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Viva Las Arepas

4.5 (2.1k reviews)
ModerateVenezuelan
Closed • 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

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VIVA LAS AREPAS ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Viva Las Arepas

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Fried Plantains
Kat J.

I am absolutely blown away at how good the food was at this place! Truly, a hidden gem! Neither of us have ever had an arepa And we decided to detour downtown to give it a try cause why not?! The gentleman that took our order, I did not get his name, was super nice and was teaching my boyfriend some words to say "to go". You know the food is good when we stop talking and just start eating and don't even share it. That's exactly what happened here. The only words that were said is that salsa is hot We were also very shocked at how big the arepas were and took the empanadas home for a snack later that night. They were very good even reheated.

Joanna G.

Loved that this place was off the strip, had free parking, and a large indoor seating area. I order a shredded chicken arepa $9.99, and added beans, avocado for $1 each. We also ordered the pabellón beef plate $16.49 and a mango drink. The arepa doesnt look hand made, as it was a perfect circle. However, the masa is made in house. And let me tell you, the masa is delicious. It was fluffy and airy. The chicken was seasoned but, in my opinion, it was missing a lil something. The shredded beef plate was good, and came with white rice, black beans, and plantains. plantains. ************************************* Final thoughts: Simple menu, simple food. Nothing flashy, but you get quality food for the price tag. Reasoning for the lower score is because I didnt necessarily feel welcomed. A small over sight, not sure if it means anything, but myself and another group were called up to pick our food up from the counter, while a white couple had their food brought out to them. Just food for thought.

Kevin L.

anytime i come to las vegas , i have to come here. delicious venezuelan arepas! must try!

Inside
Jando S.

One of the true gems of the downtown Las Vegas scene, Viva Las Arepas' presence has grown tremendously over the years from a food cart to a full fledged brick and mortar. The pretense is minimal and the food is excellent, which is why it has been one of my favorite food finds ever. Parking in this part of downtown can be a challenge, but there are a handful of dedicated spots that face the storefront. There are solid indoor and outdoor seating options and a bustling staff working hard behind the counter. One of the owners (Felix) is so accommodating and one of the friendliest folks I've met. The arepas themselves are stacked. My go-to arepa, the reina pepiada, is shredded chicken breast that has been mixed with mayo, avocado, and cilantro. For an added boost, I enjoy the add-on queso (guayanés) for an added texture boost. The ham and cheese is a classic, and extremely gooey for those looking for a proper cheese pull. The pabellón features carne mechada (shredded beef) with plantains, beans, and a generous sprinkling of queso fresco. It's probably the heartiest arepa on the menu. There is a whole plethora of other Venezuelan items, which include some very crispy tequeños (similar to a giant mozzarella stick), grilled meat (parrillada) platters, empanadas, pastelitos, and numerous beverages. I am a sucker for passion fruit, which adds a nice tart aftertaste and complements the arepas nicely. Gone are the days of $3 arepas, the recent foodflation has price hiked these babies to sub $10+ for each. While it's a hit to the wallet, sometimes it's the price we pay for the things we love. I am already looking forward to my next visit.

Ken C.

Viva Las Arepas has been on my radar for 15 years, but I didn't check it out till now! They're known for arepas, which are fried crispy pockets made of corn masa filled with meats, cheese, and other goodies. I went with their Pabellion, which was filled to the brim with shredded beef, cheese, black beans, and plantains. My wife went with their Cachapa Arepa, which just had their cheese in a thicker fried corn dough that was almost like a pancake. Both of these arepas were served with a green salsa and creamy salsa. The corn arepa shell was crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and slightly sweet. The meat is all mesquite grilled, so it had nice smoky flavor, but was juicy, well seasoned, and flavorful. The sauces didn't cover up any of the flavor from the meat, but it added a little bit of heat that was needed. Between these two items, a side order of fried plantains, and a can of Coke, I spent about $31, which was way less than I spent for pastries at Caesars. On our way out, my wife saw someone eating pork spare ribs from their grill. The smell of the mesquite was unmistakeable. We ordered it to go. For $15, we got a generous portion of pork and two sides. The pork was tender, it fell apart at the bone, it had flavor from mesquite, and there was a very savory sauce that coated the exterior of the meat. When we were eating this in our hotel room we were extremely happy with this decision. Don't miss it. One of the reasons I haven't come here prior to today was because It's located about four blocks north of Stratosphere between the Las Vegas Strip and Arts District. When they first opened, they were just a small stand, but now their lot is a small strip mall with parking. Overall, if you want affordable gems in Vegas, then you need to look a little out of the strip. This is a perfect example. I've been looking for a Venezuelan Arepa like this for a long time. I'll definitely be back soon!

