Cafe Caracas

I really wanted to like this place. Unfortunately the food just didn’t stack up.
–It’s located in a sketchy neighborhood and it’s a hole in the wall, but that’s not an issue.
–No Menu, but who cares.
I lived in Venezuela for 8 years, so I find myself missing and craving truly authentic Venezuelan cuisine. The Empanadas at Café Caracas were a little stiff and lacking in flavor. The Arepa was also way too much on the crispy side and the corn/​shredded chicken filling was pretty bland. The only redeeming factor was the carne mechada, which actually tasted somewhat like the real thing. It was just an overall disappointing experience.
All of the food was edible, but it lacked the true flavor and authenticity of genuine Venezuelan cuisine.

The Best Guasacaca ever!!! The Empanadas are just perfect, the Cachapas also are excellent!!! They have Frescolita!!! So far this little place has one of the best Venezuelan food here in LA. You can taste a little bit of Caracas in here, when I go eat there I feel like I was back in my home town: D

Today I woke up and knew exactly what I wanted to eat. Arepaaaa. For those of you who don’t know — the Arepa is a very well known dish in Venezuela and Colombia cuisine (it is also eaten in other parts of Latin America — Arepas or variations of it). It’s made out of pre-​cooked corn and can be grilled or fried.
Café Caracas is located in a sketchy ass neighbourhood. No really, I’m not kidding. There are a couple of people that kinda stand out while you make your way to the place. I didn’t have a problem walking out in the daylight. However I would not mosey around once the sun sets.
At first It was a little hard to find the spot but I was able to spot the Venezuelan flag hanging next to the entrance. Once you find the location Caracas Café is the first establishment on your immediate. Once I got in asked for a menu, but they didn’t have one. I found odd — but it did not bother me.
The Arepas were well made, I only ordered the carne mechada [shredded meat] with avocado. the arepa was cooked the right way and the meat was seasoned properly. I personally like my meat more shredded but that’s just my preference. They had Kraft type cheese which is a no-​no in my book. Not a fan of processed cheese. For a drink I ordered a cocktail of beet, carrot and apple.
The total cost of everything was a flat 8 bucks! Bam.
If you feel adventurous and feel like trying it out. Go for it. But don’t get the processed cheese here or anywhere else. Come on. PROCESSED CHEESE? Why ?! Why.

I’ve tried Venezuelan food before and I absolutely LOVED IT, so cruising through Downtown LA, Café Caracas definitely popped out. Needless to say, they really have all of the Venezuelan favorites, from cachapas, arepas, empanadas! My favorite here is the reina pepiada, accompanied of course by a very yummy Frescolita that hits the spot. The only down spot is that parking is hard to find, but I liked the food & service so much that I’ll be coming back.

Really authentic Venezuelan place, empanadas, cachapas, arepas, pabellon… The cachapas are made from scratch! Lovely owner, I will be coming back for more :) The empanadas of carne molida take me back to the empanadas I used to eat at the school’s cantina in Caracas A++++++

I really wish I could give this place more than 3 stars. I’m Venezuelan and was excited to hear there was a new addition to the small number of Venezuelan restaurants open in LA. It’s a hole in the wall spot, which I didn’t mind, but they didn’t even have a menu. Staff was very nice and welcoming. They had Malta and Frescolita which was a plus. We got the cachapa con queso (a little too dry and crumbly for my taste, not enough cheese), arepa con carne mechada (the meat was seasoned well), reina pepiada (good), and arepa con jamon and queso amarillo (they used cheap Kraft singles instead of traditional Gouda cheese, plus they added mayo which I’m not a fan of in arepas). The Arepas in general were very thin and soft– not filling. Maybe I’m just too picky with my Venezuelan food but this place could use way better ingredients. They make good fruit juices/​shakes though.

It’s located in skid row, although not a problem for me, it may be for some. Cachapas and the arepas de carne mechada y Reina pepiada are the way to go. Parking is hard to find. The owner and her nephew are from Venezuela and they could not have more welcoming to me and my Venezuelan girlfriend. I hope they stay open for a long time. We need more Venezuelan restaurants in L.A.

A nice small Venezuelan spot where you can get an arepa, empanada, cachapa, etc. They also have classic Venezuelan beverages including Malta and Frescolitas. I had empanadas, arepas and cachapas all really good. For arepas, I recommend reina pepeada or peluda. Food was very good and the service was great as well. They opened recently, so I’m excited to see how they expand their menu and business which they said is in their goals.

Comida Venezolana rica en Los Ángeles. They serve typical Venezuelan food. It’s a place to grab a quick bite. Arepas, cachapas, coffee.