Shachis Arepas

3.5, good Empanadas very crisp. Wife thought they were a bit greasy. Arepa was crunchy but a bit dry. Nice dipping sauces. Comfortable environment. Worth checking out.

If you’re ever in one of those «crying on the couch/​dirty sweat pant wearing» moods that only living your daily life in NYC can induce, I suggest you pick up the phone and order some Sachis Arepas.
I’ve never actually made it to their location, but the dozen or so times that I’ve ordered in has been like a Latin American Santa Claus has brought a present directly into my mouth — in a GOOD way.
I’ve never looked at the menu but they seem very accommodating as I’ve often sniffled into the phone, «Do you have anything like a ham and cheese sand which?»
The person has always proceed to calmly go over the menu and after has warmly reassured me that everything will, indeed, be OK.
Haven’t had an areapa I don’t like and they’ve got a wide variety of appetizers. Also, dirt cheap – minus the dirt.

Best arepas I’ve ever had & I’ve had them all: Caracas, Arepa, Arepa, etc Will deliver under 10 $, nice family, I created a Unilocal account just to review this place. Excellent!

Whew. Pretty great and affordable arepas. Not as extensive a menu or as «styled» of an atmosphere as Caracas up the street, but that also means it is less crowded.
I had the vegetariana and the domino (black beans and cheese) as well as a side of sweet plaintains. The arepas were crispy on the outside and soft and sweet on the inside. Nothing too out-​there about the fillings, but that’s fine.
Totally good. Friendly service, too.

This is one of my favorite places. It’s a small, quaint place that you might easily pass by mistake. I ended up here on a whim in April 2008 and have been coming back ever since. The décor is bright and cheery, though the actual lighting is a little dark, which creates a relaxing ambience.
Although this is a Venezuelan place, I am very accustomed to arepas from Colombia and was excited to see so many varieties. I love the pabellon arepas the best filled will grated cheese, fried sweet plantains, beef, and black beans. I would also highly recommend both the red and white sangrias, which are sweet and have bits off fruit, yet are potent, as well as the batidos with milk, especially mora (like blackberry).
My only gripe about Shachi’s is that compared with, say, Colombian food, the amount of food you get for the dollar could be a bit more if ordering an entrée.

In the battle between Caracas and this place, my girlfriend and I really wanted this underdog to win. And while the arepas were good, we thought the flavors could’ve been much bolder. We reluctantly agreed Caracas has the better arepa. The maracuja juice was delicious and the staff friendly.
However, the general atmosphere was pretty depressing. It was empty, dark with slow jams being the music of choice for our entire visit. We would have loved some Venezuelan music, or something to spice up the vibe.

Don’t be fooled by the unassuming neighborhood. I loved this placed. Food was delicious and service was great. My first time in Williamsburg and first time I tried Venezuelan food. The décor is bright and cheerful. The owner was very accommodating to our party of 11. The pitchers of sangria were nice and strong. My paella for 1 was perfect and came with half a lobster, enough to share. We’ll definitely be back to try the other items on the menu.

very nice Venezuelan food. even people from Venezuela will recommend you this nice restaurant in Williamsburg. the decoration is very ordinary but very warm. I talked with the owner, it’s a family restaurant run by a nice couple.
the margaritas were fantastic. their guacamole and octopus salad are impressive. their main dishes are pretty good as well. socially their dishes with pork.

A really lovely little spot. The owner is extremely kind and very helpful in explaining the menu. The décor is very cute. Food was cheap and delicious. When I informed the owner that I found the place on Unilocal,he looked very perplexed :)
I will definitely be back and will recommend it to my friends.

Brunch with south American spin

Just ate here for lunch and the food was amazingly fresh and delicious. According to the owner, all the sauces were homemade Venezuan recipes from his wife (and they do taste homemade). The arepas and empanadas were co

Just ate here for lunch and the food was amazingly fresh and delicious. According to the owner, all the sauces were homemade Venezuan recipes from his wife (and they do taste homemade). The arepas and empanadas were cooked perfectly with a crispness on the outside that gave them a crunch before the hot juicy fillings punch you in the face with their greatness.
Went on a Sunday at noon and there wasn’t another soul in there, which is a damned shame because the place serves very good food. The $ 12.50 brunch came with a coffee and fresh squeezed fruit juice (had the mango which was good). I highly recommend the huevos rancheros.
Williamsburg hipsters unite and go to Shachis!

I love Shachis. But I can’t help but compare it to Caracas, which comprises the majority of my arepa experience. Arepexperience, if you will. (I actually think that might catch on, if it didn’t sound like «a rape experience.» That would not be good for business.)
And since it’s all relative, I’m going to tell you how they stack up against each other (in my opinion).
First of all, in terms of ambiance, I prefer Shachis. With Sinatra singing on the PA, a baby sleeping in the corner, and the owners chatting it up at the counter, it feels much more like a family joint. The service is perfect; considerate, but unobtrusive. My water was refilled, and an extra napkin was brought without being asked. Caracas, on the other hand, Caracas can be AWFUL.
The Pabellon arepa (beef, black beans, white cheese and sweet plantains) is my go-​to. Both spots make a mean one, but Shachis’ is cheaper ($ 6 as opposed to $ 7.25), larger (partly due to a thicker arepa), and messier.
I think Shachis would be a clear winner here, but they do not have the fan-​freaking-​tastic crack sauce in the little bottles. Sure, they give you a nice chimichurri with the plantain chips in the beginning, but it’s not the same. I think Caracas makes tastier guacamole as well.
In short, I’m torn between the two. I think the bottom line is, I love arepas, and I’ll be back to Shachis. And Caracas. Maybe one after the other. It’s a good thing gluttony isn’t a sin.

