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| - This place has changed a bit since it first opened, or at least a year or so ago when if you had asked me about it, I would have RAVED. It's still good, decent, and interesting food, but something seems to have fallen off in terms of quality, flavor, and maybe even cooking technique, I'm not sure. Also, there is a real grunge factor here that was not here when we used to come here a year or two ago. It just feels dirty now. Our table was dirty and the bathrooms don't feel sparkly. The process to put away your tray basket is just a little off-putting--at the trash can, it's just gross. This is kind of like how Rubio's does it, but they're a chain. They should have someone come pick up the baskets. No one comes by to wipe down the tables, or brush crumbs off seats. The customer service seems lacking.They can't control the weird folks who come in here for arepas--a delicious specialty of Venezuela; think Jamaican beef patties. But with the proper atmosphere, they would attract a less volatile crowd, for lack of a better word. It used to be trendy, now it feel grungy. Does that make sense? It may depend on what time of day or what day of the week you come. A Sunday night, when we went, might not be its best.
With that said, if you have a hankering for Venezuelan food, or arepas in particular, you could do a lot worse than here. The chicken (salad) arepas are unique with a piquant taste (not quite spicy). I prefer the grilled chicken, and then pork or beef arepas, which are chock full of meat with crispy corn covering. Vegetables are not too big here, but there is lettuce. Parking can be challenging. It is a small lot.
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