Pa'Que Roberto

This is one of the best hidden gems in Madison and something you needed to know about yesterday. This is Pa'Que Roberto on Raymond Road. The place was packed to the brim, people coming in and out the whole time, and the owners and everyone working were some of the nicest people I have ever met in my entire life.

The Lowdown

• City: Madison, WI
• Address: 6714 Raymond Rd, Madison, WI 53719
• Phone: (608) 544-0809
• Website: paqueroberto.com
• Right next to a Kwik Trip, small parking lot

What I ordered

A cachapa, which is a cornmeal pancake stuffed with cheese and meat. A mini patacon with fried cheese on top. Two arepas. Tequenos, which are like cheese sticks that come with sauces. And a chicha to drink.

My thoughts on the food

Started with the cachapa because it looked incredible. It has that light pancake taste. Sweet and savory, like a soft fluffy pancake with a little syrup and some cheese, topped with meat that just melts in your mouth. So damn good.

Tequenos come with two sauces, a garlic sauce and a spicy one. The garlic sauce combo, wow. In my opinion much better than a mozzarella stick, which is what they compared it to. The hot sauce has a kick and it is so tasty. The arepa was absolutely packed with flavor, and the mini patacon with fried cheese on top was an absolute mess in the best way.

A lot of Venezuelan dishes use cornmeal or plantains instead of bread or tortillas, so a lot of this is actually gluten free. Last but not least, the chicha. It is a thick rice based drink, kind of like a yogurt drink. Shake it up. Cinnamon, a little vanilla, almost like horchata but a bit sweeter and thicker. So good. Then I went right back to that cachapa.

The verdict

If you have never heard of this place and never been, this is your sign to go right now. Pa'Que Roberto on Raymond Road. Get over there, because I promise this place will not remain a hidden gem for much longer.