I've been wanting to check out this restaurant and last night I finally did! I was expecting it to be super packed on Saturday night but it wasn't at all. It's quite beautiful inside and has a bit of a rustic feel. The dim lighting and great music really added to the chill ambiance. For food, my boyfriend and I ordered the beef empanada as a starter. It was UNREAL. So flavorful and crispy. The beef was so tender and juicy. Since I love beef so much, I also ordered the beef roast dish, the Asado Negro. I HIGHLY recommend this dish. It is the cheapest dinner dish on the menu ($14.25), yet I don't know how any other dish could be better. The beef was covered in a dark sauce and came with rice and plantains. I made sure there was nothing left on the plate. It was all so flavorful. As for the service, our waiter was very kind and quick! Everyone was super friendly there. I can't wait to go back. Even though this restaurant is a little pricey, the quality of the food really makes up for it. I think it's totally worth the price! Definitely try this place out. read more

I came here after hearing so much from other people. The space appears small but it has a nice ambiance. The food was very good. I had the adobo churrasco, which came with an arugula salad. It's was rich in flavor due to the mango chutney and sauce. My friends had the pollo adobo which was extremely juicy and crisp. If you want to go to a resturant with dishes different from the regular night out, I would highly recommend this place. read more

This place was truly amazing! We went in for my parents wedding anniversary not knowing what to expect, but we're more than pleasantly surprised! I had the arepas and loved each one I tried. The gluten free options were huge and allowed everyone to really try something new! read more

It is a relatively small place with extremely rapid turnaround time. I wanted to go there on a Friday night with a group of eight and hence needed to make prior reservations. Unfortunately, a quick phone call told me that I couldn't get one. :( But, all hope was not lost and a quick email to the owner solved the problem. The staff were very nice and friendly and more than willing to accommodate out last minute request provided we were there on time. :) Anyway, Friday evening finally came and we promptly arrived on schedule. The place was quite packed as expected but they still remembered to hold a bug table for us. The lighting was a little dim though but the colorful decor inside maintained a warm and welcoming ambiance. The food did not disappoint us either. I had Polvorosa de Pollo which was more of a dessert to me than dinner. The chicken was stuffed inside a delicious "muffin-ish" corn bread coating and was quite savory. My husband had Pollo adobo, which he said was a tab bit dry but delicious nonetheless. The server had warned us that the dish called for a side-order that we ignored so that when we got "just the chicken" it was only us to blame. Oh well... he still ate it. The other dishes in our party also turner out to be very fulfilling. All in all Orinoco held up to my expectations...actually it surpassed it because of the friendly service we received there :) read more

For those who like spicy food, the food was pretty average, and a little expensive to boot. The service wasn't the best. They have a variety of mojitos though, so if you are in the mood for mojitos, this is the place to go. read more

Ate there last night with my whole family and it was delicious! We got dates wrapped in bacon for an appetizer which were great and then for dinner I got the palua arepa which was really yummy with shredded beef. The beef was really flavorful and tender. We got blood orange caiprinhina in a carafe which was delicious Service was great, they were very attentive and friendly Will definitely be returning One thing missing was nothing I had, had a little spice to it but may I just didn't order the right thing read more

We came here for dinner and drinks on a Saturday night---it was crowded, but not excessively so. Nevertheless, we waited more than 30 minutes for a table for six, and even then we were in close proximity with those around us. However, the variety and quality of the food greatly redeemed our difficulties getting seated. We started with the bacon-wrapped dates (amazing), and then shared one of the small plates---a Venezuelan-style sandwich made with handmade cheese (a little plain, but definitely fresh). However, the chicken & candied walnut salad, along with the special of the evening---a seafood paella, were amazing. On top of this, our drinks---Orinoco mojito and an avocado-based cocktail (sounds strange, but I swear I was drinking key lime pie) were both top-notch. Overall, a great dinner out with friends, despite some blemishes. read more

