Insider Pages Reviews for Ole Mexican Grill

1 Stars: Ole is terrible!! (by JohnM12345)

JohnM12345 — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 02:00:00 GMT

Hands down, the worst experience that I have had in a very long time, if not ever!!!

A group of 5 of us went there for dinner on a Tuesday evening at 7:30. It was clearly very busy, as they had opened the back room. We were seated and proceeded to have drinks and guacamole (which was excellent). However, this is where any semblance of an enjoyable evening ended.

Our main courses were brought to us after nearly an hour and a half. Of the 5, 2 were cold and 2 were overcooked to the point of being inedible. We made our server aware of the situation and simply asked to have the meals removed and for our bill (it was 9:30 and we had to work in the morning).

At this point, the manager came over and apologized, which we accepted. Most of us have been in the industry and understand that this happens. No big deal. We would have come back had the situation been resolved at this point.

After another 15 minutes, we still had not received our bill. I went to the manager and asked, again, that it be brought to the table. She informed me that she was bringing us desert, but she had failed to let us know, which left us wondering what was going on! I declined the offer and asked for the bill. The manager then, haughtily brought the bill to us. SOME OF THE MEALS HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED. At this point, I am furious!! For the third time, I ask for the meals to be removed (and now I am demanding that all food be taken off the bill, which should have been done in the first place). The manager has the audacity to tell me that she was doing me a favor by bringing us desert (which we never asked for or wanted) and taking the terrible, 1.5 hr wait dinners off the bill.

At this point, I have reached my snapping point. I tell the manager that I want the bill immediately because we no longer want to be in the building. She tells me, with a flip of her hand as she walks away, "just go." OK, fine!! I tell my group that we are just leaving. At this point, the general manager arrives and informs me that we do have to pay for our drinks and actually wants us to pay for the single correctly cooked dish. I tell him we will pay for the alcohol but want to leave ASAP. The manager actually then had the nerve to offer us a free drink in the future like we were considering ever returning!

NEVER. NEVER. NEVER WILL I, EVER, RETURN TO OLE. It was a shame because our waitress was sweet and the ineptitude of Ole clearly lies in the hands of their miserable, petulant management.

4 Stars: Ole Vs Border (by juanhiz)

juanhiz — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:00:00 GMT

I went here after having been a loyal Border cafe customer for years. I had heard about it from beantownbite and it lived up to the stellar review. We tried a variety of things, mainly off of the tapas (back of the menu). I highly recommend the guac, mainly for the experience. The crowd is older, but the cool part of the older crowd.

4 Stars: Ole offers upscale, non-traditional Mexican cuisine with some of the freshest ingredients around. (by hardinghouseinncambrdge)

hardinghouseinncambrdge — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:00:00 GMT

Ole Mexican Grill offers upscale, non-traditional Mexican cuisine with some of the freshest ingredients around. Every meal is like a party in this vivid orange and yellow dining room that makes you feel like you?re south of the border. Irresistible fresh guacamole is prepared right at your table with a lava stone mortar and pestle. Wash it all down with a dazzling selection of margaritas, wines, and over 22 premium tequilas. The sophisticated appetizers are out of this world, including scallops sauteed in olive oil, chile arbol and roasted garlic; and their famous chilies rellenos - fried mild poblano peppers filled with shrimp and cheese. Then there are the enchanting main courses. Favorites include grilled marinated tuna steak with tomatillo-avocado salsa; and pan-seared wild Sea Bass with grilled orn polenta and red bell pepper-chipotle. For a fun night out with wonderful unique food, Ole Mexican Grill delivers. Ole!

2 Stars: Horrific staff (by sas19)

sas19 — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:00:00 GMT

I can only review as much as I experienced, and unfortunately, the little I dealt with was unacceptable. I'd eaten at Ole to-go and enjoyed the small bite I had on my over to the movies, so I decided that the restaurant would be great for my 11 friends and me on my birthday. I called Ole on a Wednesday for a birthday the next Friday (over one week in advance) and they let me know that the reservation was all set, and that a manager would call me later to confirm since it was a large party. Life went on and the following Wednesday, I realized I should call since they wanted to make sure we were all going to show. I spoke to a rude hostess (who's name I should have gotten), who said that she is the only one who would have been answering the phone the previous Wednesday and went on to suggest that I never made the reservation. She said it was impossible that I called, since a party of 50 was already reserved. I said, if that was the case it would have been fine for me to have heard that ONE WEEK AGO while I still have time to make reservations. I was so angry, especially since I had never received such rude treatment in my life, without a single apology. Not to mention, this was 2 days before my birthday and I knew how impossible it would be to get s reso for a large party. All in all, the small burrito I had at Ole to-go was yummy, but the staff and experience so far at Ole makes me think twice now to ever eat there.

4 Stars: AUTHENTIC! (by TheReviewa)

TheReviewa — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 02:00:00 GMT

Very good, authentic Mexican food and some seriously good guacamole. If you are looking for REAL Mexican fare then look no further. Ole offers meals from all regions of Mexico and some native dishes as well, inspired by Mayan culture. Be sure to check out the poblano pepper and some of the fish dishes too. However, you are going pay a bit more for the authenticity. Don't expect Border Cafe prices here...

