El Embajador

Feel that in comparison to other Dominican restaurants this one isn’t great. The customer service is terrible, the prices inconsistent and the food is mediocre at best.

I love this place, it is a hidden gem! The food is so tasty and the staff is super friendly! My fiancé is not Latino and the server explained a few of the dishes to us in both Spanish for me & English for him and I thought that was a very nice touch!
I ordered Chicken stew with white rice and beans on the side w plantains, he ordered pork stew with yellow rice with beans and fried pork rinds. We both could not stop eating! The sauce for the stew is amazing! Oxtails are only made on weekends just so you know.

Friends, romans, countrymen, lend me your ears (eyes): This hole-​in-​the-​wall Dominican restaurant, just a couple of blocks away from the Green Street orange line train station, should be on your list of ‘where I can eat [insert ethnicity adjective] food made by real [insert ethnicity pronoun].’ This is where you can eat Dominican food made by real Dominicans. You can either sit down or get it for take-​out, but this isn’t a hybrid type of place in the way other places can be. This is a low-​key restaurant with low-​key options in a low-​key neighborhood.
CELIACS: Most Dominican food is gluten free. You should have no problem eating here
****Much-​needed disclaimer: This is a ready-​to-​order Dominican food joint. It is not Mexican. This is *not* a seafood restaurant.
I had a sudden urge to eat Dominican food today, and I wanted something close enough to work that it wouldn’t be totally out of my way, but different from where I’ve been before. The place is in a commercial area of Jamaica Plain, surrounded by barber shops and salons that are reminiscent of my youth in New York City. The nostalgia was killing me. I walked into the restaurant, which can be easy to miss because the sign outside says «Mariscos» (*seafood in Spanish), though seafood is not what they make most (or every day).
I went here because as much as I love Dominican food and as often as I’ve seen my mother cook it, I have never learned to make pollo guisado, and that is too delicious to just stop eating. I bought the pollo guisado (chicken stew), accompanied by rice and sweet plantains. I took the food to go, so it was a while before I bit into it. First things first, the chicken was good, but it tasted just a tiny bit odd. Some of the pieces were absolutely amazing; other pieces lacked things as basic as color. When I get chicken and rice, I sometimes get the sauce (or gravy– the ‘stew’ part of the chicken) and pour it on my rice. No beans– not today. When I ordered the lady asked me if I wanted ‘plátanos maduros’ (sweet plantains), I said yes. I don’t really like sweet plantains and I haven’t eaten one in probably 3 or 4 years, but I was hungry and they looked good. I got a heaping serving of rice, plantains, and chicken for $ 8 (total). They say it’s to serve 2, but I think the portion I got is actually for 4 people. So generous and I don’t feel at all cheated!
When I got home (Cambridge), I opened the container and noticed my food was still warm, because it had been freshly cooked when I got it in JP.
The food was delicious, *but* it was not the best Dominican food I’ve ever had. It was, however, the best Dominican meal I have had in Massachusetts. Step up your game, Massachusetts. It’s about time.

I was really not a fan. I was pretty excited by the positive reviews of this place and wanted to love it, but I went for dinner and found the chicken I ordered to be extremely dry and the rice and beans okay. I don’t like to be too negative, maybe I just ordered the wrong thing, but this was one of the worse meals I’ve eaten in the past year and I don’t plan on coming back. The portions were huge, which I like in general, but in this case that didn’t do much for me.

I have eaten here over the past here year on several occasions, last night was the best and I want to go back again very soon. sadly, my wife and I haven’t been here often enough, as I have gone here by myself until last night,
Here;‘s the deal, the left hand menu on the wall is mostly things that are in trays under the warmer, and the guisados (like a stew) are very good and VERY quick to have served or for takeout.
The right hand side is made to order and mostly consists of seafood. Last night we had the the shrimp guisado and it was superb, most important my wife loved it and the staff are very accommodating.
This place is focused on Dominican oriented cuisine, and well made, fresh and nicely seasoned. Simple with vinyl table cloth coverings, but very clean and tranquilo.
A MUST!

Best. Pollo. Guisado. Ever!
I brought in a tray of their Pollo Guisado for a potluck at work and the next day everyone who saw me said it was the best thing they ate. I received emails asking complimenting the food as well. The masses have spoken!

While visiting the paper supply store I decided this stop into this restaurant for something to eat. I’ve seen a lot of customers visit the location and I said why not, let’s try them. One of the worse food decisions that I have made. I had the stewed chicken with rice and beans and plantains, the flan, and a pineapple shake. The shake was awesome, nice fruit taste blended with milk and ice. The rest of the meal was downhill, the chicken dry, flavorless, and inedible. The rice was mushy white rice with canned beans. The flan tasted like tasteless scrambled baked eggs. Do yourselves a favor and go elsewhere.

This little hole in the wall is an amazing place. I was super ecstatic to see that they offered pupusas. It’s been so hard to find any place in the North East that actually sells these little stuffed corn griddle cakes. While very similar to arepas, pupusas are traditionally served with pickled cabbage on the side and just plain great.
Since this a Dominican joint, it’s understandable that the pupusa is a little different as well as the taco. The pupusa a bit more greasy and a bit more toasted on the outside than I liked, but it was still pretty good. The cabbage (curtido) was a more peppery and a little different than the traditional Salvadorian kind, as well. The steak taco I ordered was pretty large and was served on a flour tortilla instead of a corn tortilla. It also was more like a mini burrito then a taco.
Overall, though this place is great for some late night greasy Latin food.

i am positive we were just ripped off. we ordered pollo guisado. two of us. we even clarified with the waitress that we only wanted one order. small plate of rice, small bowl of beans, and three bone in pieces of stewed chicken (not a ton of meat). ok — that sounds about right for one person. we ate — there weren’t really leftovers — get the check. they charged us for two orders. If there had been way more food it would have made sense and looking around at what other tables had, it seemed like the size of the plate of rice we were given was what was served to one person. we tried to clarify but the waitress was using lack of english as an excuse. so unless you think that amount of food is worth $ 24 then don’t bother. and they were not friendly to us either. we weren’t rude and we didn’t do anything offensive so not sure what was up with that. the guisada sauce is delicious though — now i just need to find a recipe because it is doubtful i will go back there after this.

Really good. I’ll defer to others that say it is Dominican, not Mexican. For me, it didn’t matter, it was delicious regardless of the label, I say that with the greatest respect of my taste buds! Good service, very friendly and helpful. I will come back.

Modest but very fine Dominican joint with great stews and order-​ahead seafood specialties.
I’m often asked how I think Boston’s restaurant scene compares to other US cities. Surely we’re no New York (13 times our population) or San Francisco (with its year-​round seasonal harvest). But Boston has a strength shared by few American cities our size: many small, independent restaurants helmed by immigrant chef/​owners cooking traditional cuisines for other ex-​pats, which means they don’t dumb down the food for Americans. To mine this treasure, you’ll have to get off your own block, but the rewards include finding fine little places like El Embajador, a veteran Dominican restaurant in JP’s Parkside neighborhood.
House-​made pastelitos ($ 1.50 each), bubbly-​crusted deep-​fried turnovers of beef or chicken, are a good start here; raisins and sweet spicing distinguish them from their fiery Jamaican brethren. A flat-​faced press turns out sandwiches like the Cubano ($ 6.50) of ham, onions, mild white cheese, and fantastic slow-​roasted pork shoulder on a baguette-​like bun. (If you prefer the style of the Cuban-​American original, ask them to hold the Dominican-​standard lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise and add mustard.) The kitchen serves a handful of dishes from the long menu each day, mostly stews intended for two diners. These offer whopping value: a mound of white rice, a dish of soupy pinto beans, and a big plateful of bone-​in animal protein long-​cooked in sauce. Frequent offerings here include pollo guisado ($ 12), flavorful chicken thighs and juicy breast chunks, and rabo guisado ($ 12), fatty, tender slices of oxtail, both served in rich, tomato-​based gravy. Andrew Zimmern types will want to try cocido ($ 11), served on Fridays and Saturdays: a stew of beef foot and other hard-​to-​identify parts, wonderful if you can get past some rubbery offal textures and unfamiliar-​looking bones.
Despite a large sign that proclaims «Mariscos» out front, most seafood options must be ordered ahead. Paella a la marinera ($ 30) generously serves four with a tasty, localized version of the Valencian casserole, subbing long-​grain rice for bomba and achiote for saffron, with plenty of shrimp plus a few chunks of octopus and Maine lobster. Drink options include a variety of fresh tropical juices ($ 3) and morir soñando ($ 3), fresh-​squeezed OJ mixed with sweetened condensed milk, like a gourmet Orange Julius. A few words of Spanish go a long way here, but even without, service is friendly and helpful to the rare Anglo customer. If you’re not taking the trouble to experience places serving homey, high-​value, delicious fare like El Embajador, you’re missing out on a big part of what makes Boston a great dining town.

THIS IS NOT MEXICAN FOOD!!! I personally don’t like Mexican food in America, but love the Mexican food in Mexico, but I digress!
This is a DOMINICAN restaurant! Let me start off by saying, no it’s not in the best part of JP, but the police station is about a block away if that makes you feel better. In addition, many of the E-​13 officers often frequent this establishment, so rest assured that BPD has your back and just enjoy your food. The food here is pretty good and the service is great (much much better than Meringue). I love the pastellitos aka empanadas-​yes, they have raisins that is one of the things I like about them. I’ve only had the beef pastellito and it is and the meat is very well seasoned. It is the best pastellito in Boston (if you’ve had the empanadas at Tango-​you will love this one). The pollo guisado (stew chicken) is delicious and you can’t go wrong with rice and beans. Many of the other dishes look great. I’ve noticed they have lambi guisado (conch) on the menu which I am dying to try. I haven’t had their shakes, but notice many people order them. I’ve watched them make them and the ingredients look like they are on point. Did I mention it’s pretty cheap? That makes this a great place to eat!!!

