I first heard about this place while searching for a list of Venezuelan Restaurants in south Florida using Foursquare (check out my list here). Someone had posted a picture of their ‘Pabellón Criollo‘ and it made my mouth water, so I added this place to my list of Venezuelan Restaurants to visit and review for this blog. Unfortunately, when I researched more about this place, I noticed their hours were only Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. I gave up on ever visiting this place, because I am at work during those hours and they are a bit far away from me.
One day I was released from work early, and it just so happened to be Venezuela’s Independence Day (July 5th), so I came home and demanded that my husband take me to eat an Arepa on such an important day. We drove about 30 minutes (from Hollywood, FL) to the restaurant. At first, I was just hoping I wouldn’t be disappointed, because I really wanted to eat an Arepa on our Independence Day, sort of to celebrate. The place is a bit hard to find, and we almost missed it. The surrounding area is a bit industrial and the location is not ideal for a restaurant. My husband was skeptic, but I was determined to try this place and give it a chance.
Once inside I definitely felt like I was at an ‘arepera’ (place where they sell arepas) or ‘panadería’ (bakery) in Venezuela. Everyone speaking in spanish, using Venezuelan slang words, the coffee machine noises in the background, the smell of arepas on the stove, the soccer game on the TV, the Venezuelan photos on the wall. It felt great, but this might be because I am Venezuelan. I could see how anyone else would be annoyed by the loud spanish speaking, and friendliness, so let’s get something clear here; this isn’t your fancy-schmancy-starbucks-competing sandwich/coffee shop, this is an AREPERA! It is quite small and it can get a bit too crowded and loud in the blink of an eye. But in my opinion, the drive, the loudness and the crowded space are all worth it.
Their menu is more of a ‘café’ kind of menu, with breakfast, soups, burgers, panini, wraps and salads. But they do have a ‘specials’ board and big lunch items to fill you up if you are starving. They have a second menu, which is the Arepa menu, and since that is what I wanted, I completely ignored the main menu. They have 30+ different arepas to choose from, so I took me a while to decide.
My husband wasn’t even hungry, but I wanted to sample at least two different arepas, so I suggested that he order “La Reina” (Shredded Chicken Salad, Avocado, Cilantro), because it would be on the lighter side. I ordered the “Cremosa” (Roasted Pork, Guayanes Cheese, Avocado). One thing I loved about their arepa menu is that you can add anything you want to your arepa, like Avocado, Sweet Plantain, Guayanes or Gouda cheese, White or Swiss cheese, Ham, Turkey, Bacon or Egg, and even Steak. I decided to add sweet plantains to my arepa. Of course we also ordered “un con leche” (coffee with milk).
**I have to apologize here, because the arepas looked so delicious and I was so hungry and excited, that I completely forgot to take a picture of our arepas that time around.
My ‘Cremosa’ was amazing. I took one bite and was in love. The pork was seasoned to perfection with all kinds of different ingredients that made it juicy and saucy. I tasted honey and citrus in the mix. The Guayanes Cheese was super fresh and it balanced the whole thing out. The avocados fresh as well (but you will never hear me say anything bad about avocados). And my addition of the plantain complemented the sweetness in the pork perfectly. My husband’s ‘Reina’ was really light, and fresh. The chicken salad was delicious and you could taste the cilantro was really fresh as well.
When it came time to switch out plates so I could sample the Reina, and my husband could sample the Cremosa, I realized I wouldn’t be getting mine back. My husband wasn’t even hungry and he ate almost all my arepa. It was that good.
After we basically inhaled the arepas, we sat around and the owner and cook Andy Mostert greeted us in a very friendly and polite manner, and told us a bit about himself. He graduated from a private and respected university in Caracas, and he came to the US like most Venezuelans do to follow their dreams. He ended up taking cooking classes and working in restaurants until finally deciding to open up his own.
I had a chance to visit Eats Good 33 for a second because I was released from work early. This time I only had one arepa, the arepa “Gustavo” (Asado Negro, Guayanes, Avocado). The Asado Negro, which is one of my favorite dishes that my grandmother prepares was delicious, almost as good as hers. Asado Negro is a slow-cooked round beef in a very dark and delicious wine based sauce. As before, the cheese and avocado were very fresh.
Eats Good 33 Arepa Gustavo: Asado Negro, Guayanes, Avocado + Plantains
When I was there that second time I noticed they had a sign that read that they are now open on Saturdays from 9:30am to 1:30 pm, which was the best news ever! So of course I went yet a third time on a Saturday. My husband asked for the same ‘Cremosa’ from our first time there, with added plantains. And I continue on my goal to try all of their arepas, so I ordered “La Pelúa” (Shredded Beef, Gouda Cheese). I really should stop adding things to their arepas and just have them the way you are supposed to have them, but I couldn’t resist and I added avocado and sweet plantains to it. The shredded beef was delicious. I am usually disappointed with shredded beef here in the US, because most places cook it the cuban way (Ropa Vieja), but I was pleased that this didn’t taste like “Ropa Vieja”, it actually tasted like “Carne Mechada”. So, please don’t come to a Venezuelan restaurant and expect things to taste like you are at a Cuban, or Colombian, or Mexican place, because it is a different culture, and although it might just mean “Shredded Beef” to you, it is cooked, seasoned and prepared differently in every latin country. **I have to apologize again, I was so eager to eat my arepa that I forgot to take a picture before I took a bite, so this one is after a couple of bites.
Eats Good 33 Arepa Pelúa: Shredded Beef, Gouda Cheese + Plantains & Avocadoa
We also took some “Marquesa de Chocolate” to go, this is a Venezuelan dessert made with layers of cookies and chocolate. It was very good, but I think that the chocolate used was dark chocolate, and I have always had Marquesa de Chocolate with Milk Chocolate, so it was a bit too strong and chocolaty for me. This is a lot coming from me, because I could eat an entire jar of Nutella and I wouldn’t feel “sickly sweet” or “Empalagada”, but with this version of the marquesa I did have to stop eating it half way through and I thought it was too rich for me.
Eats Good 33 Marquesa De Chocolate
Overall I really recommend this place if you happen to be in the area around lunch time or after lunch, or Saturday for brunch. I have only sampled the Arepas, but I honestly recommend them. They serve authentic Venezuelan food.
The Details:
Address: 6882 NW 20th Ave Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309
Phone: 954.956.4480
Website: http://www.eatsgood33.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EatsGood33
Menu: http://www.eatsgood33.com/menu
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm & Saturdays from 9:30am to 1:30 pm.
Categories: American (New) | Breakfast | Latin American | Vegan | Vegetarian | Venezuelan
Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/eats-good-33-fort-lauderdale
Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/v/eats-good-33-fort-lauderdale-fl/4ca9df0976d3a09368c8236b?ref=atw
Venezuelan Cooking 