Recommended by another local restaurant... In town to ride the train. Nice ambiance in the first level of a house, but apparently understaffed ( guess this is a common theme in Elkins)...waited about 5-10 minutes to be greeted until my husband went directly to a server. Eventually seated. Hubby enjoyed his food: a spicy shrimp soup and chicken empanadas. My food was just ok; an acorn squash soup that was a bit bland and one of their specials, sweet and spicy Thai with chicken: chicken overcooked, not too much of it, and prepared in corn/cheese (?), which I wasn't expecting. Rice was rather bland, too. Server was friendly, but not very attentive. Probably because she was back and forth to the back room where there's a bar and a DJ ( at lest when we were there last night). The 2 glasses of sangria were good, and the total bill came to about $52 without tip. This could have been such a better experience; management take notice regarding staffing but maybe that's a continuation of a bad trend... read more

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I was very happy to get to try El Gran Sabor during my ski trip to Elkins; I almost missed my chance since they are only open Wednesday through Saturday. I did manage to get there on Saturday just as they opened for dinner. El Gran Sabor is located in a converted vintage home; there is a small bar area and a medium sized dining room. The decor is comfortable and homey. Service was good and the menu pulls from both Mexican and Venezuelan cuisine which sounded like a great idea after a hard day of skiing. I ended up ordering the Shrimp Cachapa since I had not had this item before. This is a corn pancake topped with shrimp, vegies and cheese sided with rice and beans. A very tasty dish and just the kind of balanced meal to have after a day of exercising; also an item I have not seen on other menus before so I always like to try new things. I also really enjoyed the cup of spicy shrimp soup that came with the meal, rich shrimp flavor with a nice hit of spice warmed me to the core and got the meal off to a great start. I would strongly recommend El Gran Sabor if you are looking for a meal in Elkins, this was far and away the best meal I had during my visit and I would head back if I were in the area again. Definitely the culinary highlight of my vacation. read more

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I took the path less traveled in driving through WV this time, ending up in this small college town and finding one Venezuelan restaurant. Compared to a lot of Central and South American cuisines, Venezuelan is typically more vegetarian-friendly, and this one has options for vegans as well as an expected predominance of options for the gluten-free among us. What surprised me more about the place was that it was established in a large residential-looking building, with innovative indoor and outdoor seating areas in an area where the weather will often favor the outdoors. My fried yuca appetizer was small, but delicious and not overdone. Green and pink sauces whose names I forget are a standard feature of the cuisine, and were deliciously rendered here. Ordering a bean and cheese arepa platter got me one modestly sized arepa for the lunch portion, and a large quantity of delicious rice and beans. I thought a salad or soup was coming, but I was full enough that I didn't inquire into it. I'm not sure the shredded cheese on top was the quality you'd get at the best such restaurants, but having found a place like this where I found it, I was more than happy. read more

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El Gran has an excellent reputation in Elkins and with good reason. Prices are very reasonable, service is always good and they have a mix of Mexican and Venezuelan options. I had never had a cachapa before but was pleasantly surprised. Light and airy outside with delicious fillings on the inside. They serve most of their dishes with their signature sauces - a nice touch. I just wish their kitchen was open late, even if they had a limited menu. It would be nice to enjoy some snacks with drinks. read more

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Food is great but just so folks know, when we visited there was no longer live music on Fridays!

I love, love, love their tostones (with a side of cheese dip) and their cheese and mushroom empanada with the orange sauce (not pictured). I also love their online ordering options for delivery/pick up through Door Dash, etc. read more

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good food, good service, outdoor seating , ... what is not to like. Great place to meet with friends for an evening of fun and conversation

Excellent food and casual ambiance in a home converted into a local restaurant. Easy street parking within a couple minutes walk. I tried it two time on two trips to Elkins WV. It's a real gem. The second time was a Friday evening about 6:30p and they were very busy. Food took about 45 minutes to come out but it was delicious when it did come out. I plan to come back again next time. I'm a big fan of their shredded beef and ordered a capacha as a side. read more

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I am a HUGE FAN of this place. The food is absolutely incredible, the owner plays saxophone and runs sound and books the music and has amazing bands. My band played there they treated us so well and again the food is out of this world. Def give this place a visit. read more

