Olé — Restaurant in Cambridge

Giving them two stars for the complimentary chips and salsa which I liked and feel like they owe me a star. Wow, what a pretentious place this is, holy cow! It doesn't look fancy, no different than Margarita's or any other Mexican chain, the decor is ordinary, the tables are average, basically nothing that warrants the prices but man are they steep. Pretty much every review points that out too, by the way. And when you compound it with tiny portions AND terrible taste, well then you got yourself a trifactor of a terrible restaurant.

The menu is weird, why so much seafood??... all I wanted was chicken and cheese in some sort of tortilla with a side of beans and rice and I couldn't find that on a menu. So I settled for chicken taquitos, which the waitress recommended and wow, was that disappointing! For $12 you get 3 (THREE) tequitos which are roughly the size of mozzarella sticks. No way it would feed an adult male, even as an appetizer it's just too small! And $4 each?? Are you kidding?? What was more absurd than the price was the taste The little chicken I found was completely flavorless. The shell was hard as a rock, you could not puncture it with a fork and I tried. Way harder than it should be, very difficult to eat. It did come with fancy sauce though, oh sorry, no, it was ketchup, which those geniuses put directly on the chiquitos, slathering them in it. Since you couldn't use the fork with these things, you had to use your hands and there was no way of picking one up without getting ketchup all over your fingers! Brilliant.

As for the guacamole. I consider myself a guacamole connoisseur and am very particular about it. My biggest problems with restaurant guacamole is when it's not freshly made (which I think this one was though not at the table as advertised) and when they add too much lime juice. There are lots of recipes and some call for lime juice while others don't plus some people like it while I don't. Anyway, most restaurants use it because they make it in batches and lime juice helps it keep longer. The description had no lime juice, however, which I was very excited about but what we got had SO MUCH LIME JUICE in it. Not a hint, not a smidgen, but a ton of lime juice that completely killed the taste. I expect to taste lime juice in restaurant guacamole but it's so frustrating when the menu specifically excludes it but the actual food doesn't. Very disappointing.

Bottom line: if you consider yourself a foodie (no judgment), don't mind experimenting with weird fusion of mexican and asian food and have money to burn, then try it out. If you're looking for delicious regular mexican dishes then steer clear. Something like Acapulco's has vastly superior food at a fraction...

I can't say enough good things about Ole. I have been there twice and plan on becoming a regular. Both times I ate there, I sat at the bar, where you can carry over your food from Olecita (their in-house take out place) or order from the full dinner menu.

The first time, I ordered Guacamole made table-side, two cochanita pibil tacos, and two fish tacos. The guacamole was carried out to me instead of being made table side, which disappointed me a little, but the tacos made up for it. The bartender, Red, (who I will talk more about later), informed me that the tacos are $2 at the bar on Tuesdays. She seemed really excited about it and called the night "her baby". I ordered a gin and tonic, but Red stopped me and said she could make me something I'd really like with gin and lime. After asking if I didn't mind an afternoon martini (I said who doesn't and she then told me she liked my style), she made me a cucumber, mint martini with lime juice and agave stuff. It was out of this world. A few days later, I ventured back out to Somerville (all the way from Beverly because the experience was that good). Red was behind the bar again, so I chose to sit there. She suggested I get the chicken and mole enchiladas. The mole sauce was so fresh and so clean homemade; I asked if they sold it, but they do not, unfortunately. I asked Red to make me something interesting and she asked what spirit I wanted and then told me to pick a fruit. I answered tequila and strawberries. She went on to explain their margaritas are made from scratch, down to the tripel sec and that the purees are made in house. It was the best margarita I have had since I visited a waterhole Mexico that a local had told me about.

The to-long-didnt-read version is: Ask a staff member what to order and you will be impressed. If Red is at the bar (really tall woman, dyed redish orange hair, giant holes in her ears and tattoos), sit there. She will keep your glass full, your area clear, and will keep you laughing the whole time. One of the best bartenders I've ever been served by.

If you love Mexican food,...

We had the absolute pleasure of being part of the Harvard Hillel John Harvard’s Bar Mitzvah 2024 event at Olé Mexican Grill in Cambridge, and we can’t say enough good things about this incredible venue! 🌟

From the moment we set up our Hello Photo Booth, we were blown away by how warm, welcoming, and vibrant the space felt. The team at Olé was beyond accommodating, making sure every detail of the event flowed smoothly. The décor, atmosphere, and festive energy of the restaurant created the perfect setting for such a special occasion.

Guests had a blast enjoying the amazing food and drinks (the tacos and churros were a big hit! 🌮🍩), and they loved capturing fun memories with our photo booth. 📸✨ It’s venues like Olé that make hosting events a dream—they truly know how to bring celebrations to life with their exceptional service and attention to detail.

If you’re planning a special event, Olé Mexican Grill is an outstanding choice. And don’t forget—pairing your event with Hello Photo Booth Rental is the perfect way to keep your guests entertained and create lasting memories! 🎉

We can’t wait to work with Olé again for future celebrations. Thank you for making this Bar Mitzvah...