Q’Kenan

I can’t claim to be the most qualified person to review this type of cuisine so that said I’ll share how much me and my family thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful restaurant.
We have traveled just a bit to Central and South American countries and can’t get anything close to the wonderful food we experienced on those trips near where we currently live (that we’ve found so far anyway). Anyway, we found this place on Unilocal during a quick visit to Orlando and thought we’d try it and can say from our perspective (and what we were expecting in terms of price/​location) you couldn’t possibly ask for better. Really.
The prices were excellent. The staff were most friendly and welcoming (including to folks that might not frequent a restaurant serving this fair) and the food… amazing.
It’s been a while since I felt compelled to actually do a review on a restaurant but we had too good of an experience at this place not to share it.

Hard to find. We drove around a couple times and finally decided to call and ask which businesses they were next to. Plain signage up front but once we came inside, I noticed it was packed. We enjoyed the carne mechado empanadas. My husband had the Cabimero arepas. It looked good. He said it was excellent. I had the Pabellon Criollo. Very tasty, plenty of food to share. Definitely will come back to try other dishes.

When in doubt, i go with the namesake and ordered the Q’kenan arepa.
Really good quality for a fair price. I love my plantains and these were perfect. The shredded meat was also delicious– both juicy and well spiced.
Setting is casual sit down. Server was friendly.
I ordered café con leche, which was quite good.
This is a great place to eat with an authentic taste and atmosphere.

Q’kenan was another restaurant I wrote down on my Orlando foodie must visit list. Q’kenan is a Venezuelan food restaurant. I’ve never eaten Venezuelan, but for those who know me, I’m an adventurous foodie and am not afraid to try anything especially if it’s food. I wrote down Q’kenan as a must visit because of its high 4.5 star Unilocal rating and yummy looking pics found on Unilocal.Q’kenan deserves its 4.5 rating or higher. I give it a STRONG 5 stars.
Q’kenan is located next to a bunch of other small businesses in a strip mall. It was actually a little hard to find because its discrete and appears to be a small place from the outside. There really isn’t any signage, but please don’t let that deter you. Find this place even if you have to drive around the area several times. I wouldn’t say that this place can accommodate a large group, but there are several booths, counter seating and some tables. There’s a huge Venezuelan flag on one of the walls and a wall of framed pictures of people whom I didn’t recognize. While your sitting, people work behind what looks like a Subway sandwich counter. The waiter who serviced me was a really kind gentleman who answered my questions and provided outstanding recommendations. A strong positive was the customer service I received.
The food is the star here at Q’kenan. I knew what I was going to order before I got here, but after my delicious experience, I really want to go back to try other Venezuelan dishes. I ordered the Parrilla Tepui Mixta. ORDER THE PARRILLA TEPUI MIXTA!!! Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. This dish comes with grilled beef, sausage, pork, chicken, casava, arepa, fries, and house salad with all of this served on a cutting board. It really was that much food, so much so that I had leftovers. The Parrilla Tepui is a perfect dish to introduce you to Venezuelan food. All of the meat was tasty, finger licking quality, and just had seasoning to it that made me glad I chose to eat hear. I wished there was more sausage. The fries were seasoned and crunchy. I thoroughly enjoyed the arepa, which was cheesy and inhale worthy. Your food should come with three types of sauces. A red spicy one, a white garlic one, and a sour cream one for the arepa. These sauces put what I ate over the foodie top. Dip the meats, fries, and arepa with reckless abandon because these sauces were to die for. I even enjoyed their house salad, which I recommend eating first. The Parilla is pretty economical for the amount of food you get. Lastly, order one of their Venezuelan juices. The strawberry mango satisfied my thirst thoroughly.
As you can see from my effusive praise of Q’kenan, I had an outstanding experience. I should have asked what Q’kenan means, but whatever it is, in my book it means really delicious and YUMMY food that’s affordable and is accompanied with quality customer service. After my first taste of Venezuelan food, I definitely want to come back.

We’re from Ohio and come to Orlando as often as we can get away and this will be a new favorite from now on. You can taste that there’s a lot of effort put into the food and it’s prepared with care with all the attention to please your tastebuds. It’s definitely a worth while trip and we plan on one more visit before we head out of town. Plantains are awesome, well-​cooked and the Arepas are super! Bravo to the staff, chef and everyone running the place. You make everyone feel like family. Thanks for making it a great dinner!

