Kariacos started as a food truck business serving Venezuelan cuisine in 2019. It’s now a cozy, order-at-the-counter, sit-down establishment in a strip mall at Circle Drive and Uintah Street. This means it’s no longer necessary to track down the truck’s whereabouts, unless it’s summer and you’re in Denver, which is where it’s most likely found.

If Kariacos’ small restaurant setting isn’t to your liking, carryout is an easy option. We ordered online for take-out, selected the time for pickup and arrived at the eatery 15 minutes later. Because our order included a Pernil (roast pork shoulder) Bowl ($14.99), there was a slight delay: there was no more pork and the owner waited to offer alternatives.

Usually, the bowl is filled with marinated shredded pork, black beans, rice and tajadas (fried sweet plantains). I can’t attest to the pork, but the grilled chicken in its place was, unfortunately, dry. I’ll try again for the pernil because slow-roasted marinated pork is typically tender and juicy.

Aside from the lack of pork, the rest of the meal exceeded expectations. Our bag full of takeout containers could not confine the nose-tickling aromas accompanying our drive home.

Our order included pastelitos ($10.99 for three), fried, hand-held turnovers (similar to empanadas) stuffed with ground beef seasoned with tomatoes, onions and peppers. In other countries, these have a sweet filling and are served as dessert. Here they fall into the appetizer category but could be a stand-alone meal.

The crispy crust and savory contents satisfied my taste buds. They’re not petite in size, yet I was tempted to eat all three, even knowing I had more food waiting. I couldn’t imagine anything else would be as palate pleasing, yet it was.

The online menu provides photos and descriptions of each item. The restaurant features two video monitors above the counter with a little more detail. For example, aprepas, of which there are seven possibilities, are described as daily bread in Venezuela. They look like English muffins made with cornmeal; these are crammed (almost to excess) with a variety of fillings.

The kariacos and vegan arepas caught our attention. The former includes marinated sliced top sirloin, pico de gallo, cheese and cilantro sauce on the side. The cheese is described only as white. It may have been creamy and gooey at one point, but didn’t fare well to our final destination. It was a thick slab with little to distinguish it.

However, the meat was tender and plentiful. Even though the bread itself is thick, it’s chewy without being dense.

The vegan version is packed with sweet plantains, avocado slices and black beans. The generous amount of food in each arepa is impressive. Because they overflow with ingredients, they are difficult to handle without much of the contents falling out. We appreciated the many extra napkins included.

Whether intentional or not, Kariacos to me sounds a little like Venezuela’s capital. The restaurant is run by a husband and wife team, originally from Venezuela. It’s a treat to have that country’s food so well represented in Colorado Springs.

Kariacos

Venezuelan cuisine for dining in or carryout

Location: 1169 N. Circle Drive

Contact: 1-719-351-2190; kariacosfood.com

Prices: $5.99 to $25.99

Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday; 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Monday.

Details: Credit cards accepted..

Favorite dishes: Pastelitos, vegan arepa.

Other: Gluten-free and vegan options available.