The food was good and always has been. I have been a long time customer but will not be back. As we finished our meal and got ready to leave we looked up to see mice running around behind us. Nope didn't even say anything we just ran out of there. It seems based on other reviews this has been an issue. I hope the owners do something about their little pests that like to make their appearance known. read more

Everything was barley mediocre Table didn't feel clean, limited menu, and both meals looked the same, except one had a teaspoon of sour cream. Waitress although nice couldn't answer any questions. I would not recommend. I'm not sure how they stay in business. Not a lot to offer. Two stars because it was edible and I was starving. Drinks were meh. Won't be back. read more

I've been eating at El Sarape for well over 10 years now. I came to finally give them a review when I started reading some from other "customers". I would like to address a lot of the bad reviews I see on here, because they anger me and I feel as if they are misleading to potential future diners. 1) "Small Portion Sizes": it amazes me that adults can complain because they aren't getting 2 pounds of food. The portion sizes are NORMAL. If you want more "bang for your buck", may I suggest McDonalds or an all-you-can-eat buffet. They bring, not only your entree, but also huge side plates of rice and beans. Not to mention, unlimited chips and salsa. 2) "Not Authentic Mexican": it's not your average tacos and quesadilla place, I agree....but it's certainly authentic. Try the rich Mole Poblano or the homemade Chilaquiles; these are actual traditional dishes!! If you're feeling adventurous, try the Pollo Monterrey or maybe the rib eye; both are delicious, inventive and surely authentic Mexican. 3) "Dishes are bland": you're just plain wrong. Try the Pollo en Salsa de Mango and tell me it's bland, please. I have serious doubts you actually ate at El Sarape if you are complaining about the taste of the food. Also, I don't know how this is such a common mistake but it's spelt "bland" not "blend". In all, El Sarape really is a gem. It's not like anything you can get elsewhere in this area. It's a solid, double dollar-sign, sit-down, dinner place. The decor is certainly 4 star at best, but does it need to be any higher when the food shines so bright? Enjoy a meal here, and you'll understand why I'm so upset with some these reviews. Suggestions: To start: Carnitas(one with cheese and one without) For dinner: My usual: Enchiladas Poblanas Partner's usual: Camerones Javier Other Suggestions: Pesacdo Relleno or the Ribeye Dessert: Bananas( just ask for them, they are delicious) Drinks: Margaritas and the Sangria are both great here. read more

Best Mexican food around the food is so good service is good I been going here for years

El Sarape is in a class by itself! Everyone I know has a favorite dish there and always Orders it every time we go. Mine is the shrimp Dish wrapped in fish. YumThe other outstanding thing is the kindness of the Waitstaff. Always read to go the extra mile to Make our evening special Gail Plotkin Hull Mass. read more

We made reservations for 6 at El Sarape for Father's Day. We came in at 5:30, and the restaurant was maybe half full. The issues started at the beginning...slow service, drinks came out maybe 20 minutes after we ordered them (and my frozen margarita was half melted). The food, too, took about half an hour to come out. There were a couple problems. We ordered the appetizer of guacamole, which is $8. It came out as 2 ice cream scoops worth - seemed more of like a side so we thought the waitress brought us that instead. We never had a chance to ask her, because we didn't really ever see her again! When our meals came out, our side orders of salsa and sour cream took about 10 minutes...at this point our food was mostly finished. My sister in law got up to ask one of the managers how she could get her condiments, and the response was "I don't really have time to take care of this". It seemed obvious they didn't have enough staff...but this was Father's Day. The manager told us "we didn't expect it to be this busy". When our check came out, I had to ask a couple people to speak to the manager to talk about the guacamole and lack of service. They did take some things off, but made us feel uncomfortable and like we were making a big deal out of things. Sort of a bummer for a family celebration! We did hear other people complaining about the service so I know it wasn't personal - but I would hesitate to come here with all the other options in the area. read more

