I live nearby and have for years wanted this to be my go-to for a quick bite, a lunch, a meeting place. But it's consistently inconsistent. Recent visit included a taco plate and in the grilled pork tacos, the meat was like shoe leather: overcooked, gristly and tough. Only the pulled pork had any moisture. The avocados were underripe. Everything was under seasoned. THIS is the new Latino Cuisine? Creo que no. Sister restaurant T'ahpas is a more consistently good experience. read more

Love the coffees, bakery items, and breakfast!! One of my favs that I always go back to. !!

Counter serve restaurant with a variety of Latin American food. I thought my food was fine but nothing special. The prices are on the higher side for what you get, and I feel like I would've had a better experience with some of their big plates instead of a rice bowl which is pretty simple and hard to mess up. The service here is quick and you get your food fast. There's parking that's pretty easy to find but I'm sure it's much busier on a summer afternoon than a Friday evening. read more

La QChara - Ecuador bowl with quinoa and chipotle chicken ($22.47 after tax) - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

I came here with a friend today for lunch. I ordered a kind of rice bowl but didn't get the correct one that I ordered. The service was pretty quick, but the restaurant gave very small portions and the meal was not cheap. read more

La QChara - Limonada - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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I ordered from La Qchara via a catering app for lunch. I never stepped foot inside the restaurant so I can't speak about the service or ambiance. Thai review is solely off the food, which was mediocre. I ordered the Arroz Con Pollo. The chicken was really dry unfortunately. The rice and veggies helped offset that but overall it did not meet my expectations. read more

La QChara - Arroz Con Pollo - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Been going here for years but lately they are a mess now. Found a piece of metal in a burrito and a huge eggshell in a breakfast quesadilla (different days, same month). Orders often are made wrong (contain onions despite ordered as no onions). And one meal made two people sick. Maybe someday they'll go back to being good, but right now advise to stay away. read more

Got the Pabellon Criollo delivered for lunch and it was delicious. The shredded beef was tender and packed full of flavor. The plantain and rice were both well cooked and filling. Can't wait to try more dishes from here. read more

La QChara - Pabellon Criollo - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

This review is for the food truck. Unfortunately not a good experience. From the time I got in line until I got my food was 30 minutes, the person taking orders/at the register had to keep stopping to help the person preparing the food. They definitely need 2 people preparing food. There was no acknowledgment of the wait/delay. Food was just ok. I wish I had know the rice bowl had brown rice, because I wouldn't have ordered. The amount of meat in the bowl was disappointing as was the cheese. It really needed beans and something else. I wouldn't eat here again. read more

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It was more than a decent Latin breakfast I had. Normally Latin food isn't something I'd consider for breakfast, but I was recommended this place. And it turned out to be a good suggestion as the Drunken Omlette I had was pretty good. It had a lot of peppers and other mix-ins that made it pretty special and memorable. I don't know if I'd come here again, but it's nice to know there's a decent meal waiting for me if I do. read more

Food is terrible and always cold! Service is very slow and the staff are extremely rude I saw them laughing and pointing at me as I waited for my food so I chose to take my business elsewhere! The place is cute but the atmosphere is not! The people do not make an effort to welcome you or make your time good! Highly recommend anywhere but here for your meal! read more

I had a vegan peruvian veggie bowl from a catered event. The food tasted decent, but was nothing special. Appreciate the vegan options on the menu. read more

La QChara - vegan peruvian bowl - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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The food is decent and the presentation is beautiful. However, it's extremely expensive for what it offers. $10 for juice and $18 for a meal with very small portions. It has café ambiance and no table service, yet the lowest tip option they offer is 22%. You need to stand in line and pay before eating. That's greed. We needed to ask for (and wait) for basics like cutlery, salt, pepper, sauce, etc. I won't return. read more

DELICIOUS Central & South American food with breakfast items on the menu that are served all day! Love eggs n stuff? You're in luck! Nestled in a cute lil corner spot - La Qchara is perfect for a quick bite, coffee, or a full meal. Their YUCA FRIES??!???!!!?!??! Don't even get me started. Divine cuisine. Crunch, crunch, crunch - divine. On this visit, I scarfed down a Cuban Omelette & lemme say: compliments to the chef! It was loaded with shredded pork, chihuahua cheese & white onion. Eggs were perfection. Inhaled the yuca fries -- because...again, divine. Slurp, burp -- enjoy yourself a tasty treat at La Qchara, friends! read more

