Ok hear me out. So this is not necessarily my favorite "Mexican" place in Boston (feel free to check out my other reviews and again this is with my Boston lens...not my LA born and raised lens). But HANDS DOWN the best guacamole. I will order a taco from this place (and the caramelo taco is pretty damn good actually) JUST to order some guac. They sprinkle cotija cheese on it, but I'm positive there is some crack sprinkled in there as well. The non-vegetarian one is also great (the one with chicharron). I can't vouch for the rest of the menu and I vaguely recall feeling so-so about it, but this place deserves 4 stars for the guac alone (the vibe is also pretty cool). read more

Amazing flavor packed into every bite! Love the carne asada especially!! Highly reccomend. Al pastor tacos were a bit dry although also flavorful. Overall a good dining experience & would come again! read more

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I don't typically write Yelp reviews...but this time I had to because of how impressed I am with the food!! I am Mexican, who recently moved to Boston, and have been searching for an authentic Mexican place and have tried many, but none of the rest compare... I ordered 3 caramelo tacos - the tortillas are homemade flour tortillas, which is RARE and an amazing thing to find! The sauce on the left is also amazing to top the tacos with - tomatoey, tangy, and perfectly spiced - the sauce is the middle - watch out! VERY spicy, and the last one is guacamole!! AMAZING and FILLING tacos! The staff is also VERY FRIENDLY. I Will definitely go back and try the rest of the food!! read more

El Centro - 3 caramelo tacos + guacamole + sauces - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great quaint place in the south end. Cozy and hip. You're going to enjoy the food. If your looking for good vibes and great food don't hesitate read more

El Centro - Indoors - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Really bad service and food was eh. Most of the servers were crowded behind the bar chitchatting and laughing with each other as we sat there with unfilled drinks and waited to place our order. We had to ask to order after sitting there for 30 min. The food wasn't that good. I got the flautas and they were too hard to cut and the onions inside were completely burnt so it ruined the meal. Rice & beans were flavorless. I'm now typing this as I wait for our server to bring us the check...been waiting for that for 15-20 min now...with empty drinks. read more

El Centro - Empty drinks - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Missed El Centro so much! Went back yesterday for the first time since their reopening. I was pleasantly surprised to find so many fun new additions to the menu (tapas, expanded drink menu) while keeping the classics the same (tacos and tamarind margaritas are confirmed just as delicious as before)! Wait staff are the same and lovely as ever. Beautiful changes to the interior of the place as well. Will definitely be returning for casual tacos as well as more elevated date nights! read more

My friend introduced me to El Centro and even only having been once, I know that I'll be back. This is easily the best and most authentic Mexican food that I have gotten to experience while I've been in Boston. read more

Not much beats a tasty brunch only three blocks away from home =D Woke up with my appetite fired up and we mosey'd on over for what turned out to be a great meal: Chips & salsa (no guacamole available for brunch...*SAD face*) - House-made tortilla chips really make a huge difference and they went nicely with the smokey salsa verde Desayuno Manlio Favio (scrambled eggs with imported mexican dry beef in roasted sauce served with beans and avocado) - Very good! Enjoyed the meaty texture of the eggs and beef. Mexican Omelet (stuffed with bacon, cheese, and poblano pepper immersed in salsa tatemada, refried beans and avocado) - Probably the best omelet I've had to date. Eggs were cooked perfectly with slight leanings toward the greasy side...not at all excessive though and much preferred to the numerous dry omelets I've eaten at other places. I'm honestly not a huge fan of omelets in general since they rarely provide anything out of the ordinary with regards to texture and flavors and often fall far towards one end of the spectrum or the other in heft, ie. too greasy or too dry. But here, the great flavor and spice from the poblano peppers and salsa set El Centro's apart and make it very much worth trying. I appreciated the added depth of the red sangria too, more wine and less fruit = win. Hopefully I'll be daring enough to try the spicy version next time. And on that note, there will indeed be a revisit for dinner. Can't have a complete review of this place without trying the raved about guacamole! read more

El Centro - Desayuno Manlio Favio (scrambled eggs with imported mexican dry beef in roasted sauce served with beans and avocado) - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Fun, intimate dining experience. Great location, attentive staff, and phenomenal Queso Fundido.

