Before settling into its permanent East Hollywood home on Melrose, Karla Subero Pittol first launched Chainsaw as a casual dinner club in her Echo Park garage. The cheeky name came from an unexpected encounter with a feisty Pomeranian on a trip to New Orleans. The early pop-up quickly gained traction as a community-driven atmosphere, where guests packed into the space for meals that felt more like gatherings of friends than traditional restaurant service.
After leasing the storefront in 2024, Pittol spent the entirety of the next two years building out a permanent location and planning the future of the café. Chainsaw officially opened in November as a micro-café, bakery, and restaurant on Melrose in East Hollywood, with a focus on keeping the experience intimate.
That sense of closeness defines the space. As more people started showing up, seating expanded beyond the interior and onto the sidewalk, with stools, stacked chairs, and milk crates filling in the gaps. The setup is informal, but it reinforces the kind of environment Pittol is after, one where people congregate and stay awhile.
The interior design reflects the relaxed concept. Dried flowers and herbs hang throughout the café, and the walls are painted in soft peach and yellow tones with a deliberately imperfect finish. Mismatched bistro furniture, woven elements, and natural textures give the space an eclectic, cozy feel with Venezuelan influence.
For Pittol, the influence is personal. As a Venezuelan immigrant herself, she looked to the small neighborhood shops of Caracas as a reference point, shaping both the appearance of the café and its culinary offerings.
The menu remains flexible and changes often. There are a few consistent elements, including house-made pies, “offbeat” ice cream, and Venezuelan arepas, but the overall approach stays open, with the goal of serving good food in a warm, adaptable space.
Chainsaw
Address: 5022 Melrose Ave
Hours: Thursday – Tuesday 9AM to 3PM, Closed Wednesdays
