The spread of cultural expression through cuisines in Allston Village

What’s a better way to express your culture than through food? Restaurants are an essential way for one to be connected with their homeland. As a son of two immigrant parents, without restaurants, I wouldn’t have had a strong connection with both Guatemala and El Salvador, as I do now.. I’m tremendously grateful for having a family who cares about me being connected with my roots, a family that lets me explore both countries, even though I can’t go there. Since I live in the United States and I can’t always be in those two countries, I take advantage of the restaurants near me that serve Latin American food. Fortunately, In my neighborhood, Allston, there are two restaurants on the same street, one called Taqueria El Carizal (a Guatemalan, Salvadoran, and Mexican restaurant) and Habanero Mexican Grill (a Mexican restaurant).

Taqueria El Carizal is a restaurant that’s been around since 2009 and is ranked 947 out of 1,755 in Boston (Tripadvisor). This restaurant is well known by Latin Americans in Boston. Many go there to enjoy the music, the food, and most importantly, the environment. Having hours that range from 11am-10pm is more than enough time throughout the day to stop by and enjoy a warm, fresh meal made by workers who are from the country of origin Reviews on this restaurant are overflowing with positive comments, mentioning the quality of food and the customer experience from Taqueria El Carizal. Many say that the food at this restaurant is authentic and the pricing for it is reasonable! Even though these reviews seem fairly positive, they overshadow the negative ones that mention the cleanliness of the restaurant and the price of the food.

The customer service varies between the person who is the sweetest to the person who gives too much attitude. From personal experience, I can say the food from this restaurant is worth the price. It is authentic and the quality is excellent. The workers there can come off as rude sometimes but that can be because they are overwhelmed with the number of orders they receive in a short period of time. I would recommend this restaurant for the food and the environment, as it’s familiar to the restaurants back in my home countries, and luckily for the customers, Taqueria El Carizal will always be cleaner than the restaurants back home.

Unlike Taqueria El Carizal, Habanero Mexican Grill is much smaller. Habanero Mexican Grill was founded in 2008 and is ranked 1,015 out of 1,755 in Boston (Tripadvisor). Being well-loved by fellow Latinos in Boston, Habanero Mexican Grill has lived up to the hype and is well respected. They have made it a place for fellow Latinx to go there, watch their football games, enjoy the music, and eat the food even though it’s a smaller place. This restaurant is a nice hang-out space, having hours from 9 am-10:30 pm. The food from this restaurant is known to be well-cooked and for being authentic cuisine. Since the place is in a confined space, it tends to get packed faster than usual, but the workers manage to work under the stress and serve well-made food at a reasonable pace. As someone who has been to this restaurant since I was a child, I must admit that the food has slightly decreased in quality, but it is still delicious. The place is way too small for a family of five to sit and enjoy their food without having to make space for other people, but if ordering takeout, the food is just as enjoyable. The workers at Habanero Mexican Grill are efficient with serving the food and satisfying the customer’s satisfaction, doing their best to keep the place in its best shape. This restaurant is a treat for Latin Americans to experience cultural food.

Pupusas, being one of my favorite dishes since I was a child, is a dish that is made and served in both Taqueria El Carizal and Habanero Mexican Grill. Originally from El Salvador, Pupusas is a traditional dish that is well-known throughout all of Central America due to it being savory and a delicious go-to meal! 

Both Taqueria El Carizal and Habanero Mexican Grill focus on food from the same country of origin, but at the same time, they both have different aspects that make them stand out more than the other. For example, Taqueria El Carizal is bigger in size compared to Habanero Mexican Grill, and with this, they also have a more modern look that’s pleasing to the eye. It’s a nice restaurant to go to if you want a relaxing meal.

Taqueria El Carizal – 254 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134

Habenero Mexican Grill – 166 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134