Chilacates South End — Restaurant in Boston

Mexican food is supposed to be a warm and soulful experience. With the over abundance of “Mexican” restaurants in Boston this one is squarely in the category of underwhelming and almost fraudulent in its use of the term “Mexican food”

How does one judge a Mexican restaurant? On its basics.

Mexican food isn’t exotic in its ingredients nor is it overly ornate in execution of its main dishes. It’s a cuisine made by hands of a humble and hard working people. So when I ordered a burrito and a simple order of rice and beans I expected a knock out performance especially in the rice and beans department. Tragically, the beans were severely undercooked and the rice I suspect is more than a day old. The burrito sported a guacamole that sadly uses far to much pico de Gallo for the savory avocado to make much of a statement. (I’d skip on that option if I was you) The carne asada was undercooked and the burrito tortilla smelled more of plastic than of flour. No, I don’t think I’ll ever be coming back. If I was you I’d skip this one when you’re searching for a Mexican restaurant.

Why 2 stars ?

The Jamaica (Hibiscus Iced Tea) was...

This Chilacates was my go to before every night class at RCC. When super hungry, you can get a filling burrito. Even the smaller size (guey) will fill you up. My Mexican friends agree that their Tostadas are praiseworthy. That’s what I get when I need something lighter before class, as a Burrito might encumber me as I attempt to teach my night class. If you didn’t know, Chilacates is a popular chain and their prices reflect that. I wouldn’t call them expensive, but Roxbury and Dorchester have family owned Dominican joints that offer more copious amounts of food for real cheap. Pay with cash when possible. They have one of those fancy computer tip screens that they swing around and put in your face. They also have some specialty drinks and a good selection of meats for your taco, burrito, etc. I recommend getting your tostada al pastor. If you are in the nighborhood and are looking for a quick burrito, this is...

The food was good, but the customer service was sub-par. Cold and kind of clueless...nothing like the warm lively atmosphere in the original JP location. Must be the new neighbors whom they don't need to impress. I guess any ethnic food is a revelation to the new neighbors, so these folks can just mail it in at this location.

The enchiladas where hastily thrown together. The fish tacos seem like they were rushed too. No love in this food. Out of my many visits to Chilacates over the years this was the worst food I have ever had from them. Not saying it was bad, but just not what I've come to expect from Chilacates. It's worthwhile to note: this was the first substantial meal that I had all day, which explains the double order, but also tells you about how vulnerable I was for somethings even reasonably yummy.

Worth a try, but I'll stick to JP. Curious what the one in Roxbury is like though....