La Cerveceria
“Food
We ordered the Lobster Guacamole to start which comes with plantain chips.I was made very well at the perfect spice level.”
“I had the arugula salad, quinoa salad, braised short ribs causas (Peruvian potato dish) and Mexican ceviche.”
“It was an excellent deal and I would not hesitate to eat there again, with or without the living social deal.”
La Cerveceria
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Very meh flavors but still a full-(over)priced tapas experience.
An old friend was in town, and a group of us gathered to celebrate her brief return. La Cerveceria was our restaurant choice and our group of 11 sat at the high tops. One person ordered family style and we got a few sangria pitchers for the table.
The plates came out pretty quickly and we had a wide range of hits and misses. The ceviche was a definite hit and the lobster guacamole was also pretty tasty, although the accompanying plantain chips felt stale. There was very little crispiness, and a lot of them were double layered and very hard. I would recommend more quality control on those. We ordered beef and chicken empanadas, which were also just okay. The beef was a little too sweet for my tastes and the chicken was not too memorable. We also got cheesy cauliflower which had so much potential, but the flavor was also pretty flat. The brussel sprouts were decent, although the sauce was a little heavy. Sangria was also just okay. I definitely preferred the white over the red because it was lighter and the citrus flavors came through more.
Service was very good throughout. My water glass was never empty and the servers were prompt about clearing plates to make way for the newer dishes. The environment and location are also convenient, but expect fairly average food if you get what we ordered.
Nearly every place around St. Mark's on the weekend is busy, especially in the evening, and this place is no exception. Every seat was filled on Saturday night, from the tables inside to the bar to the outdoor seats they have under the awning. Fortunately, it didn't take long to be seated for two of us. Just beware, there aren't many large tables so on a busy night, a large party might not be the best idea but it's certainly do-able as I saw a party of 10+ seated towards the front on my way out.
In relation to how busy this place appears to be, it's also a very loud area from wall to wall. Probably due to the fact that there are so many people that can be seated inside but there's also background music playing. So if you intend on having an intimate date without having to raise your voice just to be heard, I'd advise elsewhere.
On another note, I commend how well the waiters and servers appear to handle so many tables and people at such a busy time. While waiting to be seated or waiting for food to be served it appears they move so quickly and get things done. There only appeared to be about [up to] four servers but they were so scattered it took a little longer than expected to flag one down to take our order.
The drink menu is enormous. The tapas and entree menu isn't as extensive but there's still enough to choose from.
Yuca fries: Yes, I'd recommend trying. They're fried very well; they're crisp and comes with three sauces to dip into.
3.5 / 5
Fish tacos: I think you can do without; try something else. An order comes with three served on small soft taco tortillas. There wasn't a noticeably large amount of fish from the looks of it. Aesthetically there were a lot more toppings – tomatoes, guacamole, etc. – that looked to fill it up. Once you bite into it and chew it around you can taste the fish but it wasn't anything great.
2 / 5
Skirt steak (with a potato puree and mushrooms): If you're to try anything, this will be it. It was cooked precisely how I asked and the bit of sauce that is served on it gave it an amazing flavor. The potatoes were good and tasted even better when eaten together with the mushrooms.
5 / 5
It was an ok dinner. It was nice to try it once but that's probably all I need. The environment is much better for the bar and/or loud hangouts over drinks; not my particular cup of tea.
Went with a group of 7 on Friday night. I didn't see any availability on OpenTable but they were accommodating when I called a couple days earlier. 5 star for that. They put us at the corner of the restuarant, which was quite cramped and was definitely not fit for 7, but we made it work. They came to us with a "special menu" that's $65 pp with 2 hours of open bar and a choice of 5 tapas that you can order multiple times but only those 5. since half of us are not drinking, we decided to go a la carte. We had the lobster guac (still really good), Puerto Rico and Ecuadorian ceviche, calamari, all 3 tacos (still really good), all 3 empanadas (fried), skirt steak, yuca fries, and nachos (omg so goooood). The food was overall good, 4 solid stars, with good variety and choices. I like the ambience and vibe.
A lively, loud, chattering bar sandwiched between two other bars.
The Peruvian ceviche was a light, tasty dish of fluke, tiger's milk, lime juice, and large, round, pale-yellow Peruvian corn kernels. It was fresh and delicious. The ceviche was paired with hard plantain chips. I think the plantain chips actually took a little of the ceviche flavor away.
The goat cheese cheesecake was a bit denser, drier, and less creamy than I expected. It was faintly "goaty" but not overpowering. The light, sweet dulce de leche sauce on top paired well with the cheesecake. There were four small halves of a strawberry on the sides. It was good but not a favorite.
The service was quite nice and attentive, even sitting outside. There's also heat lamps right under the outside awning.
I wouldn't mind coming back for more food though the portion is on the smaller side (for the price.)
Two of my very favorite things are tapas and beer. Hence why La Cerveceria had been on my list for some time before I finally experienced it in the flesh. That said, when I bookmarked it I don't think I understood the full extent of how truly magnificent the beer menu was. Now, I am pleased to report that I can give you a glowing firsthand account of said menu, as well as a pretty bangin' food menu too.
Came to La Cerveceria for a late-ish dinner on Saturday night. I'll be frank and say that I don't know much about the differences between Peruvian/Latin American tapas and Spanish tapas….I just know that I like them both. The styles are similar–more small plates than entree-sized portions and lots and lots of seafood. Other than that, good food is good food. And the more sharing, the better.
