I thought the food was actually pretty good, the tacos were filled to the brim. It was a little messy to eat, but so worth it. I also saw a good amount of vegetarian (maybe vegan) options which is nice. The decor is also stunning, very Instagram-y if you're looking for a cute dinner. Definitely will come back to try more of their tacos. read more

BuenoMalo - Taco Meal (2 Tacos, Rice, Beans) Pork Belly Taco and Fish Taco - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

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I've been to BuenoMalo twice. The first time wasn't bad but I wasn't impressed. However since it was a while ago so I wanted to give it another try. My second visit was a lot better. It can feel a little cramped when it's crowded but the ambiance is nice with the soft lighting and vibrant decor. Service from the bartenders was great. Despite tacos and burritos being the only sections for main courses, some of the individual items can be meals on their own. I had the Surf and Turf quesadilla which was very filling. The tortilla has nice and crispy and there was a good balance of the different fillings (shrimp, steak, cheese, guacamole, and pico de gallo). The chipotle sour cream (I assume that's what it was, the menu didn't say) was a nice addition. The cocktails are as tasty as they are cheekily named. My favorite among the ones I've tried is Smoked Mangos, which comes with a slice or torched mango. The prices for both food and drink are a little steep and the food menu is rather limited, which is the reason I give this place stars instead of 5. If you come in expecting free chips and salsa and huge portions like your typical (American) Mexican restaurant, you'll be disappointed. If you want somewhere fun to have some drinks and some smaller plates, you'll be satisfied. read more

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It felt like it was trying to hard. I enjoyed most of what we tried but my fiance was less impressed. For the price id expect more but we might give it another try someday. The drinks were quite nice though. read more

Food tasted great and portions were even better, I'll go back for more next time I'm in town.

3.5 stars if that were an option. Good menu, good service, inviting place. But to me a four-star place is a place I would definitely go to again, at three stars I keep looking and trying other places. Food came out quickly, which is possible, since they are not, at all, a scratch kitchen. I would've gladly waited a little longer for anything that did not already include cilantro. The homemade chips were good, and the guacamole was fine (pepitas where a nice touch). I had the tater tot taco, which was delicious. I also had the grilled chicken taco which was okay. Both tacos were over stuffed which looks appealing, but made them hard to eat. The rice was a little stale, with some hard bits, and the beans were tasteless. read more

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I've been here dozens of times and have always enjoyed it. Last night, however, the food was so bland we couldn't believe it. The guacamole didn't seem to have any peppers, onions or cilantro. Just smashed avocados with pepitas sprinkled on top. They didn't even have any of their house hot sauce so we could spice it up. And the rice even seemed bland. Not good timing with Bandoleros now open. read more

Love this place! My husband and I like to sit at the bar to enjoy the fun atmosphere. The cocktails are as pretty as they are delicious, some with flowers and froth, all super fresh (no dead limes here) and perfectly crafted into a good strong cocktail. The food is delish. The nachos are served with plenty of fresh guac. and layered perfectly so that you don't have to fight over the "good parts". The"special" birria quesadilla was a big hit with my husband. The meat was spicy and very tender and the rich dipping sauce the perfect accompaniment. The staff are all friendly and accommodating and Mike, is fun and witty and easy to banter with across the bar. The decor and vibe are colorful and cool and the bathroom wall is decorated with mugshots of celebrities, which always seems to hold me up. It's one of our favorite places. We will most definitely be back! read more

Bueno is one of my favorite places. The food, the cocktails, the service, and the atmosphere are all top notch. Everyone seems to really make sure you are having a wonderful experience. Do not sleep on the seared ahi tuna bites. They are unreal and I wanted to go back the next day to have them again. read more

BuenoMalo - Seared Ahi Tuna Bites. - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

I bought gift cards as Christmas gifts only to find they closed permanently in January! Can't tell me they didn't know in December they were closing in January. Really disappointed that they would do this. read more

