This place is amazing! I ordered a platter for a party and it was the best thing. The alcapuria was my favorite but everything was delicious. Highly recommended! read more

Great Puerto Rican food, a big selection on the menu and excellent service! Best plantains in Boston

The price for the alcapuria said on line $2.50 and when you go in person they are $5.60 and do not get the patelito the flavor for the oil taste old . read more

I hate to slam a small business, but we went for the first time yesterday and it was not good. It was not crowded, tho people were in and out for pastelitos and other fried things that were in the heated display case. Wish we had gone with those. We ordered mofongo, which we know must be made to order, plus a cubano sandwich, and some maduros and morcilla from their steam table. The maduros and morcilla came out after 20 minutes, tho they were already on the steam table. They were lukewarm at best. We were hungry and ate them anyway. To be fair, I thought the morcilla was not bad, and I was ok with it because it is a Puerto Rican delicacy that is very hard to come by outside the island. The maduros, on the other hand, weren't all that sweet, on the cold side, and you can find better ones from Goya in your grocer's freezer. Nevertheless, we eagerly awaited the rest of the meal. But, then it took a good 45 minutes to get anything else. The only guy in the kitchen was leisurely, pausing to chat and share pics with some friends at the counter. When the food finally arrived it was such a disappointment. The mofongo was lukewarm and tasteless (it should be savory and garlicky) and the sandwich was not great. Very little roast pork and ham, it was mostly lettuce, tomato, and the slice of swiss cheese. And because it's counter service, we had already paid $36 for the food and 2 sodas. Expensive for what it was but not worth a confrontation. I will say the lady at the counter was very nice and polite, but it didn't make up for the long wait for subpar food. Reading the good reviews here, we must have had the F troop that day, just sayin'. Was really excited to try this place, but can't recommend it. read more

I was raised with Puerto Rican food. Once I knew I was going to the east coast, I was def getting my fix in. The gentleman helping was super friendly. Quick service. Accommodating. The food itself satisfied my craving. I would come back again. read more

Food was delicious. Service was amazing. Definitely will recommend. Every time I visit Boston I am eating here. read more

Mana Escondido Café - The - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

What up Boston. After a lot of kind of tourist food, i wanted to try a local small business for dinner and saw that maná escondido cafe had some legit reviews! came in Saturday evening around 5:45. there were 2 other parties that ate alongside me. i was greeted with a smile at the counter and i asked the woman what was the best thing to order. She recommended the beef stew combo and i decided to get an empanada. the food came out very quickly and i dug in. First off, and really my only negative for the place... my food was lukewarm at best. i prefer my food to be hotter and i think when the temperature is hotter, it gives the impression of freshness. in terms of taste, it was all really really good. i'm a sucker for any kind of meat and rice plate and the beef and potatoes was flavorful along with the rice and beans. i also love plantains and these were nicely fried. the empanada was so-so. not a lot of filling. overall, i love my small businesses regardless. definitely give this place a try read more

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I ordered a lunch dish from the steam table. It wasn't very good, as Puerto Rican food goes. I only ate a little bit of it. Also it appears to be affiliated with the church as they show Evangelicals on the wide screen TV. I probably will try to find another PR restaurant next time. read more

Authentic Puerto Rican comfort food. No frills atmosphere which is exactly what you want - order to go, or sit in. Friendly guy behind the counter. The ONLY thing I didn't like is the food is served in styrofoam containers - otherwise I'd give it 5 stars! read more

Excellent customer service! Best Hispanic food in Boston for a low price or any price really. Food come out very fast too!

I use to love this place until they made me feel unwelcome because I am a service animal. When they told my mom they couldn't allow dogs, she kindly told them I was a service animal. At this time, he insisted I had to provide "paperwork" proving my service employment or I had to leave... please see Massachusetts state law below, taken from Certification "Assistance animal owners in Massachusetts are not required to possess any certification or identification." However, "[a]ll dogs, whether pets or assistance animals, need to be registered with their town/city, but there is no official registry of assistance animals." Primary service animal law MGL c.272, § 98A Physically handicapped persons with dog guides; public places or conveyances, penalties for denying accommodation Please do not continue to deny people their right to enjoy your food with their legal service animals. It made me feel uncomfortable to go back :/ and is incorrect... For reference, I am a 5.5lb shih tzu and I have a service dog tag, but I am not required to wear it. read more

