Manà Escondido Cafe

Small spot with a homey atmosphere. The person who helped me was extremely nice and went above and beyond, suggesting alternatives when they were sold out of certain things. The food was amazing and we will definitely be coming back!!

A disappointing amendment to my previous review below.👇🏼 The service is still friendly and the food tastes good, but on a later visit I had to spit out a piece of plastic from a chicken pastelillo, so I have to dock some stars. 😕 — As friendly as it is delicious! Stop in and have some Puerto Rican treats with a smile.

I am from Puerto Rico. I was dissapointed , the rice was not fully cooked, there were very little gandules, the pernil was over cooked and the yuca was dried and had no onions when I specifically requested a lot of onion with the oil. I've had food from here before and it did not taest like that. come on mi henter bella, let's represent our culture with some good food cooked with real Love.

I'm glad I discovered this hole in the wall. The Trifongo de pollo and Jibarita tripleta were both excellent. It is perhaps one of the most authentic Puerto Rican places in Boston. Definitely reminded me of the my vacation in San Juan. I would highly recommend this place if you want a quick take out.

Found this through the too good to go app. I will deff be coming back. Walked in and the believe she was the owner. Just greeted me with such a beautiful smile, family owned spot small spot but the food is made with love

Roasted pork was old and dry, some scraps. Gave me dull fullness for the rest of the day. Yellow rice not very tasty. Plantains were burned black at edges. Staff at counter were friendly, though. $15 for small size meal.

Avoid all cost catering - they do not honor the order and whoever takes the orders gives petty responses when the customer inquires about the same order three times. This is not a Puerto Rican vibe and service.

First time here! Was absolutely freezing today and was craving some hot food. This was absolutely delicious. I got the Res guisado con arroz blanco. The stewed beef just melts in your mouth and the mashed cassava, plantains paired with it all so perfectly. The beans were also seasoned just the way I like them, flavorful, but not salty! Rice was nice and fluffy too, just like how my mother makes it. Loved this place! Fast service and great customer service! Highly recommend ♥️

What up Boston. After a lot of kind of tourist food, i wanted to try a local small business for dinner and saw that maná escondido cafe had some legit reviews! came in Saturday evening around 5:45. there were 2 other parties that ate alongside me. i was greeted with a smile at the counter and i asked the woman what was the best thing to order. She recommended the beef stew combo and i decided to get an empanada. the food came out very quickly and i dug in. First off, and really my only negative for the place... my food was lukewarm at best. i prefer my food to be hotter and i think when the temperature is hotter, it gives the impression of freshness. in terms of taste, it was all really really good. i'm a sucker for any kind of meat and rice plate and the beef and potatoes was flavorful along with the rice and beans. i also love plantains and these were nicely fried. the empanada was so-so. not a lot of filling. overall, i love my small businesses regardless. definitely give this place a try

I use to love this place until they made me feel unwelcome because I am a service animal. When they told my mom they couldn't allow dogs, she kindly told them I was a service animal. At this time, he insisted I had to provide "paperwork" proving my service employment or I had to leave... please see Massachusetts state law below, taken from Certification "Assistance animal owners in Massachusetts are not required to possess any certification or identification." However, "[a]ll dogs, whether pets or assistance animals, need to be registered with their town/city, but there is no official registry of assistance animals." Primary service animal law MGL c.272, § 98A Physically handicapped persons with dog guides; public places or conveyances, penalties for denying accommodation Please do not continue to deny people their right to enjoy your food with their legal service animals. It made me feel uncomfortable to go back :/ and is incorrect... For reference, I am a 5.5lb shih tzu and I have a service dog tag, but I am not required to wear it.

Food is very good. The people running the restaurant are pleasant. A family atmosphere for sure. Clean as well.

This place is awesome. Food is absolutely incredible and really well priced. Service is pretty quick. There are a few tables inside where you can sit and eat. I wish I could eat here every day!