Gettting takeout meals here for over 20 years....always consistent...sometimes smaller portions based on business. Always same flavors.Tonight ordered combo beef tostada /chicken enchilada.....didn't get enchilada. Biggest problem, husband had mango chicken . Totally no flavor, soupy mess dried out chicken . Hopefully not going to spend tomorrow in BR. Husband noticed totally younger generation working...no familiar staff....How sad ,bye -bye El Serape...for years we counted on your consistency read more

We've been regulars for over 30 years and since the new owners . . . the food is consistently terrible and the hostess is rude. Have eaten there 3 times in 6 months to see if it got any better . . . it has gotten worse. The food S@#&S it it is more expensive and the the hostess needs an attitude adjustment. -4 Stars. read more

Do NOT get the steak quesadilla it's an appetizer portion. Barely ANY MEAT.. and has no flavor. Where's the Mexican seasoning? Or any seasoning at that?? This is all I tried here so far.. not impressed at all. read more

El Sarape - Steak quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

Coming from CA, I am usually pretty disappointed with mexican food in the Boston area, but even with low expectations, the food was just not great, and pretty expensive for what it was. My mom got the carne asada plate, and it was gristle-y and tough, and not seasoned well. It doesnt come with any tortillas, and were charged extra for them which seemed weird. I think it came to over $20 for a very small piece of meat I got the chile relleno, and that was definitely better than the carne asada, but at $16.75 expensive for a vegetarian meal that was mostly rice and beans, especially in Braintree. Service was fine, but in general it just felt overpriced for mediocre to less than mediocre food read more

July 2021. Wow this place is not good. Service was fine, sat outside. House margarita was mediocre. The food had very little taste. The Guisado con chile ancho was a bunch of chewy strips of beef and 2 slices of potato with a premade "red sauce" dumped on top. Bad taste, nothing fresh tasting. Partner had tacos and said they lacked any taste or fresh ingredients. People love this place but it has gone waaay downhill. Can not recommend this place for food or drinks. Lo siento! read more

I decided to hit this place up for a quick dinner tonight since I hadn't been here in quite a while. The decor here is really cool with pieces of Mexican art, photos, wall hangings etc. all along the walls. There is also Mexican music playing in the background which very nicely adds to the atmosphere in the restaurant. There is a bar to the right just as you walk into the restaurant but I opted for a booth in a quiet little corner off to the side. My server arrived at the table very quickly to get my drink order and a minute later she arrived back to the table with my drink as well as some complimentary chips and salsa. I was in the mood for something simple to eat so I just ordered the nachos as my meal. They were very good and while the portion size I received wasn't as big as I've seen in other Mexican restaurants I've eaten in, it still did fill me up and I was satisfied. I had some room left for dessert so my server brought me over a dessert menu to look at and I went with the coconut cheesecake. It looked a lot like flan and had about the same consistency but it had a very nice coconut taste to it and I did enjoy it. When the bill came I did notice that I was charged about 30 cents more for the dessert than was advertised on the menu but for such a small difference I just paid it and didn't make a big deal about it. There isn't a parking lot here so it is on the street parking only. This place is in a very busy area with many other businesses nearby so street parking is pretty scarce. But I was lucky this time and was able to get the last available parking space that was adjacent to the restaurant. I wish they did have a private parking lot because the reason that I don't frequent this place more often is for reasons of parking. It is a pretty nice restaurant and I'd like to go there more than I do. The food is delicious and the service is friendly as well. They have been in business for at least 30 years now, so they are definitely doing something right! read more