Mana Escondido Café - Service animal tag - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I don't even want to write about this place because I I wanted to be My Little Secret, but if I don't share, am I really a true friend? So I've been craving Puerto Rican food for some time now, and I was Googling some places, and most of the places that came up were places I had already been to except this one. So I drove there from Belmont to be welcomed by the cutest woman, and she is so sweet. They have a board which has tons of options for food, or you can order from the buffet which is two types of rice, beans, pork, different variations of chicken, different variations of beef with potatoes and carrots. They have pastelitos and everything you can possibly think of as far as Puerto Rican food. She was so freaking sweet. It just made you want to stay there. They do have a few seats to eat there. I took my plate to go. I don't know how far I got because I started eating it as soon as I got in the car. I couldn't stop you, didn't either, but someone needed my parking spot, so I did. I kept telling my daughter to hand me some of the sweet plantanos while I was driving. It was just too good, there's plenty of street parking. You have to stop by here, show her some love, and really try this food because it is amazing. Oh, and most importantly, there's a variety of hot sauces, and the Sriracha one is the perfect amount of heat. read more

Mana Escondido Café - My kids didn't even make it home, they couldn't put it down - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

So good I went 2 days in a row ! The beef stew is some of the best I've ever had and the people are warm and welcoming ! Will definitely be back for more !! read more

Can't believe it was my first time here! It's a small shop that's very loved by regular customers. I came to grab a quick lunch and there were people in and out. It was clearly my first time, but one of the workers were very helpful with explaining to me the menu. I got a sandwich, a side, and a pastry for under $20. There are a few seating options. I loved the TRIPLETA SANDWICH. It has three meats- ham, roasted pork, and steak. SO GOOD. I love that instead of bread, it's with sweet plantains. They'll ask what kind of toppings you want, but I went with everything (lettuce, tomato, onions, etc). It's very messy to eat, so it comes with a fork that will be used shortly after a few bites. This is a great spot for lunch. There are some other things I want to try next, like their breakfast options (only 9-11am). Will be back to try more authentic dishes!! read more

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This place is a gem! Real small place most people only get food to go. Everyone is friendly empanadas and this sandwich pictured I forgot the name but it was absolutely delicious! Flavor is perfect very fulfilling I loved this place read more

Mana Escondido Café - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place is awesome. Food is absolutely incredible and really well priced. Service is pretty quick. There are a few tables inside where you can sit and eat. I wish I could eat here every day! read more

Mana Escondido Café - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

First time here! Was absolutely freezing today and was craving some hot food. This was absolutely delicious. I got the Res guisado con arroz blanco. The stewed beef just melts in your mouth and the mashed cassava, plantains paired with it all so perfectly. The beans were also seasoned just the way I like them, flavorful, but not salty! Rice was nice and fluffy too, just like how my mother makes it. Loved this place! Fast service and great customer service! Highly recommend read more

Mana Escondido Café - Res guisado con arroz blanco - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We always enjoy our visits to this cafe! Great options and the staff is always accomodating.

I got the 3 meats jibarito and it was amazing! If you love plantains, this is the way to go. Great sauce to meat ratio this time.

The food here was both excellent and affordable. We arrived shortly before they closed and the woman working was super helpful in helping us decide what to get. We ended up getting the beef stew and plantains and everything was great. read more

Mana Escondido Café - Beef stew - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Ordered half the menu for my first time trying and man was I not let down by anything! The standout was the tripleta sandwich, easily could have eaten another 10 of them based on the taste. The older couple working was also extremely kind and attentive. Will be back and have told others to go already read more

Great food and atmosphere! Prices are great and food is delicious. I'll definitely be returning soon!

I really love this place. The service is always so kind and hospitable, and the food is amazing every single time. They're a small business, so please support them. This is fantastic for all kinds of people, especially college students who are looking for a cheap but filling bite. read more

Mana Escondido Café - Jibaritos - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I was looking forward to trying Mana Escondido Cafe out. I ordered the pork tripleta and after waiting 35 minutes was so disappointed. It was pork on a sub roll, Mayo, lettuce, tomato, potato sticks..... 35 minutes. I don't know if it was an off day and I really don't like leaving snippy reviews especially for a mom n pop but I did not feel the love for this sandwich. All the great reviews .. wish I could leave one also. Made a 30 minute drive to try this place out read more

As legend has it, two friends were dining at a nearby Puerto Rican hot spot in the South End. Person 1: wow, this really isn't that good Person 2: I know. They are making our people look bad Person 1: we should do something about it. Maybe start our own Person 2: you know what? You are right. There's actually a vacancy two blocks away. Let's make it happen So this is a totally inaccurate and pretty much made up story, but It's exactly how it happened in my mind. As far as authentic PR cuisine, Mana Escondido cafe is the real deal, easily the best I've had outside of PR. Tucked away off of Tremont, the space itself is nothing fancy, paper plates and all. But I learned a lot time ago that fancy doesn't equal good. If you don't believe me, go to the other Puerto Rican spot two blocks down that packs in the masses on a nightly basis.... Featuring sandwiches, traditional plates, mofongos, and Jibaritos. Yes, jibarito. You would normally have to go all the way to Chicago to get one of these babies. A fried plantain sandwich with roasted shredded pork. EVERYTHING is good and perfectly seasoned, especially the empanadas. It's taking everything inside of me to not declare this the best version I've ever had. Moments like these make me really appreciate yelps reach. This is the type of place I would never have found, and even if I had happen to stumble on, I would never try. Mana Escondido cafe is a hidden gem! Added bonus: Great staff, patient and willing to answer any and all questions regarding the menu. Yes it's translated to English, but trust me you'll still have questions.... read more

Mana Escondido Café - Jibarito - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Food is very good. The people running the restaurant are pleasant. A family atmosphere for sure. Clean as well.

