Came for a weekend lunch and had such a great meal! The owner, Joe, was super helpful and attentive. He took time to answer our questions about the menu as well explain the significance of the beautiful authentic mexican furniture that decorated the restaurant. For drinks we got a margarita (can't go wrong) and horchata (an iced drink made with rice milk and cinnamon)! The horchata was amazing and tasted just like the authentic ones I used to have in LA. We got the chilaquiles con carne and tacos al carbon for food. Both dishes were so flavorful and the portion sizes were also generous. The sauce that the chilaquiles were cooked in was so delicious and the steak was also seasoned well. The tacos were also tasty and came with guac! My favorite had to have been the chilaquiles. Though we were full, we made sure to save room for dessert and got tres leches. The cake was so moist, it just melted in your mouth. Definitely will be coming back here more often to try their extensive menu! read more

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Such a wonderful place. The staff and manager are so nice. The food was great and as a native Californian we can be a hard critic.

Best Mexican food in the area. Cheap prices, great food and an awesome staff! Highly recommend!

I enjoyed my lunch I'm writing this review while I finish my modelo. Great dog friendly patio, great large portion plates, and still keeping Union Square funky. 5 stars. read more

The best Mexican food in the Boston area!! I moved here 6 years ago from San Diego and miss that style of Mexican. This place nails it perfectly; just so good! read more

not so good salsa. enchiladas were not that spicy. chicken fajitas not that great. the lemonade was terrible. tried the rice based Mexican drink, which was okay I guess. won't try it again though. read more

Want great Mexican food in a fun, and down to earth atmosphere? Also want great service from people who love their job? Come to El Potro and you will not be disappointed. Good food with big portions and tasty margaritas; you can literally not go wrong! A really wonderful place, I can't wait to go back. read more

I love you El Potro. Perhaps the thing I would miss most if I ever moved out of Somerville. My girlfriend and I even had a self-imposed ban on coming here for several months because it became our default destination in Union Square- it's that easy, cheap, and delicious. This is my go-to spot for tortas (definitely superior to the more pricey, hipstery Tenoch in Davis Sq). I usually get a Michelada as well, just to add something else to the bill, because the torta is so cheap, and they also bring you a big basket of chips and a mini-carafe of delcious salsa. I've been there on Mariachi band night, and also on a DJ night. Usually some soccer or sports on TV. The owner often walks past the tables to check up on you. read more

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the Greater Boston area with authentic and fresh recipes! They're always able to accommodate and have a 10/10 food selection! read more

This is a great spot for authentic Mexican food. The margaritas are phenomenal and the food portions are a great value. The staff is very nice and the atmosphere of the place has a fun and light hearted vibe. Highly recommend! read more

We've come here several times recently & it's always been great. Then we went last wkd... eating our chips and salsa, we discovered a COCKROACH CRAWLING IN OUR CHIPS. The waitress (whom we never had before, who was HORRIBLY inattentive by the way - the cute/younger one that works weekends) comes by and took the chips/roach away & brought us another basket of chips (& at that point, we were done w/the chips, thank you). Nobody came to apologize & there was no concession made w/our bill to try and bribe us from telling other people about this/telling the board of health that we found a roach in our food. I'm sorry El Potro - we loved you & wanted to support you and thought you're a great little place in the square & then we got "cockroached" - and nobody came to apologize... at all... we're having a really hard time ever coming back after this, especially because nobody seemed to give a crap & take the time to apologize about this disgusting display. We realize that this stuff happens & the world is an imperfect place, but the fact nobody came over to apologize speaks volumes. read more