Went here for a birthday dinner with friends. The place was not crowded so we got a table right away (it is very small).
We ordered a bottle of the red wine sangria, it was very good. Loved the tasted had apples, grapes and oranges in it. It had about 6 or 7 glasses in it.
My friend ordered a ham and cheese empanada, it looked very good but I did not try it. I split the shrimp ceviche with my friend and it was pretty good. It was very light, had onions in it and I usually hate things with raw (ish) onions in it and they did not bother me at all. I just wished the shrimp was diced instead of halved.
My friend ordered the paella, it looked GREAT. I tasted the rice and it was awesome. The tasted of the chorizo was really present in the rice. It loooked like it had quite a bit of seafood. Lobster Claw and a halved tail was on top, lots of shrimp and clams.
I got the pernil, it was really good, but not my favorite that I’ve had. The beans were awesome, the rice was good too. I liked the maduros, they were very sweet and sticky.
For desert got the cheesecake and chocolate molted cake, both delish.
There was one guy working there and he was very nice and attentive.
Liked the décor. Nice people watching outside.
Def. going back to this place

Okay Unilocalers! I had to do a review on this one since it took me forever to find it online after going almost three months ago! I’m from Cali and was visiting for a nice time in the city when the owner of my Harlem B&B put me on to the Brooklyn area near Marcy station.
After shopping my but off… I was famished and thirsty and I ducked into what seemed to be a dive and turned out to be quite a wondrous treasure!
This great South American/​Venezuelan restaurant was OMG… the Ceviche was the best I’d ever had! Tangy and tart with lovely notes of chili flavor (without the heat) – BTW: almost impossible to do! The shrimp were fresh and huge and the avocado was perfecto! The service was extra friendly, the complimentary plantain chips were fresh, light and crispy with a green garlic sauce that was awesome and the ham and cheese empanadas were delish!
I mean, it’s like they knew I would be there that day – and the best thing ever was that there was only three other people in the place; the plasma played Latino/​a soaps while I ate, and I was so full that I really wanted to take a nap at the table. And all this with sparkling water for under $ 20 – I know, I know – WTF? Right?

This place is awesome! It’s a small family owned joint and the food is def prepared with love! The guacomole is to die for. I always order the huevos rancheros and it’s like biting into a piece of heaven every time!
Their sangria is homemade and I love how much fruit they put in it!
I will never get tired of this place!

I was a little trepidacious about going here when my boyfriend suggested it. Venezuelan food? Arepas? I’d never had them before. But I loved it. The Mexican in me puts arepas on a par with Gorditas, but the two are probably way different to a Venezuelan. Arepas definitely are far less greasy.
All-​in-​all, It’s one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time flavor-​wise. To begin with, they give you plantain chips and chimichurri sauce to start off with. I’m not a big chip eater, but that sauce is hard to avoid.
We both ordered the arepas and a couple beef empanadas. Everything looks tiny when it arrives at the table – we were both thinking we were gonna need a second lunch after we devoured the small arepas and tiny empanadas. But no! Everything looks tiny, but it’s insanely hearty. I had the Reina Pepiada arepa, which was essentially boiled chicken and potatoes in a cream sauce with avocado. He went more simple and stuck with a bean and cheese arepa. They were both wonderful.
It set us back 15 dollars for 2 arepas and 2 empanadas, and we were very happy and not overly stuffed. Bigger portions would get this place a 5, but we’ll probably go back again and again, and just order a little more food.

In a pabellon arepa fight… Shachis would win over Caracas. This is conclusion I drew today as I sat at work, blissfully munching on a mound of beef, plantains, and beans nestled between two hot and crunchy corn deliciousness extravaganzas. Yup. You read that right.
Now I have to try every kind of arepa to futher finalize my conclusion that it whups the pants off the admittedly delicious Caracas. It’s a challenge I’m happy to accept.

Went for brunch today and had the best experience. I don’t do brunch very often it’s either breakfast or lunch (usually). Well, now I know what I’ve been missing. This place is no joke. The menu is overwhelming because everything looks delicious. I decided to order the flank steak with eggs. I’ve never had steak and eggs before, so this was a first, although a heavy meal it was unbelivable, so delicious!
For sides we decided to order the guacomole which was probably the best guacomole I’ve ever had, so fresh and the avocadoes must have been perfect! ly picked We also ordered the chicken and cheese mini empandas, mmmm so good. To drink we decided on the Sangria, and let me tell you the Sangria is in a humongous cup for only $ 7, and you’ll catch a nice little buzz!!!
Everything is really cheap but oh so good! I’ll be coming back for brunch again, no doubts about it!
Did I mention how cheap it is? $ 15 a person, that’s cheaper than a diner. There’s no comparison!

YUM! YUM! YUM!
My friends and I stumbled upon Shachis a few months ago. The owner was very friendly when answering our questions about the menu. The food is so flavorful. They have a great variety to choose from. Great cocktails as well!

This place is terrific!
They serve Venezuelan food here and as far as I can tell it’s authentic. I love the daily specials. You get a heap of delicious food for a great price.
What a nice little place on the southside to get a bite!
They also deliver if you rather stay in. And they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Mmmm Mmmmm.