Snapshots from Venezuela: Chipi's Burger
Editor's note: This is the latest in a series of posts from A Hamburger Today reader Leonardo U. It's a snapshot of burgers in Venezuela and is quite fascinating. Enjoy! —Adam
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY LEONARDO U. | Continuing on my Venezuelan burger pilgrimage (which started here), I take you to Chipi’s. In the late nineties, the chain was at least six locations strong all over Caracas. It had more than 200 employees and its own production facility outside of Caracas in charge of providing quality control and feedback to the chains. These days, it seems that Chipi's has dwindled. Nevertheless, the one I visited delivered surprising quality, despite the location's outward appearance.
I spotted this place while walking through a mall in a central Caracas neighborhood called La Castellana. It looked like a Wendy’s or McDonald’s knock-off, so I disregarded it. After asking around about it, though, I received good feedback. So I go into the restaurant and see a lot of people of varying classes—always a good sign. My eyes gravitate to the two flame broilers between the ordering line and the waiting area. There's also a salad and sauce bar that takes one entire wall of the restaurant—all to top your cooked-to-order burger once it’s ready. The salad bar boasts a selection of about 20 sauces, various types of potato chip garnishes, and pickled toppings—in addition to the usual lettuce and tomato fare.
