Restaurant Ecuatoriano El Caserio

CLOSED. We drove by today and they are gone, leaving only the Silver Lake location.

The original Caserio has great Ecuatorian food, very similar to home cooking from mom. La carne asada, menestra, ceviche, seco de chivo, everything is delicious like they make it in Ecuador. I have been going to Caserio for years and I am a loyal customer. There at very few Ecuatorian restaurants in town and Caserio still survives/​succeed where others have fail. I like the humitas, las coladas de frutas. I highly recommend El Caserio.

This would be a good local restaurant, if i lived in the area.
I liked their toasted bread so much I filled myself up with it. Beware, it comes with a salsa that is spicy and they don’t forewarn you. Btw they don’t have a non-​spicy version of this salsa. So if you’re like me, you’ll be having it with butter.
We ordered the beef empanada. It wasn’t like other empanadas i’ve had, it was a hard deep fried shell instead of the baked dough that I’m used to. I wasn’t a fan of this.
I ordered the Sea Bass roasted with Vegetables & Rice and I also got to try the Seafood Risotto. Both were great. However, I did enjoy the Sea Bass filet more so because of the seasoning which was tasty but not heavy. I do wish they had some sort of (mild) tomato salsa for the rice though.
They serve wine here and it is such a bargain (although limited in selection). We got the carafe of chardonnay and it ran about $ 12 for it.
Service was not bad, although a little bit of communication issues. The food is good, the price is right (dishes run around $ 15-​$ 20), I wouldn’t mind coming back.

Having lived in Ecuador many years ago, I was thrilled to find this spot. The sight of the perfectly fresh humita brought tears to my eyes. And it was equally tasty. I ordered the Llapingacho with skirt steak… wonderful fried potato patties with an egg and salsa de maní — peanut sauce… consistency of gravy, not sweet like mole, The steak was tender and nicely seasoned. I also had a glass of mora juice… how often do you find that? I hadn’t seen it for years… more tears. And a nice rich espresso. As others have noted, the only draw back might be the busy strip mall location and tight parking, but beyond that… it is indeed a taste of Ecuador. Beware — you may feel an urge to travel!
Yes, it is a bit pricey — most plates are $ 14.99, the humita was $ 3.95. But every mouthful was worth it — AND I brought home half of everything… portions are very generous. A blend of traditional South American and Brazilian music plays softly in the background. The dishes are colourfully inviting. The staff is friendly, the restaurant and bathrooms — very clean. I can’t wait to go back.

Amazing food. It was prepared just like I had it in Quito. The servers are super sweet and helpful. There is a great mix of music playing while you eat. The only drawback is the parking and the tricky entrance on Temple. They are a bit pricey, but worth it

The service was ridiculous. We came here to celebrate my future brother in laws bday and man did we have to wait forever. Food was whatever, nothing special. I had a Peruvian dish prolly not the best since I was at an Eucadorian restaurant. I know we won’t be going back here anytime soon.

After researching for a good half hour on Unilocal for an inexpensive Peruvian/​Latin restaurant with a good ambiance for a Saturday night dinner, I decided on El Caserio. The pictures of the restaurant and their website was what enticed me. There were many other well-​reviewed options, but this was the only one that matched what I wanted in terms of ambiance, which was not too fancy, not too casual, but just right for a chill Saturday night with the beau.
It ended up being a great choice, because the flavors of their dishes were perfect for our taste. Although we are no Latin food connoisseurs, we found the dishes well proportioned (with the right amount of protein, carbs, and fiber) and the flavors divine.
Service was friendly and prompt and our waitress (an elder lady who spoke little English) even allowed us to try all of their imported juices before letting us choose one.
The lomo saltado was our favorite entrée and the shrimp soup was delicious and addicting. We’ll definitely be returning again!

My Ecuadorian friends brought a few of us to this whole in the wall place. In a strip mall next to a Peruvian restaurant and smoke shop.
We decided to try a few dishes and share.
The staff was friendly, place inviting, spacious and clean.
There’s 2 rooms with a couple of flat screen TV’s.
They also have beer and wine
We decided on a
seabass dish = CORVINA FRITA
goat dish = I can’t recall, but it’s the only goat dish =/​
Pork roaster= CHUCHUCARA
Each dish was seasoned just right and was fresh and hot. I love how all our dishes cane at the same time.
Would visit again in a heartbeat. Just the parking can be sparse.

