We came here for lunch after hitting up the Urban Art Bar in South Boston. We didn't want to pay to park in the lot so we drove around for a bit trying to find on street. We ended up in a metered space on the street. It was a pain to have to keep going out to feed the meter but such is the Seaport. I loved the atmosphere and decor of this place. The water wall was beautiful. Our waiter was knowledgeable, attentive and very nice. We ended up getting the table guac which was pretty yummy. Unfortunately, it turned out to be something like $22.00 when we got the bill! That's pretty outrageous. Two people at my table got brunch which they were thrilled with. I got the duck tacos which were very good (and somehow less than the guacamole...). I loved the food, drinks and atmosphere but I think the prices are pretty outrageous so I will probably stick to a less expensive Mexican food option in the future. read more

Seeking authentic Mexican food in Boston. I ended up at Rosa Mexicano which seemed the most authentic I would find in the area. The vibe was authentic and the menu was diversely authentic. The guacamole was offered on different spice levels. I was with a party of 4, two of us were vegetarians and they did not enjoy the choices. The cauliflower was too spicy and not eaten. However I personally really, really enjoyed the Tres enchiladas dish. The beef inside of one of them was some of the most zestiest and tender. Loved it and hope to try that dish in the same way again one day. The atmosphere was little loud but neat. Service was attentive. read more

Drinks and food were OK, really great service. But the overall menu is over-priced for what you get.

Fun place to meet! It's loud, but the table side guac is a must! Make sure to ask about how "spicy" something is. The waitstaff is trained to only bring it up if it's a 8 or above. My friend ordered a 7 (which we didn't even know was a "7") and he could hardly finish it. I had the salmon, not spicy at all. read more

I don't want to be negative, so I'll start by saying the decor of this restaurant is very cool, so check it out and then go eat somewhere else! I was at Rosa Mexicana in June 2012 with another couple. My friend and I ordered the Red Snapper and it was inedible due to WAY too many spices. I did my best to eat it, but eventually gave up (and I was very hungry). We complained and were told by the manager that the spices are "the essence of the dish." This would make sense if I ordered spices with a side of fish, but I ordered fish. I feel the fish should stand on its own merit and shouldn't need so many spices caked on to it. Although it was reluctant, the manager removed one of the Red Snapper dishes from the bill, which was appreciated. There are so many great restaurants in the Waterfront district and we made a mistake by going here. Don't make the same mistake! read more

SEVERE FOOD POISONING - worst I've ever had, 84+ hours of hell. February 21, 2015 - My girlfriend and I had lunch at Rosa's (tableside guacamole, fish tacos, rice, black beans, chicken, salsa) and within a few hours we were both Vomiting Violently, with Diarrhea, Fever 102 F, knife stabbing Stomach Pain, Chills, Muscle Cramping followed by full body weakness. We both battled it out overnight, neither of us able to leave the bathrooms, but when the fury continued into Day 2 and diarrhea became bloody, severe dehydration set in. Without intravenous fluid replacement there is no way to stay well hydrated with this much continuous fluid loss through vomiting and diarrhea. Day 3.5 - As I am writing this review 3 1/2 days later I still have significant stomach pain. I've lost 9 pounds, and missed work. read more

The menu reads like authentic Mexican and definitely gets the mouth watering, but the food simply falls flat. The steak in the tacos was a very cheap cut, which wasn't properly tenderized, nor cooked well. The tomatillio-habenero salsa wasn't spicy in any way, which was a huge disappointment. Overall, the flavors didn't "pop" at all, like authentic Mexican usually does. I also don't think my wife and I should be spending more than $100 to grab a couple beers/margs and Mexican; that's simply highway robbery. Service was slow and completely uninspired, from the hostesses to the waiter. There's no reason to go here, other than the fact that the other Mexican places in the area all suck as well. read more

This evening I met some friends here. We were a party of ten. Which doesn't seem like many for a restaurant this size. Everything started pretty good. Then it went downhill. We ordered our first round of drinks and they were good, guacamole came and it was delicious. Dinner arrived and one member of our party was not happy with their dinner and they kindly gave her a complimentary beverage. Then I asked for a margarita and it never arrived. I asked again and it never arrived. Our bill came and it was on it. They were very kind to take it off, but really asking for something twice and not receiving it is quite bad if you ask me. Also, it was so loud we could barely hear the person next to me at the table. It seemed like things were off tonight. read more

