By Hayden Rollison

The menu at Bocata Arepa Bar. Photo credit: Hayden Rollison.

A taste of Venezuela, Colombia, and other South American countries can be found at Bocata Arepa Bar in Innsbrook. In March 2020, Bocata Arepa Bar opened to the public as Richmond’s first dedicated areperia restaurant. Mainly focusing on arepas, Bocata Arepa Bar also sells a variety of other South American food, like empanadas.

An arepa is a mix between a pita pocket and a biscuit sandwich made with cornmeal. People enjoy a variety of meats, vegetables, beans, plantains, eggs, cheese, and other things with arepas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Located in the Innsbrook area, Bocata Arepa Bar is a part of a strip mall called Lexington Commons Shopping Center, which includes other restaurants and small businesses. Although the outside is not as inviting, the inside is appealing with its simple, modern style. Inside the restaurant, there is an open-kitchen style with about 15 tables. Although the walls were brightly colored, there were no paintings hung from the walls, leaving the room naked. The vibrant vibe of the interior was enhanced by the upbeat Latino music that was playing on repeat.  

The first thing to order at the Bocata Arepa Bar were the drinks. While my dad and I ordered water, my mom hit the jackpot with the café con leche. The café con leche, coffee and milk, came out in a tin coffee cup with a pleasant design on the top. Although it was pretty small, the café con leche was perfectly warm and tasty. On the other hand, the water and soft drinks were served in plastic bottles. Bottled drinks are typically more expensive, and they don’t include refills. The restaurant also had a limited selection of soft drink products. 

Starting with an appetizer, my family tried the “yuca frita,” which is what I compared to a South American version of potato wedges. With very little taste, I was not satisfied with the six-dollar appetizer. The yuca frita was not the go-to appetizer like the Tequeños and Arepitas, which are apparently the locals’ favorites. Being a smaller restaurant, Bocata had two servers for the entire restaurant who were both welcoming and knowledgeable of the menu. 

Bocata Arepa Bar makes its money with its main dish: arepas, sandwiches, and entrees.  The arepas are priced at seven, eight, or nine dollars, with special sandwiches that are a little more expensive. My family ordered four different entrees to try: the “llanera” arepa ($9), the “patacon” sandwich ($14), the “pepito” sandwich ($14), and the “pabellon” bowl ($16).

The “llanera” arepa consists of steak, cheese, avocado, and tomato. Having a harder outer shell and a softer inner shell, the “llanera” arepa mixed well between the steak and avocado. It was delicious!

The “patacon.” Photo credit: Hayden Rollison.

The waitress recommended the “patacon,” as it consisted of a fried plantain that replaced the cornmeal biscuit.  I recommend a “patacon” for someone who wants a deep dive into Venezuelan culture. Adding a sweet plantain to the mix of shredded beef and chicken was the perfect combination. This sandwich is a larger portion compared to the original arepa. 

The “pepito.” Photo credit: Hayden Rollison.

The pepito was the last sandwich we ordered, and it reminded me of a sandwich you buy from a streetside vendor in New York. The “pepito” is where I tasted the true Venezuelan street food vibes. Loaded with chicken and potato sticks, the “pepito” looked like a greasy Philly-cheese steak with a South American twist. Although a big mess, the “pepito” is highly recommended. 

The “pabellon bowl.” Photo credit: Hayden Rollison.

My favorite main dish was the “pabellon” bowl. The “pabellon” also comes in an arepa, but my family wanted to test out the entrees as well. The shredded beef had a sweeter taste to it, which combined perfectly with the rice and beans. The plantains that were included carried the plate’s distinct South American taste. As it was served in a cast-iron skillet, I could tell that the “pabellon” was going to be my favorite main dish.

For the final dish of our three-course meal, we chose Bocata Arepa’s homemade churros with hot caramel sauce smothered over top. Being an avid fan of Costco’s churros, Bocata Arepa’s homemade churros did not meet my expectations. The amount of caramel poured on top overshadowed the taste of the churros. Unlike my expectations of a long, round churro, Bocata Arepa’s churros were smaller, only about four inches long and half an inch in diameter. I was convinced that I needed more than one.

Homemade churros. Photo credit: Instagram @bocataarepabar.

Overall, the five-star review on Yelp, the four-point nine-star review on Restaurantji, and the four-point three-star rating on seamless are slightly overrated compared to my four-out-of-five-star rating of the restaurant. The service was welcoming, and the main dishes outweighed the bottled drinks, but I think that Bocata Arepa Bar is still working the new restaurant kinks out. The prices were also more expensive than I had hoped, especially without serving refillable soft drinks and free water. I enjoyed the open-kitchen concept and thought it fit perfectly with the upbeat South American vibe. Although it wasn’t worth five stars to me, I will definitely go back to enjoy a taste of South America. 

Featured image: Outside of Bocata Arepa Bar via Instagram @bocataarepabar.