LANCASTER, Pa. — The City of Lancaster is hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration this weekend, which of course calls for some authentic cuisine.
Chellas Arepa Kitchen specializes in Latin dishes that are bursting with flavor. Grandma Chella inspired owners Diego and Luis Quiroz's love for cooking.
"She's the one who taught us how to make magic in the kitchen, have great conversations," Luis, owner and founder, said. "It's not just about the food. It's about expressing heritage through Chellas."
One of their favorite dishes is Lomo Arepa, which is similar to a flatbread and made with steak, tomatoes, onion, yuca and Grandpa Chellas' secret sauce.
"An arepa is a corn flour, gluten free bread from Colombia and Venezuela," Diego, owner and chef de cuisine, said. "Very popular in South America."
The restaurant was named no. 11 on Yelp's Top 100 US Restaurants 2023.
"We were so happy to be nationwide, you know, bring Lancaster to the map," Luis said.
"We were blessed by the community, really," Diego added. "This is not without the help of the community, so big thank you to everybody out there in Lancaster."
One of Chellas' other most popular dishes is their Pork Bowl, which is made with pork smoked in house for 12-14 hours until it falls off the bone.
Chellas Arepa Kitchen is currently based out of a permanent food truck, but it is soon expanding to a space on the 300 block of Queen Street in Lancaster.
"We're happy to be there," Luis said. "It's been a dream for us to have a brick and mortar forever."
Those who want to visit Chellas Arepa Kitchen before the brick and mortar location opens can find the food truck at 1830 Hempstead Rd. in Lancaster. The Kitchen is open on Tuesday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