Orinoco's Palmito Salad is my go-to when eating at their restaurant in Brookline Village. All their salads are visual works of art, but the Palmito has the extra appeal of bacon wrapped dates and heart of palm. Awesome! This is one of my favorite Brookline lunchtime restaurants, but, a word of caution: it is very crowded (and quite noisy) at night. read more

I had to come back and update my review for Orinoco based on my last experience. We went at roughly 5:25 (knowing they open at 5:30). The door was open and staff were milling about. As we tried to enter, we were told that they were not yet open and that they would need 10 minutes to finish prep. Since this seemed a reasonable request and we were very eager for mojitos and arepas, we said, sure no problem, we'll wait outside. They then proceeded to lock the door and turn out the lights! We waited patiently for 15 minutes. Finally, we were so frustrated we decided to go next door to Pomodoro. That was one of the best decisions of my life! I plan on writing a review for them as well, but let's just say that the attentive staff, quick service, free appetizers and dessert made it well worth our while and more than made up for the miserable experience we had just had. This could have been handled so differently. We understood they were setting up and would have been happy to take a seat inside (out from the cold; it was frigid that day) and have some water. If they needed more time, perhaps they could have suggested we get a drink next door. Since it didn't seem like they were very eager for our business, I am glad we went elsewhere. read more

I am from Veneuela, and Orinoco does a great job of melding traditional dishes with modern innovations. Their tequeños and empanadas are very authentic, and they do a better job with their arepas than I do at home. Their carne mechada (shredded beef) hits all the right notes, and bartender Gaby does a great job of coming up with Venezuela-inspired creative cocktails. I particularly recommend the Reina Pepiada arepas -- Venezuelan chicken salad done right! If you're in the mood for uber-traditional Venezuelan food, though, you can't get much closer than their pabellon criollo. One of my favorite restaurants in town! read more

Food: Inconsistent: sometimes mediocre, sometimes very good. Service: Very Good Ambiance: Very Good Cocktails: Excellent I've eaten at Orinoco Brookline maybe 6 times over the past several years, and I find the food to be inconsistent; sometimes delicious, often disappointing. The cocktails are invariably fresh and yummy, and I love the decor -- although on this Friday night at 10, the noise level was really loud and my boyfriend and I had to lean in to our table to hear each other. Our food was not so great. I started out with a Guavapolitan: beefeater, guava, and lime. It was just the right size -- I don't subscribe to the bigger-is-better mentality when it comes to my drinks and food portions. The sweetness of the guava was well-balanced by the piney flavor of the gin and the tang of the lime -- I'd definitely order it again. We began our meal with the palmito salad, which came with three bacon-wrapped, almond-filled dates. We were fairly happy with the appetizer: it's hard to go wrong with bacon-wrapped dates! The salad was decent, although it was too heavily dressed. Next time I'll try to remember to ask for light dressing. Our appetizer plates were cleared before our entrees arrived, which I was happy about. My mahi mahi was plaintain-encrusted and served with a warm tomato salad and "Rabo Encendido" -- braised shredded beef. The mahi was somewhat overcooked and was slightly chewy; the flavor was not bad, but not amazing. I did not care for the rabo encendido; it was overly sweet and spicy, not much subtlety there. The tomatoes were good. My boyfriend had ordered his beef medium rare, but it was cooked through. He said the flavor and texture were reminiscent of ground meat, and the dish was lacking flavor overall. We'll go back again, but we'll probably need to wait a few months. read more

I really love this place. I've gone here maybe 4-5 times total, and I've never had anything I didn't like -- the baby back ribs are delicious, bacon-wrapped dates are heaven, the drinks are great. The sauces they use are excellent, and they don't over- or under-season things like a lot of other restaurants I've been to. Plus, the service staff seems to know the menu very well, and are really nice. The atmosphere also strikes a nice medium -- bustling, but not raucous; classy, but also cozy. I've brought family here to eat, and also gone out with friends here, and it's just the perfect place. Highly recommended! read more

