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Hours
Sun
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Mon
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Tue
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Wed
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Thu
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Fri
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sat
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
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Details
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PRICE RANGE
$9.00 – $18.00
CUISINES
Mexican, Latin, Fast food
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
meals, features
Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?
Details
About
We offer authentic Mexican food prepared in our kitchen daily using only the freshest ingredients, the same way we've been doing for over 20 yrs. Our taqueria offers more than just ordinary tacos & burritos. Make sure not to miss the ever-popular "El Guapo" burrito made with grilled steak, rice, black beans, fried plantains, jack cheese, and our in-house-made fire-roasted salsa.
PRICE RANGE
$9.00 – $18.00
CUISINES
Mexican, Latin, Fast food
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
FEATURES
Takeout, Seating, Street Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Digital Payments, Accepts Credit Cards
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4.5
91 reviews
Excellent
47
Very good
36
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
2
Sam H
Newton446 contributions
Jan 2020 • friends
I had a great lunch here with my friend from Boston College. Very friendly and helpful staff. Nice atmosphere looking out at Commonwealth ave and Boston College.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DannyA3579
Aventura296 contributions
Aug 2019 • family
I just arrived in MA yesterday after a long day of travel. I was exhausted and my family and I wound up having a late dinner.
We ordered some take out for El Pelon and it was sooo good. I went with the El Guapo burrito. Super for tortilla, nicely seasoned steak, with that Mexican rice, black beans, cheese, lettuce, and the real kicker...sweet plantain chunks IN THE BURRITO.
Yum!
Written 12 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deja Vu
Boston1422 contributions
Aug 2019 • friends
Located across from Boston college , good location bordering newton and Boston . If you like authentic Mexican food this is one of the place to come. Been here so many times since I worked in the area. I usually get the el guapo bowl which is consistently good and you have to request for the green hot sauce to go along with the meal. The burritos are also good here. It gets pretty packed after 12pm and seats are limited inside. Decent price and affordable.
Written 7 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheBuryTraveller
235 contributions
Sept 2019 • none
My son just started at Boston College, so we stopped here for a quick lunch on Labor Day weekend. The food was relatively inexpensive, made to order and delivered right to our table. I had the chicken quesadilla and it was pretty good. There was tons of cheese and lots of chicken. There are no chips or anything on the side, I guess you need to order those separate, but for $6 a good deal. I did find a small bone in one of the chicken chunks, but I guess that happens. They had REAL Mexican Cokes in a bottle, but seemed steep at $2.95. Considering the prices for a real sit down dinner, this was a bargain and was plenty to eat for lunch. I would definitely return.
Written 2 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kwame A
1 contribution
Mar 2019 • solo
Good . Tacos fall apart too easily. Meat was well seasoned. The chips was good . The prices are a little high compared to value.
Written 20 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chelsea B
West Sussex642 contributions
Aug 2018 • friends
I lived in Boston for a couple of years while in grad school, but that was in my pre-Celiac diagnosis days, so it’s like rediscovering Beantown all over again with each visit.
I wanted a quick, no fuss lunch, and El Pelion was it! There are a ton of gluten-free options; it’s not an uncommon request for them. Mix in my pepper allergy though and that can be dicey at Mexican restaurants.
Good news though — the rice is traditional Mexican tomato rice and the black beans were just regular black beans with salt. No peppers! I was excited!
Beyond the sides, I had two simple cheese quesadillas with corn tortillas, and it was the perfect lunch. Definitely recommend and definitely will go here again during my next visit.
Written 11 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sendairocks
Boise64 contributions
Jul 2018 • none
We recently went to Boston College for a college tour with our daughter. We were surprised, and delighted to find the El Pelon Taqueria. We ordered a burrito, tacos, and tamales. All were fresh and tasty. The biggest surprise and tasty treat were the plantains! We loved them. We could have easily just ordered a couple of orders of plantains.
Parking was tight, and there were a lot of people there, but it was well worth the minor hassle for space and parking.
We could easily see our daughter walking across the street from Boston College to eat at El Pelon Taqueria. We would!
Written 21 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anthony Z
Boston2 contributions
May 2018 • solo
Try the pescado burrito. You will not regret it! I've had maybe 50 of them in the past year and I'm still not sick of them.
Written 6 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ken E
Boston45 contributions
Apr 2018 • family
El Pelon makes a great burrito. It’s a Friday night staple for our family. Far superior to anna’s. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful. The staff is always friendly and I rarely have to wait more than 5 minutes.
Written 26 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle_Mitchell888
Boston2 contributions
Apr 2018 • solo
I ordered El Pelon for the first time ever today and had food delivered, choosing the cheese enchiladas ($6.95), the side of rice/beans ($5.95), and a side of chips and salsa ($5.25). When it arrived, the salsa was actually fresh pico de gallo, which wasn't a problem at all. My issue resided in the size of the product. For $5.25, I purchased two tablespoons of "salsa" (I measured) and a half bag of tortilla chips. When I called the restaurant directly to ask if a mistake had been made, I was abruptly told "that is the size" and to call the delivery service for a refund. No customer service whatsoever! I called the delivery service who called the restaurant to investigate. They were told the restaurant would not issue a refund, but, because I was dissatisfied, the delivery service issued a Promo Code that expires in a month to cover the cost of the side.
Why did El Pelon make the delivery service bear its responsibility for their own overpriced food item?!
The rice/beans side cost only $.70 more than but was five times (at least!) the size of the side of "salsa" and chips. Speaking of which, the enchiladas were a salt bomb and the rice and beans had no seasoning whatsoever. This was definitely my first and last time for El Pelon. Unfortunate, as they are right in my neighborhood. I'll stick to La Catrina Fonda Mexicana just up the street from now on. The food is consistent, delicious, and well priced, and the staff is always pleasant, attentive, and understanding of what it takes to keep customers coming back..
Written 23 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vish_the_traveller
San Antonio119 contributions
Mar 2018 • couples
One of the better Mexican restaurants in the Boston area. We went on a Sunday after pin and it was quiet. I imagine this place is very popular with the Boston Collage students next door. The food was well priced at abo it $3 a taco. I regret not trying the burrito. I believe that this is what they are famous for. The serving portions were generous. This is more like a shop with seating and not a restaurant. Service was good.
Written 5 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
farrelma
Brookline1510 contributions
Nov 2017 • friends
This is a place where you order at the register and wait for your name to be called to get your food. The chips and guacamole are really good. I’ve also enjoyed their quesadillas. My favorite was the “el guapo” burrito. It contains the basic burrito elements plus plantains! So good!
Written 8 November 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
VegLover
Boston34 contributions
Oct 2017 • couples
Kinda a rip off. Little food for 10 bucks - spice gave me a stomach ache. Not acfan sorry. I wouldnt go back but other people liked it. Just not for me.
Written 25 October 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AuntieMRA
Washington DC531 contributions
Jul 2017 • family
The cashier recommended the fish so I tried the fish burrito and daughter tried the fish tacos. Both were flavorful and good sized portions. My friend order chips and salsa. It was a huge portion! I also tried the fried plantains which were good, but it was too much food.
Written 27 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christopher L
Sherborn106 contributions
Aug 2016 • solo
Don't expect atmosphere, sophistication, or whatever. It's a taco joint -- Boston's best. The fish and the carnitas are the best, but everything is good.
It's cheap. Face it, it's kind of a dive. So what? It's terrific.
Written 25 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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