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After waiting 25 minutes for my food my nachos came out cold and my quesadilla was not only cold but once I opened it I had found that the cheese hadn't even had enough time to melt. Very strange environment the waitress seemed like she was on something and I could hear arguing and screaming from the kitchen. Terrible restaurant with terrible owners. If I could rate it 0 stars I would read more

El Gran Sabor - A cold quesadilla with cold cheese - Venezuelan Near Me - Elkins, West Virginia

This was our second visit to this restaurant in as many years. Everyone in our party were from out of state and come to Elkins / Beverly every year for our caver reunion. We found this place last year and I checked to be sure they were open this year, YES! The owners and staff are wonderful. The Nachos with cheese is very generous starter. Between the four of us, we had the Empanada Dinner, Burrito Dinner & Enchilada Diners. The food is consistently great and the portions generous. The bar is not to be understated, their Margaritas are great and they have good selection of beer. It's a nine hour drive to Elkins from home, making this place one of our stops takes the edge off. read more

walked here from our hotel a few weeks ago. Now I'm back home, and wishing I were close enough to go again! the soups were great, the specials were amazing. Even plain rice and chicken were wonderful. read more

Set off in a residential area this was an unexpected gem. It provided indoor and outdoor seating and helpful servers. Our first time trying Venezuelan food was good. The only negative were the Arepas app which were a little too greasy. Otherwise, our main dishes were fabulous. The Papellon was a tasty selection of simmered beef along with rice and beans AND fried sweet plantains! The Pork Cachapa was excellent with sweet corn pancake stuffed (!!!) with shredded pork and cheese; the flavors blended well together. read more

This place was pretty great, not what I expected to find in Elkins. They were out of quite a few items, which was a bummer. But the restaurant, which has a lot of outdoor seating and a very nice indoor area, had a great ambiance. The waitress was super kind and patient, which was important for our party of 11 which was half kids. We ordered appetizers which were kind of run of the mill, but the soups that came with our combos were really delicious. The beans and rice were great and so were the empanadas. The kids loved the kid menu options and while the margaritas tasted like they may have come from a mix they were still good and were definitely strong. read more

It's a simple, delicious, full of flavor. I tried it few times and each time my I was more than pleased. It's not expensive. I feel it's priced just right. The wait can be long but well worth it. I hope they continue to thrive for years! This is a hidden gem! read more

The absolute best food in Elkins and neighboring counties!! I love el gran sabor. Their margaritas are amazing. Best in WV. My favorite entree is the Arepa & Empanada combo. This food is authentic and so many things on the menu are gluten free (corn based) which works great for me and my husband. El gran sabor is one place I will miss dearly when we move. read more

Amazing place.. the Food and the service was Excellent! Travelled from NYC to WV x the UCI Mountainbike World Cup in Snowshoe and looking x a Spot with Latin American food in gps saw "El gran sabor" in Elkins, trip took us (me and my compa) some time from where we were lodging but definitely worth it! Happily surprise that Venezuelan food was the main focus, we're both from there and chat with the owners was a SuperPlus! Really had a nice time in this place... We'll Visit it again x the event the next year or before if it's possible. read more

El Gran Sabor - Venezuelan Near Me - Elkins, West Virginia

I have never been to a Venezuelan cuisine before. Hence I was excited to find such a place in a small town that we were driving through. The history behind how the place was started was very interesting. It's on the back of the menu and I suggest you give a read. Definitely try the Cachapas if you haven't had one before. The food is definitely flavorful. My friend got the Arepa Empanada combinations. According to us, Empanada was the best of them all. We also tried the latin chicken soup. I wanted the Latin shrimp soup (an additional dollar). We thought that the soup was coming but it didn't come in at all. Apparently, they forgot about the soup. So we had to remind the waitress again tp bring our soup. Then she came out and told that they were out of shrimp soup, so we got 2 chicken soups instead. But we were charged for the shrimp soup. If not for this confusion, I would have given them 5 stars. The soup was very savy though and no complaints. The entire restaurant is on a old house building and I thought it was cool! read more

great food great service ambience is amazing the live music you would have to be there to believe it read more

