Food was good, fresh and they accommodated my request to make vegan enchiladas. Service was a major disappointment, especially when there were just two other occupied tables for the majority of my stay. Once a large party arrived, the one server that seemed to be taking care of the entire dining area gave me little attention. No one asked how my meal was, at which point I would've said that I found the $14 patron margarita way too sweet and not drinkable. I took just a couple of sips hoping someone would figure it out and try and remedy things. Situation didn't get better. I waited an extraordinary amount of time for my check, and was given to me by someone who jumped in to help out, but didn't even bother to make eye contact or offer to take my plate away. I ultimately paid for a drink that I'd not recommend to anyone who prefers more authentic-tasting lime-flavored margaritas. Definitely will think twice before visiting again, if at all. Did not generate a raving fan. read more

El Centro - Looks good right? But this $14 patron margarita was WAY too sweet and not drinkable. - Mexican Near Me - Dedham, Massachusetts

I came to El Centro with friends and my daughter. I was looking forward to coming here as I drive by it all the time. The esthetics are nice. Services was not the best at first. The waiter spent more time near the bar watching the game than attending to us. It got better towards the end after I asked him to keep an eye out for us as I said "When you dine with children you always need something...". Although we ordered an appetizer he never brought it to the table. When I asked him where was our appetizer he said he was waiting for the food to bring it all at once... I was like, no bring it now, it's an appetizer?! Lol So finally the food came, it was okay, under salt which for a Mexican place was a rare thing, but given that I am trying to eat less salt, I was on board. We ordered the Chile relleno with veggies. It was okay. The beans were runny which is not a good thing for refried beans. The rice was okay but cold. The side of rice and beans was pretty small for what I would expect from a Mexican restaurant. I'm specifically picky when it comes to this type of cuisine because I lived in Mexico for two years and know authentic Mexican food. So food wise, this was nothing to rave about . For more flavorful and delicious food. I would recommend Besito in Chestnut hill or the new Mex joint in Legacy in Dedham. Additionally, I ordered three plain tostadas (tostada is a flat corn chip tortilla plain) with refried beans and crema. Which is considered a side anywhere I go. Yet this place had the audacity to charge me $18 for three plain bean tostadas for my kid. At the very least I expect to pay about as much as a side or about a small plate no more than 9 or 12$ max. When I asked the waiter about it. The manager would not ever come to talk to me at the table. He just told the waiter what to tell me. I was beside myself. He eventually came to the table after I told the waiter I would not leave without speaking to him. He came with an attitude and his explanation was that they don't have an "entry in the system for a plain tostada". So I said to him that he could have entered it as 3 sides as any restaurant does. He basically made me feel like there was nothing he could do and that it was basically my fault for not eating the full tostadas. I was so mad!! He had no flexibility for families and socially for people with special dietary needs. Eventually after much arguing he discounted the check, we paid, and left feeling very dissatisfied. This was a very negative experience and the food very disappointing. We will never come back and I will make sure to tell friends and family about this palace. read more

Slow, inattentive, food had flavor but no spice. I am really wishing i could find a good Mexican spot. This was not it. Rice was still hard from lack of cooking. Tampiquena a was good but but i wnr be coming back. read more

Atmosphere is nice but food is ok and over priced. We had a nice server recently but the guy was young and clearly not trained well and in the weeds, manager sat at an open table working at his computer offering no help - our server forgot waters, didn't know menu well and when it came to check out took 25 mins - first time he came back gave us our credit cards slips but wasn't our names on the slips, 2nd time took another 10 mins and ran 1 credit card 2x - each time going to the manager and asking for help and manager clearly getting frustrated with the server and never offering to do it for him or come to our table to apologize or tell us what's taking so long. Sorry love to support our local places but not really worth it here. If you're looking for good American-Mexican food check out Pancho's! read more

The first time I went it was good. The second time the food came out cold! It was as if it had been sitting out for a while. Not even warm. The drinks were fine, nothing special. The corn tamal was decent and the empanada was average. Basically just average overall. read more

Very yummy Taco and the Guacamole is to die for really fresh and you can choose how hot you want it.