I don't even want to write about this place because I I wanted to be My Little Secret, but if I don't share, am I really a true friend? So I've been craving Puerto Rican food for some time now, and I was Googling some places, and most of the places that came up were places I had already been to except this one. So I drove there from Belmont to be welcomed by the cutest woman, and she is so sweet. They have a board which has tons of options for food, or you can order from the buffet which is two types of rice, beans, pork, different variations of chicken, different variations of beef with potatoes and carrots. They have pastelitos and everything you can possibly think of as far as Puerto Rican food. She was so freaking sweet. It just made you want to stay there. They do have a few seats to eat there. I took my plate to go. I don't know how far I got because I started eating it as soon as I got in the car. I couldn't stop you, didn't either, but someone needed my parking spot, so I did. I kept telling my daughter to hand me some of the sweet plantanos while I was driving. It was just too good, there's plenty of street parking. You have to stop by here, show her some love, and really try this food because it is amazing. Oh, and most importantly, there's a variety of hot sauces, and the Sriracha one is the perfect amount of heat.

Can't believe it was my first time here! It's a small shop that's very loved by regular customers. I came to grab a quick lunch and there were people in and out. It was clearly my first time, but one of the workers were very helpful with explaining to me the menu. I got a sandwich, a side, and a pastry for under $20. There are a few seating options. I loved the TRIPLETA SANDWICH. It has three meats- ham, roasted pork, and steak. SO GOOD. I love that instead of bread, it's with sweet plantains. They'll ask what kind of toppings you want, but I went with everything (lettuce, tomato, onions, etc). It's very messy to eat, so it comes with a fork that will be used shortly after a few bites. This is a great spot for lunch. There are some other things I want to try next, like their breakfast options (only 9-11am). Will be back to try more authentic dishes!!

This place is a gem! Real small place most people only get food to go. Everyone is friendly empanadas and this sandwich pictured I forgot the name but it was absolutely delicious! Flavor is perfect very fulfilling I loved this place

Ordered half the menu for my first time trying and man was I not let down by anything! The standout was the tripleta sandwich, easily could have eaten another 10 of them based on the taste. The older couple working was also extremely kind and attentive. Will be back and have told others to go already

I really love this place. The service is always so kind and hospitable, and the food is amazing every single time. They're a small business, so please support them. This is fantastic for all kinds of people, especially college students who are looking for a cheap but filling bite.

Honestly price is way too high for the quality of the food and the amount you get. I got one beef empanada along with the rice and beans with stew chicken for 15+ dollars 4 little pieces of chicken an the rice wasn't done

Nice people, nice small interior. I got the chicken fritura, the shredded root stuffed with beef, and yellow rice w/ peas. First two were great, rice might not be everyone's style but I loved it, very cheap as well.

The food looks good but when I tried it the rice was extremely hard I even ordered avocado and it was legit not good it taste weird like it was spoiled I'm never buying food from them ever again the food has no flavor is completely bland for Spanish food never buying from them again

First time here! Was absolutely freezing today and was craving some hot food. This was absolutely delicious. I got the Res guisado con arroz blanco. The stewed beef just melts in your mouth and the mashed cassava, plantains paired with it all so perfectly. The beans were also seasoned just the way I like them, flavorful, but not salty! Rice was nice and fluffy too, just like how my mother makes it. Loved this place! Fast service and great customer service! Highly recommend

Been coming here for years . Have read about price switching in other reviews This is the second time the price switch happened to me Was CHARGED TRIPLE of what the food should've cost Unfortunately I won't be coming back . BE CAREFUL when paying cash and pricing .

The food here was both excellent and affordable. We arrived shortly before they closed and the woman working was super helpful in helping us decide what to get. We ended up getting the beef stew and plantains and everything was great.

I was looking forward to trying Mana Escondido Cafe out. I ordered the pork tripleta and after waiting 35 minutes was so disappointed. It was pork on a sub roll, Mayo, lettuce, tomato, potato sticks..... 35 minutes. I don't know if it was an off day and I really don't like leaving snippy reviews especially for a mom n pop but I did not feel the love for this sandwich. All the great reviews .. wish I could leave one also. Made a 30 minute drive to try this place out

I got the 3 meats jibarito and it was amazing! If you love plantains, this is the way to go. Great sauce to meat ratio this time.

