El Peñol 3

I feel bad. I don’t like leaving poor reviews, especially when I felt like service and particularly the atmosphere was lovely. But we ordered a variety of food and almost all of it was… terrible. Looking at other reviews I’m wondering if the regular chef wasn’t working tonight or what. More details follow: It was a beautiful September evening and my friend and I wanted to try someplace that had outdoor seating. I’ll say this much: the atmosphere was great both inside and out. Service was friendly and pleasant. We decided to order a cornucopia of foods. 2 beef empanadas, cubitos en queso frito con salsa de piña, ceviche de chicharrón, and some chicken rice. I’ll go item by item. The fried cheese curds were generally tasteless, akin to fried paneer but without the delicious saag. This shouldn’t have been a problem given it ostensibly came with this pineapple salsa which is the reason I ordered it. I do not fabricate when I say this “salsa” had the identical consistency and taste of the kind of lemon icing one might dribble across a Bundt cake. Even had I been in the mood for dessert it was dizzyingly sweet. The chicken rice was mediocre. Having recently lived with a family from Costa Rica, (and I know, Costa Rica and Columbia are different cuisines but still) knowing the explosion of flavor and texture this dish could elicit, I couldn’t help but feel terribly disappointed. I will say, the rice came with some fried plantains. Those were cooked and made just fine. Nothing spectacular but they were by far the best thing I ate tonight. The empanadas, which had been explicitly recommended to us by the server, were unbelievably tasteless. It’s hard to overstate how bland they were. They were the last items served and by that point we were desperately hoping for anything redeeming in our meal and both of us were marveling how they could possibly screw up the flavor of something so basic. But I will say this much: it was edible. Which brings me to the last item on the menu: the ceviche de chicharrón. I’ll say this much, the underlying ceviche (what little of it there was) was flavorful and tasty and I tried desperately to get what little I could on my fork, which was a challenge as it lay underneath a mountain of some of the worst and most undercooked pork belly I’ve ever had the displeasure of eating. I have a very high tolerance for all kinds of food and protein. But these cracklings were so simultaneously sinewy, rubbery, and just under under cooked, that I was forced multiple times to swallow the piece of meat whole that chew on it like a piece of slimy shoe leather. After trying valiantly with four separate pieces, I put up the white flag and surrendered. The amount of meat dwarfed the actual decent tasting ceviche underneath, which meant it was almost impossible to enjoy anything about it. I don’t take pleasure in writing bad reviews and I try very hard to eat at restaurants where I have hopes that the food will be good. I cannot recall the last time I tried somewhere where everything I had (except for the plantains) were actively bad. We tried a variety of dishes and every one was either bland, unappetizing, or downright inedible, and often a combination thereof. I don’t know if they were afraid to subject a couple of gringitos to flavor but it’s been a long time since I’ve so actively disliked the food at any restaurant. I’m sorry. Oops! Almost forgot we ordered potatoes as well. Unbelievably bland and under seasoned. Everything was a miss tonight.

The food here is amazing everyone and anyone must try their food, it’s fresh, pricing is reasonable and if you ask me quantity is right for the price keep up the good work to the cooks in the kitchen and the staff serving front. Every time I come here I try something new and I’m never disappointed it’s always a good experience

Colombian and local guide here. I order take out from this location so I can’t comment about the in restaurant experience. Take out from this place is great! My go to order is the sancocho de res. If you want food that taste like a delicious homemade meal and it is cheap ($12) then try this! For 12 bucks you get two portions of soups enough for lunch and dinner. The soup is comes with rice, sweet plantains and salad on the side. It is delicious! Highly recommend! Vegetarian options are limited. My husband orders the veg paella here but not a place I would personally recommend for veg.

Great Latin restaurant in Brookline MA on Harvard St. Easy to get to by transit, located in a nice area with lots of restaurants and shops. The menu had quite a few options and the quality and quantity was very good. Definitely recommended 👌.

I am still raving about this food 24 hours after eating it. The lomo salteado was perfectly seasoned and beautifully cooked. The tostoncitos and the cheese arepa were both delicious. Overall an amazing stop here for super reasonable price and I’ll definitely be going back.

