Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on December 11, 2024.
Disclaimer: Our site uses demographic data, email opt-ins, display advertising, and affiliate links. Please check out our Terms and Conditions. Pricing, operating hours, or menus may have changed since our initial visit and may not be reflected in subsequent updates. Please confirm these directly with any business or attraction prior to visiting.
Arepittas on Cherry Way in downtown Pittsburgh is one of those blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of spots.
Part of this is because it is on a less frequented stretch of downtown Pittsburgh outright, but the main reason is that it is tucked on the first level of a large parking garage. So much so that it feels almost like it is inside the garage properly.
So when we drove down this road and saw the small Venezuelan street food restaurant, we had to do a double take. But after hearing many glowing reviews from others who have visited before us, we knew we had to get in right away.
To put it bluntly- Arepittas may be the best cheap eats in downtown Pittsburgh.
Join our Facebook groups Things to Do in Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Photography for more local content!
Go for the Venezuelan Arepas at Arepittas
While our main goal in visiting Arepittas was to, naturally, eat arepas, we'd be remiss if we did not start this one off by noting that they offer a full menu of Venezuelan street foods. Think the likes of arepas, empanadas, taquenos, cachapas, yuca fritas, tostones, tacos, and so much more.
It is the kind of place where you'll need to visit at least four or five times to try every side of the menu out once, and then double that to try all the variety within every category. Their menu is that impressively long.
Of course, for our first visit, we had to try arepas and went with an order of Pabellon and Choriqueso, plus a Cachapas to split as we are suckers for this delightful dish.
• Traveling to Pittsburgh soon? Find a flight deal.
• In need of a room? Check out hotel and apartment prices.
• Don't overlook picking up a rental car or day tours as well!
Cachapas is a sweet corn pancake stuffed with cheese and typically offers a nice sweet/savory balance with a prominent punch of the corn to round things out. While we have had Cachapas at many restaurants all over the city, Arepitta's Cachapas was roughly the size of an arepa, making it the perfect size to split as a small starter, with an ample block of gooey-yet-firm cheese in the middle. What's not to like?
On the arepa front, we almost always order a Pabellon wherever we go, as the balance of shredded beef, black beans, and sweet plantains is a flavor combination that is just hard to beat. Much like the Cachapas, you get a light sweetness balanced with the robust and flavorful meat, and was so flavorful that we didn't really even need to add any extra sauces on the side.
The Choriqueso arepa was a bit of an unusual one to order for us, but as we love choriqueso in all forms, we had to give it a go. This one had delightfully spicy sausage topped with grated cheese that ended up being as sloppy and messy as it was delicious (in all the best ways possible, of course).
The best part about this entire meal at Arepittas was, beyond the flavor at least, the price. We really had to do a double take at just how reasonable every item on the menu was, with our entire meal costing us the same as a single entree at other restaurants nearby. Throw on that it was fast, filling, and, of course, delicious, and we could easily argue that Arepittas is the best spot downtown for a fast, cheap meal- and it may not even be close.
Still, the only downside we had from our visit was that our first order was such a small sampling of the menu. Even within the massive spread of arepas on offer, we only got a taste. But there is one solution for this we are fully prepared to try- return for more again and again.
So when we say we really need 10 or so visits to Arepittas to work our way through the menu, we really do mean it here.
Arepittas is located at 412-428 Cherry Way in downtown Pittsburgh.