#3. Beef Shredded Arepa
Sebas G.

This was my first time trying arepas and it was great ! The workers there were super helpful of what to get since it was my first time and the vibes in there were great !

Very very good !  Shredded Beef Arepa
Kimberley K.

I really enjoyed the flavor of these arepas, they were genuinely delicious, especially the shredded beef. I had one there and ended up ordering four more to go because I liked them that much. That said, I did end up with some pretty intense stomach issues afterward, enough that I spent the rest of the day, the night, and even into the next day dealing with it. I think it may have been the red sauce they use, but I'm not even completely sure. It was the only thing I had eaten that day, so it's hard not to connect the two. It's a shame because the arepas themselves were really good, which makes the whole experience a bit conflicting.

Trung N.

I finally got around to trying Viva Las Arepas and I have regrets about not coming sooner. This place is fire. Arepas are round, flat cornmeal cakes that are stuffed with filling. They're slightly crispy on the outside with a soft and chewier on the inside. I've never had one before and these slid right into the rolodex of things I love. We shared three: -#1: wood fire beef ($10.49): lettuce + tomato with avocado (+$1.00) and cheese (+$1.00) -#2: wood fire chicken shredded ($9.99): lettuce with avocado (+$1.00) -#12: pabellón ($10.49): beef, beans, plantain + cheese The menu descriptions are very loose and require a little effort to really understand the beef and chicken sitch. For a point of reference, the beef resembles and tastes like carne asada. It's tender and they stuff it in thick. We added avocado and cheese which added layers of flavor and texture. Delish. The chicken is shredded, aforementioned, but it's stewed (there's a sauce). Not that it matters, but it gives you an entirely different taste and texture than expected. Honestly, the real star was the cilantro crema sauce. I doused everything in it. Twas very delicious. The arepas were unlike anything I've ever eaten before. Each individual filling we ordered was absolutely delicious with no overlapping flavors. Every bite was brand new experience. Ten.

Pernil (pork) arepa - sooo good!
Bronwyn B.

Found this gem when we were staying at the Strat, which is a five minute walk. Friendly service, delicious and inexpensive food. Highly recommend!

Beef arepas and shrimp arepas
Timothy R.

Ok this place was amazing. If you're into arepas you have to try this place off las Vegas boulevard. Service was excellent. The ambiance is great. Shrimp or beef arepas. Delicious.

Joseph R.

Overall an amazing place worth the visit. Get the whole chicken and MAKE SURE you get the Yucca Root....

Inside seating
Tim L.

Great spot, price is good, food is fresh and authentic. Glad I came here, several miles from where I stayed, but muy delicioso. Would recommend to anyone looking for great arepas and venezulian cuisine!

View from parking lot
Madison K.

O hell yes! And they have a loyalty card too... Arepas are not exactly my love language (it's surprise gifts) but they fit right in-- by ritual, almost any bad day is reset by an arepa. These are amazing.. but do not omit the sauces. Both the creamy green and the pulpy green are crave inducing.

#3. Beef Shredded Arepa

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Viva Las Arepas Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Viva Las Arepas

Do all the meats have onion?

no, only the shredded beef (carne mechada, numbers #3 and #12) has onion already cooked in. the carne asada (wood fire beef), shredded chicken, roasted pork butt, reina… 

Are they gluten free?

all of the arepas are gluten free. they fry their plantains (the same one they use in the #12 pabellon arepa) in a separate fryer than the gluten stuff. if you're celiac or… 

Are they open in 2022?

Yes. And still serving delicious Arepas.

Are they open right now?

Went by their Las Vegas Blvd. location the other day and it's boarded up due to covid.