El Gran Sabor - Venezuelan Near Me - Elkins, West Virginia

Warm and welcome atmosphere in an older Victorian home, the staff are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable making personalized recommendations that are extremely helpful. The food is definitely a labor of love and you can taste it in every bite! Would definitely return! read more

The food here was delicious. We ended up ordering wayyy more food than two people could reasonable consume but we were visiting the area and I needed to try everything! The cachapa was delicious as was the arepa. I've never had cachapas before but they're now being rated by a fairly high bar thanks to El Gran Sabor! The restaurant is in a renovated house and felt very cozy. There were two servers who were working hard to fill take out orders as well as wait tables. It took a little longer time to place our order but everyone was so nice that we didn't mind waiting. If we're ever in Elkins again, will def come back! read more

Excellent food and service. Who would have guessed excellent Venezuelan food off the beaten path. read more

El Gran Sabor - Excellent food and service - Venezuelan Near Me - Elkins, West Virginia

I cannot complain! My very first visit to this establishment went quite well. The waitress was very friendly and attentive, courteous and professional. All the staff wear masks. It is my belief that today the governor officially declared it no longer a requirement that patrons wear masks inside. It was a relief to breathe freely. Nobody at all seemed to show any symptoms so I guess it's all okay. My order, the beef cachapa, was delivered quite promptly. It was the first time I had ever tried such a dish and I was impressed. The waitress came back to check on us frequently and filled my water cup several times. My friend was actually in the band that performed on the stage in the back dining & bar area. It was a fantastic time all night! read more

Absolutely delicious food, live music, staff is friendly and quick! My favorite is the cachapa (any of them)!

When in Elkins, West Virginia El Gran Sabor should be on your list of places to go! The Good: The food is excellent. I ordered the Pork Cachapa at the recommendation of the waiter and was not disappointed. The food was really good, flavorful, and I ate way more than I should have. I can't say enough about the food. They also have live music on weekend nights. The band and sound setup was awesome. Turn out the owners husband Rob is a musician also and at times will accompany the band on stage. It was a great experience. While we were eating we met and got to know the owners, that was cool. While watching the band play the owners sat at our table for a while. Super cool fol The bad: There was no bad here. It was an incredible 5 star evening. The Ugly was me, after eating dinner and moving to the back of the restaurant i listened to the band, and drank more good beef than I should have. I thought I was going to have to be rolled out of there! Seriously we had such a great time.... didn't want to leave. The next time I am in that town I will be back at the El Gran. Terrific time had by all. read more

Always a quality experience at this place. Cachapa's are excellent! Great menu, full bar, and often have live entertainment. Highly recommend. read more

Staying in the area for a few days and heard about this place. About a 40 min drive from where we are staying near Davis, through beautiful mountain country to Elkins, WV. The place is an older house, very large and a bit funky. The dining area is inviting with a polished wood floor, a bar area with a few chairs and many photographs taken by a Venezuelan photographer, we were informed. Oddly, most of the pics were of Mexico or Guatemala. None from VZ. There are tables outside but this day it was too warm for us we ate inside. Our server arrived and she was pleasant and informative explaining the history and how the place came to be. For a starter we ordered coconut shrimp. Very tasty. My wife ordered a margarita which she said was ok. I drank water. For mains we got Pabella with a side of chile relleno and a pork cachapa. The beef in the Pabella was very good just a hint of cilantro. My wife liked the cachapa and got it with the pork as recommended by the server. These came with rice and black beans both of which were unremarkable. My chile relleno was really great. They did a nice job blackening one side and serving melted cheese over top. It is really more like South American/Mexican fusion cooking. The menu has many interesting offerings. We did not get dessert. We wandered around afterward and saw that there is a stage and bar at the back of the place. They have live music on Wednesday's and Fridays. We were there Tuesday. On the outside of the building is an attractive mural of the owners home town in VZ. The mural was very nice. Not likely we will be back this way soon but we recommend a look if you are in the area. Nancy & Mark. read more

One of the most rocking places in Elkins. Great place, food and people. Live music and bands.

