Great job and amazing customer service! I truly appreciate it that it closes a bit later than other…read morebusiness in the area. Love the Dominican music playing! I tend to go to other culture restaurant that usually do not play the same cultures music.

The service was great! You walk in and everyone is so friendly and kind. I have to be honest I was…read morenot familiar with Dominican cuisine but the staff helped us go over the menu and made suggestions. I went for the octopus and my husband went for the buffet. I was a little disappointed as my octopus was over cooked but the flavors were amazing. The buffet was OUT OF THIS WORLD. So many flavors and everything tasted GREAT! I would go back for the buffet any day of the week. It's also very affordable and has a great atmosphere. Get down there and give this place a try!

Nice staff. Delicious passion fruit smoothie and the only thing worth returning for. The food…read moreflavors didn't taste as good as authentic Dominican food that I've had in the past. The plantains were dry and inedible. I did like the yellow rice though and they gave a lot of it, but it wasn't great. Ordered two dinners and it was enough food for three meals for 1 person. I ordered take out: a roasted chicken dinner with rice and a stewed chicken dinner with rice and plantains, & a side of potato salad. It all came to $49 with tip. Limited street parking. Large dining area inside.

Some family of mine ordered a bunch of food from here for an event recently and I will say it was…read morevery good. Chicken stew, pernil, rice/beans, chicken Alfredo w/ broccoli and meatballs. Everything was delicious except the meatballs. They tasted odd and even my children didn't like them either but as a Puerto Rican as long as the rice and beans + Pernil was delicious I'm happy and they were. If I'm in the area I'll definitely stop in there for a bite to eat. Keep up the good work.

In comparison to other reviewers comments, this place was a total disappointment. There was no…read morelobster roll, no fish and chip, no pulled pork. They didn't even have a menu. Looks like just home style Spanish food. Just FYI, make sure that's what youre looking for. On a side note, we went on a Wednesday evening. Bottom line: Definitely not a sit down place, and definitely no seafood.

The food is good but the service sucks.. called for a delivery which is a service they provide and…read morethe lady just said no! She said it so rudely it's crazy.. Instead of tellin me the driver is out or explaining why she just said no and hung up .. she should be fired immediately

" Mangu is delicious " The food here is delicious. Not much…read moreof a wait time . Our meal tasted fresh . We got take out . The prices are reasonable. We definitely will be back. The vibe is welcoming and warm.

Lunch Delivery…read more Grubhub isn't correctly set up yet for this place. I got the wrong order (tried ordering shrimp mofongo but website saved it as just "camarones"). What I ended up getting was delicious so ate it. :) Camarones en salsa de coco (like shrimp curry style): I'm not a curry/coconut person. But this was delicious. Different side options. Mine came with yuca. I broke the yuca into smaller chunks and put it in the shrimp coconut sauce. Yum- 4/5. Tostones. Delicious. I prefer saltier but these were still good- 4/5 Will need to order again and actually try some mofongo!

Oh man. I want to cry! This food is SO good! The Pernil Asado / Roasted Pork was so moist and…read moretender that it nearly melted in my mouth! It came with a side of yellow rice, which reminded me of my grandmother's. And lastly- the relleno de Papa / Stuffed potato was, hands down, the best of had. It was seasoned to perfection and held its crisp even on an 11 mile DoorDash journey. I couldn't believe how they managed to keep the potatoes so creamy! It was almost like a layer of mashed potatoes in between. I'll definitely be ordering again.

I just got some takeout from Elbuensaborrestaurant on Chandler St in Worcester, which was delivered…read morein about 30 minutes. Everything was still hot, and each dish was seasoned perfectly. I had the mangu with a fried egg, fried cheese, and salami. I also ordered the pernil plate with yellow rice, which came with some nice crispy pieces. The Beef empanada is one of the best I've ever had. Last but not least, the kidney beans. It's definitely a place I'll be returning to in the future, prices reasonable, all-around some great Dominican food.

Love their birria tacos here! I appreciate how much beef they put in the tacos as well!…read more Although the store was a bit drafty, the waiters were very kind and attentive! Absolutely recommend their rice and beans which had AMAZING flavors.

Everything was oily and the birria ramen was spicy. If you like that kinda thing then this place is…read morefor you. I felt sick after eating and was disappointed as hell. No ambiance since it's literally made in the back of a bodega.

Driving around East Boston found this Gem!! The waitress greeted us and sat us down recognized we…read moreneed a menu in English , Provided us information on the food and the country of Colombia where she is from. Was very pleasant!! The food was amazing and fresh and came out "hot off the presses" We had the meat empanada's and chicken with plaintans, rice & beans and a fresh salad. Very Clean establishment. Will go again soon.

El Peñol is one of those spots that reminds you why East Boston has become such a go-to for…read moreauthentic Latin American food ...it's flavorful, fast-paced, and full of character. FOOD: Starting with the food, I made sure to go all in appetizer, entrée, and dessert and it absolutely paid off. The empanadas came out hot and crisp, with a satisfying crunch that gave way to well-seasoned filling. The chaufa (Peruvian fried rice) was packed with flavor, hitting that perfect balance of savory and hearty. And the lomo saltado? A classic done right tender strips of beef, sautéed with onions and tomatoes, all coming together in that signature, comforting sauce. Everything tasted freshly made and thoughtfully prepared, not rushed despite how quickly it came out. SERVICE: The service was efficient and attentive. Food and drinks arrived quickly almost impressively fast but without sacrificing quality. The staff stayed on top of things, making sure we had what we needed and keeping the experience moving smoothly. It's the kind of place where they clearly know how to handle volume while still delivering a solid dining experience. AMBIANCE: As for the ambiance, there's a strong sense of authenticity here. Being surrounded by Peruvian culture, from the people to the energy, adds to the experience and makes it feel genuine. The space has a lively, no-frills vibe that's more about the food and community than aesthetics, which honestly works in its favor. That said, there were moments where it felt like management was watching a bit too closely from the time we walked in to when we left, which slightly took away from the otherwise relaxed feel. IMPRESSIONS: Still, overall, El Peñol delivers where it matters most ....great food, quick service, and an authentic atmosphere. If you're in East Boston and craving Peruvian cuisine, this is definitely a spot worth checking out.

