El Peñol 3 in Brookline. Very nice ambiance. Really beautiful. Clean, comfortable, nicely decorated. Doesn't have that rough Spanish restaurant vibe you sometimes get in Chelsea or East Boston. Much more upscale. People like that. The servers were very nice. Helpful, attentive, really great. Now, the runner who brought the food didn't seem to be in the best mood. That's alright. It happens. Prices were decent. The menu offers a lot, from full Colombian appetizers to full meals. Even has a kids section. My son ordered chicken wings and French fries. The chicken wings were delicious, juicy, perfectly done. For appetizers we had fried cheese with pineapple sauce and fried plantain with shrimp in a criollo sauce. Delicious, really fantastic. My wife ordered the sancocho de res, and she totally enjoyed it. I ordered a mixed plate with white rice, beans, tostones, onions, peppers, beef, and shrimp. Absolutely incredible. The tres leches was also terrific. Very well done. But then a group of six rowdy individuals came in. Completely destroyed the nice, chill mood. Total disaster. They were animals, folks. Total animals. Loud, obnoxious, so bad that a table of people actually decided to move completely outside just to get away from them. That's how disruptive they were. At that point, an employee should have stepped in and said, "We're glad you're enjoying yourselves, but there are others here trying to enjoy their meals too." It was out of control. Overall, a strong 4.6 stars. read more

See all

" Traditional Colombian Food " This establishment is located near my home . It's a traditional Colombian restaurant. It's a bit upscale and pricey . Not an authentic vibe more like a trendy vibe . Full bar inside as well . Music is loud . The food is good . The empanadas are made fresh as you order . That's the cool aspect about this place . (Usually at other places they leave the empanadas out). The service is not bad either . On a rainy day nothing like " soupa de Reís " at this place . Parking is limited to street metered, as they have no parking lot . read more

See all

meh undressed whitish salad w esp pale tomatoes, lord overfried plantains nice enough trout slab but not sufficiently (if at all) deboned, with an okay shroom sauce; if you get this, ask for the sauce to be on the side so you can pick through the bones on your own great service, good menu, looking forward to trying a second time read more

Food was great server was nice and owner was kind. Thank you so much Churros were the best part. Ambiance was good music was amazing and lighting was so nice. read more

Food, is not bad, but the original Peńol in east Boston is so much better then this one in Brookline. Service it was... just ok, nothing unique or good! Just ok. Ambiance is good! I will go back? Maybe, just in case if I'm felling comida hispana! read more

meh undressed whitish salad w esp pale tomatoes, lord overfried plantains nice enough trout slab but not sufficiently (if at all) deboned, with an okay shroom sauce; if you get this, ask for the sauce to be on the side so you can pick through the bones on your own great service, good menu, looking forward to trying a second time read more

