Another hidden South End gem! Decent Mexican food is hard to come by in Boston; this is one of the few places to find it. I think it is, anyway; I don't think I've ever eaten there sober, so I may not be the best judge. But when you're over at JJ Foley's and you suddenly realize that what started out as happy hour is turning into all night and if you don't eat something you're gonna end up in jail, El Triunfo is a godsend. Serves your basic burritos and stuff, and the staff are incredibly cool. Be warned: it closes earlier than you'd like it to. I can't remember the exact time - again, drunk - but it's right about five minutes before you realize you're hungry. They're so cool that they might let you in and feed you anyway if you look desperate enough. read more

I got the 2 pupusas and tamale combo. It was amazing!! Great value for the price. On the downside, the baklava tasted like it was made with olive oil and corn syrup...would not recommend. But, I'll def be back for more! read more

If El Triunfo doesn't have a slogan yet, may I suggest one? "Food so good you'll need a cigarette afterward." Word. Karlis and I stopped here late one night a few weeks ago after an evening spent at Shecky's Girls Night Out (shut up). We were starving, as apparently the organizers of Shecky's thought that girls didn't eat and we'd spent the past 3 hours hovering around the Cabot Cheese booth. Thus we headed to El Triunfo to counteract the influence of fruity vodka, Chambord and mojito-in-a-bottle (yuck). El Triunfo is indeed a hole in the wall, complete with a low ceiling. I ordered the chicken burrito and gringa-fied it: no sour cream, no guac, no hot sauce (for shame). The staff was friendly and fast, and the prices were certainly doable. Our burritos came up crazy-fast, too, and we were even fortunate enough to catch the bus to Copley. There we munched happily on our burritos, and all was right with the world. El Triunfo, you have a new fan. It might be high time for me to take an extra long lunch one of these days and head up there for a well-deserved treat. read more

Trying to find a doctor's office, I happened to walk past a smal hole in the wall Mexican joint. Looks right up my alley. After the doc, I meandered back over to El Triunfo to try out their Mexican. One thing that hit me as weird was that there were 2 doors (I think). One door went into what looked like a now defunct dining room, the other was where the cooks were. Did the attempt to have table service go bad? I walked in the door- dark and small shop, no seating area, cute painted menu and...a cooler. A cooler with regular old coke, water and my all time fave- Pina Jarritos. Ok, big points already with me. The counter gal made my burritto exactly as I wanted it all with a smile. Burrittos come with chicken, steak, carnitas or shrimp and the toppings include cheese, sour cream, guac, jalapenos, hot sauce, rice beans- WOW! $8 and I was on my way home to enhoy my burritto. Decent, solid, nice are good words for it. Not extraordinary. But for the price and the ease, I'll take it. read more

Hells yeah, I love this place! I work around the corner and the line is always long at lunch, so you know it's good. Everything is fast, fresh, and cheap. I'm vegan so I get a veggie burrito with some sides and it's the best I have ever tasted, something about the spices really makes it taste different. read more

Food was good - not delicious but good enough. Would have ranked it higher but service was bad. No proper queue and manager was mad because I took pictures at the menu (board) and staff in the kitchen. Menaced me to be kicked out (suspecting illegal workers...). Go if you're really hungry, if you're not, avoid. read more

Grab-and-go loaded taco box (3 with your choice of protein, rice and beans) for ~$11. It's plenty o' stuff for short bills, especially in the face of the "$5 street taco" onslaught. Cool tortillas, triple deckered before a hearty layer of barbacoa, ground beef or marinated chicken (I sampled one of each), cheese, lettuce, guac, crema and hot sauce. Pickled jalapeños also come standard, so if you're puny of palate, ask for them on the side. Pansy. I liked the meal just fine, if only suggesting steps be taken to keep the meat moist and more evenly seasoned. A few tables in the space next to the counter, should you need to sit and eat; otherwise, a decent lunch option for the midday rush. read more

