Almost hidden behind the large shopping center complex abutting Fowler Avenue you'll find some of the best local cuisine that the temple terrace area has to offer. Pita is another form of a sandwich that allows for more space to compress Multiple delicious ingredients into a portable vessel of food towards, the mouth, and the quality of these ingredients has never been higher at Are Pitas. One of my favorite menu items is the Venezuelan pita which, in addition to a delicious medley of rice, beans, and meat of your choice is one of my favorite ingredients ever to be found inside of a pita wrap, which is fried sweet plantains. Natural savory flavor of the majority of the Venezuelan cuisine is beautifully married with the sweet of the freshly fried plantains, all of which are wrapped together in a warm freshpita. The inside of the establishment is not too much to write home about, and sometimes, the wait can be a little extended however I have found some of these features to be indicative of the best hidden gems of all culinary delight. I have returned many times to explore many new menu options, but the Venezuelan pita still remains my favorite and it is always served up with a smile, feeling as if I'm sitting inside the home of the owner.
I've been there couple times trying the empanadas , pabellón , tequenos etcc . but I went on Friday to eat shawarma and was horrible . they used like a boil chicken not even the grill chicken that the shawarma normally has . that was not a shawarma that was like a chicken burrito . I don't know if it's usu like that or just because it was Friday . hopefully you guys can do the shawarma as good as the empanadas
Efrain Jimenez
I was pleasantly surprised, the cheese was delicious, the arepa very soft and both the meat and the banana had a very good flavor
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patsy Vela
Delicious arepas, they come with plenty of filling, we loved it, first time we went and we would return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Reina, Queso, Arepa Cabimera
רועי פרץ
Very good food is clean and yummy yummy the employees are polite and good attitude and the food is very good quality
Jack Gillispie
Wonderful food and friendly staff - would recommend to anyone who hasn't been or had this sort of cuisine before.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pabellon Plate, Falafel Pita, Green Sauce, Arepitas
lesly mato
Excellent food, compared to other Venezuelan places I have been to, this one in Arepitas, the food is not only delicious but also abundant, the empanadas are large, and the queen pepiada is large and super filling; Also something that I did not love was the kind attention of all its employees, especially its owner, we will definitely return
Recommended dishes: Empanda de Queso, Desayuno Criollo
Sashi Rudramaina
Very nice and tasty food. Outdoor seating available. Kid friendly. Very courteous and friendly staff. USF Students get 10% off on Mondays and Fridays.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maria Eugenia Salas
The cachapa and the queen pepiada are world-class!!
(March 2024) UPDATE: I brought another group to BG today and decided to see if anything had changed (10 months ago I wrote my last review).Well it hadn't, the Mgr came out took my order and money then went back to her office, after waiting for someone to make my meal I went to her office where she was talking with another employee and when I asked when was someone going to make my meal, 1 employee got an attitude with me and asked if I ordered yet, I replied well course, I ordered. Then the Mgr (female) came out, went in the back, and got a few ppl to make our meals.The food was bland, I only ate half and only because there were not many places where I could go with a bus (I was hungry). The soda/ice tasted horrible they did give me a canned soda.IDK why this place has changed for the worse, but I will no longer come back.I tried it again almost a year later (I was actually hoping it was under new management, but it wasn't).(May 2023) Today is my last time coming here.For the last 20+ years that I've been bringing groups to Busch Gardens for the day I ALWAYS come here for lunch (it has changed ownership a few times in 20 years) but the food has always remained DELICIOUS.Today, almost EVERYTHING was HORRIBLE!!1. The young lady behind the counter was very nice & made my food (she did keep my change without asking - it wasn't much, so I let it slide).2. The food was HORRIBLE! The lamb was dry & hard, the salad was not good, but the Hummus was ok.3. There was an employee sitting near the Soda machine on her phone, not a big deal except when she started face timing someone, she put it on speakerphone & had the LOUDEST conversation ever! I looked over at her a few times, but she only got louder. Needless to say, I was done at that point.4. When I brought it up to the young lady behind the counter, all she did was shrug her shoulders.Then, as I was leaving, the lady on the phone then proceeded to come outside where I was, to continue having her LOUD a$$ conversation (like she was taunting me).I just walked away. Smh.VERY UNPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Heidi B
First time we came to the place, we liked it a lot, the shredded meat and cheese empanadas were very delicious, I recommend them.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Samir Luzardo
I came to Tampa for work, I saw the site on Google and it seemed good to me, I don't regret it, I eat extremely well... thank you and I recommend it ? %
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Trisch Ingersoll
They cancelled my order for no reason, they are open and I called to ask why they cancelled my order and no spoke English or Arabic, only Spanish, they barely tried to answer me, what they did say was gibberish, I never got an answer why they cancelled my order and they hung up on me. They are not Lebanese, they’re Spanish and they’re rude. ????????
Service: 1
Mavericks Field House
I recently tried the dishes from Are-Pita, and I must say, it was an absolute delight! The food was not only delicious but also incredibly authentic. Each bite transported me, making me feel like I was savoring a truly homemade meal. Highly recommended for anyone craving genuine flavors and a cozy dining experience!
