LOVE La Brasa! Been coming here for years and the flan and carnitas tacos keep me coming back. They've updated the menu and the pizza is so good. It feels so nice in the restaurant and experiencing the atmosphere of the kitchen again. Since their space is large and spacious, it felt safe the entire time. Highly recommend! read more

First time here. Five star for the ambience and stylish. Nice service. And the most important of all, the food are amazing: Get the grilled fish, it's a whole fish with bone, but the bone could easily be pulled out and won't stick with the fish. Perfectly sourced, perfect cooked, smell and tastes extremely good. They have a big stove with wood for the grill. Love the special taste brought by burn of wood. The steak we got is the 29$ one, it could serve 2 people. Not evenly cooked, but still taste special. they have some special source I guess. The more done part tastes like prime. Get the fired rice, amazing taste with sweet, spicy, sour and more. The taco is great, kinda of fusion with French boiled meat. Definitely a must try. Will come again. read more

La Brasa - Delicious grilled fish. - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Full review by "Chad's Eats" La Brasa Cuisine: American New, Spanish influence Location: Somerville, MA Parking: Street parking, was a bit of a challenge. Took us 10 minutes or less to find a spot. Metered parking free after 8:00 Decor / Ambiance: Open, high ceilings, rustic décor. Has a nice open kitchen. Lots of unfinished wood. There are plenty of large tables for big groups. Nice energy when you come in. Greeting: Prompt and gracious, we were sat at a great table where I had the perfect view of the kitchen. Menu mix: Not an enormous menu but plenty of creative choices. Lots of snacks and small plates so you can go tapas style if you wish. There are also entrees and a cart that wheels around slicing prime rib to order. You pay by the ounce. We did a blend of small plates and finished with a slab of the prime rib. Water / Bread service: Water from the tap served in empty wine bottles was good. Just a subtle hint of chlorine but barley detectable. Drink pour: Cheap wine pour. In my opinion, few sips too light. I reluctantly asked for a second glass thinking the first might have just been the end of the bottle but nope! Second glass came out just as light. (See the picture) Food quality: I think the quality is great. It's not a foo foo fancy presentation place, it's all about great food. No tweezer chef stuff here. We got the crispy ribs ($6 ea), roasted Brussels sprouts with mole sauce, a pickled egg and pork tacos. My prime rib was the last end piece. It was a 10.5 ounce slab (at 3.80 an oz) which was a bit too lean and not as tender or warm and juicy as I had hoped for. Keeping this rib warm while parading it around the restaurant is a great visual but must be challenging to the integrity of the meat. The chimichurri sauce was fine. It does not come with sides. We split a dessert. It was a grilled coffee cake with a funky flavored ice cream. This was quite unique with the smokiness of it. A first for me. Service: Great! Extremely well taken care of. We had a primary server but it seems all team members look after each other. Running food and clearing plates from all tables. Value: For all we got with the service, ambience and not having to pay for parking I think the value is there (borderline). I just think the wine pour needs to be looked at. 15 bucks a glass! If we added a second entrée we would have exceeded 200. But with the several small plates we felt we didn't need to get a second entrée. We split the dessert. With generous tip we were out well under 200. Wifey did get a nice crafted cocktail too. Bathrooms: Clean, it's like stepping into another world. You have to leave the dining room and step into a rather brightly lit industrial looking hallway. Seemed like a long jaunt but we were in the furthest reaches of the dinning room. Would I return? I would, I would be reluctant to try the rib again unless it looked steaming and juicy. I won't get wine here as well. There were other items on the menu that caught my eye but you can't buy everything! Comments & Tips: If drinking wine, I think you should get a bottle. I'm thinking at 15 bucks a glass the price point might be higher on bottles as well. I can't recall. In reality I wish I had the option to do 3 1/2 stars. read more

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Thank goodness for La Brasa coming to the neighborhood! It's a great spot for a date, drinks, brunch.. the ambiance is cool and trendy, I love how earthy and delicious it smells in there and really appreciate that it's drawing a whole new crowd of folks to the area (or maybe we're all just coming out of the woodwork!). Amazing cheese plates and super great drinks make for a winning combo. I've tried a few things here but have to comment especially on how good the Mexican fried rice is-! As I sadly don't eat meat, I can't comment except to say everything smells insanely good, so definitely give this place a try. For us vegetarian folks, there aren't too many options (I'm pescatarian, so I do believe they have one bass entree), but the pickings are still yummy. :) I highly recommend checking this place out- you'll enjoy it! read more

