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Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South SideMore than 30 rums to taste and special cocktails
Metropolitan Ave-Lorimer St (G, L)
Marcy Ave (J, M, Z)
Mon-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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I am still dreaming about the Tostones Mochimeros! Those were so delicious we had two orders.
I took my folks here for their anniversary and we had a really great time. We got there before the dinner rush which was nice. Shared a pitcher of some rum and guava punch, which was very good but could have been a little bigger. We each had a different arepa. I had the La Mulata which I definitely recommend. Tasty and surprisingly filling.
The bill came out to about $60 for three of us. I'll definitely be going back.
I waited to review Caracas because I wanted to be sure that our love was real. That it wasn't just some Summer fling. I needed to know that our love could stand the test of time.
Caracas, we've had many, many ups (papelon con limon, guacsacaca, de pabellon, la surena*, reina pepiada, tajadas) and a few downs (extremely long wait and those yoyos, not a good look).
Oh Caracas, my darling, some people say that I'm wasting my time going all the way to BK to see you. They say that I can find something closer and "just as good." Well, I don't want something that's "just as good." I want you, Caracas. You make me happy, you understand me, you get me and I want you. Inside me.
_____________________________
*my favorite.
The food I would give a four to.. However, the pricing just kind of really "eats" at me.. Everything is priced like 40 percent too high.. Yeh, sure I can afford the prices and 7.50 is not a lot of money for a sandwich.. But, this is an arepa... They have like 30 cents in the pork, 10 cents in the Arepa and are charging so much for something that is really not that filling.. Something tells me that if the people in Caracas were to see three arepas for 22 bucks, they would fall out of their chairs..
This restaurant originated in Manhattan I believe and is always packed there.. Here in Brooklyn, the place was not really too crowded. I don't know if the concept of overpriced street food is the best model for the area.
On to the food.. I ordered a pernil arepa.. The pork was wonderful.. Spiked with cloves it was super juicy and fall apart tender.. I could have eaten several more had it not been for the cost..
We also had fried tostones with a green garlic sauce and some crumbled cheese.. Really nice dish..
Tiny rum drinks were 8 bucks a pop.. That kind of sucked too.. I guess Brooklyn has spoiled me and I no longer find it acceptable to be gouged for drinks..
I would come in here and get a pernil to go and eat it on the street on my way to dinner or something.. But, I can't justify having the 50 dollar lunch I did yesterday and leaving sober, unsatisfied, and some what cheated..
We went here while visiting friends who live in Brooklyn and one friend raved about it. I'm certainly up for trying something I haven't tried before and anything beans & cheese certainly moves to the front of the line.
We got the arepas and they are surprisingly filling for such a small item. The sauce on the table is a must..don't eat the arepa without it. It adds like 7,000% more flavor..thats the exact scientific amount. Look it up. The arepas were tasty and comforting....but not mind-blowing or anything.
The atmosphere is nice if a bit cramped. The only downside was the couple sitting 1 foot away from us who were full-on making out. We could seriously see your uvulas..sluts.
Awww, sookie sookie now! Groove me baby...
I'm currently flying hi-i-i-igh on the crack sauce from Caracas Arepas...yummy, yum, yum!
I've been to the Caracas Arepa in the city & I'm so grateful they've now opened a branch in Billysburg. This location does not come with the +1 hour wait and the food is just as decadent!
You'll see lots of other diners starting off with the guac and chips but don't make the same silly mistake. Open your mind and let the Tostones Mochimeros make love to your palate. They are fan-friggin-tastic and even better with their house sauce (aka crack sauce) they are so kind to leave at your table!
Another must - Order their natural fruit juices and spice it up with a shot of rum. My fav - the passion fruit /w rum... Hey honey, ask the waiter for another... what do you mean four is enough?? ..hic.
Ahh, sock it to me,
Sock it to me
Rock it to me
I came here on a whim on hot and humid August night. I love arepas and Central/South American food in general but I was in no mood to eat a hot meal, but I did not want to trek it back out to the city. The evening cooled down and my appetite grew steadily as the quarter-hours passed, and I arrived at Caracas Arepa Bar with my shirt slightly dampened from hunger sweats. If you haven't experienced hunger sweats, walk in 80 degree, 80% humidity weather with a growling stomach.