I'll admit that I fell into the hype with this place. Friends said it was supposed to be good, but Yelp was giving me mixed reviews. Well, Hubs and I came here one blustery cold Saturday night to check it out. First off, there is street parking available in front of the restaurant but also parking behind the restaurant down an ice luge ... errr... narrow driveway. Once you're finally in the door, it's a giant cluster-you-know-what. Is there a hostess? Why are all these people just standing around while there are empty tables? A bar? We finally found the host, who was also the manager that evening and put our names in for a table. Fortunately, two spots at the bar opened up. We sat at the bar and ordered drinks. We figured ... why not just eat at the bar? There were two bartenders there that night, and you would have thought we were invisible. I ordered enchiladas and Hubs had the chilaquiles. We waited for what felt like forever. While other patrons were immediately served chips and salsa, we had to ask for them and we, literally, received the bottom of the barrel when it came to chips. Our food finally came and it was underwhelming to say the least. Granted, Mexican food in the metro Boston area is a little hard to find as compared to southern California, I did not feel the $40 for dinner warranted the quality, quantity, and the service. We waited over 15 minutes to get the check and have the bartender run the credit card. I would like to think this was just a fluke, but based on other reviews, I should have known better. read more

El Sarape - Found at the bar.... - Mexican Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

Wow, where do I start. The decor of the restaurant is outdated and dirty. When I first got to my table, my girlfriend realized the table was sticky and dirty, and it took awhile to get the attention of our waitress to clean it up. Bad start. Strike One I ordered two margaritas. Barely any alcohol in either of them and was watered down. I felt like I was drinking colored juice with a drip of alcohol . Strike two Finally when the waitress brought out our food, the nachos were soggy and barely any chicken. I asked for guacamole and she brought out two scoops of guacamole on a piece of wet lettuce. And charged me $8.50. Strike 3 At this point I've had enough. But I'm not done... the waitress came over while I was trying to enjoy my 1-star meal and asked "do you need a to-go box" wow.. strike 4... Stay away from this place. It's not worth it. NO STARS read more

I was very unimpressed with my experience. I ordered the chicken burritos and they lacked flavor, very bland. My girlfriend ordered the chicken tacos and when she picked them up, what seemed like water just poured out of them. Seems like they didn't even strain the chicken after boiling it, which caused the hard tacos to become soft tacos. Not only was the food crappy, the drinks are extremely overpriced. No wonder they don't have the drink prices on the menu. I won't be going back here, I could make better tacos at home with and Old El Paso taco kit. read more

The best Mexican food north of the boarder! Yes the awning is worn and old, maybe the inside is dated,but isn't that what you want in an authentic Mexican restaurant ! Sit at the bar and enjoy the conversation with the regulars or grab a table, the service is always great. The fish and shrimp dishes are fantastic prepared in a variety of ways. The beef tacos are simple and delicious and perfect for a newbie . You won't get out of here cheap if you eat and drink, but the food and drinks won't leave you unhappy , trust me I've been coming weekly for 26 years! 4 stars because they need an update, but be patient they are waiting to see about the Landing redevelopment. read more

El Sarape - Polo cilantro - Mexican Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

Delicious!!! My family and I love coming here. The sangria is the best sangria I've ever had. I really like the Pollo Monterrey, beef burritos, and Pescano Crema. My son likes to get the crispy tacos. We all like to get nachitos or chorizo as an app. We have never had a bad experience here. Staff is always friendly and welcoming. They have live music sometimes that is fun to hear. read more

El Sarape - Sangria... so delicious!! - Mexican Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

The carne asada is amazing here. They're light on the salt which is great for people that can't have a lot of sodium. read more

El Sarape - Mexican Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

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I heard this was the best Mexican joint around, but since we're in New England I tempered my expectations. A glass of Negra Modelo should help! I got off to a poor start with the Queso and Chorizo App. Not enough Chorizo and the cheese didn't have the flavor I was hoping for. So I ordered a side of Chorizo - which had a nice kick to it - and some corn tortillas and made my own appetizer. Not bad. Thankfully, the steak fajita is one of the better Mexican dishes I've had around here. The peppers and onions added nice flavor. I would definitely order it again. Both the waitress and the bartender were super nice! I'm not sure this place deserves a 4th star, but I'll be back to find out. read more

Great Cocktails an Bartender. Avoid the "Cuisine "! The fajitas were dry. The tacos were bland. Not Recommended.

