cute small cafe. Had the arepas and the cafe quesillo. Both were delicious. The arepas texture was so perfectly good. Love that its a small quaint menu and executed so well. Cant wait to come back to try other items. Also had two ice box pies which my fav had to be the milk toffee one. So good. Service was fine and quick. Will definitely visit again soon. read more

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Such a charming space! While small, Chainsaw leaves a big impression. Beautifully decorated but most of all a delectable menu. The carne mechada arepa was delicious- a toasty arepa, tender meat, black beans, and a lovely green sauce. The passionfruit lime icebox taste was refreshing on a warm day, reminds me of a tamer and lighter keylime pie. I washed my bites all down with a papelon con limon (venezuelan raw sugar limeade). I expected a clear lime juice however, I was presented with a dark brown and tart beverage. It tasted a bit like tamarind... perhaps the raw sugar is a bit thicker? Loved it. Service was friendly. I came around opening and it got busy fast as the space is small with limited seating inside and out. Street parking only. While a table and parking may be tough, I do think it's worth the visit if in the area! read more

I paid $75 'with tip' for 2 appetizer sized arepa's, an underwhelming matcha, an ok at best latte, frozen solid piece of pie and a sample sized tres leches. I'm not sure what's worse here, the prices or the portions. I should also mention that the seating is horrible. read more

Fantastic jamon y queso arepa. If I could've I would've married it but I don't think that's possible. Super cute spot and very nice people. Will return. read more

Chainsaw - Yum - Venezuelan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Chainsaw serves seriously delicious Venezuelan food! Everything we ordered was packed with flavor and tasted fresh. You can tell there's care in every dish. Definitely coming back for more. read more

Chainsaw - Parchita Tonic & cafe quesillo - Venezuelan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Girl... if you're complaining about restaurant prices in 2026 then you should try running a restaurant yourself... But okay but the jamón y queso is the best arepa I've ever had - crispy, light, perfect salt-fat-spice balance, and filling. I used to pull up to their echo park house for pies so I'm happy for them to have opened this storefront!! Definitely more a grab 'n' go situation though they have a few tables outside. read more

Amazing coffee and ambiance! The flan latte iced is a MUST! I also tried the passionfruit icebox cake which was spectacular. read more

Chainsaw - Passionfruit icebox cake - Venezuelan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Wow! Tremendous experience. My cortado was perfect and the meat on my arepa was ridiculously tender. Top quality. Kudos to Chainsaw for being a pillar of light in the community. Thank you for caring and it truly shows in your product and establishment. read more

I'm so happy this little café opened near my place. I tried the queso empanada, the arepas: jamón y queso and arepas de carne, and the passion fruit lime pie. Everything was delicious!! I actually went back twice in the same week because I was craving every single thing I ate. Yes, the portions lean smaller, but the quality and the uniqueness make it worth it. This is a family owned spot with real care in their flavors and ingredients. To the people complaining about portion size, this is simple. If you want huge plates for cheap and the same taste you can find anywhere else, this is not your place. This café is for true food lovers who appreciate thoughtful cooking, quality ingredients, and food that actually feels special. A new neighborhood gem. I'll be back again and again! read more

This place has quickly become one of my favorite coffee shops. The latte was so good that after the first sip, I swear I felt the caffeine run straight down my spine. To me, that's the sign of a great coffee shop--when a simple latte with no add-ins, syrups, or modifications is still a standout. The coffee speaks for itself. The food is equally impressive. The arepas? Delicious. The milanesa? Delicious. Honestly, everything I've tried has been excellent. And the Icebox Passion Fruit Lime Pie? I can't stop thinking about it. I've had it three times already and somehow still crave it. I even bought a whole pie for a potluck because I needed my friends to experience it for themselves. The matcha is also top-tier. I've tried several different versions, and I love how bold and flavorful it is. What I appreciate most is that they let you control the sweetness. Most specialty drink shops have everything pre-mixed, which means a lot of the menu isn't an option for me. Here, everything feels intentionally crafted, giving you much more flexibility--and you can absolutely taste the difference. I also love supporting a woman-owned business that's so proud of its Venezuelan heritage. The space is full of color, plants, art, and personality. It feels warm, vibrant, and welcoming. Sitting outside with a coffee on a nice day feels like the perfect LA afternoon. Great coffee, great food, and great people. The kind of place that turns a first-time visit into a regular stop. read more

Honestly a 10/10. The food was super good and everything on the menu looked bomb. Service was really friendly and quick too. I'm definitely coming back. There's a bunch of stuff I still want to try. read more

Chainsaw - Carne Mechada & drink is Cafe Quesillo - Venezuelan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I stoped by this cute Venezuelan eatery and had a very pleasant culinary and dining experience. The seating area was small and the menus handwritten. The pork Milenesa and ham and cheese arepa we got were very good. The place has good vibes all in all. The food and decorations feel transportive. read more

Chainsaw - Interiors - Venezuelan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I got the Arepa Carne Mechada and Cafe Quesillo (hot). Great flavor profiles. Wish I was hungrier so that I could try more and get some of the tarts because they're probably just as good. My arepa had a delicious green sauce on it which I could pour on anything that I eat at home. I came for the food not for the seating. Seating is less than ideal. Two tiny tables inside and a small bar area with the rest of the seating being really tiny tables on the sidewalk so if sidewalk seating is not your thing come prepared to take takeout. The food was really good and my latte was really tasty. so let's keep coming here so that they can keep selling food and eventually be able to afford to rent a larger space. I actually didn't know what the seating situation was going to be but when I was looking at the photos initially, I thought that this would be more of like a wider spaced Café. And all the photos that I saw it felt like a really beautiful ambience to be around, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I can totally see this café eventually expanding to a larger space where they have more seating either inside or something like a backyard space where they can really expand on the ambience that they're selling. read more

