The Painted Burro — Restaurant in Somerville

With margs on my mind, I returned to the PB on a Saturday night around 9. We went directly into the side room on the right side which has a long bar and smaller tables. They ID you at the entrance, and the vibe is much more bar-esque than the other side of the restaurant. With all the talking and the music, it's pretty loud, so don't go with a whisperer. We managed to grab two barstools in a corner by the front windows, but the tables were all full and the room was crowding fast. Our spot was cozy though, we had a nice view of the street, and we get a waiter! Who brings free chips and salsa! Me gusta mucho.

Salud! I had a Margarita De La Casa (House Margarita for our non-Spanish speaking friends in the room) which was mighty strong, mighty acidic, and had me feeling mighty fine in no time. My drinking partner got creative by ordering a "Mango Diablo" which is half of their El Diablo and half Mango margarita. It was sweet. It was spicy. It was ideal. The fresh salsa and crunchy chips were the perfect accompaniment. And made us go for another round. Great tactic, PB. I'm not even mad.

Now that I've gotten my marg fix, they have some seasonal options on the menu which have me curious. I go for the pumpkin sangria, which was a lovely blend of red wine, brandy, pumpkin, and spices. Served with a thinly sliced green apple on top, it definitely tasted the part and warmed me up despite being on ice. Co-drinker ordered the Palomita, which was lighter, fizzy, and grapefruity. I'd recommend it as a refreshing summer drink. But it's fall, so I'm pretty sure I won this round.

Chips devoured and drinks drank, we left feeling pretty great. Each beverage is around $10, so it won't be a cheap night, but the quality and atmosphere makes me ok with that. Next time you've got margs on the mind, the PB has got you covered. With a free...

The stars that this restaurant earned from me are strictly for the ambiance. Nice room and bar area and it was a beautiful night out so that helped.

The drinks and the food. How can you call yourself a Mexican restaurant when you don't even have a Margarita on the menu with Anejo or Reposado Tequila??? I had to ask my server (who was the only good aspect of the food experience here) for Don Julio. I understand wanting to have all these fancy "infused" tequilas but the Margarita is universally loved as one of the best drinks there is. And to not have a classic, amber tequila version on your menu, at a Mexican place is utterly ridiculous IMHO. That being said, my margaritas were delicious. But classic :)

The food: I agree with some of the other critiques on here. I ordered Tacos and @ $7 - $8 per taco, they better be damn good! They weren't. Not even close. I got the chicken and the chorizo tacos. How can I put this.... the chorizo was just bad. Dry. Flavorless. Soggy tortillas. Just bad all around. Chorizo is a meat that should burst with flavor and make your hands and plate a bit messy. This taco had and did none of that. I LOVE chorizo and this to me was not chorizo at all. It was more like 2 day old pork that sat out on the counter for hours before someone wrapped it in a soggy tortilla and served it up. The chicken taco... I don't have much to say because I don't really remember it. I do remember that again, the tortilla was so soggy that the whole thing fell apart when I picked it up.

In rereading my post I realize it is harsh and may sound over the top and like I have some ax to grind. Believe me I don't. I've heard good things about this place and was really looking forward to it. I'm sorry but the food was just bad and yes, for tacos, over priced. Just one...

Great vibe! Cute interior and exterior design. Tables are close together but not uncomfortably squished. Servers are attentive, polite, and coming by to refill our glasses of water.

1. get the Horachata drink! It's served in a large beer glass an it's amazing!!
2. French Toast - amazingly thick toast but it was a little dry. Could've used more egg batter and syrup. But the cream really helped. It was very good! But probably wouldn't buy it again next time.
3. Chorizo & Eggs Torta - (it's the picture of a sandwich with a side salad) - large and filling and hit the spot. The Chorizo wasn't very spicy. It had a kick to it but nothing intense.
4. El Montanero Superbeasto - WOW! Amazing. The dish contains a little bit of everything. I would definitely get it again next time. Only complaint is that the chicharron was a little dry. It was well seasoned but a little too dry. Everything else on the dish was fantastic.
5. note - while you wait for your entrees, servers will give you free chips and salsa. Chips are excellent and WARM! And the salsa is the best I've had - very well seasoned and couldn't stop eating it.
6. side of home fries / potatoes - well seasoned. Highly recommend. In general - well pleased that all the Mexican inspired dishes were well made and well seasoned. Would definitely be coming back again :) TIP - Make reservations. Without reservations, it would probably be a 30...