La QChara - Cuban omelette - yum - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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This business has deceptive pricing practices: they sneakily charge you for "kitchen appreciation" and other fees without disclosing them. You get surprised by them at the time of payment and have no option to remove them. If a business wants to "appreciate" its employees, pay them more, even if that means raising prices. On top of that, they still expect you to tip. Be transparent, raise the prices if you really want to pay your employees better, remove the hidden fees, and still give customers the option to tip. Don't be sneaky. read more

Worst experience ever. I placed a catering order through La Qchara for my husband's birthday, following the instructions on their main phone line that direct you to place catering orders through the Toast website. I did exactly that--only to receive a call afterward saying they would not fulfill my order. This is incredibly misleading. Why direct customers to order through the website if you're just going to cancel it? It felt deceptive and caused unnecessary stress on an important day. I'm still waiting for my refund, which is unacceptable. I will not be returning to La Qchara and will not recommend it to anyone. Truly the worst experience I've had with a restaurant. read more

I've been here many times hoping it will get better but every time it's horrible. The staff is unbelievably rude. I think she the manger but her name is Lara I think, she argued with me over the fact that I was missing one of my meals. The food is overpriced and pretty gross. It used to be good and it's gotten progressively worse. The food is over seasoned the meats chewy. I also found rat poop in the bathroom wich is actually disgusting and disturbing that it's this dirty. Don't recommend read more

Breakfast burritos was fantastic, ordered it online and it was ready before I got there and I showed up before the time it gave me.

My daughter and I went for lunch. Love the vibe inside, very cute and cozy. Would love to come back and sit at the round table in the front corner. I had the Sloppy Torta and my daughter got the Cuban Torta. Both were excellent and huge. We had enough to bring home for another lunch. The yucca fries and the green sauce were amazing Highly recommend! read more

Everything we had here was delicious! We came here after a hike in Middlesex Fells, only about four minutes away. We got a table outside so we could bring the dogs. I ordered the special chia seed bowl to start, which was delicious! Absolutely amazing. The eggs Benedict that I got with yuca fries were amazing and the sauce was delicious. My partner loved his meal with smashed plantains in place of the bread of his breakfast sandwich. Our food came out pretty fast, despite being busy and seeing several people come to pick up takeout orders throughout our meal. This place is a gem tucked away near the fells and across the street from the train station. Since it's dog friendly will definitely be back. read more

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We ordered delivery tonight and the food order was missing several things and the order was wrong, order 166. We called the restaurant hoping to speak with a manager but no manager was on-site and the phone was answered by a worker who said they could not help us. We paid $96.00 which is outrageous to begin with and to get the order wrong to boot. They said they were real busy tonight as though tgat was my problem. Poor customer service. I can find better restaurants to spend $100. Stay away from this one! read more

I have been ordering takeout since they first opened. my last two visits have been disappointing. Last month we ordered dessert that was sold out and the staff was indifferent and just substituted another. Tonight, I ordered the Peru bowl which has avocado. When I opened at home, I was disappointed to see guacamole instead..the tomatoes looked tired and old. it will awhile (if ever) that we will return. I wonder if ownership is more dedicated to the Beverly branch or the restaurant Tapas. No longer a customer. read more

I have ate in and have got take out often, recently ordered food for a 3:30 pick up then got an emergency call, called back and asked if I could have my order placed later that evening to pick up, they said no problem. I called at 6p and picked the order up at 6:30 only to find it was cold and sitting out since 3:30 the original time. When I called the next day to speak to a supervisor I was told they would call me this went on with me calling for 4 days with no call! Customer service is just as important as the food, I know they don't care but I will not be back! read more

This restaurant is quirky and different; my family loves eating here! I just wish they had regular soda products

The food is good and it has good flavor for a quick bite! The service it's ok nothing out of the ordinary. Ambiance is lively and not to loud, good Spanish music in the background. It's expensive to what you get for food read more

