El Potro Mexican Bar & Grill

What do you get when you combine good food, great atmosphere and phenomenal hospitality??? El Potro! This Mexican restaurant hit all the right vibes. Focussing on fresh ingredients and traditional Mexican flavors. Some of our favorite bites were the queso and mole enchiladas! I loved the margaritas made with house made margarita mix. Even the decor is all sourced right from Mexico. We most definitely will be back and I encourage anyone reading this review to check them out!

With tip, nearly 30 dollars... Not going to lie, I was expecting 20, maybe 22 dollars max with tips. For 3 shrimp enchiladas, beans, and rice. I should have looked at the prices first... Given its demeanor and the type of food, I figured that the food would be more affordable... I could literally have gone next door to a way higher quality German restaurant for a meal for 25 dollars... Or literally anywhere else for a way nicer meal for 30 dollars including tip... Mexican food is apparently no longer considered cheap lmfao I cannot recommend this restaurant, when for the same price there are so many better options in the nearby restaurants.

Great no-frills spot with good food and great service. Very chill outdoor patio. The servers were all very warm, friendly, and accommodating. My wife's veggie fajitas were too oily, but overall tasty and filling. My pollo asado was well cooked, grilled nicely, not dry, and good. We definitely will come again!

Normally I don’t get crazy excited about Mexican food, but El Potro changed my mind about that. This by far has been my best experience with Mexican food in Boston, and I’d recommend El Potro to anyone craving the Mexican comfort food and comfort vibes! Even the refried beans (I normally order all rice) were tasty and not mushy at all. What we ordered: Guacamole: solid guac, no complaints. They give a lot too Tamale: presented beautifully and was delicious, packed with pork and topped with a hot sauce. Chile Relleno: bell pepper stuffed with very juicy carnitas and topped with a nice portion of melted cheese, not skimpy but not too overwhelming. This was my boyfriend's and my favorite dish! Enchilada Trio: 3 shredded beef enchiladas with green, red, and mole sauce. Their mole uses a semisweet chocolate (rather than the bitter dark you find at most restaurants that I don't like), this was a surprising hit for me! The red sauce one was my favorite. We had Churros and Fried Ice Cream for dessert, and the fried ice cream was HUGE. I wouldn't have been able to finish it myself.

This place is one of my favorites because the food is so good, but it's expensive. $60 for a take out meal and I ordered the same thing every time and paid different amounts from $52 to $59... Either way... good food but pricey.

Just came here to have drinks with my girlfriend. The manager on duty was very disrespectful. I ordered a coconut margarita. The drink costed $13. When I received my check, I noticed that I was charged $16. I asked the manager about it. He told me that the extra $3 was for taxes even though as you can see on my receipt, I was already charged for taxes. He took the check. It took him 15 minutes just to change the amount. When I got my check back, he only took $1.14 off my check and said he wasn’t supposed to do that which is definitely not true. Avoid this place at all cost and go somewhere else. This management will try to get over on you.

Food Can Metal taste in the beans Rice tasted like 2 days old, no flavor Chips super stale. Margarita watered down Ordered a fajita burrito roll. Un rolled it to add hot sauce. 2 pieces of meat inside.. WTF.. on top of that, they added tons and tons of cheese on top of all the food thinking it was gonna give it flavor.. Felt like I was eating a frozen food dinner..

Excellent Mexican food and extremely friendly and attentive staff! Great frozen margaritas! Highly recommend!!

We came on a Friday around 6:30 pm and got seated immediately- both outdoors and indoors available. Our waiter took quite a while to get to us, so we were sitting for a while despite being ready to order. The food also took a while to come out, but we snacked on the complementary chips and salsa. I thought the carne asada was decent- nothing special but satisfied my craving. The rice was pretty bland, however, and so was the guac. The spinach enchilada was not what we expected, and very milky/liquidy/creamy. The churros were pretty good! Definitely a must try. They were piping hot and the strawberry flavor wasn't artificial at all. Went nicely with the ice cream too. I will say that the price is also expensive for what you get (though the portion sizes are very filling).

Delishhhhh Mexican food. The inside was nice, and the furniture was made in Mexico. The salsa was good and spicy and the guacamole was standard. The nachos were probably the last nachos I've ever had they each had beans, cheese and chicken on them and a hefty amount and chip was still standing strong which is always a positive sign. The enchiladas tejanas was my favorite dish of the day. It was cheesy and delicious. The churros also had the good Dulce delicious inside of them and were crispy. Joe walked us through the menu and you can tell he's very passionate which is always awesome and our server was very sweet and attentive.