Mmmm. Burritos. This place is right around the corner from my office. It's close, it's fast, it's cheap, and it's good. And the people who work there are so very nice. It's just a little place, and they just remodeled. Best for take out as there's barely anywhere to sit. We're in there often enough that they know what we want and how we take it. Yeah, if you go at the lunch rush, the line is likely to be out the door, but you'll move pretty quickly. Stop in, say hola, and get the steak burrito (with everything and black beans). Edit 7/17/07: Stopped in for lunch today, and prices have gone up. Now $5 (up from $3.75) for the small and $5.95 (up from $4.95) for the large. Other prices up as well. Do I remove a star for that? read more

El Triunfo is simply a godsend. Ever since I started stopping here for my usual Taco combo dinner take out and sometimes the Pupusa combo or anything else for that matter - on mostly odd very late Saturday nights or post football Sunday evenings, my weekend evenings feel almost incomplete if I am in the area and I don't get my usual grub from here. This place for me - it epitomizes everything that I seek when it comes to a simple - post night out food. I like this place because it: 1. is no frills 2. is open late 3. serves food for night owls who need something to munch on after a weekend night out. 4. is cheap 5. is run by hardworking and very down to earth people 6. has some of the best Mexican - El Salvadorian food that I have had, anywhere outside of East Boston neighborhood The guys working here have so got used to me dropping in when I usually do - these days they simply ask - "same thing? Taco Combo?" And the very happy me - all I have to say is - "Yes Please! Thanks a bunch!!" So everything I mentioned in my previous review about El Triunfo still holds good. I just had to come and update the rating and add another shiny star and make this place officially my all time favorite place for take out, when out and about in South End! Rain or Shine or Snow - there's no place I'd rather go. I Love it! 5 stars all the way. read more

I've never been blown away by the food at El Triunfo, but with limited delivery options at BMC, I have learned to deal with it. Burritos are somewhat tasteless, but I enjoyed the burrito plate (a "naked" burrito) because I can construct the perfect ratio of sour cream, guac, and salsa in each bite. I would avoid the carnitas and stick with chicken... carnitas were very dry. There rice is ehhhh, but after reading reading reviews, I'm definitely going to try the flautas next time. Side note: it just does not seem all that sanitary. I've never found anything wrong with my food, I just don't like the look of the inside of the joint. Reminds me of a nasty subway chain or something. read more

Key takeaway: if you do delivery, you may not get the food you order. Caveat: I ordered delivery through Foodler, so the experience may be different if you eat in or order directly through them. I ordered the two pupusas and tamale plate because the Yelp reviews seemed pretty positive, but when it arrived, it was three pupusas. Now, normally, I'm not super picky because I just freaking love food, but you know how sometimes you're just crazing something and really want it? Lol, so, yeah, I was having a tamale moment. But I was also starving, so pupusas it was! The pupusas were good, nothing amazing, but filling. Rice and beans were freaking delicious. When I was done devouring my food like the ravenous animal that I am, I called to find out what happened. Apparently, they just didn't have tamales today. But didn't feel the need to let me know when I ordered. And, honestly, who knows if I would have changed my order or ordered from somewhere else, but I should have had the option. And when I asked if I could get an extra tamale with my next order, the woman I was speaking with seemed really horrified that I would suggest that or ask for it. So, yeah, the food was decent enough for me to have ordered again, but the fact that I might not get the food I order sort of defeats the purpose. read more

I ended up splattered in sour cream. First things first: I went here with my roommate after the robot art show. We were just hoping to get a quick bite before karaoke, and this was convenient and inexpensive. Burritos were just under $6. I got a steak burrito and I enjoyed the different flavors they managed. There were small chunks of tomato in there (not pico) which was interesting but not a bad thing, at least to me. I have found recently that it's a good idea to forgo guac and sour cream inside the burrito and just get what comes with it, the rest on the side if you want. That way you are packed with a meat and bean PUNCH! To my roommate, tomatoes were a no-go, and it was as he was prying them out with the lid to his sour cream cup that I was fiercely splattered with it. yuck We were also surprised that the people working there had never heard of Tobasco Sauce. One guy just shrugged and said "We're Turkish." Oh. Well, okay then. The home-made hot sauce was good! read more