How ARE the papusas?

They don't sell those at this location. Pupusas are more of Central American food item. Arepas are from South America, typically found in Venezuela and Colombia. The arepas at this place though, are one of the best you can find in the US... I highly… 

Do they have any vegetarian food? Would it be worth it for vegetarians to go?

Yes they have Vegetarian arepas.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Dandino’s Arepas Cafe - Arepa and empanada.

Dandino’s Arepas Cafe

4.3(16 reviews)
2.1 mi•Eastside

I don't know if there has been a name change but Dandino's was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the…read moresigns said Sabor Panp Anccs Tipico. I had read the reviews for Dandino's and I wanted to try their South American food. I ordered two items--a mechada arepa and a mechada empanada. Mechada is Venezuelan shredded beef. The arepa is made with corn flour in rounds and filled with whatever filling you choose. The empanada was not sealed, but was partly open. Arepas are a common food in Venezuela and Columbia. There was a bit of a language problem but we got past that. I took a seat and enjoyed the singing by an older man who played the keyboard and sang to entertain in the food court. When I ordered, I was told it would take 7 minutes and that was right on. The woman I ordered with arrived at my table with my arepa and empanada in that time. She then brought my Coke. First off, the food was blisteringly hot. I had to wait a bit to be able to enjoy. That showed me the freshness of the making of the items. The mechada was excellent. It was juicy and the sauce with the shredded beef had a super flavor. I'll be back but I'll mix my order and get a cheese empanada and a different arepa. It's worht the stop here. It is close to UNLV and I'm there often so there's not much of a drive. Note: This is a cash only place. No credit cards or contactless payments.

We ordered lunch from via Door Dash and we were not disappointed! Simple order, 3 arepas with…read morecheese. These are huge! 1 was enough to feed my student aides to fill, and I cannot finish mine. The sauce is delicious and I think I want to buy it by the gallon (don't tell me what's in it because if it's bad for me I don't even care!) Everything tasted fresh, but our cheese was a bit congealed by the time it got to us. We will definitely be ordering from them again to try different items!

Photos
Dandino’s Arepas Cafe - Music this Sunday evening.

Music this Sunday evening.

Dandino’s Arepas Cafe - Cheese arepa

Cheese arepa

Dandino’s Arepas Cafe - Restaurant.

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Restaurant.

Mr. Cooker - Pepito

Mr. Cooker

4.7(61 reviews)
15.9 mi
•$

Solid value for some of the best Venezuelan food around town. The fact that it's on wheels just…read moremakes the hunt a little more thrilling. Mr. Cooker is a Las Vegas food truck that's been around for a little over a year now. I'm surprised at how few their review count is, despite their appearances at such events as the Great American Foodie Fest, Sunset Park'd, and a Yelp Elite Event. The former two are sometimes derided for overpriced and lackluster food, which is true for some places. However, they impressed people including yours truly at the latter, which is why I was so glad to find them in the wild today. Well, "the wild" in this case is the inaugural running of a weekly food truck gathering at the Total Wine & More on Las Vegas Blvd (near Fry's / Town Square), and it's more like a ring of about ten trucks/trailers/vans showed up and these guys were in the thick of it. I knew that they'd be among the best, so I couldn't pass them up as I regrettably did at other food truck events. The man running front of house (or outside of truck, in this case) gave me a brief tour of some of their menu. I went for his favorite after finding out that I could get two different meat choices. My order of patacones ($8 for two) came out within perhaps 5 minutes still plenty hot, but I eagerly dug in to these creations of meat, cheese, and sauces sandwiched between fried, crispy plantains. That crispness stands out first and foremost. It's not a hard crunch, and it yields something substantial in your mouth that texturally reminded me of some chicken skins that I'd recently had. Speaking of which, the meats are no slouch. The pork was great, but the shredded beef was surprisingly juicy and rich in flavor. And the slew of sauces was complementary and not overwhelming, although some areas were less sauced. Fortunately, I soon noticed that they had squeeze bottles including one that contained more of that ubiquitous green cilantro sauce. Ask for them. They're important. I'm definitely going to revisit Mr. Cooker soon. I definitely need to try their arepas, empanadas, pepitos, and perhaps one day a traditional certain comestible, if they ever source the right corn and cheese to craft the recipe to their liking. I'll be waiting.