I was there yesterday with friends. First thing is this: I LOVE THEIR HOT SAUCE. It's very hot and perfect. I ordered the atun(tuna). It was good. the appetizer was a Jardanesca aperas. pretty good as well. The sangria tasted like sorrell, which is a fruit from the Caribbeans which is drunk with nutmeg. The sangria, incidentally, either had nutmeg or cinnamon in it. read more

Love the food, great atmosphere and ambiance!! Excellent service!! The food is consistently excellent! High quality! My son is hooked on the arepas! Drinks were very good! read more

I loved everything about this restaurant from the moment I walked in. The ambience, the decor, the food-- it was wonderful! After a 30 min wait at around 7 PM, we were seated and service was very nice. The mojitos smelled amazing and my friends and I decided to order lots of plates to share. I was a bit skeptical about the dates but they were amazing and did not disappoint. Plantains were on point and the churrasquito that we got was equally amazing. The empanadas were a perfect balance with the salad it came in and overall just had a perfect time! read more

Helpful service and huge portions - not only did I find everything yummy my Venezuelan friend did too! Definitely try a mojito with passion fruit read more

I have been very happy going to Orinoco, but today I found out that the sauce the Arepas comes with is extra! one more dollar! Ok I understand one more dollar is not that much, but come on! Its like charging for the ketchup in a burger restaurant! Other than that, the food is good, and the waitresses are very friendly! If anybody from Orinoco reads this they should also come out with a better way to serve the Arepas so they don't come out so soggy from their internal juices. read more

The arepas are nice and chewy/crispy. My favorite is Mechada. All the main plates we've tried have been good. Two arepas is enough for a meal for me (ends up at about $10, not bad). We like going early for dinner before it gets crowded or busy. Get the tajadas, the fried sweet plantains. Awesome. I am on an anti-Candida diet and I can eat these without problems (these are the sweetest, most delicious things I am able to eat). read more

Four middle age professional people (big time foodies) went here and food was excellent but from the beginning the waiter/manager Nino made us feel unwelcome. The restaurant was not full so we were not occupying a table unnecessarily; we shared 5 dishes and had total of 8 drinks so we were not cheapo customers either. When the bill came (without asking for it) one of us put the credit card but we wanted to share the bill without noticing this the waiter took the bill and I ran after him and the conversation went like this: "Excuse me we meant to put 4 credit cards, sorry, could you bring it back?" "You shouldn't put this credit card on the bill than" "Don't tell us what to do" "You need to know what to do" We were shocked...I have to say I was never mis-treated in this way in any restaurant by a manager. read more

I came here for dinner with a good friend and it was wonderful! I had never been and the food and atmosphere were very lovely. It's a nice place to go when you are looking for something unique in Brookline! The staff was also very friendly! read more

It gets the full 5 stars because the food was unbelievable, the margarita was delicious, and the server was friendly and on the ball. I got the Pabellon Criollo which was definitely the right choice. I'd never had beans that tasted quite like that; they were incredible and the beef was absolutely amazing. It's also a very nice restaurant and great location. I can't speak to the other locations, but the one on Harvard St. in Brookline Village is cozy and pretty, just like the Village. read more

Amazing food and service. I have to say their mojitos are the best. I will recommend the pineapple mojito. However, the place is very small so if you're​ really hungry and it is a Friday night you might have to wait 45 minutes or more. It is worth the wait though! read more

My partner and I (he's from Venezuela) have been going here for about a year. Some of the criticisms on here (crowded, very busy on weekends, cold in winter) are true, but the food/atmosphere/service outshine them, in my opinion. We usually go for the more traditional Venezuelan options (pabellon criollo, empanadas, arepas, tajadas) which are delicious, but they have more inventive things (like the datiles/dates) that are also very tasty. I'm a big fan of the passionfruit BBQ ribs. They also have an awesome, very friendly/cool/talented bartender and good drinks options (my standard is the Martinon, which has cashew nut juice!). And Sunday brunch :-). They can get really busy in peak times, and it's just generally a crowded little place, but it's a lot of fun if that's what you're looking for. read more