Delicious empanadas, especially the beef. I don’t think you can find empanadas like this any where in the US, and I’ve been to many cities. Service is friendly. It’s a small place, but you can carry out and have a picnic. Hidden gem in the Disney World area, which is chock-​full of chains and some really average food.

I give them the nod… We’re not experts but this was certainly the best Venezuelan food we’ve ever had. We actually sampled almost one of everything on the menu (plenty to take home) and we were very pleased with everything we had.
If I had to choose I’d say the stand-​out were the cachapas, but everything in this place, including the down-​home feel and the wonderful service, were just lovely.
This is our can’t miss when visiting Orlando.

Great spot … Tremendously authentic cuisine in a smaller, tucked away spot. All meals were extremely authentic, tasty and well executed. Flavors were sublime and service was fast, friendly and efficient (see single note below regarding wifi).
Kids loved the beef empanadas… I enjoyed the Yoyo, which I could only classify as an open faced sandwich on fried plantains instead of bread… Wow, really, really good.
Beer was served in the iciest cold mug I could have ever dreamed of… Awesome lunch spot.
Would have given it 5 stars except for one small knit — poor cell service in this strip mall from our carrier; while the restaurant has free wifi, you need a password. I asked our waitress, who said she forgot the password. I thought she was checking to get the password but she never returned to let us know what it was… Strange.
Don’t let poor cell service or an elusive wifi password defer you though, the food here rocks!

After traveling to Orlando for business for four straight years and always relegated to chain restaurants surrounding my hotel, decided to look for something local and came across Q’Kenan.
Coming from New York City and having easy access to all types of cuisine, Q’Kenan was definitely very authentic Venezuelan and very reasonably priced. It is also a very casual atmosphere with vibes of a takeout joint that also does sit down, but don’t let that fool you on first impression as the food is legit.
I ordered the Pabellon Criollo which was fantastic. The shredded beef was flavorful as were the rice and beans and the plantains were delish. Also split the empanadas which were HUGE and also just as good. If I had more days in my trip I would have definitely come back for more but keep it on my list for the future.

We had an awesome dinner and they were patient with us as I ordered through Unilocal pictures! We ordered the mushroom beef and onion beef. Then I thought I had to try an apreas… so i tried the chorizo without cheese. Everything was great but the white sauce and spicy sauce at the table just makes it even better!

Local restaurants that have survived for more than a few years are likely to be fairly good. One of the owners told me they had been in that location for over a decade. Now I know why they have survived.
I decided to stop into this place based on the reviews and the fact that I wanted to get away from the Disney corporate feel. I like supporting local businesses when possible so this fit the bill. None of the folks in my family had ever tried any Venezuelan food and, while I’m a bit adventurous, everyone else sticks to traditional American fare. Despite that, our server recommended several things based on it being our first time. The kids had cheese empanadas, my wife had a chicken dish and I had a mix of shredded beef, rice, fried plantains, and black beans. I also had some homemade cheese with it.
Everything was absolutely delicious. There was no food left on anyone’s plate. I have a feeling that this is the Venezuelan version of comfort food. Whatever. It was delicious.
Not the easiest place to find but worth getting there.
Oh. And the cost you’ll pay for a whole family is about what you’ll pay for one person’s meal in one of the nicer Disney restaurants. I’ll be back if we get down this way again.

Attn Disney World friends. Are you ever tired of spending a lot of money on food while on vacation? Well I found an authentic Venezuelan restaurant that will know your socks off.
Located right around the corner of the Orlando Premium Outlets is Q’Kenans. OMG their pineapple smoothie would rival Disneys Dolewhip. Their empanadas are to die for. Then there’s the Panaton Q’Kenan. This divine creation is basically a new version of a Sandwhich minus the bread and replaced with Sweet Plantains as the bun. Filled with your choice of beef or chicken. OMG beyond fabulous.
Check this one out!

