Mouthwatering Venezuelan in Houston

Pastelitos Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (481) • $

Gusto Gourmet

★★★★☆ 4.4 (347) • $$

"Great option for Venezuelan food in the area. The arepas were pretty good although I have to admit that I've had better. The Reina Pepiada is always a good choice. It was pretty tasty but it's hard not to compare it to my favorite Venezuelan spot in LA. The Catira tasted pretty good as well but it had so much juice that it kept soaking the corn and leaking all over. That being said, their tequenos were really great. The cheese could have been melted a bit more but the dough was perfect. I didn't have tummy space to try their empanadas and cachapas but I'll be back. I also really enjoyed the soursop juice (guanabana). FYI: You can order online on their website. The place is small but cute and cozy. Friendly service. Parking is a bit tough especially now with all the construction on Shepherd. There is a small lot in the back so try that first. If not, you can park on a nearby residential street."

Arepa Xpress

★★★★☆ 4.3 (169) • $

"I've always passed this place and wanted to try it so came here with my sister and mom the other day for lunch. We ordered a sampler of mini-arepas and got a variety of vegetarian, cheese, and bean and cheese arepas. You also can have a garlic cream sauce, chimichurri, and spicey sauce to accompany your arepas. There was only one person at the counter and one person cooking in the back so you may have to wait, but it's WORTH it and both of the folks who are there are so sweet and helpful.These were all delicious - the ingredients are fresh and the cornmeal cakes were delicious - crispy on the outside and smooth/ slightly chewy when you bite into them. I loved using the different sauces on them too.We are wanting to come back to try more - give them some love - they deserve it!!"

Pastel Gourmet

★★★★★ 4.7 (107) • $

"I am a fan of this place that is in a gas station. That cheesy goodness and they also make soup. It was a beef soup but it had yuca and green banana in it. I was I love and wanted a canister full. The place is small and they don't sell much but what they sell is tasty. The service is quick and with a smile. I will heir this place up if I am in the area again."

Latino Bites Express

★★★★☆ 4.2 (125) • $

"I stopped by Latino Bites Express for dinner on a Tuesday. This casual restaurant is located in a nondescript, small shopping center so parking won't be an issue. It's a relatively small restaurant with three or four tables so it seems like even though you can dine in, it's more of a grab-and-go type spot. Latino Bites Express brings together dishes from several Latin countries including Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia, Argentina, etc. You order at the counter and then they bring your food out to you. We ordered quite the feast so I got to sample a bunch of items off of their menu. This included their Latin burger which comes with avocado (always a plus) and a side of waffle fries. Beyond that, we also tried their quesadilla with beef which you can order with your choice of protein and two sizes. I also had an arepa with pork, an order of tequenos, and a bunch of sides including their elote, tostones, fries, and yucca fries. They also provide you with an assortment of sauces with the green one being mild and the rest hiking up the spice level. All of this was washed down with a watermelon agua fresca. All-around, the food was fantastic and great value for the price. The cashier was also super nice and friendly. I love the variety that their menu provides and I'll definitely be back to feast again!Added bonus: both a Yelp check-in deal and a Yelp deal are offered...choose wisely!"

Sabor Venezolano

★★★★☆ 3.5 (151) • $$

"After the Astros' victory in the 2022 World series, I really wanted to celebrate some Venezuelan dishes. You know Jose Altuve is from Venezuela. I visited Sabor Venezolano. I ordered a lunch plate. It was so good though I had no idea about Venezuelan cuisine. I especially loved arepa which is similar to pupusas in El Salvador. Regarding the name, Sabor Venezolano, sabor means flavor or taste in English. But it sounds like saboru(さぼる) in Japanese. Saboru means " I skip or ditch school in Japanese"! It is a good reason to go to the restaurant and don't go to school. LOL."