Beyond disappointed....we went to Rosa Mexicana with high expectations from previous experiences in NYC. Upon entering the hostess was not welcoming. We saw a handout on the desk for a Happy Hour (4-7 daily) special that included a great variety of food and drinks so we opted to sit at the bar instead of outside since the hostess said we could only get those specials in the bar. This turned out to be cluster since the first bartender wasn't sure they were serving the daily specials; another bartender came back from break and gave us a different answer with an attitude (and then apologized) and proceeded to ignore us then a manager told us that they could honor the daily happy hour specials. We were told that an event that weekend threw them off...not our problem and NYC branches would have planned and staffed for such an event. Just to add perspective we never were given plates or even napkins for our apps. The bar was a hot mess and Bar Rescue could been beneficial.... Checked this off our list...I had high expectations compared to the competition in the Seaport. read more

With Temazcal and Papagayo within walking distance, I'm not sure why we needed a Rosa Mexicano. But, I've heard really good things about the NY locations so I was excited anyway. Two words: Don't Bother. Has that chain restaurant feel to it, yuck. Drinks are overpriced and under-boozey. Guacamole was great but it's not any better than Papagayo's. Temazcal has a way better waterfront location. Food was ok, nothing that would send me rushing back. I don't see this place lasting - and I'm already hoping for a better option. read more

Stopped there for lunch on a Friday afternoon with a group of 6. There was only one other party at the restaurant, but the service was so slow that it took 2.5 hours to get through lunch. They forgot we existed. Also, the waiter was snobby. Decent food but terrible service. read more

Absolutely the worst Mexican food we have ever had! So bad it was really inedible. We couldn't even determine what some of it was. And the worst was after telling the waitress to hold the Canadian bacon on the eggs Benedict because I'm vegetarian they put it on anyway! Good thing it wasn't a good allergy! I'd go hungry before returning. read more

My favorite Mexican Restaurant! So glad they opened in Boston. I love the table side guacamole & sangria. Planning on going to happy hour soon! read more

We enjoyed our visit to this location. I have good meals at the Union Square location as well. While it was a busy night, the staff did an acceptable job of keeping up with the demand. We enjoyed the pleasantly tart drinks. The guacamole was fresh and spicy. Who cares if they didn't make it table side? They were busy and we sat outside. My fish tacos were terrific. The carnitas were somewhat dry, but dressed up with the sauces and guacamole they were tasty. It's a bit noisy inside. Though the outside seating is terrific and worth the wait. read more

Favorite Mexican Restaurant in Boston!!!! I come here at least once or twice a month, and have always had an amazing experience. We always get the table side guac (sometimes mild, sometimes spicy). They make it right next to your table in a cute mixing bowl. The margaritas are also really good. I like trying new things, so I always ask for recommendations from the servers and they never fail. They have a very large selection of tequila, which makes trying new drinks very fun! The wait staff is so friendly and are very knowledgeable about the menu. Lately my favorite meal is the Fish Tacos, and my roommates favorite is Alambres de Cammarones, two dishes you must try! Definitely give them a visit!! read more

Came in for a nice meal for lunch. Ordered a cocktail and main course. Someone brought salsa and chips and then my cocktail. All was very good until the server came back and said the kitchen was out of my selection and she tried to push something else for me to order (beef is not pork!) I asked to look at the menu again to order something else. She never returned. Eventually I got up and went to the front reception area. At this point as I was walked back to my table I became surrounded by at least 3 employees and felt extremely uncomfortable so I left. It was very embarrassing and the restaurant wasn't very busy. Too bad because the food and drink seems promising. read more

Love the guacamole. It's also is fun to watch your waiter prepare the guacamole at the table from scratch yumm