Awesome chicken taco salad with free warm tortillas and salsa. Service !! Prices reasonable too.

So great to have authentic Mexican food in Boston, not a town known for this. Lived in LA for 8 years and this always hits the spot. Friendly service and nice space

I eat here often enough that I'm surprised I haven't done a review before. My go-to dish here is always a carne asada burrito. It is such a huge burrito that I can only manage 1/3 while my husband has the other 2/3. I like the carne asada tacos as well. I haven't personally had it but my brother had the Baja Salmon and said it was really good. And from my short review you can tell I'd highly recommend the carne asada burrito ;)

Customer service was great. They provided chips and dip and water as soon as we sat down. I ordered a frozen pina colada which wasn't the best. Very weak on the alcohol and it consisted of a lot of ice chunks instead of that smooth consistency that you expect from a frozen drink. I'm guessing they need a better blender. Food ordered was a chicken burrito and the appetizer of nachos (half chickens and half shredded beef). Burrito was about $19 which at first I was like oh hell no but once I saw the portion size, it was worth it. Food was delicious and well seasoned.

Amazing. The food here is literally so good. Do yourself a favor and stop here this week.

I come to El Potro occasionally whenever I want decent Mexican food. I love ordering their dishes as they come with a variety of things in one dish. The waitress was very nice and seated us immediately. She also brought us chips and salsa while we were browsing the menu. This time, I ordered the Chile relleno with beef while my boyfriend ordered the quesadilla. The Chile relleno was not bad but was on the sweeter side. I enjoyed mixing it with all the rice, beans, lettuce, and sour cream together. Each pepper was stuffed with a good amount of beef, which I greatly appreciated. I would not say this is the best Mexican food I have had, but it is pretty solid with great portions and prices. I would come back every now and then when I am around in the area.

Amazing! My second visit here and I am not disappointed. Tried the carnitas chimichanga as well as shredded chicken carnitas and the shrimp enchiladas. OH. MY. GOD. So good! Also, for cinnamon lovers, their flan is like a gift from heaven! I don't even believe in heaven, but trust me - it's a gift from heaven! Friendly staff and pretty good drinks too. The prices were super reasonable, and there is no bs here as far as flavor is concerned. I highly recommend.

Great atmosphere, great service, amazing food. Loved the chips. Love everything. They also cater to vegans. My mom asked for enchiladas - which normally are filled w cheese. Our waitress didn't even blink... normally it's a little complicated ordering but here it was so easy!

DON'T EAT HERE I would rate this lower than a one star if I could. Do not waste your money coming here, and certainly not to this location. First of all, they have a list where they write people's names down that they don't adhere to. I stood at their register and waited to be seated for over 15 minutes. Two parties came in after me, who were seated immediately. When I brought this to their attention they then wrote down my name for the first time and tried to seat me in-between other guests in a table with no space to get in and out. For a place that doesn't take reservations and is "first come, first serve" as they call it- you should get the first table to become available. If they even write your name down in the first place. The staff was rude and ignorant. I'm not sure how they missed me standing there waiting in front of their cash register for 15 minutes? The way the restaurant is set up is a complete fire-hazard. There are tables everywhere with no room to actually get up and out of anywhere. It was a total mess, let alone unsafe. As well, if you plan to have seating where you sit with other families and people at the same table, say so! It will let people that want to eat there, decide whether or not they want to do that. There was nothing done about a couple of people (homeless, etc.) coming in and yelling at people that were in there trying to eat their food??? And lastly, I chose to leave this "fine" establishment after being ignored for 15 minutes and then sent to a table where there was no room to breathe, let alone eat or talk. So I didn't get a chance to try their food. It didn't look appetizing though. My advice, save yourself $60 and go somewhere else! There are WAY better places to get Mexican food- try Cantina La Mexicana down the street or Felipe's in Harvard Square.

Incredible top notch place with incredible staff and food!! I ordered the Monterrey chicken which was loaded with cheese and grilled veggies and a massive piece of grilled chicken the vegetable enchilada was the freshest tortilla ever!! The mescal margarita was amazing and had just the right amount of smoke!!

