El Embajador Restaurant

Dominican restaurant · Jamaica Plain

El Embajador Restaurant

Dominican restaurant · Jamaica Plain

1

3371 Washington St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

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El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null
El Embajador Restaurant by null

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Old-fashioned destination serving ample portions of traditional Dominican dishes.  

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3371 Washington St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Get directions

elembajadorrestaurant.com

$10–20 · Menu

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3371 Washington St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Get directions

+1 617 524 6812
elembajadorrestaurant.com

$10–20 · Menu

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Jul 10, 2025

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"Follow your nose (and what fellow diners are picking up at the counter) and put in an order for the juicy roast chicken with delightfully crispy, salty skin at El Embajador, a Dominican stalwart on Washington Street. The portions are huge, but the leftovers are just as tasty the following day." - Erika Adams, Terrence Doyle

Where to Eat in the Dynamic Dining Neighborhood of Jamaica Plain in Boston
View Postcard for El Embajador Restaurant

Ahmed Mane

Google
Nice meals, nice service. El Pollo guisado was delicious

Heather Hall

Google
The food is so delicious! It bring back my former friend’s mother’s cooking! It tastes just like that! So good! My partner and I got white rice with beans and we want to get beef. It was so good! We got fried pork, too and it is so delicious!

Tarsis “Cabra” Martins

Google
Absolutely delicious. The beans were soft and filling. The chicken was tender inside and roasted(?) outside. You may have to wait a bit for the food, and some people may struggle communicating with the staff, but it is well worth the mild inconvenience. Jamaica Plain should be proud to have delicious comfort food like this on their main drag.

Kimmy Brew

Google
I ordered for a 15 person event roasted chicken, rice and beans, and sweet plantains. The food was delicious, seasoned well and more than enough on the portion size. I love supporting Latin businesses, they always deliver on everything.

J TR

Google
Delicious Spanish homemade food and at an affordable prices. The best in town, trust me.

Oscar Marquez

Google
Drinks are ok when they come. Had to wait for my before meal drink to arrive until I was almost done with my meal. Even though I let several staff know several times. Waiters don’t check on you. Drinks arrive without stirrers. Food portions are good for the price but the experience and attitude of servers when you follow up on your order - just choose service for a pleasant experience - SOMEWHERE ELSE Just had them clear the table while still eating dinner. Have to flag a waiter down to ask for salsa again. What else can I say. INCREDIBLE in a BAD WAY.

T L

Google
Fried shrimp was delicious but the rice and beans were excellent!

Garrett Rodrigues

Google
Ordered by phone. Lady only spoke Spanish but was super patient with my attempts at pronouncing things. Beef Patties were the best I’ve ever had, and the chicken empanadas were equally good. The tostones were also hot, fresh and delicious. Will definitely be going back!

Hubert H.

Yelp
Had some takeout here that a friend got for a group of people. Really impressive! The rice was of a nice texture, with beans mixed in. Not too salty, and decently cooked. The fall-off-bone chicken stew was amazing; also not entirely too rich but flavorful and stewed appropriately. The beef stew was a bit too tough, but the meat was still mostly juicy. I wish the sauce and beef coloration was different. Overall, nice home-cooking style meal. Will try some other dishes later!

Kelly O.

Yelp
Huge portions here, that lasted us for meals and meals. My camarones al ajillo were exceptionally garlicy, and while on their own were quite salty, put atop my chosen side- arroz y habichuela, that had plain very fluffy white rice and tasty soupy beans- were very well seasoned and delicious, just what I look for in this dish. The chicken 'rings' were mostly bone but were fried nicely and very crispy with an accompanying vinegary sauce, and the moro de habichuela was a nice side. I was less happy with the mofongo- it was on the dry side, and I've had better. (You also get a salad with beets, because more food? Why not!). Bonus points for being able to order online.

Jose B.

