This vibrant eatery whips up authentic Mexican dishes from scratch, boasting a welcoming vibe and a highly-praised weekend brunch that family and friends love.
"This East End cafe and restaurant offers beautiful interpretations of Mexican staples, like tender and spice-loaded cochinita pibil, served on a platter with sides or in taco form; tamales and roasted chicken with mole negro; and flavorful salad, grain, or rice bowls served with fiery proteins like roasted beets and grilled pineapple shrimp. Diners can often be seen scurrying in for Cochinita’s breakfast, too, where chilaquiles and loaded breakfast tacos are available only until 11 a.m. Fortunately, the fruity aguas frescas and coffee drinks are an all-day affair." - Brittany Britto Garley
"For tacos with a side of kombucha and a fresh nopalitos salad, the place to go is Cochinita & Co. in the East End. This Mexican cafe serves cochinita pibil tacos on handmade tortillas, grilled pineapple shrimp rice bowls, crispy vegan flautas with earthy oyster mushrooms, and pints of kombucha thanks to the nearby Kickin’ Kombucha cafe. Everything here tastes so good it’s frankly rude that more food doesn’t automatically regenerate on the plate." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
"Aside from the signature totopos, agua frescas, and cochinita pibil, this East End coffee shop and Mexican restaurant also offers a flavorful array of desserts, including ginormous chocolate chip cookies, flan, and tres leches. Baked up with love by chef Victoria Elizondo’s staff, this tres leches is topped with vanilla bean whipped cream with a hint of guava sauce for added tart and sweetness." - Lane Gillespie, Sean Hekmat
"Cochinita & Co. in the East End might not have the cheapest dishes on this list—the most expensive item is a cochinita pibil, which costs $14.75. But volume here is key, because we’ve never seen anyone polish off an entire corn and chicken bowl. At only $12.50, this dish puts another massive burrito chain to shame. Loaded with savory rice, black beans, crunchy greens, and tender roast chicken, this is two meals in one. Now that’s just smart math." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene
"This laidback East End cafe and restaurant easily dishes out some of the best breakfast tacos and agua frescas that the city has to offer, plus colorful grain and salad bowls like the pineapple shrimp and jicama bowl. You shouldn’t leave without trying the cochinita pibil — the tender, slow-cooked, spicy-heavy pork that inspired its name. Try it in taco form with Cochinita’s signature sauces, or as a filling entree with a side of rice, beans, queso fresco, pico de gallo, and tortillas. For an epic take-home treat, buy a jar of the salsa matcha to add a punch of flavor to nearly any dish." - Brittany Britto Garley
