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People have said some pretty nice things about us recently, so we thought we’d show-off a little bit.
El Pelon chef Jose Torres knows the consistency of salsa is key to success. Too runny and there’s no texture for dipping. Too thick and you can’t spread it easily. The fire-roasted salsa ($4) threads that needle and adds a kick from a few different types of peppers—including habaneros—and onions. After the ingredients are roasted, he mixes them in a large container until the texture—and consistency—is just right.
It’s not everyday you find golden fried sweet plantains inside your burrito, but that’s the standard at this Fenway Park-adjacent institution. The El Guapo “handsome man” burrito pairs plantains with grilled steak, fire-roasted salsa, Spanish rice, black beans, cooling crema and lettuce. Guac is 99 cents extra and well worth it.
El Pelón’s status as a cult favorite is reflected by the decor: Both its Fenway and Brighton locations are festooned with fans wearing their El Pelón gear across the globe. When it comes to tacos, El Pelón provides four varieties to choose from: rajas con queso with black beans and roasted poblanos, grilled-steak-and-guac caramelos, grilled chicken americanos, and the hefty fan-pleasing pescado filled with cornmeal-battered cod and chile mayo.
This Boston outpost’s fish tacos are revered for a reason. The restaurant dusts Atlantic cod with cornmeal breading and house spices, then plops the fish in a tortilla with cucumbers, limed onions, and spicy mayo. The best part? Each order comes with two tacos.
Show a Boston College student the iconic picture of a mustachioed bald man with a bird on his shoulder, and they’ll almost surely identify the logo of beloved hotspot El Pelón Taqueria. The logo depicts Jim Hoben, the owner of the Commonwealth Ave. restaurant, his wife’s bird, Murray, and a distinguished piece of facial hair.
A Red Sox game was in full bloom when I ventured over to El Pelón Taqueria in Fenway, one of many restaurants surrounding the ballpark. Its brightly colored umbrellas and wooden picnic tables stood out on the bright sunny day. Despite being past peak lunch hours, the taqueria was swarming with customers.
The next time you head over to Fenway Park, skip the overpriced stadium dogs. Just two blocks away, the culinary mecca that is Peterborough Street offers seven global cuisines in one short stretch. Here’s your dish-by-dish guide to top-notch pregame dining.
Favorite Fenway eatery El Pelon Taqueria made the top five when statistician, data journalist, and Mexican-American cuisine fan Nate Silver embarked on a quest to find the nation’s best burrito. Silver mined Yelp scores, then did extensive taste tests with a selection committee that visited restaurants and voted on the burritos.
This week we journey from Boston to Alabama and from San Francisco to El Paso to determine the fourth entrant in the Burrito Bracket’s final round. If my Round 1 opinions hold, it will be a close match between El Paso’s Delicious Mexican Eatery and San Francisco’s Taqueria Cancún. California already has two restaurants in the finals; does it rate a third?