Dukes

★★★★★ 4.8 (59) • $$

"This was my third time ever eating Venezuelan food n third time ever eating arepas since having it at a Venezuelan friend's house party back in college. This place was great and obviously serves authentic Venezuelan food. I ordered a Catira Arepa togo, which was very rich, dense and delicious. The dough was thick n fatty. The cheese was very deep with flavor and salty. The shredded chicken was very juicy, seasoned and highly abundant in portion too. They sure don't skimp on any part of this. The service was great n friendly. I will definitely try the Pabellon Arepa on a future visit here which contains shredded beef and plantains. Great little cafe I just discovered earlier today on my way to Proud Pie down the road."

Tasty Arepa

★★★★☆ 4.1 (79) • $

"Pretty tasty arepas and empanadas for a decent price! This is a food truck located right on Washington, in the parking lot near Heart! The bf decided to pick up some dinner for us one night and decided on an assortment of empanadas and 2 arepas! We got a cheese empanada, some potatoes and beef, and some potatoes and pulled pork. They were crispy, filled with lots of filling that was seasoned well, and fairly large! They come with 2 different sauces that add to the flavors! The two arepas we got were the Blondie (Catira) - shredded chicken with Gouda cheese! They came out hot, crispy exterior and delicious filling! I ate them cold when the bf brought them home and they were still good - can't wait to try them again fresh! He loves this place and we got a good amount of food for the price!"

Maxi Arepa

★★★★☆ 3.8 (51)

"They don't sell Maxi Pads, and are not owned by soccer players Maxi Lopez or Maxi Rodriguez of Liverpool, nor Maxi Priest, the singer, who just wants to be close to you and do all the things you want him to. But aside from that false advertising castigation, they're an excellent choice for Venezuelan street food.If you want some good arepas in Katy, one of the largest suburbs in the world with over 300,000 residents, there are not many options, but this one is a good option. It's great that there's finally good Venezuelan food in Katy, because Houston itself has a few good options.We find them to be tasty and delicious and well worth the trip. They're not the cheapest but they are delicious enough to make me say that you should come here and give it a try, five stars. Some of the other reviews might be questionable or fake but I would give it five stars for the taste every time. Although I do usually deduct a star if I think there's a lot of fake 5-star reviews, but I'll make an exception here. After all, arepas in Katy? Awesome."

Primo's

★★★★★ 4.6 (27)

"The regular hot dogs fill you up! Respect the environment! Love the new truck spot! Lots of people ! It was cold as Russia in there but the food was worth it !"

El Patacón Fast Food

★★★★☆ 4.4 (22)

"Summary- Venezuelan food trailer in mediocre spot serves great food.Food- 5 StarsGiant sloppy and wonderful pork Patacón was a full out mess of deliciousness smushed in between two giant fried plantains. So awesome. Atmosphere- 2 StarsRight in the Exxon lot on the corner of spring cypress and 290 feeder isn't the nicest location. They have a few tables and a small patch of grass. Value- 4 StarsNot super cheap but lots for the money"

Arepas & Sand Wish

★★★★☆ 4 (17)

"Super Delicioso! First time trying this place. Food was amazing, super flavorful and well made. We tried the arepas (Pelua, Domino, reina pepiada), mini patacones with shredded beef and mago and passion fruit juices. The place is super clean and the decoration is beautiful! we will go back for sure, the drive is worth it."

Latin +58

★★★★★ 4.7 (11)

"Foooooodddiiieeeessss I'm back!!! Sooo I was driving down to magnolia to pick up my sons pet some petsmart and on our way I saw this lot filled with cars but I also saw FOOOOODDD TRUCKS! Yasss food truck heaven here! We came across Latin 58 and saw their awesome menu. My husband got a guanábana drink and some guava tequenos, jalapeño and cheese tequenos, and lastly a chicken empanada. Wowowowow. The juice was amazing, had great fresh taste and the snacks were fire! They were delicious. The guava and cheese tequenos took me back to my home town L.A. when we're would hit up Porto's bakery for some guava and cheese bread. It was amazing! Definitely come check this place out and ask for Damaris, she was really awesome. Customer service was great and they even gave my daughter some really tasty cookies with sprinkles which she loves soooo much."

