Here’s a perfect example of the variety of food choices in suburban Atlanta. Las Arepas de Julia, a Colombian restaurant, sits next to a Subway in a small shopping center on a section of U.S. 29 in Lilburn, where you’ll find restaurants offering food from around the world.
Las Arepas de Julia, owned by Julia Cardona, represents South America well with an impressive array of the corn cake sandwichlike dishes and a chatty staff.
Come for the food
There are a few tables and seating at stools around the L-shaped counter. A Spanish-language soap opera blares from a small TV on the counter as we give our order. Packaged desserts and chips, bottled drinks and, strangely, even Spandex-like undergarments, are neatly arranged on shelves behind the counter.
More than arepas
The menu, of course, is heavy on arepas, with more than a dozen. The corn cakes are stuffed with everything from cheese to concoctions such as ham, pineapple and bacon.
Of the several we tried, two stand out. The yellow corn arepa with cheese (arepa de chocolo con queso) arrives slightly charred, but that’s part of the plan, helping to bring out its sweet flavor. The griddled flat arepa filled with melted white cheese is reminiscent of cheesy, corny corn bread.
Another favorite is arepa con carne desmechada, with shredded beef seasoned with tomatoes and mild spices packing the spongelike arepa. It’s big enough to make a meal. The empanadas, filled with small pieces of shredded beef and potatoes, are too crisp and disappointing, however.
Another dish is a flat grilled steak that goes well with the pink sauce (a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup), served with an arepa on the side. The menu includes traditional Colombian dishes such as bandeja paisa, with a fried egg, rice, beans, avocado, plantains, ground beef, fried pork skin, pork sausage and an arepa.
Appetizing apps
The appetizers, which also could be considered sides, are cheap enough that you can order a couple and complete your meal for less than $10. The maduros — fried plantains — are perfectly ripe and sweet underneath the caramelized coating. The papa criolla frita — tiny unpeeled yellow potatoes — are delicious and easy to pop in your mouth. The texture is what makes them special, crispy on the outside but with the fluffy texture of a baked potato inside. Others include white rice and tender red kidney beans simmered with onions, cilantro and other ingredients. A popular Colombian fruit, passion fruit, is used for a refreshing custard dessert topped with a light cream sauce.
Signature dish: arepa con carne desmechada (arepa with shredded beef)
Entrée prices: $1.15-$11.99
Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Reservations: No
Credit cards: Yes
Online: No Web site
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