Boston is home to more than 2,000 diverse restaurants. With so many options, many people stick to the eateries that are affordable, high quality, and most importantly, within walking distance. When you’re hungry in Boston, the last thing you want to do is wait for the Green Line.
In the Fenway area alone, students can walk just blocks from their campuses to enjoy dishes from all over the world. With that said, students must realize that there is life outside of dining halls, meals swipes, and questionable meats. Attention students: look no further than Peterborough Street.
Most college students are too afraid to go outside of their food prisons (also known as dining halls) to find quality food for a low price.
However, when students finally do venture into the city, they end up settling for chain restaurants or eateries that are only known for their names, not their food. When you believe that Boloco or Chipotle is the most authentic Mexican food you have had, it’s time to reconsider your definition of authentic.
Peterborough St., which can be dubbed “Restaurant Row,” is the perfect example of an underrated area filled with restaurant gems. After a devastating fire in 2009 that destroyed most of the property, loyal customers waited patiently to see them recover. And all of the eateries came back, better than ever.
“Restaurant Row,” blocks away from the Colleges of the Fenway area, has four delicious and inexpensive eateries. All four are different from one another: there’s a classic, all-American grill, a Thai place, a Mexican Taqueria, and a Japanese hot pot joint. You could eat a dish from all four if you wanted to. However, out of the four restaurants on Peterborough, there are two that are worthy of full recognition.
El Pelon (“The Bald Guy”) is the authentic Mexican taqueria located at 92 Peterborough St. Their walls are decorated with license plates from different states, photos of their customers, and traditional items representing the Mexican culture. They have T-shirts displayed as well, priced at only $15, with their logo on them. As incredible as the atmosphere is, you usually forget where (and maybe who) you are once you taste their food, like their handmade tortillas or homemade chipotle mayonnaise.
All of El Pelon’s ingredients are fresh, almost everything is made in-house, and their portions are something you will never complain about. They offer vegetarian options as well as Daiya, a popular vegan cheese.
Pelon’s fish tacos are the most impressive. They are described on their website as “locally made corn tortillas topped with lightly breaded cod, limed onions, our own spicy mayo and pickled cabbage and cucumbers for added crunch.” How could you say no?
Even though El Pelon looks like a dive rather than a high-class eatery, it serves up quality food in large portions, and as a bonus, has a fantastic atmosphere.
You can take advantage of their outdoor seating or walk down the street to the privately funded David Dorothy Ramler Park. Enjoy the surrounding views while devouring some of the most authentic Mexican food you’ve ever had. Take that, Chipotle.
Rod Dee 2 is directly next to El Pelon at 94 Peterborough St. and serves up delicious, inexpensive Thai food. Classic dishes such as yellow or red curry and pad Thai can be found here. None of their dishes exceed $15, which is an incredible deal, perfect for a college student’s budget. However, remind yourself to bring some cash, as they don’t except credit or debit, but they do have an ATM on site.
One of the best aspects of Rod Dee 2 is their Thai iced tea fountain machine. Instead of getting Pepsi or Sprite out of the fountain, pour yourself some delicious, sweet, and strong Thai tea. A non-refillable glass is usually $3 to $4 at any restaurant, so take advantage of this awesome gadget. Like El Pelon, Rod Dee 2 also offers outdoor seating with a great view.
If it’s your first time trying Thai food, settle for a noodle dish with tons of vegetables and your choice of protein. Thai food packs a lot of flavor into different sauces, and combines fruits and vegetables to balance dishes perfectly.
Try the pineapple or mango fried rice; they’re top favorites according to reviewers on Yelp.com. If you’re willing to be daring, try one of their curries. Yellow curry is always a good choice, its heat is mild, and it has fresh vegetables like cherry tomatoes and green beans with your choice of protein.
One of the best features of Rod Dee 2 is its fast service. A reviewer from Yelp.com said it took only 10 minutes for her party of four’s food to be served. All in all, Rod Dee is a tiny restaurant serving quality, flavorful food, fast.
“Restaurant Row” is a hidden food heaven centered right in the heart of the Fenway area. Run as fast as you can past those popular chain restaurants and head straight to Peterborough St., where you’ll find diverse eateries serving up inexpensive, quality food.
Take a bite into El Pelon’s homemade pescado (fish) burrito, and wash that down with Rod Dee 2’s Thai iced tea. You’ll be far from disappointed.