Like others have mentioned, this is now a Colombian restaurant! Had a great experience trying the new menu. The food was fantastic, portions were very very generous, and service was attentive and friendly. I’m excited to come back and try more.

Absolutely incredible Columbian food served by super attentive, helpful and pleasant staff! I have been going to the original location in East Boston for years and I have to admit, I was sceptical to try the other two; but I'm glad I did (one at least)! The quality of food and service maintains the high bar of the original, undoubtedly. The food (and pictures of it) speaks for itself, so I'll praise the staff: thanks so much for taking care of us! We were a walk-in table of 4 at Sunday brunch (note: they do not take reservations on the weekends) and not only was our waitress extremely attentive and helpful, but it felt like everyone working in the front of the house wanted to make sure we had the best experience possible. Everyone was quick to answer questions, explain and offer suggestions on menu items, and make sure we got exactly what we wanted, even if we didn't know quite what that was! Thanks for the great meal! We can't wait to see you all again!

Walked in as a party of 7. We expected a wait but the staff told us it would be 20 minutes. Those 20 then 30 minutes passed. We called back to get an update but no answer. We walked in 40 minutes after the initial check in to see if they mistaked our number. They told us that the table was still not ready. We decided to leave. As we’re getting ready to find a different restaurant, driving away they called us shortly after saying that it’s ready. The misleading wait time and lack of courtesy was disappointing but we were hungry. We sat. We weren’t given menus and had to ask. They forgot some of our drinks and took long to touch our table. The food was okay but the meal we ordered didn’t come with one item. The arepa. After requesting it we received it cold. I told staff and they told me they’re made in the morning. They gave me food sitting out since the the morning and didn’t even try to let me know they were old and cold. It was around 4 when we ate. At least explain to me before hand ? At least try to heat it up? The poor service would result in a poor tip but we had to deal with the auto gratuity. I can assume that the auto gratuity made them more likely to ignore our table. I do not recommend this restaurant as they wasted our time with the misquoted wait time and had made many mistakes in service.

" Traditional Colombian Food " This establishment is located near my home . It's a traditional Colombian restaurant. It's a bit upscale and pricey . Not an authentic vibe more like a trendy vibe . Full bar inside as well . Music is loud . The food is good . The empanadas are made fresh as you order . That's the cool aspect about this place . (Usually at other places they leave the empanadas out). The service is not bad either . On a rainy day nothing like " soupa de Reís " at this place . Parking is limited to street metered, as they have no parking lot .

This spot is very unassuming amongst a wide range of restaurants in the Brookline area. I was excited to try this Colombian food because you can't find a ton of that outside of the Jamaica Plains area! Food: We got the Classic Colombian plate which came with chicharrón, chorizo, steak, plantains, egg, rice, and beans. A very hearty plate! The chicharrón and chorizo were good but the steak was too dry. The beans were very flavorful and went well with all the meats. If you like meat, this is a great dish for you and I like that it was a sampler of what they offered. We also ordered grilled fish and shrimp in a cream sauce. The sauce was creamy and delectable but a little too heavy for lunch. The shrimp was nice and plump and absorbed the flavors well. Lastly, we ordered the beef empanadas. These were simple and delicious. The filling was warm and seasoned perfectly. The outer layer was crispy and chewy at the same time. Price: Each plate was about $18-$20. My friend and I were definitely full after two dishes and the empanadas. The empanadas were $1.50 each and I wish I got 10 of them! Overall, I would definitely go again. This is a great spot for a casual meal and for expanding your taste buds!

Casual restaurant was pleasant service and good food at affordable prices. Extensive menu with lots to choose from. Tried the popular traditional plate. Bandeja paisa and was pleased with the tasty variety of items it came with.