1 Stars: Worst service I have ever experienced! (by Peanut77)

Peanut77 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:00:00 GMT

This is not the place to go for a private party. The wait-staff made it VERY clear they wanted us (group of 15) in and out ASAP. They rudely insisted we order, they removed drinks before we were finished, and threw desert menus on the table the second dinner plates were cleared. They also charge a $2.00 per person fee to cut a cake (if you bring your own cake)!!!

We were not impressed at all. The only good thing about the meal was the chile relano but the side dishes that accompanied the entre were cold. The guacamole was pretty good too.

With all that said, I will never go back and would rather NOT eat Mexican food than go to this place again. I am a true lover of Mexican food so this is dissappoiting considering how few Mexican restaurants there are in MA.

3 Stars: Poor service (by BostonDiner08)

BostonDiner08 — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:00:00 GMT

I had been wanting to try this restaurant given the rave reviews. The menu was filled with unique dishes that you typically don't find in Mexican restaurants. The food was delicious and the homemade guacamole made at the table was fantastic. The service, however, left much to be desired and would cause me not to return to this restaurant. Drinks took way too long to arrive and our server was often nowhere to be found when we wanted to order more drinks. We waited well over an hour for our food to arrive. Once the food arrived, the server would not leave us alone and hovered the entire meal removing dishes the instant our forks touched the plate. She actually had cleared all the dishes and asked us about dessert while one person in our dinner party was still eating his meal! It was very disappointing given the quality of the food, but to me the dining experience includes great service which was severely lacking here.

5 Stars: best mexican restaurant (by chas0809)

chas0809 — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 01:00:00 GMT

Food was fabulous! Cozy atmosphere. We could not get enough of the salsa, guacomole, and the chips!!! I think this is the best salsa i've ever had! For appetizers and dinner we had the taquitos, tuna tacos, and the enchiladas and they were just as great as the chips, salsa, and guacomole! We will definitely be going back to this restaurant often! It's a little on the pricey side for Mexican food but definitely worth it.

5 Stars: Authentic Mexican Cuisine (by Carolyn R.)

Carolyn R. — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:22:00 GMT

New England is not known for their Mexican cuisine; however; Ole begs to differ. The restaurant offers delicious Mexican selections. My favorite is the guacamole-- which they make table side. The place is a ton of fun!

5 Stars: Great Mexican on the East Coast? - Yes! (by marcocongatos)

marcocongatos — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 02:00:00 GMT

My wife and I grew up in California, and spent several years in Colorado, so we know what good Mexican food is. No offense, Easterners, you do many things very well, but Mexican is definitely not one of them. However, Ole is a rare exception!!

We had lunch there today and were very impressed. Usually you can tell how it going to be right from the start - the chips and salsa. Ole has good homemade corn chips which are not greasy, and a very tasty salsa. It is not very hot, but has a lot of flavor. We ordered the guacamole, and it too was delicious. For entrees we both had the chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. They were quite good, not loaded with cheese, and this let the nicely flavored sauce come through. The black beans were interesting, almost like a puree, which I found preferrable to the sometimes too hard consistency you receive. The rice was almost more Spanish in style than Mexican, but very good nonetheless. This restaurant does not try to substitute a ton of cheese and salt for flavor.

Our waitress was very friendly as were other staff members, and the service was fast.
It is a small place but has nice atmospere.
We will definitely be back!!

4 Stars: Best Mexican Food In Boston (i am from Austin, TX) - Service is a struggle at times, and never plan a party there (by recomp)

recomp — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 02:00:00 GMT

The Mexican food here is simply the best in Boston. Nothing, nothing, comes close. The chef is amazing, and he and his wife are great hosts. I have been to many of the "mexican" restaurants in Boston that think they know what they are doing, but they don't. Ole has nailed the food. It is certainly Mexican food with flair, and if I could eat there every day and not gain weight, I would.

Now for the couple things they need to work on. Water and salsa should never run dry. And coming from TX, any MEXICAN restaurant that attempts to charge for chips and salsa should be ashamed.

We planned a party there, and was told one thing, then when it came time to sign the paper work, their policy had changed which would force us to spend extra $$$ on alcohol. The woman just about put my fiance in tears, as were working on a budget, and had already sent out 50+ invitations. She was not flexible at all, and really didnt seem to want to help us out. But oh well, we had the party, it was a great success, just cost us much more than we had planned. (By the way, this was our second meeting, because she flat out missed our first meeting; forgot. When we showed up, nobody knew we were coming. They called her, and then told us it would be 5 minutes. Then 15 minutes later said she wouldn?t be able to make it. Would have been nice if they covered our meal.)

On this note, I recently took 6 people who had never been to Ole for brunch. They all LOVED it. But one thing that turned me off a little was charging for chips and salsa. They don?t charge for this at night, but decide to charge for it at brunch. Kind of nickel and dime type activity you would not expect from an authentic Mexican restaurant, just an average restaurant.