Bueno? Malo? That is the question, and just so happens to be the name of this restaurant. As Americans, we love our Mexican food like no other. Our neighbors to the south have left a permanent imprint on our culinary landscape. But a full on Mexican experience in Andover...not exactly what I was expecting! BuenoMalo features favorites like tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos, empanadas, and even Mexican street corn. The restaurant is full of energy. Vibrant art and decor fill the space, including a life size George Clooney cut out on full display at the entrance. Even the Clooney can't resist Mexican food! The Food: The tacos dish comes with any two tacos and bottomless rice and beans. With the fish tacos being the far and away best seller, that's an easy choice. Crispy pork belly is something I can never turn down. In taco form? Another no brainer. The tacos themselves are double corn, and ample size. The fish is Baja style. The batter itself is a little lighter than I would have hoped for but that is just a personal preference. There is no denying it is a very good taco. The crispy pork belly tacos? That is something else all together. A mountain of crispy tender pork belly, topped with carrot and sweet glaze. This my friends, is a taco bordering perfection. Not only does it work as a taco, but on its own this might be the best pork belly I have ever had....and I've had tons. There is plenty to love about BuenoMalo. One thing that cannot be understated is the price point. Of course being in Andover some things are to be expected, but $22 for two tacos is quite shocking. That definitely puts BuenoMalo in a once in a blue category, but do I regret it? Absolutely not. The pork belly alone was worth the money! Price point aside, good food is good food, and BuenoMalo certainly brings the goods to the table. read more

BuenoMalo - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

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Excellent place for tacos. The food was delicious, the service was friendly, and the place is cozy, but comfortable. Fantastic ideas for fusion of Mexican food with more unusual ingredients. read more

Got takeout tonight. Chicken empanadas were super spicy (delicious but beware they are hot). Tried the fried oreos - delish!! Take-out margaritas were strong! Good dinner! read more

BuenoMalo - Margarita & wine. - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

Place is excellent with great food. Very tasty not your typical Mexican restaurant. Service was impeccable and just a great hidden gem read more

BuenoMalo - Surf and turf quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

We came here and were immediately greeted both by a hostess and a lot of people chattering. The environment is very loud and chaotic with different pictures, patterns, and tapestry everywhere. If you're looking for a more lowkey dinner this may not be for you. As for the food it was not as good as I would have like for $22. The burrito was smaller than I expected and on the lower end of the spectrum. It was big but not as big as I would have gotten and a normal Mexican restraint. It also came with endless beans and rice, however the beans were watery and tasteless. Overall not as great as a l would have wanted out of a restraint that packed. I do however hear good reviews about chicken sandwich from someone I dined with. read more

This place is absolutely incredible. I'm visiting from South Carolina but was born & raised in California. I know good Mexican good, and this place is flames! Their chips and salsa, the tacos, the wings? Absolutely bomb and you must try this place out. I'll definitely be coming back. read more

I was very happy that we came in and were able to grab the last available table! The rest of them were reserved. So that's a tip, it's better to reserve the table before you come. It's cute spot, with George Clooney in the entrance (you'll understand when you see). The staff is friendly and very accommodating. I got myself fish and steak tacos. They were really big, I didn't even eat the rice and beans that come with it. I liked a bit more the steak tacos. I think they are slightly overpriced though ($22). Overall good food good experience. read more

BuenoMalo - Fish and steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

Had dinner tonight with my wife and 4 former friends. Simone, the server, was excellent. Food was delicious and drinks were amazing. read more

Hands down without question one of the best dining experiences in Andover and the surrounding area - the drinks are phenomenal, food is fresh and incredible (love the tacos, adore the quesadilla and burrito options, the chicken wings are mind-blowing and don't forget dessert - the churros and fried Oreos are ALWAYS a hit). The service is always beyond friendly and fast, and the vibe is just overall loads of fun!! Mike and Franco (the owners) are the greatest - always kind, fun and happy to accommodate. Recommend this place to everyone I know looking for a fun night out, a great date spot, you name it. read more

Hate to have to do this, but my family came here during the week to celebrate my son's 12th Birthday, so when I made the reservation I left a note in the comment section to reflect. Mind you we've been here before, so we were super excited. The food was not good at all from the nachos appetizer, the tacos, and the tuna appetizer; on top of everything we were supposed to get rice and beans with 4 of our meals and only got two servings. I guess they thought it was ok since we were a family, I didn't say anything bc I was already disappointed and wanted to leave. We packed up the food that wasn't eaten, and I walked out to my car, while my husband paid. You might ask why we took the leftovers, well to be frank it's a habit and I just wanted out, but everything went straight to the trash upon arriving home. On top of everything, I felt like my son got gypped . No happy birthday song or dessert, which I would've paid for. Just an awful experience. Sorry this experience was definitely not Bueno but certainly Malo. read more

Delicious food, perfect margs, and outstanding customer service! Will definitely be back over and over again!

