Caracas Arepa Bar

(212) 228-5062

91 E 7th St (1st Avenue and Avenue A)
New York, NY 10009 40.727 -73.9855

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown

CARACASAREPABAR.COM

Hours:

Daily 12pm-11pm

Price:

$

Last updated 11.15.09

Category:

Catering, Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot, Cheap Eats

Cuisine:

Latin American, Venezuelan

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Caracas Arepa Bar

Featured Review

Justin Hartung

Contributor

A brightly painted mural and exposed kitchen lend this tiny space an airy feel. If you don't get a table, grab a seat at the counter, right next to the cherry-red Jesus figurine perched atop the soda fridge. Shaped like pita bread, only thicker and made of corn, the arepas here are generously stuffed with a variety of fillings. Start simple, with black beans or one of three cheeses, then move on to something more adventurous, like portobello and tofu, or a zesty tuna salad. Deep-fried empanadas have fewer filling options, but are big enough for a meal.

Editor's Tips

What to Drink:
Caracas offers a small selection of beer and wine or try papelon con limon, a sugary (but refreshing) lime drink.
Know Before You Go:
The sampler plate is a good way to try the fillings, though its nugget-sized arepas don't dip very well. Be brave and order a whole arepa.
When To Go:
Though the main dining room opens at 5:30pm on weekdays, the to-go section starts serving at 12pm.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “This is a fun place to grab an authentic Venezuelan dish.”
  2. “If you want a real Venezuelan joint with room, brightly painted walls and beautiful Venezuelan decorations, go to Shachi's in Williamsburg on Havemeyer St. a few blocks above Broadway near Marcy Ave. After this experience, I'm stoicking to my tried and tr”
  3. “delicious arepas, great vibe, funkiest decor and the cutest owner in the universe.”
  4. “The place is tiny, so not good for big groups, but it's got great ambiance, we went there with a group of 4 and had a fantastic time.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “and once you get in it's worth it, down your 2 or 3 arepas, have a Toddy chocolate drink and some traditional Venezuelan dessert, the people are very friendly and hospitable!”
  2. “The waitress/hostess seemed a bit sad when we told her we weren't ordering dessert (those arepas are deceptively filling!)”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “did love the camburada drink which was a banana shake w/ cinnamon.”
  2. “and once you get in it's worth it, down your 2 or 3 arepas, have a Toddy chocolate drink and some traditional Venezuelan dessert, the people are very friendly and hospitable!”
  3. “The food was pretty good (guacamole with fried plantain chips, arepas with pork, chorizo, eggplant, onions, etc.) and they had alot of really good beverages (rice and cinnamon drink, papaya juice, etc.) and the prices are very reasonable.”
food quality
92.15999603271484% positive
  1. “But if you want good food at a good price, then definitely check it out.”
  2. “The food is unique and good.”
  3. “There is a nice variety of arepa sandwiches, from vegetarian to beef.”
  4. “The food is delicious, and great to sample a bunch of different things.”
  5. “This is a fun place to grab an authentic Venezuelan dish.”
  6. “great food, but not wallet friendly”
  7. “Arepas are good but sometimes they're a little hard, which makes me think that there are not as fresh as they should be.”
  8. “Great food; Expensive for what it is.”
  9. “The beef on the pabellon was basically kind of dry and just didnt taste so good.”
  10. “The arepas are the best, stuffed with meat and cheese and vegatables that are mouth wateringly good.”
  11. “Arepas here are delicious - they come out crispy and stuffed with whatever filling you asked for.”
  12. “After recently coming back from a business trip from Venezuela, I decided to take my wife out to dinner to get her to try some of the wonderful food I had there.”
  13. “Never been to Venezuela but this food is amazing, the arepas and cachapas are the best.”
  14. “Coming from Venezuela I thought I'd eat a very tasty cachapa [a pancake made out of corn], but it wasn't really the same.”
  15. “love Venezuelan food!”
  16. “the arepas tasted amazing, probably some of these best food i've ever had.”
  17. “The food was pretty good (guacamole with fried plantain chips, arepas with pork, chorizo, eggplant, onions, etc.) and they had alot of really good beverages (rice and cinnamon drink, papaya juice, etc.) and the prices are very reasonable.”
  18. “Which are plantains and cheese wrapped in a sweet dough/bread---absolutely amazing.”
  19. “It was so crispy and the fish was amazing.”
  20. “The meat was delicious and the plantains with the salty cheese was tasty.”
  21. “delicious arepas, great vibe, funkiest decor and the cutest owner in the universe.”
  22. “The most delicious finger food (the healthy way)”
  23. “The brunch is a great deal--eggs, beans, fresh salad, fried cheese, the best cafe con leche outside of south america, and fresh squeezed tropical fruit juice for $12!”
  24. “just felt embarrassed as I tried to show my wife some of the great food I had in Venezuela.”
  25. “They may seem heavy to those not used to them, but they are a great healthy meal and cheap too!”
  26. “The food at this restaurant is soooo good.”
  27. “The sauce available at the table is good in it and is not too spicy but rather sweet.”
  28. “We couldn't stop but kept commenting on the amazing flavor and texture of our dishes.”
  29. “Arepa and Empanads are delicious but to pay over $6.50 for pabellon is nuts.”
  30. “They've got the smallest tables I've ever seen, which actually aren't big enough to hold all the food, so you're engaged in a balancing act to figure out where to put down your glass.”
  31. “The food is really good.”
  32. “This is authentic venezuelan food, it is delicious, homemade and great on price and service.”
  33. “We also had the domino empanada which was so-so(I expected more flavor) but the arepas was really good mainly because of the cheese(so yummy!)”
  34. “The chips/guacamole were delicious as were the many different types of arepas.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Good variety for the price, including empanadas and the ever loved cachapa”
  2. “The menu is very budget friendly and the appetizers can also act as your entree.”
  3. “There is a nice variety of arepa sandwiches, from vegetarian to beef.”
overall
50.0% positive
  1. “Arepas are always good and this place beats waiting for one from a dirty shack in a corner of Caracas.”
service
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. “The waitress/hostess seemed a bit sad when we told her we weren't ordering dessert (those arepas are deceptively filling!)”
  2. “While the place is uncomfortably small, the service was just terrible.”
  3. “Friendly service, nice vibe.”
  4. “Staff was friendly - to be honest the only negative was they tried to stuff us as close to other customers when many tables were open, and of course the couple next to us was loud and obnoxious - a little space would have been nicer.”
  5. “The menu is very budget friendly and the appetizers can also act as your entree.”
  6. “Staff is very friendly.”
  7. “This is authentic venezuelan food, it is delicious, homemade and great on price and service.”
  8. “great food, but not wallet friendly”
  9. “and once you get in it's worth it, down your 2 or 3 arepas, have a Toddy chocolate drink and some traditional Venezuelan dessert, the people are very friendly and hospitable!”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “Good variety for the price, including empanadas and the ever loved cachapa”
  2. “They may seem heavy to those not used to them, but they are a great healthy meal and cheap too!”
  3. “The food was pretty good (guacamole with fried plantain chips, arepas with pork, chorizo, eggplant, onions, etc.) and they had alot of really good beverages (rice and cinnamon drink, papaya juice, etc.) and the prices are very reasonable.”
  4. “But if you want good food at a good price, then definitely check it out.”
  5. “This is authentic venezuelan food, it is delicious, homemade and great on price and service.”
  6. “Food is great but prices are high.”
  7. “and once you get in it's worth it, down your 2 or 3 arepas, have a Toddy chocolate drink and some traditional Venezuelan dessert, the people are very friendly and hospitable!”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “Its very small but (festively decorated) and got full real quick.”
  2. “It is a very casual place that's perfect for a quick lunch.”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