I've been eyeing this place for quite some time and was able to finally get out to it this weekend. We arrived just around noon on a Saturday and it wasn't too busy (which is surprising!) The interior of the restaurant is also really nice and clean - it looks like a quiet, nice sit down restaurant even though there is no dress code our party (and other patrons) were wearing normal home clothes or hoodies. It was very comfortable and clean without being uptight at all which I really enjoyed. But as nice as the restaurant is, the real star of the show is the food. After just one meal, I can absolutely say that I will be back (again and again and again), as the food we ordered was really fresh and delicious, and the helpings were extremely generous for the price. On top of that, their entire menu looks incredible and there are so many dishes I'd like to try (most of the breakfast items, the cazuelas, fried trout with mushroom cream, salmon a la plancha, and chicken churrasco, to name a few). What I did try today was: Ceviche de Chicharron ($7.50) - I wasn't sure what this was at first since I thought it would be fish ceviche with crispy pork bits on top, but it actually ended up being loads of crispy pork belly in a ceviche style with tangy onions. cilantro, and fresh lime juice. It was served with a lot of acid and two large fried plantains, which mixed incredibly well - fat and acid always do. If I had known what this was before ordering, I may have not ordered it, but it really surprised me - the fattiness mixed with the lime and onion really balanced out quite nicely and as strange as it is to say, this fried pork belly dish was refreshing. For $7.50, this was a really great find! Bandeja Penol (Penol Plate) - Grilled steak, pork belly rind, fried egg, rice, beans, sweet plantains, and corn cake with Colombian sausage ($18.50) - this was my main dish, and it was a LOT. The amount of food and variety included for this price was definitely worth it and a great deal. It actually didn't come with the corn cake today, but it was still enough for me to take home and have almost a full second meal with the leftovers. Let's break it down. Grilled steak - This was seasoned well and actually surprisingly tender for how thin and cooked it was. It was still juicy and tasty despite being a very thin piece of meat, and it definitely left me satisfied for my steak craving. Pork Belly Rind - This was BEAUTIFUL. It was cut into small chunks all held together by crispy skin, and it was hot, fresh, crispy, juicy, and fatty - everything you'd want in pork belly. Each piece of this was a true treasure and I'd go back just for this in the future. Fried egg - Standard, but nice and over easy. Runny yolk which added a lot to the rice and steak that it was paired with. Rice - Standard rice, no issues here. Beans - The beans have pork in them! They were nice and smoky with a lot of great flavor and pieces of meat and fat mixed throughout. Just this with the rice would have been very tasty, but with everything else involved in this dish it really was something special. Sweet plantains - I'm not sure how to eat these or mix with the meat, but I had them on their own and they were deliciously smoky with a nice sweet aftertaste. It wasn't too sweet by any means, and it also wasn't as dry as some of the starchier plantains. A nice addition! Corn cake - this was on the menu as included but was not on my plate. Still, the meal was very filling Colombian sausage - This was very hearty and dense. The flavor was wonderfully meaty and salty, and it mixed nicely with the egg yolk and rice and beans. All I can say is - WOW. This place is amazing. The restaurant is clean and comfortable, the menu is packed with attractive dishes, the food is tasty and fresh, the portions are humongous, and the price is extremely affordable (especially for what you get). This will definitely not be the last time I come here, and I'm so happy that this is in the neighborhood. 5/5 - will absolutely return!

All my Colombian friends love coming here. I've only checked out the Brookline location. I'm Salvadoran so I trust their judgement over mine, but I've also enjoyed everything I've tried here. The Bandeja Paisa - a classic nice sampler of so many flavors. Huge plate! So get if you are hungry or share with someone. Get Arepas, yuca frita, and Tostoncitos con guacamole to share. Carne Asada was decent - I prefer Mexican style Carne Asada but it was good. My friend loved her sopa de pescado.

My first time trying Colombian food and it was bomb. The portions here are huge. We tried their sampler for an appetizer which had a bit of everything. My favorites were the fried yuca and pork belly. We ordered the trout with cream sauce and seafood paella. Flavors were really good except the plantains tasted bland. For dessert, we got the tres leches, but it wasn't great. I hear the churros are good so I'll have to try that next time. Also I'd skip on their drinks because it's around $15 for one but I felt like I was just drinking juice I want to come back to try the other dishes on their menu though. There's a lot of tables so it's good for solo or groups.

The service here is really poor. The place is not even busy and there's plenty of waitresses yet it took forever to get a drink and the check. The food wasn't good. I got the bandeja Peñol the beans were nasty, the rice was decent, the sausage was nasty. This was just not it. I was starving and the taste of this food was bad.