Awful awful awful.... I normally do not give out bad reviews. If I do, it's because I had such a horrible experience that I feel it needs to be shared, not to customers but also to the restaurant in hopes that they read these reviews and try to make a change. I went there with a couple of my friends for one of their birthday. Mexican/Tex mex is the birthday girls favorite food, so we decided to give this place a shot. We decided to sit at the bar. We were warmly greeted and we ordered our drinks. All of our drinks only had 2 ice cubes in the glass so the ice melted within 5 minutes. Also, the drinks were very watered down (maybe that's why we only had 2 small ice cubes) We ordered guac and chips for an appetizer. What a disappointment. I understand they can't prepare in front of us because we were at the bar, but they didn't even smash the avocados enough. We had huge, chunks of avocados, and was thoroughly mixed in. After our second awful water down not enough ice cubes (even though we requested more ice cubes, the bartender didn't pay attention). Our dinner can out, and it was soooo cold and not even complete. The table behind us at the bar got the same dish as my birthday friend did, and it came with some type of drizzle on top and some rice, she got none. By then we had enough with the lack of service (no one asked us how our drinks or food were), and we requested to see the manager. We explained about our ordeal and he seemed really nice, and said he wanted to make it up to us by making a dessert for us and redo our drinks (he even noticed how bad the drinks were made) By then we did not want to eat anything, because the food, drinks and service was awful, but he seemed sincere so we said sure. Yes the dessert was great. But we still had to pay for the rest of the awful food, drinks and disgusting guac. So while the manager seems good, they need to hire some better staff. read more

Bad service! I was so excited to go to Rosa Mexicano on our Boston vacation but we were so disappointed. The food was good, however we waited forever for drinks and our waitress was absent most of the time which just killed the mood completely. Wish We had gone to one of the other nearby Mexican restaurants. read more

The food is all right. Cannot complain but I expected more ;-( Since I live in SF and live near Mexican restuarants/taquerias, I have had better. The price is little bit ouchy too. read more

The suizas (sp?) has the best tomatillo sauce I've ever had on Enchilladas. I love green sauce and this is king. I want bottles of it to smuggle back home. Everything was good and a nice range of Tequilla. read more

$25 guacamole. I thought I was getting at least 4 avocados picked straight from a tree and seasoned with gold flakes. But no. You know the guacamole guys that come to your table with a cart at those mom and pop Mexican places? Basically THAT but 25 freaking dollars. read more

Fabulous service and food! High end menu and fantastic libations. Our meal was perfect from appetizers to dessert.

Rosa Mexicano is wildly inconsistent. In a restaurant, inconsistency is worse than being really bad. At least with the really bad places, you know not to go there. Rosa Mexicano is a tease: one day it's great and the next you're embarrassed that you brought your friends. The first time I went, I stumbled on it after visiting the ICA, which is almost across the street. I was charmed by the margaritas, the bar bites, and the service. Because of that first experience, I've gone back more times than I should have. It's like a bad boyfriend: he had a flash of good and you keep hoping to see it again. On a raw cold rainy Thursday in March, I visited the ICA again for the Walid Raad show (excellent!) and thought to myself, Is it worth the walk to Rosa Mexicano for one of those margaritas and maybe a flauta or enchilada? The thought was so enticing that I forgot that Rosa Mexicano often closes down for private parties without warning or option or apology. When I got there, the bar was bustling with people, but that's not a surprise in Boston at 7 p.m. on a Thursday night. I found a seat and asked for a drink. The bartender started to get me a drink and then asked if I was part of the group. What group? Turns out, I'd stumbled into YET ANOTHER private party. The bar was closed to paying customers. No sign, not that a sign makes up for walking through bitter spitting rain and being denied service because, well, Rosa Mexicana closes randomly. It's not like it was out of their control, like a burst pipe or a C from the health inspector.... Next thing you know, they'll be doing trivia or karaoke. (NOOOOO!) Rosa Mexicana doesn't have a regular crowd or client base. They can't with the way they close down randomly. But the problem is larger than random closings. And there's no guarantee that calling ahead will remedy the problem. On New Year's Eve 2016, a few of us were going to a party at a condo not far from the seaport and wanted to grab a bite ahead of time. I thought of Rosa Mexicana -- ugh! kicking myself -- but because it was a holiday, and because they advertised a prix fixe menu for the evening, and because they've been inconsistent in the past, I called ahead to find out if the bar would be open and if we could get a drink off the regular bar menu and maybe an app. "Yes, absolutely" was the answer. Because two of our group have gluten allergies, I also asked about gluten free offerings for that night. (Note: they *say* they cater to gluten allergies.) I was assured that we could take advantage of both the bar-bite menu and the gluten-free offerings. As you've probably guessed, neither were available. After a fuss, we were able to cobble together a reasonable meal, but our options were limited and we had to fuss to get what we got. Who wants to argue with servers or management on New Year's Eve? We wanted a relaxing drink and some apps. Another time, a friend and I stopped at Rosa to watch Thursday night NFL football. We were pleased to find that the bar wasn't very crowded -- maybe two other customers -- and so placed ourselves in front of one of the two televisions, the one that was already showing NFL football. We ordered expensive drinks -- about $15 each -- and were about to order food when a woman sat down near us. Not long later, the channel of the television we were watching changed. Stunned, we asked the bartender to turn it back to football. He refused. As did management. The woman who arrived after we did wanted to watch something else and that was that. No compromise. No "are you watching this?" Just an f-u to us as customers. That seems to be the theme. When they feel like offering good service, they do. It's as random as the MBTA, and I'm intentionally evoking a poorly run operation, one that gives a bad feeling. Two stars because I like the margaritas, the flautas, the guac; minus a zillion stars because management. read more