We had never tried Venezuelan cuisine so take this review with a grain of salt.
After a long trip of food at the parks and fast food, we decided we wanted some home cooking type of food. Q’kenan did just that for us.
The Q’Kenan Santa Barbara arepa was awesome. It was much better after adding their hot sauce. I would highly recommend it.
We also got the Pabellon Criolo. We liked it mostly because we really wanted rice and beans. The plantain was cooked well, complementing the beans perfectly. The shredded beef itself was nothing extraordinary but it did the trick at that moment.
I would not recommend the Pabellon criollo mostly because there are other things on the menu that sound much better for a better price (like getting another 2 Santa Barbara arepas).
The service is a little slow but I expected that. The people were really nice to us, though slow.

I came here multiple times for multiple reasons, the most important one being the food, of course.
Food: I can’t explain how amazing the food is here. I’ve had Venezuelan food many times before, but the food at Q’Kenan is the tastiest and most authentic Venezuelan I’ve ever come across. You must try the cachapa, in particular the Queso de Mano cachapa. What is a cachapa? It’s like a corn pancake that is slightly sweet and lightly fried giving it an extra dose of flavor and char. Ours was stuffed with a thick slice of hand made cheese (Queso de Mano) which tasted closest to fresh mozzarella, it was firm, yet mildly soft. I highly recommend the Queso de Mano for a very authentic Venezuelan experience. Add the salsa and sour cream for more flavor. I also ordered the Santa Barbara Arepa which came with chopped grilled chicken, shredded cheese and a creamy tartar sauce that tasted way better than any tartar sauce I’ve had, less bitter and more flavor. The arepa was not too heavy, not as fried as I’m used to and grilled on the outside leaving the inside soft and warm and the outside charred. My boyfriend had the Pabellon Arepa which was stuffed with deliciously marinated shredded beef, black beans and cheese. Everything was so delicious, fresh and authentic! The cachapa was my favorite part of the meal!
Service: Family owned restaurant, employees are all members of the family so you’ll feel tons of hospitality and warmth. Ask employees for recommendations if you’re a first timer. Great service overall.
Price: Huge and filling portions at a very cheap price!
Ambiance: Spanish music blasting, portraits of the owner and latin celebs and other influential folks fill the walls, very casual spot with a mixed bag of locals and tourists, positive and happy vibes all around as people enjoyed their food!
Overall: Hands down the most authentic and delicious Venezuelan food I’ve encountered, great service and ambiance! If you’re an out of towner, come here for a great local experience!

Very good restaurant, friendly people, good service, great prices… II was in Orlando area for a week and went to dinner often, this by far was the most reasonably priced, that being said:
the food: very South /​Central American, and authentic, for drinks we got a a chocolate milk shake «Rey» which is typical in Venezuela this was «the best in my life» was what my freind daid about the shake — he had 2 of them — I got a pina (pineapple) liquiado — jut fresh pineapple and water — was excellent…
no apps as I knew the dinner would be more than enough — we got a mixed grill — pork chicken — beef — arepa — black bean — rice — toastones — sausage — mixed salad as well alll for about $ 13.00 was very good with excellent sauces on the side — everthing was cooked well, and was plenty of food… my wife had the whole fried snapper — was very good severed with plaintains and rice… lemon and lime wedges… very good as well simple is best sometimes…
we had plenty to eat but I had to try the home made flan which our waiter had made earlier that day. this was the highlight… id give it a 10 out of 10. not rubbery not too sweet, I could go on and on. but to say it was excellent is about right… for 3 people with desert 2 drinks each — 2 of which were beers I think we spent less than 60 bucks… a real deal… not a fancy place but clean — freindly staff and good food what else can you ask for… especially when the hotel was pushing us to a Brazilian place all you can eat for $ 50 a person… no thanks…
I would go back… several things left to try out… enjoy!!!

