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Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South SideMarcy Ave (J, M, Z)
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I love Shachis. But I can't help but compare it to Caracas, which comprises the majority of my arepa experience. Arepexperience, if you will. (I actually think that might catch on, if it didn't sound like "a rape experience." That would not be good for business.)
And since it's all relative, I'm going to tell you how they stack up against each other (in my opinion).
First of all, in terms of ambiance, I prefer Shachis. With Sinatra singing on the PA, a baby sleeping in the corner, and the owners chatting it up at the counter, it feels much more like a family joint. The service is perfect; considerate, but unobtrusive. My water was refilled, and an extra napkin was brought without being asked. Caracas, on the other hand, Caracas can be AWFUL.
The Pabellon arepa (beef, black beans, white cheese and sweet plantains) is my go-to. Both spots make a mean one, but Shachis' is cheaper ($6 as opposed to $7.25), larger (partly due to a thicker arepa), and messier.
I think Shachis would be a clear winner here, but they do not have the fan-freaking-tastic crack sauce in the little bottles. Sure, they give you a nice chimichurri with the plantain chips in the beginning, but it's not the same. I think Caracas makes tastier guacamole as well.
In short, I'm torn between the two. I think the bottom line is, I love arepas, and I'll be back to Shachis. And Caracas. Maybe one after the other. It's a good thing gluttony isn't a sin.
People thought this was:
Went here for a birthday dinner with friends. The place was not crowded so we got a table right away (it is very small).
We ordered a bottle of the red wine sangria, it was very good. Loved the tasted had apples, grapes and oranges in it. It had about 6 or 7 glasses in it.
My friend ordered a ham and cheese empanada, it looked very good but I did not try it. I split the shrimp ceviche with my friend and it was pretty good. It was very light, had onions in it and I usually hate things with raw(ish) onions in it and they did not bother me at all. I just wished the shrimp was diced instead of halved.
My friend ordered the paella, it looked GREAT. I tasted the rice and it was awesome. The tasted of the chorizo was really present in the rice. It loooked like it had quite a bit of seafood. Lobster Claw and a halved tail was on top, lots of shrimp and clams.
I got the pernil, it was really good, but not my favorite that I've had. The beans were awesome, the rice was good too. I liked the maduros, they were very sweet and sticky.
For desert got the cheesecake and chocolate molted cake, both delish.
There was one guy working there and he was very nice and attentive.
Liked the decor. Nice people watching outside.
Def. going back to this place
I'm really not sure 3 stars is fair. I wanted to give it 4. This place is like the little engine that could. It's got integrity, and it's a great value. I just think that I haven't been amazed enough to bring the troops in.
I was really impressed with the guacamole, and I have had a few other items, all to my liking, and especially the prices: definitely good.
The only thing that trumps this place is location. For me, it's not really convenient to get to.
I've got to hand it to this little joint...it's like that Chanel nail polish in 'Jade', unique, fresh and hard to find. The owner is the nice gentleman manning the front, I went in there to order some take-out and while I waited at the small bar I chatted him up about the regions of the food, it seemed like scattered Latin cuisine but the recipes are all traditional and handed down from his mother, she's a godess in my taste buds' eyes, it's really cozy in there, his wife decorated it and did a darn good job. To top it off the food is delicious...the shrimp ceviche! Gvelt! Hold the phone, stop the car... is so beautiful and tasty. The shrimps are huge and gorgeous and the flavor of the broth is sexxytime! It just makes me want to swim in a pool of it with goggles and my mouth open. I recommend going in there because I know if you discovered it, you'd go again and again and give these peeps some business. It's hard to find a nice place like this on the southside...check it out.
Okay yelpers! I had to do a review on this one since it took me forever to find it online after going almost three months ago! I'm from Cali and was visiting for a nice time in the city when the owner of my Harlem B&B put me on to the Brooklyn area near Marcy station.
After shopping my but off...I was famished and thirsty and I ducked into what seemed to be a dive and turned out to be quite a wondrous treasure!
