Arepa Factory

I happened to walk by this hole-​in-​the-​wall arepa biz the old fashioned way, like they did back in Jesus’ day pre-​Yelp. I saw it and thought I would go in and ask if they made vegan arepas, being sure not to get my hopes up too high; because let’s face it, veganism hasn’t really caught on in most HIspanic cultures just yet.
I was looking over the immense menu of their options and noticed a couple of them have a «VE» for vegan and practically jumped for joy*. I was informed that instead of brushing it with butter, they would use oil AND that in addition to their selected options I could make my own!
Before we get into the main attraction, let’s discuss the interior. There is a counter-​bar seating stretching the length of the food prep area with a few small tables in the back. The interior is pretty minimalist and lacking in pretense, which I like in a quick grab-​n-​go type place.
The food is prepared mega hot and mega fresh. They will go down the line and you can watch as they pile on mounds of fresh avocado, vegetables and whatever else you ask for. They are very flexible and eager to please. And please these will. Give ‘em a shot!

Amazing, authentic, delicious, original and great great service! Have nothing but good comments and experiences. Monica was at the cashier and was super friendly and helpful :) my new fave place! Yeahhhh!

Wow! Ufff! In love i want more Arepas. La reina pepiada is súper yummy. IT makes me want to dance on the inside. Highly recommend it!

Great flavor, I felt I was eating arepas back in Venezuela, service was outstanding and The place Is stunning, a must go if you are nearby

I felt a bit let down. I didn’t realize it was like a tiny assembly-​line type place a la Chipotle, but with just two employees.
The arepas were smaller than I anticipated. The «mini» arepas were silver dollar sized but even the regular were smaller than I’m used to. The toppings, while tasty, didn’t seem fresh.
The tequeños are now $ 1.00 (versus 50 cents) and really weren’t worth it. They use Latin American cheese, but the frying «batter» tastes like Pilsbury dough. I’ve fried using Pilsbury dough and it’s exactly the same. They were very greasy too.
Service was friendly, albeit a bit slow. Again, it was just 2 ppl in the front space, which is fairly small as most east village places are.

This place is delicious, simply the best arepa I had in New York so far. I’m Venezuelan and I’m impressed. Keep it up!

Get the lamb… so good. Everything else was absolutely delicious, but the lamb stood out. Everything is really fresh and the service was phenomenal. We were first timers and they took the time to explain the menu and make some suggestions. Will definitely be back!

The BEST arepas in NYC! Strong recommendation: try the «Frida Khalo» (ground beef, black beans, avocado, grated cheese and Latin sour cream) It’s just AMAZING! And if you’re more of a chicken person, the «Reina Papiada» (chicken salad+avocado) is the way to go! Enjoy!

As always, the Arepas are amazing and one of my favorite places for a bite! Fresh ingredients and terrific service. I’m now becoming a regular!

Delicious food.
Nice variety.
Good people.
No, the food isn’t as good as neighborhood stalwart Caracas — not yet at least.
Great, chill atmosphere that works with the neighborhood.
Beef in the Pabellon is tough, I had to spit out almost all of it — they need to work on that, as it’s a Venezuelan staple!
The arepas are a bit greasy and messier than usual.
But everything else is generally great.

Love it and they are HUGE, will definitely be back and I can’t wait to try the rice bowl. Staff is friendly and helpful and the place is quaint. Great addition to the neighborhood. The selection of sauces is awesome I feel like I could come back here everyday and never get bored!

I happened to walk by this place last night with a couple of friends and decided to go in and check it out.
We already had dinner plans (at a different place) but everything looked so tempting that we couldn’t leave without trying something out.
I had a guava and cheese tequeño (which was to die for) and a delicious meet empanada. One of my friends (who is Venezuelan) tried a typical Venezuelan drink which not only was delicious but according to him very authentic too.
I can’t wait to go back and try the arepas. They even have Ceviche and Lobster arepas among many others!
The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable and the prices were very reasonable.

Visited weeks after they opened and still an incredible number of fundamental kinks to work out. Missed the chance to ‘build your own’ because the sign situation here is a bit of a disaster.
Their phone was ringing off the hook and they were still cash only (and still had trouble opening the registers), and they seemed unable to take walk-​in orders over the blare of loud tunes they inflicted upon visitors and the neighborhood. The $ 8.66 vegetarian arepa with creamy green sauce was satisfying, but not up there with the best I’ve had, so even if things were better operationally, still no 4.
FYI Unilocal says 12 but their site says 11

I still fail to understand Unilocal’s filtering system for reviews. So, let me just reiterate that if you want great arepas, GO HERE!

These little items are fantastic. I ordered too many because I thought they would be small and not too filling but I was wrong. The arepas come off the grill hot and delicious. The juice drinks are interesting. However the floor plan is tight and the space can be loud so it is not suitable for business dinner. No problem, come her for a great snack or a meal when you do not have big business dinner plans.

Finally, some worthy competition for Caracas. Arepa Factory just opened a month ago and I’m thrilled there’s another place to get Venezuelan food in the East Village. It’s biggest advantage over Caracas is the build-​your-​own option — you can make your arepa as simple or overindulgent as you want. It’s also less crowded (for now), and slightly cheaper depending on what you get.
I built my own with Guayanes cheese, sweet plantains, avocado, and green sauce (parsley, cilantro and scallion) for $ 7. The arepa was grilled warm, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and absolutely stuffed with fresh cheese, avocado, and caramelized plantains. I also got Papelon (sugar cane juice) to drink and tried a guava tequeno ($ 1) which was like a sweet and salty mini mozzarella stick aka it can’t go wrong. They have $ 1 tequenos and $ 1.50 empanadas, which are great if you want to sample a couple of items or take a snack to go. But the arepa is the star here.
The space is tight — there’s 2 or 3 small tables in the back and some counter seats — so it’s best for a casual quick bite by yourself or with another person. It’s also cash only at the moment but the sign said that’s temporary.
I will definitely be back for more amazing arepas.

Riquisimassssss arepas.
Delicious Arepas, one of the best options in NYC.
Customer service great, food was fresh and great, multiple options for arepas and delicious appetizers…

viva Venezuela!!! This place is arepa’s heaven. Had an asado negro arepa con queso guayanés y un toque de platanito maduro, ah y aguacate… OMG

Great Venezuelan food in New York stile.
Best quality
All goodies
Very good pricing and affordable
Fast service
You won’t be disappointed
JET

So far the best arepa i try in nyc, and i love the cucumber mint drink!!!
Very nice décor, a little gem in the village!!!
Good luck

So new little spot in the neighborhood. So decided to tried it out. I order lunch special which you get 1 arepa i choose Reina Pepiad also a drink and a dessert which i got the spicy chocolate mousse all for 12 bucks. The arepa is gluten free freshly made. Will be coming back a few times again.
Btw. The place just open on October 9, 2015.