Chacarero Sandwich at Joseph's Pizzeria in Mission Hill

[Matt H]

Walked by Joseph's Pizzeria in Mission Hill today and noticed that they have added a Chilean Chacarero Sandwich to the menu. The verdict was I prefer the bread at Chacarero Downtown but enjoyed the other components better at Joseph's where the beef was less dry, Avacado tasted fresher and they add both Jalapeno peppers along with a great pepper sauce.

The price is higher than Chacarero at $9.75 for a large sandwich, but enjoyed it overall.

[lala010addict]

Chacarero in downtown is totally awesome

[johnnymac]

i had my first sandwich from Chacarero when they were just a cart, thinking about 15 years ago. i was blown away. i moved jobs and hadn't had one in years so i made a special trip. i was just as impressed, but it was a hassle. i did some research her and found the La Mamma in Allston had them. I will take a chacarero from La Mamma over the original Chacarero any day of the week.

Their homemade bread is amazing and pulls it all together.

[Blumie]

I tried La Mamma once. It was fine in a pinch, but I would never choose it over Chacarero. Not even close IMHO.

[lipoff]

Forgot to post this before, but I had this sandwich back in April. It's huge, and the people there are very nice, but it doesn't hold a candle to a chacarero from Chacarero. Nothing was "bad" about it, but each element wasn't as good --- the bread wasn't as good, the beef wasn't as succulent, the beans weren't as tasty, the avocado wasn't as bright, the spiciness was toned down; only the tomatoes were really good. I suppose you can't blame a pizza and sub shop with an enormous menu for not being as good on one single item as a place that specializes in just that item, but don't make a special detour away from Chacarero to Joseph's just for a chacarero sandwich.

[Matt H]

I stopped by last week again for another run at the sandwich and I must say the quality declined from my first visit. As you mentioned, it wasnt bad (still pretty tasty) but definitely not reaching Chacarero level. The first visit though it was pretty close IMO.

[Gordough]

I have worked within a few yards of Chacarero for well over a decade now and probably had the sandwich more than 100 times. I would never describe their beef (or chicken for that matter) as "succulent." Despite it being a fantastic sandwich when all components are considered together, I have always found the meat to easily be the weakest part. But I understand that for $7 (for a small) I am not going to get superb quality beef.

[jgg13]

I always found their meats to be dry, overcooked and tough.

[nsenada]

It is the combination of flavors and textures that make the sandwich amazing - I am going to try to replicate one someday. I find that the meat is much better if you get there during peak lunch time, for the obvious reason that the meat is moving from grill to sandwich more quickly. When there's no line, the meat's usually been hanging out in a warmer, and can be dry as sawdust.

[Blumie]

It does make a difference when the beef comes right off the grill. It's still a little tough, but I've become a convert from the chicken to the beef. I find it more flavorful.

[lipoff]

I also prefer the beef at Chacarero. I agree that it is tough compared to filet mignon, but I think that's the point. It's very textured, but not dry or flavorless. Maybe succulent is the wrong absolute word for it, but I would say the beef at Joseph's was less succulent than what I remember at Chacarero. Thanks to Matt H for reminding me that there could be a lot of variability too though. I still suspect this is a sandwich that works best when you're serving hundreds of them a day instead of a couple.

[jgg13]

I used to get the combos as I could never decide. I finally decided that the number of times where the chicken was better than the beef were so few that I should just stick with the beef.

[Dave MP]

Thanks for the report. Do they have any other Chilean items (like empanadas), or just that sandwich?

Dave MP

[Matt H]

They do have Empanadas, which I have tried in the past a few times. They are a bit hit or miss, twice they have been very good but that most recent order was barely edible. Worth a try though I'd say.