I've been eyeing this place for quite some time and was able to finally get out to it this weekend. We arrived just around noon on a Saturday and it wasn't too busy (which is surprising!) The interior of the restaurant is also really nice and clean - it looks like a quiet, nice sit down restaurant even though there is no dress code our party (and other patrons) were wearing normal home clothes or hoodies. It was very comfortable and clean without being uptight at all which I really enjoyed. But as nice as the restaurant is, the real star of the show is the food. After just one meal, I can absolutely say that I will be back (again and again and again), as the food we ordered was really fresh and delicious, and the helpings were extremely generous for the price. On top of that, their entire menu looks incredible and there are so many dishes I'd like to try (most of the breakfast items, the cazuelas, fried trout with mushroom cream, salmon a la plancha, and chicken churrasco, to name a few). What I did try today was: Ceviche de Chicharron ($7.50) - I wasn't sure what this was at first since I thought it would be fish ceviche with crispy pork bits on top, but it actually ended up being loads of crispy pork belly in a ceviche style with tangy onions. cilantro, and fresh lime juice. It was served with a lot of acid and two large fried plantains, which mixed incredibly well - fat and acid always do. If I had known what this was before ordering, I may have not ordered it, but it really surprised me - the fattiness mixed with the lime and onion really balanced out quite nicely and as strange as it is to say, this fried pork belly dish was refreshing. For $7.50, this was a really great find! Bandeja Penol (Penol Plate) - Grilled steak, pork belly rind, fried egg, rice, beans, sweet plantains, and corn cake with Colombian sausage ($18.50) - this was my main dish, and it was a LOT. The amount of food and variety included for this price was definitely worth it and a great deal. It actually didn't come with the corn cake today, but it was still enough for me to take home and have almost a full second meal with the leftovers. Let's break it down. Grilled steak - This was seasoned well and actually surprisingly tender for how thin and cooked it was. It was still juicy and tasty despite being a very thin piece of meat, and it definitely left me satisfied for my steak craving. Pork Belly Rind - This was BEAUTIFUL. It was cut into small chunks all held together by crispy skin, and it was hot, fresh, crispy, juicy, and fatty - everything you'd want in pork belly. Each piece of this was a true treasure and I'd go back just for this in the future. Fried egg - Standard, but nice and over easy. Runny yolk which added a lot to the rice and steak that it was paired with. Rice - Standard rice, no issues here. Beans - The beans have pork in them! They were nice and smoky with a lot of great flavor and pieces of meat and fat mixed throughout. Just this with the rice would have been very tasty, but with everything else involved in this dish it really was something special. Sweet plantains - I'm not sure how to eat these or mix with the meat, but I had them on their own and they were deliciously smoky with a nice sweet aftertaste. It wasn't too sweet by any means, and it also wasn't as dry as some of the starchier plantains. A nice addition! Corn cake - this was on the menu as included but was not on my plate. Still, the meal was very filling Colombian sausage - This was very hearty and dense. The flavor was wonderfully meaty and salty, and it mixed nicely with the egg yolk and rice and beans. All I can say is - WOW. This place is amazing. The restaurant is clean and comfortable, the menu is packed with attractive dishes, the food is tasty and fresh, the portions are humongous, and the price is extremely affordable (especially for what you get). This will definitely not be the last time I come here, and I'm so happy that this is in the neighborhood. 5/5 - will absolutely return! read more

See all

All my Colombian friends love coming here. I've only checked out the Brookline location. I'm Salvadoran so I trust their judgement over mine, but I've also enjoyed everything I've tried here. The Bandeja Paisa - a classic nice sampler of so many flavors. Huge plate! So get if you are hungry or share with someone. Get Arepas, yuca frita, and Tostoncitos con guacamole to share. Carne Asada was decent - I prefer Mexican style Carne Asada but it was good. My friend loved her sopa de pescado. read more

See all

The flan, churrasco, and bandeja peñol were amazing !! Best flan I'ver had. Will definitely be back

Even on a late Sunday afternoon, post-brunch and pre-dinner hours, this place had a packed dining room and I later found out why. My boyfriend and I were sat down after 5 minutes and quickly got immersed in lovely but casual dining experience. The food is mouthwatering and the service was attentive. All the waitstaff participated in attending to every table. We ended up getting the shrimp ceviche and the classic, "el tipico Colombiano dish" - which was a feast of grilled and fried meats with beans, rice and corn cake. All that and still so reasonably priced! It was a plate made with love and skill. The portions were generous and the flavors and textures made the dishes memorable. It's a gem in the Brookline area for Latino food. I've recommended it to others and can't wait to go back. read more

My boyfriend and I love El Peñol! They truly never disappoint - the staff are very welcoming, the food is delicious, hearty and comforting. I haven't eaten a bad thing here. It's one of our go tos, especially on a chilly Boston day! read more

El Peñol 3 - Sancocho de Res y bandeja paisa - Colombian Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

My first time trying Colombian food and it was bomb. The portions here are huge. We tried their sampler for an appetizer which had a bit of everything. My favorites were the fried yuca and pork belly. We ordered the trout with cream sauce and seafood paella. Flavors were really good except the plantains tasted bland. For dessert, we got the tres leches, but it wasn't great. I hear the churros are good so I'll have to try that next time. Also I'd skip on their drinks because it's around $15 for one but I felt like I was just drinking juice I want to come back to try the other dishes on their menu though. There's a lot of tables so it's good for solo or groups. read more

