I've heard so much about El Jefe's Taqueria and decided to finally try it - and I enjoyed it! I got a Mexican bowl and a cheese quesadilla, and both were really good. My sister really enjoyed her chips and her chicken quesadilla, and my mom enjoyed her tacos. I love how everything is customizable, and there are so many toppings to choose from and they're all fresh. The place is also very well priced. As for the ambience, it is good for a fast food place. It is casual, quick, and the decor is authentic and creates a nice vibe. The service is quite good, and the food is prepared immediately. I'm glad I finally tried El Jefe's Taqueria! read more

Good place for late-night Mexican food. Got their vegetarian bowl - I really like that they have plantain as one of the toppings Quick service, ambience is okay - not the cleanest. read more

Food is a 5/5 - The plantains are a great add to the bowl. Service 2/5 - Unfortunately isn't the best and the employees are not very informative. They charged me about $2 for a side of jalapeños when I asked for them on the side of my bowl. Ambiance/Interior - Vibes around the devils hour and dead in the night. read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Extremely Disappointed - 7PM Incident I'm honestly frustrated and disappointed with what happened during my visit. I walked over to grab water and ice--like I was told to--when an older man, probably in his early 50s, came over and corrected me in the most rude and aggressive way just because I accidentally pressed the seltzer water. Fine--I get it. It was a mistake. But the machine isn't even clearly labeled. Still, there's absolutely no excuse to talk down to customers like that. It felt like I was being treated like a criminal for pressing the wrong button. I had just ordered three tacos and tipped 22%, and this is the service I get? With how expensive everything is these days, people are choosing carefully where to spend their money. You'd think a business would value the loyal customers who continue to show up and support them. Instead, your staff is pushing people away with this kind of treatment. I used to love this place. I supported it because it represents my culture--but when you're made to feel unwelcome and disrespected, it hits differently. If this is the energy you're allowing in your restaurant, maybe next time I'll come back with my camera rolling--so you can see exactly how your customers are being treated. read more

Burnt my steak in my steak quesadilla. Inedible and disappointing. Also no dipping sauces included to make it better

Stopped at El Jefe's for a quick midday meal, but honestly can't I say I had much to write home about. I ordered a plate with half chicken and half steak and a few toppings. I decided to skip the rice, but this cost me. The portion was about half filled :( I was under the impression that the other ingredients would compensate for the lack of rice base. Flavor wise, the meat was very good. The serving of jalapeños, however, was un proportionate and overpowered the whole bowl. I love my food spicy, but it was a bit too much. The guacamole was tasty, but the portion was also very tiny. I won't give up just yet, I'll just know to get rice next time for a heartier portion. read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ordered supreme quesadilla, chicken with plantains. Nothing supreme with one piece of meat and one peace of plantain... read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - Ordered supreme quesadilla, chicken with plantains. Nothing supreme with one piece of meat and one peace of plantain... - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I ordered three dishes and two were completely wrong. What level of IDGAF is required when an order is printed out on a ticket and all you have to do is add the ingredients, and you still can't get it right. El Lazy. read more

Tacos are incredibly bland. Pretty sure our tortillas were not cooked. They were like glue. Was hoping the green salsa would help but it was all spice and no flavor. read more

This location always has great service and quality. Good portion sizes and the workers are really nice.

Disclaimer I am not from Boston and am used to really good Mexican food so this is just not the same but for the area I think it's pretty decent. I had a carnitas quesadilla and the meat was generally good albeit a little dry. Flavor was a bit bland but there was enough moisture to where it was edible. The cheese blend and amount was good but the fajita veggies I had included were basically raw inside the warm quesadilla - that's not fajita style! Anyway they did put platanos inside the quesadilla which is hard to find these days. I had sides of guac pico and black beans. The first two were surprisingly good and flavorful but the black beans :((( tasted like they came straight from a can. Overall if you're going off of like really flavorful authentic Mexican I'd say this is a 2/5 but I'm not sure how much good Mexican is in Boston - based on other reviews it seems like this is one of the best spots in the area so 3/5. It's really not bad just pretty bland. Get some hot sauce ready! read more

Hot but entirely flavorless food. Two stars only because one star is reserved for eateries that you report to the Board of health. Would actively avoid El Jefe in future. Unfortunately we were in the area and famished and needed "food". This was provided. Shrimp tacos could have been a random protein. Chicken quesadillas tasted of velveeta. Never again! read more

My friend and I stopped here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. I grabbed a salad bowl with carnitas, black beans, plantains, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, and hot salsa. The lettuce was sitting in water to keep it fresh, so a lot of it pooled at the bottom of my bowl. Otherwise, everything was pretty good. They don't charge extra for toppings, which is more than I can say for many similar casual TexMex places. read more