Honestly price is way too high for the quality of the food and the amount you get. I got one beef empanada along with the rice and beans with stew chicken for 15+ dollars 4 little pieces of chicken an the rice wasn't done read more

Mana Escondido Café - I got one beef empanada along with the rice and beans with stew chicken for 15+ dollars 4 little pieces of chicken an the rice wasn't done - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

The food looks good but when I tried it the rice was extremely hard I even ordered avocado and it was legit not good it taste weird like it was spoiled I'm never buying food from them ever again the food has no flavor is completely bland for Spanish food never buying from them again read more

Mana Escondido Café - White rice beans and chicken disgusting - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Escondido or hidden cafe is on a cute side street in south Boston and features comida criolla or authentic PR food. Being half Puerto Rican I couldn't resist. We decided to take out (eat in is not an option) when on a day round trip to MGH. The good 1. Cute mom and pop style operation 2. Friendly owners/staff 3. Well it serves PR food! 4. Reviews were positive 5. Many local Hispanic customers. The downers 1. Small meat portions and huge rice portions 2. No condiments or dipping sauces for green plantain or mofongo? 3. Ordering system and it's integrity are questionable. We were missing our alcapurias ? 4.the food was just good not great. Let's face it it's not that hard to make. Making it in bulk is the challenge and making it in bulk and good bigger challenge. Slight miss here. Maybe these were just one time issues so not making blanket comments just our order. read more

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Yep, according to a search I did on Yelp, Mana Escondido still seems to be the only Boston area restaurant that carries the jibarito - a Chicago creation, according to Kyra M. and confirmed on Wikipedia. Mana Escondido Cafe is a bit hidden away, located just off the main drag, nestled in a residential area of South End. With four tables to its name, dine in is an option, but take-out seems to be the norm. If you want something quick, their prepared food counter is ready to scoop from. Otherwise, things seem to be made to order here. They advise 30 minutes for their Mofongos on their menu (with alternatives the dofongo and trifongo also available), but it turns out their Jibarito (and the sweet plantain variation, the Jibarita) should also be allowed 20 min. Since we wanted both, I ordered those first and asked them to get started on them before I completed my ordering and paying. That worked out pretty well, as we noshed on our Frituras/Fritters as we awaited the main course(s). The Alcapurria $2 (grated root vegetable fritter stuffed with ground beef) looked rather small when it was placed in the plastic serving basket, so I selected another item on the fly, which it turned out was not mentioned at all on their menu. It was yellow and described as a sweet cornmeal with cheese. I like corn, I like sweet, and I like cheese, so I went with it. The alcapurria was a bit disappointing, as it was not to my taste. The crust was a rough, nutty sort of texture, which overwhelmed the meat filling. The Sorullos $1.25, sweet cornmeal with cheese, on the other hand, was as described, so I quite enjoyed it. My friend called it a corn dog, thought it was without any dog. At $1.25, for liquid refreshment, we picked up can of guava nectar from the refrigerated case. It was quite rich and nicely chilled. In addition to other fruity flavors and water, they oddly carried Pepsi-Cola on the same rack as the Sprite. The Jibarita with Steak/Bistek $6.95 arrived neatly portioned for two, though the soft texture of the "bread" (being sweet plantains) made it more of a knife & fork type of dish than the sort of thing you can eat with your hands. We got it with everything but the hot. The contrast of textures with crisp lettuce and potato sticks tucked in was great, and the flavor was slightly reminiscent of a Big Mac due to the sauce and the beef as the protein of choice. Don't expect large pieces of beef here - it is rather sliced up the way folks might for a steak and cheese sub. The Mofongo with pernil/roast pork $8.50 arrived not long after. Mofongo is a savory dish that combines green plantains mashed with fresh garlic. It had a good flavor, and was not too dry like another I had taken with me on a plane once. The roast pork was tender and tasty. I later spotted one of the workers enjoying the shrimp variation on her dinner break, and saw a goodly number a decent sized shrimp resting on her mound of mashed plantains. For $9.99, it seemed a steal. 4 stars *** 6/2016 dinner again *** I came back for dinner another night to try their Jibarito (that's the sandwich using fried plantains (platano verde) as the bread). It was $6.95 for the Pernil/Roast Pork version. It was about 12 minutes from paying a the counter to delivery to my table. And when it arrived, sure the plantains were sturdier than the sweet version, but gee, were they hot for my poor finger tips! Maybe these are just plain better eaten with the knife and fork as were provided to me... The pork in this jibarito were not as tender and moist as on the first visit served on the mofongo. It was also a tad drier a concoction this time around. Wait! I realize what the difference was - it didn't come with the sauce and cheese! Both times I agreed to have it with everything but the spicy... do they make it different based on the type of meat and the plantain selection, or did they just plain forget? 2 stars PS - I don't like coconut water. But I tried their canned coconut soda. A slightly sweet fizzy drink - not bad. I'd get it again. read more