My husband and I were looking for a fun, new date night restaurant. This place got good reviews. We were on our way back from somewhere, and decided to stop in. It was early for dinner, 5 o'clock. We checked in at the host/hostess station, and we were told we would be sitting at the bar. We said we preferred not to, and asked how long the wait was. One sighed, and said there was an open table outside, but we wouldn't get the full two hours because it was packed. I'm not sure what they meant by two hours, but there were two open table that remained open during our entire meal. Our waitress was nice, but service was really slow throughout the meal. After we finished eating, it took 20 minutes to get the check. Environment wasn't a good date night atmosphere in general. Props for their funny shirts and suggestive drink menus. The food was just okay, some not edible, and the bill for two of us was $125! We started off with drinks, the Tigoe Bitties and the Bihjay. both were decent, but nothing to write home about. Light on the alcohol. We got the guacamole, pretty presentation, but it really didn't have a lot of flavor. Found the pepitas a little strange, but ordered it knowing they were in there. I was supremely disappointed in the maple chipotle wings. The sauce flavor was decent, but they had zero crisp. Floppy, chewy wings are disgusting. We are not ones to complain or send food back, $19.00 wasted. I ordered the new fried chicken sandwich, my husband had a California burrito. I only took two bites of my fried chicken sandwich. The slaw on top was excellent, but the chicken was very chewy and stingy. One bite, and the whole thing came off. The top of the brioche bun was burnt. The lemon pepper fries that came with were the best part of the meal. They're not even Mexican, go figure. If you don't like, cilantro, beware, they garnish everything with it! My husband really liked his burrito, and when I tried it, it was really good, the thing must weigh at least 4 pounds. Brought most of that home for leftovers. Overall, I would say that the food quality just was not there for the amount of money we spent. Disappointing experience. read more

BuenoMalo - Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

Bone apple teeth. My company got catering from here - chicken, steak, guac, rice, beans, lettuce, and ALL the sauces, hello chipotle. Everything was excellent, corn tortillas delish, chicken was perfect, not too dry, not sketchy as we know chicken can be and the red hot salsa was my jam (how, hot, hot). Need to go in person now and check this place out. read more

We love Mexican food so we thought we'd give BuenoMalo's a try since it has very good reviews. We started with a couple Margaritas and the mushroom empanada appetizer. The empanada filling was very good, although they were little overcooked. Most Mexican restaurants will serve complimentary chips and salsa. BuenoMalo does not, which was a little disappointing. For our main course my girlfriend ordered the shrimp Classic Burrito, I ordered the chicken California Burrito. The burritos were large, but had a lot of rice filler and tasted bland. We found our overall dining experience at BuenoMalo's underwhelming and did not consider it a very good value. read more

We went on a busy Saturday evening and were pleasantly surprised at the recent expansion. The wait staff were great. The food and drinks were delicious. read more

BuenoMalo - Chips and salsa (a mix) and a tasty Margarita. - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

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I live on the beach in Southern California and have almost never eaten decent tacos in New England. This place blew my mind with its fresh and innovative food, excellent beverages, and top-notch service. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because of the acoustics. Am I showing my age? read more

BuenoMalo - I picked 2 "inauthentic" tacos and they were fresh and tasty: cauliflower, and fried chicken - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

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Excellent tacos and quesadillas, not to mention the bar with several drink options!!!