Despite other reviews, I liked the food! I came here for my birthday dinner with my family. There was some country music event going on which was so loud we could barely hear each other talk. It was so bad we had to ask to move tables to farther away from the music but that barely helped. Thankfully, the event stopped within 45 mins of us arriving. We the waiter got our order wrong multiple times and instead of apologizing, argued with us he was correct. We were shocked. However, it was clear he was very new and I assumed he couldn't hear due to the loud music. Management came over and apologized and gave us the correct order. They were friendly and we saw them speak to the waiter about what happened. I wasn't a fan of the salsa. But there was a yummy hot sauce I asked for which I chose to dip the tortilla tips in. Portions could be bigger for the price. We had the tostadas, flautas, and enfrijolades. Added jalapenos and hot sauce to everything. Food also took a very long to come out. read more

El Centro - Mexican Near Me - Dedham, Massachusetts

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We had a fantastic meal here. The guacamole they make table side is outstanding. We had the rib eye tacos, CARNITAS EN SALSA VERDE, and CAMARONES HUEVONES. All were excellent. The service was also spot on and the place has a nice authentic vibe. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because the chips weren't great. I'm not sure if they were stale or that's just the texture of their chips but they weren't my favorite. read more

Atmosphere is the draw: high ceiling, airy room & uncramped tables. But fellow Dedham locals had told me the he food was too bland. However, my wife & I went anyway. We sat at the bar, which was well stocked and comfortable. Service was relatively timely, for a busy Saturday, and our tacos were plenty tasty, despite what I'd been told. I definitely will return. read more

I never write reviews unless I'm really effected by the experience. I was excited to try this place, but very disappointed with the take out. There was a big chicken bone in the empanada I ordered, pic attached. I also got one of the queso dips which came with a bunch of tortillas rather than chips and it was gross. It was all watery on the top with solidified cheese on the bottom. Overall I will absolutely not order from here again. I'd much rather get from the place down the road, La Taqueria, which is fresh, everything's homemade, and it's amazing. Lesson learned. read more

El Centro - the inside of a styrofoam container - Mexican Near Me - Dedham, Massachusetts

Went on a wednesday for drinks and Apps.. about 25% full, few people at the bar but only 1 bartender. Took him a while to reach us.. had to call him back for a food order. Very simple, Chips and Guac.. waiting, waiting.. 20 mins later. "Did you put in our order for chips?" he yells across the room to the kitchen.. asking for chips and Guac. It comes out and ya know when you see the bottom of the bag? all the chips that are broken and difficult to dip.. that was the bowl we received. Just no attention to detail, 4 drinks, chips and dip and its $90 with tip. Totally not worth it. read more

Do yourself a favor get a charging station for guest devices. You may be the only restaurant on the planet that can't charge a cell phone for a guest that wants to sit at your bar and spend money. The saddest part, is that no one really cares that i am writing this review. read more

Nice location, hidden a block from the center of town. Fantastic authentic Mexican food. Nice (but small) patio if you want to eat outside.

It was clear they were short-staffed when we walked in. The hostess told us 10 min wait and we were fine with that but then the man who I assumed to be the manager told us to go ahead and sit. I work at a restaurant too so I knew the being short staffed and busy was not his fault and I would give them the benefit of the doubt through the meal. We wait to order drinks, the drinks sat at the bar for 10 minutes, and then we received them and ordered. the drinks were delicious and during this time the manager was apologetic for the delay. We finally received our meals and I had ordered something I ordered previously during their cold open because it was wrong the first time and I was looking forward to it being corrected after their first few opening weeks. Again it was wrong, missing several elements of the dish. I am NOT one to send meals back because I know the stress it caused on waitstaff and the kitchen. I was pretty upset that they hadn't fixed this and I let the manager know. He said the kitchen must have looked over this and he took it back. About 5 minutes later it came back and instead of the missing ingredients on my plate, some overcooked vegetable mix was added. It was immediately clear that the manager nor the kitchen staff knew the menu. I was upset and we let the manager know again. He said sorry and then ignored us until our drinks were finished and brought of the check without much of a word. He compt the food, which I expected since I didn't eat it. But from the moment I said something about my food being wrong he seemed very annoyed with us. I am truly upset by this experience as I had gone in with an open mind. The wonderful bartender was running around and doing so well and some of the other staff were not. Really upset by this experience - but especially by the manager who did not handle the situation correctly. read more