This great South American/Venezuelan restaurant was OMG....the Ceviche was the best I'd ever had! Tangy and tart with lovely notes of chili flavor (without the heat)--BTW: almost impossible to do! The shrimp were fresh and huge and the avocado was perfecto! The service was extra friendly, the complimentary plantain chips were fresh, light and crispy with a green garlic sauce that was awesome and the ham and cheese empanadas were delish!
I mean, it's like they knew I would be there that day--and the best thing ever was that there was only three other people in the place; the plasma played Latino/a soaps while I ate, and I was so full that I really wanted to take a nap at the table. And all this with sparkling water for under $20--I know, I know--WTF? Right?
This place is awesome! It's a small family owned joint and the food is def prepared with love! The guacomole is to die for. I always order the huevos rancheros and it's like biting into a piece of heaven every time!
Their sangria is homemade and I love how much fruit they put in it!
I will never get tired of this place!
Shachis brunch? shit yea.
Steak and eggs, huevos rancheros, omelletes..mimosa, sangria, it's all good.
The only bone I pick is that they don't serve bloody mary's.
If dinner tastes as good as brunch this is a 5-star joint.
My birthday dinner, mom's in town, where to go? We had our minds set on something South American or Mexican, so we set out to that Mexican restaurant on Bedford. Our luck, it was closed. So we continued to wander down Bedford, making a loop at Metropolitan and heading back towards Broadway. We felt defeated when I remembered Shachis was sooo close.
We were the only people in the restaurant...we thought, a bad sign. Neither of us had ever had arepas before, but I assumed they were small like empanadas and we intended to order 5 to split. The owner/waiter insisted that was too much so we cut our order down to 3 with an order of guacamole and pitcher of white sangria.
The guacamole was so fresh and amazing. It was honestly the best I've ever tasted...perfect balance of cilantro and lime juice. The sangria was great too - jam packed with fresh fruit.
The arepas were delicious, but we couldn't even finish them we were so stuffed. Of course I had forgotten that my mom had mentioned to him that it was my birthday, so when he came out of the kitchen holding a giant piece of strawberry cheesecake (on the house I might say) we were overwhelmed. Too bad I'm allergic to strawberries and neither of us like cheesecake. But it's a good thing they have paper napkins :).
The owner/waiter is so charming and funny. He made it worth the 30 minute detour.
This place is the far superior Arepas joint in the hood. I've eaten here and Caracas a few times and this one always wins out. I'm not as wild about the "chicken salad" arepa as everyone else but I do like the straight up pollo arepa with lots of hot sauce. This isn't food I want all the time, but for what it is, it's the best of it I know in the city. (which isn't exactly saying much)
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I was a little trepidacious about going here when my boyfriend suggested it. Venezuelan food? Arepas? I'd never had them before. But I loved it. The Mexican in me puts arepas on a par with Gorditas, but the two are probably way different to a Venezuelan. Arepas definitely are far less greasy.
All-in-all, It's one of the best meals we've had in a long time flavor-wise. To begin with, they give you plantain chips and chimichurri sauce to start off with. I'm not a big chip eater, but that sauce is hard to avoid.
We both ordered the arepas and a couple beef empanadas. Everything looks tiny when it arrives at the table--we were both thinking we were gonna need a second lunch after we devoured the small arepas and tiny empanadas. But no! Everything looks tiny, but it's insanely hearty. I had the Reina Pepiada arepa, which was essentially boiled chicken and potatoes in a cream sauce with avocado. He went more simple and stuck with a bean and cheese arepa. They were both wonderful.
It set us back 15 dollars for 2 arepas and 2 empanadas, and we were very happy and not overly stuffed. Bigger portions would get this place a 5, but we'll probably go back again and again, and just order a little more food.
Went for brunch today and had the best experience. I don't do brunch very often it's either breakfast or lunch (usually). Well, now I know what I've been missing. This place is no joke. The menu is overwhelming because everything looks delicious. I decided to order the flank steak with eggs. I've never had steak and eggs before, so this was a first, although a heavy meal it was unbelivable, so delicious!
For sides we decided to order the guacomole which was probably the best guacomole I've ever had, so fresh and the avocadoes must have been perfect!ly picked We also ordered the chicken and cheese mini empandas, mmmm so good. To drink we decided on the Sangria, and let me tell you the Sangria is in a humongous cup for only $7, and you'll catch a nice little buzz!!!!!!!!
