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We wanted some good food after enjoying some drinks at the nearby Right Bee Cidery. We know a good arepa, so we were eager to try and they did not disappoint! We got a vegan 2 arepa (yes, they have vegan and vegetarian ones) and a ham & cheese empanada and both were delicious! The music / vibe was great too, and the staff was very kind and helpful. We loved this place and would highly recommend!
Everything was spectacular! Came on a Saturday afternoon and was seated promptly. We ordered a spread of arepas and sides and everything exceeded our expectation. The arepas were STUFFED and the quality of the ingredients were very fresh and all so well seasoned. Rica Arepa even makes their cheese in house! We definitely will be back again.
TLDR; The food is delicious and flavorful, but don't expect a quick dining experience. My gf and I have been trying to chase the arepa experience we had in Austin, TX, which was the best we've had so far. I've ordered from this place on Grubhub before and wasn't really impressed, so I figured I should give it a try in person. This is definitely the best way to have their food, because the quality was superb. The place is a little on the smaller with only a few tables, but they're all 4 tops so they can fit a fair amount of people in there. Here's what we got: Chachapitas Con Queso (not pictured) - 5 mini chachapa, or sweet/savory corn pancakes with cheese. A perfect versatile appetizer or dessert option. They were really delicious without feeling too rich or decadent. La Boriqua - Shredded, slow roasted porn and gouda cheese on a large griddled corn cake. Smokey, salty, and savory. Really enjoyed this one a lot because I love lechon. However, the pork was a little saltier than I'd like, and it really needed some sort of acidity to cut through the richness. Punta Rica - Sirloin steak, house cheese, avocado, tomato, and guasacaca sauce on a griddled corn cake. Savory, rich, creamy, and complex. This is an arepa done right! The cheese was the only thing that was a little challenging. It came in a single solid piece and was hard to distribute evenly, which caused massive mouthfuls of it to come off with each bite. We had to use a fork to shread it up to make it easier to eat. A few things to note: They have hot sauce and garlic sauce at the tables which really kick up the flavor of your items. We used garlic sauce on everything which made it amazing. Hot sauce was definitely needed for La Boriqua to give it a little more balance. The service was very fast in the beginning, but very slow after our chachapitas. It seemed like the servers communicate directly to the kitchen when placing orders, and we heard our arepa order called about 5-10 minutes after we finished our appetizer. It took about 15-20 minutes to get our arepas afterwards. We weren't super upset about it, but the large gap of time was a little concerning. We would probably come back here again in the near future as long as we have some time to kill.
I ordered Rica Arepa online so I haven't been to the physical location but my food was great. They have amazing vegetarian options, I like their yuca fries, they gave me sauces, and best of all they have a maracuya drink and it's SO good. The sweet plantains on my arepa were flavorful and perfect. Venezuelan arepas are different than the Panamanian arepas my family makes but this was just what I wanted. Really great. The order got to my house fairly quickly as well.
Service was great, the PAPELON CON LIMÓN is sooo good but I thought the food was mediocre.
This was my first time trying Arepas, and I must ask myself why did it take so long for me to finally try them. They had a few tables open and we were able to get a table right away. Service was great. The entire staff all helped out and made sure we were all taken care of. The wife and I both ordered their Pabellon Arepa. At first I thought it was a little pricey as first, thinking they were small. The one Arepa is definitely filling. The Arepa came with shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantains and cheese. The sweet plantains really made this dish phenomenal. The shredded beef was also very flavorful. I also ordered an empanada and it came with the same shredded beef. This was also very huge and got full with both the Arepa and empanada. We also ordered their Brazo Gitano for dessert. The pictures on Yelp looked delicious and I knew I had to try it. A cake with dulce de leche. It was sweet and the perfect dessert to finish off a great meal. I will definitely be returning.