My husband and I come here almost every time we’re in LA. This place is good! We’ve been to many Peruvian restaurants in the Bay Area but this is our first and only Ecuadorian restaurant. From what I can tell, the cuisines are virtually identical.
The complementary rolls and (very hot) habanero sauce get the appetite going. The humita is really good — much better than a Mexican tamale. It’s made with steamed fresh sweet corn and filled with oozy mild cheese. Sprinkle on a bit of the hot salsa and you’re good to go. I only wish it was bigger. Speaking of bigger, the main dishes are hefty! The lomo saltado and pollo saltado are seasoned well and filled with meat and potatoes. The best dish though is the seco de chivo, which is a beer-​braised goat stew. The young goat is very tender and not at all gamey. I would pass on the dry Puerco and the overly sweet frozen fruit drinks.
Next time, I would like to try the «chaulanfa» which is Ecuadorian fried rice. Funny thing is that the name is phoenetic for «fried leftover rice» in Cantonese. Curious to see how this Chino-​Latino dish tastes. The hearty seafood soups, which all of the Latino customers seem to be ordering, look good. Just can’t seem to get away from the seco…
The only cons of El Caserio are: 1) parking is tough (neighborhood seems a bit tough too), 2) service can be slow, and 3) prices are high although the dish size makes this less of an issue.

I love love love this restaurant! My fiancé took me here for my birthday in 2011, and I absolutely loved it and still do to this day! I think it’s the only authentic Ecuadorian restaurant in LA?
They have two locations. The one on silverlake is more casual, and they have another one down the street around the corner that is more modern and romantic. (It’s more on the fancy side, and the prices are a little higher). My review is the one on silverlake– we prefer this location because its $ 5-​$ 8 cheaper than the fancier one for the same quality food.
They start you off with their homemade bolillo bread– crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. YUM! Beware of the salsa it comes with. It looks mild but it’s dangerous and oh so spicy!
I ALWAYS get the llapingachos! Whether it’s on the side (which is almost the same price as a regular dish) or with the carne! It’s potato patties with melted cheese inside, a fried egg on top, served with peanut sauce. Absolutely DELISH and a definite must try! The carne is no regular carne like the ones that you get in tacos. It’s more on the high end-​, better quality meat, is very tender, thick, and cooked to perfection. Also, the portions are fairly big and generous. Try this dish if you’re a first timer! And get a side of encebollado! You won’t be disappointed. You’re welcome. ;)

Came here the other night for dinner for the first time. We see this place every time we got off the freeway and have been wanting to stop in forever!
It’s sort of on a side street and around the corner tight by the freeway so it’s slightly tricky getting there. Parking was plentiful as its all residential nearby.
We walked in and they seated us promptly. The wait staff made several recommendations as it was our first Ecuadorean restaurant. We had the fusilli pasta with mushrooms and the Carne Apanada. Both delicious and huge portions!
Our bill was a little more than $ 40, reasonable I think especially since we had leftovers!
I only have it 4 stars vs. 5 because we were seated by the front door and as people kept coming and going noone was attentive to the rather cold draft blowing directly on us. We actually had to get up and close the front door twice during dinner. Next time well asked to be seated further back.
A new spot (for us) in Silverlake that we will be back to for sure!

Have gone here twice for lunch while at work. The 1^st time I was with 3 co-​workers and we ordered 2 salads to split. There was 1 other table in the restaurant and the service was EXTREMELY slow and inattentive, which does not work when you have an hour for lunch. We had to get up from our table several times to ask for the server to take our drink order, for drink refills, and for our check. Of the 2 dishes we ordered, they messed up 1 salad and brought us the wrong thing. The server didn’t offer to fix the mistake.
Although the service was BAD, the salads were a good size and were tasty, so I figured I would give it another chance at a takeout order.
So I phoned in my order last time for Camarones Saltados which is supposed to have shrimp, served over rice and fries. When I get there, I paid, and then I asked for an extra side of sauce, to which I was told would cost extra. Since I had no cash and only credit, I said forget it. I didn’t know restaurants even did that any more, especially since their sauces come in the itty-​bitty containers that are 14 of the size of a salad dressing to-​go container. The server (same girl from my 1^st trip here) decided to be kind and sneak me an extra side of sauce. Yippee.
When I got back to my office I discovered that for $ 18 I got a big serving of white rice and French fries with 5 mid-​sized shrimp. WTF. $ 18 for rice, the cheapest thing in the world that cost the restaurant literally 10 cents.
I was so pissed off and I’m so done with this place that I told my whole office not to go here anymore. Everyone has listened, and you should too!