Everything is really cheap but oh so good! I'll be coming back for brunch again, no doubts about it!
Did I mention how cheap it is?? $15 a person, that's cheaper than a diner. There's no comparison!
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This place is definitely off the beaten path, but what you lose in convenience you gain in delicious, quality food and good service. The arepas are really tasty - moist on the inside and crispy on the outside - with an array of topics. Their sweet plantains were spot on - some of the best I've had in a while, and the avocado salad was nicely seasoned with oregano and salt. The sauce that came with the complimentary plantain chips was addictive (tasted like chimichurri) and the empanadas were also very tasty. All this for about $15 per person! Highly recommended.
In a pabellon arepa fight....Shachis would win over Caracas. This is conclusion I drew today as I sat at work, blissfully munching on a mound of beef, plantains, and beans nestled between two hot and crunchy corn deliciousness extravaganzas. Yup. You read that right.
Now I have to try every kind of arepa to futher finalize my conclusion that it whups the pants off the admittedly delicious Caracas. It's a challenge I'm happy to accept.
Great stuff! All's fresh and the restaurant is bright and clean. Definitely a nice addition to the neighborhood. I, having never eaten here before, and hearing about it from various souls, tried a few items first time in. I ordered a chicken arepa, a beef empanada, and sweet plantains... to go (over to s4th bar)... I was served some water and crispy plaintain chips, which were perfect, crisp, grease-free, and just salty enough to keep you going back to that bowl, it was served with an oil/garlic/herb dip that was good too. Beer and wine is available, and the owner was behind the counter and on the floor...(trust me-this is always a good sign). My only complaint is that growing up with this type of food, I can't seem to accept paying $5 for an arepa, in my mind it should be a $1.50 item/$2 tops...
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After gratefully fleeing from the inexplicably packed Lodge, we found highly satisfying sustenance at Shachis. Their $11.95 brunch special includes crispy, fresh plantain chips with a yummy garlic and herb oil dip, a mimosa or a bloody, and coffee served in a trick-or-treat Halloween glass mug. The huevos rancheros are different from how I've had them at other places -- here they are served as a parfait with layers of crispy fresh tortillas, creamy chunks of avocado and the most delicious black beans I've had in a long time. And the eggs were perfectly cooked and just runny enough so that they envelop the tortillas with egg-y goodness but don't spill all over the plate. The service was a bit slow but really wonderfully friendly, like being served by your uncle. Definitely recommended if food is your focus and not the brunch "scene."
The empanadas are delicious when they are hot and freshly fried and dipped in the flavorful chili sauce they give you. They aren't as yummy when they're cold though.
People thought this was:
I went back and forth between four and five stars. It's definitely a 4.5 star place. Not the greatest meal ever, but in terms of the extremely high quality and relative cheapness of the food, this is up there in the running for best food value in the city.
The star of the show here is, of course, arepas, although their empanadas are definitely worth digging into as well. The free plantain chips with a green garlicy dip is a great way to start off the meal. The ham and cheese, both in arepa and empanada form are good and worth having if you're a fan of ham and cheese.
But the real star of the arepas is the black bean, sweet plantains, cheese, and shredded beef (which they can make vegetarian upon request). Coming up only slightly shorter than that is the shredded chicken with potatoes arepa.
It's hard to go wrong with the arepas. We've gone a number of times and never had a dud, so I feel pretty comfortable recommending you go there and just choose whatever sounds best to you; you won't be let down.
They also sell beer by the bottle and fresh squeezed fruit juices, which go well with the arepas and empanadas. I haven't tried the entrees beyond those, so I can't speak for them.
Thank you, thank you, o' food gods of the Southside. Rarely do you hear our prayers for new delivery places. Tonight, you have answered our prayers and bestowed upon us delicious food that felt as if I were eating the real deal at a local food fair. Yes, the delivery boy may have gotten lost. And yes, the food may have been a bit on the greasy side. But alas, it was all delicious. New tastes have been delivered to our door that we have not yet found deliverable from anyplace else. The salad was great. The arepas were great. The arroz con pollo tasted like it came right out of mama's kitchen.
Shachis, you are in. You are so in.