La Brasa - The flan was amazing. A+ - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Food, service, and drinks were excellent! Had the Mexican Street corn, ceviche, ribs, shrimp tostadas, heirloom corn tortillas! Outstanding!! read more

So I went... SOMERVILLE SOUR: 4 roses bourbon, lemon, sage, wine ($11)...nice, also had a nice rose BREAD: With ricotta and olives ($8)...nice, but the bread alone costs $3? TACO DE CARNITAS: With salsa verde, chile de arbol ($5 each)...nice, I would order again BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Wood oven roasted, peanut chile sauce, vegan ($10)...nice So it was nice. Actually, the space and outside sidewalk tables are very nice. Although the cool metal bar stools are a pain in the ass if you plan to have more than one drink. It's also a very short menu. But I would go again. However, I do have to wonder what planet all these "best of" list writers are inhabiting. Here's what the Eater New England's 38 Essential Restaurants list said: "WHAT: Live-fire dazzlement by culinary wunderkind Daniel Bojorquez, opened in 2014 in deepest Somerville's last frontier. WHY: Following an extended apprenticeship under local haute cuisine kingpin Frank McClelland, the Sonora-born (and Puebla-trained) chef brings all those disparate influences to bear on a high/low menu characterized by gutsy, vibrant, refined cooking. Charred-poblano onion fondue plays pillowy foil to crisp-skinned wood fire-roasted chicken. "Mexican Fried Rice" samples the best parts of arroz mexicano (bright, sofrito-driven flavor), Chinese fried rice (smoky wok hei), and Spanish paella (crispy socarrat). Plus, wherever you fall on the charge-for-bread debate, the transcendent fixins you get gratis for your measly few bucks -- gloriously viscous neon-green olive oil, dreamy smoke-kissed ash butter -- make one hell of a convincing case. -- Jolyon Helterman" Apparently you have to order only those dishes to understand why this is one of the 38 best restaurants in NE and places like Townsman or Moody's The Backroom are not. Or maybe you have to care more about the chef's pedigree. read more

High quality food and great drinks! I ordered the Braised Short Rib. Definitely recommended. read more

La Brasa - The entrance - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

I came here for the monthly Saturday brunch and farmers market. We knew they closed half the restaurant for vendors so we made a reservation in advance, however, when we arrived we were told we would have to wait an additional 20 minutes for our table which was a little frustrating. The food was good but the portions are a little small. We ordered a few dishes to share. The Mexican fried rice was really good and unique twist on a classic dish. The special for the say was corned beef hash, I would not recommend it was rather salty. The tostada was really good, there were a lot of layers to it and all the flavors blended really well; it was served cold but would have tasted better if it was warm. Lastly we ordered 2 of the chicken wings which were incredible. read more

My second time here. Love their $1 oysters every day. Would come here for oysters daily if I could. We also tried their tacos and tuna tostada which were pretty good. I'd be happy to visit again and try other things on the menu read more

I came here with a couple of family members. The menu is a little different from the last three times we came. There are more notes of Asian flavors. Everything was yummy. The quinoa empanada is quite complex, including a rich and spicy tomato based sauce and a soft poached egg on top! The whole flounder was very good, with a hint of a traditional Chinese whole fried fish, but a wood grilled version. Just one complaint: there was no mention of the chili sauce base for the grilled green salad with apples. It was more spicy than I liked. Overall, really good! Cocktails are fab! read more

La Brasa - Empanada! - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

What is this place? Mexican or Italian? This place has an identity crisis for sure! Had dinner last night with the family at "La brasa" the shop is cool as well as the ambiance We had the flautas as an starter ,and was by far the best thing that came out of that kitchen! They offered max of 4 dinner items on their menu - chicken , skirt steak at $32 a plate (lmao) and salmon and oh yes pizza . So we ordered the pizza and chicken , pizza was ok ,it taste like pre-made dough ,The chicken was dry served with polenta and broccoli rub and some sort of chili sauce and fresh corn tortillas. The star of this dish was the fresh corn tortillas overall the chicken dinner was very bitter the chili sauce and the broccoli did not go well together. I'm giving this place three stars and that's being generous, I had such high hopes for You La brasa!!! read more

