Discovering the Flavors of South America at Guasaca Lake Boone
Located in the heart of Raleigh at 4025 Lake Boone Trail, Guasaca South American Grill offers a refreshing departure from the ordinary dining experience. This establishment has carved out a unique niche by focusing on the vibrant, wholesome, and bold flavors characteristic of South American street food. For those who appreciate a meal that balances convenience with high-quality ingredients, Guasaca serves as a welcoming destination that bridges the gap between fast-casual efficiency and the depth of traditional culinary craftsmanship.
The atmosphere at the Lake Boone location is designed to be accessible and inviting, making it an ideal spot for a quick lunch during a busy workday or a relaxed dinner with friends and family. By emphasizing the use of fresh produce and authentic preparation methods, the restaurant ensures that every dish reflects a commitment to quality. Whether you are a long-time fan of South American cuisine or a curious newcomer looking to expand your palate, the menu provides a variety of options that cater to diverse dietary preferences and tastes.
At its core, the restaurant is built on the philosophy that food should be both nourishing and exciting. The kitchen team prioritizes the integrity of their ingredients, ensuring that the textures and seasonings remain true to their roots. This dedication to authenticity is what sets Guasaca apart in the competitive Raleigh dining landscape, providing a consistent and satisfying experience for every guest who walks through their doors.
Key Highlights of the Guasaca Experience
Customizable Culinary Creations: One of the defining features of the dining experience is the ability to personalize your meal. Guests are encouraged to build their own bowls, salads, or arepas, allowing for a tailored approach that suits individual hunger levels and flavor profiles. This flexibility ensures that every visitor can craft a meal that feels perfectly suited to their specific cravings.
Authentic South American Staples: The menu celebrates the versatility of the arepa, a traditional cornmeal cake that serves as the foundation for many of the restaurant's most popular offerings. By focusing on these time-honored staples, the kitchen honors the culinary heritage of the region while presenting it in a modern, approachable format that resonates with contemporary diners.
Fresh and Wholesome Ingredients: Quality is the cornerstone of the kitchen's operations. From the vibrant salsas and fresh vegetables to the carefully seasoned proteins, every component is selected with care. This focus on fresh, whole foods means that guests can enjoy a meal that is as nutritious as it is flavorful, avoiding the heavy, processed elements often found in standard quick-service dining.
Community-Focused Atmosphere: Situated conveniently on Lake Boone Trail, the restaurant serves as a hub for the local Raleigh community. The space is designed to foster a sense of connection, providing a comfortable environment where neighbors can gather, share a meal, and enjoy a brief respite from the pace of daily life.
A Destination for Every Occasion
Choosing where to eat often involves balancing the need for speed with the desire for something truly delicious. Guasaca South American Grill succeeds by proving that these two goals are not mutually exclusive. By maintaining a high standard of service and a consistent culinary vision, the restaurant has become a reliable staple for those living and working in the Raleigh area. The combination of a welcoming environment, customizable menu options, and a genuine passion for South American flavors makes it a standout choice for anyone seeking a meal that feels both special and satisfying.
Whether you are stopping by for a nutritious lunch or looking for a flavorful dinner option that the whole family can enjoy, the team at the Lake Boone location is dedicated to providing an exceptional experience. The focus remains on the guest, ensuring that each visit is marked by friendly service and the distinct, savory notes that define the restaurant's unique identity. As you explore the diverse culinary landscape of North Carolina, a visit to this local grill offers a delightful opportunity to enjoy a taste of South American tradition right in the heart of the city.
Amenities and More
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Service options
Onsite services
Takeout
Dine-in
Delivery
Popular for
Solo dining
Offerings
Coffee
Dining options
Table service
Atmosphere
Casual
Cozy
Quiet
Planning
Quick visit
Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Credit cards
Children
Good for kids
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Wheelchair accessible restroom
Wheelchair accessible seating
From the business
Identifies as Latino-owned
Service options
Outdoor seating
Delivery
Onsite services
Takeout
Dine-in
Highlights
Fast service
Popular for
Lunch
Dinner
Solo dining
Offerings
Alcohol
Comfort food
Healthy options
Quick bite
Small plates
Vegan options
Vegetarian options
Dining options
Lunch
Dinner
Catering
Counter service
Dessert
Seating
Table service
Amenities
Restroom
Atmosphere
Casual
Quiet
Trendy
Crowd
College students
Family-friendly
Groups
LGBTQ+ friendly
Tourists
Planning
Accepts reservations
Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments
Credit cards
Children
Good for kids
High chairs
Kids' menu
Parking
Free parking lot
Free street parking
On-site parking
Usually plenty of parking
Menus
Entrées
Arepa
Bowl / Salad
Super Bowl
Signature Arepas
Crispy Chicken$4.95
Grilled or Shredded Chicken$4.75
Mechada (Beef)$5.15
Grilled Steak$5.15
Shredded Pork$5.15
Braised Tilapia$5.35
Salmon$6.45
Avocado Chicken$5.35
Vegetarian (Includes Guasaca)$4.75
Vegan (Includes Portobello Mushrooms)$4.75
Bowls
Vegetarian
Shredded Chicken
Grilled Chicken
Crispy Chicken
Steak
Shredded Beef
Tilapia
Chicken Avocado
Braised Pork
Salmon
Vegan
Kid's Menu
Grilled Chicken with Mini Cheese Arepa
Grilled Chicken with Fruit Cup
Crispy Chicken with Mini Cheese Arepa
Crispy Chicken with Fruit Cup
Photos
Reviews Guasaca South American Grill - Lake Boone
Thomas Wohl
30-05-2026
What happened to this place over the years? This was one of my go-to places and I have to say that this place went downhill.
