Social Profile: 
✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
… View more
No-reservations Venezuelan eatery known for smoky arepas, served in a cozy, Latin-accented space.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 56 John F. Kennedy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Phone: (617) 354-6900
Website: https://www.orinocokitchen.com/
Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
HOME | Orinoco: A Latin Kitchen
South End / Brookline Village / Harvard Square. After 20 beautiful years, Orinoco has closed its doors—but the spirit of this place lives on through you.
With Orinoco in Harvard Sq closing, do we know what’s coming next?
Hidden gems to explore in Cambridge, MA. Upcoming events in Cambridge this month. Navigating public transport in Cambridge. Coffee shops for …
Orinoco closing as building’s owner considers demolition, new …
Orinoco is closing after 22 years operating in Brookline at 22 Harvard Street. … The company’s two other locations in Boston and Cambridge also …
Reviews
Hassan Chehab
Venezuelan restaurant with an entertaining selection of bites. I particularly liked the braised beef in the arepas, and the juice drinks. However, i think with having a restaurant in Harvard square that is a bit upscale, something is lost along the way. Small-ish servings, and a vibe that feels it caters more to the parents of Harvard students than to a community. The service was great though. No complaints there.
… moreSylvia Davidson
A hidden gem! If you’re not careful you’ll miss the alleyway leading to this restaurant and that would be sad, it’s worth the search. The wait staff is very friendly and forgiving of my horrible attempts at saying the names of menu items. Everything we ordered was fantastic and I was sad to leave my leftovers behind, the casualties of vacationing.
… moreEvie Reese
What an amazing experience!!! Food was incredibly flavorful and portions were great. We recommend the empanadas, pulled pork, and salmon. We will be coming back
… moreJaye Aster Broder
There are stairs and the smell of trash that you must pass to enter the restaurant. As other have said, the restaurant was out of arepas when we went. The website is misleading as it talks about prices potentially differing from the website but the tables just have QR codes that take you to another website with pricing that shows everything the restaurant is out of stock. The meat plate was a good value but the steak on it was cooked medium well instead of medium rare. The cachapa wasn’t super filling. The re at air and was clean and had a nice laid back vibe. I went in with high expectations but found it just okay.
… moreMolly Parker
Salmon and bacon wrapped dates were amazing. My bf got the steamed yucca and empanadas. He couldn’t stop raving about them!
… moreOindrilla Chatterjee
We recently dined at this quaint spot in Harvard Square. We tried the Steak, the ribs, and the guava flatbread. The guava flatbread was a standout, however, the ribs and the steak didn’t quite meet our expectations. The ribs were a bit tough to cut through, and the BBQ sauce, which was the same for both dishes, didn’t quite hit the mark for us. We had ordered the steak cooked to medium, but it turned out a bit too chewy and overcooked. The staff kindly replaced it, and the second one came out cooked to a perfect medium, which we appreciated. In terms of beverage options, the selection was somewhat limited, with only wine and beer available. On a less positive note, we did observe a rat scurrying through the dining area, which was quite surprising and definitely detracted from the overall experience.
Edit based on owners question: Appreciate your prompt response. We were seated indoors in the dining room and saw what would be a “mouse”, still pretty disturbing to see it run indoors along the outside wall of the bar
Also yeah, getting a heads up about our order would have been nice. All the 3 items we had ordered had some of the sauce, wish we got a heads up.
… moreEdit based on owners question: Appreciate your prompt response. We were seated indoors in the dining room and saw what would be a “mouse”, still pretty disturbing to see it run indoors along the outside wall of the bar
Also yeah, getting a heads up about our order would have been nice. All the 3 items we had ordered had some of the sauce, wish we got a heads up.
Curt Raffi
Intimate, awesome and authentic… Tucked in a side alley right off of JFK Street in Harvard Square, Orinoco serves authentic Venezuelan food and serves it in an intimate and personal way. It’s a perfect place to go on a cold winter’s night to connect with friends and enjoy some wonderful food. Overall I rate the service and food an A-.
… moreGregory Merchel
Best brunch in a long time. Since it’s off the path it also isn’t as busy as the other restaurants in Harvard. You SHOULD go here, it was delicious. Midianoche was fabulous but the cachapa con chicharron was the best. Love love love the empanadas and will definitely be back.
… moreJulia Gooding Warner
Deliciously flavorful arepas, empanadas, salads and mains. Was shocked it was so empty, but it is tucked away. Like treasure at the end of the rainbow, find the alley pathway to Venezuelan cuisine paradise in H Sq!
… moreShivani Sheopory Hernandez
Very good quality Venezuelan food, good ambience, friendly service. The quantities looked small (thankfully, yay to not serving US portions) but the food was rich. Not overwhelming. They also have an amazing whole bottle of chilli sauce on your table! Prices are surprisingly reasonable.
… more