On October 13, 2024, we had lunch at Penol 3 in Brookline with about 14 people, and our total bill came to $485.81. Despite this amount, we were asked to leave because we stopped ordering more food and drinks, and some of the waitstaff seemed unhappy serving us. We had agreed to have only one check, which caused some frustration as it took us a while to divide the bill. Even the manager, who was otherwise nice, eventually asked us to leave. This was the first time we've ever been asked to leave a place after spending nearly $500.

Mostly pleased with my experience here. The bread made of corn (not corn bread) was pretty dry and fragile, but the meat itself was excellent, id order tbis again

That food are so delicious will be back again el penol 3 those people are nice and great work how really good food will be back again

Since it's fairly new, I don't know if a lot of people know this place yet but it was fairly empty when we visited. Quiet and quick attentive service. I would say the prices range from fair to a bit on the pricier end -- would say this is like an upscale Colombian restaurant. For drinks, we got the lulu and papaya milk drinks -- both were SO creamy, well blended and delicious. The lulu milk was sour and sweet in a good way and the papaya was very sweet -- and I was glad you could taste the papaya. They have these milk drinks in other flavors like mango, passion fruit, soursop and more -- definitely will be coming back to try more! I was debating between three entrees so the waitress recommended us the lengua criolla. She mentioned it's softer and moist (you could choose between the criolla aka saucy/stew-like or the plancha aka grilled but she said plancha is a bit drier since it's grilled). Y'all, this did not disappoint!! Hands down one of my new favorite entrees that I would definitely order again. The lengua was moist indeed and I was surprised how tender they made this to be. The sauce was flavorful as well. My husband got their shrimp and beef picadillo -- the shrimp was really tasty and they gave a reasonable amount in it. The beef was good but a bit stiff. My husband came once before and he really enjoyed their grilled chicken the most and said he would definitely want to order that again (over the shrimp and beef picadillo dish). Lastly, for dessert, we tried their tres leches. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't say it's my favorite. Compared to other tres leches, it is drier and more similar to a normal vanilla cake. So far, my favorite tres leches in the Boston area is at Dona habana. Otherwise, this Colombian restaurant has a lot of wonderful gems that are worth trying!

Food was very flavorful, filling and, while simple, well done. Service was fine, no complaints but also not stellar. The ambiance was casual. We sampled a shredded steak and egg dish that was marketed as traditional and was very good. The overall cuisine was also on the saltier side.

Excellent service, my waitress Monica loved the fish soup and flan everything was well presented. Great Columbian food

Love everything about the place. The location has plenty of street parking if you go in the evening for dinner. They offer breakfast as well starting late mornings. The food is authentic Latin cuisine and did not disappoint. We ordered the pupusa with chicharon but they ran out of pupusa which was substituted with a large plantain. They probably should have added 2 but it was something to pick at while we waited for the food. The chicharon was cooked perfectly. We all enjoyed them. Especially my sons. Our main dishes were grilled chicken, white rice with red beans, sweet plantain and a fried egg on the rice for me and my boys. The wife ordered the shrimp skewers which also came with white rice but no red beens and green fried plantains. We had to order them separately for some strange reason. We all enjoyed the tasty food very much. The boys ordered coconut lemonade which blew our minds. It was so refreshing and tasty. There are a wide variety of specialty drinks and I saw other tables with adult beverages that looked amazing. It was my wife's birthday and I asked the waitress on the side if they had a birthday desert with a candle which she replied with a few options. We went with the churros with vanilla ice cream and the plate was drizzled with just a bit of caramel and chocolate topped off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. The churros themselves were warm and crunchy outside with a soft moist inside. They were amazing and the best churros I ever had. We all loved and enjoyed it with the birthday girl. There were 4 large churros. Enough for all of us. The team also sang a Spanish traditional birthday song to my wife. I can't wait to go back. The prices were very reasonable and the place was not crowded on a Sunday night. They played music in the background but it was not very loud and enjoyable. People sang along to some song randomly at times.

A welcome addition to the local variety in restaurants. Serving all the typical food from Columbia and very well represented give it a try.