La comida es buena pero debes estar pendiente a lo que estás comprando y lo que estás pagando. En el website el costo del Mofongo con pernil es $8.50 y cuando chequeas la cuenta te cobran $13.50 por el servicio o sea $5.00 extra. Le pregunto a la señora por que me cobraron una cantidad diferente a lo que dice en el website y en la pizarra que tienen en la pared. Ella me contestó que esos son los precios viejos En serio? Casi $4.00 por un pastelillos de carne que de sabor estaba riquísimo pero vacío. No recomiendo ordenar de lo que ya esta en la vitrina pues es comida seca. Un sándwich cubano con 2 sodas y un Mofongo con pernil por $37.00 lo encontré caro. Especialmente si el Mofongo lo que tenia era 2 plátanos y 4 pedazos de carne. Repito el sabor de la comida es buena pero El que sabe sabe!! Fue la primera visita con mi hija a el restaurante y no tuvimos sitio donde sentarnos pues tienen solamente 4 mesas pequeñas. El lugar es muy pequeño que sales mejor ordenar para llevar, pero te recomiendo chequear tu orden y asegurarte que te llevas lo que ordenaste. Que no te cojan de soquete!

Escondido or hidden cafe is on a cute side street in south Boston and features comida criolla or authentic PR food. Being half Puerto Rican I couldn't resist. We decided to take out (eat in is not an option) when on a day round trip to MGH. The good 1. Cute mom and pop style operation 2. Friendly owners/staff 3. Well it serves PR food! 4. Reviews were positive 5. Many local Hispanic customers. The downers 1. Small meat portions and huge rice portions 2. No condiments or dipping sauces for green plantain or mofongo? 3. Ordering system and it's integrity are questionable. We were missing our alcapurias ? 4.the food was just good not great. Let's face it it's not that hard to make. Making it in bulk is the challenge and making it in bulk and good bigger challenge. Slight miss here. Maybe these were just one time issues so not making blanket comments just our order.

We ordered pastelitos (chicken + beef) and a jibarito tripleta. The pastelitos were well seasoned, fresh, and had plenty of meat. I'd never heard of a jibarito before but I have to say I highly recommend it if you're looking for some deep fried, meaty goodness. It felt like the more indulgent cousin of a burger. This is a small, casual place. Low on seating, don't expect anything fancy or healthy. Do expect some bomb ass food. Everything was fairly cheap, and the spot had a friendly neighborhood feel to it. Will definitely be stopping by here next time I'm in the area!

As legend has it, two friends were dining at a nearby Puerto Rican hot spot in the South End. Person 1: wow, this really isn't that good Person 2: I know. They are making our people look bad Person 1: we should do something about it. Maybe start our own Person 2: you know what? You are right. There's actually a vacancy two blocks away. Let's make it happen So this is a totally inaccurate and pretty much made up story, but It's exactly how it happened in my mind. As far as authentic PR cuisine, Mana Escondido cafe is the real deal, easily the best I've had outside of PR. Tucked away off of Tremont, the space itself is nothing fancy, paper plates and all. But I learned a lot time ago that fancy doesn't equal good. If you don't believe me, go to the other Puerto Rican spot two blocks down that packs in the masses on a nightly basis.... Featuring sandwiches, traditional plates, mofongos, and Jibaritos. Yes, jibarito. You would normally have to go all the way to Chicago to get one of these babies. A fried plantain sandwich with roasted shredded pork. EVERYTHING is good and perfectly seasoned, especially the empanadas. It's taking everything inside of me to not declare this the best version I've ever had. Moments like these make me really appreciate yelps reach. This is the type of place I would never have found, and even if I had happen to stumble on, I would never try. Mana Escondido cafe is a hidden gem! Added bonus: Great staff, patient and willing to answer any and all questions regarding the menu. Yes it's translated to English, but trust me you'll still have questions....

Finally made it to South End to try this Puertorrican restaurant. From the outside this place is hidden from the very busy Tremont St and inside you'll only find four tables but don't let that stop you from coming. Since most people tend to order food to go at this establishment it wasn't hard to find a spot to sit. I ordered the pork shoulder with a side of plantains and the food was delicious. For $7 I found it to be a bargain for good food that reminded me of a good home cooked meal and the staff was wonderful. Definitely plan to come back and try other menu items.