We went back with one of the other couples, and our friend mentioned that she emailed Ole about having a get together, but that it had been a week and no response. The woman who handles events, is not on top of things.

5 Stars: Superb and modern Mexican food, with super-sweet owners! (by boston6_8guy)

boston6_8guy — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 02:00:00 GMT

We live just a block from Ole, and we eat there about once every two weeks. The owners are incredibly sweet, and the staff are always so friendly.

The food is great! It's a very modern take on Mexican, that uses many interesting ingredients, to produce great entrees that are very delicious. I love the Quesadilla con Camarones, and the simple black beans and rice. The plantains were occassionally "off" but the waitress was kind enough to tell us that it's because of the seasonal fruit, and not because fo the kitchen. And, as everyone else noted, the guac is amazing. And, the frozen strawberry and raspberry margaritas are stunning. So smooth going down, and they'll take any edge off that you're feeling. :)

You should totally go. It's not cheap, it's not Tex Mex, but it's got great food with nice service, and a cozy festive atmosphere. We like it so much we'll be hosting our rehearsal dinner there in late 2007. So, if I'm willing to throw that much money down, you know it ain't sketchy!

4 Stars: Best Guac! & did somebody say tequila? (by pgirl17)

pgirl17 — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Lots of great choices! Have the guac, it's hand ground in a stone bowl, and it's fantastic! Also, they have really great tequila flights w/ sangrita- so much fun! Great for a date or small group, but I wouldn't get too big, it's not a large or particularly loud place.

Such nice people there! One of my favorites! : )

2 Stars: When you'd never go back-that says it all! (by marycharles)

marycharles — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Not only did they forget the birthday dessert at the end of the meal (anyone can forget something)but they were very rude. I think the mixed reviews posted show inconsistency in how patrons are treated. Too bad. A spoiled birthday dinner and the loss of customers. No matter how good food may be it is poor business to treat customers so obnoxiously.

5 Stars: Fantastic service, unbelievable food (by lmhlaba)

lmhlaba — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 02:00:00 GMT

My boyfriend and I had dinner at Ole on Wednesday night, and after our meal we decided there is no reason to ever eat at another restaurant! Each and every morsel was perfectly delicious- from the homemade tortilla chips and salsa, to the guacamole appetizer (they make the guac right at your table!) to the mojitos (highly recommended) to the entrees and dessert- it was definitely the best meal I've had out in a very long time. I ordered the tuna tacos which were phenomenal, and my boyfriend had the costillas de puerco which came with the best mashed potatoes I've ever tasted. For dessert we shared the fried cheesecake- sinful, but worth every calorie. Our waitress was so sweet and attentive which made the experience that much better. The atmosphere is also very nice- beautiful art, photography and Mexican tiles accent the walls. I would recommend Ole Mexican Grill to anyone who loves good food. It is a little pricey- which could surprise you if you're just looking for an inexpensive Mexican meal- but it is worth the price. Highly highly highly recommended!

4 Stars: great place to eat (by sedition)

sedition — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 01:00:00 GMT

I'm quite surprised to see a negetive review of this place. I've been visiting it for years, and have always had great food and service. It can be a bit noisy at night, as it is a very popular resturant, and the food can be slighty on the expensive side. However, fresh guccomicle(sp) made at your table, the fish tacos, and the rest of of menu is what has kept me coming back time and time again.

5 Stars: Best Mexican food experience in Boston (by kathamo)

kathamo — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Contrary to another visitor's opinion, I have eaten at this restaurant several times, and every time was perfection. The service staff was very knowledgeable and helpful, not only about the great interesting menu items, but about the drink menu and various tequilas as well. The food is wonderful - a lot of thought has been put into the menu. I come from Texas, where the best Mexican and tex-mex food can be found, and this is the only place in Boston that is up to par. The ambiance is welcoming, colorful, and bustling, but with a class and style that mirrors the quality of food and service. Expect the prices to be higher than at other Mexican restaurants, but no higher than what you would expect at any other nice restaurant. I paid about $20 for my entree and $8 for my margarita (which range from $6 - $9)

1 Stars: Truly horrible (by bigfattony)

bigfattony — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 01:00:00 GMT

On the night we tried this restaurant, they were filming a cable TV commercial. Not only did they not seat us out of the way of the cameras, they filmed us, and when I said something about it to the staff, the response was "Some people would pay for that honor." The food was sub-par and the service was horrendous. You can definitely do better for Mexican in this area. We, and the friends we were with will never go back.

5 Stars: User review by jojoxoxo (by jojoxoxo)

jojoxoxo — Thu, 05 May 2005 02:00:00 GMT

I am never disappointed. Try the guacamole, they make it for you at the table.

5 Stars: Fabulous Tuna Tacos (by ivymay)

ivymay — Wed, 13 Apr 2005 02:00:00 GMT

I thought I would never find fish tacos like they make them out in San Diego but it turns out I was wrong. The tuna tacs at Ole are so delicious! The guacamole is just as good. I highly reccomend this place - terrific upscale Mexican!