My 3.5 stars are an average of the two dishes I've tried there. Each dish was recommended by the waiter and $20, but could not taste more different.... 1.Churrasquito. tenderloin with asparagus and a chili crab sauce. Two stars. Very very tiny portion. When this dish came out my bf and I literally gaped at how small the tenderloin was. It came with two pieces of asparagus. I am a petite person and managed to eat this in 5 bites. It left me still hungry and with an overly lemony aftertaste. 2. Adobo Smoked Tenderloin Churrasco. Five stars. I can't describe how delicious this dish was especially on a chilly night. The tomato and red wine glaze had a rich sweet and spicy kick to it that just warmed me up. We had the tenderloin cooked medium and it had that smoked adobo crust on the outside and very tender insides. The side of lightly dressed greens perfectly completed the dish. As someone mentioned before, the tables are incredibly close together. I unwillingly rubbed elbows with the parties on both sides of me and frequently found myself awkwardly avoiding eye contact. Oh well, I'm past it. Get the smoked churrasco with a refreshing mohito...you won't be disappointed! read more

Based on my last experience here, I've pretty much vowed to never step foot in here again. However, my strong feelings of revulsion have nothing to do with the food. I dined at this Orinico on one of its opening nights and had a great experience. I found the host and wait staff to be polite, accommodating and very pleasant. Then I made the mistake of returning a few months later. A friend and I stopped in for dinner later on a Friday night. We fully expected to wait and were pleasantly surprised when the restaurant seemed half empty. My friend arrived earlier and put our name on the list. She was told that there would be a half hour wait. We figured, no problem. Two seats opened up at the bar at we made the collective decision to grab them and a drink while waiting for our table. Let me emphasize, we were in no hurry, it was a Friday night. We waited about 15-20 minutes at the bar, and our drink orders were never taken. Then out of no where, the hostess appeared and informed us that we could not sit at the bar. I'm still not clear exactly why we had to get up, but it had something to do with a couple that arrived after we did and were waiting for a table. We complacently complied with the hostess' request, as we were really just confused (and pretty hungry). At this point, we had been waiting for approximately 40 minutes. We inquired with the hostess as to when we would be seated and she informed us that it would be at least another half hour. My friend replied that was the wait time she was estimated about 45 minutes ago. The hostess very haughtily explained that she had made a mistake and we were going to have to deal with it. We inquired as to why parties of the same # that had arrived after us had already been seated before us. The hostess response to this fairly innocent question was: "Listen, you can eat here, or you don't have to. It doesn't matter to me." My friend and I were horrifed. We left immediately and went next door to Matt Murphys. We were seated immediately and had a delicious meal. The whole experience makes me sad because the food at Orinico was pretty delicious and I live around the corner. But I treat stray dogs nicer than that hostess treated us. read more

Among my favorite places in Boston. The mixed drinks (guavapolitan, caipiroja, others) are off the hook. They are perfectly creative without crossing the line into weird territory, and they are very very well made. I've been 3-4 times and on each occasion shared food with 3-4 people. Everything has been impressive. The Panela Salmon special was extra amazing and the arepas are all good for a small meal/snack. The regular menu is really really good, but don't overlook the specials -- lots of awesomeness winds up on there. read more

Loved this location and the service. Came here on a Friday night and had no issue getting a seat even though they do not take reservations. The food was GREAT-- loved the friend bananas/platains, the tuna ahi ahi was great, and the Paloma were good, too. I love how they also have hard liquor unlike the other 2 locations! The area itself has super easy parking we got a parking spot right out front. read more