It was hotter inside the restaurant than it was out, and we reluctantly sat down at our table, as the entire outdoor patio was filled. A virtual No Vacancy sign blinked before my eyes every time I wiped a bead of sweat from my brow. I cool down fairly easily but on that night, it was tough to do, especially with no ice-water. That's right, there was no ice water. I had to use beer to bring my temperature back to equilibrium. Wait, did I just complain about having to drink beer? Grow a damn pair, John! Get it together!
No ice water? No problem. The ceviche was as delicious as it was refreshing, and all of a sudden my stomach was back in business. I quickly scarfed down two platanos with salted cheese. I ordered two arepas (one eggplant, one pork), and I doused each bite with hot sauce and residual ceviche juice. Sweating never felt so orgasmic. And natural. And necessary. I wondered to myself, would I have enjoyed the meal on a night with more comfortable weather? Absolutely not.
I chose this place for my Bday dinner. It's cheap, filling, delicious, and breaks all Arepa stereotypes and misconceptions. My friends were describing them as the hard white balls from the Columbian restaurants, until I showed them how delicious they really could be. The Pernil Arepa (shredded marinated pork) was their favorite.
After the waiter suggested 2 per person, they disregarded my advice as well and ordered about 3 p/p. We were so stuffed with goodness!
This place is a bigger than the small JR4 in the city, but not much bigger. Service was good but the $3 p/p charge for slicing & serving cake kind of bites.
But I'll give them 5 stars for putting up with a large party and our numerous requests.
If you make a reservation for a large party here, I suggest you make sure everyone is on time. If your entire party isn't there 15mins after your time, they will cancel your reservation!
i guess i don't really have anything to compare this place to except for on the streets which doesn't say much cuz those are super oily and soggy... i would like to give this place more of a 3.5-4 stars. But I'll be lenient and give it a 4 mainly for the actual make of the arepas themselves... for the ingredients not so much...
Arepas, imagine an english muffin but made out of small corn granules that look like couscous but compact together to be made into bread... i love the consistency of the ones made here... not overly oily... nice and crispy and holds the ingredients together pretty well without breaking apart on the first bite despite its granular makeup.
the ingredients however are not all that great...
- the chicken one looked like pure white meat and dry
- the pernil was moist but the mango sauce a lil too vinegary for my tastes... but without the sauce it would have been super dry
- the beef was also too sour as well, the rice dish that goes with the beef was nice and flavorful though
- the "crack sauce" was again too sweet for me... maybe thats how venezuelans eat their food i dunno?
- the guayanas/plantains/guacamole was a nice combo with just a drizzle of the "crack" sauce... beware if u are't used to eating a block of cheese literally... don't order this or any arepa with guayanes cuz u will get a lot! (same goes with the one that had chorizo)
- the empanada instead of being made by flour is made of cornmeal as well which was a super nice surprise cuz i was disappointed i had already finished my two orders of arepas!... the empanada(arepa) is fried to a crisp and then placed in the oven to bake to a golden color... ordered the fish... again super dry... needs the sauce to moisten it up... wished they had diff varieties of sauces for those who like sweet, sour, spicy)
service
- server was friendly when there and helped explain what arepas were, but kinda non-existent throughout the meal, we had to flag down the bartender for service which was odd
- front house service was also non-existant and the servers didn't event give me any attention when there was no front house service! that was NOT cool... ok so cuz of that i dock it down to three stars
so positive thing is its brooklyn and u don't have to wait hours for a table here like in the east village... there is plenty of space to move around as well! and u can hear each other talk which is great! garden in the back also seems really nice and wished there were heat lamps so we can chill back there in the cold months
so- what the hell is an AREPA? well, an arepa is a flat cornmeal patty which is grilled, baked, or fried. arepas are most popular in Colombia and Venezuela.
i've been coming here for a while to get my arepa fix.
it's in Williamsburg and convenient to where i spend most my nights...