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Came here for brunch. I tried the arepas with chorizo which wasn't really memorable. Caracas definitely beats them on this one.
However, their brunch specials are terrific and dirt cheap! I had the poached eggs with ham on an arepa which was good. And my man-friend had the skirt steak - which had really good flavoring. Perhaps next time I will fare better with their entrees instead of the arepas.....
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Ok, aside from the fact that the arepas are just dreamy, the dude who runs the place is like the nicest guy since Ghandi.
Just ordered Shachi's for delivery for the first time yesterday!
The beef empanada was the bomb. I was also not disappointed with the arepas & the vegetable omelette (omelettes are only served on weekends as part of their brunch menu).
Tasty food indeed.
Yum!
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This place makes great arepas and the veggie, cheese and beef empanadas are awesome too.
The drinks are pretty cheap, and the fresh juices are excellent - my favorite is mango-pineapple.
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YUM! YUM! YUM!
My friends and I stumbled upon Shachis a few months ago. The owner was very friendly when answering our questions about the menu. The food is so flavorful. They have a great variety to choose from. Great cocktails as well!
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I've only had the arepas but I prefer the ones from Caracas. While Shachis is more generous with their portions, the Caracas arepas just taste better. I think that they need some sort of all-encompassing sauce or something? They're a bit dry.
Bonus points for being friendly. When I went in to place a take-out order, the guy that worked there gave me plantain chips and was overall just very nice.
I'm curious to see what brunch is like so I'll probably give it a go someday.
This place is terrific!
They serve Venezuelan food here and as far as I can tell it's authentic. I love the daily specials. You get a heap of delicious food for a great price.
What a nice little place on the southside to get a bite!
They also deliver if you rather stay in. And they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Mmmm Mmmmm.
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almost a 4. Great empenadas, delicious food and good service. The atmosphere was a little rough as a couple was loudly fighting on the other side of the room. Obviously I wish the manager has asked them to quiet down but they were sweet adn gave us an additional dessert on the house becasue they decided our 1st dessert was too small. That was sweet.
OHMAHGADIZSOOGUD!!! We had the most perfect brunch this past Sunday. We got the huevos rancheros, a couple of arepas filled with yumminess, and mimosas. Service was awesome, the place is really cute, and the price is right.
I came here just a few weekends ago with some friends from out of town visiting. We came late for the brunch and arrived in the early afternoon. The brunch options were few, but equally mouth-watering. We ordered the flank steak and eggs accompanied by arepits, huevos rancheros. For a mere $12 we were also offered the choice of mimosa or bloody mary with our meal, mimosas were ordered all around to commensurate the return of Mimosa Sunday! Now these mimosas were exactly the kind I would pour myself, heavy on the champagne and just enough orange juice to satisfy that morning thirst. I had never had Steak and Eggs before but Shachis made me a fan. A bloody steak and over easy eggs never tasted so good. The arepitas, a smaller version of the regular arepas served here, were cooked to a golden yellow. Three were served with my steak and eggs and I loved each golden disc. My friend's Huevos Rancheros were anything but the soggy tortillas that the words Huevos Rancheros usually bring to my mind. Now these were something different. Like the place itself and the food served there the presentation was excellent. The eggs on top of the arepa/tortilla served looked perfectly cooked and perched on top were four slices of avocado heaven. Black beans spilled from the creation, and cheese was used with restraint. I can definitely recommend this to anyone and hope to come back soon.
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It was little disappointing for me after all 5 star ratings. I think Caracas is much better than Shachis. All the arepas looked good on the menu but something was missing in the taste. The service was very friendly and south American soccer league on TV. I had a good time.
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My partner and I made a special trip out to Brooklyn to check this place out. The Venezuelan food was outstanding, especially the arepas, which were perfectly done, light and crispy. Go there for brunch and try their mango mimosas. The service was also outstanding especially compared to the rather indifferent service at the other Venezuelan restaurants in Manhatten.
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Really tasty, and cheap! Best empanadas I've ever had. I've noticed the hours are a bit irregular, but it's always been open the times I've gone.
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Happy Hour 7 Days a week from…
Neighborhood: Boerum Hill
Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand…
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: Bakeries
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - South Side
Category: Thai