See all

Since it's fairly new, I don't know if a lot of people know this place yet but it was fairly empty when we visited. Quiet and quick attentive service. I would say the prices range from fair to a bit on the pricier end -- would say this is like an upscale Colombian restaurant. For drinks, we got the lulu and papaya milk drinks -- both were SO creamy, well blended and delicious. The lulu milk was sour and sweet in a good way and the papaya was very sweet -- and I was glad you could taste the papaya. They have these milk drinks in other flavors like mango, passion fruit, soursop and more -- definitely will be coming back to try more! I was debating between three entrees so the waitress recommended us the lengua criolla. She mentioned it's softer and moist (you could choose between the criolla aka saucy/stew-like or the plancha aka grilled but she said plancha is a bit drier since it's grilled). Y'all, this did not disappoint!! Hands down one of my new favorite entrees that I would definitely order again. The lengua was moist indeed and I was surprised how tender they made this to be. The sauce was flavorful as well. My husband got their shrimp and beef picadillo -- the shrimp was really tasty and they gave a reasonable amount in it. The beef was good but a bit stiff. My husband came once before and he really enjoyed their grilled chicken the most and said he would definitely want to order that again (over the shrimp and beef picadillo dish). Lastly, for dessert, we tried their tres leches. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't say it's my favorite. Compared to other tres leches, it is drier and more similar to a normal vanilla cake. So far, my favorite tres leches in the Boston area is at Dona habana. Otherwise, this Colombian restaurant has a lot of wonderful gems that are worth trying! read more

See all

This spot is very unassuming amongst a wide range of restaurants in the Brookline area. I was excited to try this Colombian food because you can't find a ton of that outside of the Jamaica Plains area! Food: We got the Classic Colombian plate which came with chicharrón, chorizo, steak, plantains, egg, rice, and beans. A very hearty plate! The chicharrón and chorizo were good but the steak was too dry. The beans were very flavorful and went well with all the meats. If you like meat, this is a great dish for you and I like that it was a sampler of what they offered. We also ordered grilled fish and shrimp in a cream sauce. The sauce was creamy and delectable but a little too heavy for lunch. The shrimp was nice and plump and absorbed the flavors well. Lastly, we ordered the beef empanadas. These were simple and delicious. The filling was warm and seasoned perfectly. The outer layer was crispy and chewy at the same time. Price: Each plate was about $18-$20. My friend and I were definitely full after two dishes and the empanadas. The empanadas were $1.50 each and I wish I got 10 of them! Overall, I would definitely go again. This is a great spot for a casual meal and for expanding your taste buds! read more

See all

Hay una injusticia con los palitos de queso. El martes 12/30/25 eran grandes y el viernes 1/2/26 me dieron unas miniaturas que costaron $11 . Una injusticia gigante! read more

pedi Una bandeja para llevar y el arroz estaba frío y viejo. y me cobraron más de lo que vale que dizque por delivery fee y yo la recogí. pregunte que porque era ese cargo y me dijeron que no sabían que la registradora originaba ese cargo. Muy mala la comida No lo recomiendo read more

The service here is really poor. The place is not even busy and there's plenty of waitresses yet it took forever to get a drink and the check. The food wasn't good. I got the bandeja Peñol the beans were nasty, the rice was decent, the sausage was nasty. This was just not it. I was starving and the taste of this food was bad. read more

El Peñol 3 - Colombian Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

On October 13, 2024, we had lunch at Penol 3 in Brookline with about 14 people, and our total bill came to $485.81. Despite this amount, we were asked to leave because we stopped ordering more food and drinks, and some of the waitstaff seemed unhappy serving us. We had agreed to have only one check, which caused some frustration as it took us a while to divide the bill. Even the manager, who was otherwise nice, eventually asked us to leave. This was the first time we've ever been asked to leave a place after spending nearly $500. read more

El Peñol 3 - almost $500.00 - Colombian Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Casual restaurant was pleasant service and good food at affordable prices. Extensive menu with lots to choose from. Tried the popular traditional plate. Bandeja paisa and was pleased with the tasty variety of items it came with. read more

A welcome addition to the local variety in restaurants. Serving all the typical food from Columbia and very well represented give it a try. read more

See all

Top notch service and delicious food! Everything was tasty and fresh. The restaurant is not far from work, so I look forward to returning soon. read more

Mostly pleased with my experience here. The bread made of corn (not corn bread) was pretty dry and fragile, but the meat itself was excellent, id order tbis again read more

El Peñol 3 - Colombian Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Food was very flavorful, filling and, while simple, well done. Service was fine, no complaints but also not stellar. The ambiance was casual. We sampled a shredded steak and egg dish that was marketed as traditional and was very good. The overall cuisine was also on the saltier side. read more

That food are so delicious will be back again el penol 3 those people are nice and great work how really good food will be back again read more

El Peñol 3 - That food are so delicious will be back again El Penol 3 nice people and great work want say thank you for best food number 1 Colombia food - Colombian Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