Great place and reasonable price! The food almost made me feel like I was back in Colombia ( I'm from Colombia) :). The bandeja had great chicharrones and the sopa de mondongo was very flavorful.

Bandeja Paisa is very very good as well as the Camarones.. service was good and the decor is ok and clean. Went for lunch on way back to ny and we were very satisfied with our choice...

It's good to see more Hispanic restaurants open in the area. I'm glad you can get their food via delivery apps as I'm rarely in Brookline. The pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken) is wonderful and the serving size is large. I also had their tostones and arepas and everything was great. Can't wait to try other dishes from this restaurant.

Food was great and service was amazing! Prices are extremely reasonable having portion size in mind!

This is a very cute restaurant. Not too big & not too small, definitely recommend for lunch or dinner. There is a bar with nice drinks. Food was amazing, everything tasted fresh and very good flavor. The staff/waitresses are very friendly. Flan was okay but other than that, I'd come here again.

Excellent food, service and atmosphere! I usually go to the original in East Boston, however I wanted to try their new location. #3 might actually be their best location. They have a wonderful bar area with attentive servers and the bartenders no how to make an excellent drink. If you're looking for authentic Colombian cuisine, this is the place to be.

The food here is great! It tasted like real Latin food, not like American versions of Latin food. The servers were very attentive, and the prices were reasonable. You can speak Spanish or English in here. :) We will definitely be going back!

Average tasting. Would not make special trip or return. Enjoyed the Sangria but nothing else.

The food was delish. Price was reasonable and service was great. Def worth it! Authentic Colombian food :)

Wonderful authentic tostones! The meat is delicious. Staff is kind, and although we usually get takeout the restaurant looks nice. Full of native Spanish speakers which is a good sign.

I love this place, a true hidden gem in Brookline. A little new to South American food, have been here three times since they opened since I live around the corner. Great food, very reasonable and friendly staff. Don't pass it up.

I've ordered take out from here a bunch of times and the food is tasty and flavorful. I highly recommend!

Everything about this place was amazing, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations! The restaurant itself is modern looking with open space and plenty of room for tables. The menu is huge, but everything we ordered was delicious! Some standouts were the yuca fries, tostones, and tres leches cake. You've got to check this place out next time you're by Coolidge Corner!

This is the taste of the original arroz con pollo I fell in love with. I don't remember the name of the place I first had it and it's been years, but it was scrumptious just like this was. Their sancocho is also really good. The white rice was seasoned and cooked perfect. Will definitely eat here again.

Great service and the food was absolutely delicious, flavorful, good portions and reasonable prices for once! Can't wait to back!

There used to be a deli here before but decided to stop by here a 3rd time & highly recommend it..Good old Colombian comfort food. The empanadas are deli. So much on the menu to choose from but played it safe with the bandeja Paisa. Also recommend the Sobebarriga or flank steak. Great place to bring your friends on a Friday nite. Good times!! Only issue was the reaggeton music.

Honestly Peñol has gone downhill, worst experience ever. Servers were very rude and not professional and let's not talk about the owners/managers. The way they treat employees is not acceptable. This Peñol and the one in Revere is nothing like the first Peñol in east boston. Never had a bad experience over there in East Boston. Should do better.

Food was excellent. Staff were professional and friendly. Great place and ambiance. Highly recommended and def my new go to place. Bienvenidos a Brookline!

Appreciated the flexibility of the staff, to serve our large-ish party towards the end of an evening. They were also able to accommodate some of our dietary restrictions, substituting sides that came with the entrees (note: the beans have pork) which was also much appreciated. The fried yuca was delicious, crispy on the outside, yet soft and fluffy on the inside. The sweet plantains didn't have extra sugar (as far as I could tell); I appreciated the natural sweetness. I ordered the carne asada. It was a thin cut of beef, it was pretty tender and a decent sized portion. The white rice was a bit on the crunchy side, but it didn't bother me because I was already full from the other components on the plate. A dipping sauce for the yucca would've been great, and a fresh element on the plate with some acidity, perhaps a garnish of some sort (cilantro? Lime?) would've taken the meal to the next level. Overall, I would definitely come back and try other items on the menu.