I was never a big fan of arepas. I've tried them a handful of times and wasn't particularly wow'ed…read more I assumed perhaps this specific dish wasn't my thing, but after trying this cafe, I realized that I simply haven't tried good arepas before! My friend and I came for a late lunch on Tuesday. There were plenty of seats available, and we were seated close to the entrance. The staff was friendly, and our server in particular was clearly passionate about Venezuelan cuisine and was excited for us try to their dishes. My friend ordered their pulled pork arepa, and I ordered one of their rice plates. The arepa was filled to the brim. It was full of beans, meat, and topped with cheese. My plate was absolutely delicious and its aroma filled the restaurant. The meat was tender, well seasoned, and saucy. The plantains were pan fried to perfection, tender and sweet. The beans were flavorful. I could have just that with rice all day. Writing this review is making my mouth water. Maybe I should return there soon!

Food: solid 8/10 Service: 8/10…read more My only reason for the 3 star review is because this establishment charges gratuity without informing the person. There is clearly a tip option at the bottom so I ended up paying double tip. It is common practice for the restaurant to inform the consumer when they do this. Please consider letting your customers know.

Patacon Pisao NYC is a small 9 seat restaurant featuring excellent Venezuelan food. Originally…read moreestablished in 2005, they know how to do it right. Festive atmosphere and service is informative and polite. I recommend dropping in whenever you're in the L.E.S.

I was hoping for better here. I like the idea of this place, but the execution is not good. I had a…read moresuper crunchy yet tasteless cubano patacano. It's a plantain chip bun and tons of meat inside. The inside was good and lots of meat but overall so little flavor. The "bun" or plantain top and bottom is so inedible it feels.

Their cooking is spot-on. A cut above other neighborhood options. The food quality here is…read moreexcellent. The staff operates at the highest level. No aspect of this place fell short.

Very good venezuelan food, delicious, authentic and affordable. Keep doing good for all the…read morevenezuelan food lovers. Thank you

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.

A tasty hot dog. Very much similar to the hot dogs I ate in Colombia. True to form…read more I got the Hawaiian. I found the ham to be a bit to chewy and tough. The hot dog is large, and of upper-mid quality. Bun was good. The portion of toppings was generous and the flavors while mayonnaisey, were well balanced. I'd come back. The place is quite cozy and small and the people making the hot dogs are nice and friendly.

This place is pretty good, if you don't know what to order, you should ask the owner for some…read morerecommendations. I got a Hawaiian hot dog which was recommended by the owner, and it was delicious. It's a small businesses and I totally recommend others to give it a try if you're up to trying something new.

Ordered: Iced Banana Latte (~$9)…read more Aya's take: Pueblo Querido is a Colombian coffee company that started in Brooklyn and this being their first location in Queens. The decor is fun and pays homage to Colombian culture which I appreciated. Their specials menu had an Iced Banana Latte which is totally up my alley so I decided to try it. I usually get a latte with a syrup and I assumed this was exactly that - a banana syrup. Unfortunately, it was more like a frappe where the espresso, banana, and milk was blended together. I think it's misleading to call it a latte as it wasn't what I was expecting. And for ~$9, I just expected more richness from the espresso but the milk was just overpowering. Even based on the appearance, it was very milky/foamy rather than coffee or banana-forward. If I find myself back here, I'll probably go for their classic coffees instead.

Yes the hotel had free coffee but sometimes you need a bit more. This place really fit the bill. It…read morewas right before I got to my subway station so it was an easy stop. I went 3 times. Each time the Americano was prepared perfectly. I take my coffee black so its impossible to hide crappy brew. Staff was friendly and on point so not much more you could want

I was pleasantly surprised with the empanadas here. I didn't expect much but this just became one…read moreof my favorite empanada spots. I very much enjoyed the Irby, specifically. Something told me to get it and I don't even like shrimp. I really loved this. And the way the empanadas taste with the sauces, truly perfect together. I wish I got more. I also got the pabellon. This was also yum. I don't know the name of the orange sauce, but it paired really well with that one. Having a sweet plantain crust is a very interesting. It wasn't as durable as a regular empanada. But it did tasted really delicious. Recommend!