Really enjoyed my experience here. First time ever having Venezuelan food. Tried the arepa for an app and it was more than i expected. Pork was super juicy and flavorful, and the garlic dipping sauce made it even better. I got the asado negro and was pleasantly surprised with how good it was. And my favorite thing was the Venezuelan chocolate lava cake. The only downfall is their drinks. Got a pitcher of sangria and it didnt even taste like alcohol. But overall i rewlly enjoyed it and will totally be back for more. read more

Went here last night and left with an amazing food coma. Started with the bacon wrapped dates--I'm not ashamed to admit I could have had 50 of them. My husband had the empanada trio and thought it was great. For entrees, my husband ordered one of their specials: a burger made with pork and chorizo. He said it was one of the best burgers he's ever had! I had the lomito special-- steak covered in cheese and arugula with a delightful balsamic sauce. So yummy! Very impressed with this place! read more

I've seen the full spectrum of this place. On weekends during peak hours, its a bit of a wait but well worth it. It's dimly lit, warmly decorated, hopping, with sound level was just right to feel upbeat but still be able to hear your conversation. It is casual but feels hip, as does the crowd - lots of people on dates. One of our waiters was wearing their signature "Arepa Boy" T-Shirt and was completely adorable and hilarious, we had to invite him to sit and chill with us for a few mins. I've also been here for their New Year's Eve menu, where their service is amped up above their already awesome baseline, they busted out even more festive decor, and they gave out hats and noise makers. Another time I went was on a random weekday at about 3 in the afternoon, when there were no other customers, and the place looks completely different in daylight, with a very fun South American feel and where you can see in better detail their cool colorful wall decor - a good time to go with a family. We completely took over the back communal table and we were able to be as loud as we wanted to be, it was just us! So far I've sampled: - Guayanesa Arepa - Creamy Venezuelan cheese, completely luscious. - Pernil Arepa - Marinated pork, juicy, a tad salty, street foody. - Queso de Mano Arepa - Another Venezuelan cheese, not really memorable. - Portabello Mushroom (veggie) Arepa - THE BEST, so savory juicy, flavorful, I can eat these for an entire meal, ugh still drooling over this one. - Datiles - Bacon wrapped dates - Death on a fork. Its execution is not consistent, but once it was the best I'd ever had. - Roasted Beet Salad - Perfectly dressed, generous beets, I usually think that salad is bird food, but I'd eat this again. - Churrasquito - Big, bold flavored tenderloin, a tad salty, - Sweet Plantains - Moist, not too greasy, above average. - Mechada Empanada - Moist flavorful shredded beef with a huge delicious salad. - Adobo Smoked Churrasco - Tender juicy flavorful beef, comes with a heap of a different but also awesome salad. - Tres Leches Cake - Nicely soaked in, coconutty, and small enough that you don't feel like a blob afterwards. - Molten Chocolate cake - Not the best visual presentation, but freshly made, nicely molten oozy center, moist cake, completely hit the spot. - Martinon Cocktail with Cashews - Really unusual and yummy. - Piso Sour - Very sweet, but creamy, yummy. - Avocado Colada - SO FREAKIN' good. SOOOO good, - They also concocted two virgin cocktails for me, cant remember the names but they were really tasty! I want an "Arepa Girl" T-Shirt. read more