La QChara - Cachito torta - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

This review is a 3.5 review due to the service from the cashier. It was a young kid, teenager maybe a college student who was going through the motions. For the chicken arepa I asked if there was celery in it because I have an allergy. He was unsure, and said you should be good without being confident. Red flag, you should take all allergies seriously and check/confirm. I asked him to do so which he politely did, but he needed more common sense. The rest of the service was fine but that was not a positive experience. Ok onto the good stuff. It's on the west side of town near a commuter rail stop. I didn't see any private lots but there was plenty of street parking. They are set up like a cafe, you order at the counter and seat yourself and they'll bring your food to you but will call out you name for you drinks. They have an expansive menu, a little overwhelming at first. Since it was our first time and we aren't in the area, I decided to order the chicken arepa figuring I could take it to go if we couldn't finish. Bad choice, doesn't travel well and should've gotten the Venezuelan beef instead. The chicken was a boring chicken salad with avocado in an arepa. I got the chiquiles because it seemed like a popular thing to order. It was good, don't get me wrong but I felt like I could make it at home (if I can make it at home, I don't try to order it). It was a chicken nacho with a couple eggs. If you don't eat it quick the fried tortillas get soggy. Overall a 4/5 but with that caveat. It was my fault for not thinking my order through. Wifey got the mechada cachapa, that was pretty good. The sweet corn pancake was sweet but the beef was delicious. I regretted not getting the beef arepa, that probably is bomb. All in all seems like a great local spot, massive selection. It felt authentic, not that I had experience but it is more interesting than your traditional texmex restaurant. Indoor dining is somewhat limited so not good for groups bigger than 4. They do have out door seating but winter is coming so that availability will go away soon. They also have raw juices and smoothies, I can't enjoy them but thought wifey would partake but she opted to eat her food than drink it that day. read more

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My only issue with this place is the office door. The problem is that anytime anyone goes in or out, it slams very loudly. It is so jarring and it really makes it so you can't relax and enjoy whenever you're eating or drinking. read more

La QChara - Venezuelan Benedict Simply incredible! - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

We came here for brunch after driving past it tons of times. We've always wondered how it was but never tried it until this past week. We were far from disappointed! Their breakfast was so plentiful and perfect with flavors. My wife and I were talking about how we will be back for more after just our first bite. I got the Mechada Cachapa and will recommend that to anyone who ever asks, I'll recommend to the ones who don't ask as well! My wife got the Huevos Rancheros and they were wonderful as well. The atmosphere was nice as well. Clean inside and good music choice at a medium level. Service was nice and quick as well. We look forward to coming back, and if you drive past like we did then I am telling you to stop and check it out. read more

La QChara - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

My friend brought me here last Sunday for brunch and I absolutely loved it! They have an enormous menu that truly has something for everyone. I love all of the healthy food options As well as the large array of fresh pressed juices, smoothies, coffees and more. I ordered a delicious green juice, one of their seasonal lattes, and the latin hash. Everything was delicious. I loved all of the components of the hash. The flavors were great. I think that the dish could have been a little larger for the price, but overall I really enjoyed my visit to La Qchara! read more

La QChara - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Call me bias but, if you house Intelligentsia Coffee as your primary bean, you already had me at "good morning". This little corner shop, has a large variety of both pastries, coffees, dishes, and smoothies. All of which are made well with a generous amount of food give. However the coffee has always been consistent with a unique bean taste that can only be achieved by intelligentsia. Although the milk gives it a unique spin on the late taste, it still provides a taste you can't beat. read more

This morning we were super excited to dine in. Our party ordered 7 plates. However only 5 plates made it to the table. We were disappointed to learn that the server missed the remaining 2 items even though we listed them on our device. In regards to the items that arrived, the Mechada Cachapa and Quesadilla de hongos were the favorites. They are a must-try if you stop by. As always, the Venezuelan Benedicts are consistently amazing on the pillowy soft arepas. On a side note, I've grown to love the Paulina drink since my last review and the Horchata always hits the spot for a light sweet treat. If we return we will most likely opt for the take out option. The missing plates were the El Toston and Tequenos which is a bummer since were influenced by other reviews. read more

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Beware of prices. I've never left a poor review on Yelp, but I have to speak up on this. I purchased one cookie (not a large cookie) and one brownie, and it came to $8.83. I can live with the brownie price of $4.50, but not the $4 regular cookie. This is insulting (maybe thoughtless?) pricing. This is not Manhattan and not a world renowned bakery. I won't be back. read more

