Chacarero

Chacarero serves the traditional Chilean sandwich it is named for, and it has become one of downtown Boston’s most popular lunch spots. The sandwich is built on soft, round bread baked fresh every morning. Customers choose grilled beef or chicken, or both, then the sandwich is layered with Muenster cheese, fresh tomato, steamed green beans and avocado spread, finished with a secret jalapeño or habanero recipe. BBQ options include chicken marinated overnight for a spicier, tangier flavor and beef marinated in chimichurri with cilantro.

Owner Juan Hurtado, a Chilean native, started out selling sandwiches from a pushcart, where green beans on a sandwich were a hard sell at first. Word of mouth won people over, and he later ran a well-known hole-in-the-wall spot at Filene’s Basement before it closed and he moved to the current shop. The dining room has plenty of tables, though at weekday lunch the line often stretches around the block and seats go fast.

What to Know

• The business has been serving chacareros for about 27 years.
• Getting both BBQ meats on one sandwich adds roasted red peppers.
• It is listed in the City of Boston Neighborhood Business Guide and with the Downtown Boston Alliance.
• Hurtado calls his chacarero the best sandwich in the world and says one bite makes the wait worth it.