Yelp
Better than average Dominican restaurant which in Boston is not an outstanding commendation as the bar is set pretty low here I'm afraid. Case in point while my fried chicken chunks with bone in a latino specialty while perfectly fried lacked the lime, garlic and oregano taste that makes this fried chicken recipe "Chicharron De Pollo" soar above traditional fried chicken plates. I tried to compensate by squeezing plenty of lime on it but it needs to marinate in lime for the full effect to own your taste buds. Still a decent representation of Dominican food with over twenty years open.

Kevin H.

Yelp
Stumbled across this place, great find with tasty food in huge portions. We had planned to get two meals but when we saw them piling on rice, beans, and chicken stew for one portion we decided it was more than enough. Great value, delicious, will need to come back to try other things on the menu.

Dee C.

Yelp
Back when I lived and worked in JP this was one of my favorite places to eat. Coworkers and I ordered all the time I even got my family hooked. I ate here practically every week during my pregnancy with my second son!!! Miss them!

Zarin B.

Yelp
I live a block away from this place and finally decided to try it today on a whim. Best decision I've made because boy was the food delicious!! We got the chiccarones de pollo (fried chicken), pescado guisada (fish stew), and carne de res guisada (beef stew) with both yellow and white rice. Holy mackerel, everything was so good! And the lady at the counter was super sweet and friendly. She went to show us the whole raw fish that would be used in our fish stew when she saw that we were confused about which to choose. This place will be my new regular!

Kortney S.

Yelp
Y'all. Y'all. Y'all. The food here is so damn good. I ordered takeout from here and there was some struggles on the phone. The person taking the order did not speak much English but we worked it out! I'm so glad we did. This food had me dancing. I got stewed chicken with rice and beans and my boyfriend got friend pork with yellow rice. We also got some empanadas. This place is an absolutely yes for me. The chicken was tender and falling off the bone and so well seasoned. I can't wait to come back and try other menu items.

Beese C.

Yelp
Food made perfectly with a plate size that will put you right to sleep. Came in here one night not knowing what I wanted, the friendly staff just loaded a tray up with a little bit of everything and sent me away with what felt like 10 pounds of food. Really nice people.

Kerrie W.

Yelp
Ordered party trays for my Baby Shower this past weekend. Of course I ordered my favorites. Rice, beans, tostones, and Chicharrones...for 50 people. Everyone absolutely loved the food, no surprise. Food ordering and pick up was a breeze! So glad, made my day!

Aileen V.

Yelp
This little hole in the wall is an amazing place. I was super ecstatic to see that they offered pupusas. It's been so hard to find any place in the North East that actually sells these little stuffed corn griddle cakes. While very similar to arepas, pupusas are traditionally served with pickled cabbage on the side and just plain great. Since this a Dominican joint, it's understandable that the pupusa is a little different as well as the taco. The pupusa a bit more greasy and a bit more toasted on the outside than I liked, but it was still pretty good. The cabbage (curtido) was a more peppery and a little different than the traditional Salvadorian kind, as well. The steak taco I ordered was pretty large and was served on a flour tortilla instead of a corn tortilla. It also was more like a mini burrito then a taco. Overall, though this place is great for some late night greasy Latin food.

John G.

Yelp
I felt like I was beamed up to DR or PR when we entered the door. Chiccharron and Mofongo. Can't wait to go back. The food is real and delicious. Prices are honest. People are warm and welcoming.

Zack D.

Yelp
The fish stew I had the other night calls for an extra star.

Bubbletea B.

Yelp
No major complaints. This is my lunch spot since it is right next to my job. I'm getting a brush up on Spanish since I don't think the woman who takes my orders understands a lot of English. The meat is top notch. Fall off the bone yummy, and the chicharones is as good as my mother-in laws! Very reasonable prices.

Amilton B.

Yelp
Best. Pollo. Guisado. Ever! I brought in a tray of their Pollo Guisado for a potluck at work and the next day everyone who saw me said it was the best thing they ate. I received emails asking complimenting the food as well. The masses have spoken!

Christine R.