La Brasa's cuisine is hard to describe and that's a great thing. People are always looking for that new flavor or something they haven't tried before. La Brasa has these people covered. It almost seems as the chef has scoured the globe to find different influences for his cooking. There's definitely some Mexican and Middle Eastern influences here as well as others. We worked our way through a good amount of the menu and were wowed by most dishes we had. The pork tacos (2 for 10$) are truly outstanding. Super tender pork with the most delicious salsa verde I've ever had. If you like tacos, you must try these! The collard green and quinoa pie is has some great flavor combinations and shouldn't be missed here. The rib roast cart service captivated the entire room when they came to our table first. No question everyone around us was going to order it as they couldn't stop staring. And it should be ordered, a great rub surrounds the outside and the red wine jus and chimichurri sauce pair so well with the meat. The specials push boundaries such as the house made hot dog (amazing) with fried oysters and bacon, and the mushroom couscous featuring a tasty broth and pickled ramps. The food is good and every sauce with each dish makes them great. The atmosphere (featuring mostly recycled materials but still somehow looked really cool), drinks and service were all very good. Definitely worth a visit, and then a repeat. Can't wait to go back! Keep pushing the envelope La Brasa! read more

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Love this spot for their 1$ oysters. Big and spacious with nice outdoor seating area. croquetas are one of my faves. Portions are big which are a big plus for me. Drinks look ok but I didn't have any when I went. Def a nice place for guests read more

In one word, La Brasa is COOL. It's got a huge, open dining area with friendly, welcoming staff that are a bit on the hipster edge, but awesome to say the least. They've got a great list of drinks -- definitely something for everyone -- and the staff is really helpful at finding something to make you happy. The food is neat. It's delicious, edgy, and satisfying. Portions are good sized and fairly priced. I love how open the kitchen is. If you're at the bar you can pretty much watch a live demonstration. I've been for late night eats and for brunch and was really happy with both. I'll be back! read more

La Brasa - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Eh, just a huge disappointment. Wish I took my family somewhere better on graduation weekend. I wanted to try to wow them with some hipster food they don't usually have but this was just an expensive disappointment. Oysters were good but that's to be expected with a place in New England. The romaine salad with the tomato vinaigrette was pretty meh to me, it was really forgettable and just not good. But I'm not into salads in general, I'll admit it takes a really perfect salad to get me to eat a ton of salad. The special that night was prime rib and it was super super super disappointing. We all got like 3oz and mine was basically half fat. And I love fat on my meat but this was chewy and just... no. Gross. We also got the chicken dish and the chicken was ridiculously salty and the poblano onion fondue with it was super bland. So it's like you HAD to eat it together. Which I get for it to balance out, but the chicken was disgustingly salty honestly. Octopus quesadilla was just weird and I felt myself looking for some heat or acidity or just flavor. Anything really. It just looked sad and pale. Like unseasoned chicken. Desserts were better. The flan was just regular good flan, but the other one stood out. I can't remember exactly what was in it (I had a long eating vacation with my family) but it was like an olive oil cake type thing with yogurt and oranges and I think cherries. It was a tad dry but the yogurt as a pairing was unique and super yummy. Creamy but not too heavy after a meal. Still, we went to Bar Mezzana and Row 34 too and those meals were far better and from what I remember, actually cheaper. Seriously don't waste your stomach space and money here :( I wanted to like it so bad but I don't think I'd ever ever come back here. Plus side, my family liked the drinks! I'm not into cocktails so I wouldn't know. read more

La brasa has excellent curb appeal. When we walked inside it was beautiful with industrial design features. There is a great feel inside. I had the duck confit with mole sauce and it was absolutely delicious !!! I cannot wait to come in again and try more of their delicious items. The drinks were weak, that could be improved tremendously. read more

Excellent rainy Sunday brunch. The modern, clean design created the perfect ambience for my friends and I to attempt recovery after a late night out on the town. I had polenta-- thaaaa bomb! Being from the south I enjoy anything that is similar to grits, and this dish was executed perfectly! My friends enjoyed their meals too (too hungover to take photos or remember what they got). Waitstaff is very very nice and there to enhance your experience. Decently priced. Will go back :) read more

