El Jefe's Taqueria - Boston Common

"Solid spot for simple Mexican food downtown. - - - Came here for lunch on New Years Day, so it was pretty quiet. I got a bowl with *tons* of topping and it was pretty darn good. Mexican rice, black beans, chorizo, cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, pickled red onions, jalapenos, cabbage, and red/green salsas. There were more toppings I didn't add that would've made my bowl an even bigger monster. Each topping is good, but the chorizo is a miss for me. I suppose I was expecting crumbled chorizo, but it came in the form of slices that weren't the greatest texturally. I'd suggest going for a different meat. In general I'm not going to say the food here is super authentic or high-quality because really I have no idea. But it was for sure tasty. The bowl was something like $10.50, plus a few more bucks for a Jarritos soda. It was a good amount of food, enough that I didn't finish it there. Was it as much food as a Chipotle bowl? Not quite. But the variety of the meat and topping options, plus the roughly equal price to Chipotle, plus the area (downtown) makes this place a good value. The place itself was nice; someone was cleaning each table whenever anybody got up. There's a lot of "stuff" on the walls and as decoration, so it's a nice spot to hang out and enjoy the art/colors. The music was fun, but on the loud side. There wasn't much in the way of "service", just one person assembling my bowl. He was... fine? Did the job but definitely gave off a "I don't want to be here" vibe. Not a big deal, but a bit of a bummer. I would gladly come back, but I might try another Mexican restaurant in the area first."

"I love this place as a cheap and quick way to get Mexican food. I’ve been here a few times already, and I keep coming back. This time, I got Mexican street corn and a cheese quesadilla. The street corn was very filling. To be honest, I was full when I finished it! The quesadilla was a bit burnt which is why this isn’t a 5-star review, but overall super cheesy and a great portion size. I have previously gotten their chips, and they’re fantastic. This place is super busy, so make sure to factor in wait in line time!"

"Ordered a couple of tacos and were left underwhelmed. The flavors were mild. You do get quite a bit of food for your money but it’s not the best taco I’ve ever had. I will say the spicy ground beef was actually spicy and had decent flavor."

"I love the food at this place best price full bowl guacamole included free!!!! 12 bucks final add all toppings you want only pay extra for double meat. Order ahead sometimes a lot of students college right next door. Use the toast app that’s what I use and get points after couple order u get 6 bucks to get free food deff get app."

"El Jafe is a true quick service mexican food that delivered on great food, service, and a relaxed vibe atmosphere. This Boston location was the perfect place for lunch. It has so many varieties that you it caters to your taste at low cost! I definitely recommend it here. The atmosphere was really a relaxed vibe. Only warning I can give is have one person get a table while your friend orders. Limited tables inside was tough for my group. I got burrito and some chips. The burrito had very favorable chicken and cilantro rice. My friends got rice bowls. Both bowls and burrito were great price for your buck. The homemade Tortilla Chips were lightly sprinkled with salt. The chips were fresh, crispy and crunchy with an obvious corn flavor. This us Mexican food done well."