Yep, according to a search I did on Yelp, Mana Escondido still seems to be the only Boston area restaurant that carries the jibarito - a Chicago creation, according to Kyra M. and confirmed on Wikipedia. Mana Escondido Cafe is a bit hidden away, located just off the main drag, nestled in a residential area of South End. With four tables to its name, dine in is an option, but take-out seems to be the norm. If you want something quick, their prepared food counter is ready to scoop from. Otherwise, things seem to be made to order here. They advise 30 minutes for their Mofongos on their menu (with alternatives the dofongo and trifongo also available), but it turns out their Jibarito (and the sweet plantain variation, the Jibarita) should also be allowed 20 min. Since we wanted both, I ordered those first and asked them to get started on them before I completed my ordering and paying. That worked out pretty well, as we noshed on our Frituras/Fritters as we awaited the main course(s). The Alcapurria $2 (grated root vegetable fritter stuffed with ground beef) looked rather small when it was placed in the plastic serving basket, so I selected another item on the fly, which it turned out was not mentioned at all on their menu. It was yellow and described as a sweet cornmeal with cheese. I like corn, I like sweet, and I like cheese, so I went with it. The alcapurria was a bit disappointing, as it was not to my taste. The crust was a rough, nutty sort of texture, which overwhelmed the meat filling. The Sorullos $1.25, sweet cornmeal with cheese, on the other hand, was as described, so I quite enjoyed it. My friend called it a corn dog, thought it was without any dog. At $1.25, for liquid refreshment, we picked up can of guava nectar from the refrigerated case. It was quite rich and nicely chilled. In addition to other fruity flavors and water, they oddly carried Pepsi-Cola on the same rack as the Sprite. The Jibarita with Steak/Bistek $6.95 arrived neatly portioned for two, though the soft texture of the "bread" (being sweet plantains) made it more of a knife & fork type of dish than the sort of thing you can eat with your hands. We got it with everything but the hot. The contrast of textures with crisp lettuce and potato sticks tucked in was great, and the flavor was slightly reminiscent of a Big Mac due to the sauce and the beef as the protein of choice. Don't expect large pieces of beef here - it is rather sliced up the way folks might for a steak and cheese sub. The Mofongo with pernil/roast pork $8.50 arrived not long after. Mofongo is a savory dish that combines green plantains mashed with fresh garlic. It had a good flavor, and was not too dry like another I had taken with me on a plane once. The roast pork was tender and tasty. I later spotted one of the workers enjoying the shrimp variation on her dinner break, and saw a goodly number a decent sized shrimp resting on her mound of mashed plantains. For $9.99, it seemed a steal. 4 stars *** 6/2016 dinner again *** I came back for dinner another night to try their Jibarito (that's the sandwich using fried plantains (platano verde) as the bread). It was $6.95 for the Pernil/Roast Pork version. It was about 12 minutes from paying a the counter to delivery to my table. And when it arrived, sure the plantains were sturdier than the sweet version, but gee, were they hot for my poor finger tips! Maybe these are just plain better eaten with the knife and fork as were provided to me... The pork in this jibarito were not as tender and moist as on the first visit served on the mofongo. It was also a tad drier a concoction this time around. Wait! I realize what the difference was - it didn't come with the sauce and cheese! Both times I agreed to have it with everything but the spicy... do they make it different based on the type of meat and the plantain selection, or did they just plain forget? 2 stars PS - I don't like coconut water. But I tried their canned coconut soda. A slightly sweet fizzy drink - not bad. I'd get it again.

My new go to place for chicharron! Tender, fried & easy to eat all at the same time, my fav

AMAZING food and great vibe. Workers there are incredibly friendly. If it's your first time, ask them to make you a lunch plate! And don't forget the pastries!

While the kitchen was closed the food they had on the line was nothing short of devine. We split a pork shoulder, steak, and pork chop. Then we went crazy with the sides: shrimp empanada, fried yuca, yuca baked, sorullo de maez, and beans...then flan for dessert. Each bite was full of flavor, but not overwhelming. We are full and still staring at this menu with hearts in our eyes. They stayed patient while we ordered 5 plates. AND the owner just gave us a templeque which was rich and had a delicious coconut flavor. 5/5 we will be coming again!

No meat in the pastellios! It's not worth buying your just eating an empty pastellio !

Great spot,food and price. I tried beef and chicken empanadas were really good. Definitely will be going back.

Understand that a five star rating is relative, but this little place was a delightful surprise. There's limited seating, but we got a dinein table at lunch because it's mostly a takeout place. I ordered a large portion of the pork shoulder and rice, but a small order would have been plenty. It was excellent, although the pastelitos were a bit bready. All in all, this is a good choice for lunch, even if you don't choose the $3.75 hamburger.

