Every U.S. state has at least one great hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and Michigan's is El Rey de las Arepas. Located in Southwest Detroit, this family-owned restaurant is a relative newcomer among eateries that sell classic Detroit foods like Coney dogs and corned beef egg rolls. Fortunately, this restaurant stands out thanks to its arepas, the food that helped its founders connect with locals after first arriving from Venezuela in the '90s. Speaking to El Central Hispanic News in 2023, owner Jose Gutierrez stated, "We didn't know anyone when we arrived. We slowly started making friends, got invited to potlucks, and noticed that everyone would eat my wife's arepas before all the other food." Inspired, the Gutierrez family opened El Rey de las Arepas, and word of mouth soon made it a hotspot.

El Rey's specialty is, of course, arepas: small, round flatbreads made from ground corn meal and stuffed with a variety of fillings. The restaurant offers arepas for around $8.50 each with your choice of protein, though you can also get them with just cheese.

While El Rey de las Arepas arguably serves the best arepas in the state of Michigan, it has another specialty: pabellón criollo, Venezuela's national dish that pairs shredded beef with rice, black beans, and fried plantains. In addition to Venezuelan foods, El Rey patrons can sample Colombian fare like bandeja paisa, a combination of rice, fried egg, red beans, plantains, and various meats like chorizo and pork.

El Rey de las Arepas has a loyal Detroit following

El Rey de las Arepas maintains a relatively small, humble storefront on McGraw Avenue that often gets crowded. According to one Yelp review, "The front and inside facade of this restaurant is unassuming – but I promise you the arepas are not." Other reviewers praise the fresh arepas as "crispy on the outside" with a soft interior and a pleasant, semi-sweet flavor. Folks also love the beans and rice, which one Yelper called "perfectly cooked."

While you obviously have to try the arepas if you stop by El Rey, the menu offers other Venezuelan foods worth sampling. One patron wrote on Reddit that the restaurant's best food comes from Maracaibo, a major city in Venezuela. They recommended trying the tequeños, K-rod (patacón), and a glass of papelón con limón to wash it down, adding "Make sure to get the sauces too."

El Rey de las Arepas' popularity has only grown thanks to high-profile partnerships and national media coverage. The restaurant caught the attention of Detroit Tigers player and Venezuelan native Miguel Cabrera. In 2023, to honor Cabrera's retirement, the Tigers partnered with Pepsi to host El Rey de las Arepas pop-ups near Comerica Park. El Rey de Las Arepas has even received news coverage for its hallacas, a Venezuelan version of tamales made from corn dough and boiled in plantain leaves.