I have tried this place a couple of times! They have a soup that is great for hangovers! I'm not a big fan of their tequeños, but empanadas are great, my favorite empanada is the pabellón one and is delicious. The ambiance is great, they have indoor AC and outdoor seating They are BYOB. My current favorite is the fried pork! Very friendly staff. I'm coming back to try their parrilla!
I came seeking a vegan arepa, and got a different taste from anything else I've had in Chicago. As I often find with arepas, this thing was so stuffed that it overflowed, and I don't know how you'd eat it without some help from a fork. Mine had some well-spiced black beans, a few plantains, and a bunch of avocado. The beverage I tried on the side was something like a horchata, but with dairy milk and it was a bit too sweet for me. I had some hope that going farther from the center of town would be a bit cheaper, but this was a pricey arepa. It was good, though, and there were many other vegetarian and vegan (and GF) options. It's also the sort of place where I was the only one there that doesn't speak Spanish (at least, not well). They have a second location, too.
Love this place! Try it for the first time with a friend who introduced me to the place, and it did not disappoint. The service was quick, the people were friendly, and overall the food was very good. Definitely have come back a couple times after that lol
I'm surprised I haven't heard of this place earlier! The food is super good and prices very reasonable. This is a great spot to check out if you are looking for authentic Venezuelan food. The menu is expansive and I had difficulty selecting what to order since I wanted to try so much of it. We ended up getting the tostones as an appetizer, and I got pabellon arepa as my main. All of the food was delicious! The arepa was really stuffed with beef, it was difficult to get a full bite haha. I liked how flavorful the meat was, and the plantains topped inside was a nice touch. We finished our meal with a tres leches and it was incredibly good!! It was a decently sized slice, and it was so moist and fluffy and sweet - YUM. Overall we had a great experience and definitely feel like this place is underrated. The food is flavorful, the menu has many interesting items, and price was reasonable. I'll be coming back for more!
Outstanding Venezuelan food and friendly staff. We had an steak arepa and the pabellón and a limonada that was so tasty. The steak was seasoned perfectly. Nice outdoor eating area although we opted for indoor because was humid out.
On a whim, a friend and I decided to get some arepas, and we just found this in the area. Ordered on the phone, the girl who took our order did not speak great English, but with patient and grace, we both got through it. We went to collect our food, and the restaurant was absolutely spotless clean, smelled great, and as soon as I looked through the kitchen window, I knew the food would be great because the chefs looked like Hispanic mamas who just knew what they were doing. The girls at the counter were super sweet and polite. We grabbed our food and went our way. Got back to work, and sampled the food and.... WOW!!! My friend got the chicken arepas with avocado and both LOVED it!!! Friend got two, and I bought my husbanf two. Holy smokes these were so nicely stuffed, they both tapped out after 1 arepa each. I ordered the shrimp and the fish empanadas, and these are soooooo good. But if you're not someone who can stomach a greasy empanada, these are not for you! Taste-wise these are SO on point!!!! The white sauce on the side served with the arepas and the empanadas is to die for. Mildly sweet, but super flavorful. Absolutely amazing. I'm going to be going back again, and again, and again!!!
Rica arepa is an amazing Venezuelan restaurant in the Hermosa neighborhood. They have plenty of vegan options. I got the arepa with black beans, plantains and avocado. It was delicious! I will definitely be coming back and trying more arepas. I also got the papelon drink which is cane sugar juice with lime. It was very good too! They have plenty of seating area and outdoor patio when the weather is nice. It was great service, everyone was friendly and helpful. There is street parking available in front of the restaurant.