This place is so amazing! It's on my list of top 5 restaurants right now. I'll try to keep this short. Order the datiles. Either for an appetizer or dessert. They are almond filled dates that are wrapped in perfectly crisp bacon. They are the perfect combination of sweet, savory, crunch and chewy. My husband and I like to order these after we eat the main dishes because they satisfy that dessert craving without busting your gut. EVERYTHING here is good! It would be very hard for you to order something that you don't like, unless you're a super anal picky eater. The Atun: Seasoned seared tuna on a bed of greens...it's really fresh and light and perfect for when you aren't super hungry but just want to taste something delicious. When I am hungry however, which is most of the time, I go for the Lomito which is on the 'Specials' menu. It's Guyanese cheese atop of what I believe is a 7oz. sirloin, cooked to perfection (or however you like, medium is perfect to me.) It's just so decadent and tender...I often reminisce about it for days after eating it (I love food.) Seriously, if you haven't tried this place you need to try it. One warning though. If you order the Arepas which are these cornmeal tortillas filled with pork and other amazingness...just know you might not be able to finish your main course. My husband makes this mistake every time. He orders them because they are so good...and they are...but then he's stuffed because it's a pretty huge appetizer. So get them to share with others or just know that you will be leaving with a doggy bag. I usually order the beat and goat cheese salad. A lot of restaurants do this exact same salad but they don't do it like Orinoco...I don't know where they get their cheese from but it's like no other. Get there early! and by early I mean 5-5:30pm if you want to get a seat at the bar. Yes, I said it. Just to sit at the bar you need to get there early. If you want and actual seat at a table I would say get there even earlier or be okay with waiting because this place gets packed very quickly. You might get lucky but if you're really hungry and don't want to wait long, just get there early. We only got a table one time which is fine because the bartender is so friendly (Gabby, I think,) and she is great entertainment. They don't take reservations but the hostess told me that friends of the owner do get them so don't get all huffy and mad if you see a bunch of open tables but they refuse to seat you. The food is worth it and the staff is super attentive and friendly so trust me, you won't even care to wait or sit at the bar. I just love the atmosphere here, it's very lively and the decor is colorful and inviting. Can you tell this is one of my favorite restaurants? This place is a bit pricey but if you're a true food lover, you won't mind and it's always nice to splurge a little ;-) read more

Just got back from brunch and had to write a review. Some of the best food I've had in the Boston area, and a really nice environment. The menu can be confusing at first, but try a few of the aprepas and you can't go wrong. The chicken salad one was particularly amazing. There was no wait to get a table around 12PM on a sunday, so this is a great spot to grab brunch and avoid the lines at more traditional brunch places. Looking forward to trying the dinner menu. read more

Brookline is chock full of sushi bars, pizzerias, taco and burrito stands, falafel and shawarma joints, irish pubs, delis, and chinese restaurants. There is only one Latin American restaurant...Orinoco. The specialty here is Venezuelan cuisine. It's located in Brookline Village right on Harvard Street, easily accessable to the Green D line and close to several public parking lots. The menu varies from the traditional arepas and empanadas, to larger plates of grilled meats "Churrasco" style and a few fish and poultry dishes. For starters, my wife and I shared Datiles, bacon wrapped around dates stuffed with almonds ($6) delicious little mouthfuls of joy. Then we tried two empanadas, the Mechada (shredded seasoned beef) and Verde (wild mushroom). Each order comes with two empanadas and a generous portion of salad ($8). The salad comes dressed with a light vinaigrette and queso blanco. The pastry was light and flaky and the stuffing was moist and flavorful. For the mains, we had the Mahi Mahi ($19) and Pabellon Criollo ($13.50). The mahi mahi was served with a tomato escabeche and a small portion of spicy rabo encendido. Personally, I liked the rabo garnish best. I wish they served an entree portion of that alone. The Pabellon turns out was the same shredded beef that was in the empanada. It was a little sweet for my taste. I was hoping it would be more savory, like the rabo. However, it was served with generous sides of fried plantains, rice and black beans, that helped to offset the overly sweet beef. The bar features several types of mojitos and caiparinhas, but that night we decided to share a carafe of red sangria ($20), which was light and refreshing, with a blend of different fruit juices, though I felt a little light on the ethanol content. Cocktails are a bit pricey at $8-9 each. Overall, Orinoco is a great option for authentic Latin flavors in Brookline. One big downside, the dining room is small and they don't take reservations, so get there early or be prepared to wait. read more