El Centro - Mexican Near Me - Dedham, Massachusetts

We had a great experience at El Centro! We ordered guacamole in addition to the chips & salsa provided - all of which were very good. The portion of guacamole is quite generous too. My husband and I both had chicken enchiladas and even added churros for desert. All of the food was very good. The service was great as well. Our waitress was attentive, quick, and quite friendly. We will definitely return. read more

Great new restaurant in Dedham Center with authentic Mexican food. Excellent menu and delicious meal. Very nice ambience and good service. Ate there for second time in about a month and really like their menu. Highly recommend. read more

Great new spot! Came in during the 1st couple weeks of opening and the manager Juan Jose came to our table to make sure everything was okay and he was very pleasant! Joanna makes the best drinks around. Will definitely go back. I ordered the carne Asada tacos and they were amazing! read more

Horrible customer service! Waited over an hour to get two greasy tacos on paper which was absorbed into them, was not offered an alternative when meal was returned and they still kept the charge on the bill! Waitress was rude and unconcerned with our complaint, no manager to be found! Avoid this place... read more

I really liked the place. We went there for date night and we were seated right away. The place was fairly busy but we got decent and timely service. I loved their mohito and chipotle chicken and wife loved her food as well. Close to home, nice vibe, with parking can't ask for anything better. Will go again. read more

Best Mexican food we have found around Boston in a long time. 50% off on tacos on Tuesday's. This place is great! You can even sit outside if that's your thing. read more

Food was good but it did take a long time to come out for a restaurant that only had 4 or 5 tables occupied.

The food here is really good and the decor is great. The service is comically horrible. We were one of only 5 tables in the restaurant, it took 25 minutes just to get a glass of water. Plenty of wait staff, not paying any attention. I made a reservation on Open Table and they cancelled it even though we obviously showed up. We were incredibly neglected while our waiter hung out behind the bar and socialized. read more

So disappointed in this restaurant. Ate there in July and had the chimichanga - not much flavor. Decided to try it again and was again disappointed. I had the Tortilla Soup and a chorizo taco - tasted like warmed unseasoned chicken broth with a few pieces of unripe avocado. The taco was okay - nothing special. There was decent bottle of rose on the menu, so we ordered it. We were served a cheap bottle of rose, not what we ordered. The waiter did not understand the problem - to him it was "rose." My dining companions were equally disappointed in their meal. I will never go back since there are so many good Mexican restaurants in the area. read more

The food was delicious and it is a fun atmosphere. We also had great service. The table side guacamole was delicious.

Awesome great please go now! Hahahah-- no really, I love this place. It is now part of the regular rotation. Hubs and I had tacos -- fish, carnitas and beef. All were excellent -- and HUGE! We also had the ceviche. It was very fresh. I wish they would have cut up the shrimp rather than having it whole, but that's just my personal preference. I also had a side of rice and beans and both were good. When we requested hot sauce, we were provided with 2 options. Nothing from a bottle -- both in little ramekins. Very tasty! The chips were good. I thought the salsa was maybe a little...heavy? Like, ketchup-y? I think I just prefer a lighter salsa with more jalapeño flavor. Oh, and the service was superb from start to finish. I am a little worried about this place b/c I rarely see it more than 1/2 full, but I'll do my part to keep them busy. ;) Check it out! read more

Horrible service and boring, unimaginative food very disappointing. Went here with a group of friends. The service was scattered and at times non existent and inconsistent with three different people dropping by whenever we could flag them down. They were understaffed and the servers were terrible. Not bringing basic things like water, silverware. It was like we were begging for them to pay attention to us. The place was loud food took forever 30 minutes to get a dessert. The bathrooms were dirty and unserviced. Ladies room had a trash bag over toilet and water all over floor totally unsanitary and disgusting. Food was not very flavorful and unimpressive. My daughters food was forgotten all together so I had to share my meal with he. We had an awful time here. I will never go back here and don't recommend you waste your money. read more

It's been a few weeks since I've had dinner here for the first time and I STILL can't get over how good the food and drinks were. I had to tell the waiter it was by far the best Mexican food I've ever had...ever. Can't wait to go back!!! read more