We were looking for some authentic Latin food and definitely found it at El Porto! Dinner on Fri. night at about 6pm and we were the only table in the house. The restaurant is simple and cute whole in the wall which is very clean--nothing fancy or special. Our server was the owners' son. He was very sweet, helpful and attentive. Chips & salsa were great! Spicy salsa is my fav. Bean & cheese pupusas as apps--very fresh and tasty. Seafood Enchiladas--DELICIOUS! I loved the flavors & chunks of shrimp, fish & veggies were very yummy! Beef Chimichanga- Huge, fresh, well seasoned meat & tasty! Chilies Rellenos- Good sized, tasty but not the best. Papaya shake- I didn't know what to expect but it was great! The refried beans and rice was very fresh and well seasoned. Best part: $36 (before tip) for all that food!! Unbelievable cheap prices, huge portions (lots of leftovers) and great authentic Latin food makes El Potro the best value around!! 4.5 stars! read more

I have been complaining about the lack of decent, authentic Mexican food in the Boston area since moving here from Austin, TX. I didn't have the highest expectations of this place other than the good yelp reviews... which are normally reliable - but I've learned not to trust them when it comes to the new england take on mexican food. This was an exception. They had a good selection of mexican beers- bohemia specifically excited me, was a nice surprise. They knew how to make a michelada - and it was even on the menu. - woot The salsa had fresh onion, cilantro and jalepeno... I've been shocked how many places either serve you a Pace clone or some other blended abomination in a bowl (I'm looking at you Cantina La Mexicana) - but, the salsa at El Potro was what salsa is supposed to taste like. I had the steak/chicken/shrimp fajitas- they were good. This place would get 2.5 or 3 stars in Texas, but its the best I've had here so far. So, its a true diamond in the rough. read more

You know El Potro- it's the Mexican spot in Union with the oddly phallic window art featuring the dueling Tex-Mex dudes with drooping guns... wait- I'm the only one who finds this intriguing enough to guide my dinner selection? Whatever. So, this place was alright. We went in for dinner on a Wednesday night so missed out on the weekend Mariachi other reviewers were raving/complaining about. The décor is definitely kitschy- loud colorful wall murals and wooden booths and chairs carved with Mexican scenery. Authentic...no. Fun, si. Chips & salsa were free and bottomless (win) but stale (sad trombone). The salsa actually had some spice which combined with a heavy salt shake to make them more palatable. My friend's coworkers had talked up the spinach enchiladas so she opted for those. They were tasty though you've got to be a real fan of cooked spinach or else the greenery might be a bit much. My adobo pork tacos were good. Soft tortillas with nicely charred pork, topped with radishes, diced onions, cilantro and parsley. The meat itself was really flavorful and had a good seasoning to it. The rice and beans on the side were forgettable and mostly went untouched. We were both drinking their house margaritas which came out in salted mason jars with orange slices- which might have contributed to why they tasted so sweet. For the $10 price tag I would have liked a bigger pour and more tequila. So all in all, I'd go again but I'm not really rushing back. read more

When I am in the mood for delicious cheesy Mexican food, El Potro is the number one jamz. Just to set the tone, one time the boo and I went here for a romantic margaritas and dinner date night, and I got serenaded by the mariachi band. GAME CHANGER. Foodie culture has contributed to such a dearth of down-home tex-mex spots around Boston. No, Painted Burro, I do not want your low-cheese quesadilla. Ole', get outta here with your fancy pantsy everythings. Don't even start me up on small plates. As a bona fide Californian, this tastes the closest to home that I'm going to get in this sad Mexican-less burg. Plus, if you check in on Yelp here, you get a free birthday meal! Which I totally took advantage of last year, and odds are, will again this year. The tres enchiladas plate is just everything that I want to eat all the time. And there it is. The only sad thing is that during the warmer months, you may want to sit outside with your dog and friends and enjoy some deliciousness--but you can't. They're not permitted to serve food outside, only margaritas. Sighhhhhhh. In closing, my perfect date night is a visit to El Potro followed by Star Wars-themed night at backbar. And since that has already happened, it's all downhill from here. read more

