La Caraqueña, the popular Falls Church Venezuelan restaurant housed within the Stratford Motor Lodge, has closed.
A sign of apparent trouble at the hole-in-the-wall restaurant, which first opened on W. Broad St. in 2007, first arose when a notice was found on the door in early February announcing a temporary closure. The sign apologized for the shutter but said “we will reopen soon.”
But then, over the weekend, a new notice went up in the window and it appears the restaurant is closed for good. “La Caraqueña Latin Cuisine is closed. We love you, we will miss you and thank you very much for your support!,” reads the new sign.
La Caraqueña was known throughout the Washington, D.C.-area for its arepas and was featured on the Food Network TV show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2010. The News-Press profiled the restaurant and its owner and chef Raul Claros in an article last October after it underwent a menu revamp to focus more on street food.
Todd Hitt, founder of Kiddar Capital which owns the Stratford Motor Lodge where La Caraqueña is located, told the News-Press Wednesday the restaurant was on a month-to-month lease and there are no immediate plans to fill the space or redevelop the property.
The News-Press has reached out to the La Caraqueña for comment but has not heard back.
