Michele L.
Yelp
I have never had Arepas before, so I never knew what I was missing out on until today. On the other hand, my partner has tried Arepas a few times before, but ultimately, Macondo's Arepas has topped all the other Arepas he has tried. Guess I got pretty lucky landing Macondo as my introduction to Colombian food! I came across Macondo randomly when searching up for a place to eat around Alameda. We came on a Friday night, around 7PM, to find out that it's a made-to-order and takeout only. Inside is basically just a counter for taking orders, some cute decor, and a few chairs laid out for customers waiting on their orders. I probably should have researched this part a little better, but oh well, didn't mind too much!
Parking was fairly easy to find if you turn off from the main street, Webster. I visited the area last week as well and parking is relatively easy to find.
We asked the lady manning the counter what her favorites were, and she suggested Quesabirria, Banh Mi, Pull Pork, and Venezuelan Arepas. I believe she also mentioned the Mushroom Empanada, which was perfect because I knew I wanted that! I ended up choosing the combo that comes with 1 Arepas, 1 Empanada, 1 salad, and a drink. I went with the Venezuelan Arepas and she informed me that that particular one comes at room temperature. Also, the Mushroom Empanada, the Macondo Salad and Blackberry fruit juice. My partner opted for the 2 Arepas combo that comes with a side and drink. As the kitchen seemed to be only handled by the counterperson and 1 other in the back, it took ~10 mins for our order to be ready.
We ended up taking our order home to enjoy and throughout the whole way, we can smell how mouthwateringly delicious it was, haha. My blackberry drink was pretty sweet, but tasted like real juiced blackberry. Thicker in consistency than normal store-bought juice. It was pretty good, but I think I liked my partner's mango juice more, haha. The Macondo Salad was pretty decent in size for a side! It's tangy, fresh, and had a variety of texture to the bites. I'd definitely get that salad again the next time I go for a combo. Next, my Mushroom Empanada! I may be biased because I love mushrooms and this was a yummy empanada. Crispy on the outside, but flavorful and hot on the inside. There's quite a few variety of veggies mixed in, but they all blend well together! Lastly, the Venezuelan Arepas! I can only describe this as something similar to a pita pocket, but the outer layer is a bit gritty (like an English Muffin) and has a bit of chewiness to it. The inside was stuffed with chicken breast, finely stuffed cilantro, and supposedly some avocado, but I'm not sure I got much avocado in mine. I'd imagine it being a really good mix though if more was added. The chicken breast wasn't particularly dry, but not particularly moist either, it was good. The cilantro added a bit of a refreshing aspect to it. Everything combined together was great. My partner's Arepas was much more flavorful and juicy! Maybe I didn't get the best option for me, but I enjoyed it!
Next time, I think I'll try the Banh Mi or Maite. I was a bit skeptical about the Banh Mi, but it seems to be a pretty popular menu item amongst the Yelpers. Service is informative and friendly! Definitely coming back for sure!