El Pelón Taquería

I will say that they have excellent customer service here. I revisited and got the torta with some plantains. Both were very good! The torta was pretty excellent. The plantains were very good but perhaps a bit soggy. Either way, my meal was thoroughly enjoyed.

Loooove this place! The food was great, and the outdoor seating is so nice. Service was really quick and they were so friendly! Ps — get the plantains!

This place is delicious! The chicken tacos are really yummy and the tostada as well! The ingredients tasted really fresh and I will certainly be going back! Try the Horchata as well!

I’m originally from Southern California, and I’m now living in Texas. So I have plenty of access to good Mexican food. But when I’m back in Boston, I definitely come here. I mostly went to the one by Boston, but this one is great too. I almost always get a burrito, but pretty much everything is tasty. Get the punch card, you’ll want to come back :)

Amazing tacos and burritos. Plus service is fast, so you’re in and out with your order quickly.
Great for lunch meetings

El Pelon is a super casual place to grab some quality fast food. This is not a date place but it’s a great place to go with a buddy, partner, or alone for a simple, tasty and quick meal What is on the menu is typical burrito and taco items. El Pelon is offering the same type of food as Chipotle, but from an independent, and adding items like fish tacos. El Pelon features very fresh ingredients and solid service. There is plenty of outdoor seating but not too much indoor seating. They are in a strip with other restaurants including; Thai, Persian, Japanese, American, …all featuring quality food. El Pelon is also close to Fenway! Go Sox!

I visited El Pelon Taqueria for lunch on a Saturday. The restaurant is tucked away on a quiet residential street, a short walk from Fenway Park.
I ordered the Tacos Americanos («Grilled Chicken, Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Sour Cream and Salsa Fresca» according to the menu) and didn’t have to wait long for my food to be ready. There was seating inside but I opted for a seat at one of the picnic tables outside.
I was pleasantly surprised by how fresh the lettuce and salsa looked, and also the generous portions of both. It was quite unfortunate that the tacos lacked flavour. The chicken was dry and overpoweringly burnt, the cheese was minimal, and the tortillas were too small to hold everything in.
I was really looking forward to «Authentic Mexican», as the restaurant sign read, but unfortunately left disappointed. El Pelon does gets an extra 0.5 stars for good prices.
If you’re only looking for a quick, cheap place to get full, this might be it.

Got steered the wrong way because of Unilocal –_​_​– the fish tacos were terrible. It was more like a veggie taco with random dry tiny pieces of fried fish. I don’t like that the fish pieces were cut into little squares. Why couldn’t they keep a decent sized whole piece of fish and fry that. That tells me the fish isn’t fresh. Not to mention $ 8 for 2 tacos is a ripoff. Their plantains were oily. Doubt I’ll be coming back. Maybe I should have ordered something else…

Went here before a Red Sox game. A couple blocks from Fenway. We got the pescados tacos de la casa and a chicken burrito. The batter on the fish was awesome and so was the sauce on them. These tacos were so delicious. I got some of their hot sauce to put on top. It was very spicy, yet tasty. I loved it! The chicken burrito was great too. Very filling. It wasn’t super busy even though it was before the game. The food was delicious and ample. Will certainly be coming back here!

Brought in another el guapo burrito to a sox game and made everyone around me super jealous — for good reason. It’s hard for me to stray from the el guapo, and during my third time eating it, I think it’s the melty cheese and plantains that hit this baby out of the park!
burrito-​specific loyalty cards are still a thing, and still a place to drop a biz card for a free lunch
I do like el pelon’s burritos more than anna taqueria’s burritos, but anna’s *super* burritos made with a quesadilla rules all

I died and went to El Pelón Taqueria! Seriously one of the best tacos in Boston! Inside is super cute and the staff are really nice. The steak tacos are soooo juicy and tender! Definitely we’ll be coming back!

I love this place for its cheap eats and outdoor seating in the summer! There’s plenty of restaurants next door too, Thai food, Persian Cuisines, Shabu and creperie, so if you’re in luck if you’re looking for an ongoing eating spree. It’s packed during lunch and dinner time usually, so the in between peak hours is best. Food is quick unless they are super busy.