I know very little about Ecuadorian food. I am not Ecuadorian, myself, but I can tell you that the food here is A+, fan-​frigging-​tastic, and I am a major fan.
The restaurant itself is pretty unassuming, tucked away in the little five-​points at Virgil, Temple, Beverly, and Silver Lake Blvd. The service is friendly enough, though not particularly fast. They have a nice little selection of beers (Cusquena, Cristal, familiar Mexican beers like Corona) and wine, along with a few simple mixed drinks.
Once you order, they bring you some fresh rolls with butter and this out of this world, drop dead delicious salsa. It’s has a strong tomato base and is on the thick side, like I like my men. It is more oniony than garlicky, and it is fresh; you can tell the ingredients were not roasted. And it is SPICY. Not «Orochon challenge» spicy, not «chiles torreados taco from Guisado’s spicy.» Not gimmicky spicy — just flavorful, hot, and intense.
I’ve enjoyed their ceviche, which is very fresh and, like a lot of South American ceviches, more lemon-​based and not lime-​based like Mexican ceviches. It’s full of ripe, red tomatoes and fresh herbs. Simple, fresh, light.
The caprese salad is also well executed: fresh mozzarella, fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped basil. Not too much oil, not too much Balsamic.
The big hits here have been the chuchucara, and the mote con fritada. They’re similar: both based on hominy, and these mind-​blowing, tender, garlicky pork «riblets,» with some plantains on the side. The Chuchucara comes with empanadas, too. They’re good, but I found them to be a little dry.
Or if you’re really looking to gleefully clog your arteries, the llapingachos con fritada comes with the same delicious pork and hominy combo, topped with fried eggs and a savory, creamy peanut sauce. Que rico!
Overall, this restaurant has become a standby and I’ve never been let down. It’s the type of place you take your corncob white friends to and they’re like, «Wowww, I never would have known such a neat place existed!» Just leave the friends at home who can’t handle the spicy. (Who’s friends with them, anyway?)

The first time I heard about El Caserío’s fusion of Latino flavors, I decided to book a table as soon as possible. Finding authentic South American retaurants in Los Angeles has never been easy, but when I learned that the head chef was William Velasco, I knew I couldn’t be in better hands. And so, one Sunday morning I decided to pay a visit to the chef and check out his raved-​about brunch.
I showed up ahead of time and explored the lovely restaurant, which recreates an Ecuatorian hacienda. Step beyond the ornate front door and what first catches the eye is the blue stained-​glass roof above the bar. To the left is a well-​stocked wine cellar and, farther down the hall, the kitchen and several tables. The restaurant also has a homey patio, where I decided to have a café latte to start off my experience. What I especially loved about this outoor spot was its passion fruit trees.
A kind waitress came to take our order: my husband chose the salchipapas (hot dog sausages and fries) from the Brunch menu while I went for the house special seco de chivo (an Ecuadorian goat stew) from the traditional menu.
While we were enjoying our food, chef William joined us. Born in Ecuador, he has been living in LA for over two decades, and told us about his first steps as a cook, his roots and his large family. Believe it or not, chef William has more than 20 siblings!
His life has always been influenced by food. For more than three generations, his family has been dedicated to the food industry; his grandmother used to be the private chef of the Peruvian Consul General in Colombia. With such a large family, his roots are a blend of Colombian and Ecuadorean cultures – even though most members live in the United States.
El Caserío has two locations. The first opened over 25 years ago in Virgil, and a few years later the second branch opened in Silverlake. Both restaurants offer a menu that perfectly blends the best of Ecuadorian food with tasty Italian fare. It’s a recipe both for culinary innovation and Latino tradition!

