• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 23.05 – 4/8/21

EL PALMAR, EAST BOSTON

Written by MARC HURWITZ Posted March 13, 2018 Filed Under: Eats, LIFESTYLE

Photos by Marc Hurwitz

 

A street food spot that even the food nerds don’t know about

 

East Boston may be one of the best neighborhoods in the city for dining out, and over the past decade or so, it’s really started to get noticed. But while some restaurants there, such as the original Angela’s Cafe on Lexington Street, are frequented by a mix of industry folk, food writers, people in the know, and locals, many others are so far off the radar that you’ll probably never, ever hear of them. One such spot is El Palmar, a Mexican and Salvadoran eatery in Day Square that’s a solid place for cheap eats but is truly a neighborhood restaurant where few outside of Day Square even know of its existence.

 

El Palmar sits among a strip of businesses where Bennington Street meets Chelsea Street that includes the wonderful Spinelli’s pastry shop, and as people who frequent Spinelli’s know, the storefronts here actually have their very own parking lot with a handful of spaces. Looking at the restaurant from the outside can bring about a sense of not quite fear, but perhaps caution, as the window out front is blocked by a poster that completely covers it so you can’t see in at all (and anyone who is familiar with dive bars knows that this can sometimes be a very bad thing). But as questionable as it looks from the parking lot and the street, El Palmar really is a simple, laid-back spot that is frequented by everyone from families to couples to groups of friends to solo diners, and it is by no means a rough-around-the-edges place at all. The brightly lit interior is set up in a simple manner, with about 10 tables, a counter area for takeout orders, and walls that have a number of flags hanging from it, including the flags of a number of Central American, South American, and Caribbean nations.

 

 

Like so many restaurants in East Boston, El Palmar tends to focus on street foods found in Mexico and El Salvador, though there seems to be just a bit more of a leaning toward Mexican fare here than at some of the other nearby spots in Day Square, Central Square, Maverick Square, and elsewhere in Eastie. One highlight is the burrito, which, much like a favorite spot in downtown Boston does (Villa Mexico), is grilled, which gives some char to the tortilla, adding some extra flavor—and the burritos at El Palmar are stuffed with a slightly crumbly queso fresco, which gives a bit of additional texture inside. The tacos served here are as simple as can be, served in a classic street-food style with the ingredients placed on top of a slightly charred corn tortilla, and the beef tacos are particularly good as the grilled meat has a smokiness and just enough fat left on to add some extra flavor. El Palmar’s version of guacamole is chunkier than some, and it also has more of an onion flavor than the smooth versions you might find at other places, so it may not be for everyone but overall, it’s quite impressive. As is the case with chips and guacamole, it can ruin your appetite in a hurry (but in a good way). The enchiladas Mexicanas rojas plate features a rich red sauce, a mix of cheeses, and rice and beans on the side, while the enchiladas verdes picantes spices things up a bit with hot peppers included in the salsa verde. A few Salvadoran dishes at El Palmar include hen soup, pupusas (with a couple of options being tilapia and lorco, with the latter being an edible flower), fried plantain, and a traditional Salvadoran breakfast with scrambled eggs, onions, tomatoes, chiles, plantains, and avocados, all served with tortillas. El Palmar doesn’t have a liquor license, but it does offer such beverages as a mango smoothie and a very refreshing melon drink.

 

 

Chances are, you’ve never heard of El Palmar, but no worries, since no one else really has, either. Is it the best option for Mexican/Central American food in East Boston? Probably not, especially with the likes of Angela’s, La Hacienda, and Mi Pueblito nearby. But its head and shoulders above your typical Mexican-American chain restaurant and actually does compare favorably with the places mentioned above, if not quite at that level. And the fact that it is utterly unknown gives it extra points, at least if you’re a food nerd looking for hidden gems night after night. Eastie is a special place for dining out that is finally starting to get its due, and El Palmar is a good one to include on any list of places to check out when in the Day Square area.  

 

EL PALMAR. 290 BENNINGTON ST., EAST BOSTON. ELPALMARBOSTON.COM

MARC HURWITZ

Marc is the founder of @hiddenboston, a textbook editor, a hike leader for @AppMtnClub, and a food and travel writer and commenter for DigBoston, NBC/NECN, WBZ, WMFO and indie617.

More from author
  • MARC HURWITZ
    https://digboston.com/author/marc-hurwitz/
    HIKE TIME: THE SPRING EDITION
  • MARC HURWITZ
    https://digboston.com/author/marc-hurwitz/
    OUTDOOR DINING IS A-BREWING
  • MARC HURWITZ
    https://digboston.com/author/marc-hurwitz/
    A NOT-SO-HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
  • MARC HURWITZ
    https://digboston.com/author/marc-hurwitz/
    REVISITING GREAT BLUE HILL

Filed Under: Eats, LIFESTYLE Tagged With: Caribbean, Central American, east boston, El Palmar, El Salvador, hidden eats, Mexico, South American

WHAT’S NEW

THE LONE OPPONENT: NEWCOMER MCBRIDE TAKES ON BAKER IN D3

THE LONE OPPONENT: NEWCOMER MCBRIDE TAKES ON BAKER IN D3

FULL PARKING ENFORCEMENT RETURNS TO BOSTON, BLUEBIKES STILL AVAIL FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS

FULL PARKING ENFORCEMENT RETURNS TO BOSTON, BLUEBIKES STILL AVAIL FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS

EMERGENCY PRESS CONFERENCE AND RALLY FOR DAUNTE WRIGHT

EMERGENCY PRESS CONFERENCE AND RALLY FOR DAUNTE WRIGHT

POLITICIANS GET IN LINE TO CALL FOR BOSTON POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY

POLITICIANS GET IN LINE TO CALL FOR BOSTON POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY

PARENTS RELEASE AN ANALYSIS OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDRAISING INEQUITIES

PARENTS RELEASE AN ANALYSIS OF BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDRAISING INEQUITIES

IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION

Primary Sidebar

HEMPIRE FREEDOM PACK 25% OFF

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • VACCINE EQUITY NOW! COALITION ASKS BAKER TO ALLOCATE 20% OF NEW DOSES TO HARD HIT COMMUNITIES by SHIRA LAUCHAROEN
  • rally to protest discrimination and crimes against Asian and Pacific islanders during Stop Asian Hate rally on Boston Common in Boston PICS & RECAP: “STOP ASIAN HATE BOSTON” RALLY ON THE COMMON by KEIKO HIROMI
  • IF YOU’RE SURPRISED THE BPD CODDLED AN ACCUSED MOLESTER COP, YOU’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION by CHRIS FARAONE
  • A FAREWELL TRIBUTE (OF SORTS) TO MARTY WALSH by DIG STAFF
  • A NEW PLACE FOR MORE PEOPLE TO CALL HOME IN TOUGH TIMES by MARK EMMONS

READ CURRENT MEMBER EDITION

DIG Member 2.1 – March 2021

READ CURRENT STREET ISSUE

DIG 23.05 – 4/8/21

Footer

digbos

digbos
This week is your last chance to hit up Mooby’s This week is your last chance to hit up Mooby’s in #Boston … https://digboston.com/moobys-boston-how-kevin-smith-has-brought-his-pick-up-experience-to-10-cities-during-the-pandemic/ #fan #popup #fun #restaurant #movie #Massachusetts #snoochieboochies
The group is asking that polices address the dispa The group is asking that polices address the disparities the #data has revealed. https://digboston.com/parents-release-an-analysis-of-boston-public-school-fundraising-inequities/ #education #school #public #study #fundraising #racism #Boston #Massachusetts
“We’re not going to survive for 20 more years “We’re not going to survive for 20 more years if we don’t do this [move to a bigger space].” https://digboston.com/how-juliet-hit-a-100k-kickstarter-goal-in-4-days/ #restaurant #business #food #crowdfund #SomervilleMA #coronavirus #COVID19
EDITORIAL: DIGBOSTON SEEKS CLIMATE IDEAS FOR MAYOR EDITORIAL: DIGBOSTON SEEKS CLIMATE IDEAS FOR MAYOR KIM JANEY. Environmental organizations and individual activists invited to submit opinion articles for publication. https://digboston.com/editorial-digboston-seeks-climate-ideas-for-mayor-kim-janey/ #politics @boston_mayor #environment #globalwarming #climate #activist #callforsubmissions #policy #Boston #Massachusetts
“Most are some of my favorite bars or local clas “Most are some of my favorite bars or local classics that I’ve learned to love in my time living in the city. Others just have a great facade that I know would make a great drawing.” https://digboston.com/drawn-but-not-forgotten-local-artist-sketches-beloved-boston-restaurants/ #art #artist #sketch #drawing #Boston #Massachusetts #bar #restaurant
Despite #pandemic hurdles, Mass #music instructors Despite #pandemic hurdles, Mass #music instructors hit new high notes. “My #teaching has gone to another level.” https://digboston.com/the-medium-is-the-maestro/ #education #Massachusetts #coronavirus #COVID19
From the podcast to the book, Wayne Federman chron From the podcast to the book, Wayne Federman chronicles the business of joke-telling. https://digboston.com/the-history-of-stand-up-from-mark-twain-to-dave-chappelle/ #comedy #history #book #interview #Boston #Massachusetts
“I’m calling on some of you to drop by a local “I’m calling on some of you to drop by a local field office and hear what people have to say.” https://digboston.com/dear-reader-the-political-season-is-upon-us-embrace-it/ #politics #commentary #election #Massachusetts
“I think most people agree that we want our publ “I think most people agree that we want our public dollars to go to those companies that are not cutting corners.” https://digboston.com/bill-seeks-to-penalize-contractors-for-unsafe-conditions/ #politics #legislation #construction #safety #labor #Massachusetts
“It’s just shocking to me for Massachusetts, t “It’s just shocking to me for Massachusetts, the state that puts itself forward as this paragon of democracy. Those are just fundamental building blocks of a democratic society.” https://digboston.com/researchers-show-extent-of-lobbying-against-climate-bills-in-ma/ #environment #globalwarming #climate #crisis #politics #lobby #Massachusetts
Load More... Follow on Instagram
Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Submissions

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]