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Nice people, nice small interior. I got the chicken fritura, the shredded root stuffed with beef, and yellow rice w/ peas. First two were great, rice might not be everyone's style but I loved it, very cheap as well. read more

Been coming here for years . Have read about price switching in other reviews This is the second time the price switch happened to me Was CHARGED TRIPLE of what the food should've cost Unfortunately I won't be coming back . BE CAREFUL when paying cash and pricing . read more

AMAZING food and great vibe. Workers there are incredibly friendly. If it's your first time, ask them to make you a lunch plate! And don't forget the pastries! read more

While the kitchen was closed the food they had on the line was nothing short of devine. We split a pork shoulder, steak, and pork chop. Then we went crazy with the sides: shrimp empanada, fried yuca, yuca baked, sorullo de maez, and beans...then flan for dessert. Each bite was full of flavor, but not overwhelming. We are full and still staring at this menu with hearts in our eyes. They stayed patient while we ordered 5 plates. AND the owner just gave us a templeque which was rich and had a delicious coconut flavor. 5/5 we will be coming again! read more

Mana Escondido Café - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

No meat in the pastellios! It's not worth buying your just eating an empty pastellio ! read more

Mana Escondido Café - They are cheap with there chicken pastellios, it had not meat what so ever. Not worth getting at all ! - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

We ordered pastelitos (chicken + beef) and a jibarito tripleta. The pastelitos were well seasoned, fresh, and had plenty of meat. I'd never heard of a jibarito before but I have to say I highly recommend it if you're looking for some deep fried, meaty goodness. It felt like the more indulgent cousin of a burger. This is a small, casual place. Low on seating, don't expect anything fancy or healthy. Do expect some bomb ass food. Everything was fairly cheap, and the spot had a friendly neighborhood feel to it. Will definitely be stopping by here next time I'm in the area! read more

La comida es buena pero debes estar pendiente a lo que estás comprando y lo que estás pagando. En el website el costo del Mofongo con pernil es $8.50 y cuando chequeas la cuenta te cobran $13.50 por el servicio o sea $5.00 extra. Le pregunto a la señora por que me cobraron una cantidad diferente a lo que dice en el website y en la pizarra que tienen en la pared. Ella me contestó que esos son los precios viejos En serio? Casi $4.00 por un pastelillos de carne que de sabor estaba riquísimo pero vacío. No recomiendo ordenar de lo que ya esta en la vitrina pues es comida seca. Un sándwich cubano con 2 sodas y un Mofongo con pernil por $37.00 lo encontré caro. Especialmente si el Mofongo lo que tenia era 2 plátanos y 4 pedazos de carne. Repito el sabor de la comida es buena pero El que sabe sabe!! Fue la primera visita con mi hija a el restaurante y no tuvimos sitio donde sentarnos pues tienen solamente 4 mesas pequeñas. El lugar es muy pequeño que sales mejor ordenar para llevar, pero te recomiendo chequear tu orden y asegurarte que te llevas lo que ordenaste. Que no te cojan de soquete! read more

Understand that a five star rating is relative, but this little place was a delightful surprise. There's limited seating, but we got a dinein table at lunch because it's mostly a takeout place. I ordered a large portion of the pork shoulder and rice, but a small order would have been plenty. It was excellent, although the pastelitos were a bit bready. All in all, this is a good choice for lunch, even if you don't choose the $3.75 hamburger. read more

Mana Escondido Café - Puerto Rican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

If you ever lived on the island (PR) this place will trigger some nostalgia as it resembles an authentic cafeteria style restaurant. When I walked in it felt like I left Boston and traveled back to my hometown. I witness a lot of Spanish speaker walking in and being greeted as frequent costumers. The place is small with just a couple of small tables, but my impression is that a lot of people order food to go. They also advertise delivery services, which I am eager to try. I was pleased with the variety of dishes that they offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner; and the plates are more affordable than other Latino restaurants in the area. My husband and I had mofongo (plantain based dish), rice and bistec with a side of fried yucca. All of it was delicious. Be aware that they have a credit card limit of $5, which was a problem for us when we wanted to order dessert after paying for our dinner. read more

My new go to place for chicharron! Tender, fried & easy to eat all at the same time, my fav