La Brasa - Cawfee - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Good restaurant. The food was very solid - we ordered 2 tacos, 1 quesadilla, the romaine salad, mexican fried rice, and the grilled skirt steak. My favorites were the steak, the fried rice, and the quesadilla - the taco was solid but on the expensive side, and the romaine salad took a ton of preparation to cut up. I love the ambiance of the place. It's massive, and beautifully decorated. It'd probably be a perfect place for a bigger dinner party; plus, that would help lower the cost of some of the dishes. The hospitality is great at this restaurant, and when our quesadilla was late coming out, they sent out a delicious fried rice. My only gripe is that the the value paid is not quite there, but I would definitely recommend for a large group. read more

I took a friend to a birthday dinner here last night. The mango margarita was very tasty, the service was friendly, and the squash quesadilla was delicious and even healthy-tasting. They were happy to let us hang out at the table for quite a while. They even brought over a free drink for her birthday. The only thing I did not enjoy were the espresso martinis. We had them for dessert and they were oddly spicy and not enjoyable. Overall, the vibe and service were great and I would go back. read more

The restaurant was alright. From the start it turned out to be a so so experience. We had a reservation and they told us that we had to wait since they were full. While waiting at the bar, there were so many tables open and I even told the host that there was a table open. We were told that there was someone going to sit there.... after 20 minutes.... guess where we sat? The same table that I told them that was open for 20 minutes.... then came the food. Over priced food with little portions. We ordered the tacos and the meat looked like it wasn't even cooked properly... we also ordered the rice and it was alright. It did appear that they were in a rush as we still had half the rice left and someone came and asked if we were done with the rice... like really? read more

Rather overpriced for subpar food. 4 baked clams for $14. mediocre. The burger, good but super salty and no veggies to balance. Salmon looked good but was tough. Served over totally raw watercress salad. No dressing of anykind. The service was just regular. Decent enough, our waitress was nice. The interior was really pretty. Our decorative airplant was dead though haha. Maybe better for light apps and drinks instead of dinner. read more

Does not come within even ICBM launching distance of living up to the hype. Poor food quality and service. It is a nice room, but that does not redeem the abysmally detached attitude that pervades the place. Food: Did a light graze with a friend. Green beans and Shiitake mushrooms - mushy, flavorless, overcooked green beans in greasy, goopy gravy (the mushrooms themselves were OK). Mexican fried rice - very small portion (especially considering the $10 price tag) of mostly rice and oil, with a few shreds of vegetable and mango, again pretty flavorless. Carnitas tacos - these were OK, but I could get these down the street at a taco place, without the fuss. Service: Corporate, condescending, and simultaneously indifferent (to us as individuals) and pushy (server tried to max us out on food volume and drinks, in an unhelpful and unfriendly way) It's clear that management/ownership is forcing their servers to "guide" customers through what is a very simple menu that needs very little help with interpretation. The server also interrupted our conversation multiple times, to ask if everything was OK. This was intrusive, to say the least. Note to management/ownership: - Make the food consistently more flavorful, properly cooked and healthy, so that there is some real value in eating at La Brasa - Train your servers to be genuine and considerate, not automatons, who really care about the customers, and not just serving the corporate objective of running up customers' tabs with minimal effort. You might not care about how I feel, but there are many, many better restaurants, and those will be the ones I frequent. read more

The service is great. The food is amazing. The El Narciso cocktail has a nice kick without being too spicy. I couldn't stop thinking about how great the food was, so I emailed the restaurant to ask some questions about the ingredients. The general manager replied quickly with detailed answers. read more

Thanks to Uber pool, it wasn't as much of a hike out here as I would have thought! Placed in a less gentrified, more local-Boston-feeling area of town, La Brasa is a spacious and laid-back dining option that delivers good food at a price that might feel a teensy bit high. The hostess was reading a novel at her stand (way to use your time well haha), but immediately noticed us walk in and promptly took us to an open table. The waitress was relaxed and friendly. We ordered the steak and eggs breakfast and the banana oven-baked pancake. Both were really enjoyable. We also had OJ and some coco chai tea that was served in a pot, so it made about two and a half cups. The environment is a rustic modern Southwestern vibe, not too loud and not too crowded. We had a gift card, so our meal felt like a steal. If we had payed full price, I think I would have felt it was a smidge expensive for what we got. read more

My 600th review! I love La Brasa. The food is amazing and the service is impeccable. I really like to try lots of different things, and the menu really allows for that. There was nothing I didn't like. I also love the support for local artists. One Sunday we went in and enjoyed brunch and browsed the vendors set up in the main dining room. I bought some fantastic prints and earrings, and there were snacks and antiques as well. Looking forward to another weekend market soon! read more