Food is okay but nowhere near as fresh as it was a while back and the service is just absolutely awful. The workforce behind the counter is too busy chatting and laughing while they argue about the order that they incorrectly put together.
No thank you
Order type
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 4
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 2
Group size
2 people
maddie b
30-05-2026
Great food, skimped me on the rice and also found this plastic in my bowl???
Order type
Take out
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$20–30
Food: 4
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 4
Group size
2 people
maddie b
30-05-2026
Great food, skimped me on the rice and also found this plastic in my bowl???
Order type…
More
Suhey Ortega
30-05-2026
Whenever I'm in Raleigh or Durham, I want to make sure I get some Guasaca!! It's absolutely delicious, affordable, filling and the service is always great! You can customize arepas or select from their menu, you can't go wrong and many vegetarian/vegan choices!
Order type
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Rabbit758
30-05-2026
If you've never tried these arepas, you're missing out on something really delicious. I love the salmon arepa, loaded with small amt of grilled onion (not overwhelming), sweet taste of plantains, cheese, etc. My favorite. Family likes the steak and tilapia arepas. We always get a side of guasaca and chips. This should be on your list of places to try.
Order type
Take out
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$10–20
Bryant B
30-05-2026
Great place to grab a quick cheap bite. Arepas are a venezuelan dish. Guasaca provides americanized version of arepas. The place is very similar to chipotle, they have the bowls which are very similar. An arepa will cost an average of 4-5$ each. On average a person can eat 2 arepas.
NSA
30-05-2026
Pretty decent and tasty place.
got the fried chicken, grilled chicken and really enjoyed it. the cilantro sauce is so delicious
one downside was we got mushrooms added and it made my sandwich super soggy and ripped apart. I recommend the dry fried one the most.i like the outdoor shaded area
Order type
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$10–20
VAF
30-05-2026
So I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. I ordered online and it was a quick and easy process. I'm glad I did because the place is a zoo at lunch time and I don't like to eat up all my lunch break not eating. The prices are surprisingly reasonable considering that it's ethnic inspired food. I thought one downside was that they don't really have a counter dedicated to those just picking up. You kind of have to weave through the crowd and stand to the side by the register until they bring out your food. My food seemed to be ready when I got there(I ordered an hour in advance online). On to the food: in my opinion it was pretty good for what it is, which is Venezuelan style good being made very quickly. I got two signature arepas-the tilapia on white arepa and the shredded chicken on yellow arepa. The tilapia one was really good. It comes with plantains (maduros) inside. The chicken one was just ok, not nearly as flavorful. You will definitely want to purchase two arepas if you want to feel full. Overall, I'm glad I gave this place a try. I can't say it was my favorite or that it blew me away, but it would be worth stopping by again.
Briana Kornegay
30-05-2026
The food was so amazing I didn’t even have time to take a photo! The prices are amazing. Stop by if you are in the area. They have locations all over the triangle!
Ale M
30-05-2026
My boyfriend and I enjoy coming here frequent. My boyfriend is Venezuelan and although the arepas arent authentic compared as to what his family makes, the taste is delicious and the idea and concept are very innovative. Definitely recommend.
Customer service isnt always great and sometimes make you feel rushed in making your selections. This customer service is perhaps the only thing my boyfriend and I hate about coming here.
Reginice
30-05-2026
When I first walked in and noticed this looked like a fast food chain, I was nervous about the food being authentic. Don't judge a book by its cover! These arepas were the best! I had the vegan arepas! The filling was balanced and the plantain really set it off! The arepa bread was perfectly made; warm and toasty. I tried the arepas alone and they were delicious by itself, but the cilantro and red sauce took it to the next level. I would have never thought one of the best arepa spots would br in Raleigh!
Order type
Take out
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Recommended dishes
Sauce, Cilantro Sauce, Vegan, 2 Arepas
Raul Alvarez
30-05-2026
Holy heck! Can’t believe I’ve been living so close to this place (nearly 2 years) and just now tried it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I will be back!