El Potro has a varied menu of mexican cuisine that is more of the "what you'd have for dinner" sort of food than fast food like tacos and burritos. Quality is very good and prices are reasonable. The restaurant isn't very big but there never seem to be many people there, so there's never a problem getting a table. On a recent saturday at midday, a friend and I were both craving breakfast burritos. We didn't know if El Potro had them or not but thought we'd go find out. They didn't, but we talked them into making them for us anyway, and they made us two huge, delicious breakfast burritos for which they charged us very reasonable prices. We really appreciated their willingness to take make their customers happy rather than worrying about exactly what was on the menu. I strongly recommend El Potro for mexican food, for a good square meal at a reasonable price. By the way, they recently had a window broken and seem to have some difficulty getting it replaced. Don't take that as a reflection on the quality of the food, which is nicer than the facade. read more

It may be a bad thing that I know this place exists so close to our house. I stopped in tonight on the way home because I was too tired to cook, and picked up a chicken burrito and a steak taco platter, which was one of the specials. It was quick, and the service was good......it was a younger kid, who was really polite. I was really happy when I got home and opened the containers-it was like Mexican food Christmas. The steak soft tacos were really outrageously good, and the steak was grilled to perfection. The chicken burrito was also good, but was too much for one person, which isn't really a bad thing. We got chips, guacamole, and salsa on the side and the salsa was pretty much exactly what I want from a Mexican restaurant. Word of advice for my anti-spicy other half-if you don't like fire in your mouth, as for it mild......it had a little bit of a kick to it, but it was perfection to me. Oh! And I forgot to mention what else they serve: HUEVOS RANCHEROS! read more

Stopped in here on a whim due to the live Mariachi (!!) band playing on a recent Friday night. I have to say that they did their job of getting us in the restaurant, then promptly destroyed our eardrums. Little less volume next time, maybe. The food was excellent. We particularly enjoyed the taco salad. The only problem we had was that we ordered way too much (portions are very big for the price you pay, I feel)! It also came very quickly. The young boy who acts as server there is very friendly and a good waiter. Overall, a good casual dining experience. read more

Funny how I sit here writing this review after Deanna D. took me here a little while ago and she is the most recent review to have been written! El Potro was one of my first introductions to this area of Boston, and it actually gave me a little hope for latin food in Boston! Their enchiladas are pretty darn tasty. That sauce and just the perfect amount of cheese, and the chicken was still tender inside, and not overcooked at all which is what I have experienced most other places in Boston so far. I almost wished my plate had been only full of enchiladas and nothing else! But where did they lose some points in the latin food loving heart of mine? Their rice and beans. Just blah. I mean refried beans are pretty hard to make not flavorful since they are usually cooked with lard, which sounds gross, but come on, we all know that things with fat in them always taste better! And their rice was overcooked a bit and really had not one ounce of flavor. We asked for tons more salsa throughout our meal which I basically poured all over the rice in order to eat it! The salsa is pretty spicy, but still not quite up to my spice standards, but Boston, you are getting closer with El Potro! And the best part? Our awesome waiter, who loves football, actually switched one of the flat screen tvs inside to the UC Berkeley football game for me! And he even cheered along with me! What could be better than some good enchiladas and a local spot that will cheer for your football team? Va, El Potro! Va! read more

I'd been meaning to try El Potro for a while, and finally got there a week ago. It's a nice place. Very bright, cheerful atmosphere: colorful tables and chairs, and the big front windows let in lots of light. The place feels like spring, especially if you sit at one of the tables by the window, as we did. They have a big menu of Mexican and Colombian food. They give you lots of good food for not too much money. I had the spinach enchiladas, which were good if you like cooked spinach (which I don't--don't ask), and came with beans, great rice, and a little salad, all for $7 (lunchtime). They had a salad in taco bowl for $6.50, and tortas for just $4.50 (I'll be back for those). And I noticed they have fish tacos with *grilled* fish, not the fried fish that makes me feel guilty at the Border Cafe. So I really liked it here. I can't figure out why it was empty, and is always empty when I go by. I hope their business picks up, so they stay around. There are several things I want to try on their menu... read more

This was a great meal for cheap. I love bottomless chips and salsa more than I should. The decor also rocks. This is a really happy joint, and I am so glad we finally gave the place a shot. Our waiter was an adorable and super-polite boy, who looked to be about ten years old. I just wanna give a shout out to this boy's parents: You rule! Way to raise a really nice kid! I think we gave him a 30% tip or something, because he was just THAT good! read more