To be completely honest, this place was okay to say the least. I recently went to La Brasa this past weekend to celebrate a special occasion with my boyfriend. The ambience and feel of the place was average nothing really special stood out. The food in my opinion is over-priced considering the fact that the tacos and starters are only enough to feed one person and the same goes for "From the Wood Grill" section of the menu. It was very disappointing that the there are NO sides served at all! The place is very "hipster" in my opinion and the music being played in the background seemed like what you would hear at a bar not a restaurant. I am sorry to I don't think I would come here again. read more

I love Labrasa! The food, drinks, and atmosphere are exactly what I need some nights. We have been going in during the pandemic and the team has done an incredible job making everyone feel comfortable and safe!! read more

Overpriced everything! Rude staff. Food... eh. AVOID. Should have known ....the place was almost empty on a Friday ngiht at 6pm.

I went to La Brasa for my birthday dinner with a couple of friends last weekend. I had never been, but I was drawn to the restaurants aesthetic and was tempted to check it out. I am glad that "I judged the book by its cover." All of the food was DELICIOUS. My favorite pick from my selections was the loaded sweet potato -- it was phenomenal the blending of flavors were exquisite. I am also a lover of flan and was pleased by the texture and taste of theirs. I will definitely be going back for more. read more

La Brasa - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Hoped for more. We ended up getting a reservation last minute on a Friday night. The restaurant was lively - lots of people and music rather loud. Loved the casual decor. We were a few minutes early but were seated right away. Menu was small. There were 2 in our party and we ordered 2 tacos, kale salad, smashed potatoes and sirloin. Decent quantity of food for us and we have hearty appetites. Loved the tacos and kale salad but was completely underwhelmed by the potatoes and sirloin, and they were pricy dishes. Potatoes lacked flavor and the although the sirloin was cooked perfectly I did not care for the seasonings. Drinks were ok but not memorable. Service was slow. We sat for a while waiting for our food and then all 4 dishes came within 5 minutes. I was also hoping to order a second drink but by the time the waiter returned all our food was gone and I was ready to leave. Unfortunately nothing on the dessert menu appealed. We might give it a second shot but we're not in a rush to return. Other great, less expensive spots in the area that we prefer. read more

I don't understand the poor reviews. We loved this place so much we grab gift cards to give some friends as a modest wedding gift. Went with a small group and ordered tapas style until we were either to full of food or beer. Loved the layout and everything on the menu that went into the wood fired oven. read more

Service was fine but the food was way overpriced and simply not good at all. Paid $20 for pork belly that was just a bit chunk of fat with barely any pork meat on it. Both our dishes were soggy full of extra sauce. Poached eggs were so runny that some of the white was still liquid. Just bad, this was the last time for us. This place is obviously going downhill, it used to be better. read more

Wicked quick review of Boston 5 of 5: As you would expect from its name, grilling is king at La Brasa. With food sourced from New England farms and purveyors, La Brasa aims "to produce a top-tier, casual culinary experience" that evokes happy feelings of dining with family and friends around a backyard BBQ or camp fire. OK, but my family never grilled food like this. Just burgers, wieners, and s'mores on a small hibachi. Here you get things like Long Island duck grilled to a perfect done-ness served with pickled maitake mushrooms, ramps, and black garlic. The little piece my wife was willing to share with me was delicious. My strip sirloin was served medium-rare as requested with a tlatlaquitepec mole, masa, broccolini, and charred onions. GOOD! I can't tell you what was in the mole, but it absolutely made the dish. After I had eaten the rather modest portion of meat (I wanted s'more), I was still mopping up the mole with the broccolini, and spooning it up with the masa so good it was. We tried the bread with ash butter, and romesco; and the Mexican fried rice as accompaniments. The "ash" in the ash butter is the leavings of grilled vegetables. Expecting a burnt, bitter taste, I could hardly detect the flavor it imparted to the butter. The robust romesco and Mexican fried rice were more to my liking. We'd come again to see what other creations chef/owner Daniel Bojorquez has conjured up. Aloha 'oe Beantown. It was fun. A hui hou. read more