Yelp
I love this place, it is a hidden gem! The food is so tasty and the staff is super friendly! My fiancé is not Latino and the server explained a few of the dishes to us in both Spanish for me & English for him and I thought that was a very nice touch!! I ordered Chicken stew with white rice and beans on the side w plantains, he ordered pork stew with yellow rice with beans and fried pork rinds. We both could not stop eating! The sauce for the stew is amazing!! Oxtails are only made on weekends just so you know.

Rachel C.

Yelp
My mother called and ordered on the phone. After about 30 minutes I go in to pick up my order. A gentlemen is in front of me and he picks up his order, pays then leaves. After he leaves I'm at the front counter waiting and waiting. The host seemed busy and frantic, but I continue to wait patiently. The people behind me start yelling orders and the few people behind the counter start yelling their orders to the cook staff. Ok... I wait because nobody asked if I was all set, or if I needed anything. An older lady walks up next to me and starts calling the host. I say host but it is like 2 or 3 people behind the counter packing the food and serving as a waitress. The host takes her order, and as she's paying, two women come in and stand in line behind her. I'm still waiting. The lady finishes paying and leaves and the host immediately looks at the two women behind her and disregards me. I look at her and say in Spanish "I've been waiting here. My mother called and ordered rice and chicken." I didn't even get to finish and the lady gives me an attitude and says "we don't have any orders like that." Mind you she didn't ask, she didn't check, she was just being rude. I was appalled at how rude she was being even though I had been waiting patiently for like 15 minutes. The other nicer host tried to please be by asking what I wanted but I said no thanks and left. I just was not having that terrible attitude, and poor customer service. Spend your money elsewhere. Never will I be coming back and telling my family members never to go there again.

Anna W.

Yelp
I'm an easy-to-please kinda gal, y'know. I really only have three criteria for five-star status: cheap, fast, and delicious. This place is all that and a bag of chips. Though small and quaint, it packs a punch ten times its size. The staff is incredibly friendly and adds to the home-like feel of the restaurant. If you don't understand anything on the menu, or need recommendations on dishes -- just ask! :-) If you want to be simple, rice and beans is the bomb diggity. Otherwise, try one of the delish homemade stews, or the fried plantains. Or, if you're like me and think "the more unhealthy, the better," you really won't be able to resist deep-fried meats... YUM. And, now we get to the "cheap" part -- you can leave here completely stuffed for less than what it costs for the cab ride there. You couldn't beat that with a stick.

Angelina C.

Yelp
$14 buys you all this. - Pollo Guisado for two: meat falling off the bone chicken in a savory red sauce that you'll want to pour over everything. - Rice and beans. So much rice and beans. Pour all the sauce over these and eat and eat and eat. - Red beans in another delicious red sauce that you'll want to pour over everything. - Sweet plantains fried with a sugar coating - Flan to go . . . and napkins. You'll need those. El Embajador satisfies. Period.

Patrice J.

Yelp
Fried chicken pieces without flour and a lime on the side oh sooo sooo good! Food always fresh and made to ord

Edwin M.

Yelp
The Embajador is one of many good Dominican restaurants in Jamaica Plain. What sets it apart from the rest is that amount of space available for guest to sit and the folk like decorations. The food menu is large and you have your choices of soups, rice, meat, and cold beverages. Make sure to try their arroz con guandules (rice with beans), So if you wish to have great tasting food that is made with care, while having a transatlantic experience, then go to the place with the proper title for it, El Embajador!

Augustina L.

Yelp
I'm Dominican, grew up eating my grandmother's cooking. While I can't quite give it 5 stars, it's solid and would definitely come back. Staff is attentive and friendly. Portions are good. Food is flavorful. I also like that it's just a few blocks away from the Green Street metro. Anyway, solid and I would definitely come back. I recommend getting tostones and carne de res asada.

Maria D.