If you ever lived on the island (PR) this place will trigger some nostalgia as it resembles an authentic cafeteria style restaurant. When I walked in it felt like I left Boston and traveled back to my hometown. I witness a lot of Spanish speaker walking in and being greeted as frequent costumers. The place is small with just a couple of small tables, but my impression is that a lot of people order food to go. They also advertise delivery services, which I am eager to try. I was pleased with the variety of dishes that they offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner; and the plates are more affordable than other Latino restaurants in the area. My husband and I had mofongo (plantain based dish), rice and bistec with a side of fried yucca. All of it was delicious. Be aware that they have a credit card limit of $5, which was a problem for us when we wanted to order dessert after paying for our dinner.

Nice small Puerto Rican take out with a few tables and window seating. Food was really worth the amount you pay for. I had the beef stew with sweet plantains which was delicious and I also tried the blood sausage. That sausage is something that people would love if they had it before but considering it was my first time I was trying to get used to the texture. I would like to come again to try a sandwich.

This is my spot for cheat day. Even though I dont follow a diet but who cares. I ordered the salami breakfast which has queso frito. AMAZING..!! I grew up eating food that was fried. All in my plate was fried and it had an amazing flavor. Not a good combination before hiking BUT I would have died happy knowing I had an amazing breakfast.

This place is reasonably priced and the food is amazing here. I got the chicharron combo with sweet plantians, beans and yellow rice. The pork rinds were crunchy and fatty, rice was fragrant and went well with the beans, and the sweet plantains were so so good. Definitely order take out at this place as it is very small. This restaurant is truly a gem and I am so glad I discovered it! Will definitely be coming back to try more dishes.

Had a Pastel en hoja and some fried pork (chicharron) and an alcapurria everything os pretty good and home cooked style i got a peep of the rotisserie chicken and that looks awesome I want to get that next time.

Do not order catering from business. Just had a very awful experience. I didn't get my complete order and to make it worse they gave me to much of same items that I did not order. The owner took my order and I specifically told him that the food needed to be delivered by 1pm when it got closer to the deadline I decided to give the restaurant a call and spoke to a lady and she proceeded to tell me that my food was slated for delivery at 4pm. I suggest if your going to have Spanish food catered to a party DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS PLACE.

Food is delicious but service is extremely Slow. During lunch hours be prepared to be in line for at least 30-45 mins in line before you order.

iCoño pero ven acá! This place is killing it. My friends from P.R. make mofongo just like it, and it's better than La Fonda Boricua in NYC! This place is just right on. Prices are right, no frills dining feels like La Isla, and the food is unbeatable. Can't wait to go back! iPara que WEPA!

While driving through Boston, we stopped here to have some Puerto Rican food for lunch. We ordered stewed chicken, stewed beef, and mofongo with roasted pork. The stewed chicken and beef are some of the foods ready behind the counter and they were given to us right away. While the chicken was bone-in and tender, the beef was dry and not very flavorful. I wouldn't order the beef again. However, the mofongo, which takes about 15-20 minutes to prepare, was really good. I've only had mofongo once before and it was in LA, but this one was much better. While not that moist, it still wasn't as dry and it's much cheaper at under $10. The pork was somewhat dry though, but it was still tasty. I've only had it a few times, but to me it seems like Puerto Rican food tends to be on the dry side, but I'd eat here again. I especially liked the mofongo, and the jibarito sandwich looked too.

Great food fresh daily and great people making the food. Been going there for 6 years now. Good looks Josh!

I honestly cannot say enough about this place! The food is SOOO good!! I usually get a bunch of empanadas and alcapurrias and leave VERY happy. Last time I was there I got the beef stew over yellow rice and was not disappointed. Everything tastes like home. But even better than the food is the genuine, good old-fashioned, Puerto Rican hospitality. They welcome everyone in and with open arms. They speak English well so you don't have to worry on any kind of language barrier. The menu has all kinds of Puerto Rican favorites such as mofongo, maduros, stews, chicharrones and all sorts of fried delicious appetizers! I guess if I had ONE complaint it would be that the alcapurrias don't have enough filling and they use ground beef instead of shredded. Other than that- there's zero to complain about! I'll be back VERY soon

