El Palenque, Traditional restaurant in Uribelarrea, Argentina
El Palenque is a restaurant in the small rural village of Uribelarrea, in Buenos Aires province, serving regional food such as empanadas, grilled meats, cold cuts, and homemade desserts. It sits inside an old building with wooden furniture and a simple, rustic interior, plus an outdoor courtyard area.
The building was put up in 1890 as a general store and lodging place for travelers passing through the area, making it one of the oldest structures in the village. Over the following decades it became a local bar before reopening as a restaurant in 2011.
The walls of El Palenque are covered with old photographs and posters showing life in Uribelarrea over the decades. Visitors eating there can look at images of the old train station and the early families who settled the village.
El Palenque is only open Thursday through Sunday, so it is worth planning your visit around those days. Booking a table in advance is a good idea, particularly for weekend lunches when the place tends to fill up.
Director Leonardo Favio chose this building as a filming location for his 1973 film 'Juan Moreira', one of the most watched Argentine films of that era. The connection to that production is not widely advertised, so most visitors discover it only once they are inside.
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