I've found the Holy Grail. The PERFECT eating experience from start to finish. And surprise, it's at a taco shop!! Most meals, even fantastic ones, come with occasional missteps, whether it's cold, hard bread at a fancy steakhouse - or limp soggy French fries at a great burger place. You just always expect one piece of the meal to be lackluster, always. However, Bueno Malo REFUSES to give a sub-excellent food experience. Every single piece of our enormous meal was sensational. Not a single bad moment! Here's a recap below: Tacos - huge portions, generous amounts of pico de gallo salsa, big pieces of flaky delicious fried fish. There's no holding back. Quesadillas - We opted for the steak and shrimp. Again, super generous portion sizes with large chunks of juicy steak. Honestly, it felt like we could eat this with a knife and fork because the steak chunks were almost the size of steak tips! Sides - Homemade empanadas, deep-fried pockets filled with juicy mushrooms. This felt like a juicy lucy in the way that molten mushroom juice hit your mouth. Also, their French fries are cut in the most unique way, into thin, wide slats. Makes them extremely crunchy and tasty! Finally to top off the meal, we got the deep-fried Oreos, which was our first experience having them. The Oreo interior was molten and soft, while the exterior had a nice crunchy bite. Paired with a scoop of Oreo ice-cream, this meal was finished with a bang! Thank you for the amazing experience, Mike and Frank! read more

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We went with a few other friends and lucky enough to get in during dinner time without a reservation. Apparently it is a busy time for them on dinner hour and a lot of people call ahead. The place is not overly large and larger parties may have some trouble but for two to eight people it is a good size. There is amble parking lot and some street parking which is low cost. I got a surf and turf quesadillas which were excellent and tasty to eat. They had a nice spice and I was pleased overall read more

BuenoMalo - Surf and turf quesadillas - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

This has to be the best kept secret in town. I don't live in the area, but I visit monthly for work and every single visit I stop at Bueno Malo. They don't overload anything with cilantro to give it flavor, and they include vegetables in some of the dishes in a great way! Love it!!! read more

Had a lovely dinner here a few weeks back. We did make a reservation and I recommended doing so as they can get really busy specially over the weekends. Prices here can seem a little high but they do give a good amount of food in each dish without compromising on the quality. For appetizer, we shared Chipotle Maple Wings and Mushroom Empanadas. Both were AMAZING! The wings were fried to perfection and had such a lovely smoky-sweet flavor to them. The empanadas were bursting with flavors and according to my meat lover husband, the best veggie empanadas he has ever had! The Roasted Garlic Aioli was bursting with flavor and a must order with any dish that you order here. For mains, my husband had their Fried Chicken Sandwich and it was very flavorful. The chicken was juicy yet had a lovely crisp. In the words of their server, it is not a dish you expect at a Mexican restaurant but it is worth ordering. The fries that came with that burger were OUT OF THIS WORLD! They looks like wedges but tastes like curly fries. Going to this restaurant just to order those fries would be worth it!!!!! I had the Tater Tot and Brussel Sprouts Tacos and unfortunately both were underwhelming, especially after the flavorful appetizers. They come with a side of rice and beans and they both were just meh. Needless to say, my main dish was really disappointing. For dessert we had Churros and they were average. We have had some amazing airy churros and the one's here were a little dense for our liking. The ice cream they served ( from Richardson's) was great but the highlight of dessert was that AMAZING Rich Indulgent Caramel-y Chocolate sauce that I can dunk my face in right now!!!! Honestly, just give me that with some Coffee-Oreo Ice cream and I am all set :) Overall a decent meal and definitely return worthy to try a few other items on the menu. read more

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We thought the good was decent, but not outstanding. The house cab needs to be changed; it was a little raw. The atmosphere seemed nice, and the kind of place you can comfortably bring young children. read more

BuenoMalo was... average. My husband and I almost didn't come here because we sought out the menu beforehand and saw how expensive it was. Who charges $21 for two tacos? Sure, it comes with rice and beans (potentially the two cheapest foods on earth) but the pricing is seriously out of hand. I got one carnitas taco and one fried chicken taco. My husband got the carnitas burrito. I also got their house margarita, which was really well done. The orchid garnish was a nice touch. The carnitas had decent flavor but were a little over salted and the *tiniest* bit too dry. The fried chicken taco was alright -- the chicken didn't seem to have any breading on it though? It seemed to me that It was just chicken breast with a few seasonings dunked into a deep fryer. It was underwhelming for the price. Our service was okay. The waitress was really nice, but everything took longer than average in terms of time. Also, the restaurant smelled mildly like poop. We ended up sitting outside so it didn't bother us, but I would not have been happy inside. Overall, BuenoMalo was okay but I don't think I'll be coming back again soon. read more

