezuelan food so much, and honestly, I could come back to NYC just for their hot dogs--they're really hard to find in Maryland (where I currently live).

Just noting you that the Chicken Tenders with Fries are a hit! If you get it there and don't have…read morethem wrap it up to go, it will stay nice and crispy. We enjoyed eating out at the tables in the fall before it got too cold. The service is courteous at the counter.

the service was incredible. they were the sweetest. i was in the area & had to charge my phone…read morebadly. they were sweet enough to let me charge my phone so i wouldn't get home with a dead phone. they are the SWEETEST!!! please go support this lovely business

If you want the real deal of traditional arepas this is the spot…read more Mis panas este es tu sitio en NYC!!! -caraqueño en NYC

tldr; amazing food and value, clean and friendly service, try the sauces!! Pretty much everything…read moreis a hit but definitely try the empanadas! We ordered the mini empanadas (corn) and pastels (flour) with assorted chicken, cheese, and beef filling and all were delicious, my favorite being the beef empanada. They were perfectly fried and crispy and the beef was juicy and seasoned. I had the pabellon arepa which was a great portion, with juicy pulled pork, tasty black beans, plantains, and cheese. We also enjoyed the carne molida (ground beef) bowl, a chicken/sausage/steak platter, and the mixed protein sandwich which was enormous. The ground beef was a touch dry and the juice from the pulled pork made the bottom half of the arepa a bit soggy, but I didn't mind that. Overall everything was delicious and generously portioned! There is limited seating indoors but we were able to get a table at 5pm on a Saturday with no wait. The food took a little while (~20min) but it was well worth the wait! We will definitely return if we're in the area!!

Stumbled by this Venezuelan little spot by accident wanting a quick bite to share with my husband…read moreand it was not bad at all. I recommend it, staff was very friendly and we were walked through the different food items. We will go back