As someone who's never had Colombian food before, I wasn't really sure what to expect. But everything was cozy and family-style, from the decorations to the tables to the food to the service. We ordered the empanadas, yucca fries, and a main plate-all were large and the food was pretty good. But the highlight of the meal was the passion fruit juice (all their juices are made with real fruit), which was a perfect complement to the salty, savory meal. read more

Love everything about the place. The location has plenty of street parking if you go in the evening for dinner. They offer breakfast as well starting late mornings. The food is authentic Latin cuisine and did not disappoint. We ordered the pupusa with chicharon but they ran out of pupusa which was substituted with a large plantain. They probably should have added 2 but it was something to pick at while we waited for the food. The chicharon was cooked perfectly. We all enjoyed them. Especially my sons. Our main dishes were grilled chicken, white rice with red beans, sweet plantain and a fried egg on the rice for me and my boys. The wife ordered the shrimp skewers which also came with white rice but no red beens and green fried plantains. We had to order them separately for some strange reason. We all enjoyed the tasty food very much. The boys ordered coconut lemonade which blew our minds. It was so refreshing and tasty. There are a wide variety of specialty drinks and I saw other tables with adult beverages that looked amazing. It was my wife's birthday and I asked the waitress on the side if they had a birthday desert with a candle which she replied with a few options. We went with the churros with vanilla ice cream and the plate was drizzled with just a bit of caramel and chocolate topped off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. The churros themselves were warm and crunchy outside with a soft moist inside. They were amazing and the best churros I ever had. We all loved and enjoyed it with the birthday girl. There were 4 large churros. Enough for all of us. The team also sang a Spanish traditional birthday song to my wife. I can't wait to go back. The prices were very reasonable and the place was not crowded on a Sunday night. They played music in the background but it was not very loud and enjoyable. People sang along to some song randomly at times. read more

So good. Best Colombian Food I have ever had outside of Colombia. I always get the Bandeja Paisa.

Great place and reasonable price! The food almost made me feel like I was back in Colombia ( I'm from Colombia) :). The bandeja had great chicharrones and the sopa de mondongo was very flavorful. read more

El Peñol 3 - Bandeja paisa, Sopa de Mondongo, Mazamorra. - Colombian Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Bandeja Paisa is very very good as well as the Camarones.. service was good and the decor is ok and clean. Went for lunch on way back to ny and we were very satisfied with our choice... read more

Excellent service, my waitress Monica loved the fish soup and flan everything was well presented. Great Columbian food

This is a very cute restaurant. Not too big & not too small, definitely recommend for lunch or dinner. There is a bar with nice drinks. Food was amazing, everything tasted fresh and very good flavor. The staff/waitresses are very friendly. Flan was okay but other than that, I'd come here again. read more

El Peñol 3 - Bandeja Costilla de Cerdo a la BBQ Yuca Frita - Colombian Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

See all

Food was great and service was amazing! Prices are extremely reasonable having portion size in mind!

Excellent food, service and atmosphere! I usually go to the original in East Boston, however I wanted to try their new location. #3 might actually be their best location. They have a wonderful bar area with attentive servers and the bartenders no how to make an excellent drink. If you're looking for authentic Colombian cuisine, this is the place to be. read more

Average tasting. Would not make special trip or return. Enjoyed the Sangria but nothing else. read more

The food here is great! It tasted like real Latin food, not like American versions of Latin food. The servers were very attentive, and the prices were reasonable. You can speak Spanish or English in here. :) We will definitely be going back! read more

I love this place, a true hidden gem in Brookline. A little new to South American food, have been here three times since they opened since I live around the corner. Great food, very reasonable and friendly staff. Don't pass it up. read more

Everything about this place was amazing, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations! The restaurant itself is modern looking with open space and plenty of room for tables. The menu is huge, but everything we ordered was delicious! Some standouts were the yuca fries, tostones, and tres leches cake. You've got to check this place out next time you're by Coolidge Corner! read more

It's good to see more Hispanic restaurants open in the area. I'm glad you can get their food via delivery apps as I'm rarely in Brookline. The pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken) is wonderful and the serving size is large. I also had their tostones and arepas and everything was great. Can't wait to try other dishes from this restaurant. read more

The food was delish. Price was reasonable and service was great. Def worth it! Authentic Colombian food :)

Wonderful authentic tostones! The meat is delicious. Staff is kind, and although we usually get takeout the restaurant looks nice. Full of native Spanish speakers which is a good sign. read more