The restaurant is located on 68 Aguadilla St (off Tremont Street). The Yelp map was a bit off on the location. Sorry Yelp. The restaurant is cozy with 3-4 tables. They have prepped food for quick in/out (ie. beef stew, roast chicken, fried chicken) or made to order items (ie..the jabarita sandwiches, mofongos - which can take about 20 minutes). The lady was sweet to let us know in advance which prepped food is available. She showed us each of the items. We were hungry - so we opted for the prepped food. We got the following: Stewed chicken combo plate - with yellow rice/beans and plantains. I'd asked if I can try a little bit of the yucca. She happily added a couple pieces. Stewed beef - with yellow rice.beans and plantains. Chicken turnover - ended up being ham and cheese but that's okay. Both the stewed entrees were flavorful and you can tell it cooked for a long while - meat was extra soft and goes well with the yellow rice/beans. Someone after us ordered the mofongo. The chef was nice enough to give us a lil sampling on the side when he brought out the customer's order out. It was flavorful, a tad bit more garlic than I'm used to. Overall, great service and delicious food without breaking the piggybank.

Great food...but they play this "a la carte" game to pretty much rob you blind, if you're not careful. The older spanish lady at the register(85% of time) is BRUTAL. She will kill you ever so softly with what I call the "yo tengo", which translates to "I have", in English. Pay close attention now kids because THIS is where you will get ripped off. She starts like a damn entertainer warming up every so slowly. Starts off with a "hello, let's see...and rapidly escalates to: (Hint, see below) "Yo tengo" ---4 bucks for beans "Yo tengo"----5 bucks plain white rice. "Yo tengo"----3 bucks a PIECE fried fish "Yo tengo" ---10 dollars for 2 small pieces of steak "Yo tengo"--- You just got robbed for OVER 20 dollars for a typical 8-12 dollar lunch. So pay attention kids. Yes the food is good...won't deny that. But man oh man. The old lady at the register...a la cart...all day, every day. You can't even order a lunch plate without mama bear breaking into the "Yo tengo" dance. It's ridiculous. The only way not to get overcharged is to SPECIFICALLY tell her you are TRYING to buy a plate for "lunch" and make sure to ASK if they do sell it. If you don't ....you'll bee soooooorryy!!!

Literally the best Puerto Rican food in Boston. Super authentic delicious food. Owners were super kind as well and he prices were quite low especially for the portion sizes. If you're ever in Boston this is a must restaurant to eat at!

If you want great, authentic Puerto Rican food, this is the place to come. The food takes you back to the island. The empanadas are great, the mofongo is delicious, and the tostones are crunchy (as they should be). It doesn't look like much from the outside, but that's the genius of the place. Great for food to go, and even better with company. Five stars.

Hidden gem in the south end (when i said hidden, yes, it was hard to find on google maps). I finally found it (easier to find it on Tremont Street than cutting through Little Puerto Rico). Friendly staff and tasty food. I went with the beef stew over rice (awesome sauce with tender meat), sweet plantains and chicken. Who said you can't find affordable and yummy food in the south end?

Come here, get the sweet plantains, yellow rice and beans, and pork shoulder. Ask for the homemade garlic sauce, you won't regret it. Honestly everything else looks good too. Moving from the Bronx, this is perfect. My go to spot now for Puerto Rican food in vanilla bean town

It's good, but wouldn't say the most amazing PR food I have had. I had the mofongo and it was just not as crispy or as flavorful as a mofongo should be. The prices were great and the empanadillas were very good. I would come back and give this place another shot! I only wish they had sorullitos!!

The pernil was great and tasted like home (I'm from Texas but my mom is boricua so I'm saying it tastes like home cooking). They even have alcapurria and bacalaito. Would reccomend.

I love this place, Everything seems to be good here, especially the Jibaritas de pernil and the plates with pernil, arroz y gandulez, chicharrón de pollo (sometimes too over cooked) and the chicharrón and maduros. The only critique I have is that the food is not the same on the weekends, not sure if chefs change but I have gone 2 times on the weekend late afternoon and the food did not taste as fresh as it does on weekends in lunch hour, especially since the rice was ahumado, or like burnt Smokey flavor. And the rest of the food from the buffet tasted like it was reheated from the day before. So I strictly try to go during weekdays during lunch hour.