however, what the hell is the matter with this place?!
i've been recommending everyone to haul their ass to BK for arepas. mainly because the Manhattan location is over-crowded and completely a pain in the arse to wait for a table. the BK location... airy, al fresco dining area, roomy booths and tables and you don't feel like a sardine packed into a can. the wait is no longer than 5-10 minutes on a busy evening on a weekend. yet they STILL manage to f*ck it up somehow.
every time i'm here... the service is discombobulated. seriously. the host/server takes your order. then someone else takes your drink orders. then someone brings you a salad... and then you wait for your arepa for an HOUR and the host/server who originally took your order has vanished. WTF?? the staff is smokin' way too much... they don't even remember which tables belongs to who.
the food... delicious. there are some standouts, but anything with Chorizo is my arepa pick. my other favorites include: Yo Yo's- deep fried balls of sweet plantain stuffed with white cheese (which i absolutely recommend), Guasacaca (Guacamole) w/ Plantain & Taro Chips and mind-blowing Marquesa de Chocolate- layers of thick chocolate mousse and "Maria" cookies (is my fav!!!).
why the four stars?
the manhattan location may be uncomfortable, over-hyped and crowded... but their food is outstanding and comes out swiftly!
however, i can't hate on the BK location so much... it's definitely a great place to take a date too- with it's low/sexy lighting, al fresco (outdoor seating) dining and low-key (much quiet) set up.
I have to say I liked it. Call me whatever, but I've never had Arepas before. Same as my friend who has been to South America nor a friend from Spain knew what Arepas were.. Let's not live in the dark anymore. Anyhoo, not an eureka moment but, I've heard of this place vaguely. Without any info, took my out of town friend to this place for a brunch.
We saw yelp sticker on the door... lol who already yelp stamped this place? gosh you yelp.... The deco was interesting but somehow a bit confused me and I kind of settled with the feeling of they had tried. Using contruction materials in unfinished way but, it looked rather results of DIY (Do-It-Yourself) than smarty new concept design. Yes, they did try.
When we got the menu, we were lost.. I never thought that the name of place arepas was one of those menu categories. We were like where are burritos and tacos? what's arepes? I even texted my spanish friend to identify this arepa material to save us from insulting the waiter with heavy spanish accent. By asking basically 'where are we?' or 'what's sushi? in a japanese restaurant'. Oy,, my friend texted me back saying dunno, it's like crepes with sweet stuff? LOL
So we asked the waiter.. Sorry but what's arepas? He was very nice on educating us. Arepas are made of ground corn, shaped like shell and baked. Then cut in half to be stuffed with all different combinations of meat and vegis. However, not common in South America. Only venezuelans and columbians have them. Caracas Arepa is venezuelan by the way. Caracas is the capital of Venezuela, by the way 2. A-Ha! Some other south americans use plantains instead of corn for similar wrapping shells, according to my friend. kewl~~
We had
La Paisa - paisa cheese $4.75
De Pabellón - shredded beef, black beans, white salty cheese and
sweet plantains $7.25
La del Gato - guayanés cheese, fried sweet plantains and avocado
slices $6.25
Papelón con limón - a refreshing natural blend of sugar loaf
and lime $3.75
Arepas were small. Could be smaller than your palm. it is thick and white and a bit hard. Taste like between uncooked tortillas and english muffin. We kind of thought it was pricy for the size, but the size was deceiving. . because we got quite full after these small bites between two of us. The stuffings were very rich. The black beans were excellent and the sweet plaintain played quite a role in the whole patty. La del Gato was recommended by the waiter and indeed yummmmmmm~~~ But the table sauce was THE ultimate star. I kept adding more and more and eventually gave my hand a big dirty splash! LOL The drink was fresh and had very natural taste.
Service was attentive and pleasant except this one guy at the bar who was very weird and akward. When we asked him to take picture of us he wouldn't even move out of the bar to take a better picture. Dude you are so weird.