How have I not reviewed La Brasa yet? It's certainly become my a neighborhood favorite. And if I didn't live close by, I'd still make my way here, because it's awesome. We've been for dinner a number of times, and also for brunch too. I love a good brunch, and this is hands down the best brunch in the area in my book. Let's start with that. Lots of good brunch cocktail options, featuring my favorite: the bloody Maria! Also, amazing coffee. They take coffee seriously, and I appreciate it because you can't get REALLY good coffee at most breakfast places. I love that it's not just an afterthought. My go to is the eggs benedict, and the eggs benny with bentons ham is pretty perfect. Creamy light hollandaise sauce, runny eggs, chewy english muffin and thinned sliced salty cured ham. I think I'll have a hard time ordering anything else. I ordered a side of potatoes last week, and it was enough to share, but I opted not to share with my husband because I'm a jerk. They were perfectly crunchy/salty home fries, and came with a little jar of ketchup. If you like sweet brunch treat, or if you're easily swayed to order them for a brunch dessert like we are (good tip, Shyne!) get the brioche french toast with ricotta & bourbon-vanilla oranges. They are hands down the best french toast, sweet without being overwhelming. Also delicious things we're tried: the local oysters are huge and fresh, and I love a good mignonette, which La Brasa delivers. I ordered the barbecued beef brisket with charred green tomatillo barbeque sauce and enjoyed it. The brisket is also on the dinner menu. It was a large portion, and was great as leftovers in tacos. Jesse got the corned beef hash last week, and it was enjoyed thoroughly. The side of bacon is thick sliced decadence, and it's got a deliciously smoky flavor. Pro tip: buy some from the market and you can make your whole house smell that delicious for days, so much so that you'll walk in after work and wonder why your house smells like a camp fire. Maybe that's just me. The ambiance for bunch is great with some live music, and really, if you're waiting in line somewhere else, you're wasting your life on a (most likely) substandard brunch. Do yourself a favor and head here. There's no other brunch that will be better. Prices are reasonable, with eggs benny being $9, and you're getting something you can't make easily at home, which I can't say about a lot of the other brunches in Somerville. Onward to dinner! Appetizers I've tried were all good, I've enjoyed the artisanal cheese plate, the pickled eggs (both quail and chicken) and the pork shoulder tacos, and need to get on ordering the Benton ham. I've been twice, and both times we went sort of family style. Highlights were the la brasa fried chicken with escargot- brown butter vinaigrette, parsley & fresh horseradish, a hanger steak special (this was my favorite so far!), and the skirt steak marinated in soy with snap peas, baby lettuces, with salmon roe. Sides I've shared have all been great-the Mexican fried rice was really different and fun, if you love root veggies, the turnip special was delicious, the carrots in mole sauce are a fun option. Drinks are always changing and everything I've tried as been tasty and interesting. Desserts are fun and simple, and everything I've tried as been tasty. I've tried some chocolate pudding that was a special when they first opened, and look forward to trying the butterscotch pudding. I often go for the affogato, since I'm a sucker for both ice cream and espresso. I tried a bite of the three cheese cheesecake featured right now and it was smooth and delicious, with delicious stone fruit on top. The atmosphere is great, and I love the open kitchen and being able to see the grill. I love the details (tractor seats for bar stools, reclaimed wood on the walls and benches) is the service. The service is truly top notch, and the waitstaff is really focused on making sure you have a great dining experience. I can't think of a time when I've had nicer experiences, and the experiences on the same level are at places that are much more expensive and those generally tend to be less fun. I also love the use of local farms and products that they love, many of which you can buy at the market. Also, I love the market in general. There's great stuff you can buy that will help supplement if you don't want to go to the grocery store, like that amazing bacon, local milk products and cheeses, and fresh fruit. La Brasa: Welcome to East Somerville, we're so happy to have you! read more