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Food and service were a 10/10. I loved the decor of the restaurant but hate feeling crammed in small spaces and this place is a tight squeeze. For future I will probably get the food to go to eat at home or wait until the weather is better to eat outside. The margarita and surf & turf quesadillas are a must have! read more

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I've heard good things and wanted to give it a try for awhile. First I'll say this is a trendy instaworthy kind of place. It feels intentionally staged to attract a younger crowd. The decor is cute if not a tad overdone, but lots of ambiance and personality. The outdoor seating in a courtyard with strung lights was pretty and enticing on a beautiful night! The service was good, courteous but a little slow- I'd rather have slower than too fast. The drinks were good, not large or strong, but the house margarita ($14) didn't contain sugary "squeeze" that many Mexican restaurants use (which I detest) so that made me happy! The Paloma ($15)was ok, again tasty but not large or strong. The queso ($15) was reminiscent of what you get at the fast food chains like chipotle. Not very spicy but still flavorful. The chips that came with were delicious; salty, homemade, thicker with light air pockets. Ordered a salad for my meal without the onion and mango and added chicken, $20. It was good however they omitted the main ingredient which was romaine lettuce so I got a bowl of arugula with pepitas and chicken. I'll say the citrus dressing was delicious. The chicken is cut into tiny pieces so a bit hard to grab on a fork. But tasty still. The waitress had gone rogue so I couldn't send it back and just decided to eat my bowl of arugula. She did credit $5 towards the bill after I told her. My date had 2 tacos, a fried fish and a fried chicken which he said were good but not a lot of fish or chicken for the price of $22. The beans and rice were bland and he didn't eat most of them. Decided against dessert this time. Final thoughts, the food was good the atmosphere was fun but this was very expensive for a Mexican restaurant! The bill was over $100 and we didn't really have much. I think I'll go back to try the wings (expensive at $20 for 8) and churros (also pricey at $15). It was all good, but I don't think they could get away with these prices if they were not in Andover! read more

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We have mainly ordered take out, and the tacos don't seem to travel well. If you do then maybe the fish taco or ones with tater tots may be good according to my kids. Although, I swear by the amazingly huge nacho plate... it's basically a meal. read more

Got to try this cute little spot today! We did take out but the service was very good. All the servers were delightful and helpful. They were all wearing masks and you could tell they took COVID protocols seriously. There were dividers between tables which were already very spaced out. They even had some spots for outdoor dining. The overall ambience was lively and welcoming. We tried the chicken sandwich with fries and the surf and turf quesadillas. Both dishes came in big portions and were super flavorful. The chicken sandwich was juicy and had a refreshing crunch from the veggies. It also came with plenty of fries. The surf and turf quesadillas came with a lot of filling. They definitely didn't skimp on the steak or shrimps and avocados. Both of the dishes were super filling and we even had more leftover. Overall they had great food and would definitely recommend trying this place out if you're in the area. I'm looking forward to coming back and dining in some day. read more

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You need to have the nachos with chicken, a non negotiable! So delicious! We sat on the patio and had a great experience with great service and all around great food! Highly recommend the carnitas taco, just had wished I asked for a flour tortilla as that is my strong preference! My husband got the steak Cali burrito and highly recommends read more

BuenoMalo - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts

Let me start off by saying, this place is a super fun vibe. I loved it. The staff really treated us so nicely the entire night and watched everything around to make sure everyone got what they needed. Our server was so nice and so accommodating. The food was great, and I would come back for the food. My only complaint is the prices, the food is so overpriced. It really is the only reason we haven't been back because we can't spend that much money on food. I'm so used to tacos being delicious and cheap and not $22 for two tacos and rice and beans. That is not worth $22. I know they're going for the whole California taco scene. Well sorry, I'm not paying that much for a vibe. read more

Fantastic food and exceptional cocktails!! Cute spot with excellent service and friendly staff! Definitely will be going back ! read more

Serving a take home taco bar with margarita mix, great idea for COVID times ! Everything you need and perfectly executed! Churros for desert just a bonus. Salsas are amazing! Meats perfectly cooked! Prep your table, pick it up, and gather around for restaurant experience at home! read more

BuenoMalo - Taco bar with take home marg mix - Mexican Near Me - Andover, Massachusetts