BUT, I would come back for more arepas. It was not at all crowded... They had back yard sittings but we could not make it there since it showered right before we got there. I am not so sure for dinner - it still feels a bit rough and lighter for dinner so, I would love for brunch or lunch.
really? what you just brought to the table cost how much?
those things that took 47 seconds to eat cost how much?
really?
you should call them aRAPEs
For 65 days, I dreamt about the arepas at Caracas and today I was finally able to sample them once again. Sadly, the food and service were not as memorable as at my first visit.
The service was slow, inattentive and forgetful (worse than the first visit, if that's possible, and this time there were only two of us and the restaurant nearly empty) and some of my food was burnt. I ordered the spicy butternut squash soup with paisa cheese and guacamole, which was unexpectedly smoky and yummy, a plate of yoyos (burnt and somehow soggy at the same time - perhaps old?) and an A10 arepa with avocado (unripe), cotija cheese and fried plantains (burnt).
Having essentially dissed my meal entirely, I would still return in a heartbeat to give Caracas another chance!
I insist that you (virtually) traipse your way over to Caracas' website and watch the Food Network… Read more »
I have heard good things about the food here.
Unfortunately, while I have gone twice, I have not eaten there.
Both times there seemed to be no intake system in place for chronologically ordering prospective diners. The hostess was either stoned or retarded (but likely both) and simply could not handle the job.
After 10 minutes with no information, we went across the street to Fiore and got a good meal for less money and entirely without being subject to the whims of the inept.
I would love to eat the arepas that everyone raves about, and maybe one day I will, but I'll probably just get take out and go home. You purport to be providing a service, folks! Get it together.
My favorite restaurant in NYC.
Order the Del Gato arepa and the juice of the day. You will not be disappointed.
Caracas is fabulous and it really annoys me when people are rude to the staff there. They bust their asses, turning over about a hundred tables in one pretty busy night. Their food and drinks are phenomenal, and it is, by far, my favorite casual restaurant. Here's a little story I told a while back of why customers suck:
The Boy and I decided to go to Caracas before heading to our favorite bar, Duff's. We chose the one closest to my home, which also had more seating space. Still, the restaurant was crowded and busy (this is to be expected almost every hour the place is open, nothing new). We get a seat outside and are enjoying giving each other goo-goo eyes and drinking delicious drinks and waiting on our food.
We were sat by a wonderful host and had our orders (we got a variety platter of their three top-selling arepas and a side of maduros with salty cheese, but I can't remember what that dish was called) taken by a busy, but super-kind and lovely waitress. She was the waitress for an entire row of tables in the patio, including the table next to us.
Next to us were sat three ladies in their mid-20s. Now, remember, this space is a bit cramped, so we could hear every word of their conversations, which totally killed the "yay, we're happy and giggly and in love" mood.
First bit: these ladies decided it was appropriate to bitch and complain about people they know literally four feet away from other customers, using very vulgar language and just general snottiness. My boyfriend and I happened to be those other customers. Which was... well, off-putting, but that doesn't make them sucky customers, more like sucky people you have to deal with.
What makes them sucky customers is this:
When the waitress brought their check over (now, note, this was a BUSY restaurant on a Friday night), the ladies started discussing the check's total. They had two mixed drinks each, totaling six drinks. Caracas had a special where you can add rum to any of their fruit juices for $3, the juices costing $3.75. That would be a total of $40.50. Their check came up to a little over $60. Okay, yes, that is definitely a problem. A problem I would have addressed by pointing it out to my server in a kind manner - this is, after all a busy restaurant on a Friday night, things happen.
They did not point this out kindly to the waitress. Instead, they threw a huge hissy fit. When the waitress broke it down for them and realized there was an error, they got all snotty with her, as if she was telling them to suck it up and pay the $20 more. One girl said "Uh, well, I think you need to go FIX it then" and another replied with "yeah, you go do that!" or something to that effect. When she left, the girls all of a sudden started bitching about her, again, with us sitting right next to them.
"DAMN, I AM GOING TO PUNCH SOMEONE TODAY"
"THIS IS WHY PEOPLE TURN GHETTO, F'REAL!" (I do not exaggerate, this was a real quote. Way to be graceful, ladies!)
