In 1994, Merengue Restaurant opened its doors with the purpose of bringing a different concept in the restaurant industry to the growing Latino community and the general public in the city of Boston. Merengue as music and merengue as art permeate your soul and make a lasting impression that translates to the essence of the Dominican cuisine. All of this comes alive in every one of our dishes, always with the taste of our towns and the warmness of our people in a familiar environment and personalized service.

Dominican food is the result of a crossroads of many continents and many countries. Our native Taino Indians maintained a diet that reflected the resources found in their natural habitat, as well as their technological limitations. With the arrival of the Spaniards in 1492, many new species of animals, vegetables, fruits and grains were introduced, as well as many foods typical of the Mediterranean cuisine and others that had been passed down to the Spaniards by the Arabs during their 500-year domination of the Iberian Peninsula.

The introduction of African slaves in 1503 presented yet another gastronomical imprint on La Hispaniola. It is worth noting that the African influence is almost as strong as the Spanish influence in the Dominican culture – and the cuisine is no exception. Dominican fare is very similar to that found in other Latin American countries, especially Cuba and Puerto Rico, the only two other Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean.