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Mon-Tue. 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Wed-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 1:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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This is a place that definitely satisfies my search for good, authentic Mexican food. The food was absolutely excellent; fresh, hot and flavorful. They have a great dessert selection, something I find that most restaurants slack off on if when their cuisine is mostly known for their entrees. The price for every dish was very reasonable, I left with my wallet still having some weight in it. Always a plus!
The service is what pushes this review up to the 5th star. Our server was very attentive, patient and considerate. When one of our friends was being indecisive about the spiciness of a dish, the server happily offered to bring over a sample. He did not rush us, he made sure we had chips and water at all times and always had a smile on his face. It was probably some of the best service I had ever had, with the close competitors being from pricey high-end restaurants. That says a lot!
I have had several people recommend this place to me.
I really enjoy Mexican food so I decided to give it a try.
I would like to find a nice family run place in the area that is not part of a national chain and I thought this would be it. I was also hoping they would have tamales. No such luck. I really miss the Acapulco's in Weymouth. Although it was part of a chain most of the staff was Mexican. On hot days in the summer when it was slow they would be out in the green area in the parking lot taking a siesta. They made really nice fresh salsa and chips. Unfortunately we were quite often the only people in the place.
We tried El Sarape about three months ago so I do not recall exactly what we had, I lost my notes sorry.
Anyway, it is in the landing so you may not find parking, but I was lucky enough to find a spot in front.
I reviewed the menu on line and it did look very good.
In the end I found this place to be OK Mexican food, but nothing special. I felt everything was a few dollars more than it should be, based on this I thought about only giving them 2 stars but I did not think that would be fair.
Our bill at the end was about $25-30 more than they other two local places but it was not as good as them.
In addition the service was sub par.
The margaritas were decent and as I said they do have a good selection of tequilas.
The thing that sticks out most in my mind is how bad the dessert was. I am sorry I do not recall what it was, but it was a major disappointment.
Anyway for now I will be sticking with the two local chains and I'll keep looking for some real Mexican food in the area.
I would recommend this place for a few drinks if you are in the area.
They do have a nice selection of tequilas and the margaritas were good that is the only reason I will give them three stars.
This place is okay. I hate it when establishments are okay with being just okay. This place could be much better.
People for sure don't come for the decor. It's a schizophrenic blend of mexican meets southwestern United States meets swap meet/garage sale kitsch.
Restaurant was clean, which warrants a star.
Some of the food was good, and some was bland, boring, microwave dinnery.
If you have an hankering for mexican food, and there is no place closer, then sure. I wouldn't go out of my way to make a trip here though.
HOLY MOLE!!!
After a combination of being tempted by many of my fellow Yelpers' reviews for El Sarape, and having a monster craving for Mexican deliciousness, the family and I stopped here after conveniently being in the area for doctors' appointments. I'm so psyched we did!
The husband and the kid aren't humongous "adventurous" eaters. They like their food plain, non-spicy, generally generic. Although El Sarape was awesome about customizing their orders, I'm basing this review on my meal alone. (Although I did try both of their meals, as usual, for the sake of my review ;0), and they were both yummy. Husband had the tacos, and the kid had the chicken enchiladas.)
I had the chicken mole. It was phenomenally delicious. Mouthwateringly good. I would get it again in a heartbeat.
As I was pregnant the one and only time I had the opportunity to dine here, I wasn't able to "try" any of the regular Mexican libations I would normally partake in. I'm saving my 5th star for those margaritas.
Highly recommended.
This place is da bomb, if u know what to get. MOST definitely try the chile rellano's with GREEN sauce- it's probably the best I've EVER had. Their Mole here is authentic and excellent too. The Pollo Naranja is super good too. The regular tex-mex stuff is just that. I always go with the specials or their regional cuisine. This is def the best mexican on the South Shore- as I used to come here even when i lived in Dorchester. Now that I'm closer, i find myself getting it to go when i don't feel like going into the restaurant. Even the chips / salsa is excellent and home-made. DO try this place and go with the green sauce on everything --it's excellent.
Best food and drink on South Shore... great service...try the Sangeria..
dips are awesome...when I need picked up I hit this place and always feel much better
I would give El Sarape a perfect score if it weren't for its very small place and the moderately high prices.
The food, is, awesome. It is the single best Mexican food I have ever had, and believe me, I've had a lot.
I recommend getting 3 enchiladas with red sauce, get beef as the material in the enchiladas.
Refried beans are unparalleled, I hate refried beans, but they taste incredibly good.
If you're a seafood lover, give their grilled haddock or scrod a try. I also recommend the Chipotlé Beef starter - delicious.
Service is great, the place looks authentic (I'm not from Mexico, so I wouldn't know what authentic - but it looks like it is), great atmosphere, bar and everything.
(Oh, also their cheesecake desert is great as well).
I give it the Cactus Seal of Approval.
Stop 2 on my journey to finding great Mexican food in Boston. This was a pretty good find. There are some little things that are different than the Tex-Mex I am used from the Southwest, but overall El Sarape has good food and great drinks. The beans can be a little bland (black not refried) and the rice isn't traditionally made (at least not like it is in Arizona). The distance from central Boston is a pain. We have been back once already and will continue going to El Sarape for their enchiladas and margaritas. Be warned if you go on a popular eating out day, like Saturday, be prepared to wait for a table.
This is the best Mexican restaurant on the South Shore and Boston area. I live a mile away from this place and go there once a month. It is always busy, and they have the best Margaritas around. The Pescado Relleno, Camraones Javier and Rib Eye Steak dishes are phenomenal. The chips and salsa blow away the competition. Unlike many reviews here, I am OK wiith the interior design ....I don't care about the faded awning outside the restaurant. I go there to get an authentic Mexican meal. I've tried Salsa's and Acapulcos, and El Sarape is far better than either of those two chain restaurants. All I know is that every time I visit El Sarape, I get a great meal and an enjoyable dining expereince. I would say that the meals and drinks are a little more expensive than many Mexican restaurants, but after you taste the delicious food and the excellent drinks, you will not care.
This place appears to be the best authentic Mexican in the area. The portion sizes are decent the prices are average and the food is just slightly above average. The waitstaff was friendly. The place looks run down from the outside but it's not to bad inside. You can tell it used to be a pizza joint or something from the booths though. There is a free public parking lot a little ways down the street and there is street parking available.
Easily the best Mexican restaurant on the South Shore.
Went here on a Thursday evening for dinner and was not disappointed. The service is super friendly and the menu is decently priced.
I had the classic margarita -- not too shabby, though the tequilla was a little lacking.
For dinner- he had the enchiladas verdes (really really tasty) and I had the carne asada. The steak was cooked perfectly and was really well-seasoned. The dishes come with black beans and rice (mine came with a little scoop of guac -yum!)
We were in the mood of Mexican and had a decent dinner.
OVERRATED. Mexican place that TRIES to go upscale.
Food is just OK and overpriced. None of us were impressed with the food. We ordered several dishes.
The staff was nice, though.
Before going to El Sarape the only thing I knew about Braintree was that it was at the opposite end of the Red Line from me. I found myself in bizarro Alewife last weekend with friends and we all went out to dinner. Not bad at all. The service was great and the food was good. They had a pretty large selection on the menu and I had the mole chicken. We started off with chicken livers, which I hadn't had before, and they weren't bad. Don't know if I'll order that again, but it was worth trying something new.
I wouldn't go out of my way to go here again, but definitely try it out if you find yourself in the area.
Good Mexican food for a good price... Sangria!!!
Well I don't really like Mexican food, I have a sensitive stomach. But my friends told me I just HAD to try this place. So I gave it a go on a sunday night. Walking in we had no reservations and 5 in our group and a table was instantly cleared for us. We sat down taking in the great decor and met our waiter Miguel. His service performance was perfect, came to ask us how our food and drinks were at the right times, and kept our glasses filled with water.
When I began to order my first item he said it was a very 'heavy' item on the stomach and he would let me try a bit of the sauce before the meal was made. After sampling the sauce I realized it was a bit too crazy for me and he recommended another option that was the same thing with a different sauce. The meal ended up being delicious. Everything was like legit so fresh tasting. And not an ounce of trouble with my stomach. Even the tortilla bread was heavenly smelling.
The service and food were just impeccable. All other restaurants should be run like this.
El Sarape gets for stars because it has been the best mexi food I have had in Mass. It reminds me of some of the stuff you find back home in Cali. and thats good enough for me.
The margs. were good and pretty reasonable. I got the chicken mole. Mole is my favorite thing in the world and pretty much base a restaurant's "goodness" factor on it. They did a very nice job. Good margs and mole. Well done. ay ay and ole.
This place has a very good outside of the city atmosphere that is not overly intrusive. The people are nice and the servers are not distant nor invasive--but just right.
The food ranges from average to really good. The Pork Carnitas were my favorite. The Moles were considered pretty good as well as the desets. Though the bananas and rum sauce was well liked by the kids.
This place is very suitable for families because around 5ish it is still not that busy and its small but not tiny. We actually had Jeffrey's 17th birthday dinner here with the family, which was our first encounter with the restaurant. Good-size servings and an enjoyable trip for the family over to Braintree, or for a group to go hang out at the bar, which is rather popular. Try it out :)
I looo-oove this place. That's six "o"s of love. The food is deeelicious, the sangria is deeelightful and the atmosphere is deeevine. I have always had fast, friendly and efficient service. On Friday night's there is entertainment in the form of a musician on a guitar (its wonderful!). It can get kind of loud - but its a people chatting happilly having a good time kind of loud. I have no problem with that! Great place to go with friends for a fun night out.
I'm a huge fan of this restaurant for "family dinners" with friends. Even for those who are cautious with spicy food (like myself), there's always something on the menu to enjoy. The service is always great, although I've almost always run into a wait for a table - probably because we tend to go on a Friday night.
Weymouth Landing is a huge pain, but you can usually find parking in the dark parking lot behind the auto dealership. Not particularly safe or welcoming, but street parking is almost impossible.
The food is excellent, great prices. Love their sangria too!
We had heard good things about this place from a local, so we decided to try it out. Parking was a breeze in the lot down the street (and free!). But this was a Saturday at noon. We got there at 12:10 and it wasn't open until 12:30...great...and not much else to do around there to waste time except go to the chair store, which is what we did. Amazed at what toddlers think is exciting...oh kids, look, a chair store!!!! They were quite nice since no one else was in there and we clearly were not looking to buy anything!
I digress...
Promptly at 12:30 we head back to El Sarape, got seated right away. The chips were fine, the salsa was really flavorless, not a good sign...
My husband says his margarita was delicious. We ordered the guacamole, which again, was a bit flavorless. But the delight of the entire experience was the queso fundido - hot bubbly cheese with chorizo! Delicious! I got the chicken enchildas which were average. We got our kids the cilantro shrimp which was just fine and my husband got something with mole sauce. Uh, mole sauce is supposed to be brown, why is is red? Definitely not what we expected...
The service was fine, no complaints there.
We did get some desserts - the coconut cheesecake was the hit, the coffee flan was okay and the churros were good!
While I thought the food was "fine", it definitely is not the best Mexican I had and am still in the hunt for decent Mexican in New England!
I applied my six point Mexican Food checklist to El Sarape, and they scored fairly well.
Good Mexican food is always in a bad part of town - Commercial Street in Braintree isn't exactly the slums, but it ain't Newbury St. either. So the location will suffice.
My first impression was that someone actually put some thought into decorating the restaurant - not that it's a bad thing, but there wasn't a sombrero or Virgin Mary anywhere to be seen, and that's disappointing.
The bar was quite impressive - I'm not used to good Mexican restaurants having a full bar, but with their expansive selection of tequilas (including a couple bottles I'd never tried before), I'm willing to embrace the concept. I just wish the waitress had been more informed of the bar selection - she couldn't answer any of my questions, and actually brought the wrong tequila (turned out to be good, so I didn't complain).
I was VERY disappointed with the guacamole. For $6.50 you get two ice cream scoops of guac on a leaf of lettuce. It tasted okay (could have used more lemon), but the ice cream scoop indicates it wasn't made fresh, and two scoops is pretty stingy in my opinion.
However, the entree quickly made up for the quac's shortcomings. I got the Combination Sarape with the Enchiladas poblanas (mmmm, mole - another 'authentic' requirement, as I was reminded by another Yelper) and the Enchiladas verdes. I'd highly recommend this approach - both were amazing, but the mole and green sauce blended together particularly well. And I was quite impressed with the quality of the chicken - very tender and juicy. The beans were also excellent - clearly home made.
In spite of the price on the guacamole, the overall value was quite good. The bill came to a little over $40 for two people, which included an appetizer, two entrees, and two top shelf cocktails.
If El Sarape fixes their guacamole issues, they'd get 5 stars, but 4 will have to do (for now).
My friends and I came here last Thursday night for drinks and a late-night snack. It wasn't too crowded, and we were seated almost immediately. We were pleased to have chips and salsa brought to us while we looked at the menu. We ended up splitting a full carafe of sangria and a plate of nachitos between the 3 of us. We loved the sangria, which ended up giving us about 6 glasses altogether for $18. The nachitos were delicious; the chips were completed covered with a blend of cheeses (is it possible to have tooo much cheese?), and they served as a blanket over a pile of lettuce and a bean dip. Jalapenos were obviously included on the top as well. One of my friends also ordered a mango margarita...which was made really well (strong AND surprisingly refreshing). It was also only $5.25! El Sarape definitely has the most authentic Mexican food I've had in this area-- worth checking out if you're in the South Shore!! I would give it 5 stars, but the dinner prices were just a little bit high for me, and I also wish they were open later than 10pm. I'll definitely be back, though, to try more dishes and, of course, the margaritas.
For my "Nacho Average Reviews" list: 3 stars.
I wasn't sure what to expect of El Sarape... essentially we picked this place at random. Friday night, the boyfriend hasn't eaten all day.... what's still open near Weymouth at 9 pm that doesn't involve pizza? Frankly, not much. Thanks to the magic of Yelp we found this Mexican place a few minutes from his house. And they do takeout!
I go there, the place is pretty packed for a Friday night out in the burbs. I wait. And wait. And wait some more. Start wondering if I should just grab an empty table and hunker down. WTF, they told me it would be 10 min? Finally the manager came out with a ginormous bag of food and my check, and I escaped. The food was great--- tostadas and enchiladas verdes were both just what you'd want for a greasy Friday night dinner, and as an added bonus we had a huge bag of chips and a very decent tub of salsa thrown in! Not too shabby.
This place is kickin', that's one thing I was certain of as I entered El Sarape. A live musician serenaded the very small waiting area, but we were quickly seated.
Cool atmosphere, although there are elements of tacky hidden in the form of Bickford's style bench seating and a massive amount of Sarape's hanging everywhere.
They had my favorite beer: Modelo Especial, which automatically puts them in contention for best restaurant ever.
Our server left something to be desired. In fact, I considered giving El Sarape 3 stars because of her lack of interest and existence throughout the night.
The food was great, and the Guacamole was excellent.
Prices were, I thought, a tad high. We bought the cheap entrees for 11 bucks each.
2 cheap entrees, 3 beers and a Guacamole salad b/f tip: $40
Update: Guacamole was terrible tonight, but server was great. I don't like having to trade off every time I come, though!
Update again!: I won't return. The food just isn't good enough (outside of the $6.50 side of guacamole) and the service consistently disappoints.
I know this place is supposed to be authentic and on the recommendation of my foodie ex, who really knows his food, I chose to bring some friends here.
What a disappointment.
My friends, who are also fellow foodies, and I were really disappointed by this place. None of us found the food authentic (having eaten at some solid places on the west coast) or even that great. I don't know if we chose an off night or what. El Sarape really wasn't worth the out of the way drive at all. It tasted more like generic chain restaurant food.
I love this place! The atmosphere is great! The food is fantastic! This is the best "Mexican" restaurant I have been to since moving to Boston 3 yrs ago. I always order the enchiladas verdes combo and follow it up with churros for dessert. Yummy :) My husband and I also went here for Cinco de Mayo and had a blast-- we even got free t shirts just for eating there!
This is my favorite sit-down Mexican place in the Boston area, despite the sometimes-bad service and cheesy decor that other people have mentioned.
El Sarape has my most favorite dish of ALL TIME of any restaurant that I've ever been to-- it's shrimp and has a long Spanish name I can't pronounce. The salsa and chips are so friggin good-- fresh, fresh, fresh and delicious.
Although the decor is a little tacky, it's an inviting and comfortable place. Be aware that on Thursday through Saturdays nights, the place is absolutely packed.
About the parking-- if you can't find any street parking, there is a lot with an entrance a few hundred feet away (in the direction of Weymouth) on the same side of the street. It's hard to see, but it's there and there's plenty of parking to be had.
I wish this place was closer. We went there on a Friday for lunch. I was very surprised that this place wasn't packed. There was only one server so the service was just OK. However the food is fantastic. Hot crisp and lightly salted chips with EXCELLENT salsa - fresh ingredients with a medium tomato consistency versus the usual watery consistency. The only drawback was that it wasn't spicy at all. Next time I'll ask for the spicy stuff.
OK the food you actually pay for is great. You can't go wrong with anything you order. Carnitas is excellent, fried steak is a go. I really recommend the fish or chicken with the cilantro coriander sauce. The sauce is amazing - I could eat it like a soup.
Like it, Love it, Want more of it. This has to be the best Mexican food in New England. Yeah, that probably isn't saying much for someone in the Southwest but this place is great. I have never had a bad meal here and have had wonderful service. Great for take out, and have had the owner pack up my dinner more than once.
Living in Texas now I have seen my fare share of Tex-Mex and it is a giant turn off after being able to dine at El Sarape for years. I never liked refried beans until I had tried theirs and now I'm spoiled. Can't wait for my next trip home.
Great margaritas, great good, great bar. One of my favorite places on the South Shore for atmosphere and Mexican. Most other places are cheesy.
I am not a huge fan of the restaurant section, since the tables and booths aren't in great shape.
Can't say enough about El Sarape. The prices are very reasonable and on weekends they have mariachi in the waiting area. The best things on the menu: the queso asado with warm homemade chips and flour tortillas, homemade guac, UNBELEIVABLE beef tostada with rice and beans followes by warm sweet Churros. Their sangria is good too.
The only reason is does not get a 5 (The food is a 6!), is bc if you go on weekends, trying to get in there is a nightmare. The waiting area is overcrowded and can be disorganized. Go early on weekends, or go during the week!
My wife and I went here (against a warning from my father) because we had a coupon from our Entertainment book. My wife is of Mexican descent and knows how to prepare REAL Mexican food, and we lived in Phoenix (where there is a lot of traditional Mexican food) before moving back to the Boston area, so maybe we are biased. However, biased or not, El Sarape is NOT good, nor is it REAL Mexican food. If you want good Mexican food on the South Shore, go to Acapulco's in Weymouth or Quincy. That said, here is my brief review of our experience:
1.) El Sarape is in a very congested area, so be prepared to deal with traffic and fight for parking. It's really not worth all of this effort.