This place has a cool atmosphere, filled with furniture straight from Mexico. An authentic vibe, with a huge menu. We especially loved the margartas and the Pollo a La Crema (literally so good). Another great appetizer was the Queso- I love a good queso dip. I love a good Mexican place and this is for sure one. There's a few locations too- so check one out!

I haven't been able to find great let alone decent Mexican food in the greater Boston area. And now.. I have. I've been scouring Boston, Waltham, Framingham, Newton, etc, but somehow missed my own neighborhood??? I really came for chips and salsa and a margarita and I was NOT disappointed. Their spicy margarita had jalapeños IN their marg mix and was a good level of heat. It wasn't some hipster flavor profile (not hatin, just statin) not was it too syrupy/sugary. The chips and salsa were fresh. So there ya go. I got what I came for. BUT we were also hungry, so ordered food. I was so CONFUSED. The shrimp enchiladas had some of the best cooked shrimp I've had.. L.O.L. How is that possible? Amaze. Grilled chicken burrito was late and lovely. Small place. Solid Mexican joint atmosphere. Quick service. Do it.

My absolute favorite Mexican restaurant in Massachusetts!!! It comes so close to the Mexican food I love in the south and the ambience is celebration-worthy. They are super quick with service and everyone is super nice. The drinks have gotten better. I recommend the top margarita!

Great food and drinks! Steak burrito and tamales a good! Staff was lovely and they have outdoor seating. Bathroom needs an upgrade. We will be back!

Best Mexican in the area! I recently moved to Somerville from NYC and have been craving for a go to Mexican spot. Prices are fair, decent margs, and amazing food. I ordered the 3 meat fajita - steak, carnitas, and chicken. The steak was seasoned nicely and cooked perfectly, the chicken was also very good, but it was the carnitas that took the cake. After the first bite I new instantly that the pork has been slow cooking all day. Carnitas can be very hit or miss at most restaurants but it seems El Potro puts a lot of effort into their carnitas. If you're looking for great Mexican food at a affordable price then you've come to the right place!

Food was so-so. Beans bland. Rice sad. Free chips and salsa were great. Would not recommend this location.

The food was so good and moderately price. I went during the week so it was slow. Great customer service

Normally I don't get crazy excited about Mexican food, but El Potro changed my mind about that. This by far has been my best experience with Mexican food in Boston, and I'd recommend El Potro to anyone craving the Mexican comfort food and comfort vibes! Even the refried beans (I normally order all rice) were tasty and not mushy at all. What we ordered: Guacamole: solid guac, no complaints. They give a lot too Tamale: presented beautifully and was delicious, packed with pork and topped with a hot sauce. Chile Relleno: bell pepper stuffed with very juicy carnitas and topped with a nice portion of melted cheese, not skimpy but not too overwhelming. This was my boyfriend's and my favorite dish! Enchilada Trio: 3 shredded beef enchiladas with green, red, and mole sauce. Their mole uses a semisweet chocolate (rather than the bitter dark you find at most restaurants that I don't like), this was a surprising hit for me! The red sauce one was my favorite. We had Churros and Fried Ice Cream for dessert, and the fried ice cream was HUGE. I wouldn't have been able to finish it myself.

Have ordered food to-go from here a couple times, we love the fajita burritos and enchiladas.

I love El Potro I'm from the south and this is some of the best "Tex-Mex" in the area! I think I've only ever had take out because I live in Union Sq, and it is always exactly what I wanted. I love the enchiladas verdes, and the burritos are huge.

We have not had any GOOD Mexican food since Tucson. So after reading the YELP reviews, we decided to give El Potro (the Colt in Spanish) a try. I went with the Carne Asada (Grilled Steak $17) and my girlfriend chose the Enchilada Camaron (Shrimp $19). She also had a Modelo Especial Beer for $5.25. FRESH, homemade tasting chips and salsa came out GRATIS and were enjoyed very much to stave off our hunger temporarily. The plates arrived quickly and were HOT and TASTY. My steak was a good size (8 to 10 oz?) and grilled medium rare. It was great to cut it up and wrap it in a flour tortilla to devour. It came with the standard rice, beans and guacamole. Well presented, no surprises, no disappointments. My girlfriend said her choice was very good and she cleaned her plate faster than me. Service was courteous and efficient. Bathrooms were clean and odorless. All in all, it was a decent choice made on the street from the YELP App on my smartphone.