La QChara - a bag of cookies and a bag of doughnuts - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Great spot! I came at brunch time, around 1pm on a weekend and it was pretty full. The food was great, I've never had south american food like this before. The venezuelan benedicts were my favorite, and the yucca fries too. Would definitely come back for brunch to try more things! read more

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One of my favorite spots! - Rapid service - Great staff - High quality food and coffee - seat and relax with a cup of Walter! read more

La QChara - El Toston - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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Yuca fries are addicting! Latin breakfasts and arepas are great. The best fresh juice and coffee around. And don't forget the coconut peach muffin! In a place full of pizza places, the food here is a welcome, flavorful addition to the city. read more

I really want to like this place but I can't remember the last time I picked up an order that wasn't missing something or had something wrong. And the food has been a bit disappointing lately. For example, getting roasted vegetables on the Ecuador used to be roasted broccoli, carrots etc, which was worth the extra $4.95 but now it is oily fajita vegetables (with a lone slice of carrot). Disappointing and not satifying when the total cost for just that dish is over $17. I'm happy to tip, but the pushy reminder to generously tip on a pick-up order is off-putting especially since they already assess a 4% kitchen appreciation fee. read more

La QChara - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Visited specifically for a Cortadito coffee. No, sorry, no. Nice kid basically made a latte. No. Sorry. No! Not even Cuban coffee, not a good taste. and I'm almost an expert! read more

I drive past this place everyday going to work and was super interested in trying it out. We finally got around to going on a Sunday morning. We walked in and there were only 2 other parties in the restaurant. We ordered our food and coffee at the counter. In the bakery case all the pastries looked wonderful. We then added our own cream and sugar to the coffee. Our food did get delivered to the table but we then cleaned up the table after we ate-- so I'm curious as to why the automatic gratuity selected on the iPad screen at ordering was set at 25%? It's so crazy to me that we ordered at the counter, made our own coffee and cleaned up our own mess and we're still expected to tip 25%? We noticed and changed our tip percentage but I'm sure people fly past that screen all the time. I don't mind tipping 25% where it's deserved and to me counter service isn't that place. The food and coffee were delicious, and we may be back but just be cautious of the tipping screen. read more

La QChara - Huevos Rancheros and Chilaquiles - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

normally I never go to social media to rant about anything, but I hope you guys never have the experience that I had today at La Qchara. Frist off Thank you Cole! The young man working behind the counter who was kind and courteous, I know you were under a lot of pressure with your boss down your neck but your doing a great job!! I am a frequent flyer at La Quchara and Tapas. I was thinking of them today in this time of need of small business. Don't get me wrong, orders are sometimes made wrong and I'm sure with the hype going on people are stressed. I called today as normal ordered my VEGETARIAN burrito. As always they are quick to pick up the phone. Once I arrived my order wasn't ready, that's fine. Busy day had to go back to the office. I cut into my VEGETARIAN BURRITO. That is filled with meat.. Kinda a BIG mistake. But times are tough people are stressed, I decided To call them and let them know. This is when I get disappointed: I got too speak with Emily, the owner! Not once did she apologize. She asked what the problem was, I explained. She offered to deliver the correct order to me down the street. I declined. Kinda lost my appetite. " so you don't want another one because you cut into a meat burrito" ... (she questions me??? Did she think I was lying??) I thanked her for her kind offer again! She then proceeds to tell me she will refund me and then hung up. I called back to discuss her nasty tone and the reason why I couldn't finish my sentence about weather or not she needed my credit card information. Again no apology or even a goodbye. Total loss for words after that customer service, from not only the owner/manger. read more

La QChara - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

I had the most heavenly breakfast: cachapas with ham and cheese, and tequeños. Lorenzo: the alfajores were award-worthy. Keep them coming, because I'm going to keep buying them! Great job! read more

La QChara - Tequeños (Venezuelan cheese sticks) and Cachapa with ham and cheese (amazing corn pancake) - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Hope. Peace. Cookies. And so much more with spectacular customer service! I've had delivery of their delicious bowls in the past, but today stopped in while driving by. I'll be back! read more

La QChara - Americano with a - Latin American Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

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