My roommate swears by this place, so one night last week while in a pinch for dinner, I accompanied him to this hole-in-the-wall on East Berkeley. I don't have a whole lot of experience with burritos (see: Boloco), but I got the chicken burrito. It was enormous, fully loaded with everything you could want, especially guacamole and sour cream. The price? $6.95. I couldn't believe it. And it was delicious. I told the guy to take it easy on the hot sauce and spare me the jalapenos because, I have to admit, I just can't do spicy food. He nailed it, and the result was one helluva burrito. Bravo, El Triunfo...bravo. read more

This place was the worst takeout/delivery I ever had. In fact, I created a yelp account just to let others know. Nachos were soggy, cold, and disgusting. The vegetable enchiladas were just tortillas, sour cream, and a sprinkle of iceberg lettuce. The chicken quesadilla was okay. read more

Let's get this out of the way: I like spice. If it is not almost physically painful to eat, I am probably not interested. Having said that, I'm a recent transplant to Boston and have been desperately hunting for a decent Mexican place for months. I've found some alright eats, don't get me wrong, but nothing memorable. Last night, exhausted and hungry, I turned to online ordering to save me from my empty kitchen. ... An hour and a half after I ordered [which made it an hour past the quoted delivery time] I got a phone call from a confused sounding Spanish speaker and after some bumbling, realized that he wanted me to actually walk out to the sidewalk to meet him, rather than coming up to the building. Fine, whatever. He then informed me in broken English that my building was "TOO FAR. TOO FAR." I have some problems with that. Firstly, my building, though in Brighton, is CLEARLY marked as well within the range of their delivery, as stated on the map they provided. Which makes me think that he was just very, very lost for that additional hour. Secondly, while he was very, very lost, we didn't get a phone call from him or the restaurant saying "Oop, sorry, our bad". That aside? The best god damn Mexican food I've had since I moved here. No lie. They don't mess around with portions either. I got the Mexican enchilada entree [$11] and was deliriously full before I even hit the side of beans. Their food isn't deadly hot, but has a kick. And they put cilantro in their guacamole! I'll definitely be ordering again, but giving them an extra hour for delivery before I call the restaurant in hysterics. Pros: Awesome, cheap, delicious food! Cons: Order before you're actually hungry, and be prepared for a belligerent delivery driver. read more

Great spot for a hidden treasure. Unfortunately, this place is merely hidden. Had the carnitas super burrito: -Rice was a tad too wet and tasted old -A modest amount of meat for my $6 burrito, -Black beans were tasty -Red onions were a nice twist on an old favorite But good beans and a the idea to put fresh red onions do not make a burrito. 3 stars for potential. read more

I come here 3x a week to get lunch. I think the food is great. However, I went in there on 7-24-11 and had the WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. I purchased my usual chicken quesa -blah blah and asked for an extra sour cream (which was SOUPY) and gacamole. my bill from 6.50 to 8.29. Now I know in MA our tax is 6.25% and in no way does 6.25% equal to 8.29. long story short. I paid and left. I called to inquire about the "tax" he told me that it cost 1.75 for the additional condiments. He than went on to say I "should have known" and he then hung up on me. EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL!!!!!! (this time) Don't know the guys name but he was a young kid. I will come back as long as he is not working. read more

the girl at the register is suck. she is keep taking orders wrong and doesnt give a f about it. she wasnt even trying to replace the order

Very simply not that great, not awful but won't be ordering again. Salsa wasn't bad. Shrimp Casadilla not worth it.

