Caracas Arepa Bar: Brooklyn
An offshoot of the East Village arepa bar that beat out Bobby Flay in a Throwdown!, Caracas Brooklyn serves up Venezuelan fare in Williamsburg. "The Brooklyn space is far larger than its Manhattan sibling (75 seats, not counting the patio that will open in spring) and has a more artsy, ramshackle vibe due to touches like oversized prints of Caracas and walls of unfinished, reclaimed lumber," writes Keith Wagstaff for The Feedbag.
"What are these arepas, you ask? Think of them as a hybrid of a sandwich, a burrito, and a muffin. They come stuffed with chicken, beef, chorizo, or tofu and lots of cheesy goodness. There is a secret sauce kept on the table that is so wonderful and spicy that you might be tempted to sneak it out in your tote bag," writes Kerri Anderson for the Examiner. OffManhattan notes that bottles of the sauce are available for $7.50 and besides arepas, Caracas serves: "Pabellón Criollo, the Venezuelan national rice dish comprised of shredded beef, beans, and plantains topped with crumbled cheese."
The Young and Hungry adds, "The Yoyos, fried sweet plantain balls stuffed with white cheese, come with a molasses dipping sauce and are also delicious." And we recommend washing your meal down with a papelón con limón (Venezuelan limeade) and ordering the obleas (dulce de leche sandwiched between two very thin, round wafers) for a light dessert. How would you rate this place?
Reviews (16)
tybur6 wrote a review on June 24, 2009 12:18 PM
Effing Billyburg... I'd rather go almost anywhere else. Caracas should have thought about opening this elsewhere. Particularly somewhere that isn't Williamsburg.
bklynbpr wrote a review on June 24, 2009 12:22 PM
is this place still byo?
wine lover wrote a review on June 24, 2009 12:42 PM
i don't think that it has a liquor license yet.
sorry tybur6 - the burg is cool. park slope, not so much.
tybur6 wrote a review on June 24, 2009 12:56 PM
I don't want it to necessarily be in Park Slope either... I'll just keep going to original place in Manhattan. These are effin' good.
dirty_hipster wrote a review on June 24, 2009 1:26 PM
"Effing Billyburg... I'd rather go almost anywhere else. Caracas should have thought about opening this elsewhere. Particularly somewhere that isn't Williamsburg. "
Successful Manhattan restaurantaurs will continue opening offshoots in Williamsburg as rents are cheap and there's more foot traffic than other Brooklyn neighborhoods.
And if you prefer the fratboy puke fest in the East Village over Williamsburg - you've got problems (lesser of two evils situation)
mopar wrote a review on June 24, 2009 2:17 PM
BYO? It's a bar!
I've been wondering about the food.
Tyburg6, your comments are relevant only to yourself.
mopar wrote a review on June 24, 2009 2:17 PM
BYOB? It's a bar!
I've been wondering about the food.
Tyburg6, your comments are relevant only to yourself.
tybur6 wrote a review on June 24, 2009 2:32 PM
Dirty Hipster.... i don't prefer the frat boy scene, but the east village is easier to get to for me than Billyburg. The effort required to get there colors what is tolerable when one arrives.
Mopar, which comments? That the Caracas Arepas are effin' good? I stand behind that comment wholeheartedly.
zachgee wrote a review on June 24, 2009 3:01 PM
tybur,
you and the other yuppie, ostensibly 30 somethings on this site need to lay the hell of williamsburg. I know that the young folks cramp your style when you're wheeling your double wide stroller, and that once, a punk bumped into you when your baby Bjorn was on, but come on.
And by your logic, the world is Tybur6-centric, as if it's hard for you to get to, it's a pain.
Ugh.
dirty_hipster wrote a review on June 24, 2009 3:08 PM
I believe Mopar was referring to the following comment Tybur:
"Effing Billyburg... I'd rather go almost anywhere else. Caracas should have thought about opening this elsewhere. Particularly somewhere that isn't Williamsburg."
Ok - enough haterade for today - anyone else actually been here? As per their website they take reservations (brooklyn location only)
tybur6 wrote a review on June 24, 2009 3:35 PM
Just for the record, I am 31 and I don't have a kid... and my baby bjorn is for my massive junk. Oh and Williamsburg sucks. :-) Zachgee, you're a little sensitive. Are you skinny jeans riding up your snatch?
I do, reluctantly, have to admit there are a FEW places in Billyburg that are worth the trip. So, I may have to check out the Caracas annex next time I go up there. The original locale is in fact deeeelicious.
dirty_hipster wrote a review on June 24, 2009 3:56 PM
Come on Tybur - Williamsburg residents have no income - live in ugly houses - have to deal with toxic waste and deal with machete weilding gang members. At least be happy that we have nice places to eat and get drunk!! ;)
lmk2101 wrote a review on June 24, 2009 5:07 PM
This place is amazing! I went a few weeks ago with my boyfriend. I had never had an arepa before! I was very pleasantly surprised by how great they were! Highly recommended.
MsBrooklyn wrote a review on June 25, 2009 9:15 AM
This is the best food in NYC. No joke.
panamac wrote a review on July 6, 2009 1:24 PM
after falling in love with the e.vill location, i tried the williamsburg spot on 6/27. found the food to be about the same (great), and thoroughly enjoyed not having to wait an hour and then be cramped into a space the size of a coffin. we were seated on the outdoor patio, which was nice. the only warning i would like to issue is that as of 6/27, they did not serve beer/wine/liquor, and did not allow BYO.
hazenyc wrote a review on October 7, 2009 3:46 PM
yum
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