17 days ago
Really cute and excellent little place. I was working in the neighborhood, trying to find a lunch that be somewhat heart healthy. And on their menu, I saw something called the Rica bowl. Grilled strips of chicken and steak, an actual salad with what I think was Romain lettuce several slices of tomato and avocado and red onion, and some chunks of a light homemade cheese that kind of looks like feta, but was less salty and very creamy. It was a really really nice lunch. I also had a craving for some black beans had a side of that and was excellent. They have a house made creamy garlic sauce that I put on everything and some house made hot sauce that I used a little of. It was very good too. Ate all of the salad and avocado, but taking half of the meat home and half of the beans that I'll have with dinner. I'm glad I chose it. And I would go here again if I'm in the neighborhood. read more
1 year ago
We wanted some good food after enjoying some drinks at the nearby Right Bee Cidery. We know a good arepa, so we were eager to try and they did not disappoint! We got a vegan 2 arepa (yes, they have vegan and vegetarian ones) and a ham & cheese empanada and both were delicious! The music / vibe was great too, and the staff was very kind and helpful. We loved this place and would highly recommend! read more
Everything was spectacular! Came on a Saturday afternoon and was seated promptly. We ordered a spread of arepas and sides and everything exceeded our expectation. The arepas were STUFFED and the quality of the ingredients were very fresh and all so well seasoned. Rica Arepa even makes their cheese in house! We definitely will be back again. read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
2 years ago
TLDR; The food is delicious and flavorful, but don't expect a quick dining experience. My gf and I have been trying to chase the arepa experience we had in Austin, TX, which was the best we've had so far. I've ordered from this place on Grubhub before and wasn't really impressed, so I figured I should give it a try in person. This is definitely the best way to have their food, because the quality was superb. The place is a little on the smaller with only a few tables, but they're all 4 tops so they can fit a fair amount of people in there. Here's what we got: Chachapitas Con Queso (not pictured) - 5 mini chachapa, or sweet/savory corn pancakes with cheese. A perfect versatile appetizer or dessert option. They were really delicious without feeling too rich or decadent. La Boriqua - Shredded, slow roasted porn and gouda cheese on a large griddled corn cake. Smokey, salty, and savory. Really enjoyed this one a lot because I love lechon. However, the pork was a little saltier than I'd like, and it really needed some sort of acidity to cut through the richness. Punta Rica - Sirloin steak, house cheese, avocado, tomato, and guasacaca sauce on a griddled corn cake. Savory, rich, creamy, and complex. This is an arepa done right! The cheese was the only thing that was a little challenging. It came in a single solid piece and was hard to distribute evenly, which caused massive mouthfuls of it to come off with each bite. We had to use a fork to shread it up to make it easier to eat. A few things to note: They have hot sauce and garlic sauce at the tables which really kick up the flavor of your items. We used garlic sauce on everything which made it amazing. Hot sauce was definitely needed for La Boriqua to give it a little more balance. The service was very fast in the beginning, but very slow after our chachapitas. It seemed like the servers communicate directly to the kitchen when placing orders, and we heard our arepa order called about 5-10 minutes after we finished our appetizer. It took about 15-20 minutes to get our arepas afterwards. We weren't super upset about it, but the large gap of time was a little concerning. We would probably come back here again in the near future as long as we have some time to kill. read more
6 months ago
2 years ago
I ordered Rica Arepa online so I haven't been to the physical location but my food was great. They have amazing vegetarian options, I like their yuca fries, they gave me sauces, and best of all they have a maracuya drink and it's SO good. The sweet plantains on my arepa were flavorful and perfect. Venezuelan arepas are different than the Panamanian arepas my family makes but this was just what I wanted. Really great. The order got to my house fairly quickly as well. read more
2 years ago
Service was great, the PAPELON CON LIMÓN is sooo good but I thought the food was mediocre. read more
7 months ago
This was my first time trying Arepas, and I must ask myself why did it take so long for me to finally try them. They had a few tables open and we were able to get a table right away. Service was great. The entire staff all helped out and made sure we were all taken care of. The wife and I both ordered their Pabellon Arepa. At first I thought it was a little pricey as first, thinking they were small. The one Arepa is definitely filling. The Arepa came with shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantains and cheese. The sweet plantains really made this dish phenomenal. The shredded beef was also very flavorful. I also ordered an empanada and it came with the same shredded beef. This was also very huge and got full with both the Arepa and empanada. We also ordered their Brazo Gitano for dessert. The pictures on Yelp looked delicious and I knew I had to try it. A cake with dulce de leche. It was sweet and the perfect dessert to finish off a great meal. I will definitely be returning. read more
Business owner information
Rica A.
