After the rousing success that was Vesta's brunch, I prematurely crowned Astoria as the king of New York's diamond-in-the-rough restaurant scene. Of course, this was most irregular, as I'm usually never premature...about anything. Astoria is not bulletproof, of course, but it still represents an attractive culinary investment, particularly for those whose pockets are shallower than my taste in women. Just kidding ladies, you're beautiful on the inside, too, from what I've heard.
Arepas Cafe falls squarely into the realm of "austerity measures." Don't let the elegant website fool you; what you see is what you get. That is to say, you're getting elevated street food served in a venue the size of a shoebox with enough character to make you say, "What was that cute little Venezuelan place we went to last month?" Of course, you won't remember, and you won't care that you don't remember. Instead, you'll probably wind up back there in a few years with an intense feeling of deja vu and a substantial amount of regret.
Before we start unabashedly bashing Arepas Cafe for no reason, let's first go over what an Arepa is (this is your cue to read the wiki). Now that you're back, you might be saying to yourself, "Why is that General Tso so gosh darn mean? I mean, the ceiling for this type of fare is pretty low." Look here, cupcake, cry me a river. Being a restaurant that serves primarily street food does not excuse the place from lack of experimentation. Browse the menu of Arepas Cafe and you'll be stunned at the lack of creativity. Again, the food wasn't bad, it was simply disappointing. If you're up for an average meal at an average restaurant, then by all means spend your money, which apparently grows on trees, at Arepas Cafe.
Verdict: 3.5 out of 5 austerity measures
Arepas Cafe falls squarely into the realm of "austerity measures." Don't let the elegant website fool you; what you see is what you get. That is to say, you're getting elevated street food served in a venue the size of a shoebox with enough character to make you say, "What was that cute little Venezuelan place we went to last month?" Of course, you won't remember, and you won't care that you don't remember. Instead, you'll probably wind up back there in a few years with an intense feeling of deja vu and a substantial amount of regret.
Before we start unabashedly bashing Arepas Cafe for no reason, let's first go over what an Arepa is (this is your cue to read the wiki). Now that you're back, you might be saying to yourself, "Why is that General Tso so gosh darn mean? I mean, the ceiling for this type of fare is pretty low." Look here, cupcake, cry me a river. Being a restaurant that serves primarily street food does not excuse the place from lack of experimentation. Browse the menu of Arepas Cafe and you'll be stunned at the lack of creativity. Again, the food wasn't bad, it was simply disappointing. If you're up for an average meal at an average restaurant, then by all means spend your money, which apparently grows on trees, at Arepas Cafe.
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| Street food they might as well serve on the asphalt. |
Verdict: 3.5 out of 5 austerity measures
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