Chainsaw Cafe

Chainsaw is chef Karla Subero Pittol's, and it started in her Echo Park garage during the pandemic, where she roasted whole animals and served Venezuelan snacks including arepas and empanadas, alongside the icebox pies that made her name. The pie made an impression that outlasted the pop-up. One writer covering it in 2020 said she was still getting texts about it from the friends she had brought a slice to. She opened the Melrose Hill room in late 2025 as somewhere fans could find the desserts, and it turned into a neighborhood hub. The passionfruit lime icebox pie is the cult item, by the slice or whole, with seasonal sweets around it. Savory dishes and caffeinated drinks follow her Venezuelan heritage, and the matcha holds its own there. Seating is scant and the line runs down the block, so she has taken the lease next door for dinner service with wine and beer. We would go for the pie and stay for the matcha.