Thank you so much Jose! We are glad that you enjoyed so much. We…
2 years ago
I have tried this place a couple of times! They have a soup that is great for hangovers! I'm not a big fan of their tequeños, but empanadas are great, my favorite empanada is the pabellón one and is delicious. The ambiance is great, they have indoor AC and outdoor seating They are BYOB. My current favorite is the fried pork! Very friendly staff. I'm coming back to try their parrilla! read more
I came seeking a vegan arepa, and got a different taste from anything else I've had in Chicago. As I often find with arepas, this thing was so stuffed that it overflowed, and I don't know how you'd eat it without some help from a fork. Mine had some well-spiced black beans, a few plantains, and a bunch of avocado. The beverage I tried on the side was something like a horchata, but with dairy milk and it was a bit too sweet for me. I had some hope that going farther from the center of town would be a bit cheaper, but this was a pricey arepa. It was good, though, and there were many other vegetarian and vegan (and GF) options. It's also the sort of place where I was the only one there that doesn't speak Spanish (at least, not well). They have a second location, too. read more
2 years ago
Love this place! Try it for the first time with a friend who introduced me to the place, and it did not disappoint. The service was quick, the people were friendly, and overall the food was very good. Definitely have come back a couple times after that lol read more
I'm surprised I haven't heard of this place earlier! The food is super good and prices very reasonable. This is a great spot to check out if you are looking for authentic Venezuelan food. The menu is expansive and I had difficulty selecting what to order since I wanted to try so much of it. We ended up getting the tostones as an appetizer, and I got pabellon arepa as my main. All of the food was delicious! The arepa was really stuffed with beef, it was difficult to get a full bite haha. I liked how flavorful the meat was, and the plantains topped inside was a nice touch. We finished our meal with a tres leches and it was incredibly good!! It was a decently sized slice, and it was so moist and fluffy and sweet - YUM. Overall we had a great experience and definitely feel like this place is underrated. The food is flavorful, the menu has many interesting items, and price was reasonable. I'll be coming back for more! read more
2 years ago
Outstanding Venezuelan food and friendly staff. We had an steak arepa and the pabellón and a limonada that was so tasty. The steak was seasoned perfectly. Nice outdoor eating area although we opted for indoor because was humid out. read more
On a whim, a friend and I decided to get some arepas, and we just found this in the area. Ordered on the phone, the girl who took our order did not speak great English, but with patient and grace, we both got through it. We went to collect our food, and the restaurant was absolutely spotless clean, smelled great, and as soon as I looked through the kitchen window, I knew the food would be great because the chefs looked like Hispanic mamas who just knew what they were doing. The girls at the counter were super sweet and polite. We grabbed our food and went our way. Got back to work, and sampled the food and.... WOW!!! My friend got the chicken arepas with avocado and both LOVED it!!! Friend got two, and I bought my husbanf two. Holy smokes these were so nicely stuffed, they both tapped out after 1 arepa each. I ordered the shrimp and the fish empanadas, and these are soooooo good. But if you're not someone who can stomach a greasy empanada, these are not for you! Taste-wise these are SO on point!!!! The white sauce on the side served with the arepas and the empanadas is to die for. Mildly sweet, but super flavorful. Absolutely amazing. I'm going to be going back again, and again, and again!!! read more
4 years ago
Rica arepa is an amazing Venezuelan restaurant in the Hermosa neighborhood. They have plenty of vegan options. I got the arepa with black beans, plantains and avocado. It was delicious! I will definitely be coming back and trying more arepas. I also got the papelon drink which is cane sugar juice with lime. It was very good too! They have plenty of seating area and outdoor patio when the weather is nice. It was great service, everyone was friendly and helpful. There is street parking available in front of the restaurant. read more
3 years ago
The place is byob my friend Brenda like this place so we go This time, we order the rompe colchon and the arepitas with chicken and beef There is no corge fee, so that's good read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