I really wanted to like Orinoco. In the land of ho-hum cuisine that is Brookline Village, this place could have been a beacon of light. I've been here a few times now, and my experiences have been consistent. The good: the food. Food is good here, which is why it gets the stars. I personally like their lunch menu better. In the lunch menu they have a chicken sandwich to die for. In the dinner menu, the shredded beef with rice and beans is excellent. I'd recommend having the shredded beef (slightly sweet) with some hot sauce. And of course, the trio empanadas is always a good appetizer choice. The bad: they can't seem to handle even moderate traffic. If they get busy (most of the time), service really suffers. From the ignoring bartender who takes just a little too long to make that drink, to the absentee waiter that doesn't serve water unless you ask for it, who seems flustered (or insincere), who brings the wrong wine, who tries to hurry you out of the restaurant (I could go on). Only bright light in the service department was the gracious/friendly hostess. I wish you the best of luck Orinoco. Brookline needs food as good as yours, but I'm taking my business elsewhere, just don't need the stress. read more

TERRIBLE SERVICE! I give credit where credit is due and it is not deserved here. We got there around 8:30pm on a Friday. We totally expected it to be busy and knew we'd have to wait. When we got there, they told us the wait would be 30-40 minutes. Fine. We'll get a drink. It took about 20 minutes before the bartender would even aknowledge us - and it's not a large bar. Then, when my husband finally ordered she told us it would be a few minutes. 10 or 15 minutes later - our drinks finally are ready. After waiting a very long time for a table, 2 spots opened up at the end of the bar. We decided to eat there becuase we couldn't wait any longer. It took ANOTHER 20 minutes for her to take our dinner order and another 20 minutes (no joke) after that to get my drink that I ordered when I put in my dinner order and that was after I reminded her that I had ordered a drink which she clearly forgot. The people next to us that ordered just minutes before us recieved their appetizers and dinner before we even got any glimpse of an appetizer. Finally the bartender informed us that they 'misplaced' our order and was very unapologetic. Not once did she even ask us how our dinner was. We even didn't have silverwear for a while. The bartender was impossible to get ahold of and took every opportunity to chat it up with her friends at the end of the bar before taking care of her responsibilities. My husband got an Arepa appetizer and loved it. I ordered the bacon wrapped dates becuase so many people raved about them in their reviews here and they were NOT very good. It seemed like since they forgot about them, they cooked them quickly and they were just NOT right. I orded the Tuna - and while the Tuna itself was very good - the salad was dressed with pure oil (yuck). My husband ordered some sort of shredded beef with rice and black beans and he like it. I could NOT WAIT to get out of there. My whole night was ruined due to the horrible service and mediocre food. If that bar is THAT busy (which it wasn't) then put two bartenders on or don't allow people to order food at the bar. The only time all night the waitress was nice to us was after she ran my debit card and was trying to wrangle a tip. She didn't fool me. read more

I have been to Orinoco on a few occasions and each time they same positives and negatives. Positive: The food and drinks are great! Great selection of mojitos - tons of mint and lime. I have tried various meat an fish dishes and have really enjoyed all of them. Negative: Length of time to get a drink. On both of the last two occasions we were seated and sat with our menus for at least 15 minutes before giving our drink order and then waited another 15-20 minutes to get our drinks (apps we ordered after our drinks but came first and we finished them before our drinks arrived). Tables are too close together - when people come and go at the next table it disrupts the meals (chairs and table need to moved). Personally I don't love community tables either (but that is just my preference - there is one). read more