Came here to the area for a late night meal and was pleasantly surprised to not only find this place open but the management was very welcoming and happy to have us. Between the two of us we ordered a few drinks and an order of the fish tacos. Fish tacos were very meaty and not was only pan fried which is an optimal meal in my book. Based on ambience and staff it seems that this place certainly has some Hispanic roots and it shows in the service, food, and passion! Highly recommended, am excited to come back for a full meal. read more

I used to live in the Mexican district of Chicago so I'm pretty picky about decent Mexican. This place is good. It's not the best BUT there aren't many other options in Union. Or in Boston at all really. I guess Mexicans smartly avoided the chilly, snowy north. The nice things are that the chips are good, they're usually playing some sort of telenovela (I wish they'd play Sábado Gigante though). The serving size is enormous (true to so many Mexican spots) and usually pretty good. So you get four stars. If I still lived in Pilsen though this place would probably on get two or three stars. It's good but it's not THE BEST. With that said I still come here all the time and love their kind of sad karaoke nights. read more

Between the two Mexican places in Union this is actually the one we prefer. Mostly for the tacos. I long for a good baja taco after 10 years in Oregon, and while these can't quite hit the mark, they certainly come closer than anything else I've tasted in a restaurant here. the nachos are really good too- try the chicken And the hot sauce is actually hot, which is a surprisingly rare thing in these parts. Best of all, you can dine al fresco- at patio tables and chairs outside- which is particularly nice if you are towing people under ten! read more

Woooooo boy. This. Place. Came in here on a late Friday night after my friend flew into town and was famished. Live Spanish karaoke from one fella pacing the dining room? You got it. Too loud that you can't carry a conversation? Just what the doctor ordered at past-midnight on a Friday. Guacamole was solid, house margarita was standard, friend's food wasn't good (but he lives in Miami so I think he's biased). When in Union Square and without any options but this, you can... eat here. You probably won't be blown away but at least you won't be hungry anymore. read more

I stopped here the other night to try something different, as my go to spot is typically Cantina La Mexicana (which is delicious btw.) I was very disappointed. The service was slow and not attentive. I understand there were only a few servers, but the place isn't that large, so I'm not sure why it was so difficult. The food was not at all appetizing and not very good either. My enchilada was so soaked in cheese that I could not even find the corn tortillas and veggies. I've had better food at Margaritas, which isn't saying a lot. We waited a good 35 minutes for our check after they cleared our table and when we asked for it they told us to wait. It wasn't expensive, but it wasn't super cheap either. $12 for an enchilada and 11 for a margarita. Cantina has $8 enchiladas and $8 drinks. I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

FOOD... food, food and more food ! I have been going to this place for a few years and only now thought to write a review... I hang my head in shame. I stick mainly to the steak fajitas, and the flavor is exceeded only by the volume. Two could easily be fed by one meal, provided I am not one of them. They have recently changed the decor (and I weep, as it used to look like an Irish kid from Jersey had decorated it.....pin the tail on the donkey on the wall, stuffed animal horse head, bulls horns, etc and now portrait photo's of famous Mexicans) and have applied for a wine and beer license. The service! una boca de gracias! There is another 'latin american' place near El Potro, and I have given it several chances. Save your time and money. I try to be positive, but I'll write a scathing review of them later. read more

