Caracas Arepa Bar

A revisit. An unfamiliar experience from three years ago. There is a line for take-out. It is crowded, busy and booming on a Tuesday night. Caracas Arepa is a destination for yuppies; the young: rich and poor to satisfy their Venezuelan craving. Though these cravings do not come cheap. One specialty arepa goes for $7-$8: the size of these pitalike pockets resembles the dimension of a burger from White Castle, aka slider. This is not to say, these arepas are fast food. It is not: Caracas Arepa makes it very clear that every order is made-to-order and hence, the long wait. $8 gives you about four to five bites: a very meek portion.

In spite of high prices, the arepas are tasty; packed in flavor; warm and toasty to the touch. Be prepared to have multiple orders. I recommend the La Sureña: grilled chicken and chorizo, with avocado slices with spicy chimi-churri sauce-—a good dose of herb and spices.

Perhaps the lack of NYC’s Venezuelan food fare; yuppies and hipsters fad-making may have exaggerated the quality of its food; the long lines and wait may have created this illusion that the food is better and fresher than it truly is.

Despite the ponderous remarks, Caracas Arepas is here to stay—-even during these economic times, it manages to open a second shop in Williamsburg. Suffice to say, they have a niche and a very strong following.


CARACAS AREPA BAR 93 1/2 E 7 Street, New York, NY 10009. TEL 212.529.2314 www.caracasarepabar.com