You'll never have a bad experience here. If you're a beginner, try the cachapa! You can't go wrong. Don't forget to greet the owners -- amazing people, amazing family, amazing friends! read more

Food, service, and ambience were all stellar. This is what you want especially when traveling. Find that place that the locals love for a reason. This is a true hidden gem! Live music was the cherry on top. even the owner joined in and played a horn! it's the place to go. read more

Hadnt eaten whole day traveling. Allergic to onions. Nothing on menu cooked without onions. Owner was rude. Sat and watched everyone else in my group eat. read more

The reviews were great, but our experience here wasn't that great. Understood post-covid, things are trying to getting back to "normal", but the wait for food was too long, waitress was not that attentive. The Cachapa was bland and my husbands surf and turf fajitas were way too salty. The margaritas are also pre-mixed and they have no drink menus. We asked for a drink menu and was advised they do not have one and we'll need to walk to the bar to see what we want. UGH. We are not in Elkins often, but when we come back, we most likely will not go back. read more

First time- really good. I loved the cachapa. Second time- got two burnt almost inedible cachapas. I can't believe they sent those out of the kitchen. Third time- called, "we're out of most stuff," still had what I wanted though. As good as the first time. Go to Kroger's and buy what you need, this was relatively early on a Saturday. I added a star because we are in Elkins and there aren't many options here. This is your best bet, would be four stars in a more populated place. read more

El Gran Sabor - Venezuelan Near Me - Elkins, West Virginia

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If I could leave a Zero I would! We were greeted by a hostess that was very flustered she told us there was only one table available table for two that's fine there's only two of us no big deal right we sat there for 15 minutes before they took our order for drinks and order for dinner brought our drinks set them down walked away came back 10 minutes later we hadn't even taken a sip of our drink yet and tell us that our food is going to be delayed an hour because they're so busy that they don't have time for us. We said will finish our drinks and then we'll go she proceeds to hand us a bill for six dollars for two cokes. What poor customer service you've offered a culinary arts teacher! i'll be using this in my class for years to come I am so upset right now I will now never eat in a restaurant again and if anybody ever asked where to eat in Elkins it will not be your restaurant read more

A woman recommended this place to me calling it the best restaurant in West Virginia. So after living in South Florida for 16 years I thought some great Venezuelan food in West Virginia I gotta try it. All I diecided to order was some empanadas to go they took 28 minutes to be prepared and served to me. They are wrapped in a corn base which is very atypical for empanadas and quite frankly disgusting. Also the chicken empanada is curry-based that's not reflected on the menu or traditional. The beef one was mediocre. With something as simple as empanadas being terrible, and spelling quesadillas with a Z. I have no intention to ever go back here and I don't think anyone else really should. read more

Great food, wonderful atmosphere, The bands are fantastic as well! A HIDDEN GEM IN ELKINS!!

I got take-out lunch here when I was visiting the college. Had I known beforehand that they have some outdoor seating I would've eaten there, it seemed so pleasant. I ordered the arepa dinner so I could try the squash soup that came with it. The soup was green and didn't have any flavor except salt. I was expecting orange squash soup, so that was a surprise. Everything else about the meal was delicious. The (cheese) arepas, the beans and rice, and the flan were excellent! The only thing I would say is that the Door Dash menu doesn't currently have enough detail about the items, the soups and the sauces. Actually, the soups aren't even listed a la carte on the DD menu (that I could see). A very filling, yummy lunch! read more

Ok, never expected to find something like this in Elkins, WV! Located in an old house, this Venezeulan themed restaurant is a must try. I tried a variety of things on purpose to see if this was someone's sorry excuse for Mexican or legit VZ food. It's legit! Everything they make is substantial, tasty and filling. My only complaint is that service is a little slow but that seems to be complicated by the layout of the old house. In addition, the owner charges you a premium if you use credit/debit instead of cash. From the looks of it they are trying to cover their merchant fees for credit card processing. read more

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So much delicious, hot food for $10.99. Everything was so flavorful. Service was great. Had the chicken arepas. The Gus and had the beef empanadas. read more

Very good authentic Venezuelan cuisine. We enjoyed the food, service and quality of experience there. It's a local favorite apparently. Fantastic nacho grande, flavorful meats, beans, and rice. Love their unique Calchapas. read more