I've been trying to think of a reason to not give the full 5 stars for El Potro, and really couldn't come up with one, so here we are folks. Are you looking for no frills authentic Mexican food in Boston? El Potro should be your first stop. Last night my friend and I had a craving and made our way over to our favorite taco dispensing eatery in Union Sq. On the menu: Veggie and Pork tacos (the pork is amazing, seriously) Beef hurache (huraches are large masa and bean cakes covered with meat, beans, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes etc -- try them, they're hard to find) Nachos Tamale - made with chicken, veggies and potato To start the server brought us chips and salsa which are always extremely addicting. The salsa is fresh and has just enough bite to accompany the lightly salted chips. Should I mention they'll bring you as much of this stuff as you want? Totally dangerous; you've been warned. From there we dug into the main part of the order. I started with the pork taco. The meat was crazy full of flavor and came with two different salsas on the side. It was gone in a few bites, and I immediately regretted not ordering another one. Then I got to the hurache. I have had a really hard time finding this dish at other Mexican restaurants, and was dying to try it at El Potro. Needless to say it didn't disappoint. It came dry, but I remedied this by adding some of the salsa and was quickly on my way. The masa cake was perfectly cooked and thick enough to carry the toppings without getting soggy. I'll definitely be ordering this again, next time with pork (which I find I prefer vs. the beef). I tried the tamale last, which was in truth my least favorite part of the meal but still had great flavor. My only negative was that the potato was a bit much with everything else in there. The final bill came to a whopping....$20.90. Not bad, right? I'd recommend ordering off the apps & hurache/tortas menu as opposed to a taco plate. There is too much amazingness to be had and wasting stomach space on rice and beans would be an amateur move. It's also the best way to try a lot of different things on the cheap. So! Ignore the painted horses on the chairs and the weird tiki style bar thing at the back and head straight for the tacos, huraches, and pupusas. If you're thinking about heading over to Cantina instead, let me mention that two times I went there my friends and I had a nice 60+ minute wait to get our mediocre food. The service is infinitely better at El Potro, and you can't beat the prices. read more

I live in Union Sq, and this is the go to Mexican place for me. They have mole! Yes! The food is a good value, and their mole is divine. It can get a little loud with the live music on weekend nights, but that can be a fun addition to your dinner. The portions are generous, and I love the fun tables/chairs. read more

We tend to toss out the word authentic a lot when it comes to Mexican, but authenticity is subjective and Mexican food is such a wide landscape that you can only be lucky enough to come across something that pleases you in a familiar way. My preference is for a Mexican native to the Denver area but El Potro is still a satisfying option. I've had mixed results coming here with their Living Social deals but aside from that El Potro is a solid choice for food. Their fish tacos get rave reviews from my roommate but I tend to stay with enchiladas or the El Potro salad which is a simple but satisfying salad with grilled shrimp, add a side of beans and you're all set. El Potro is also active in a lot of the festivals in the square and during the recent blizzard was the only place open and serving. For that they get four stars alone. read more

THE MARIACHI BAND IS F*CKING AWESOME. I guarantee they are better than anyone playing at the Precinct next door (having played there several times). Awesomely loud. Nice people. Also, the food is real good. Also, I heard Daniel Radcliffe loves this place. read more

As a CA transplant, I've long lamented the lack of good Mexican food in the area. I live near Tacos Lupita, which I used to love until they were replaced with the sub-par place that's there now (where else will I be able to find that green and red sauce? Or lengua (tongue) tacos for $2.50? Sigh.) El Potro is now my go-to place. Cantina la Mexicana a few doors down may have a better house margarita, but El Potro wins for good food at very good prices. Like Lupita, they seem to be Salvadorean as well, so go for good pupusas. Iit definitely helps that you can have a huge meal for around $10 or less. Service has always been good as well. read more

The better of the two Mexican places in Union Square. Why ? One simple reason : the quality of the food for the price you pay. The decor ( bright colors and Telemundo ) is a matter of taste, myself I love it. The service has a family feel. The breadth of the menu is surprising. The food can be heavy. You'll probably feel that you need to hit the gym hard the next day, but if you go there knowing that tradeoff it's a price worth paying to indulge for the servings sizes and tastes you'll encounter. The addition of a liquor license has not turned the place into a den of obnoxious baseball fans. Thank God. read more