I'm not sure why I was so blown away by the beer menu given the name of the restaurant. I guess I'm just so used to tapas spots highlighting their wine and sangria that the sheer number of beers offered here caught my off-guard. As is the case at good craft beer bars, La Cerveceria divides its beer menu by country/region. To get a visual representation of how globally diverse this menu is, check out the world map above the bar area (see my picture). It looks like a well-used voodoo doll–which is to say that there are pins aplenty sticking in the map to indicate La Cerveceria's effort is acquiring beers from all over the world. This all said, I spotted a few Belgian beers on the menu I had yet to try, so I stuck with what I know. All beer served here is bottled, so you'll get to familiarize yourself with some cool new bottles too. I went with the Westmaal Trappist Tripel and the Gulden Draak (dark tripel), which were both fantastic. Highly recommend.
If you happen to be sitting inside (or take a trip to the bathroom during/after your meal), look around at the "decor" here. It truly is a beer haven. If you walk towards the back of the space, you'll see what appears to be an homage to refrigerator magnets–black-and-white strips that indicate where all beers hail from as well as a very glorious quote, "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy". Look to your right and feast your eyes (more like quench your eyes if we're being literal) on a massive glass case filled with unique, beautiful bottles of beer. Similar to what you'd see on display at a whiskey bar–just with beer here.
So of course I must get to the food too. Really just ignore the "platos" to make the most of your experience here. The tapas-to-platos ratio so overwhelmingly favors the former anyway. The menu has a great mix of hot and cold, veggie and meat, heavy and light, etc. etc. balance balance. Oh, and I hope you like plantains. Or at least plantain chips (plantains are going to be the new banana soon enough so you better get used to them).
Lobster Guacamole w/ plantain chips: A
We all know that crab and avocado is a winning combination. You can pretty much always bet on that. So it's not surprise that guac topped with some kind of crustacean is going to be a serious stomach victory if it's done well. And this guac certainly was. This dish is ideal for diners interested in sharing and stepping up their guac game. The plantains add some nice sweetness and crunch to the rich, creamy guac. Definitely more tasty than when served with normal chips.
Ecuadorian Style Ceviche (lobster, shrimp, calamari, celery, onions) w/ plantain chips: A-
Seafood sensation. Seriously. This was also served with plantain chips, which didn't work as well here. Kind of discordant, flavor-wise (I mostly just ate the ceviche straight out of the bowl with a fork). This dish is wonderfully fresh and perfect for summer. The A- is due the fact that this simply didn't wow me. Solid ceviche but it's not particularly creative or interesting.
Grilled Zucchini & Squash rolls w/ goat cheese, pistachio and marinara: A+
I mean seriously, just look at these ingredients and try to convince me that this could somehow be bad. These were flavor bombs of the highest degree (the phrase I typically use when describing smaller bites that are out-of-this-world good). Each bite is wrapped with either squash or zucchini–not both–and you get a generous serving considering the price. The contents of said wraps are salty/creamy/crunch bliss.
Chicken Skewers w/ Aji amarillo, rocotto agave, arugula salad: A-
Honestly, I remember this dish the least because a) I was already a few beers in when it came and b)it was our last dish of the night/it came right after the zucchini/squash bombs. But I do remember that the chicken was seasoned quite nicely–had a bit of a kick to it which I always like. This was a yummy, healthy dish but just more boring than the rest. Otherwise, no complaints. And props for the fact that the arugula salad on its own was pretty damn tasty.
Came here on a weekday night, plenty of seating available between 6-9pm. Service was fabulous. Food was excellent as well. Will be back. Accepts credit.
-Yuca fries came w/ side of 3 dips. Agree with reviews, they are the crunchiest yuca fries ever… I'm usually not a fan bc yuca fries tend to run dry and hard, but this had me sold.
-Steak tacos – savory, comes with 3 pieces which are on the small size and almost feel bite sized. Fan of this, but wish the tacos were larger.
-Beef empanadas – decent, comes with ajia marillo dip which reminds me of the mayo, siracha dip.
-Tropical ceviche – ahi tuna with coconut milk, hearts of palm. Interesting yet delicious variation of ceviche.
I was excited because they advertise as being Peruvian and Peruvian is one of my most favorites.
But. . . .
Tacos are not Peruvian.
Quesadillas are not Peruvian.
Nachos are not Peruvian.
Little skewers of veal hearts are Peruvian, but not on the menu. Also missing: tacu tacu and chaufa.
Drinks are fine, but menu is a disappointment. I'll stick with my outer borough holes-in-the-wall to get my fix.
I have not come back here in a while but I needed to impress some family members with the best rendition of Peruvian tapas in the city. End result: complete success!
I'm so glad to see familiar faces in the waiting staff and behind the bar. Miguel Angel is a great waiter. He is always on top of things and he knows what to recommend for craft beers. Allagash white and a table in the outdoor area please. No problem.
With every great beer, there must be great food. You won't be disappointed in this aspect. I would recommend the anticuchos (cow hearts, they taste like steak so don't worry). Trust me its seasoning is amazing. The purple causa with avocado can make your day if you are looking for something light. They also have a great selection of empanadas too. My favorite is the baked Argentinian empanada. The filling is heavenly.
Want a great place to have drinks and hang out? Well just step into la cerveceria and you can say life is good.