Taco and Burrito Guide Pt. 8 – Boston, MA

It’s been awhile since we’ve added to our taco and burrito guide (check out our other seven editions!). We’ve continued to search all ends of the greater Boston area to find the best Mexican food around. And the spots featured in part 8 might just be some of the best so far!

La Oaxaqueña #2

We are starting off strong with one of our favorite spots we’ve been thus far. La Oaxaqueña is a true hole-in-the-wall. From the front, it looks like any Mexican bodega, but if you make your way into the back, there is a small area to order some of the most authentic tacos. You’ll also find other creations you won’t see at your typical burrito spot in Boston, including hot Cheetos street corn and mangonadas.

A mangonada is essentially a mango smoothie made with mango puree, sorbet, chimo, and fresh mangos. The end result is a super refreshing drink that goes perfectly with the street tacos. These street tacos stay true to tradition, as they are served with diced onions, cilantro, radish, and a lime wedge on two tortillas.

Their al pastor was super juicy and tender with a slight kick to it. It came with an avocado-based verde salsa in which we smothered our tacos. The shredded chicken was also very enjoyable. Finally, we had to try the hot Cheetos street corn. And this was exactly how it sounds. This is corn covered in a mayo-based sauce, then coated in ground up hot Cheetos. This type of food creativity is hard to find elsewhere.

Esquite Mexican Street Food

This may be a burrito and taco guide, but the tortas at Esquite steal the show.

If you’ve never had cochinita before, then their cochinita torta is a MUST try. Cochinita is a style of pulled pork from the Yucatan area of Mexico. It is slow-roasted for maximum flavor, typically with an orange juice, citrus, and achiote-based sauce.

This is essentially the Mexican version of BBQ pulled pork. The bread used for the torta has a toasty crunch, which is needed to contain the sauciness of the cochinita. The topping game on this sandwich is strong with chipotle aioli, avocado, pickled onions, refried beans, and cheese. It all comes together for one extreme sandwich!

Also, we did not forget about the tacos here. So, we tried their grilled chicken variation. These definitely did the job satisfying our taco craving.

El Palmar

You can’t have a taco and burrito guide without a burrito spot!

El Palmar had a surprisingly great burrito. They nailed it on all of the major burrito categories: overall taste, construction, tortilla, and filling. They also got bonus points for grilling the burrito. This small step takes any burrito to the next level.

El Palmar is a no-frills spot. They have three choices for your burrito: chicken, beef, and adobado. The adobado is a Mexican style of pork in a chili marinade. The pork is super tender with a nice kick to it.

Grilling the burrito created a cheesy ring around the outside. Filling-wise, it was generous on the meat and did not go to heavy on rice or beans. The burrito was a perfect harmony of ingredients, creating a symphony of flavors in our mouth.

In addition, we had one of their pupusas, which was nicely charred and served with a classic slaw and dipping sauce.