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Painted in cheerful primary colors, perhaps as a ward against the bleakness outside—an unenviable spot under the on-ramp to the Williamsburg Bridge, and right next to a decrepit funeral home—Shachi's proves that this block has more to offer than McDonald's and fast-food tacos. True to the owner's Venezuelan roots, the eatery's specialty is arepas, the South American country's answer to American hamburgers. Essentially a sandwich wherein the bread is a toasted cornmeal cake, Shachi's arepas are uniformly excellent, with standouts including the reina pepiada, loaded with a rich chicken salad with chunks of potato and avocado; and the classic pabellon, shredded beef with beans and sweet plaintains. For larger entrées, Shachi's avoids the usual Venezuelan emphasis on seafood, opting for meatier fare such as the churrasco, a marinated skirt steak topped with zesty chimichurri sauce. Space is at a premium, so it's a good idea to try to nab a table before the flood of local young professionals flock here for a quick, cheap bite after work. — Michael Y. Park

Reina pepiada arepa, $6; pabellon arepa, $6; churrasco, $13

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