05/07/10

great food, but not wallet friendly

by fluffy pancakes

the arepas tasted amazing, probably some of these best food i've ever had. it's usually crowded at night for the dinner crowd, but luckily there is a "take-out" side for a quick fix.

for around $7 each, for what seems to be the size of a whopper jr, its not the best bang for your buck. maybe at $4-$5 it would make me a regular, but for now, a one time a week hit will have to do.

don't bother going on a fri/sat night, the wait for a table of two can be up to 1hr. parties of more than 2, don't hold your breath.

  • Pros: delicious arepas
  • Cons: over priced, crowded
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/07/10

Sweet and Savory, Delish!

by caryn donohue

I've only tried the Arepa De Pabellón, but it was outstanding. These sandwiches are made with corn bread, and this particular arepa had sweet platains, salty white cheese, black beans and shredded beef. It was served warm and was a great combination of sweet and savory. The only "drawback" could be the decor. It is a very casual place that's perfect for a quick lunch. I wouldn't recommend it for a nice dinner or anything like that. But if you want good food at a good price, then definitely check it out.

  • Pros: The food!
  • Cons: Nothing
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/28/10

Caracas Rocks!

by Athena Chang , Citysearch Contributor

People say good things are worth waiting for and YES, Caracas Arepa Bar is definitely one of those. We waited for almost an hour and finally got to sit down before 9.

this is the first time I had "Arepa" and it was amazing. They baked the bread and then grilled it. It was so crispy that I thought it was fried!

We got the De Pabellon arepa and La Surena. They were both juicy and tender. Also, we got a De Cazon empanadas. It was so crispy and the fish was amazing.

We couldn't stop but kept commenting on the amazing flavor and texture of our dishes. We would def come back for a cosy and yummy meal. Maybe To Go next door :)

  • Pros: Simply the best arepas
  • Cons: Addictive?
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/20/10

Good for a snack

by Phroggy

Went here on a chilly thursday night. The place is extremely small, and was full when I went. Got seated in about 15 minutes.

The menu has many different arepas to choose from, all with different insides. I ordered no. 8 and no. 20. Both were very good, and arrived at the table hot, which meant they were fresh. I will say that the no. 20 had lots of garlic in it, and I'm sure my breath smelled for the next day or so.

Each arepa was about $7, which seems a little pricey for what ultimately amounts to a small sandwich. If these were more like $4 each, I'd eat here all the time

  • Pros: Tasty arepas
  • Cons: A little pricey
2 Star Rating: Below Average

08/17/09

No Thanks

by CSMobileUser2

I tried this place last Saturday after hearing all these great review for years. I knew what arepas were and thought I knew what to expect. For starters, the place is about as big as a bathroom. The tables are about as small as small as a notebook and you're practically sitting on top of your neighbor. I literally had to sit on a window sill. Secondly, the food was greasy, small, and very mediocre for what you got. I would never go back. If you want a real Venezuelan joint with room, brightly painted walls and beautiful Venezuelan decorations, go to Shachi's in Williamsburg on Havemeyer St. a few blocks above Broadway near Marcy Ave. After this experience, I'm stoicking to my tried and true.

The Details on Caracas Arepa Bar

Place Categories:

  • great venezuelan food
  • delicious arepas
  • recommend casual place
  • just didnt deep fried taste
  • very friendly people
  • very tasty cachapa
  • not too spicy sauce
  • nice variety
  • good price
  • crispy fish
  • very friendly staff
  • tasty plantains
  • nice vibe
  • beautiful special party
  • really good milkshake
  • just terrible service
  • great ambiance
  • good taste
  • fresh salad
  • absolutely amazing cheese
  • warm water
  • full real quick
  • most delicious finger
  • good ol st marks
  • favorite restaurants

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