Chellas Arepa Kitchen

It was our first time there and it was delicious. Such a cute little area, tucked away. Parking was a little interesting, but we got a spot. Everything was so delicious. I could drink the chimichurri and cilantro aioli. The person who helped us was very polite and patient as I couldn't decide what to order...so we tried a little of everything 😂 Was not disappointed. Definitely recommend.

I’ll preface this review by saying I am born and raised Venezuelan, moved to the US when I was 18 yo. After visiting Chella’s, I was thoroughly impressed with this quaint joint serving Venezuelan-inspired meals. I tried the Lomo Saltado Arepa (added plantain), the Pulled Pork Arepa (added avocado), and a Strip Steak Bowl. I was pleased with all the flavors, the meat seasonings, and the mild/spicy sauces. For people saying it’s not true Venezuelan: you are correct. However, they are not claiming to be 100% Venezuelan, rather Venezuelan-inspired with a Peruvian twist. For comparison, we don’t normally fill arepas with other starchy carbs, so a “true” Venezuelan Lomo Saltado arepa wouldn’t have the Yucca bites. Also, our traditional staple dish, Pabellon Criollo is essentially all the fillings in their Pulled Pork arepa, except with shredded beef instead of pulled pork. However all this said, I loved their take of Arepas! It does remind me a lot of homemade food. I am also glad people from Lancaster can experience this cuisine which is not easy to find in the US. For being such a small eatery, they’ve sure pulled a huge fan base. I was there for lunch on a Saturday, and then for Dinner. Sometimes parking is hard to come by in their lot. Don’t be discouraged by this! You can park at the bank in front of Chella’s and cross the street. I 100% recommend this place, and if you want to try a more authentic take on Venezuelan in Philadelphia, I recommend Autana in Ardmore and Puyero Venezuelan Flavor in Society Hill.