Under10 Lunch Spotlight: Chacarero

This month, our Under10 Spotlight is Chacarero, a popular lunch spot on the edge of the Financial District. The walk is a straight(ish) shot from campus down Harrison and Chauncy to 101 Arch Street—about 8 minutes, give or take.

Chacarero’s signature item is…the chacarero, a classic Chilean sandwich. My favorite part is the bread, which is baked fresh daily. It’s round, sort of flat, and manages to both dense and light at the same time. For the main ingredient, you have a choice of plain or bbq grilled beef or chicken (or both), or grilled vegetables. It’s topped with tomatoes, muenster cheese, avocado spread, green beans, and their secret hot sauce. You can also add a super spicy hot sauce that I wasn’t brave enough to try, but hear is very good.

A small sandwich ($6.35-$8.95) is the perfect size for lunch, but they also make a large size ($7.45-$10.00). They offer assorted sides, desserts, and beverages, as well as a number of breakfast items.

The lunch rush is tackled with an impressive display of assembly-line sandwich making. The line was out the door when I arrived at 12:45pm, but it took only five minutes to get up to the cashier, where I ordered and paid. I was outside with my meal in less than four minutes after that. Other times when I’ve gone later in the afternoon, there’s been no wait, so I’d recommend going closer to 2pm if you’re short on time.

There’s a decent amount of seating in the air-conditioned restaurant but one of my favorite spots to eat in the area is not far away. If you have time, continue on Arch St and take a right down Franklin St for about two blocks to Post Office Square. You can enjoy your sandwich on the lawn in the park—be sure to grab a free cushion from one of the bins to protect your clothes from the grass!

Chacarero. 101 Arch St, Boston, MA. Mon-Fri 8am-6pm.  They accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.   

Have you braved the super spicy sauce at Chacarero? Do you have a suggestion for the next place we should try? Write to us!