I have become obsessed with this Taqueria. I go about once or twice a week. I have now visited all locations, the food is flavorful. Decently priced. You get 3 tacos for 9$. They are packed and full of goodness. Man I want one now writing this review. So many ad ons to choose from. Always a great crew on duty. I just joined their rewards program. Had I known this before. ‍ The Harvard Sq location is 24 hours. read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I'm absolutely shocked at how much I enjoyed my food here - I was expecting it to be mediocre college food but was very happily surprised to find out that this wasn't the case. This location is near Northeastern campus, so it's busy seemingly almost any time of day. We visited for a late-night dinner and were able to order almost immediately. Our server was nice but didn't seem to understand all of my questions - luckily I was able to get some correct answers from the cashier. Not sure if it was a language issue or if it was just too loud in the restaurant, but not a huge deal. I ordered a custom bowl with steak and it was absolutely delicious. The meat was fresh, tender, and well seasoned. The toppings complimented each other very well also -- I just wish they filled the bowl a bit more! I was able to try my partner's al pastor burrito and it was also incredibly good. The meat especially was the star of the show, and I couldn't get enough. I'm sad I'm only finding out about this place now.. I'll definitely be back soon! read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - Steak burrito bowl - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

My friend recommended this spot to me she swears by there burritos! So I came by 12/11/22 for the first time ever! I ordered the Burrito carnitas (Pork) Mexican Rice Black Beans, cheese and Pico de Galo (mild) with Sour Cream. Double Portion of pork. Also got the drink called Horchata it was good it was semi sweet. The burrito was so so good the pork was tender well seasoned and not overcooked, the rice was fluffy not hard the beans where delicious sour cream well proportioned with the pico de galo very very good! I will order again! The staff where friendly and welcoming the restaurant was clean and had space to eat inside if you wanted to. The staff that prepare your food in front of you know what they are doing and seem like they enjoy serving the customers! read more

DONT DO IT!!!!!! Ordering online was fast, easy and expensive Literally was delivered within 25 min after ordering, HOWEVER.... The $18 Burrito was COLD AND DRY Was not made w any of the stuffings I asked for.... (Sour cream or guacamole Won't be ordering from them again!!! read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - COLD AND DRY BURRITO - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I was on a quest to walk the Southwest Corridor roundtrip, and had a rumbly in the tumbly, and decided to pick up some chorizo & carne asada tacos from El Jefe's--unfortunately, there was inevitably another type of rumbly in the tumbly, if you know what I am saying... :/ I kinda had a feeling after taking a look at the different proteins, toppings, etc. that it was possible the food, even though warm, had been out for a lil while. Maybe a return trip/visiting another location could yield a different result... read more

I didn't like the vibe I got from the girl/lady at cashier. The food is good . I just get weirded when people don't say a word and just look at you like you're bothering them by ordering food lol. I know it's a low wage but I'd still make sure I hire nice people to hand out the food. read more

Best bowl ever!!!!!! So good so yummy best bowl ever the chicken is so good!!! Rice is really good too

This place has the best Mexican food I've tried in Boston so far! I got the vegetable quesadilla and the portion was huge and definitely worth the price. The restaurant itself is very clean, the staff is super friendly, and the food is great quality! read more

The service and the food are pretty bland I walked in on a rainy Friday night, was the only person inside and the 4 employees were basically standing around talking amongst themselves paying me no attention. The one person who helped me I'm pretty sure had trouble understanding what I was saying. No one ever really acknowledged me or said hello. The food was basically a rip off of Chipotle but was pretty bland and nothing memorable. They do have lots of options in terms of food and tons of hot sauces but I was certainly unimpressed. read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - Lame - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I had tried their Cambridge location before and enjoyed it so I was excited when I saw they opened a new location close to me. I ordered for pickup on a Friday for lunch and they had it ready for me when I got there. They didn't include my Horchata so good thing I realized before I had left, but they were very kind about it. I ordered the Taco Plate with Al Pastor filling and it was incredibly filling and relatively cheap compared to other similar Mexican restaurants. The Horchata was sweet but not too sweet and was a good way to end my meal. Would definitely come here again! read more

Really nice place to get a late night munch, cool music and really delicious tacos. Nice service as well the staff is efficient

The best burritos in the city. Vast variety of toppings to choose from. Very flavorful ingredients. Good prices! I could order from here every day! read more

Do yourself a favor and get some of their churros. Get the churro. That's it. I need not say more. They're freshly fried, rolled in cinnamon sugar, crispy, warm, and there's vanilla cream in the middle. You'll never get a Costco churro again. If you're bored and want to read what else I have to say, go ahead. There's a couple places to get your burrito or taco fix around here, but I have to say, this place takes the cake. First off, all toppings are free; not like free as in Qdoba quality and selection, but more so Amelia's but better! I got a burrito for myself and two churros to share with a friend. The toppings were great and there was a wide selection--of course I also got the FREE QUAC. The rice was well cooked and wasn't a blob of mush. The meat was also properly seasoned and cooked--no complaints ingredients wise. In summary, give them a shot, my only regret is that I ate so fast I forgot to take pictures. read more

TLDR: 5 star value. Come all ye hungry college students. This is the place you want to go to be filled with delicious food. Portions are humongous and potentially last even two meals. The food is fresh and yummy with plenty of topping options - even more so than chipotle. Seating inside is limited. Even if you're not a college student this place is great for a quick meal! read more