Chainsaw - Arepa Carne Mechada - Venezuelan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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the quality of the matcha was so good (they use rocky's matcha) and the strawberry puree was good too, just wish it was a little sweeter. the carne mechada arepa was delicious and it came out very quickly. there's limited metered parking nearby read more

Great little coffee cafe on Melrose. Never had an Arepas before but so good! Got the Carne and Jamon with avocado on the side to share. read more

Chainsaw - Arepas - Venezuelan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Extremely cute, hip place. Food and drinks were yummy but incredibly overpriced. $75 for breakfast for two and we left hungry, made me feel a bit sad because there's tons of struggling authentic places that serve arepas but everyone comes here for the ~vibes~ This place makes more sense as a cafe and bakery, not really comfortable to sit down and eat. Again, food was yummy, but being here made me sad about what's happening to LA and how social media has drastically changed the landscape and made prices unattainable for the average person. read more

You guys should really update your schedule. I just drove 40 minutes took another 20 minutes to look for parking just to walk in and be told that it's closed when your yelp shows that you're open. read more

Restaurant is super tiny, but such a good vibe and pretty decor. The flan latte and passionfruit pie is amazing, although they didn't have a lot of stuff on their menu! The man working register is god awful rude, literally tipped $0 bc of him. read more

This place is so good! I ordered the passion fruit lime icebox pie, the carne mechada arepa, the jamón y queso arepa and a vanilla latte. Everything was 10/10. A little pricey but that's LA for you. I'd still come back again and again--that's how much I enjoyed it. read more

The staff is always amazing, the icebox pie phenomenal! A great community place to go for a bite.. love this place

omg i loooooove the vibes of the cafe the decoration is so beautiful parking is lowkey ass but that is just LA generally but oml all the food we got was amazing like the fries with seasoning and the ICEBOX PIE is a must order. the arepa was also good but structurally kind of hard to eat. read more

Funnest drinks and bestest vibes!! Loved the music and service around the space and can't wait to come back!

Went a couple days ago, and the food was delicious but overpriced for the portion sizes. Also, for spending $60+ I would've appreciated actual ceramic dishes, it's awkward to eat there out of the cardboard boxes. The service was also not great, the gentleman who rung me up was quite rude and seemed not very happy to help. Chainsaw is delicious but for such a high price I wish the experience was a little better. read more

Places like this make me hate myself for following the food scene. This is exactly what makes normal people hate trendy new media hyped restaurants. Unapologetically tiny food at exorbitant prices. $13 for the smallest arepa you've ever seen. Tastes alright, nothing spectacular. $9 for an empanada!!! Gtfo! You can go down the street to Rincon Chileno and get an empanada for $5 that's twice the size and arguably better tasting. They have a tres leches for $9 which is small in proportion but slightly too dense and slightly too dry as compared to the decent one you've paid $4 for at the local panaderia. This place leaves me with nothing but ennui and self loathing for having paid $34 for the experience. read more

They need to update their hours on their website because why does it say they close at 4 but I got there at 2:45 like I have many times before and they tell me they're closed. read more

Over hyped empanadas that aren't like the authentic Venezuelan ones at Cariaco but I'll try again for the pie soon.

Cozy Venezuelan inspired spot for breakfast lunch and pies. Great ambience including sidewalk seating. Outstanding staff, charming and helpful. Loved the original freshly prepared offerings. Great coffee and pies of course, also love the empanadas and sweet savory pastry. Outstanding jambon beurre sandwich. High Recommend read more

HOLY COW THIS PLACE IS AWESOME SAUCE!!!!!!!! Vibes immaculate, service outstanding, food INSANE!!!!! Haven't tried any drinks, will do next time, but the ambiance and food alone was so good I had to write a review! Only got one pic as we dug right in read more

Chainsaw - Venezuelan Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Food consists of some savory bites and the desserts of your dreams. From arepas and pork milanesa, to passionfruit lime icebox pie and guava cream cheese danish sherbet. The coffee is incredible on top of it all. What's not to love! read more

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delicious with a wonderful vibe! the women that work there are so friendly. loved the matcha, will try dessert next time! casual and cute.

If I could give this spot 100 stars I would. Just wish there was more seating! Staff is super helpful, the food is incredible - you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. read more

Really a great place. Casual and delicious and fantastic staff. Menu is innovative. I will certainly be back soon.

I came on a Sunday morning around 10:30 AM, there was a bit of a line but I didn't wait too long, maybe 10 minutes before reaching the register. I ordered a Niña Fresa matcha latte and a Cafe Quesillo. The Niña fresa matcha latte was good, a decent matcha latte with a subtle flavor of strawberry. Unfortunately it took 20 minutes and me asking a runner to check on my second drink when I finally walked inside and discovered my Cafe Quesillo had just been sitting on the counter. No explanation, no apology, I was just handed my watered down drink. I enjoyed the Cafe Quesillo more than the Nina Fresa because of its sweetness, though, I feel like it would've tasted better fresh. Overall, decent drinks but the service could be better. read more