That was food was mediocre. The service was awful on top of everything else. Considering how my party and I felt attacked and ridiculed. There must be a problem with black and brown individuals. For situations that were simply ordinary decency that every human being should receive, they tried to create fake store policies. My waitress Kora R. Do not enter! 0/10 read more

This place is underrated and does not deserve the low ratings it gets. Super nice service and good food that is not your typical Boston Mexican fare. read more

As a Mexican person, five stars to this restaurant, great food and ambiance. Thanks Allan and ladies. You guys rock!!! read more

El Centro - As a Mexican person, five stars to this restaurant. Great food and ambiance. Thanks Allan and ladies, you rock!!! - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Came to El Centro for the first time and the service and food was amazing. The food was all extremely fresh and maybe the best Mexican food I've had in Boston. Will definitely be back, Highly recommend! read more

My fiancé and I were told that this place had some of the best Mexican food in town. When I asked if it competed with places like Naco Taco in Cambridge or La Victoria Taqueria in Arlington I was told it most def competed with them. Parking was difficult to find. We found parking on Washington St and walked to the restaurant. Very small restaurant but the decor is welcoming and cool. We were handed the menus and took a brief look at it. We settled for some salsa, guacamole and chips, 3 tacos, ranchero steak. And for dessert, flan and churos. Chips were fairly stale while the salsa and guacamole had good taste. Didn't finish them though. The 3 tacos I had were pretty good. Can't complaint about those but not the best. The plate of food my fiancé had however was ok. You cannot depend on tomato sauce to give you the flavor you're looking for. It tasted like it was missing something but I couldn't figure it out. The steak in the sauce was rather tough and over cooked. The flan was disappointing while the churos were tasty. It was an ok experiencing. The food isn't horrible but it also isn't the best and not fresh. At least from my experience. Servers were very nice and welcoming. Prices shouldn't be as high. Each taco was $5. My fiancé's plate was $25. Total spent for our meal was $75 or so. So yeah.. read more

El Centro - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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What an amazing place!!! The food was delicious. The queso fundido is a must. They weren't doing outdoor seating because of the weather, but when we explained that we don't eat inside due to covid, they put a table and heater out for us. The waiter, Pedro, was the nicest person ever. He took great care of us and made us feel like a priority. Overall an amazing experience. Would go back. read more

El Centro - Queso Fundido - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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The food is expensive and pretty good but not in the traditional sense. I planning to eat lunch today at Orinoco but being my curious self, I wanted to see what the new restaurant that had opened up was. The review by the door claimed that this was authentic Mexican, so being from southern California, which is rich in Mexican food, I decided to give it a try. The review mentioned to try the Al Pastor and Fish Taco, so I did.... at $5 a pop. As I began to admire the artistic ceramic ceiling and the cute ceramic salt & pepper shakers, the Columbian music playing the background, the tacos came out.... in under 5 minutes. Was this a function of there being only 2 other patrons, quick and dirty tacos, someone's leftovers??? I mean, this wasn't Taco Bell or Baja Fresh, so I was expecting at least 10 minutes before my food arrived. No worries, the soft shell yummaroonies looked more upgraded than traditional tacos, but not much. No extra soft taco shell, so my Al Pastor taco burst open under the weight of the Al Pastor filling about 75% of the way through the taco, so I had to finish it with knife and fork. No biggie. Now before this review gets too boring, I saved the best for last. The best part of the restaurant was the toilet bowl. Yes, you heard me, the good ol' john. Why? It was a friggin' piece of glazed ceramic art. Holy crap. Little Mexican children running around in the toilet. Same with the sink bowl. Sweet! And the towel seat wasn't the ol' Bemis. It was made of real wood. A tin faucet too!!!!! This is the HGTV in me coming out! read more

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Great food, and nice outdoor ambience with the wooden deck and lights. However, it took an hour for the food (including appetizers) to come out, when neighboring tables who got seated 20min later got food before us. The chip and guac arrived 1 min before dinner entrees. Same long wait for the check that I have to walk inside to get it from the register and ask for a takeout container. They gave me a much small container when all other tables got the larger round one :( Besides the neighboring table getting food first, the waitress also willfully ignored me 3 times (only took my friend's plate and ask for his input). This favoritism is intolerable. :( read more

Went here yesterday with one of my friends to give it another try. I have to say I was disappointed... AGAIN! I ordered a spicy tamarind margarita - it was filled with jalapeños and I didn't taste the tamarind once. Simply jalapeño seeds. Ordered the stuffed avocado with chicken. This was the most bland dish I have ever eaten. Don't be fooled by sauce(s). 0 flavor! What a huge disappoint. read more

El Centro - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Excelente food !! Good customer service good vibes that's all that comes from this place !! read more