Viva Ecuador! I am writing this review on the same evening as OC’s Fia R and LA East’s Greg N per Daniel L, should be fun.
If you want to read another song parody of this review, please visit these pages:
Fia R
Greg N
Lomo Saltado, traditionally featured in Peruvian Fare had a good tasting meat. The tomatoes were ok, but did not stand out. The fries were clearly out of the bag. This did not sit well, but, I will not 2-​star this place just based on this. The rice was good and the water was refilled timely.
Daniel’s Chucharra dish was actually much better, with soft but not slushy bananas and a gentle but flavorful pork. I seriously give his dinner option a 4.5 star, mine, due to having out-​of-​bag-​fries and decent meat, gets a lower rating.
I had a hot chocolate, which was the standard hot chocolate.
The Tamale which was served had a texture which was crispier and less moist than a Guatemalan tamale but softer and more moist than a Mexican tamale. The freshness of the corn was amazing and the flavor was unique and extraordinary. While, this is not the tamale I like, I will be fair, we should judge on quality and content, not on our Personal taste buds, I give the tamale 4.3 stars.
Parking is incredibly hard to find during prime hours, seating seems ample, even during busy times, restroom available, plenty of free water. Our waitress that night was awesome and I hope she serves us again.
I think, to be fair, we should try the Ecuadorian drinks next time, as well as a few of the regional dishes. But, for now, in spite of the many things I liked, great conversation, atmosphere, I will not write them a love song.
Song parody of Sara Bareilles 2007 song «Love Song»
Excellent water
They waitress talked to us for a while
The parking is harder, everyone knows that
Lucky, there was room for me
In the parking lot, oh man
The tamale is hard to hold on to
A texture for the ages
Soft and easy, I eat this
Beautiful texture but I like a bit more crunchy
I’m not gonna write you a love song
Cause your awesome service
Cause you need one, Unilocaling
I’m not gonna write you a love song
Cause your portions fit
Love the dim lit, love the service
Though I was cheerful on my way
But for fries-​out-​the-​bag I will not stay
As we all were leaving, we were thinking we need better
That would make us write you a love song today
I learned the hard way
But with Daniel L’s foodie choices I never fear
And my heavy heart sinks deep down under you and
His hopeful words,
You’re Unilocal just hurt
El Caserio is not what I though, for sure
The bread was a little dry
Did not feel the tomato
I thought that I would just love their stew
I loved everything else, but dang
I’m not gonna write you a love song
Cause your awesome service
Cause you need one, Unilocaling
I’m not gonna write you a love song
Cause your portions fit
Love the dim lit, love the service
But for fries-​out-​the-​bag I will not stay
As we all were leaving, we were thinking we need better
That would make us write you a love song today
Promise me to leave those white lights on
To help guide me back when my hunger is strong
I know that one day, you will Unilocal love me
Because I say
I’m not gonna write you a love song
Cause your awesome service
Cause you need one, Unilocaling
I’m not gonna write you a love song
Cause your portions fit
Love the dim lit, love the service
Which restaurants would want a love song?
Cause your portions fit
Love the dim lit, love the service
I’m not gonna write you a love song
Cause your portions fit
Love the dim lit, love the service
But for fries-​out-​the-​bag I will not stay
As we all were leaving, we were thinking we need better
Your décor and service is excellent
I will stay here for a minute
But, for 5 stars, it is just a fact
Give me more reason to
Write you a Unilocal love song today

Head to Silver Lake
Daniel L’s gracious invitation I did take
To Fia, Vince V, and me, challenge he did make
«Use only one song
The three of you write reviews in a throng on Sunday»
It’s now 10 p.m., cannot take too long…
First taste of Ecuadorian food
Great service, but eats slightly good
You mean well, but you make this hard on me…
I’m just gonna write you a like song
For the fried plaintain
Must eat again
You see I’m not gonna write you a love song
I’m gonna tell you your fried skirt steak
was tough, no ooh’s and aah’s did make
I’m gonna write you to say
Your waitresses are nice
But your cooks must add a little more spice
If you want us to come back someday
Your cheese humita
None can beat ya’
Nice fish parrilla
But my heavy heart sank deep down in your oily fries
«Slice fresh ones» my taste buds cries
Empanadas were empty pies
Pork riblets were four star
Lomo just above par
I’m trying to get you above the bar
I’m just gonna write you a like song
You let us stay three hours
’til you shut the power
You see I’m not gonna write you a love song
Food was underwhelming
it was not compelling
Conversation was so great
The company made me elate
Caserio has potential… I hope you improve and I’ll come back someday…