Even though we only had a Beef Empanada I'm going to give this spot a five. The service was very…read morefriendly and the empanada was outstanding. I wish we had stopped back to try more of the menu. I'm glad that they are local and I can track them down another time. The Beef Empanada packed a lot of flavor and was fresh. From the outside it looked boring, but turned out to be anything but boring. The seasoning on the bread and beef was very tasty. The bread tasted and appeared to be made from scratch. The sauce served with the empanada had a nice kick and nice flavor.

Photos
Mr. Cooker - Empanada y patacones

Empanada y patacones

Mr. Cooker - Arepas ($7) can be customized to your liking. I went with pork and cheese. Don't forget the sauces (not shown).

Arepas ($7) can be customized to your liking. I went with pork and cheese. Don't forget the sauces (not shown).

Mr. Cooker

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Tío Simón  - Pepito bululu without pork

Tío Simón

4.0(21 reviews)
5.0 mi•Westside

I've been looking for a place to get cachapas for a long time. I used to get them from a food truck…read morearound 10 years ago, but the truck broke down :'( I'd given up, but then found Tío Simón on Yelp :D They REALLY delivered on my need for cachapas I went in before work around 9am (fully expecting them not to be ready to serve), but they were able to make cachapas for me right at 9am. That alone showed me that this place was professional. I've been back at least 5 times in the last month for the cachapas with pork. I'd definitely recommend giving it a try! Make sure you get the sauces

Came here with friends who recommended this spot. To what I understand, Tio Simon used to be…read moreArepas which I loved Arepas on Las Vegas Blvd so I was really excited. We were a party of 5 and they did get busy and thank God we were already seated and ordered our food. Food: Chicken Empanada Beef Arepas My friend ordered a couple of appetizers but I forgot what it was called but I'll upload the pix. It was good. The Empanada was delicious. I loved the texture and the chicken was flavorful. The Arepas was okay alone. But when you add the sauce it elevated and tasted so much better. The sauces were a green, spicy and another that is like an aioli. Now the negative. Service was horrible. 4 out of 5 of us got our food and the main person who we were celebrating did not get her food. We were already done and she finally got her order. I had to ask a couple of times for a cup of ice. I haven't drank can soda in a long time but it was $4.14. I was like WOW but ok. Overall, I'd still return because the food was delicious. The server just needs help. Im thinking she did not put my friends order in. I was Happy to see a guy walking around asking how's everything. We told him our friend didn't get her food and he asked the kitchen about it.

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Tío Simón
Tío Simón  - Cachapa con queso

Cachapa con queso

Tío Simón

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Medellin Empanadas - Colombian empanadas truck

Medellin Empanadas

4.4(34 reviews)
0.8 mi•Arts District, Medical District, Downtown

Wow these empanadas were so good…read more The chicken empanadas were good I did prefer the beef empanadas had more flavor. The pique was good as well reminded me of my moms pique. I will definitely come back and try more plates.

Location: This food…read moretruck is located just outside the Premium Oulets North. The truck is parked on S Grand Central Parkway near the Nike store. So to access it you do have to park somewhere, then walk up if you're not already at the outlets shopping. Food: I ordered a beef empanada and two Arepas. The empanadas are very small. And the beef portion inside was very nominal. I mostly tasted potato. The empanada was very crispy which I loved. The arepa was filled with chicharrón which was tender and incredibly well seasoned. The cornbread bun was the perfect. It was soft but had a bit of crispness. Overall I really enjoyed the food. The food by itself is worthy of a 5 star rating. However the wait time for the food in my opinion is too long for a food truck, especially with the limited menu. I work across the street and it took just about 6 minutes to reach this truck walking. My coworker and I ordered the same items right after each other but food took more than 20 minutes to receive. I got the empanada immediately but the two arepas took a lot of prep time for both of us. That's not really convenient when you have only a 30 minute lunch.

Photos
Medellin Empanadas
Medellin Empanadas
Medellin Empanadas

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Viva Las Arepas - venezuelan - Updated October 2026

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