And other general nonsense. I wanted to punch THEM for ruining the mood of my dinner and treating such a lovely waitress like a piece of dirt.
Eventually, the manager comes back and explains there is an error on the computer because this was a new special they were running. He apologizes profusely. Again, when the manager leaves, they continue their ranting. It got fixed, you weren't overcharged in the end, it caused a SLIGHT inconvenience, shut the hell up.
The moral of the story? Don't be rude to your waitress. Especially on a Friday night when it's slam packed and people have to sit next to you, trying to enjoy their meal. BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU SUCK A LOT
Plus, arepas are just delicious. Load up on that sauce, por favor.
bleech
The arepa ripped up my mouth like I was chewing on a razor blade. The flavors didn't mesh well. It was as oily as sunkissed hair in an IROC with t-tops.
It was truly one of the worst arepas I've ever had. I don't get what people see in this place.
I've loved Caracas for a long, long time. When I heard they were opening a Brooklyn location, I couldn't have been happier. And it's bigger? My girlfriend just informed me that bigger is always better.*
And yes, everything I wrote about the food at the 7th Street shop (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) holds true for this one as well: the soups are fantastic, and I'm never sad when I'm biting into one of their arepas. De Pabellon. Do it.
However, it turned out that size didn't matter, because they were still unable to adequately accommodate our party of 9. I can understand you have one blender, and it's hard to make multiple shakes. But it took nearly a half hour to get us the guacamole (very tasty though) we ordered upon sitting down. There were inexplicably 20 minute waits between our appetizers and our first arepas, and another between those and the second arepas that the gluttons among us (read: me) ordered.
This is hardly enough to keep me from coming back. Chainsaw-bearing clowns in the doorway couldn't keep me away. I love this place. But I'm definitely not coming back with more than four people.
*This sounds like a preamble to breaking up.
First of all learn the Caracas language if you wish to really understand the menu, Its very out dated writing menus mixed with a little English especially the once designed for Hugo Chavez, we're all speaking ENGLISH [If you go to restaurants looking to solve language puzzles rather than looking in the menu for what to eat, you're in the right place here].
This is a DESERT place, I've heard very good feedback on the Manhattan location, but this skippdy sketchy stingy portions they serve here clearly sets it in the desert group, don't even dream of sharing a $10 dish this is not even as a tapas where you get 3 bite sizes pieces versus here only one.
The waiter was in bucks bunny land, he didn't know where the restaurants perimeter is and time traveled between tables. All the wanna be artists [yuppies] looking at everyone else and creating a high level of Keeping up with the Joneses environment and snacking $10 finger food. This place shall be a candidate for Kitchen Nightmares regardless of the Bobby Flay NYC Caracas recommendation [or get it cheapernized but god we're stingy and greedy, the prices gave it away not the physic].
My dish had a flavor war going on, the overpowering fried oil corn wheat thing aka Arepa, the chicken, sausage, avocado, greens, onion and orange sauce, there was no peace for the flavor war in the outlook.. I do love the art and design like the concrete floor, the plastic milk-carton seats, the interior walls, etc.
Super amazing delicious arepas. So good!
Only problem was that they take forever. Otherwise, it'd be 5 stars
My brother and I came in for lunch at an odd time of day, around 4 pm. We were customers number 2 and 3 in the entire restaurant. I realize it was an odd time and will give the staff the benefit of the doubt, but it took almost 10 minutes of us sitting there before our server even gave us menus!
However, once we ordered, the food came fairly quickly and our arepas were great. We had a pork shoulder and a whitefish arepa. Having never had arepas before, I didn't know whether to order one or two, and while one left me plenty satisfied, for a larger appetite two is a better idea.
I like the decor: conscious use of plywood and sheet metal for that down-home shantytown feel.
Review is 4 stars for now but I will be trying this place again and could easily give out that fifth star if service was better.
I've been searching for homemade arepas that match my great-aunt's quality since leaving Miami in 2001. For those who don't know, arepas are "corn-based breads from the northern Andes in South America (from countries like Colombia and Venezuela)." Thanks Wiki. Sitting among the region's top foodies, we ordered never-ending apps that took a while to arrive, but arrived nonetheless. Sadly without liquor (it's a BYO), we all got the shakes in between meals. Literally and physically.