Muy buena comida comida, muy venezolana exactamente lo que extrañamos. Gente muy agradable; las empanadas son lo maximo, las arepas, los jugos mejor dicho todo :)

J’avoue j’ai été déçue de ma visite à Q’Kenan car au vu des avis je m’attendais à un truc super et ben c’est pas du tout le ressenti que j’en ai eu.
Habituellement soyons clair à Orlando je mange plutôt dans les chaînes basiques type Golden Corral, Cici’s; pour une fois j’ai voulu chercher autre chose en utilisant Unilocal et j’ai jeté mon dévolu sur ce resto qui était sur notre chemin.
J’ai trouvé l’accueil et le service très froid pour les USA, je voulais tester les arepas et j’avoue que j’ai peut être pas bien choisie mais il y en a qu’une que j’ai bien aimé.
Le pain de maïs est bon mais au final ça reste un peu sec comme nourriture.
Mon copain a pris une assiette de poulet avec du riz, au final on a payé assez cher en plus, bref en résumé je n’y retournerai plus.

The service was extremely friendly– not something you find everywhere! The waiter was very welcoming and helped us understand the menu.
I got the chorizo arepa. The chorizo, sauce, and Venezuelan cheese were absolutely delicious. The fried cornbread-​like bun was surprisingly delicious as well. It was very different from anything I’d ever had but I’m so happy we tried it!
My mom ordered the chicken&avocado arepa and that was also very tasty. Both arepas were completely stuffed with meat so it was a great value meal. My brother ordered the ham&cheese cachapa and he devoured it. We also ordered fried plantains and they were the best I’ve ever had.
Overall, a definite must if you’re in the area.

Q’Kenan is sort of hidden in the back of a shopping plaza where Publix is located. Once you see Publix, it’s on the right side of it.
—– Positives —–
(1) Spotless interior: Despite 100’s of picture frames on the wall the restaurant was spotless and the dining area was neat and nicely decorated. You could eat off the floor but please don’t.
(2) Pork was very tender and flavorful. Potato salad & plantain that came with the lunch special were delicious as well.
—– Not So Positives —–
(1) Service: Not sure what the deal was with the lady that served us… Maybe she was having a bad day but she was unfriendly and impatient. As a customer who had never had Venezuelan food and had never been to Q’Kenan, I was curious about the food and had a couple of questions about the menu. I just had a simple question — What is the lunch special and can I substitute rice/​beans with something else. I don’t think my question was inappropriate but the server’s response and body language was uncalled for. I don’t know… maybe this place has so many regulars, servers aren’t used to answering newbie’s questions.
(2) Mandatory 18% gratuity for a party of 2 during lunch time. Lol, you’ve got to be kidding me. Tips should be earned, not demanded.

Llegue aca por los reviews. Ordené para almorzar pabellon criollo. El plato en general estaba bueno pero la carne mechada estaba salada.
Para acompañar pedi arepitas con nata. La nata, las arepas y el queso estaban buenos.
Mis acompañantes pidieron cachapa con queso guayanes.
El queso estaba aceptable. La masa de las cachapas realmente no! Parecen hechas con masa facil, mala textura.
Excelente atención!

The best Venezuelan restaurant in Central Florida! Excelwnte atencion y excelentes platillos tipicos Venezolanos!

My boyfriend and I were visiting Orlando and it was our first time here. We asked the waitress what the Lunch Special was. She was short with her answers and in a hurry even though they weren’t busy. On the menu it states that parties of 5 and up will be charged an 18% tip. But our party of 2 was charged 18% automatically. I would have tipped more but I didn’t like the way they did business.
But on a positive note, our meals came out pretty quickly. I ordered the Shredded Beef and it was delicious! The sweet plantains made a nice contrast with the saltiness of the beef. My boyfriend got the Pork Lunch which I liked even more than my own meal. Prices are reasonable too for the amount of food given.

Wow. What a find. Never had Venezuelan food before and if this is representative, then I’m a fan.
The service is quite excellent. Staff are very attentive and friendly. Having never tried Venz food before, my waiter made some very spot on recommendations.
Main: I ordered the most popular dish per my waiter: a HUGE platter with grilled chicken, beef, sausage, and pork along with fried corn AREPA, potato fries and fried yuka and side house salad. Portions are HUGE as if I hadn’t emphasized that point. Fries and yuka are fried perfectly. Meats, meats, meats are pretty standard but they do the trick, the pork chop being my least favorite but not bad by any means. The AREPA was the star, so crispy on the outside all around and fluffy goodness on the inside; never had this before but will order it again when I see it on a menu.
Sauces galore: house red spicy sause, garlic mayo sauce, sour cream, spicy green sauce, and pico de gallo. I smathered everything on everything and don’t regret it.
Jugos (juice): My waiter recommended the passion fruit, which was came as a thick delicious lassi type drink, perfectly sour and not too sweet.
OVERALL: highly recommend.