YES! This is what I meant when I said "I just want some really good Dominican food right now" - &…read morereally good Dominican food it was! Tasty grilled chicken, delectable maduros, perfectly seasoned rice & beans... My mouth is watering just thinking about the food. I can't speak to the ambience of the restaurant or the location or even really the service (except for the fact that they wrote a very cute note on my bag of food - thanks!) because I ordered delivery. But the food? Spectacular. I was also able to stretch it to two meals. Great bang for buck, here. I'll definitely keep this spot in mind if I'm ever in the area again.

I've driven by this place a few times and the outside is bright and inviting. Looking past the…read morefront door, I typically see a ton of people inside. Now that I've gone here, I understand why! Inside along the right side are a series of tables for dine in customers. On the left side is the staff with a buffet table of prepared foods. There is also a pizza oven, and pizza is part of the store name...they must make good pizza (I didn't try). The buffet hot table consists of many traditional dominican comfort foods. They all look very delicious and pretty fresh, even towards the end of the day when I went. The place looks clean and the vibes are casual and chill. Staff tried their best to help this noob decide what to buy. Fried pork chicharone - These were excellent! They present them as slabs of fried pork on a tray. When you order them, I like that the server asks you which piece you'd like, or if this piece is ok. They bring it to the side and chop it up for you before placing it in the box. I saw someone else's not chopped, so I guess that is an option. It was about $18ish for the slab (about a pound). The skin was very crisp and the meat wasn't overly dry. Beware, this is pork belly so know that there will be some fat! Beef Stew - This looked really good and it was very popular. We waited for our order to finish and saw many people buying this. You get an option of white or yellow rice and 1 side. We got the yellow rice but most others chose white. They pile on the rice...a LOT. One customer had to tell them to stop. There's not a lot of meat portion but it was still enough. We chose fried bananas as the side (which kind of tastes starchy, like a potato). The stew pieces were good and tender enough. Could've been more tender for my tastes, but still good enough. Flavor was good. This plate was about $14. Chicken empanada - Not sure how much this was, maybe $3. It had good amounts of shredded chicken inside but it tasted dry. They should add cheese (lots of cheese) with this so that it could be better balanced. I would skip this. Fried chicken - These come in orders of 3 pieces, 6, 9, 12 etc. They are mostly wing pieces, at least in my order. They were out of these when we arrived, so we waited for a fresh batch. These tasted really good. Not overly breaded, but just right with a very slight crisp coating. Flavor was good and chicken was moist. I would get these again. This was also about $14. Check out was easy and they take apple pay. This place is still new and is evident if you try to ask the ladies behind the desk how much things costs - they're not really sure. However, they were friendly and tried to answer as many questions as I had. Parking is only street parking, but those are plentiful on this part of main street. Go check them out if you're looking for a comforting meal.

If you're looking for bold Dominican flavors and a warm, welcoming vibe, Mofongo Factory absolutely…read moredelivers. We started with an oxtail dish served over mashed plantains, layered with pork, onions, and a blend of seasonings, all brought together with a rich, flavorful sauce. Every bite was tender, savory, and perfectly balanced, you can tell this is comfort food done right. We also ordered a side of crispy pork with yellow rice and beans, and it did not disappoint. The pork had that perfect crisp on the outside while staying juicy inside, and everything paired beautifully with the fresh vegetables on the side. Service really made the experience even better. Melissa, our waitress, was sweet, professional, and incredibly accommodating, she made sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling rushed. The ambiance ties it all together. The decor gives you that authentic island, Dominican feel, making it a great spot to relax and enjoy a meal. Just a quick note: they serve beer and wine only, which still pairs nicely with the food. Overall, this was an amazing experience from start to finish. I'll definitely be back!

I liked my dinner here. It's simple inside but nicely decorated, was a little cold inside with the…read moredoor opening and closing quite frequently. You look at the menu via QR code but someone comes around to take your order. Our waitress was really kind. My food was really tasty. However I will say our meats were cold for some reason, despite the rice and beans being piping hot. It felt like the meats were reheated from the fridge, but didn't quite get there. This did lose a star. But the sauce on top and the beans and rice all did offer lots of flavor, just wish it was hot. We were there pretty late on a Sunday and it was busy for it being smaller inside. Lots of people grabbing takeout orders and people eating around us too. Note: I've seen old pictures where food seemed to be scooped in front of you at the counter, but I did not see that in my recent visit. Not sure if this changed. What we ordered: -Churrasco, served with Garden salad, White Rice and Green Pigeon Peas -Full plate - White Rice with Red Beans, Res Guisado (Stew Beef) -Tostones

Best empanadasssss! Beef & Cheese all the way. We happened upon this place when my friend moved…read moreto East Boston and I could seriously eat these empanadas every day.

Wanted to give this cute neighborhood shop a try. The place…read moreand the workers were chill and it was super clean. We were pumped to try the cheese empanada (only non meat option). But after taking my first bite, I was a little surprised to see how empty it was. Although it was delicious and I'd get it again but with different expectations next time.