Fodor's Expert Review Orinoco

Don't miss this red clapboard, Pan–Latin American restaurant located down an alleyway in Harvard Square. Owner Andres Branger's dream to bring bountiful plates of super-fresh family fare from his home country of Venezuela to Cambridge (as well as Brookline Village and the South End) rewards diners with delectable, palm-size arepas (crispy, hot, corn-flour pockets stuffed with beans, cheese, chicken, or pork), pabellon criollo (moist shredded beef with stewed beans, rice, and plantains), and red chili adobo–marinated, charred pollo (chicken). Empanadas, hearty salads, and stuffed French-bread sandwiches at lunch, along with a small selection of wine and beer, round out the very affordable menu at this casual eatery. When weather permits, ask for a seat on the back patio, a quiet flower-and-fountain-filled oasis that makes the rest of the world feel very far away.