Wow! Idk if I need to say anything else but this was one of the best Arepas I've ever had! I wasn't sure what to expect but let me tell I will be coming here any time I am in Chicago. The size of the arepa is a perfect size, it large enough you'll be full but the flavors will have you wanting another one over and over. I'd recommend adding the house garlic sauce to your arepa, it's delicious. There was an explosion of flavors in my mouth, the beef was tender and juicy and the freshness of the avocado gave it a good balance. The cheese was fresh and the sauce that joined the arepa was delicious. The service was quick, the ambiance was clean, chill and a homey vibe. There's cute decor too. I would love to come when it's warm out and see the patio. I'd recommend coming here with friends and family! read more
3 years ago
Yum yum yum! I've been wanting to check this place out for awhile so on my day off, I decided to swing by here for an early dinner. I walked in, went to the counter in the back, and was told I could sit anywhere I would like. I was given the menu and went straight for the arepas because thats what they're known for! I looked at the menu and asked my server what she would recommend. She said that since it was my first time, she recommended the Arepa Pabellón, so that I could taste what the original arepa is like. I went with the recommendation and ordered the Chicha Venezolana as my drink. The Chicha Venezolana was so good! It's similar to an horchata but with a thicker consistency - if you've ever had arroz con leche, imagine that but all blended together. I really enjoyed it and it was nice to drink throughout my meal and at the end to hit my taste for dessert. Now, the arepa...it was amazing! It was so large that I wasn't sure how to eat it at first but just push it all down and go for it! The arepa pabellón had shredded beef, black beans, cheese, and sweet plantains - what a delicious combination! They also give you 3 sauces to put on the arepa, a red and green sauce (both have a kick of spice), and a garlic sauce (very similar to garlic aioli). I tried all three and various combinations of them as I made my way through the arepa. I ended up liking a generous amount of the red sauce with a small dollop of the garlic sauce - just writing this out makes me want another one! All in all, great menu, helpful service, and even better food. All of this was affordable and I cannot wait to go again and take some of my friends here. Definitely a hidden gem on the north side! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
6 years ago
Let me start by saying that this chicken patacon was one of the best tasting dishes I've ever had!!!! This place is amazing!!! Even the arepa was so flavorful and fresh. Everything was great. Will definitely be back for more patacones!! I definitely recommend them! P.S. sub the patacon with sweet plantain- it's life changing!!!! read more
4 years ago
Arepa cabimera was absolutely delicious as well as the tajadas with cheese. The last time I had an arepa like this was in Florida so I was so happy to eat one again! they don't sell them everywhere. read more
Business owner information
Rica A.
Thanks for sharing your experience and support Ericka!
3 years ago
This a great little neighborhood place. The menu has a small vegan option which I was pleasantly surprised. They have patio which is nice because the place itself is small and busy. They are always busy with sit in and take out. They staff is quick and friendly. Highly recommend for great food in the area. read more
4 years ago
Amazing place! As soon as you walk in the place is very clean and bright. Good music and the food is amazing. I ordered 2 arepas, they came out right away and the flavors were like no other. The garlic sauce also gave it a good flavor and the hot sauce. It wasn't too spicy but gave it the right amount of flavor. I will definitely be coming back when I'm in Chicago again. read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
6 years ago
5 years ago
This spot is it! I ordered the pabellón, a vegan arepa and a cheese arepa for my little one. Everyone was happy. Food was fresh, fast, and FLAVORFUL. Rica Arepa has a patio that I will have to check. Out in the warmer months. The inside is cuuutte and I absolutely loved seeing a restaurant fully operated and staffed by womyn! Don't snooze on this restaurant. read more
8 years ago
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More info about Rica Arepa
4253 West Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60639
Hermosa
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(773) 543-3000
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http://www.ricaarepachicago.com
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