Since I do what I'm told, I ordered the De Pabellón. When the arepa meal finally arrived, I found mine filled with shredded beef, sweet plantains, salty bits o'cheese, and black beans. I topped it off with the special sauce, which by the end of the meal had been completely ravaged by our table.
Aside from the arepa meal, we ordered the yo-yos. They're little balls made with the arepa filling. TO DIE FOR. They actually taste very similar to the Chifa bread I've been obsessed with.
Service was attentive, but the food took a while. Make sure to bring liquor and the banana milkshake was comci comça.
I have to say I was pretty disappointed with my highly anticipated maiden voyage to Caracas. Given, this one is in Brooklyn and clearly tainted by it's distance from Manhattan (that one's for you Peter) the cute atmosphere and neighborhood along with a stellar reputation had me thinking it would be a pretty flawless experience. Unfortunately, hungry and tired after some serious acrobatic training (prepping for my plan b as a circus performer) Caracas failed to get its act together.
First off, they don't have any booze. Now, I know that liquor licenses may be hard to come by but no BYO and no vino makes Jane a dull girl. I think this also might have exaggerated the 30 minutes we waited to receive a basket of plantain chips and guac. And then the next 45 minutes we waited for a round of arepas got even more painful. They brought out our banana milkshakes one at a time in 5-minute increments ... which seemed strange for a relatively large restaurant. By the time I actually received my food I was already full. With all that said the food was pretty awesome. Loved the guac...perfectly mixed and fresh. And my carne arepa (papillon?) was incred though I was really bummed I'd lost my appetite by the time it was brought out 90 minutes after being seated. The ensalada mixta is a must try is you're a veggie ... balsamic was on point yo!
This is one of those places that makes me love having guests from out of town or from out of the area. As far as Brooklyn lunch goes, whenever I have family or friends here for just a few days this place is a sure hit. I've had plenty of arepas in the past and never have been too crazy about them. The standard is elevated here! Everyone that I have taken here loves it and are happy to have had something new.
There are about 15 or 20 or so different kinds, with maybe 6 that are vegetarian, plus the option to replace the meat in most with a substitute. I've finally tried all of the naturally veg ones, and I'm ready to start on the others. Oh, the guacamole is some of the best I've had. The yoyos are real tasty with that good yellow sauce they give you.
Oh, you know what, forget writing the rest of this review! Now I'm hungry. I'm getting on the train and heading over!
Liquid Crack.
If you've been to Caracas you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you have yet to experience their special sauce, well, i pity you. Magic truly does exist and is alive and well living in these plastic ketchup-like squeezey bottles at Caracas Arepa Bar.
As if their Arepas weren't good enough on their own, and they are, this sauce really launches them to distant levels. Like a gerbil being spit out of a vacuum cleaner set to reverse hyper drive, when at Caracas, your in for a mind blowing altercation. As soon as the corny bread consumed arepas hit my tongue it makes my taste buds do Venezuelan dances all the way down to my toes. And I don't mean that traditional dance they do for the grandmother filled tour buses at the all-inclusive resorts. No, this is that big ass, booty shakin, sweaty favela dancin.
Yum. Caracas, you were my first, i treat you rough and keep coming back for more. My kind of place.
My only beef: You don't serve booze, you teasing floozy you.
Authentic Venezuelan food at its best. The food here is... AWESOME! (Said in a JD, John Dorean kind of way.) The Pabellón Criollo is sensational and worthy of 5* alone. The smaller version Arapas in a corn roll is equally special.
The rugged interior of Caracas gives a wonderfully traditional feel to your dining experience. This is backed up by good clean toilets and Xcelerator hand dryers that strangely make me very happy.
The evening I spent here was very busy and the one downside was that the milkshakes and food took a long time to arrive, a very long time. Although in hindsight the food was definitely worth the wait.
