Food trucks are ever present in the city and very popular with people working in my office building. The popularity of these trucks has led to an oversaturation of mediocre and bland trucks so I am always on the lookout for quality options. As I was checking to see how Micky did in this year's 'Best of DC' I noticed that the Arepa Zone also won second place in the food truck category and made a mental note to check them out next time they popped up on Food Truck Fiesta.
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| Photo via Arepa Zone website |
I've never actually had an arepa and was excited to give them a chance, so when they stopped by last week I quickly made my way down to the street. The ordering system at this truck is friendly and efficient. In fact, orders were being turned around so fast that customers had not even started listening for their number by the time they were ready.
The menu is a little overwhelming with 17 choices of arepas and chacapas, but I was able to narrow it down and finally chose the Canosa, an arepa filled with shredded beef and queso fresco. Prices seemed very reasonable, but my coworkers and I were a little concerned that about the small size of our arepas when they arrived. One benefit to alleviate this concern was the side of watermelon that came alongside my order. The size is also a bit deceiving as the crispy grilled corn patty was very dense and stuffed with shredded beef and cheese. I loved the flavor of both the filling and the outer shell, the crispiness and seasoning was perfect.
In the end I would have preferred a slightly larger portion, but I tend to think that about most meals. The size is likely fine for those with normal sized appetites. Arepa Zone lived up to the hype and is a tasty lunch or snack option amongst a growing sea of food truck mediocrity.
Total Rating: 3.9
Food: 4, Price: 3.5, Service: 4.5, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5