This place is fantastic! We loved everything about it. We slipped in to get a quick lunch away from the tourist attractions and it was great.
Service: Very personable people. The staff was very kind and offered to explain all of the dishes or answer any questions. They were conducting lively discussions with some of the customers and it really contributed to a fun and friendly environment.
Food: The food was delicious. I don’t claim to be an expert on Venezuelan food but this was the best I’ve had. The corn in the Cachapas was fresh and the empanadas were very flavorful. We ordered a Cachapas Queso de Mano, Arepa de Chorizo and a Empanada de Machapa. All the meats tasted like they had been marinated for at least a day. None of the food tasted like it was frozen at any point in preparation.
Ambiance: They have done a great job of making it feel very homey with all the pictures and warm colors. The music is lively and very fun but not distracting.

This place is solid!
While visiting Orlando, we went here twice, so you know it’s gotta be good. The staff are really friendly and the food is delicious and inexpensive.
The first time we came, I ordered the pork arepa and my boyfriend ordered the combination plate. The combo platter was big and tasty. My arepa was also good and made even better by the sauces. Don’t miss the delicious sauces, a red pepper chili sauce and a creamy garlic sauce! I absolutely loved the garlic sauce.
This place is located in a strip mall with ample parking and it’s pretty near Universal Studios, so it’s convenient for after the parks.

YES! EAT HERE! My taste buds went into a frenzy! I was in pure gluttony heaven!
Everything we ordered was so good, so authentic, so amazing, so just right that I can’t even remember the names. All I know is that #17 (and yes, it’s numbered 17, 16, 18) is the thing to get. That and the cornbread cheese thingy.
Come here ready to eat because you’re will want to try it all!

Mi esposo y yo vivimos 5 minutos de este Restaurante estábamos alegre de volver a comer comida Venezolana en Q’Kenan. Llegamos al restaurante a las 9:20 pm cuando un mesero nos dice que podemos ordenar comida para llevar solamente porque cierran a las 9:30 pm. En otras palabras nos rechazaron. Mi esposo y yo ya sabíamos que íbamos a comer. Éramos solo dos y comemos bastante rápido que pena que nos despidieron tan rápido sin darnos una oportunidad. Conste que el restaurante estaba con cuarto familias esperando por la comida de ellos. Tuvimos que ir al restaurante chino al lado de ellos llamado Citris Garden y ahí nos recibieron con las manos abiertas. Cuando terminamos de comer pasamos por Q’Kenan ya que el carro estaba estacionado a frente y ahora entendemos porque estaban tan ansiosos para cerrar. El mismo mesero que nos despidió estaba saliendo de la tienda de licor al lado de Q’Kenan. No regresaremos ni recomendáremos amigos o familiares a ir a Q’Kenan.

Desayuno Criollo delicioso y ese hervido de gallina. Super de verda que tienen un lugar super acojedor y delicioso

Estuve aqui! Muy buenoooo, comi cachapas con queso, cervecita polar y unas arepitas de reinapepiada q nada tienen envidiarles a las q hago en casa! :0)

Absolutely my favorite place to eat in orlando hands down!!! Este sitio esta BRUTALLLLLL!!!
El pabellon criollo esta demasiado! El Qkenan Santa Barbara es lo que mi esposa ordena y le encanta.
Nosotros guiamos 45 min para comer aqui.
El jugo de palcha y china son delicioso. Las arepas y empanadas no ai palabras.
Nuestra vida a cambiado desde que consiguimos esta perla!

A pesar de su excelente comida, te cobran el tips por adelantado, si no cierras la factura te lo vuelven a cobrar… Doble tips

Excelente comida venezolana!!! Mi hijo loves los tequeños. Yo comi una muy decente cachapa y mi esposo 4 empanadas de todos los tipos. En las otras mesas se veian riquisimas las arepas y tb los desanuyos criollos.