A ok, I was expecting so much more. I already knew that arepas are tasteless but I was willing to try them because these were stuffed with interesting ingredients. Except they sounded, on the menu and in my mind, a lot better than they tasted. Not that it was bad, it was just ok, I didn't really taste all of the ingredients....like carne mechada and platanos with cheese. the meat was delicous but I didn't really taste the other flavors. Ah look at me, a frigging food critic. I gotta stop watching Top Chef.....
Where to begin? This place is fantastic! Amazing food, good prices, nice people, cool place, less wait than in Manhattan! What else do you want?
Tip: You can still order a domino Arepa (A7) even tho it's not on the menu. It's great.
Don't miss the banana milkshakes!
Caracas, arepa, michelada. There is sweet poetry in these words with a hint of spice, like the combination of fried plantains and avocado itself, the combination of Pacifico beer, hot sauce, salt, and lime, very fine. Sitting in the back garden, Hosta and Liatris spicata abound, all around. We could be miles away from the hot pavement and hopped up residents of nearby Bedford. So I think next time, I'll need to leave more minutes. Order that second round, opt for the Cahaca cocktail. And stay.
Oooo.... another great NYC experience for me and this time in Brooklyn. I have to say that I've never had Venezuelan cuisine before and it was definitely an experience. Booklyn is just like Dalston in London terms and eating here was a little like get Viet food down Kingsland Road.
Tasty dishes all around $7 each and even thought they look small you will leave with a full tummy and greasy lips. All in all a good night by all standards.
This isn't something I have ever tasted at home and the helpful staff really explain whats happening with all the food and make it easier for you to choose. A lovely place to eat out!
I wish I had stolen the squeeze bottle of deliciousness. Jesus, it's amazing how filling one arepa is. Get a spicy one and then drown it with what I like to call, Mr. Squeeze...mmmmmmdrooooooooool
Far superior to the East Village original. Make sure to try the Arepa de Pernil! Spicy sauce mixed in with pork shoulder on a handmade corn patty.
We sat in the garden on faux-milk crates. Tables have cute little flowers in empty bean cans, and the atmosphere feels relaxed.
Chicken avocado soup was amazing. Fresh, wonderful avocado slices with potato and shredded chicken in perfectly salted broth. Lovely guac.
I didn't expect the arepa itself to be so crispy- my mind had envisioned a pancake-like sponge. Much more crispy, with cooked cornmeal on the inside. Yum!
After lunch at the Diner my cousin keep talking about this Arepa bar that has this south american dish that I never hear of and when I mention if it is like pupusas then he told it it a little alike but different because they stuff the inside of it more so I really wanted to try it so we walked for 15min to our next location. The place look pretty decent so we walk inside and I order myself a chrizo, cheese and pepper arepa and my cousin order a dessert(fried plantation), When it came out it look pretty dam good so i ate it and it tasted pretty good esspecially after you put the fruity homemade hotsauce. The experience was nice esspecially I got to try something that I never ate before.
I love you, La Mulata.
I love you, too, Special Sauce.
And you, Guaca Casa.
Won't you all come to my mouth for a three way?
It will be out of this world...
After reading the reviews on Yelp, I decided to drag my bf all the way to Brooklyn to try these Arepas. We went there on a Sunday afternoon and the place was pretty empty so the service was quick. We ordered the guacamole and sweet plantains to start off, they were both good but not really great. I then had the Arepa stuffed with beef, beans, and plantains and this was again good not great. But it was all very filling, I was stuffed. My bf ordered a chicken and avocado Arepa that was surprisingly spicy but not tasty. He also ordered the fish Arepa which I tried and thought it was pretty bad. Overall, I liked the decor of the place and that everything is so eco friendly. We sat in the garden and it felt very tranquil plus the weather was great which really helped. I don't think I will be returning to this place since I was not impressed by the food.
All I know is that they're at my door within 20 minutes, with a grease-stained brownpaperbag full of arepa, succulent, shredded beef and sweet plantains (menu no. A-8), and avocado smothered chicken and chorizo (A-20), and flan. I don't ask no questions.
The first time I came here I was really really excited by the food. Everything was perfectly cooked, fresh, tasty, hot and gooood.