Everyone loves to argue about the best burrito in Boston, and El Triunfo deserves to be in the running. The cheese pupusas are made to order, so they are piping hot and come with a bag of slaw and sauce that is super yummy. Two tacos and a cheese pupusa makes the perfect meal. I get the bean burrito with black beans, but without cheese or sour cream, and they always remind me that the tortilla also has milk in it - this attention to vegans is pretty rare, let me tell you, and makes me love them. If I were truly vegan I would love them even more, but I guess I wouldn't be ordering anything in a tortilla then anyway. read more

First of all this serves Salvadorean food, not Mexican. It's different. The portions are large, the prices are cheap. So it's a definite go. I have been partial to the tamales lately which have big chunks of carrots and potatoes, something I've never had before and I've had lots and lots of tamales. The beans are good but a bit runny. The lines can be annoying. But the food makes up for it. Another plus, the people who work there are nice. read more

Let me start with this: if your food gets there on time, it's unbelievable. Five stars just for the food alone. The Fajita platters are stacked and tasty, prices are pretty good for what you get. The quesadillas are amazing. Tacos are pretty good. Bean are definitely a little runny, but mix them with your food and you'll be good. Now for all of you complaining about delivery reliability, I can completely relate. To their defense, they're in Southie. But to get business, they must put a gigantic radius on delivery areas for GrubHub and Foodler. And when you order on Foodler, it doesn't calculate anything. Foodler delivery times are probably based on a typed in figure that the company estimated when ordering. Alright, so they're far and they take a long time sometimes. Sometimes they only have one driver, and I've ordered twice on nights like that. Once they called to cancel and gave me a free credit towards a meal for the next day. (And even though I added the tip to the original order, the delivery guy still thought my meal was free. I felt bad and gave him an extra dollar. I guess that's the price of Foodler screwups.) The other time, it took the guy two hours to bring my food. He probably went from Southie to Downtown to Brighton to Allston and then to my place. The food was cold and shaken from his race car driver skills. Definitely not as enjoyable as the first time I ordered. So here's my advice. Don't order via Foodler until AFTER you call them and make sure delivery times are up to par for the night. Get a real estimate from them. Tell them your Foodler order is coming in and you want to make sure you'll get it on time. I do this now, and a few times they told me honestly that it would take a while. But despite this, try this place out. The food is amazing and pretty worth it if you can catch them at a slow time. read more

I LOVE this place. I have an internship close-by and can honestly say that it is the only place in the E.Berkley/Harrison Ave area that I really want to eat at. I stop by and grab a burrito about once or twice a week and I will say that they are very consistent. I get a large veggie burrito for $6.25. I have sat inside while waiting for a ride and it was very clean. Bright and fun decor. The same girl that always serves me is pleasant. She takes my order, then runs away to cook it and is back in mere minutes. Awesome service, awesome food. I write this as I am about to run out the door to grab one and bring it back to eat at my desk. EDIT: just got back to my desk and I thought of other great things about this place. Hot and cold insulated bag on takeout, i have never been to another place that does this! Also - the guy at the counter today said "$5 is good" to my ordering a large veggie burrito with guac. That shiz shoulda cost me close to $7. Good people, they must be recognizing me. read more

Great take-out (or eat-in at the little bar on the take-out side). I favor the small shrimp burrito, and it's been consistently good. For $5.95, you can't beat it. I love that they don't charge you for guacamole, cheese, etc., when Anna's does. Their chips are far better, too. I don't recommend the restaurant side if you are an even slightly impatient person. In my most recent experience there, I had to track down my stoned waiter just to get my order placed. Their drink selection could be better, too--and more obvious on the menu. They have Jarritos, but I had no idea until I went to the take-out side a few weeks after eating in the restaurant. My biggest complaint, though, is their use of styrofoam for the take-out containers. I mean, come on ... really? Styrofoam? They can't wrap the tacos up in foil like every other place? Frustrating. read more

I live on the edge of JP so much so that i might as well live in Connecticut. There are few places that deliver to me and only a handful of said places are mouth-watering worthy. El Triunfo not only delivers to me, but they are open late most nights. I'm Mexican and these guys make one of the best burritos, tacos and quesadillas in town. Period. Forget about Anna's. The only rival I can imagine is El Pelon (sadly burned down). Only con is they charge too much for guac' and salsa sides, but the stuff is good. read more