Yelp
Friends, romans, countrymen, lend me your ears (eyes): This hole-in-the-wall Dominican restaurant, just a couple of blocks away from the Green Street orange line train station, should be on your list of 'where I can eat [insert ethnicity adjective] food made by real [insert ethnicity pronoun].' This is where you can eat Dominican food made by real Dominicans. You can either sit down or get it for take-out, but this isn't a hybrid type of place in the way other places can be. This is a low-key restaurant with low-key options in a low-key neighborhood. CELIACS: Most Dominican food is (SOMEWHAT) gluten free. You might have some problem eating here. Dominican cuisine uses a lot of bouillon cubes and they CONTAIN GLUTEN. Please BE SAFE! ****Much-needed disclaimer: This is a ready-to-order Dominican food joint. It is not Mexican. This is *not* a seafood restaurant. I had a sudden urge to eat Dominican food today, and I wanted something close enough to work that it wouldn't be totally out of my way, but different from where I've been before. The place is in a commercial area of Jamaica Plain, surrounded by barber shops and salons that are reminiscent of my youth in New York City. The nostalgia was killing me. I walked into the restaurant, which can be easy to miss because the sign outside says "Mariscos" (*seafood in Spanish), though seafood is not what they make most (or every day). I went here because as much as I love Dominican food and as often as I've seen my mother cook it, I have never learned to make pollo guisado, and that is too delicious to just stop eating. I bought the pollo guisado (chicken stew), accompanied by rice and sweet plantains. I took the food to go, so it was a while before I bit into it. First things first, the chicken was good, but it tasted just a tiny bit odd. Some of the pieces were absolutely amazing; other pieces lacked things as basic as color. When I get chicken and rice, I sometimes get the sauce (or gravy-- the 'stew' part of the chicken) and pour it on my rice. No beans-- not today. When I ordered the lady asked me if I wanted 'plátanos maduros' (sweet plantains), I said yes. I don't really like sweet plantains and I haven't eaten one in probably 3 or 4 years, but I was hungry and they looked good. I got a heaping serving of rice, plantains, and chicken for $8 (total). They say it's to serve 2, but I think the portion I got is actually for 4 people. So generous and I don't feel at all cheated! When I got home (Cambridge), I opened the container and noticed my food was still warm, because it had been freshly cooked when I got it in JP. The food was delicious, *but* it was not the best Dominican food I've ever had. It was, however, the best Dominican meal I have had in Massachusetts. Step up your game, Massachusetts. It's about time..

Alicia B.

Yelp
Feel that in comparison to other Dominican restaurants this one isn't great. The customer service is terrible, the prices inconsistent and the food is mediocre at best.

SR F.

Yelp
I have eaten here over the past here year on several occasions, last night was the best and I want to go back again very soon.. sadly, my wife and I haven't been here often enough, as I have gone here by myself until last night, Here;'s the deal, the left hand menu on the wall is mostly things that are in trays under the warmer, and the guisados ( like a stew) are very good and VERY quick to have served or for takeout.. The right hand side is made to order and mostly consists of seafood. Last night we had the the shrimp guisado and it was superb, most important my wife loved it and the staff are very accommodating. This place is focused on Dominican oriented cuisine, and well made, fresh and nicely seasoned..Simple with vinyl table cloth coverings, but very clean and tranquilo. A MUST!

Katelyn M.

Yelp
El Embajador is a Dominican restaurant in the heart of JP. Came here Friday night with a group of 8. It is a small, authentic DR spot with excellent platanos and pollo (chicken). The juice is fresh squeezed and everything is delicious. We had the arroz con pollo and our friends tried just about everything on the menu. The cazuela (I forget what they called it here) was also delicious. Meals are priced and portioned for 2 ($11-18). Ask for what they recommend and they will give you some selections outside of the menu that are FANTASTIC. The white rice is a bit salty and I wish they served black beans along with the habichuela. Other than that I look forward to returning!

S M.

Yelp
Good Dominican food, point blank. Not too expensive. Finding parking on Washington street can be a pain, but I usually get lucky and find one pretty close by. Do not come here expecting an over-the-top fancy place. Also, do not be alarmed by the ladies at the front counter dancing merengue while they are making your milkshakes or serving your food :-).

