“If you order a shredded beef empanada, it’s from scratch,” Ordonez said. “It’s not like we take it out of the freezer and we go and fry it. No. We just make it there. So, usually there’s a wait time. ... When you actually eat an empanada made from scratch, it’s something different.”
Arepa Xpress serves Venezuelan cuisine including its namesake, arepas, which are corn-dough patties stuffed with cheese, veggies or meat. Also on the menu are empanadas—fried stuffed corn patties—and patacon, which is a sandwich made with fried plantains. A top seller is the shredded beef empanada, Ordonez said.
“Our shredded beef is queen here,” she said. “Everybody loves it. It’s a must-have.”
Ordonez and her mother, Josefa Scott, purchased the location from its previous owners in September 2015. They revamped the restaurant’s branding and menu with the help of Scott’s sister. Arepa Xpress’ menu features family recipes, but they are always looking for ways to keep improving the food, Ordonez said.
“We try to cook our meat with a lot of vegetables,” Ordonez said. “Even if people don’t see the vegetables, they have a lot of vegetables. ... We try to make it healthy.”
The mother-daughter duo had never owned a restaurant before, but Ordonez said she always wanted to, and her mother loves to cook. Multiple family members work at the restaurant with them.
Back when they first bought the restaurant, Venezuelan cuisine was not very common in Spring, Ordonez said. Now, there is a larger Venezuelan community in the area who frequent Arepa Xpress. One challenge for the restaurant has been attracting customers who may not be familiar with Venezuelan food.
“Sometimes they don’t want to try it just because they think, ‘Oh, no, that’s gonna be bad’ or ‘I don’t know what they sell,’” she said.
Going forward, Ordonez said she hopes more locals will give their restaurant a chance.
“We have a lot of customers that really love our food, but still, I think we can get more support,” Ordonez said.
Arepa Xpress
4334 FM 2920, Ste. 170, Spring
713-389-5930
www.arepaxpress.com
Hours: Mon.-Thu. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