We ordered the chicken bowl and it was absolutely amazing. Fantastic seasoning. The arepa was also amazing, shredded beef but again the flavoring was eppppppic. Can’t wait to come back!
Order type
Take out
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Parking space
Plenty of parking
Parking options
Free parking lot
Sylvie Parbus
30-05-2026
Excellent! Better than I expected. There was a line but it moved pretty quickly. I have a feeling that's frequent there.
I had the vegetarian arepa and it was amazing. I didn't expect corn bread to be … More
Muniba Khan
30-05-2026
Came here for the first time and the service was friendly and quick and the food was delicious. Our favorite arepas were the salmon (I love the combination of sweet plantains with the fresh salmon and cilantro) and the crispy chicken with … More
Matthew Mahler
30-05-2026
The selection of signature Arepa entrées are extensive and there’s an option to build your own Arepa entrée. The side of guasaca was fresh. The location is clean, well lit, and the service staff are quick and friendly. I took friends who had never been here before, and they loved it. More
Joseph Jackson
30-05-2026
The woman who took my order was fantastic. Very detailed about the food. Was served in the cutest way. My wife and I enjoyed it! Definitely recommend. ~thirteen bucks a person. More
Des gh
30-05-2026
One of the few places that can easily accommodate vegan and gluten free without scratching their heads. The vegan arepa is 10/10. Portion sizes are good. Don't forget the cilantro sauce.
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$1–10
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Noise level
Moderate noise
Group size
5-8 people
Recommendation for vegetarians
Highly recommend
Vegetarian offerings
Vegetarian menu or section, Clearly labeled vegetarian dishes
Dietary restrictions
Gluten free options
Roman Phillips
30-05-2026
I've had good arepas, I've had bad arepas, I've had arepas from incredibly authentic hole-in-the-wall venezuelan restaurants.
This may have been the worst tasting, low quality arepas I have ever had. It was as if you got all the good qualities of an arepa and then removed them all. I couldn't even finish my food, it was that disappointing.
The ingredients are incredibly cheap quality and the arepas themselves fall apart in seconds. There are no unique flavors: it is quite lacking overall and everything blends together in a really unfortunate way.
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 1
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Group size
Suitable for all group sizes
Wait time
No wait
Seating type
Indoor dining area
Ala Singletary
30-05-2026
Delicious food! Lots of wonderful choices for a bowl or arepa. I devour their arepas, so tasty and filling and I really enjoyed the chicken arepa I ate today, it had black beans, white cheddar cheese, shredded chicken, guacamole and cilantro sauce.
Order type
Dine in
Meal type
Lunch
Price per person
$1–10
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Group size
3-4 people
Recommendation for vegetarians
Highly recommend
Vegetarian offerings
Large vegetarian selection
Vegetarian options
They have lots of fillings to choose from including beef, pork, fish and chicken.
Dietary restrictions
I’m gluten free( intolerant) and have had no issue with sensitivities to the food, it always a good idea to ask though if you have specific dietary restrictions.
Parking space
Plenty of parking
Parking options
Free parking lot
Parking
It’s in a small fancy shopping center with some other eateries and an ice cream shop.
Trina White
30-05-2026
My family and I was in the area as my mom was having surgery. This place was recommended to us by some people who were in the clinic lobby with us. I must say the food was excellent however the customer service was extremely disappointing. When we arrived and spoke to the staff no one returned our greeting and let’s just say the interaction with the staff only got worse. We asked several questions and they never responded and just ignored us. As first time visitors it would have been extremely helpful when asking the staff questions and placing our orders to actually get some type of feedback, instead we were ignored and no one responded throughout the process. This is rude and unacceptable behavior. Will definitely try another location and hopefully will get a better experience.
Order type
Take out
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 1
Atmosphere: 3
Group size
3-4 people
Jennifer Casperson
30-05-2026
I used to love this place because the arepas were so amazing. Unfortunately, the service and food quality have gone way downhill. We got our order to go. We said "no cheese" 3 times and still, cheese ended up in the arepa. We didn't discover this until we got home. Additionally, the wax paper covering the arepa was soaked with grease. It's never been that greasy before. Lastly, the arepa itself was so thin, it just fell apart as soon I tried to pick it up.
It's difficult when you drive 20 minutes and pay a fairly sizeable price for what you hope to be a good lunch but the staff won't listen to take the order correctly. You don't want to have to harp on something but, when there are dietary restrictions involved, you just want to give up and stop going somewhere because it feels like you're wasting time and money. Just disappointed because, again, I used to love this place.
Order type
Take out
Price per person
$10–20
Group size
2 people
Reviews Guasaca South American Grill - Lake Boone