***This is per DL’s request. Here I go…***
Head onto L.A. for a dinner
Some Latino for the night
Four Unilocalers cravin’ Ecuadorian
More room for me, I’m so down to eat
Chuchucara and Humitas
Grilled Sea Bass Filet was the dish I eyed to
It ended with blank feelings
Not very easy to tell this
They mean well
But the din din’s hard to say
I’m not gonna review a good one
’Cause you raved for it
Sounded too good, but see
I’m not gonna review a good one
For the price quite high, might be a «Yay» or «Ehh»
Had to say «No way»
I’m not gonna review to stay
All you get is «okay»
Just be grateful for the masa
To get a ⁵⁄₂ review for today
The bread was that good, spicy aji
Humitas had some flair
Yet many entrees were too soft for my taste
Meats just too wah
Frites not so wowed
Empanadas are not thought they were
Hello to flat and why
Persuade me to return
Don’t make me think of that fish, taste burnt
I’m tryin’ to help you as much as I can
[Chorus]
Nonetheless, we had a grand time
To help perceive, Iowa’s good, by far
So there’s belief there’s a way
Better Ecuadorian, say
I won’t review a good one
’Cause it’s been too raved
I’ll be honest, you’ve seen…
***Need help with the «lyrics?» Props to this musician:
! ⁵⁄₂ requires calculation, and the Iowa part is referred to this:
. Thanks for «singing along!» And to DL, Greg & Vince: thanks for the chanting moments xD!***

I can only vouch for the lomo saltado dish as it’s my favorite thing to order. It’s good as good gets– juicy steak, fries cooked perfectly, and great sauce.
The wait staff are nice and friendly. Parking is probably the only bad thing here.

Ok… so in my craze of reviewing a string of places where I’ve eaten a pollo saltado, I can’t pass up reviewing El Caserio, not to be mistaken with the El Caserio on Silverlake.
I thought that this place was decent, but not great. I just thought that the dishes were a little too salty for my taste buds. I found myself reaching for the water glass time after time… every time I eat there.
Their saving grace? Their aji sauce. I’ve found that each restaurant has slightly different aji sauce, and theirs has a bit more kick on it, which I LOVE! This is why they got bumped up from 3 stars to 4.

I came to Restaurant Ecuatoriano El Caserio on a recommendation from fellow Unilocaler «Mary B», she made some suggestions since I’ve never had Ecuadorian food before.
They have two locations this which they call the Virgil location is located in a small strip mall, the other is only a couple blocks away and is called the Silver Lake location and it’s a fancier restaurant with a slightly different menu and higher prices.
While you wait for your food they bring freshly toasted bread rolls
to your table that were delicious, they had a nice crunch to the outside while the inside was soft.
They also give you this wonderful salsa that is spicy and delicious *(I had two full containers of this salsa :))
Humitas —
Sweet corn and cheese tamale wrapped in a corn husk, served with Aji *(didn’t get the aji) aji is a chili and when I’ve had it in other places it’s in more of a paste form. Unlike a Mexican tamale this did not have masa with filling, this was more like a sweet corn cake wrapped in a corn husk, it was soft, sweet and just melted in your mouth.
5-​Stars
Chuchucara —
Is a plate for two people with, Roasted pork with garlic and onions, Cheese Empanadas, Maduros (Platanos) and two types of corn, one which I assume is Hominy and the other is a crunchy corn, I’ve had something similar or maybe it’s the same thing? called «Chulpe» at a Peruvian restaurant.
Pork —
BIG pieces of pork that was hard and crispy on the outside, but the inside was tender and full of flavor from the garlic and onions, I love me some good piggy and this was good! 5-​Stars
Corn —
They give you two types of corn one that to me resembles hominy that was cooked nicely and very flavorful, the other was a crunchy corn I’ve had this at a Peruvian restaurant and they call it Chulpe it’s a pop corn that when cooked does not actually pop all the was and remains crunchy yet not too hard, it actually makes a good snack! 5– Stars
Cheese Empanada —
Hmmm well when I took a bite it was hollow, is it suppose to be filled with cheese or at least have some cheese?, I assume it should since it’s called a cheese empanada!, I filled the empty empanada with the salsa and it was good though it was not a cheese empanada. 3 — Stars
Maduros (Platanos) —
It would really be unfair for me to rate this since I don’t like them, I did try theirs and… still don’t like them!
Overall Ecuadorian food from Restaurant Ecuatoriano El Caserio reminds me of a combination of «Don Felix — Peruvian» and «Mambo’s Café — Cuban», if you’ve got an open mind and like to try new things?, come check this place out!
Ahhh, almost forgot, I don’t mind paying $$ for some good food but… one thing that really burns me is when restaurants overcharge for the little things! Case in point I ordered a Soda for my drink and was given a «Can Soda» OK this is no fancy restaurant and you have nothing to prepare or do but deliver me a can, the cost $ 2.50 for one can soda! «RIDICULES» Minus (-) 1-​Star for overcharging on a can soda.
4 — Stars