We were excited to try El Sarape because we had heard great things in the past. We were sadly disappointed. We ended up throwing out 2 of the entrees because they tasted so terrible. In addition to the food tasting poor, the order wasn't correct. We ordered burritos with the works that came with nothing but chicken and cheese in them and honestly may have been enchiladas. We ordered ground beef tacos and received steak. Lastly, we asked for the red sauce on the side and didn't receive it, causing most meals to be very dry. On a positive note, chips and Guac was good. But I wouldn't go back. read more

Food was meh. Use to be rock solid, but no longer. Service was good and pleasant. The salsa tasted like bland canned salsa with no salt. The Adobe Puerco was spicy (good thing), but the rice and beans were bland. BUMMER...! read more

Love the food here . Once Of our neighborhood favorites. I'm sure the food in person is even better. Fajitas are my favorite but I've enjoyed everything I have gotten here . read more

Update: 7 years going here and it just doesn't disappoint. I have the Pescada crema with extra chipotle and sauce. Yummy! read more

There was literally a mouse running around under my table, right next to my feet! When I brought this up to the waitress all she said was "oh I'm sorry" and did absolutely nothing to remedy the situation. I very much wanted to like this place but the food was mediocre and most definitely not worth eating with mice for. read more

Walked in on a Saturday nite and the place was crowded. A lounge singer was setting up so music was on the way. The crowd seems a bit older which was nice. Sat at the bar and ordered my dinner. Ordered Chile Relleno with a dollup of guac. Chips were good and the salsa was ok. I asked for a hotter version and was given some whole chipoltes. Not my idea of hotter but to each his own. The Relleno was hot, had good flavor but just did not resonate authentic. The dollup of Guac was very small for 3.25. The side of blk beans was average. Being from California I am used to a higher standard of Mexican food. I did not dislike this good but it wasn't the best by a long shot. As for the restaurant it was clean and well organized. The staff was pleasant and helpful. A but pricey for what you get but not too bad. read more

Best Mexican around, at least on the south shore....I have had other items but now I literally order the same thing every time I go. Pollo a la Naranja with a side of mexican chorizo....SO GOOD! Also, this is sort of a typical "middle ground" mexican spot...not too expensive ($120 for 2 people) but not a cheap greasy place either ($30 for 2 people)... I had dinner last night (2 people) and it was $60 total with tip. Thats seems to be typical unless we get a bunch of drinks. My girlfriend loves it as well, and she always orders something different. We love Mexican food and try out bew restaurants in every city we go. I have been to better Mexican places around Boston but they are all more expensive. So im really only comparing this place to other restaurants of the same caliber. In comparison to other places in the area (La Paloma for instance)....El Sarape is much better. I would agree that the drinks need some help...and the salsa and chips definitely need some work. But I love the meal I get and I usually stop in here at least once every 2 weeks. read more

El Sarape - Pollo a la Naranja - Mexican Near Me - Braintree, Massachusetts

Great Mexican food love everything on the menu basically I have had everything on the menu great service to

This is probably the worse Mexican I ever had. No flavor no taste. No Mexicans in the whole place and no one spoke Spanish in a Mexican restaurant. The atmosphere was great but this place is missing flavor. read more

As always a great experience. We visited this time for the annual day of the dead celebration. They always have great food specials and drinks. The live music was great too.. and who doesn't love a well put together day of the dead theme! They go above and beyond. read more

The place was empty when we arrived so that should have told us something. Small drinks with big pricetags; refried beans and rice had absolutely no flavor. Ordered fish tacos which consisted of fried white fish - super greasy - white flour tortillas - too drenched in grease to pick up and some sort of white greasy cheese. No greens, cilantro, slaw or color on the plate. I sent it back to the kitchen - it looked inedible and a small taste proved that. The bartender stopped talking to us after that!!!!!!!! Free chips and salsa were good..... read more

