For the few dollars will be put down, this place is awesome. The pepusas are a great way to start and are only $ 2.25 each. Very casual, and you can eat like a king for $ 10 if you approach the menu looking to do so.
Rachel S.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Brookline, MA
Taqueria El Carrizal is a hidden gem in Allston. After recently coming home from traveling in Guatemala, I was craving authentic South American food and am so happy that we gave this place a try. The guacamole is super lime-y and delicious. Papusas are awesome as well. Generous servings and cheap for the amount of food you get!
Filipe V.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Cambridge, MA
When essentially all the customers are Latin American and nearly everyone is speaking Spanish, you know this place is bound to have good food. I read a review that the tacos were good so I decided to get one order of these three types to not miss out: fish tacos, beef tongue, and carne asada. With exception to the carne asade being a bit crunch and overly salty, the tacos tacos were great. The fish taco was fresh and had a nice light batter to it. Beef tongue was so tender, flavorful, and made the best authentic taco I’ve had. You can’t go wrong with it. The only downside is that the staff didn’t seem eager to give you a friendly experience. They seemed annoyed as if taking an order and serving you food was a favor you asked of them. However, I do recommend this place for their food.
Ms. S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Boston, MA
Amazing lengua burrito, albeit a bit pricy.
Jackie K.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Norfolk, MA
Solid choice. Walk up since they look closed. I’m a vegetarian and the food was good. Service was quick and friendly. If you are looking for a quick good meal, this is a good choice.
Jen L.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Allston, MA
Taqueria El Carrizal is the best spot in Allston to satisfy the cravings of this Southwest transplant. When I moved here from Arizona, finding a good Mexican restaurant was high on my priority list. Decent Mexican joints are a dime a dozen in the Grand Canyon state. Throw a dart and you’re bound to land on a really good one. I’ve tried a few different places in and around Allston and they were just okay. It’s not that they were bad, they just seemed like it was someone’s *idea* of Mexican food, but some things were off here and there. The food here finally hit the spot. A legit burrito with REAL salsa – bordering on too spicy for me, which meant my partner LOVED it. I’m excited because I can get solid Mexican food AND pupusas… which are not Mexican, of course, but the ones here are better than others nearby. Thanks for making me feel a little less homesick, Taqueria El Carrizal. I’ll be back. A lot.
Chris M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Brunswick, ME
The rest of the food is okay, but the tacos are amazing. Would order just the tacos and be a happy man. Hot sauce is legit– my lips are on fire as I type this.
A A.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Boston, MA
Food was good but I found a hair in my taco salad. Not a big deal. It happens. But still.
Rebecca V.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Randolph, MA
Wack wack wack is all I can say. This restaurant came highly recommended by a few friends. We decided to start off with a sangria, which was disgusting. Decided to try the pupusas which supposedly was delicious. Boy were we surprised. Food was greasy and disgusting. They offered us a better tasting just made sangria. Not sure which one was worse the first or the second. If your in the mood for good food and are looking to try pupusas go to chelsea and try El Santaneco.
Ed S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Lansing Charter Township, MI
This seemed very much like a community meeting spot. Everyone seemed to know everyone else. Servers were friendly and the food was good. The Ceviche Cameron was the best! They did get a bit busy after we sat down which seemed to slow our order. But, it was worth the wait.
Bianca C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Indio, CA
I like this place, the food is delicious-and the ceviche and tacos, pupusas were excellent. The music is great. Me hizo sentir en casa, lo recomiendo!!!
Sarah T.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Providence, RI
Food was decent, but when they are going to «close in 45 minutes,» they make you feel rushed on a Saturday night when a party of 10 is still eating.
Joaquin X.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Boston, MA
I had been eyeing this spot for some time. The first couple times I tried to go there they appeared closed. My enchiladas verdes turned out to be excellent. But I did end up with chicken(I don’t eat meat). i felt bad about sending it back but it’s against my better conscioussness to eat birds. I felt embarrassed and diners were looking at me. But after reading the fine print on the menu I in fact did NOT see anything saying that the enchiladas came with meat. Perhaps it is a Salvadorian thing or more«autentico» but I have never ordered enchiladas that came with meat but not specified. But they kindly replaced with no meat inside and the food was excellent! It would be hard to dock them for the mistake. But I would recommend that they print on the menu when the food automatically contains carne.
Nik A.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Boston, MA
Really nice authentic hole in the wall for Mexican food — its a little bit further out in Allston but its worth a visit.
Big S.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Natick, MA
I think this place is over rated. I was surprised it has 4 stars. The food isn’t anything special, and a bit expensive compared to what other similar places are offering. We got the steak burrito and the mexican combo. The combo is pricey for what it is, and nothing too special. Was surprised there was beef in the chili relleno. The steak burrito was ok, the tortilla didn’t seem steamed which isn’t great. Overall, not too impressed.
G R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Boston, MA
Tamales !! Thats all I have to say. the delicious tamales here !! I have actually tried every type of Mesoamerican tamale… Mexican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, Venezuelan etc .etc.etc. this place has the best chicken tamales anywhere. Don’t care what anyone says… it’s those delicious hot tamales !!! the pupusas are very good. The Mexican food isn’t bad. Only thing that sucks about the restaurant is that damn horrible reggaeton music they put.
Bethany K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Los Angeles, CA
This place has really good pupusas. That’s it. Tacos, quesadillas, burritos are just ok. The service is good. It’s not expensive. Remember just order pupusas.
Jason O.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Boston, MA
I was getting a haircut nearby and had just enough time to stop by for a quick meal. I got a combination plate that consisted of a pollo asado taco, a pupusa, and an enchilada. Everything was pretty on point. I wouldn’t say it’s the best i’ve had on the East Coast but it ranks above average for sure. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a picture because my hunger got the best of me… whoops. Food took about 25 minutes, and chips + salsa were free if dining in. The place is modest and cozy. Can definitely use an interior upgrade but who cares if they serve good food right??? Stop by if you’re in the area!
Lauren D.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Austin, TX
So I’m from LA and know my mexican/latin american food… I can recite all the best hole-in-wall mexican places in a second so I’ve been trying to find authentic, flavorful places in Boston that compare. I’m not sure why the reviews for Taqueria El Carrizal are so great because my boyfriend and I were so unimpressed when we went there for breakfast. He got the huevos al gusto and I got the camarones a la Diabla(spicy shrimp). The service was extremely slow even though there were only two other tables there. The food was mediocre and halfway through I found a hair(that was not mine) in my rice. At least the waitress did not charge me. I’m sure there are better places in Boston.
Barbara A.
Rating des Ortes: 5 East Watertown, MA
I have been here a few times now and it is now my favorite place to stop for Mexican. I have all three of the pupusas — pork and cheese, bean and cheese, and loroco(an edible flower from Central America) — and enjoyed them all. I have the Torta with pork, Burrito with steak, and a Flauta with chicken. yum, yum, and yum. Of the three, I felt the Flauta was the weakest choice … they are rolled with chicken in it and fried. I feel there was not enough chicken to fried tortilla ratio. Whenever I have gone in, it has been quiet and it is a large spot for that area but looks like they do a lot of takeout.