Yum! Just had the fajita salad. Subbed black beans for the tortilla shell. Best fajitas I have had since my first trip to Cabo San Lucas many many years ago, where I had dined and dubbed my fish at the time, the best fajitas I had ever eaten. Well these reminded me of that meal in Mexico. They add a sauce that makes these get the rave I am giving it.

The food was good. Excellent chile rellenos, very good flauta. The fajitas were good. Chips and salsa were good . The Paloma was excellent. The server, maybe the owner, was great. Very friendly. It was a little warm in the dining room, but it was 97 degrees out that day, so I'll give them a pass.

This place is awesome! Nothing like a neighborhood spot like this. Classic Mexican cuisine and decor. You need to get the Tacos de Adobada. Maybe the best meat in a taco in Camberville

This place is fantastic. Joe, the business manager, has made both of the times we visited El Potro so much fun. The food is delicious. The drinks are strong. I've been to both the Somerville and Malden locations now, and had excellent experiences at both. I miss places like this from my time outside of Massachusetts-- most of the "Mexican" restaurants in Boston don't impress me much at all with their dry tacos and syrupy cocktails. El Potro gives you generous, delicious portions and fresh margs. If you haven't been here and you like Mexican, what even are you doing?

The service was beyond fast--and accurate. The portions were generous and the menu had nice possibilities and combinations. Not bland food but not overly spiced either. Best Mexican I've had in quite a while.

I love this place. We frequent for taco Tuesday all the way from Charlestown. Great menu and portions. Don't even get me started on the margs. The woman who runs it is also super nice :)

I had the Best churro of my existence in this place. Passion fruit marg was also great! The vibe of the restaurant was so cute.

Primera vez que visito este lugar y me encanto!! Ordené una enchilada de camarones con salsa rosada, arroz, beans, ensalada, chips y salsa. Y todo estaba delicioso, quedé enamorada! Los platos son súper grande y los precios muy cómodos. Sin duda que volveré.

We discovered this place through Yelp and we're very glad that we did. Small location but beautiful inside all painted and carved wood tables benches and chairs from Mexico. The food was some of the best I've ever had and I eat Mexican many many years now I had a shrimp dish and the shrimp were nice and crisp and all of the other people at my table enjoyed their meals. I would highly recommend this location

I highly recommend El Potro at 61 union sq Somerville, I stumbled across this charming restaurant by accident and was glad I did. The atmosphere is great, the staff our friendly and the food delicious. The portions were big and the restaurant is very vegetarian friendly. You can find street parking or parking lots located not too far away.

This restaurant was offering socially distant dine-in, outdoor dining, and takeout. We had our appetizers dine-in and then took the rest to-go. The nachos we ordered were just fantastic. Earned them several stars in my book. I would come here just for the nachos. The rest of our food was not bad but not outstanding. Service was great, the place was clean.

I have a slight addiction to this place. 2 take out tacos for $5 is such a great deal. I always get the steak tacos. I've never been disappointed. And I love that they give you little pieces of lime and that special sauce. Yum!

I appreciated the free chips for the table, and there were plenty of fajita toppings (lettuce, tomato, beans, etc), although the beans were a bit dry. The fajita meat was also a bit hard to chew through. Dinky, worn-down restaurant with peeling booth chairs. Not worth the trek from Harvard.

My wife stopped in to pick up a togo order, Date 3/15/22 @ 7:01 PM 1 Polio asado 1 chicken enchilada mole. Not sure what happened but my meal (Mole) was COLD. Not just cold because it took time to get it home, less then 5 minutes, but below room temp. there was almost no chicken in it, it was thrown together with NO care, and the amount 2 very small enchilada's for $18 was just crazy, My wifes was no better. We dined in at the malden site and it was good, This expirance was very poor,

The food was good. Got the carne asada and it was cooked beautifully. Just wish they gave us more rice and refried beans (about only 1/2 cup each spread really thin) so you kinda leave hungry. They give you chips and salsa which was nice.