Nere Express

★★★★☆ 3.6 (14)

"Everything was delicious. The flavor is the authentic Venezuelan cuisine. The ladies were excellent waitress. Passion fruit dessert was my favorite. Fried fish was awesome. We will back for sure. My family loves this restaurant. recommend."

Nere Express

★★★★☆ 3.6 (14)

"Everything was delicious. The flavor is the authentic Venezuelan cuisine. The ladies were excellent waitress. Passion fruit dessert was my favorite. Fried fish was awesome. We will back for sure. My family loves this restaurant. recommend."

100% Natural Healthy Smoothies

★★★★☆ 4.4 (8)

"Family owned shop inside Fiesta. The concept: juicing with fresh fruits and veggies. They have juices/smoothies to satisfy different problem/symptom. Example a juice to boost your immune system etc. they also have "antojitos" or snacks. My rating is for the juices- Definitely check them out."

Vfingers

★★★★☆ 4 (7)

"Stopped by the truck for lunch one day and it was pretty good. Service was really friendly and aimed to please. It helps if you speak Spanish (or at least some broken Spanish) but isn't required - the guy that took my order struggled with English; guy I talked to after struggled with my terrible Spanish. The location is strange - they have a truck with a small deck, and then a little indoor seating area as part of the strip mall. I guess it saved on remodeling costs?With a truck, the food is absolute king, and here it's a crown prince. Having tried the tequenos, arepitas, empanadas, and chicken, I think I got a general sense of the menu. Was it the best I've ever had? No. Was it the best Venezuelan I've ever had? No. Was it good enough that I'll probably go back? Yes.And that's not so bad."

Antojitos Houston

★★★★☆ 4.3 (6)

"Such a cute little spot however they do take a long long time for any order wether it's inside or to go. It's always double the wait time than the time they say over the phone and when your on lunch it makes a big difference. Don't recommend if your on lunch or have limited time or just say it takes 40 minutes for one empanada. Not worth it"

Big Vzla Burger

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"I was craving a burger randomly at night, so I decided to try this place, but I was not really impressed. I orders the regular burger without the ham, and an order of Churros. The churros were amazing I give those 5stars, but the burger, which is what I really went there, for was not my cup of tea. It just had a weird taste I can't describe but I certainly was not fond of. I took three bites and gave the rest to my brother. He said it was ok, but the fries had absolutely no crunch and were so pale. I'll go back for the churros, but not the burger."

Parrillero Catracho

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"Me encanta saber que hay un buen restaurante de comida latinoamericana en estos rumbos el servicio al cliente fue bueno y la comida muy deliciosa tiene un buen sazon definitivamente volveré. Si se los recomiendo. 10/10"

Maff Bites

★★★★★ 4.5 (2)

"Found this truck at Bearded Fox Brewery. We got the Salchipapas (fries with hot dog and cilantro aioli and a second sauce). The fries were good, but rather skimpy on the delicious aioli which was amazing. We just asked for more sauces. But definitely worth a try. The other food looked really good. ."

Criollo Bistro

★★★★☆ 4 (2)

"The Venezuelan food truck is well represented at the Gosling Food Park, and Criollo is the newest entry. They are also the early risers, open at 10am. We've had a couple of items from there. The other day I stopped in for lunch and had the Pabellon Criollo, which I believe is their signature dish. I had the beef version--some "pulled" beef, fried plantains, white rice, and black beans. The highlight for me was the fried plantains--they had a nice crust on them that brought out the sweet flavor. But Pabellon has no sauce, and I found it kind of dry. For those of you who don't like sauce, and I know you're out there, this would be something to try.We've also had the burger and it's quite good--the mushroom burger had a generous helping of mushrooms and great flavor. So I'd definitely get a burger next time around, or branch out for the empanadas. I would have had a dessert, but they didn't offer them the day I was in the mood for that. The people are friendly and the place is attractive."