I started going here when my children were babies...they are in their 30's now....There is a reason this place has been around as long as it has! Staff and food are all great. So happy they remained in business! read more

I'm there now. 2nd time coming since 2013. Twice now they have not had Higaditos Mexicanos available. In 2013 bartender was magnificent, super friendly & the food was authentic "Mexican food" also had tremendous flavor & available to order. Currently the waitress/bartender only said 3 words to me & the food is disgusting & super blend. I am truly disappointed with food & service was mediocre. read more

Food was great, Margs were delish, and our waitress, Dana, was extremely attentive, sweet, and gave the best recommendations.

Authentic Mexican food. Great flavor, friendly staff. I compare all Mexican restaurants to Sarape. Nothing compares

True review is probably 2.5 stars but I am rounding up for the excellent waiter we had and the sangria. The Good -Sangria was not served over ice so it was not watered down. It had a rich red color and not overloaded with sugar as some places tend to do. I got a carafe and it was more than enough to provide an ample buzz to myself and my partner. -Our waiter was attentive, seemed to really like his job and had a positive personality. The Bad -Food was quite expensive and the portion sizes are not overly generous -refried black beans and rice as the side dishes were simply lacking flavor, the rice read more

I cannot understand why this place only has 3 and a half stars? Every time we have gone there it has been fantastic! And we have been there 20-30 times at all hours of the day. The place does get busy on weekends but I have never gotten bad service. I love the chicken in mole sauce, the fish with the orange chili sauce and my wife loves the spicy shrimp on potato purée. Good margaritas and beer selection. The salsa and chips are addictive. The guacamole is great and we love this place,especially on music nights when the crowd gets going read more

Wow. I'm all for some bad Mexican, but this was just bad food all around. First, credit where it is due. The place was clean and our service was good. Now the bad. A very weak $10 margarita. When served it was already very watered down. Additionally, the table behind me asked if there was another tequila option other than Cuervo. She was then brought a bottle of another tequila, but told she could only smell it by a very apologetic waitress. Really? More bad. An over reliance on canned tomatoes. The salsa is made using canned tomatoes. The chicken livers are topped in canned tomatoes. The shrimp in chilis are covered in canned tomatoes. No texture, no flavor, and no color on the plate. Even the peas in the rice looked canned. The worst. Having to pay $70 for two people to not eat well. It's too bad, based on the awards hanging on the wall, looked like it was once a good place. read more

My husband and I just moved to Massachusetts from California where Mexican food was incredible! So to say we have high expectations would be very accurate. I was beyond excited to try El Sarape, not only based on the reviews here on Yelp, but also from friends recommendations. Last night we decided that we were going to give it a try. We waited about 10 minutes before the waitress (who seemed very sweet, but a bit overwhelmed) even came to us to take our drink order, and then another ten minutes to get them along with the chips and salsa. If you are looking for fresh chips, go to Chili's! I'm pretty sure the chips we ate last night were the same one's patrons ate the weekend before. We each went with a combo plate...I ordered a cheese enchilada and a chicken enchilada, my husband ordered a chicken enchilada and a chicken burrito. Well, when the meals came out my chicken enchilada turned into a meat one, so that went back. I agree with the reviewer that said the chicken had zero flavor...I mean ZERO flavor! No salt, no pepper, no spices of any kind. Then the icing on the cake was when my husband found a chicken bone in his dish. I'm sure at one time this place was delicious, and there was a line to get in, but honestly save your money and go to Chili's...it might not be 'authentic' but neither is this place. read more

I was hoping to be able to say that I had a great mexican experience but instead I didn't even step foot in the restaurant. I called to make a reservation for myself and my husband for a Friday night, was asked how many and I responded 2. I was told no, we only make reservations for 6 or more. The website doesn't say anything about a limit of 6 for the reservations so I said you may want to update your website to reflect that so that there isn't more confusion. I was promptly hung up on. My money will not be spent here. read more