Dining Out Boston

So, remember a while back when I asked if there were any "gourmet" Mexican restaurants in Boston? Many of you responded (thank you) with multiple suggestions, which were dutifully noted; however, I'm sorry to say that twenty minutes ago I spurned them all and went to Boca Grande. And, you know what? It was goooood.

Boca Grande is a multi-location Mexican taqueria that puts up a good fight against perennial favorite, Anna's. Last week's Metro lured me to Boca Grande tonight as every Friday they publish a coupon for a free taco al pastor with the purchase of a burrito grande. I'm sure you can hardly imagine how excited I was to receive more (free) food in addition to a huge burrito.

The check-out clerk seemed less than thrilled when I pulled out my coupon and shouted rather annoyedly in Spanish to her coworker while he was finishing my grande chicken burrito ranchero ($4.50). He, however, gave me a friendly smile five minutes later as he handed me the paper bag containing my humungous, foil-wrapped burrito and the diminuative taco.

Boca Grande offers several varieties of burritos and burrito grandes including grilled lemon chicken, chorizo, carnitas, grilled steak, pork, and tofu. I chose the ranchero chicken because I like the fiery red exterior, colored by stewed tomatoes and cumin, and the slight kick from the green chilies. All burrito grandes are served on an extra-large white-flour tortilla, with rice, black or pinto beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa (with cilantro!), and cheese. Because Boca Grande prides itself on serving "fresh, healthy food that is well-balanced and nutritious", there's little grease and grit in their over-sized dishes. Mulitple signs also point to their commitment to avoiding trans fat, hydrogenated oils, and excessive sodium.

The unfortunate side effect, at least in the burritos, is that the food can be a bit bland. While eating mine I noticed pockets of intense flavor whenever I hit a dollop of guacamole or a sprig of cliantro, but all bites in between were hearty but a bit non-descript. The tacos al pastor ($3.75) packed more of a punch, probably because the corn tortilla was slightly fried and the marinated pork is a naturally fattier meat.

After consuming a 25 cubic inch burrito (that's pi x r^2 x h = 3.14 x 1^2 x 8 ) and a taco al pastor, I was sufficiently full. I felt so pleasantly satiated, in fact, that I could imagine fueling up at Boca Grande as much as once a week, not so much for the incredible food, but rather for its healthful, straight-forward quality. For real belly-tickling, food coma-inducing Mexican fare, however, I'd go elsewhere.

The Info
Boca Grande Taqueria
1294 Beacon St., Brookline
1728 Mass Ave., Cambridge
129 First St., Cambridge
www.bocagrande.citysearch.com