I'm definitely not going to get into a debate about "real" Mexican food because I am a Jersey girl-turned-Bostonian and wouldn't know "real" Mexican food if it drove up the Turnpike and bit me in the ass. But I can tell you why I give El Porto 5 stars: BEST, FRESHEST, TASTIEST BURRITO I have ever encountered. Ever. It was like, real food. The vegetables were fresh and green and included things like broccoli and green beans. The taste was amazing and not because it was drowned in cheese or choked with guac. Everything was evenly mixed, unlike Anna's classic mouth-full-of-sour-cream, mouth-full-of-rice technique. And to top it all off the preteen boy at the counter was adorable and friendly and I waited for my burritos while giggling at the tacky decor and tapping my foot to the enthusiastic music. What's not to love? read more

I love El Potro. First, it's just adorable and festive inside! They have large tables and booths for groups and outdoor seating. The food is excellent. I've tried 4 kinds of enchiladas - chicken mole, spinach, cheese, and one with steak. All were saucy, well-spiced, and yummy, although the spinach was my favorite. Speaking of spinach, I also love their spinach burrito (I get it with sour cream and guac). I have no idea what they do to their spinach to make it taste so good. I liked the chicken burrito too, but I tend to stick with the spinach. I like their guacamole a lot. It's flavorful and fresh. The chips are also delicious. My boyfriend has been with me once and he loved his chicken chimichanga. The Mariachi band on Fridays and Saturdays is good, but if you are going with a group it can be a little hard to hear each other once they start playing, especially if you are sitting in the middle tables. They move around the room in a circle, so if you are in the middle, they are pretty much always close to you. I recommend getting there early to get your chatting in first or trying to get one of the corner booths. That way when they are on the other side of the room, you can hear each other. I do like the band and it's a nice treat, but I just want to give a tip on how to best enjoy the band and your companions at the same time. read more

First of all, the restaurant at 61 union sq somerville overcharged me. I bought a burrito + guacamole that was $9.99+$1.25, but I was charged over $14. It was a takeout and I did not pay attention until it was too late. Secondly, the food was subpar. The steak in the burrito was chewy and hard to find. There was a lot of rice to fill the wrap. Overall flavor was dry and plain. I live in the area and this could be a nice lunch goto place, but will not go back. Very disappointing. read more

1. their website is up and running! i guess the link i had was an old one...but the one here [http://www.elpotromexicangrill.com/] is good to go. Hooray El Potro!...whoopsies Schae... 2. did you know they deliver? i didnt!? now i do...that's worth at least that extra half star ;) 3. on our return trip we tried; - the papusas, which are a delicious bargain at $2 a pop - chili relleno with chicken...very good, but next time i think i'd go with the beef, the chicken needed a bit more flavor, but still yummy, and i just used extra hot sauce - plato montanero (steak, pork rind, fried egg, rice, beans, avocado, & fried plantain) - my guy had this...i tried some bites and man that steak was good. the pork rind on the other hand is just not my thing, but my guy loved it...this plate could have been designed for him so anyhoo, yeah still good stuff :) read more

I live in Union Square, and while I wouldn't go too far out of my way for El Potro, I enjoy coming here if I'm in the mood for Mexican. It's your typical Mexican restaurant in Boston. (Disclosure: I lived in Phoenix for 4 years.) The food here is pretty good but not spectacular. The service is fine. They serve large portions, and the food is really heavy. The beer list is kind of limited--mostly Mexican beers, meaning mostly lighter beers (pilsners and lagers), though they do have Negro Modelo and Dos Equis. Their decor is colorful and a little gaudy, which I have to say I enjoy, and they have mariachi bands some nights. Overall, I prefer the food here vs. Cantina La Mexicana a few doors down, though the ambiance is a little nicer at Cantina. read more

free fresh chips and good salsa, good, strong margarita, GOOD tamales with a nice salty dough and pork filling (hard to find good tamale) and a really unique super creamy cinnamon flan with a cinnamon glaze .. really nice meal. best decision to get food here read more

So my gf and I went on a Sunday night for dinner. Despite the overly dim lighting, we thought the food was pretty authentic and yummy, with large portion sizes and a good selection of imported beers. Also, fun music playing with silly music videos that were entertaining. But what really made the experience enjoyable was the exceptional service! Will probably return again. read more