Desperate, late night cravings and locked in my downtown hotel, I cast about for a 1000-calorie delicious savory hunk of food I could scarf down at 2am. I found it in El Triunfo's burrito and fries. Your delivery saved me on a very stressful night in a strange town, which apparently is a food desert after midnight. Thank you! read more

Es bueno! There aren't many Mexican places around the area that I can compare to, but I'm just thankful there IS one in the area. It's the South End, after all, and if you don't stock wine or cheese in your restaurant you're going to get looks of disapproval. El Triunfo exists in an area overwhelmed by artist lofts and gourmet shops, but it seems to be doing pretty darn well for itself. The food here is pretty good, and that's all I can ask for. It doesn't offer the variety of combinations like Boca Grande, but it has the staples that most people are looking for. Don't except special spicy chipotle-ranch salsa or Mango Black Bean Surprise. These are burritos and tacos with all the right ingredients and not much more. They're happy to customize to your liking. Just don't expect bells and whistles and you will leave full, happy and with some money still in your wallet. read more

I went to El Triunfo last week with high hopes based on the more positive reviews here on yelp and left extremely disappointed. We sat in the newish sit-down cafe area, so this experience is limited to that. Service: I don't what was up, but the waiter did not seem to know what he was doing. I ordered two pupusas and a tamale in English, but he simply could not figure out what I was ordering. Since it's a Mexican/Salvadoran joint, I figured I'd make life easier and order in Spanish, since I lived in Mexico and I'm a fluent speaker. That only made things worse because he not only didn't speak English, he also didn't speak Spanish. Judging from the too-loud music coming from the boombox I'm guessing Middle Eastern. I can forgive language skills, but he couldn't even get it right when I just pointed to what I wanted. We had eight people in our group and when the food finally came out, it came one dish at a time with a significant delay between each dish. I don't know whether to blame the waiter or the kitchen for that, but either way, it was annoying. Food: meh; nothing spectacular. Chip baskets only half-filled with anemic looking chips. The salsa was, at best, mediocre. The cheese pupusa was OK, but the "carnitas" pupusa was rank and inedible. The tamale, on the other hand, was flavorful and all-around awesome. Looking around the table, the results were mixed and so were the opinions of my companions. Flavorless tortillas, bland ingredients, everything was just kind of "eh, I've had better." None of the food had the bright snap of chiles or fresh cilantro that marks good Mexican food. Verdict: I'd like to say I'm glad I tried it, but I just can't. One decent tamale was just not worth it. I won't be back, and I can't really recommend it to friends traveling to the city. On the other hand, if you're ever find yourself in Hartford looking for good Mexican, try El Sarape on Broad St. They make tacos dipped in the magic grease from heaven. read more

Not bad, Ordered a chicken quesadilla and realized that the sauces were in the quesadilla instead of on the side. The description does say that it's filled with pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and others. I guess I shouldn't take a start away because I missed that information on the menu description. Taste was pretty good, I'm just the type that likes to deep my quesadilla on the sauces but forced myself to eat it with everything in it. read more

Damnit, this is not Mexcican food- it is Salvadorian. Great pupusas. Best bang for your buck deal in the South End. (The owner is actually Turkish, and has expanded the place into next door with good Turkish food.) read more

After this place was rated Boston's best burrito 2013, I decided it was a must-try. Came here on the first Sunday that the SOWA food trucks were back. Obviously the lines were super long so my friend and I decided to come here instead. We had the place to ourselves and promply ordered a burrito each plus a taco plate to share (we like to eat, okay?!) My bean burrito was awesome. I love that they automatically will put everything on your burrito unless you ask to leave something off instead of having to list off all the ingredients that you want. The tacos were pretty solid. The shrimp ones took cake. And the beans and rice that came with it.. oh my goodness. I think they put crack in those black beans. read more