Clarida M.

Yelp
THIS IS NOT MEXICAN FOOD!!! I am mexican, dominican and puerto rican and I know the difference :-) I tried to correct the yelp description, but it's been locked by Yelp. The food made here is traditional dominican food and it's DELICIOUS!!! This is my go-to spot when I'm unable to travel to get the real goods (my mom's latin home cooking). Food Suggestions: White Rice & Beans Yellow Rice & Pigeon beans Pollo en Salsa/Pollo Guisado (Chicken in redish sauce) Chicharones (Fried pork..mmmm) Sancocho (Beef, chicken, pork stew) Tostones (fried green plantain) Maduros (fried sweet yellow plantain) Flan (custard dessert) DELICIOUS!!! I don't recommend the pastelitos (beef puff pastry) here - although they are yummy, they have raisins in them, which completely throws me off. It's also pretty inexpensive. $12 feeds me for 3-4 meals. You really can't beat it. I've tried a BUNCH of the other latin restaurants in JP, Dorchester and Mattapan, and few compare to this hidden gem. I HIGHLY recommend this place.

Daniel S.

Yelp
I was really not a fan. I was pretty excited by the positive reviews of this place and wanted to love it, but I went for dinner and found the chicken I ordered to be extremely dry and the rice and beans okay. I don't like to be too negative, maybe I just ordered the wrong thing, but this was one of the worse meals I've eaten in the past year and I don't plan on coming back. The portions were huge, which I like in general, but in this case that didn't do much for me.

Richard W.

Yelp
Brilliant. Generous serving of really tasty stew, rice, beans etc. for two people for $12.

Sereia C.

Yelp
TONS of food for very little money. Come starving, and bring your Spanish. I didn't see an English menu, and 75% of the menu board on the wall was en Espanol as well. Sweet fried plantains are super fab.

Jowanna G.

Yelp
While visiting the paper supply store I decided this stop into this restaurant for something to eat. I've seen a lot of customers visit the location and I said why not, let's try them. One of the worse food decisions that I have made. I had the stewed chicken with rice and beans and plantains, the flan, and a pineapple shake. The shake was awesome, nice fruit taste blended with milk and ice. The rest of the meal was downhill, the chicken dry, flavorless, and inedible. The rice was mushy white rice with canned beans. The flan tasted like tasteless scrambled baked eggs. Do yourselves a favor and go elsewhere.

Rick P.

Yelp
Really good. I'll defer to others that say it is Dominican, not Mexican. For me, it didn't matter, it was delicious regardless of the label, I say that with the greatest respect of my taste buds! Good service, very friendly and helpful. I will come back.

Luis A.

Yelp
Real dominican seafood, or Criollo taste of home.. All the ingredients/ seasonings made from scratch. I know the real thing from the artificial adobo ruined foods from other places..I'm dominican so im a little bias. but it's such good food. modest ambiance super friendly staff.

Trudy H.

Yelp
Delicious Dominican food. The beef stew with rice and beans is excellent. The empanadas are also fantastic, as is the tres leches dessert.

Liz C.

Yelp
Great, authentic Dominican food joint in Boston. The staff /service was warm and friendly, and very cordial. They were helpful with making selections on their vast menu or offers of the day, and were more than willing to accommodate whatever we wanted, which was wonderful. The 'puerco guisado' (pork) and rice and beans tasted just like home - honestly. The pastelitos (of beef) and tostones (fried green plantains) were great. It's nice to see that Boston has some authentic Dominican restaurants with warm service around. The restaurant itself is quite simple but pleasant. Very conveniently situated just two blocks from the Orange line Green St. stop., which makes it very easy for a quick jaunt for dinner even from Boston. In short, I will be back when I crave home cooking. Even more amusing, was seeing Univision on the flatscreen, can we get any more authentic???

Benay K.

Yelp
Stopped in here because our other plans fell through and this was nearby. What a find. We absolutely LOVED this authentic Dominican restaurant. Generous portions and fair prices. We had the chicken stew on the yellow rice and a side of plantains. There was enough for us both and it was so good!