I have been coming to Orinoco for about five years now. It is safe to say that I have eaten here well over a dozen times, so I feel very comfortable about writing a review. The number one reason why I keep coming back to Orinoco is the food. Between the shredded beef and eggs for brunch, the empanadas, and the mojo sauce, I really have never tasted anything less than excellent here. I absolutely love their cocktails; their coconut mojito, spicy mojito and sangria are all delicious choices. I have even been to the Orinoco that is located in the South End of Boston and just feel like the Brookline Village location reigns because of their full bar. However, every time I have dined at Orinoco, the service has always been a little slow. I even found myself making excuses for Orinoco--it may be slow but once you sit and eat the delicious food, you forget about why they may have pissed you off in the first place. This past Saturday night, me and four others came to dine here. One friend being from out of town. We talked up this place so much, he was so excited to see what the food was like. And then came the night that completely turned me from ever wanting to come back to Orinoco. We waited two hours to be seated. TWO hours, after we were told the wait would only be one hour. After seeing tables of two's and four's right next to each other open up (the hostess could have slid the two together to make a table for five), we watched as the hostess gave away table after table to people just walking in the door. After reaching my threshold, an hour and forty-five minutes into our wait, I asked the hostess what she could do for under estimating her wait time on the "one" table in the house that she planned to seat us in. We couldn't sit at the bar because those seats were reserved for diners. It turns out, the table she had in mind for us was there for a Birthday and she didn't know they had brought a cake. Her response was, "I can't help it if they take longer." Perhaps you can't. But having a backup plan and communicating with the servers is necessary. As a hostess, you do whatever it takes to graciously handle the situation. Let me tell you, there was no grace. THEN, after the restaurant had died down, at about 10:30, we had to wait twenty minutes for a re-fill on drinks! When my boyfriend went up to ask the server if we can have another round, he found our server fidgeting on her iPhone!! We didn't leave the place until about 11:30. A 3 1/2 hour dinner? Worth it? I don't care how great the food is. In the most generous way to say this, this is by far the worst service I have ever experienced in my life. Believe it or not, there was no manager to help rectify the situation. No manager on the busiest restaurant night of the week? However, the bartender was very nice, and offered to pay for our appetizers. In any other situation, getting free apps would absolutely settle my anger, but after we were ignored by our server, our razor-sharp emotions flooded right back. Not only have I recommended countless people to visit this restaurant, but we took someone from out of town here, on his last night in Boston, and we ended up having a three and a half hour dinner. It was not three and a half hours by choice! By the time our actual entrees came, our entire table was silent because at that point we were starving! To the manager, owner, waitstaff...whoever is reading this and the other reviews about the poor service, what does it take to get your attention? Listen to your customers. They are the best feedback for how to improve your place!! read more

Unfortunately this place blew a 5 star review for a 1 star due to the incredibly rude chef/part owner. We had a lovely meal and the only sticking point was that one of us ordered a drink that had to be sent back. When they subsequently charged us for this, we questioned it (understandably) - unfortunately, this led to a 5 minute berating which was very embarrassing. Can't really understand why the owner would do this when we had spent a lot of money at his establishment. Anyways, all in all - good food, good drinks, but bad taste left by the actions of the host. Won't be going back! read more

After a few years of living abroad but keeping good memories of the place, I took my 2 year old baby to further introduce him to Latin food (which he has loved so far and until this experience). Couldnt be more disappointed... The exceedingly poor service just blew my mind! it took about ten minutes for someone to come take my order. We had the trio de empanadas appetizer and the arepa mechada. It was all so salty that was impossible to eat. Already annoyed, I ordered the mini costillas, which were clearly burnt and, probably in an attempt to cover up, were swimming in bbq sauce. It was pretty obvious that the food was subpar after 30 mins of all of the plates being almost intact on my table and my 2 year old starting to complain. I asked for the check. 15 mins more and by then baby is pretty hungry and upset for which I had to stand up and ask for the receipt at the bar, only to be received with a totally unapologetic attitude! The reason why Im giving two starts is because of the ambiance and the good old times. Viva el orinoco de hace 4 anos! read more

Orinico has got to be, hands down, my favorite restaurant in Boston. I have been looking for a Latin American restaurant that has superb quality and Orinico knocks it out of the park. I had the verde empanada and it was fantastic. I also had the maracuchitos and tequeños while sharing a pitcher of Caipirinha. I can't wait to return for Brunch and check out the Cambridge location. read more