I am LOVING this place! My boyfriend and I were walking around Union Square for a date night, and kept passing other restaurants. We walked by Potro, and it looked cute and cozy, so we picked that spot. It did NOT disappoint! The house margaritas were delicious, and the portions are huge. Even the guacamole was incredible. Definitely a new favorite, and I will be coming back for sure. Ps: The staff is great also! One of the women working there, caught me taking a selfie and just smiled instead of teasing me - which she would have had every right to do :P

Went here on a Tuesday night for a family members birthday, pretty busy, small place. Margaritas come in a small mason jar which I found unusual given it typically comes in the margarita glass but they were strong so I won't complain there. I got a margarita with patron no sugar, just lime. They were 10$ Food was good as well, I had read previous reviews before I came to get an idea of what I would order. I had my cousin order the adovada tacos (which I read a lot of good things about) and I got the chipotle tacos. I have to say I wish I had gotten the adovada tacos because they were amazing, the chipotle was a little too spicy for my liking even though I do enjoy spicy. I expected it to be somewhat mild but not as hot as it was. The serving size is big so you are sure to be full once you leave. I enjoyed that they played "Las Mananitas" for the birthday occasion and that they give you a big sombrero to wear. It is a nice gesture. I give this place 3 stars just because I would not put the food under the category of "phenomenal" the food is pretty average but still good. It is a comfortable place, not too over the top, but enough to make you feel like you are at a Mexican restaurant. I would come back again.

I came here to celebrate my abuela for her birthday. I came on the worst day possible without realizing it. There was market fair going on next door and this place was PACKED! I tried to make a reservation before arriving but they were so busy that they couldn't promise a table. I didn't want to change restaurants since they were going to have a live mariachi playing and I wanted to surprise my abuela. (Just be aware that the live mariachi is only on specific days. They announce these days on their Facebook page) I could tell the waitresses were so overwhelmed. It was packed and hot and they weren't expecting it to be so busy. Regardless of all that, they were so kind. We waited about 25 minutes for our table which was not bad considering how busy it was that day. Our waitress gave us the best customer service! She was such a sweetheart. The mariachi band also took requests for songs and sang happy birthday to my grandmother with the sombrero and a piece of cake. I got the carne asada and I thought it was delicious. My grandmother loves margaritas and she thought the ones from Potro were excellent. They really made her birthday special. She smiled the whole night! May I also add that everything we saw and heard around us made us feel so welcome. Hard working people, vibrant colors, delicious food, loud music, and laughter. It truly made us feel at home.

I have visited 2 of the locations. Lowell and this one. It is pretty good Mexican, authentic. I like the rice here because its not hard. It has a great texture to it and is good. The service is great, especially for a small lil place like this one. Prices are decent, drinks are pretty good. It's good to pop in for lunch.

Awesome first experience. Sat at the small bar, bartenders we're very welcoming on a packed Friday night. Chips are not greasy at all. Would definitely recommend the Camarones El Mariachi, that came with 8 decent sized shrimp and no need for the tortillas! Quesadilla was also twice the size you typically find with as much chicken as there was cheese, for once. Also cheap drinks! Kudos to the staff here, who are non-stop!

I went on a Monday night and the restaurant was extremely busy. The food was excellent and very tasty. I ordered the Fajitas Carnitas and my girlfriend had an enchilada. However, the food took over an hour to come out because they had forgotten our order in the chaos. While the food was great and the server acknowledged their mistake, I just can't give them 5 stars because of this mistake. Would recommend you order pick up so they are less likely to forget your order when it's busy and you dine in

Fast paced restaurant with attentive friendly staff. The food comes out faster than you expect and taste like it should have took longer, meaning it's tasty. Open late with a diverse crowd but never too crowded. The burrito fajita is one of my favorites with shredded beef but it's tasty with any of the meat they have. Super tasty steak that they will prepare the way request and tres leche is never a miss. If you're in union square especially after drinking, give them a go. I'll be back

Best Mexican food in the area. Cheap prices, great food and an awesome staff! Highly recommend!

This place wouldn't let us in at 12:20, and it is at least open until 2.... I would love to try it but they didn't give me the chance. However, red house across the street was open and had great food if you're looking for late night food.

Great authentic Mexican cuisine. I had the steak burrito which was delicious and extremely filling. The steak was charred, yet tender and flavorful. The chips and salsa that are served when you sit were also good, the chip tasted like they had been made that day, not store bought.

I enjoyed my lunch I'm writing this review while I finish my modelo. Great dog friendly patio, great large portion plates, and still keeping Union Square funky. 5 stars.