2.) The service was excellent. Our waitress (Elba) was friendly and attentive, can't complain about that. The restaurant is clean and organized.
3.) Free chips & salsa, unfortunately, the salsa was not good. It tasted like a watered down attempt at salsa.
4.) My wife ordered burritos. These "burritos" were two small rolled things, smothered in what looked like cheese. This plate was served with rice and beans, both of which were average.
5.) I ordered the "puerco adobo", which was pork in a very tasty chipotle/orange/pepper sauce. This dish also came with the average rice and beans. I'll admit, my pork was decent, but very thin.
6.) El Sarape has been in business since 1988, so they must be doing something right...or, is it just that New Englanders don't really know what "real" Mexican food is?
Summary: My wife and I paid for a meal that we could have made better and cheaper at home (and by "we", I mean my wife, because I can't cook, I just eat and clean up). El Sarape is overpriced and borders on "crappy"-"mediocre" food. Don't waste your time going here.
We had my birthday party here at the end of September and it was a blast! We went on Saturday night (reservations highly recommended) and the placing was banging with people and music. Great ambiance and vibe. Excellent top shelf margaritas to get ya in the groove. Being a Texan, I was a little nervous about what to expect. After I shoveled my plate of beef fajitas down in about 10 min, I felt like I was in Dallas again. YUMMY! The only disappointment I had, no queso. They have a queso flamdido or whatever it is...but it ain't like the real thing that you dip your chips in and then wish you could have liposuction schedule for the next day.
So I've read the reviews and I must say this was a huge disappointment. I expected so much better. The food was either way too salty or way too bland. I think i have had better Mexican at a Taco Bell!
I was not impressed with this place. It is a whole in the wall so I was expecting really great food but not so much. La Paloma is so much better and much more afforable.
But I would have to say that the Sangria there is the best I have ever had. I will be going back for some more but not to eat!
We try to eat here about once a month. This restaurant has been in Weymouth Landing for over 20 years and is still going strong. Chips and salsa are a great start with a rita or dos equis. I prefer the chicken enchiladas or the chicken tacos (shredded marinated chicken with green mole sauce and cheese) Awesome! Black beans and rice on the side is the standard compliment to an entree. For the full Weymouth Landing local culture experience have a beer at Helens (great pub pizza to go) across the street after you're done.
Another regular for me. Cadillac Margaritas are perfect. This place is the real deal. Just like BBQ,Mexican food has many American versions,well this is as authentic as you can get..I've travelled from coast to coast along the Mexican boarder and through California and could not wait to get back to El Sarape on the Brain tree / Weymouth line.Friday and Saturdays are always busy,but the wait is fine with traditional music from Alaxander.Menu does not vary,even the specials are the same weekly,but well worth it. Enjoy!!!
THE best authentic Mexican Restaurant on the South Shore. I'm 31 and have been going here since college, maybe even high school.
Its the type of restaurant that has cheesy decor, an average wait staff, crappy parking, but none of which ever keep you from coming back again and again because the food is just too damn good.
As my girlfriend can attest, I get serious cravings for mexican food. THANK GOD this place exists!!
The best mexican in the area hands down, unless you like stupid tex-mex, in which case thank you for not going to El Sarape and taking my table. The tacos and fajitas are great as is the enchiladas poblanas (I have no idea what "mole" sauce is but it's awesome).
The decor is kinda tacky and service is ok but none of that matters when you eat the food (and drink the beers and margaritas), just go here. NOW.
Quincy, MA
Category: Mexican
Hingham, MA
Category: Mexican
Hingham, MA
Category: Restaurants
Weymouth, MA
Category: Bars
Braintree, MA
Category: American (New)
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