Beantown Taqueria — Restaurant in Cambridge

I stopped into Beantown Taqueria for a quick lunch while visiting MIT with my family. They advertised a mexican buffet on a chalk board outside the front that we wanted to take advantage of, as well as online Groupon deal. However, when I tried to talk with the lady behind the register, she did not speak ANY English whatsoever, aside from the words "yes" and "no". I asked the same question about the above-mentioned deal about 4 times, to which she replied yes twice and no twice, apparently just trying to get to an answer I would be happy with. I finally asked if she understood a word I was saying, to which she just shrugged. I think she expected me to point to the printed-out menu and grunt in order to make my order. The cook 10 feet behind her made no effort to intervene. I have no idea if he spoke no English or simply could not be bothered.

To be clear have no problem with having English as a second language, but I would expect at least some effort to try and communicate in the prevailing language of the land. After a few minutes I simply gave up, as I could not ascertain whether the buffet deal was even going on and anticipated the frustration ahead when I tried to figure out the Groupon deal.

I think my words above may not adequately communicate the situation and the frustration I felt. The bottom line is that though the place looked fairly clean and the food that was being prepared smelled good, I will never know how it tasted due to my ability to only speak English and a lack of any effort to try to get through that language barrier. There are many other places to eat near the Beantown Taqueria, I would suggest you try one of those and avoid...

Nested in between Kendall and Central Square, right on Massachusetts avenue, in a spot which was formerly the Olive Cafe, now lies Beantown Taqueria. The place is simple and has no frills to it - it's a casual Mexican joint which serves up the classics - tacos, quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, fajitas and flautas. There's nothing all that authentic to it and it's all pretty affordable, mostly ranging from $7 to $10. The place is small, very small in fact and can only seat about ten people but most of their business is MIT students in the area and biotech employees who take it to go so it's okay; plus they do deliver.

While there I had their enchiladas ($8) which featured three tortillas stuffed with my choice of filling, which is my case was carnitas and which was topped with salsa, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, drizzled sour cream, and queso fresco. Oh and there were bits of pineapple as well. The portion was generous, and it was plated nicely however the flavors weren't all that great. Plus it's like every single other Mexican place in Boston in terms of their menu. There's nothing original there and frankly, with Mexicali only a few blocks away, I'd much rather go to the latter than here - the flavors just work better there and its also a healthier.

That being said the service was friendly, they do accept LevelUp payments which was nice and also deliver if needed. Just don't expect anything amazing there, it's all average except for one thing: they are open until 4AM Thursdays through Saturday...

I had a great experience at Beantown Taqueria! The food overall was phenomenal super flavorful, fresh, and definitely authentic.

I tried the flan, and while it was a little different from what I’ve had elsewhere, it was still good just a twist. The horchata was decent too, though it tasted more like cinnamon milk than traditional horchata. A bit watered down, if that makes sense. Not a dealbreaker at all just something small they could tweak.

The portion sizes were great, and even though you’re paying Cambridge prices, I felt like the quality and experience were totally worth it. I really don’t have anything negative to say just a couple minor things that could be improved.

I’ll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend if you’re looking for solid, authentic Mexican food...