After multiple visits, I’m still trying to figure out what makes this both spectacular and authentic. I get that it’s cheap for the droves of college and even high school students in the area, but that doesn’t mean it should be authoritative for everything Mexican in Boston.
It’s not awful but it hasn’t been exactly bursting with flavor, either. I wanted an add-​on to my steak quesadilla on my most recent visit (which was seriously lacking in the «jack cheese» it supposedly came with). So I decided to compliment it with some Spanish rice. Was this cooked with only water? Why aren’t there any other ingredients besides some faux saffron? No salt, no pepper… just ugh, terribly bland. Back to the quesadilla, I would certainly get it again, the steak was savory and just the right medium rare consistency. But I guess I would expect it to come with other ingredients, maybe some lettuce? Did I just forget to add them on, if it is even possible? The menu doesn’t seem to give you options.
Then there was the fish plate which felt like I was eating something conjured up on Revere Beach, not in Guadalajara. Was this marinated even a little bit, or was it simply cut into chunks and thrown into a deep fryer? Oh look, the flavorless rice makes another appearance. Completely forgettable meal.
The carnitas torta I had on another recent visit had to be eaten with a fork and knife. I like my sandwiches to be finger food, not full service utensil-​needed types of fare unless I’m expecting it to be. It was just too overstuffed and yes that can be a bad thing. Again, I made a mistake with a side of chips that were partially stale. Buyer beware, this isn’t something you can take on the road and not expect to get it all over you like Cookie Monster by the time you’re done with it.
Color me unimpressed so far and I’m not sure I’ll continue going back while working in the area or before a Sox game. The prices are decent, especially with all of the higher end dining going up around the area. And kudos at least for taking credit cards, LevelUp and the like since one of your neighbors continues to lose my business because they are cash only. But the lines and lack of consistent quality are the downfall, there are better options around the city. It’s not «A-​OK», my expectations were completely crushed so 2.5 stars needs to be rounded down to two.

Got take out from here twice in the past month. Not bad, everything seems pretty fresh but I wasn’t overwhelmed by the flavor. I got a shredded pork burrito, with hot sauce which I was happy enough with to order a second time (the hot sauce is ultra hot and I’m a huge fan of heat). The burrito is absolutely massive, the tortilla’s must be the size of a large pizza. The chips are really good seem homemade and fresh. My biggest complaint is the salsa that comes with it, it literally comes in a 1.5oz container similar to what you would get salad dressing or other condiments in at a take out place (its actually comical, I’ll post pictures next time). Not worth going out of the way for but if your in there area I think you’ll be happy.
Note: They put tons of lettuce on the burrito so I would ask them to hold on that, and the guacamole is just unseasoned mashed avocado and actually detracts from what otherwise is pretty good burrito so I would pass on that as well.

BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN BOSTON! I work in Longwood so El Pelon is only a ten minute walk from me, and every few weeks I get fish tacos for lunch and they are some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had! The fried plantains are very good, too! The line can be a little long during the warmer months so I would definitely call ahead of time and pick it up (even if you’re going to sit in their outdoor seating area). Highly recommend!

Excellent value. The place was packed at the time of arrival, and I came with a group of five. Service was prompt, friendly, and efficient. Seating, while sparse, was found easily. I ordered the carnitas enchiladas with rice/​beans, and although the presentation was strange (inside a foil container) food was great, and of excellent value. My friends ordered a torta, burrito, a tamale, chips and tacos. I’m told that the pickled cabbage was an excellent choice. All of the ingredients were fresh, and I thought the chips were particularly good.
While I am not from Boston, I can say that this place is an excellent stop, especially late at night, to get affordable and tasty Mexican fate.

Making my way through the list of best places to eat in Boston, I finally made it to El Pelón Taqueria. I came by on a Wednesday night after class and was surprised to not find a line. A few nights before, I had driven by in the hopes of trying it, but the line was out the door.
I decided to try a bean and cheese burrito with a side order of guacamole and chips. Although I know this place is infamous for the El Guapo burrito, I’m a vegetarian so that wasn’t an option. The bean and cheese burrito was huge! It came out fast and very fresh. The burrito itself had good flavor and was wrapped very well (I hate burritos that are poorly wrapped and fall apart). Although the burrito was tasty, I didn’t get the authentic Mexican vibe or feel from it; the Mexican flavors/​spices were definitely lacking. It felt very Americanized.
The guacamole was tasty and the chips were definitely fresh. I will give El Pelón Taqueria another shot, mostly because I want to try more of the items on the menu. I love Horchata and I love tamales so those will definitely be the next things I try when I come by. Not the best Mexican/​burrito I’ve ever had, but the best Mexican/​burrito I’ve found in Boston so far.