I used to love El Jefe's but this place has gone downhill :( it's always so busy with Northeastern kids and I don't think the employees are always ready for crazy volumes of people. They used to serve big portions, but now they only give you one tiny scoop of meat. Not worth paying $14 for just a big bowl of rice. read more

It's a simple layout restaurant. I came in for lunch for the first time and it was great! I ordered a quesadilla and added clinatro rice, cheese, chicken among a few other toppings. They had a good amount of toppings and sauces to choose from. If you love pepper sauce you would love it here. I never seen a restaurant with such a wide variety. What I really loved was the fact you could add as many toppings as you want including a protein of choice. Most places charge for the protein so that was definitely a bonus. The staff were friendly as well! I plan on visiting again. read more

Sure the staff might get your order wrong every other time, but it'll still taste good, and it's for a good price. Plus they're always open til witching hour so you can rely on them during your tough college times. One time I ordered the quesadilla for pickup and they forgot half of the things I requested to put in there and all of my sauces. But another time I got loaded nachos and they were amazing!! Lasted me two meals, I think it was $17 with unlimited toppings. I'd definitely get the nachos again. The horchata (drink) was not my favorite, way too sweet, but it was my first time trying horchata so others might like it. read more

Literally the grossest food i've ever paid for. Also not to mention it is pretty pricey for the portion size you get. I would literally recommend everyone go to literally any other fast casual place to dine. The only good thing i can say is that they were pretty quick at getting through the line but the customer service is one of the worst i have seen. The employees are not nice and look at you like you are stupid if you ask a question about their menu. Also, I asked for a drink and the guy forgot to ring me up so he told me that he would have to make another transaction to give me a medium drink :( read more

I ordered a burrito at 1am because I slept through my alarm. But I was so excited to end up mad as hell! The burrito was huge so i'm like I'll be full until 7, nope I had to open the burrito up and pick around the rice because the rice was so undercooked. It wasn't even the bottom of the pot it was worse because it was rock hard which was very unpleasant. What I wanna know is why I paid $18 for something I could barely eat. read more

Eat here!!! Do not get a burrito anywhere else in Boston! El Jefe's are all over the place and they have the best mexican food! I order from here regularly and always get the spicy ground beef. Just beware of the extra hot el jefe's hot sauce because it will melt your face (not necessarily bad but maybe get it on the side). read more

Excellent burrito! Such a great portion size and flavor. Majestic. I'll be back very soon.

if you're looking for a quick place to pick up some mexican food, el jefe's is the place for you! i know so many people who are obsessed with this place, and i can understand why. -you can order for pickup through their website or in person. you can pretty much customize almost any of the options on their menus from fajita bowls to tacos! just be aware that anything you get on the side will be charged extra. -the service here is quick and the ordering process is pretty simple. the lines can get kind of long, but they seem to move relatively quickly. -there's a couple of tables to eat inside, but they're usually not that crowded. -both cash and card are accepted. 10/16/21 -mexican bowl: this is one of the most customizable options on their menu, and you can really make it as filling as you want. there's a wide variety of protein options and cold or hot toppings. i opted for pollo asado, mexican rice, black beans, corn, pickled onions, lettuce, onions and cilantro, fajita veggies, and guacamole. you can pack on as many toppings as you want for the same price of only $10.16 including tax! i was pretty happy with this bowl, but i felt like i had asked for way too many onions since the flavor was too overpowering. however, i really don't have any complaints about anything else. the portion of food that they give you is enough to keep you full for hours, which i appreciate. (4/5) overall, el jefe's is a great place to get some affordable mexican food on a regular basis. i can easily see myself coming back to try some of their other menu options! i'd highly recommend that you must try a mexican bowl from here. read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - 10/16/21 mexican bowl with pollo asado, mexican rice, black beans, corn, pickled onions, lettuce, fajita veggies, and guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great place for reasonably priced Mexican food. Friendly staff that was really patient with us cause we couldn't decide! We shared a cheese quesadilla and vegetarian nachos. Good portions for an afternoon snack, and nice roasted veggies in the nachos. Casual atmosphere and high top seating to people watch. read more

Good food. Service a little difficult. Packed house. Free chips when you leave a Google review! read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - Fajita Bowl (chickensteakshrimp) & free Chips (Plain) when you leave them a Google review + Queso - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Food is delicious and the interior decoration is very welcoming. Def coming back :) There are so many toppings for your tacos... it's overwhelming, in a good way. :) read more

Absolutely loved the food! Really generous portions and the staff was very friendly and helpful. Great inexpensive quality meals at a prime location. Highly recommend! read more

This review is based off of an Uber Eats delivery, but that doesn't change how great the food was. The quesadilla was crispy, and had just the right amount of cheese. The steak nachos was piled high, and covered in steak and cheese. The fajita bowl was my favorite though. There were so many customization options, and it was gigantic for only $12. All of the food was fresh, and flavorful as well. My only complaint was that they didn't have any drinks on their menu for delivery. However, even despite the drinks, it was easily a 5 out of 5 experience. read more

El Jefe’s Taqueria - Symphony - Chicken only Fajita Bowl ($11.50) WELL WORTH THE MONEY. Absolutely delicious! - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts