Faster Food

Avoiding the line for Boston’s most popular sandwich

he sign of a perfect sandwich? When harried Downtown Crossing business types are willing to stand patiently in a line a half a block long to get one. The line moves quickly, but the locals know the secret to the Chilean sandwich shop Chacarero is to fax your order ahead of time—it will be ready in 20 minutes—and to avoid the prime lunch break and dinner hours. And we have the numbers for you. Get the chicken-beef combo and top it off with the oven-fried potatoes. And don’t be scared of adding steamed green beans to your sandwich. That Chilean specialty—oh, and the homemade bread—makes this food worth the wait. Enos

Shhhh! The restaurant gets its name from the Chilean sandwich it serves almost exclusively.

Shhhh! How popular are these sandwiches?
A second location has opened on nearby
Arch Street, and the endless lines persist.

Shhh who knew

Chacarero's owner Juan Hurtado started selling his sandwiches from a pushcart, which in Boston requires a $60 license, a $500 bond, $300 a year in insurance premiums, permits from three city departments, a food manager's training course, and in his case rent paid to the Downtown Crossing Association.