Guacamole and queso fundido were both good. Drinks were a mixed bag. Very pricey for Mexican food but considering you are paying for the real estate it is comparable to other places in the area. Some of the margarita's end up getting around the $15 dollar mark. I had a El Mezcalito which was described as a strawberry margarita that was smoky, it was light on the strawberry and heavy on the smoke, not so good. The service was good by the waiter but the kitchen and bar was very slow with the alcohol and food. read more

I actually love this restaurant and have been to many of the locations across the country. My favorite is in Miami - Brickell. This location however is unfortunately not up to par. I've come twice and both times been greeted with poor service and unfriendly servers, cold/stale chips, drinks arriving 20 mins after ordering them, guac trays "unavailable" an hour before close (even though this is their hallmark and the kitchen is still Open), messed up dinner orders, and just generally poor service. I alerted the manager the first time and he was actually pretty nice and apologetic. But the second time was just atrocious. No guacamole. Chips rock hard and cold. Late drink. All the same as last time. But then my meal came out.. The server said they didnt "have any more rice and beans." It was an hour still before close... Kitchen was OPEN... It was a Monday night but come on, if ur open then serve ur guests. I was hungry so I just said "wow" and was going to eat my chargrilled chicken and leave. Except that my chicken didn't look right. I've ordered this dish about 50 times at other Rosa Mexicano's. I know what it tastes and looks like it. It looked bright white, undercooked and definitely not "al carbon" or grilled.. I had one bite and it was not only cold, it was not cooked properly. I alerted the waiter and he said "I'm sure it's cooked, even if not to your liking." I then showed him a pic from my phone of what the chicken is supposed to look like (I love it usually, and took pics last time in Miami!)... Then he took it back and I said I will just go home. I finished my drink, and the waiter came back and said "you were right, the manager said that dish was unacceptable." Then, ironically, the same manager came out as the first time.. He even recognized me. He told me that the cool BAKED the "chargrilled chicken" because he was "cleaning the grill" and was clearly cutting corners... Are you serious???! Who does that? What restaurant, let alone a self described "upscale or elegant" restaurant, would do the equivalent of microwaving a meal for a paying guest. I told the manager his apologies weren't credible anymore because it was even worse the second time. I left hungry. Overall, the staff seems to have an attitude and dislike their jobs. The manager was actually pretty nice when alerted of the mistakes on our first visit, which is why I came back. Second visit was awful. I won't come back and do not recommend this spot. Beware and check ur food. read more

I'd heard mixed things about this spot, but I was going to be in the area and needed some gluten-free options (which Rosa boasted an abundance of) so I gave it a shot. I showed up with my date and we asked for a table but when we learned the wait would be an hour, decided to take a chance at the bar. We probably waited about 10 minutes before a lady came to take our order (chips + guac, a beer and a water)- which was completely fine considering it was a pretty busy Thursday night. I asked if the guac had any gluten in it and she asked what I meant, but listed the ingredients. Gluten-free, awesome!! I asked about the chips which she confirmed were 100% corn. Again, awesome! We then waited over 20 minutes for her to come back with the Corona we'd ordered (no lime), no water, and asking if we wanted to order food..... We reminded her we'd already put in for the guac and that I would LOVE a glass of water. 20 minutes more passed and we finally got our water, and she made no mention of the guacamole. We inquired about it again but at this point we knew we should cut our losses. After waiting over an hour, we moved from the high top in the bar area, to the actual bar, and were IMMEDIATELY taken care of by an awesome server who completely turned our night around by even bringing us vegetarian menus and letting us know what was or could be made dairy-free. (Yeah, I'm an awful millenial who's allergic to dairy and doing a gluten elimination diet and mostly vegetarian.... So sue me.) The tacos we ordered were DELICIOUS and the guacamole, when we finally got it, was bomb. Probably some of the best guac I've had. I wanted to really like this place, but they need to get some of the stragglers on their staff in line so everyone gets the same great service we ended up with. read more

Place was not packed at all yet we was seated in an awkward table near the restrooms at a tiny table. Took forever for a waiter to acknowledge us. Food was horrible! It was like premade frozen food that was heated up and not heated up enough because it was cold not even warm just cold. I never been to a restaurant where I wanted to hurry up and leave. read more

The meal was perfect so perfect we had to try desert. I really liked tres leche. I would go back next time for sure.