Ben M.

Yelp
El Embajador means The Ambassador in Spanish. The exterior looks inviting with a set of old school signs vertically stacked. Don't try to find the name of the restaurant, which is the top sign on a faded Dominican flag, just look for the address and the huge "Mariscos" (seafood) sign. Outside the restaurant, older men were having an animated conversation in Spanish. Inside, the place sports a light green color scheme with table cloths topped with plastic. The food was terrific and inexpensive. One confusing thing on the menu was the stews, where it said something about being for two people. The waitress said "two?" and we said yes... Then we each got the largest amount of food ever sold to a person this side of the mason dixon line. What we ordered was Pollo Guisado (stewed chicken), with green and yellow plantains on the side. The green plantains were prepared pressed, then flash fried, with some salt. The yellows were the ripe, banana-like medallions that were soft and had a caramel crunch. Green plantains came out yellow, yellow plantains were brown (since they were fried with a sugar coating). The chicken, served with rice and beans for $12 each person, was falling off the bone, juicy, slightly spicy, savory and delicious. When you spoon the pink beans over the rice with the dark red sauce from the chicken, and create a bite with the chicken, you might as well be in heaven.

Jeremy B.

Yelp
How did it get tagged as Mexican? Hmmph. Anyways, this was my first voyage into Dominican food, so 1) I may sound like an idiot to those of you who are Dominican or familiar with this stuff and 2)I haven't anything to compare it to. I got a lunch special: Chicken stew (pollo guisado, I think?), rice and beans. Very satisfying, home-cooked, great value! But the standouts were really, as far as a "new food epiphany" goes, maduros, which are fried sweet plantains....oh gawd, I'm drooling. And...I saw something that looked like pork belly. It had to be. I had to ask. "Chicharron!" she replied, when I asked what that hunk of golden, layered meat was, in my under-utilized Spanish. Then, she cut off a chunk and gave it to me. YES. So, I spent the next few weeks attempting to kill my entire family via clogged arteries by trying to replicate this delicacy: pork belly which is cooked in its own slowly rendered fat.

Natural A.

Yelp
THIS IS NOT MEXICAN FOOD!!! I personally don't like Mexican food in America, but love the Mexican food in Mexico, but I digress! This is a DOMINICAN restaurant! Let me start off by saying, no it's not in the best part of JP, but the police station is about a block away if that makes you feel better. In addition, many of the E-13 officers often frequent this establishment, so rest assured that BPD has your back and just enjoy your food. The food here is pretty good and the service is great (much much better than Meringue). I love the pastellitos aka empanadas-yes, they have raisins that is one of the things I like about them. I've only had the beef pastellito and it is and the meat is very well seasoned. It is the best pastellito in Boston (if you've had the empanadas at Tango-you will love this one). The pollo guisado (stew chicken) is delicious and you can't go wrong with rice and beans. Many of the other dishes look great. I've noticed they have lambi guisado (conch) on the menu which I am dying to try. I haven't had their shakes, but notice many people order them. I've watched them make them and the ingredients look like they are on point. Did I mention it's pretty cheap? That makes this a great place to eat!!!

Nicole M.

Yelp
i am positive we were just ripped off. we ordered pollo guisado. two of us. we even clarified with the waitress that we only wanted one order. small plate of rice, small bowl of beans, and three bone in pieces of stewed chicken (not a ton of meat). ok - that sounds about right for one person. we ate - there weren't really leftovers - get the check. they charged us for two orders. If there had been way more food it would have made sense and looking around at what other tables had, it seemed like the size of the plate of rice we were given was what was served to one person. we tried to clarify but the waitress was using lack of english as an excuse. so unless you think that amount of food is worth $24 then don't bother. and they were not friendly to us either. we weren't rude and we didn't do anything offensive so not sure what was up with that. the guisada sauce is delicious though - now i just need to find a recipe because it is doubtful i will go back there after this.