La Brasa - Perfect brunch! - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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Since learning of the arrival of this restaurant, I felt like there was a ton of anticipation (and expectations) that came along with it. Not only by me, but within the Boston dining community. Kind of like when Jackie Bradley Jr was coming up for his first year with the Sox. Hype that is hard to live up to. So, in stepping in on its first Friday night in existence, I walked in with those expectations for a late meal (~10 PM) to see if it could live up to the hype. I am happy to report that it indeed does live up to the hype and then some. You can smell the wood-fired goodness from outside as you approach the restaurant on Broadway. It is about a 10 minute walk from the Sullivan Square T stop, though some street parking is available as well. At the time of this review, there is a lot of road construction on Broadway, so I'd probably suggest walking from Sullivan or taking the bus. Enter the restaurant via the brightly colored mosaic of wood which frames the entrance. For a later dining hour, the place was still about 1/2 full and the bar area, which is quite sizable, was completely occupied. The hostess seated us with the drink menus and informed us that the server would follow up with the dinner menus. While we were seated, you couldn't help but notice the abundance of wood to create the space. The second extremely notable characteristic is the open kitchen, a bold move which I always appreciate. Given the grilled nature of the menu, I must commend them on the excellent ventilation, as the dining area gets merely a waft of it. The drink list included a handful of cocktails, a few wines by the glass, and a few beers. While a smaller drink selection, there is definitely something for everyone. I chose an Italian white wine that I rarely see on menus, Verdicchio. My dining companion chose one of the cocktails, settling on the Malmsey Cobbler. He raved about it and upon sampling it, the easiest way to describe it is a sangria made with Madeira wine. After getting a chance to review the menu, we asked about how the sizing of the plates worked, as the pricing suggested that they might be small plates. Our friendly server suggested that we each order and entree with the idea of sharing them and each order a side. We had already decided on one of their "snacks", so we ended up ordering two entrees, a vegetable side, and a snack. For us that was the perfect amount of food. For a snack, we started with the Benton's ham which came with a ginger chutney and toasts. The sweet and salty combination was divine. If you've never had a Benton's pig product, do yourself a favor and order it. The place puts out ridiculous stuff. For a vegetable side, we chose the Mexican fried rice, which came with spring beans, charred scallions, and radishes. Our server mentioned that our entrees and side may come out shotgun style --- when it is ready you will get it. Our rice came out first, but we saw both of our entrees arrive together a few minutes later. The Mexican fried rice, in a night of standouts, was for me my favorite item. The rice had a rich taste to it, the radishes had been mellowed out by cooking and the charred scallions added a nice smoky taste. For our mains, we both loved what we ordered. We sampled each others, but since we each liked our own dishes so much, the small plates they give you for sharing weren't really used. I ordered the harissa grilled chicken with Greek yogurt and broccolini. It was moist grilled chicken paired with a cool Greek yogurt that was spiked with mint. My fellow diner ordered the grilled black bass. It was a large piece of fish (head included), but again perfectly cooked and the skin had a great flavor to it. We left thinking what a wonderful addition to the neighborhood this was. I am certain that this place will be quite popular as people are aware it has opened. They do allow for reservations via their website. I suspect that will be the only way to secure a table. Either that or show up for a later meal as we did. Thank you for living up to the hype! I can't wait to go back! read more

La Brasa - Grilled black bass with some greens on the side. Excellent dish. - Mexican Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

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We came in early - 6:30 on a Friday. Our group of four ordered a lot of food, including many interesting sides and some meat dishes and burgers. Their fried chicken wings were piping hot and amazing. They're served with what tasted to me like a soy/teriyaki type sauce and some garnish. We had an attentive waiter and stuffed ourselves with some unique offerings from this upscale fusion restaurant. Because of the light crowd, we had a long leisurely meal and conversation. I would go back again. If you have a big appetite you'll have a $$$ bill, which we thought was in line with the overall experience. read more

It's an automatic 5 star review when every first bite of food you have from each dish makes both you & your dining partner's eyes bug out of your heads. Literally - every single time. There is no denying that this place is hipster central in terms of ambience & service. The service is not bad - on the contrary, it's quite good. It's just...hipstery. From the jean-material full body aprons to the explanation of the "mission" behind the restaurant, it was self-indulgent and well done. The decor is undeniably beautiful. My friend who has lived in the east village for close to 10 years said she instantly felt like she was in Brooklyn. Many dishes simply sound weird. Like - really? I'm going to like that? But trust me - you will. And DO NOT skip the bread service. Ugh the bread was SO GOOD. The portions are perfect for sharing - we (2 people) got 1 snack, 1 vegetable, 1 medium plate, and 1 entree plate + bread service and two desserts, and I was stuffed by the end. That + 3 drinks = $110. Pretty damn reasonable for this quality and amount of food if you ask me. We ate, and completely devoured and loved every bite of: -La Brasa fried dough (I wish I was eating more of this right now) -Ceviche arctic char with buttermilk mustard seed dressing, vin & fennel (whaaaaaat) -Roasted carrots with mole & sesame (mole sauce on the spicy side, second best I've ever had - the first was in mexico) -Fire roasted hangar steak with diff root veggie chunks & purees spread around the plate, and bone marrow bread. BONE MARROW BREAD. It was like the best little butter savory cake...BONE MARROW CAKE...my head is spinning trying to translate the deliciousness of that little circle of food into words. Desserts - coconut tapioca w. ginger, and THE BEST FUCKING FLAN IN THE UNIVERSE. If you leave this place without eating it, you're an idiot, and I'm not sorry for saying so. If I had to criticize anything it would be that the location is a little out of the way, the bathrooms are about a half mile outside of the restaurant, and I thought the tapioca could have been more coconutty. Yes, those were my only issues, and I really don't give a crap about them. I will absolutely be back here (they say the menu changes ~weekly) and will be recommending it to many. Way to go Daniel & Frank. Now, gotta try L'Espalier... read more

