Chellas on Queen — Restaurant in Lancaster

FINALLY went to Chella’s! Have been hearing about Chella’s for years but the parking at Costco is too wild for me. So happy they’ve settled into this spot on N Queen St; it is perfect for them.

I had a chimichurri chicken arepa. The chicken was hands down the yummiest chicken I have ever eaten (no hyperbole, I swear), and the simplicity of the ingredients (cheese, tomato, and avocado with chimichurri on the side) belies the full flavor of each bite, start to finish. The mad llama sauce has a small kick to it if that’s your thing, but I am a diehard garlicky, vinegary chimichurri fan. I will order extra next time, but the whole thing was so good I forgot about the sauces until I was well into my meal.

We split an order of yuca fries which were nice and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, as expected. It’s a small portion but perfect for my friend and I to share considering the size of the arepa. We both thought we’d be packing up half of our arepas to bring home, but neither of us left a morsel on our plate.

A+ for service. You place your order on one of two screens and listen for your name. Everything is made fresh as you order, so expect to wait a bit for your food to be ready, especially if it’s busy. The staff is working. Thanked them on our way out and they’re so sweet.

If you were a patron of Cabalar who occupied the space previously, much is the same. The soda cooler is around the corner from where you order and that placement helps to alleviate the clot of people who gather around the order screens. If waiting in line is an issue for you, order online ahead of time and head right in for pickup.

I can’t...

I wish I had taken a picture to a company this meal, but even so I had to post a review because everything was delectable. One of the best meals I've had in Lancaster, hands-down.

The only bummer was I didn't actually get to eat my pernil arepa because there was cheese on it and I ordered it without.

I tried a little of arepa itself and it was delicious, as were the Inca sprouts and Yucca fries. The homemade tortilla chips were soooo good with a guacamole, and as someone who doesn't tolerate spicy food very well – I LOVED the guacamole with the tiniest hint of jalapeño. (Surprisingly!!)

The person who greeted me was super friendly and helpful, and made sure to let me know that if you order a drink, you should tell them when you pick up your order because the drinks don't come through the online ordering tickets.

I will definitely go back again, and this time make sure to let them know I have a dairy allergy so hopefully the cheese will be skipped!

9.5/10 from...

I would love to give this location 5 stars because the original location is so good. I went yesterday on Sunday, it wasnt too busy. Im not sure if the food is prepped differently but the chicken lomo arepa was so oily, literally dripping oil that I couldn't finish it. Ive had it before at the other location and its never been like that. Plus I immediately had to go the bathroom after eating it. My sister complained of the same thing when she ate at this location. I hope they fix it because I really enjoy their arepas and don't always make it towards the other location. Besides that, the staff there were extremely friendly and the atmosphere...