How did it get tagged as Mexican? Hmmph. Anyways, this was my first voyage into Dominican food, so 1) I may sound like an idiot to those of you who are Dominican or familiar with this stuff and 2) I haven’t anything to compare it to. I got a lunch special: Chicken stew (pollo guisado, I think?), rice and beans. Very satisfying, home-​cooked, great value! But the standouts were really, as far as a «new food epiphany» goes, maduros, which are fried sweet plantains… oh gawd, I’m drooling. And… I saw something that looked like pork belly. It had to be. I had to ask. «Chicharron!» she replied, when I asked what that hunk of golden, layered meat was, in my under-​utilized Spanish. Then, she cut off a chunk and gave it to me. YES. So, I spent the next few weeks attempting to kill my entire family via clogged arteries by trying to replicate this delicacy: pork belly which is cooked in its own slowly rendered fat.

TONS of food for very little money. Come starving, and bring your Spanish. I didn’t see an English menu, and 75% of the menu board on the wall was en Espanol as well. Sweet fried plantains are super fab.

Good Dominican food, point blank. Not too expensive. Finding parking on Washington street can be a pain, but I usually get lucky and find one pretty close by.
Do not come here expecting an over-​the-​top fancy place. Also, do not be alarmed by the ladies at the front counter dancing merengue while they are making your milkshakes or serving your food :-).

Brilliant. Generous serving of really tasty stew, rice, beans etc. for two people for $ 12.

$ 14 buys you all this.
— Pollo Guisado for two: meat falling off the bone chicken in a savory red sauce that you’ll want to pour over everything.
— Rice and beans. So much rice and beans. Pour all the sauce over these and eat and eat and eat.
— Red beans in another delicious red sauce that you’ll want to pour over everything.
— Sweet plantains fried with a sugar coating
— Flan to go
.. . and napkins. You’ll need those.
El Embajador satisfies. Period.

I’m an easy-​to-​please kinda gal, y’know. I really only have three criteria for five-​star status: cheap, fast, and delicious. This place is all that and a bag of chips.
Though small and quaint, it packs a punch ten times its size. The staff is incredibly friendly and adds to the home-​like feel of the restaurant. If you don’t understand anything on the menu, or need recommendations on dishes — just ask! :-) If you want to be simple, rice and beans is the bomb diggity. Otherwise, try one of the delish homemade stews, or the fried plantains. Or, if you’re like me and think «the more unhealthy, the better,» you really won’t be able to resist deep-​fried meats… YUM.
And, now we get to the «cheap» part — you can leave here completely stuffed for less than what it costs for the cab ride there. You couldn’t beat that with a stick.

El Embajador means The Ambassador in Spanish. The exterior looks inviting with a set of old school signs vertically stacked. Don’t try to find the name of the restaurant, which is the top sign on a faded Dominican flag, just look for the address and the huge «Mariscos» (seafood) sign. Outside the restaurant, older men were having an animated conversation in Spanish. Inside, the place sports a light green color scheme with table cloths topped with plastic. The food was terrific and inexpensive. One confusing thing on the menu was the stews, where it said something about being for two people. The waitress said «two?» and we said yes… Then we each got the largest amount of food ever sold to a person this side of the mason dixon line. What we ordered was Pollo Guisado (stewed chicken), with green and yellow plantains on the side. The green plantains were prepared pressed, then flash fried, with some salt. The yellows were the ripe, banana-​like medallions that were soft and had a caramel crunch. Green plantains came out yellow, yellow plantains were brown (since they were fried with a sugar coating). The chicken, served with rice and beans for $ 12 each person, was falling off the bone, juicy, slightly spicy, savory and delicious. When you spoon the pink beans over the rice with the dark red sauce from the chicken, and create a bite with the chicken, you might as well be in heaven.

El Embajador is a Dominican restaurant in the heart of JP. Came here Friday night with a group of 8. It is a small, authentic DR spot with excellent platanos and pollo (chicken). The juice is fresh squeezed and everything is delicious. We had the arroz con pollo and our friends tried just about everything on the menu. The cazuela (I forget what they called it here) was also delicious.
Meals are priced and portioned for 2 ($ 11 – 18). Ask for what they recommend and they will give you some selections outside of the menu that are FANTASTIC.
The white rice is a bit salty and I wish they served black beans along with the habichuela. Other than that I look forward to returning!