I hail from the south-- the Deep South-- Texas, which is almost as south as it gets in this country-- and I have often caught myself drooling in the middle of a daydream about fresh chicken enchiladas. There just isn't that much authentic mexican food around these parts. An added complication is my soy allergy, which severely limits my dining options. Luckily, I just found El Triunfo! They cook with 100% corn oil, which makes the food not only soy-free, but *authentic,* as all traditional mexican food uses corn oil. The oil gives it a light but buttery flavor that you can't help but salivate for. And while the ingredients may not be much to look at sitting in aluminum dividers behind the counter, they are flavorful, tender, and delicious. Carnes tacos are to die for, and the sauce they use on the enchiladas is some of the best I've ever tasted. The burritos will make you forget that your stomach has a size limit. Oh, and did I mention that they have FRESH TORTILLAS? Yeah I haven't had one in about 2 years. They are delicious beyond measure. Also, because they don't spend a lot of money on fancy decorations-- really, there are maybe 3 chairs you can sit in if you want to stay to eat-- you get quite the bang for your buck. You can get a decent sized meal for $6, or even less depending on what you get and how much of it. One burrito or two tacos will just about stuff me. read more

Tacos: good! Chicken quesadillas: good! Baklava: surprisingly good! (I say surprising because how many places serve good Mexican food AND good baklava??) Additional pros: --prices are decent --I can eat their hot sauce and not want to die (anyone who knows me knows that my spice tolerance is on the low end of the spectrum, so this is pretty incredible) --quick service One con: the space isn't very big so if you're looking for more than a place to grab food and go, maybe skip this joint. There are a couple bar stools but no other seating. read more

I wanted to like this place and it was good...just not great. Tacos were tasty and were the highlight of the meal. Nachos were acceptable but nothing noteworthy and the burritos were below average. Too many other good burrito places out there for me to try this place again. read more

I took a few friends to El Triunfo for lunch and we had high hopes but were sadly disappointed. They seemed to be having issues with their ingredients (they had no rice for the day, the tortilla chips were quite stale, etc.) so perhaps it could be better another day. The veggie burrito and cheese pupusa were pretty average and the nachos were particularly unappetizing because of the stale chips. I'll make myself nachos next time :( The meal was cheap (about $5 a person) and the staff was very nice so I feel bad giving the place two stars, but we really didn't enjoy the food. read more

This is an okay burrito joint. I bet its the best burrito in a mile-radius, but that's not saying much. I tried the chicken/veggie and a steak burrito. Both were pretty flavorless, especially the rice and cheese. I guess I've been spoiled by Anna's taqueria... Also, I don't know whether its the area or the restaurant, but it kind of looks a little dirty. read more

I had delivery. It arrived right on time and the steak quesadillas were wonderful. Do yourself a favor and ask them to hold the jalapeno peppers. They are not listed, but the fresh tomato, and avocado is not either and they are perfect and tasty. The steak is tender and not overcooked, which is hard to find at a Mexican restaurant. Guacamole was a little watery, which is odd. But overall very good. read more

Best baklava ever! That's why the four stars. I've had a few meals here and they have been ok. Nothing over the top great about the food. Had tamales that were decent but had almost no meat or filling, had fajitas and the meat tasted like it had been cooked a long time ago and kept warm forever or reheated. Falafel was under-seasoned. All this being said, the food has always been hot, ready on time, and very reasonable prices. read more

In the South End, but not a "SoWa" or "SoHa" type place. Hands down the BEST burrito in the entire city of Bostonia. The folks that work there kick ass too, quick & friendly. Become a believer. Swish. read more

When you have that late night craving for Mexican after having a few beers out, this is the place to go. It may not be the greatest Mexican in Boston, but it serves it purpose well. It really hits the spot before turning in for the night. Also works for a quick, cheap, and easy dinner. I love the chicken nachos loaded with everything. The burrito is pretty solid too. The dark haired guy who works the counter seemingly every night is a good guy, kind and reliable. I had only one negative incident here which I must mention. A big white guy I hadn't seen before was working the register one night and he must have thought I was too drunk to think straight because he rounded up an extra $2 when he tried to charge me. Well, I called him out on it and the look in his eyes made it so obvious he got caught. I got my food, paying the correct price, and left feeling annoyed wondering how many other people he took advantage of that night. I haven't run into him again, and I hope I never do. Other than that incident, good people and good food here. read more