Inconsistent. I think this restaurant works best for red meat and pork-eaters, not for vegetarians or pescaterians. The bread and ash butter is magnificent. The chocolate mousse (without the hard, caramelized-sugar add ons) was also great. The Mexican fried rice is good, but it doesn't stand up to Little Donkey's biryani in terms of complexity of flavor; that's a high bar, though, so I realize I'm being tough there. Onto the other side of the meal. The branzino was not memorable. I liked the eggplant, though I wouldn't come back just for that. Also had the kale salad, beets, eggs, empanada, and the beans. I really don't remember them a day later. I think the vegetable selection has a long way to go in terms of pairings with spices, sauces, etc. especially when compared to like Sofra / Oleana, Little Donkey, and even hole-in-the-wall joints like Momo n Curry or Life Alive. I think the flavors the chef pairs the vegetables with get lost in the mix. Maybe they aren't a focus; in which case, don't do veggies on the menu, it's not worth it. Drinks were fun and yummy, as was the space. Love, love, love the music selection. Overall, a great spot to go to before a night out. read more

A friend and I decided to check this place out after reading some good things about it online. We strolled in a little after 8:30 and were able to be seated right away in the large dining room. We were pretty hungry, so we decided to split a few dishes: Deviled eggs (3.5 stars): To start off, we decided to each get a deviled egg. The egg was good and added some interesting flavors with the pickled carrots and trout roe, but it was not entirely successful. Taco de carnitas (3.5 stars): This was probably one of the most meat-packed tacos I have ever had. However, even with all of the ingredients, the flavor seemed to be a bit underwhelming--with the exception of the corn tortillas, which were phenomenal. Beets (3 stars): This dish was probably the most beets I have ever been served in my life! Though the beet flavor was good, it was not especially creative as it became very one node after the first couple of bites and seemed a bit undercooked. Mexican fried rice (4.5 stars): This was probably my favorite dish of the night as the rice had a great combination of flavors and was cooked perfectly, with a little bit of crunch and chew from the bottom layer of rice kernels. Black bass (4 stars): We both really enjoyed this dish, though I thought that the piece of fish was well cooked, it was a little small--and the fact that we found a couple of bones wasn't great. The vegetables that it was served with were also good and were a great addition to the meal. We also ordered a couple of drinks, which we both enjoyed--the El Narciso and the Salted Cucumber drink. Overall, the service here was pleasant and efficient and the food came out pretty quickly. Though some of the plates had great potential, I felt that some of the final flavors missed the mark a little bit. Also, we were hoping to try some of the rib roast from the cart, but it never came around (maybe it shuts down early?). Nevertheless, this space is designed well and is a nice concept that adds to the growing food scene in Somerville. read more

I won't be returning. The food was too salty. Sent it back, came back still too salty. We were told it would be taken off the bill. It wasn't. Bad experience. Quite frankly everything about this place seemed like it was prepared with fashion and current trends in mind. This is not food by or for people who actually care about food. Plus the place is a good size, yet the tables were so close together that the girl behind me kept slamming her chair into mine and there was no room to excuse myself without asking someone at the next table to get up and let me through. In short this place from food to decor is set up to be trendy IMO. Unfinished driftwood-style walls and tables. Exposed ventilation shafts and pipes. Warehouse-style windows and lighting. Food over-salted, over-sugared, over-pureed, over-cheesed. Small portions. Basically this is a hipster trap to charge way too much for not good enough. The wait staff were nice. If you're reading this sorry for the shitty review. read more