El Centro - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We used to love El Centro and I don't know what happened, but the food was extremely salty to the point where we couldn't eat it. The salad had a piece of trash tangled with the chicken. So gross! read more

El Centro - Ensalada Frida Kahlo with chicken - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I adored this place. The servers are really friendly, the place is cozy and legit mexican. They have some vegetarian options too. Everything got to the table with the right temperature and speed read more

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I cant believe this place stays open. Tacos are bland and were served cold. Service is slow

Service and food was great! If you're in the area looking for a casual spot with authentic food, I highly recommend

Anyone who is not spanish would think is very delicious place to eat. But My GOD the food was terrible. No taste, no flavor. I order biztec with rice and bean. And it was a mix of little piece steak with a corn sauce from the blender. I left the hall plate. not recommended. From 1 to 10...1 maybe read more

Amazing AMAZING restaurant! Just went for a late lunch and wow! The enchiladas were amazing. We got queso as well. Everyone loved their meal. Can't wait to come back!! read more

The best Mexican food that I've had in Boston. The chorizo burrito is fantastic! And the drinks were amazing!

Doesn't look like much when you you walk past. But dying of hunger my friend I popped in. The complete definition of a hole in the wall. Cozy atmosphere, welcoming environment and great conversations over delicious authentic family recipes. read more

El Centro - Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I came here to celebrate a friends birthday. We are a group of eight and there were multiple issues. 1. All nine of us were crammed into seating that was not meant for more than 5 people. It was an incredible uncomfortable seating arrangement with barely any space for maneuvering to eat you food. 2. At the end of the meal, it took over one hour for them to figure out how to divide the bill, and well all ended not knowing exactly what we had paid for as the checks did not detail the items that were on the bill. 3. Given all of this the food was marginal at best. My steak came to the table over cooked and so tough I could barely cut it into pieces. Needless to say I would not recommend this place and would certainly advice against it for larger parties. read more

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I wrote a complain 2 weeks ago still no one had contact me. Waitress was rude

I feel bad writing this review, but it has to be written. I've heard SUCH great things about this place. So I figured, I'll try it and do takeout. The menu looked fantastic. However, when my food arrived, it was the most bland, unappealing tasteless food I've ever had. IT HAD NO TASTE. The menu item was described as "Hand pulled chicken with ranchero sauce, asparagus, corn and sliced avocado on top." What I received was chunks of white meat chicken in canned tomato sauce with pieces of corn. It was horrific. If you don't have the ingredients for the menu item, then just don't make it. read more

Great and authentic Mexican fare. Cozy and hip the food was really good and the service was too. Guacamole was amazing. Tangy and fresh with substantive corn chips that were perfectly salted (I'm picky on my salt levels and chips are notoriously bland in many restaurants). Shrimp ceviche was excellent too. Fresh and spicy but not overwhelming. The tacos (fish and beef) were excellently spiced. The only disappointment was the beef enchilada. Everything on the plate (rice, beans and sauce) was great and tasty but the beef itself was a little fatty and not as flavorful as the rest of the meal. A highlight of the meal was the wonderful art on the walls including in the bathroom. Funky sink added to the ambience. A fun meal and tasty too! read more

El Centro - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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Came here for brunch and my first thought was "This place seems awesome." The place is tiny but the decor is really colorful and great. I almost wished I had come for dinner instead of brunch because the dinner menu looked even better. Regardless, we started out the meal with complimentary chips and salsa. I ordered the chilaquiles with red sauce. My eggs were unfortunately overcooked (ordered them overeasy and they came out over hard). The red sauce was good, but I wish it was hotter. I just felt like everything was kind of bland and needed a little more oomph. I'll probably come back to try dinner sometime because some of the taco options looked really good. I also want to see how their drinks are :) read more

The food is delicious, and the flavors and presentation are pristine! Went with a group of friends with a variety of habits -- vegetarian, vegan, etc. Our server was very understanding and helped us out. We had a wonderful time, and the meal was perfect -- light, refreshing. I got the vegetable quesadilla , pictured below. Divine! I will definitely come back! read more

El Centro - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

El Centro was all around an excellent experience. We were in Boston to visit our daughter who is attending school. She took us the El Centro because she wanted us to experience it. The food was excellent, as was the service. What really stood out is how we were made to feel like family. El Centro really cares about their customers and I can't wait to visit there the next time I'm in Boston. Loved the entire experience. Thank you! read more

Bad service. Waited ten minutes before I was greeted by anyone. Then sat at a table for another ten minutes before anyone took my order only to be told they were backed up on orders and that they would've be able to serve me in a timely manner. read more

