Sazon Restaurant & Cafe

Great food, really loved it - wish I knew about it long ago!\r \r We went here for the first time this weekend, and loved it. It is casual, down-home style, very comfortable. I've had plenty of Latin food but not specifically Venezuelan, and the food here was interesting and great! I had the beef soup, which had wonderful flavorful chunks of beef and root vegetables (perfect for the frigid winter night that it was). Then I had the Asado Negro - a cut of beef in an unusual and really delicious sauce of brown sugar cane and garlic. I love trying new things, and this was both new and delicious. The owners are very friendly and made us feel very welcome (it was Sunday night so pretty empty, and they had plenty of time to chat). We enjoyed it very much and look forward to coming back and trying some of the other dishes that would be new to us. more

AMAZING! This is by far my (and my Girlfriend's) favorite restaurant in the city. The food is fresh,... more

I found the last review surprising, since we had such a different experience. We ordered the appetizer sampler platter, and said that we wanted the pollo arepa. Bob brought us that as a part of our platter, but also brought out the normal entree sized arepa. We told him that that wasn't what we wanted, but we'll eat it if he hadn't started preparing our other entree. He was really nice, and told us that he hadn't had the chance to eat yet, so he'll take the arepa and won't charge us. I think the last reviewer talked to Bob too, b/c he's the owner's son. He was really reasonable and nice to us. I see that he's friends with a lot of the customers. Anways, we recommend the fried yucca, reina arepa papiada, and the tequenos. We'll definitely go back again and again, and bring all our friends. Pros: Great authentic food (as far as a gringo can tell), great service, great location w/ easy parking Cons: I'm not sure yet. more

We brought a party of 6 to Sazon in February 2007. One member of our party ordered an item, took one bite, didn't like the taste, sent the item back, and ordered something different. Not only did the manager refuse to remove the uneaten item from our bill, he curtly explained that it was restaurant policy to charge for all items that are properly prepared, regardless of whether the patrons like the taste. When we politely pointed out that (1) most restaurants do not charge for items that patrons find unappealing (so long as the item is not eaten to any substantial degree), (2) our waitress had recommended this particular item as a house favorite, (3) the item was not eaten (only one bite was taken) and (4) the policy had not been disclosed to us when we sent the dissatisfactory item back, the manager stated ""We're the only Venezuelan restaurant in Philadelphia, and that is our policy."" We tried to press our argument (politely), but the manager walked away from us as we were speaking, and for the rest of the evening refused to come out and talk to us, despite our numerous requests. We reluctantly paid our bill and left.\r \r Enjoy the food if you go, as it is tasty, but be aware that the customer doesn't ever seem to be right in the minds of Sazon's short-sighted management.\r Pros: Decent food, polite and accomodating waitstaff Cons: Incompetent, shortsighted and rude management more

I can say a lot about this place. It's cute, the owners are sooo nice, AND it's authentic Venezuelan food!!! Oh! It's also B.Y.O.B. Their portions are pretty big and filling! I recommend anything really, but for the other person's comment is right: La Venezolana hamburger is amazing but my favorites are the Tequenos so far. Have fun! Pros: It's Venezuelan Cons: They don't have Venezuelan Beer--but that's cool because it's BYOB. more

I can say a lot about this place. It's cute, the owners are sooo nice, AND it's authentic Venezuelan food!!! Oh! It's also B.Y.O.B. Their portions are pretty big and filling! I recommend anything really, but for the other person's comment is right: La Venezolana hamburger is amazing but my favorites are the Tequenos so far. Have fun! Pros: It's Venezuelan Cons: They don't have Venezuelan Beer--but that's cool because it's BYOB. more

I crave the food at this cute little place. There are so many reasons to go and I' m trying to sample the whole menu. The arepa with chicken avocado salad is to die for. You must order a Chicha, a creamy drink that tastes like rice pudding. They make the best hamburger I have ever had. Its called Verazolana, and is layered with ham, avocado, fried egg, tomato and onion. I am finally bringing my friend Andres for dinner tonight, he is from Venezuela. I can't wait to show off this amazing food, and the very talented and vibrant owners Judith and Robert.The atmosphere is casual and relaxing. There is always parking nearby and it is a BYOB. They have a website as well. Salut! Pros: Cuisine, parking, prices. Cons: Not in my neighborhood more