I went to El Centro on Saturday. Was very excited to try the restaurant, but I have to say I was not super impressed. The place was packed and so loud. We got seated after about 5 minutes at 7:15pm, which is great for such a busy place. We got the Mexican Street Corn and Queso Fundito for app. The Queso fundito was burnt too much on top. It created an overwhelming burnt taste to the dip. The corn was good, but covered in sour cream. Avoid if you don't like to get messy. Then the trouble started. We waited for over an hour and a half for our actual meal to show up. We finally said something to our waiter who took immediate action. Apparently the runner gave our food to the wrong table an hour before and they had to make new food for us. On top of this, they did not take those items off our bill or even attempt to discount it. Not super happy with my experience and I don't think I'll go back. The food was decent though. read more

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Poor experience all the way around. I ordered a gin martini. It came and it was brown. I told the waiter and he brought it back to the bar. I could see that there was quite a bit of discussion so I went up to the bar. The man behind the bar said "I watched her make it". Then he held up the dry vermouth to prove to me that it was brown. Obviously it was clear! Talk about poor customer service. Our meal was very mediocre. Not at all what I expected. Chicken was dry, chips are awful, and I felt very over priced. But the biggest shock came with the bill. We were charged $12.00 for the gin and another $3.00 which was categorized on the bill as "martini". I have not paid $15.00 for a martini anywhere! Rip off! read more

My boyfriend and I have loved this place since the first time we came. Incredible food and even better service. It is authentic, and the queso is incredible. Annnnd the coconut margaritas!! read more

Food was mediocre. I ordered the bisteak ranchero and the beef was so tough I couldn't eat half of it.

Had another great visit, bartenders are great, Leo and Gabe are awesome. Food is very tasty.

Came here for brunch with my girlfriends and this is the prefect brunch spot. Ask for Andrew- he is wonderful! They will make guacamole right in front of you the wya you like it. Try the jalapeño infused tequila mimosa and bloody Marys. read more

We love El Centro Dedham. Avocado toast is delicious. Great options for low carb are ceviche and Ceviche quemadito. Owner is super kind. Great food and fast service. Decor is really pretty. read more

This is a great place for wonderful food. Came here for brunch, and was told that they only did brunch on Sunday. I was fine with that, and ordered the ceviche. The wait times were pretty good, and the ceviche was amazing! The staff were really friendly, and the prices are good. Their churros are also amazing! The aesthetics are amazing too, and it perfectly represents mexico. Please go here if you have the chance, you will not regret it! read more

El Centro - Traditional Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Dedham, Massachusetts

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This restaurant has been me and my parties favorite spot of the year. Not only is the food well prepared and tasty, but the location is beautiful with their lights and decor as well. Our waiter must have been the nicest iv had. My party and I really enjoyed the margaritas with the tajin and salt glass rim. The waiter was super thoughtful and brought us the spice bottle so we could see the spice and taste it! Plus to top it off, the restaurant is offering free churros if you follow them on Instagram- wow! I live 35 minutes away but definitely worth the drive, will be coming back! read more

Great food. Service too. Recommend the chorizo quesadilla. Nice margaritas too. Great place on a cold Winter evening.

Came here on a Tuesday and they have a Taco Tuesday Special. 3 tacos any meat 9.99! Great value and the tacos were delicious! Great service too and their patron margarita was Perfect! Try them out you will not be disappointed! read more

After reading so many negative comments, I wasn't sure what to expect. I went on Sat. 11/17 at 6:30. We got a table immediately although it was already crowded. I thought they had done a great design job with the interior. We had a very pleasant waiter and ended up getting a margarita(which was very good) and a slew of appetizers. We had fish tacos, sope, fundido, guacamole, empanadas, and street corn. The corn and fundido were FANTASTIC(our favorite). However, everything else was delicious!!!! The manager checked in with us a couple of times and was very nice. This was some of my favorite Mexican food ever. Looking forward to going back. Debbi L read more

Maybe they just need to work a few things out but seriously. $16 for a burrito that barely had any meat in it, $12 for a margarita that barely any booze. You pay double what you would at other Mexican places for the "atmosphere". Staff was fine, but overall a $40 tab that left me not buzzed and not full is very sad. read more