Almost hidden behind the large shopping center complex abutting Fowler Avenue you'll find some of the best local cuisine that the temple terrace area has to offer. Pita is another form of a sandwich that allows for more space to compress Multiple delicious ingredients into a portable vessel of food towards, the mouth, and the quality of these ingredients has never been higher at Are Pitas. One of my favorite menu items is the Venezuelan pita which, in addition to a delicious medley of rice, beans, and meat of your choice is one of my favorite ingredients ever to be found inside of a pita wrap, which is fried sweet plantains. Natural savory flavor of the majority of the Venezuelan cuisine is beautifully married with the sweet of the freshly fried plantains, all of which are wrapped together in a warm freshpita. The inside of the establishment is not too much to write home about, and sometimes, the wait can be a little extended however I have found some of these features to be indicative of the best hidden gems of all culinary delight. I have returned many times to explore many new menu options, but the Venezuelan pita still remains my favorite and it is always served up with a smile, feeling as if I'm sitting inside the home of the owner.
Amazing food Wow delicious ? I'm definitely coming back.
I've been there couple times trying the empanadas , pabellón , tequenos etcc . but I went on Friday to eat shawarma and was horrible . they used like a boil chicken not even the grill chicken that the shawarma normally has . that was not a shawarma that was like a chicken burrito . I don't know if it's usu like that or just because it was Friday . hopefully you guys can do the shawarma as good as the empanadas
I was pleasantly surprised, the cheese was delicious, the arepa very soft and both the meat and the banana had a very good flavor
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious arepas, they come with plenty of filling, we loved it, first time we went and we would return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Reina, Queso, Arepa Cabimera
Very good food is clean and yummy yummy the employees are polite and good attitude and the food is very good quality
Wonderful food and friendly staff - would recommend to anyone who hasn't been or had this sort of cuisine before.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pabellon Plate, Falafel Pita, Green Sauce, Arepitas
Excellent food, compared to other Venezuelan places I have been to, this one in Arepitas, the food is not only delicious but also abundant, the empanadas are large, and the queen pepiada is large and super filling; Also something that I did not love was the kind attention of all its employees, especially its owner, we will definitely return
Recommended dishes: Empanda de Queso, Desayuno Criollo
Very nice and tasty food. Outdoor seating available. Kid friendly. Very courteous and friendly staff. USF Students get 10% off on Mondays and Fridays.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The cachapa and the queen pepiada are world-class!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
(March 2024) UPDATE: I brought another group to BG today and decided to see if anything had changed (10 months ago I wrote my last review).Well it hadn't, the Mgr came out took my order and money then went back to her office, after waiting for someone to make my meal I went to her office where she was talking with another employee and when I asked when was someone going to make my meal, 1 employee got an attitude with me and asked if I ordered yet, I replied well course, I ordered. Then the Mgr (female) came out, went in the back, and got a few ppl to make our meals.The food was bland, I only ate half and only because there were not many places where I could go with a bus (I was hungry). The soda/ice tasted horrible they did give me a canned soda.IDK why this place has changed for the worse, but I will no longer come back.I tried it again almost a year later (I was actually hoping it was under new management, but it wasn't).(May 2023) Today is my last time coming here.For the last 20+ years that I've been bringing groups to Busch Gardens for the day I ALWAYS come here for lunch (it has changed ownership a few times in 20 years) but the food has always remained DELICIOUS.Today, almost EVERYTHING was HORRIBLE!!1. The young lady behind the counter was very nice & made my food (she did keep my change without asking - it wasn't much, so I let it slide).2. The food was HORRIBLE! The lamb was dry & hard, the salad was not good, but the Hummus was ok.3. There was an employee sitting near the Soda machine on her phone, not a big deal except when she started face timing someone, she put it on speakerphone & had the LOUDEST conversation ever! I looked over at her a few times, but she only got louder. Needless to say, I was done at that point.4. When I brought it up to the young lady behind the counter, all she did was shrug her shoulders.Then, as I was leaving, the lady on the phone then proceeded to come outside where I was, to continue having her LOUD a$$ conversation (like she was taunting me).I just walked away. Smh.VERY UNPROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEES!!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
First time we came to the place, we liked it a lot, the shredded meat and cheese empanadas were very delicious, I recommend them.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I came to Tampa for work, I saw the site on Google and it seemed good to me, I don't regret it, I eat extremely well... thank you and I recommend it ? %
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
They cancelled my order for no reason, they are open and I called to ask why they cancelled my order and no spoke English or Arabic, only Spanish, they barely tried to answer me, what they did say was gibberish, I never got an answer why they cancelled my order and they hung up on me. They are not Lebanese, they’re Spanish and they’re rude. ????????
Service: 1
I recently tried the dishes from Are-Pita, and I must say, it was an absolute delight! The food was not only delicious but also incredibly authentic. Each bite transported me, making me feel like I was savoring a truly homemade meal. Highly recommended for anyone craving genuine flavors and a cozy dining experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Venezuelan Pita, Black Beans