Some of the best Mexican food in the Boston + Cambridge Area. They have really solid tacos at extremely reasonable prices — fresh, tasty, and very high quality ingredients. One of my favorite things to order here though, is their side of Calabacitas (stewed vegetables). It’s seasoned so well, and is a great healthy addition to any meal.
Their plantains are a great side too!

El Pelon is delicious! Steak tacos and fish tacos are my favorite things there… yum! Service is always great and friendly, and they’re super fast. It can get really crowded here but that’s to be expected for delicious food at super reasonable prices.
I chose to give 4 starts instead of 5 because I’m not a huge fan of their burritos, but that’s just my personal preference.
Convenient location nearby to Kenmore/​Fenway.

Took the Fenway park tour on our visit to Boston and found that this place is only a 5 minute walk from the ballpark itself.
We arrived at a quaint place that was already busy for the off hour pre-​dinner time (4PM) and the side bar was already filled of 5+ to go orders.
I ordered the Caramelos tacos (without hot sauce) and they were amazing. The steak itself was a bit salty but the guacamole and salsa Fresca were incredibly fresh and flavorful. My favorite part is how generous they were with the guacamole, it covered my whole taco. They also have Jarritos (authentic Mexican soda) which creates the perfect pairing for my taco. My go to is always the pineapple, it’s sweet and tangy flavor does a good job of cleansing my palette for the next bite of my tacos.
The restaurant itself is quite small with only 2 tables and a bar space along the wall (inside) and several outdoor picnic tables (which aren’t great for the winter time) Thankfully a couple was finishing up at one of the tables inside, and we were able to snag it once they left instead of having to eat out in the cold. That really is the only downfall to this place, but otherwise it’s incredibly affordable, hip, they have free postcards, and a huge menu to choose from. If you’re in the area definitely stop by for a bite.

El Pelon is the best Mexican I’ve found in Boston so far. First of all, the restaurant is on this cute block aptly named «restaurant row» by the locals. Here you’ll find a melting pot of cuisines, including traditional American, Thai, Greek, Persian, Japanese, French, and Mexican. It’s great because you can go with a group, all get different meals, and meet outside on the cute patio to eat together.
I ordered the chicken quesadilla on a corn tortilla. The cheese is gooey, the chicken is cooked well, and the mild tomato salsa really adds a lot of flavor. It would be a little plain without the salsa though.
The Pescado Tacos de la Casa, aka house fish tacos, were really good and I loved their bright, colorful presentation.
One wall is filled with framed pictures of patrons wearing El Pelon gear all over the world. They also have a pretty incredible contest where you can win free burritos for a year if you down 15 habanero peppers in 15 minutes! There were only 4 people on their champion list for the contest. The authenticity of the venue and the decorations really reminded me of some of the great Mexican places back home in San Francisco!

I recently moved to the Fenway area and this place is slowly becoming a regular spot for me! I know everyone raves about the el guapo burrito here, but I actually liked the fish burrito more. I’ve never seen or eaten one before, and it’s a really good idea! All the flavors work great together, and I love asking for more hot sauce to spice up the burrito more. The one thing I don’t love is that the burritos do get messy as the fillings have a lot of liquid. There has always been a little puddle of juice at the bottom of my foil wrapper when I finish a burrito.
The horchata is not bad, and I love getting an order of plantains too. Can’t wait to go through the rest of the menu
They take LevelUp, and you save $ 5 with your first purchase! Also, be sure to ask for a stamp card (only works for burritos though)

This little place is one of Boston’s best Mexican places as per all the reviews we read. The place overall is quite small with limited seating. Most people are stopping in for takeout or a quick bite.
For being one of most highly rated Mexican places, we found the flavour to be lacking. We asked for additional hot sauce and that fixed it mostly. We sampled almost everything on the vegetarian menu. Like everyone else has mentioned, the fried bananas were delicious as was the sauce that it comes with. Although not thrilled by the food overall, we were satisfied when we left.
Don’t think I would go back again!