Second time around was a little disappointing. The pork was over-cooked and dry... and don't let them fool you... one arepa and an appetizer is enough!! They don't heat up all that well for leftovers so just go for the one that sounds the tastiest to you.
The sauce on the table is on another level. I'm a fan of sauce. I sort of live for it. And this is a sauce that I think about when I'm making something at home... basically I'd bathe in it.
Oh. And. The tostones. Incredible... I came a little early for them and they made them for me anyway. Really wonderful staff.
Mmmmm and the chocolate milk shake thingy I had didn't last too long.
All in all I will go back and Caracas will probably get my business over Taco Chulo now and forever more............
I've been to their East Village location, and design-wise, this one is much more spacious and much less crowded, with clean bathrooms and a great outdoor patio in the back. But because I'm a mosquito's greatest fantasy, my date and I took a window table instead, and promptly ordered the Guasacaca and Chips ($5.75) and a Cocada ($4.75), a coconut milkshake with cinnamon. Though the Venezuelan-style guacamole was excellent, there were about twice as many plantain chips as necessary but OH MY GOD THAT MILKSHAKE WAS GLORIOUS. Light and sweet, it went perfectly with our savory La Popular Curiaras ($21), a combination platter of three split arepas: La de Pabellon (Shredded Beef, Black Beans, White Salty Cheese, and Sweet Plantains), La Reina Pepiada (Chunky Chicken and Avocado Mix Salad), and La Mulata (Grilled White Cheese with Jalapenos, Sauteed Red Peppers, Fried Sweet Plantains, and Black Beans). There's no price break for ordering the platter, it just makes sharing much easier.
Still...De Pabellon is the best arepa. Hands down. Savory, salty, sweet: I don't really plan on trying any other flavor ever again. Maybe the Venezuelan National Dish. But probably not.
I hate overhyped places because you end up being disappointed. I was not disappointed. I've had "arepas" at street fairs and hated them so I had to be convinced to try this place out. I'm glad I did. I've been several times and I had several different types of arepas (veggie & fish only) and loved them all but their shredded whitefish was by far the most memorable and my favorite. I would love to try their brunch sometime.
Holy. [insert deity here].
Just as fabulously tasty and amazing as the Manhattan location, sans 1.5 hour wait. Plus much more space AND a byob.
La Surena is quite possibly one of the tastiest Latin American things I've ever had--a spicy kick with the holy trinity of chicken, chorizo, and avocado. I would happily give up dessert AND appetizers just to stuff two of these into my face. Okay, well maybe I'd save enough space to get their amazing guacamole and chips....
I had never had an arepa before in my life and now I am a convert. I worship the religion of arepas and if I could eat one every day, I would. Praise the lord of arepas!!!!
My cousin took us here to show us around her neighborhood, and it reminded me a little bit of CA. It was a relaxed and raw space and it was nice after a long day of shopping. I didn't know what to expect and Caracas Arepa Bar definitely exceeded my expectations.
I got the Papelon con limon but it was WAY too sweet. Better stick with the mango-flavored one they offer. My cousin, friend, and I shared the ceviche and tostones mochimeros.Both were very fresh and delish! I couldn't get enough of the tostones - it was like a creative version of the piss-poor nachos I make at home, except with plantains and not Trader Joe's Tortilla Chips! I also got the La Batata Arepa - a special of the day and I couldn't tell you what was in it except for two types of Venezulan cheese and pork shoulder. It was like a better version of carnitas. I know I keep comparing to Mexican food but it's the only reference point I have! I couldnt't get enough. All of that delicious meat and cheese is stuffed inside a fluffy arepa and is to die for!
I also got an Obleas as a dessert and it looks like a giant host with chocolate inside (if you're Catholic you get what this means). It is a not-too-sweet dessert but the wafer was a little too dry for me.
But that doesn't matter! The arepas, tostones, ceviche...that all outweighed the supersweet drink and superdry dessert. If I'm ever in Williamsburg again (which I soon hope to be) I'm definitely stopping by with an empty stomach so I can try as many arepas as I can! Viva las arepas!
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