Arepa Lady

"It probably goes without saying, but at Arepa Lady in Jackson Heights—which started out as a neighborhood food cart in 1990—you should be eating arepas. There are a few different kinds, like the grilled and stuffed arepas rellena and the thinner, folded arepas de choclo. Both of those are solid choices, but be sure to get at least one arepa de queso. These are thick, fluffy, and filled with melted mozzarella (plus a meat of your choice)—and if you don’t order one, you might lie awake at night and wonder how you could have done things differently. Arepa Lady also has locations in Downtown Brooklyn and Astoria." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim

"It probably goes without saying, but at Arepa Lady, you should be eating arepas. There are a few different kinds, like the grilled and stuffed arepas rellena and the thinner, folded arepas de choclo. Both of those are solid choices, but be sure to get at least one arepa de queso. These are thick, fluffy, and filled with melted mozzarella, plus a meat of your choice. You can also add guacamole for a couple extra bucks. If you don’t order one, you might lie awake at night and wonder how you could have done things differently." - bryan kim, neha talreja, hannah albertine, carlo mantuano

"It probably goes without saying, but at Arepa Lady, you should be eating arepas. There are a few different kinds, like the grilled and stuffed arepas rellena and the thinner, folded arepas de choclo. Both of those are solid choices, but be sure to get at least one arepa de queso. These are thick, fluffy, and filled with melted mozzarella (plus a meat of your choice)—and if you don’t order one, you might lie awake at night and wonder how you could have done things differently. photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick" - Bryan Kim

"Arepa Lady started as a Colombian restaurant in Jackson Heights and has their third location in DeKalb Market Hall, where you can get an abbreviated version of their menu full of empanadas and arepas. They sell three different types of arepas, and our favorite is the arepa de rellena, which comes stuffed with gooey cheese and flavorful meats like chorizo or carne desmechada, and you can add guacamole for a couple extra bucks. The arepas won’t blow your mind, but they’re a tasty, filling lunch option, even though they’re a bit messy to eat at your desk." - Will Hartman

"Maria Piedad Cano, also known as the Arepa Lady, used to sell her fluffy Colombian corn cakes out of a cart in front of the Jackson Heights post office. These days, there are multiple branches and her family is running the show as fans still seek out her arepas filled with salty cheese, perfect for topping off with any number of sauces, from leche condensada (condensed milk) to green-tinged garlic." - Robert Sietsema