You can't go wrong with an empanada and these didn't disappoint. They had gf options so I went with…read morea few (in order of preference): - Sweet Plantain Pabellón was by far my favorite. The sweetness from the plantain mixed with the savory shredded beef was a magnificent combo - Corn Carne Mechada, similar to the above, the shredded beef was very flavorful - Corn Pollo, this was your basic chicken empanada so solid choice but nothing stood out, I wish it had cheese - Corn Pollo en Mole Rojo, I didn't really like the flavor profile and wouldn't order again They all came with sauces that were all so good and went very well with the empanadas. They had a spicy one, green one (avocado?) and pink (ketchup/mayo). The cashier was really nice and recommended some to try. They were out of the oxtail at the time. They fried up the empanadas fresh and were done pretty quickly. I do wish they would have labeled the empanadas so I knew what I was eating. The store is pretty small but there is seating and a bathroom. All of my friends enjoyed their empanadas as well and we would all go back!

My day ended on a high note with arepas from Arepa Lady. I've been here before with my fellow…read moreYelpers after an event, and we sampled four different arepas--all with queso and different meats. W queso and shredded beef - This one stands out for me. The savory beef paired with the cheese and fresh arepa just works perfectly. W queso and chorizo - Definitely worth trying. It leans a bit on the dry side for my taste, but I can see it pairing really well with an alcoholic drink. W queso and chicharron - Also slightly dry, but the chicharrón itself is absolutely phenomenal in flavor. W queso and sirloin steak - OMG, this one is a hit too. Super satisfying and packed with flavor. I've also tried their leche flan, and as a flan girl myself, I have to say--it does not disappoint. The caramel sauce they add is especially good and really brings the dessert together. Overall, this place deserves a solid 5 stars. The arepas are incredibly fresh, and the customer service is top-notch. Few seating options and spacious. The attendant took the time to walk us through the menu, which made the experience even better. Honestly, with this level of passion and quality, who needs to go to Manhattan?

Party of 4 on a Tuesday night. We were in the area and walked in. The Tuesday margarita specials…read moreare a great deal! We each had a different arepa and shared guacamole w tostones. Great portions and very delicious. There are plenty of table seats plus seats at the bar. There is a large TV on a wall in the dining area that was playing a sporting event. The staff was VERY helpful recommendations and our questions and very attentive. Definitely want to come back and try other weeknight specials as well, plus more of the food items!

Really enjoy coming to Blend. The atmosphere is great, the views are awesome (of course). Came here…read morerecently for a friend's birthday and while a bit quiet when we first got in (7pm on a Wednesday), the place filled up quickly! We some drinks that were delicious (I had the Mango Caipirinha 10/10 recommend) and also the Salmon, the Pernil and Lomo Saltado - also the guacamole and a side of mashed potatoes. All the dishes were very tasty - everyone enjoyed the experience thoroughly. The service lacks a bit - the waitress kept coming and asking us if we were done or still working on our dishes (some were eating more slowly / taking their time). I must mention they add 18% gratuity to parties of 4, and 20% to bigger parties, which I always will have a gripe with - SORRYNOTSORRY (not shade towards service workers at all; just wish they'd be able to be paid actual living wages so the patrons wouldn't have to essentially subsidize their lives...!) Anyhoo. Oh! Also the PIONONOS WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! First time having them and the were absolutely stupendously gooooooooooood 10000/10

We csme for a beladed bday / mothers day brunch. We had a…read morereservation and we were seated immediately. We were tended to rigjt away. The guac We had with chips as an appetizer was excellent. The ambiance was nice. The food was not however up to par. It was flavorless. Tne presentriom and all else good. Lacked on tne flavor .

New items: Branzino:…read moreliked this better than the sea bass, felt like it was more tender Octopus: not bad, and would order if craving it, but I'd rather get from Greek places The large Greek salad was plentiful and actually went well with the food.

There are plenty of seafood restaurants in Astoria that has this ordering style where you go up to…read morethe front and you see this fresh selection of seafood and you can order by the weigh/item. The ones we had been to in the past usually allows you to also pick different type of cooking style or seasoning but this place only cooks it their way. It's good for people who are indecisive but disappointing for people who want variety of flavor. They usually have a section of appetizers and drinks you can order on a separate menu as well. The staffs were very low energies when we visited on a weekend night. The overall ambiance and interaction made us feel a little uncomfortable. We ordered: - eggplant dip - fries - Greek salad (large) - cooked fish - calamari - octopus Honestly I was so disappointed with the food. It didn't taste as fresh and was overall too salty. The eggplant dip had a weird taste. Friend fries were not as crispy and unevenly distributed portions of salt. The calamari was nothing special. The fish was okay, and the octopus was so salty we actually sent back the dish. It was very difficult to enjoy it. The staff was so accommodating and actually took the dish off our bill. (Thank you!! - great customer service!). My favorite item was probably the Greek salad, but then again it's hard to mess up a salad. I would say this is my least favorite counter order style seafood restaurant in Astoria. My friend said great things about it prior to my visit and I really wish I would have liked it.