I was really looking forward to coming here after reading up on their organic & local fare, and location. Well, the location was fine, nice outdoor seating on a hot summer night. But the food and service were a terrible disappointment. The margaritas were small and watered down. While the food was good (just ok), it certainly didn't justify the higher than average prices. Bringing rice and beans in separate bowls instead of the entree plate is a little too pretentious for my taste in mexican food. For better prices, and undeniably better fresh-made guac, stick to Papagayo. Flagging down servers became irritating, including waiting about 15 minutes just for someone to take payment. I won't be coming here again. Not worth it the money and long wait. read more

Story is waiting to be updated. Terrible service. We sat at the bar area waiting for our table, and it took the staff about an hour to discover that we haven't been served water yet. Then our order was brought to the wrong table. The service was completely off although the lady who discovered us was nice. Terrible!!! Still terrible!!!! Terrible management!!! read more

Fish in fish tacos tasted previously frozen. My first Margarita was all ice. Quak was good. Not worth the price.

This place is pretty good, they have some different mexican dishes, little pricey, but look at the area you are in. They make guac fresh at your table, and that stuff is delicious. def would go back as long as its on the corporate card. read more

I've been back three times since my first review, and the more I go, the more I realize it's an overpriced, snotty environment with mediocre food. I think the food quality has gone down tremendously. It's much more bland than in my first experience. read more

This place was just ok. I went on Cinco de Mayo and while I expected a wait and was told an hour, which was fine, it was over 2 hours later that we were sat. They had a prixe fix menu and as a vegan that makes going out to eat difficult period but with a set menu and the waiter seemed less than happy to talk to the chef about making a few minor alterations. I also requested a special birthday dessert, it was my boyfriends birthday, and it never came. We waited over 20 minutes and neither the waiter or the dessert ever came back. Mexican is my favorite of all foods and I have been to many, many restaurants andi would not bother returning to this one, ever. read more

The manager Greg took such good care of us! We had a big group celebrating an engagement and the restaurant was unexpectedly busy due to an event. While the service was still great, we mentioned that a one of our drinks was taking a little bit of time. I would have been satisfied if he had just comped the drink but he comped our whole meal and then some. He really made up for what was not a huge deal at all. The drinks were delicious as was the food. It is a really fun atmosphere and you can tell they really take care of their customers. Will definitely be back and highly recommend! read more

Greg is the best and most knowledgeable bar tender ever! Every drink he knows how to make better and more advanced than before. This place wouldn't be the same without him. Great food, great drinks, great service! read more

My wife and I were walking around for a day of relaxing and saw a sign for margaritas and said why not. We went during "happy hour" so they do guac and tacos for cheap. We got 3 tacos to split as a snack with our strawberry margaritas. They were all INCREDIBLE. Some of the best tacos I have ever had and they were $1 each. The margaritas were on the small side, but the quality was out of this world. I have had many many many margaritas at more places than I can count and these were the best I have ever had. I have never had a place hand muddle fresh strawberries for a margarita. They seemed pricey until we saw them make them from scratch and tasted them. WORTH EVERY PENNY!!! I would HIGHLY suggest tacos and margaritas from here. The staff was on the slow side and for that, i had to take away a star. Very unfortunate as the food was PERFECT!!! read more

I will never go back again. The service was slow. The food was really bad. You can have better Mexican food off a food truck. And the money we spent. I could have went to any other restaurant in the area and get more bang for my buck. read more

We had a fantastic time here! The drinks were delicious and potent, the food was amazing. I got a carne asada dish with a chipotle sauce topped enchilada, and my boyfriend got the chicken adobado and loved it too. The salsa is also amazing. It was a little loud but very good atmosphere and happy people so noise is expected. Great time and would definitely come again! read more

Rosa Mexicano - Carne asada/chipotle enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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