Tufts Blogs

Coming from a Mexican household in Texas, I have lived off of and enjoyed Latin food for my entire life. Coming to Massachusetts has introduced me to new types of foods, but I still find myself missing my comfort Latin food. I took the challenge of looking for and compiling the best Latin foods around the area! So, enjoy!

1.      Picante

Picante just opened and it is a Mexican “street food” restaurant. The beauty of Picante, aside from the great food, is its proximity to campus. Found behind Hill hall, Picante takes JumboCash and has a great selection of tortas. I am a creature of habit, so I have only had their torta Mexicana with agua de horchata, but many rave about their nachos and burritos. It is relatively affordable.

My Recommendations: Torta Mexicana and Agua de Horchata

2.      Tenoch

So Tenoch is very similar to Picante. I personally prefer Tenoch over Picante, but it’s not as convenient to get to as Picante. Tenoch serves variety of Mexican “street food” as well but is located in Davis Square. Priced similarly to Picante, Tenoch is the way to go for Mexican food in Davis.

My Recommendations: Torta de Pollo Empanizado, Torta Campechana, Burrito de Choriqueso, and Agua de Horchata

3.      Orinoco

Orinoco is a restaurant in Harvard Square. It is more expensive than Picante and Tenoch, but their Venezuelan arepas are so worth the price. I discovered this restaurant with a couple friends over the summer and have brought all of my friends since, all of them end up falling in love. It is worth the trek and bringing friends to enjoy.

My Recommendations: Arepas de Pelua, Pabellon, and Jardinera. Enjoy their complimentary sauce and ask for their spicy sauce. Warning it is very spicy but a little bit of it does the trick.

4.      Oasis

Oasis is a restaurant that Tufts caters from a lot near 574. This Brazilian food is one of my favorite catered places. Oasis also takes JumboCash and has a buffet style option that allows you to go back for more.

My Recommendations: Cheesy Bread, Rice, Beans, Maduros and Churrasco

5.      Painted Burro

The Painted Burro is more of an Americanized Latin/Mexican food place in Davis. They are restaurant priced but have a lot of good options. It is usually full so I recommend making reservations! I personally enjoy going there for weekend brunch!

My Recommendations: Iced Coffee Horchata and El Montanero/”Superbeasto”

I have more exploring to do outside of the Tufts area. But these are some of the best Latin food I have had while at Tufts with my personal recommendations.

Hope to add to this list in the future and visit Jamaica Plain and East Boston for some more Latin food.

Photo Credit: Megan Green, Flickr