Arepa2Go - Luisana Martins Guanche, Glenmoor Academy

You can find it located in Southsea on Victorian Road. 

The Venezuelan staple ‘arepa’ being the subject of the restaurant’s name, you might be wondering what an arepa is. Well, if you have never tried Venezuelan food, fear not! This article will provide you with everything you need to know and details of the perfect restaurant to go to, to quench your upcoming cravings.  

From the family, I decided to interview the kind-hearted Alejandro de Carlo.

“The name Arepa2go was a deliberate mixture of English and Spanish, to maintain our identity and roots through the name” 

Clever, right!?  

As well as that, the ‘2Go’ part of their short and snappy name provides us with the knowledge that it’s fast food. Personally, I felt that the food came so quickly, there was no time between me finishing my order and taking the first bite.  

“We moved to England in 2012 from Caracas (the capital of Venezuela) but we have been 100% inspired from the places we used to eat.” 

All their recipes have been inspired by dishes they miss, which gives each dish its authentic taste.  

“Since we couldn’t find any places like the ones we miss, we decided to do it ourselves” 

As Arepa2Go is the only restaurant providing Portsmouth with homemade, yet fast to plate Venezuelan classics, we are fortunate enough to have the talented and hardworking De Carlo family who decided to bring Venezuela with them for everyone in the local area to enjoy! 

“Though we have other dishes on the menu, our arepas continue to be the most popular”, Alejandro exclaims. 

 “Especially to non-latinos because the arepa is like a sandwich and we’ve got a variety of different fillings to match everyone’s cravings. However, the menu is only a quarter of everything we’re able to cook. We love experimenting with cooking and the creativity of the whole concept has really developed our artistic side.” 

So stay on your toes for any upcoming additions to their menu! 

But really, Arepa2Go has an extensive menu of unique dishes and whilst you could probably find a burger or hotdog restaurant anywhere, arepas are a rare gem.  

“We wanted to do something original to stand out. It’s still the best decision we took”, he says playfully. 

The Venezuelan dishes they make consists of: arepas (obviously), empanadas, and tequeños.  

Don’t know what they are? No problem.  

Arepas are round, stuffed, cornmeal cakes which have the perfect balance of being crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. And the best part is... These can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Their menu ranges from fillings of chicken and advocado, to black beans and plantain.  

Empanadas are a South American fried pastry, on the menu there is an option of beef or cheese. 

And lastly, tequeños are Venezuelan cheese sticks but instead of mozzarella it’s an irresistible ‘queso blanco’ and instead of breadcrumb it’s a crunchy pastry-like shell. All these elements working together provide multiple different textures in a single bite. 

As well as Venezuelan meals, they have the iconic Frescolita drink on the menu.  

This is a Venezuelan fizzy drink with a taste like no other. And if fizzy drinks aren’t your thing, they have a selection of refreshing juices, all of which make the perfect pair to whatever meal you decide to eat. The wide range of juices includes more uncommon ones like passion fruit and guava, making their menu even more unique.  

As someone who lives in Bournemouth, my parents and I travelled over an hour for a taste of Venezuela at Arepa2Go. And it’s safe to say it took my parents back; we felt at home. Therefore, because of their distinctive menu, they were identified quickly in the Portsmouth community and are valued greatly.  

So I could say that Venezuela is home to the most flavoursome dishes, though I’d be a biased view having been born in Venezuela, but instead I will show you how many have come to agree.  

“Over 65% of our customers are non-latinos", Alejandro states. 

Evident through the success of Arepa2Go, the community has received the restaurant with open arms.  

But with every success, there’s a beginning: 

“Our family is Italian so the kitchen has always reigned. When I was a teenager, my mum taught me how to make homemade food, whilst my dad had been an international student in the US, so he introduced me to all the different fast-food chains, so i’ve always been passionate about fast-food as well as homemade food.” 

Which really is the best of both worlds! 

“Not only was I influenced by my Italian roots, but growing up Venezuelan, all the gatherings would end up in the kitchen”, he says jokingly. 

The hard-working family commenced in 2015, when it all began with a pitch from the city council. From a gazebo on the street to having their own establishment, their resilience is admirable. 

For some time, you could find them at the Outside-In Food Court in Southsea, where they were becoming more well-known. However, now they have had their own place since March. 

“By having our own place, it means we now have full control of the music and decoration. This way, we can create the complete home away from home atmosphere, through the Latin-American culture.” 

But even if you’re not Venezuelan, you will feel at home with the warm and friendly staff. From the moment we walked in, they were very outgoing and talkative.  

“We encourage the customers in a way so that when they travel to other Spanish-speaking countries, they can try to ask for their food in Spanish. So they are welcome to practice with us.” 

They authentically create a connection with their customers and everything they had to say was absolutely fascinating, hence my impulse to write this article! 

“The community likes the tight-knitted feel of a restaurant being run by a family; they really appreciate traditional restaurants.” 

“Because it’s a family business we have a good grasp on trust and respect, so it’s great because we are close and even at work, we get to spend time together; it keeps us all united but at the same time, we love a challenge between us which keeps us concentrated and focused.” 

I was taken aback when I first entered the place.  

“We ensure that the place looks minimalistic and clean which reflects the quality in which we handle our food” 

For the decoration, they use the vibrant and welcoming colours red, blue and yellow, which, if you know your geography, you would know is the colour palette of the Venezuelan flag! 

Although the decision to make most of the decoration red wasn’t because it’s my favourite colour, it was in fact because they did research which revealed that red is a more active colour and attractive in restaurants. Their investigation behind even the colour palette goes to show their dedication to creating the specific atmosphere for the place. 

“The decoration of the place was a cultural project for us. My mum is an artist so we must all have it in our blood, we just needed something to ignite it. So, we did quite a lot by hand. We spent those 2 months of pure decorating, exploring our creativity.” 

Their two murals on the wall, made by a local artist, are worthy for a spot on your Instagram feed. 

“We always knew that we wanted the writing on the wall to be a mixture of Spanish and English. The ‘Hola Southsea’ was to let people know that we were now officially here, with our own business” 

Additionally, the red colour palette of the decoration matches their red uniform. It harmoniously brings a sense of unity by tying everything all together, down to the last detail. And to really emphasise the Venezuelan feel of it all, the women of the staff wear a similar headscarf to the iconic woman in the ‘harina PAN’ (a flour brand used to make arepas) logo.  

“The music... The food... We’re very proud of where we come from, being Venezuelan, the Latin-American culture is like no other.” 

Arepa2Go also does takeaway delivery through UberEats. 

“it’s amazing because you appear on a site next to big successful brands like McDonalds, which is quite an honour”.  

Talking to the staff, I could tell they are very grateful for everything, the family as a whole has a very positive energy which shows they are passionate about what they do. 

“We stay inspired knowing that there are good days and there are bad days. But the bad days always pass, and better ones come. There is a lot of sacrifice behind these businesses and with it a whole lot of heart as well. Having this place has involved us in the community, which has led to friendships with like-minded, hard-working people. We put love into everything we do and grow as people every day.” 

By coming from a different country, it takes a lot of patience and perseverance to see results and for that, I admire the team at Arepa2Go and am happy to be able to share their story. 

So how can you stay in touch with their updates? 

Their social media is controlled by Alejandro’s wife Mariana – another member of the lovable Arepa2Go team – with a speciality in marketing strategies.  

Check out their visually pleasing Instagram account at @arepa2go. You can also find them on Facebook under the same username.