THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED La Caraquena

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED La Caraquena Restaurant Review:

This tiny (as in maybe 20 seats) Venezuelan gem changes the face of cheap eats in Northern Virginia. Where else can you go to find such savory fare as chunky Bolivian turnovers, or salteñas, filled with beef stew, or arepas, overstuffed cornmeal bread with your choice of fillings, such as pulled beef, black beans or chopped chicken breast with salsa rosada? These are small bites, blazing the way for the heartier main fare: the pabellón criollo, a traditional Venezuelan pulled beef dish served several different ways, or the grilled sirloin topped with a homemade mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes. Don’t even consider any other dessert except the chef’s version of tres leches cake, something he calls quatro leches (four milks). Located on the ground floor of a semi-neglected motel, this place may not look inviting from the outside, but the food erases any hesitations.