If I had more $$ I would come here ALL THE TIME. As a Latina, the past two years convinced me that there was NO GOOD Mexican in Boston. I am glad now to say I found a place that is completely authentic. This place, located in the South End, is a nice quaint joint. The ambiance and atmosphere are on point, and its close quarters inside so beware those who get claustrophobic. But it is so worth it. The waiter introduced himself in Spanish, nice touch. My husband ordered a horachata and it was amazing. I ordered my usual, the carne asada- and my husband ordered this shrimp dish in chipotle sauce+ corn & salad. By far it was the best carne asada I've ever tasted! The steak was perfectly cooked and the guacamole was superb. The portion size on the flour tortillas was a bit small, and I wish there had been more refried beans. I also tried my husband's meal and it was to die for. The rice was perfect and the sauce+ shrimp were delectable. I only wish we had gotten the guacamole with chips... it looked amazing. This place is definitely worth checking out. Its more upscale Mexican, but not in a way that is NOT authentically Mexican (believe me its possible to be upscale but not represent Mexican). It is pricey, but that makes sense considering the real estate (being located in the South End). The only downfall, possibly, is that our waiter wasn't as attentive as I wish he could have been. But considering the sparse amount of GOOD mexican restaurants in Boston, its a minor thing for me. Good food is TOP priority. read more

El Centro - Carne asada - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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A food lover I am. There is never a reason not to celebrate with a good meal. Don't remember why I decided to treat myself to a good dinner last Thursday but I did... The plan was to go to Orinoco which is across the street. However, we got there 5 min to open time and they did not let us in so we decided to give El Centro a shot. I had been there a couple of times but this was the first time going and ordering myself. (Typically we head to Casa Romero when in the mood for homemade style Mexican food). What we ordered: Guacamole (delish!) Sopes de Chorizo (ohh emm geee my sister and I loved these - prob our fave of the night!) Pollo al chipotle con esparragos y arroz - perfect white chicken meat and tasty sauce with a kick, this is a good option for healthier eaters. Flautas ahogadas de con arroz y frijoles - these were so good I felt transported to my childhood when we were served this very meal at home. crispy fried rolled tortillas with chicken and bathed in sauce, cheese, cabbage and some guac to top it off. The rice and beans were also yummy! Bottom line: The food is so good and definitely homestyle this isn't a fancy fusion Mexican place. Yet, that is the best part of its charm! I did not find the prices expensive - felt price range was similar to its neighbors: Toro and Orinoco. The only downside is the waiter took my sister's beer before she was done. We highly recommend! read more

El Centro - clockwise: guacamole, sopes de chorizo, flautas ahogadas de pollo & pollo al chipotle - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I came here the other night to celebrate national margarita day . I have been here before but it had been a long time . It's a tiny place but absolutely cute and neat decor. ( even in the bathroom ) I ordered the spicy margarita and loved the flavor, and the pepper/ salt rim is so good! We also got the chips and salsa . I ordered the frida kahlo salad and was so happy that I did . It's only 12$ and it's a huge portion . You have to ask what is in the salad , it's a salad full of amazingness . And you can have a choice of chicken or steak . Shrimp $3 extra. My boyfriend ordered the chimichanga . He remembers it being a bit bigger in portion and having a purple cabbage or something in top which he enjoyed in the past . But he was still satisfied . The waitresses there are really friendly and attentive. Ps. Their hot sauce is to die for. It's actually very spicy read more

El Centro - Ensalada frida kahlo - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I ordered dinner for delivery tonite being delivered by Uber. It was inedible. I ordered the pork in tomatillo sauce ( one of my favorites). I received some meat with knuckles, bones , and whatever was left. The actual meat was maybe one bite. The sauce tasted vaguely of tomatillo but was missing most of the tomatillo. It was awful. I'm guessing that the takeout gets whatever is left over. I did not pay leftover prices. I ended paying $30 for a meal that should have gone in the garbage can. I know takeout these days can be disappointing but we sacrifice a bit of quality to help our restaurants out. This was a deliberate dump On unsellable product under most circumstances. read more

Taco Tuesdays!!! All tacos are 50% off -- so around $2-3. I got the Carne Asada, Caramelos, and Fish tacos. All three were delicious and under $10. Also got a mojito ($11) so all in all, a delicious dinner for around $20 in the South End. If you're not an alcoholic like me, and just come for the tacos, you can easily be stuffed for like $15! I am definitely adding this to my rotation in the South End and want to come back to try some of their other foods. read more