Cocina 214

We decided to check them out for “Happy Hour,” and were not disappointed. The “Host, performed many jobs at this restaurant that is beautifully decorated. He was also our bartender.

Delightful Mexican cuisine in Winter Park. This is my second time back and not disappointed in the least. The fried avocados 🥑 are to die for. A must appetizer before any meal.

Great setup. Love the separate bar atmosphere. However, the dining area was well decorated, nicely lit and clean. The food was above average! But those fried avocados were amazing! Good experience. Could have been a 5 star experience but the beer draft machine was down and I had to take a bottle. Hopefully they resolve this glitch before my next visit

Appears to be a nice place visually. Our waitress was a magician who knew a nice disappearing trick. The food was expensive, expectedly so, but not impressive. I would not recommend the award winning guava margarita. Can’t really say I have a reason to come back.

The food was fancy Mexican. Still very good thought. Mahi fish taco was very tasty. The slaw was vinegar based. I would have put a sweater else with the spicier fish as a contrast. Too much of the same flavor. But that's me. We had a large party, over twenty people, and the service was great.

We had a surprise birthday party for my Son here. It was AMAZING. We had a taco bar buffet with beef and chicken, beans, rice, chip, salsa and all the trimmings to go with it. Guest ordered their own favorite drinks from the bar and WE ALL had a GREAT TIME. The food was really good and that was the census of the whole room. It was my first time eating here and when I am in Orlando again I will drop in for sure. Highly recommend you give them a try.

Great setup. Love the separate bar atmosphere. The dining area is well decorated, nicely lit and clean. The food was delectable. Good experience.

With a string of awards to its name, this restaurant promised a culinary delight. Regrettably, it delivered quite the opposite. Perhaps my expectations were heightened by a string of exceptional Mexican meals on the West Coast, but this experience fell flat in comparison. The meal started on a sour note with chips that tasted store-bought, paired with a salsa resembling a bland, watery pulp rather than a vibrant, textured accompaniment. The queso fundido, typically a showstopper, was burned to the point where its charred aroma and flavor overwhelmed any hope of savoring the cheese. The tortillas, often a hallmark of authentic Mexican cuisine, were a letdown—stale, room-temperature, and far from fresh. This same lackluster tortilla served as the base for the steak street tacos, further compounding the disappointment. The sides didn’t fare any better. The rice was uninspired, and the black beans served in place of traditional refried beans seemed an odd choice, detracting from the authenticity of the dish. Being located in Winter Park on the prestigious Park Avenue, one might expect a commitment to quality, but the execution here was anything but. While the service was passable—certainly not offensive—it barely rose above mediocrity. In the end, I couldn’t help but compare this meal unfavorably to West Coast fast-food Mexican restaurant. At least there, for a fraction of the price, you’re treated to fresher, better-prepared food. Sadly, this visit was a misstep that didn’t live up to its acclaim or its location. Re: On the West Coast, the Mexican Food is just better, so I totally understand that I couldn't expect the same kind of flavor, that is why I compared it to what a low-end fast food Mexican Restaurant would be on the West Coast.

We went for "Happy Hour," and snacks! The chips and salsa were good, and the fried Avocado slices were amazing. Our bartender "wore many hats," that day, & did them all well! From greeting us at the door, seating us, and then making suggestions at the bar. We enjoyed their premixed lemon drink and margarita, both tasted pretty good! The ambiance is relaxing and pretty.

Needs improvement across multiple areas. Value: 1/5 $18 for 3 small tacos is not great value; it's arguably a ripoff. TaKo Cheena, Black Rooster Taqueria, and Quesa Loca offer better-tasting tacos for less. I normally don't like to mention other restaurants in a review yet it's an important consideration for this category of food that already has strong competition in Winter Park. Service: 1/5 Cocina 214 requires a 20% tip for pickup orders. The problem I have with this requirement is that the service we received was lacking. Though we chose curbside pickup, upon arriving at the restaurant, there was literally no curbside parking available. Fortunately, my partner dropped me off and circled around as I stepped in to pickup the order. Upon entry, there was no one at reception. When a server noticed me, they confirmed my pickup order and left. 5 minutes later, I was asked to walk towards a special area for pickup, where another staff was bagging what seemed to be my orders. Another 7 minutes passed before the order was ready.We ended up waiting inside almost 15 minutes past the promised pickup time, which was not during a lunch or dinner rush. Tell me, is that worth a 20% service charge for a takeout order? Taste: 1/5 The street tacos are nothing to write home about. This would be a 2 or 3 out of 5 if it weren't for a dessert they gave us that clearly went bad. The flan was inedible- it smelled obscene and hours later we regretted tasting it. tl;dr This is one of the worse dining experiences (albeit takeout) we've had in the 32789 zip code. Cocina 214 needs to improve on many fronts and below-average service for a takeout order was enough to defer us from ever returning.

Located in the heart of winter park is this gem of a restaurant. I've been many times and haven't had a bad meal or service. The restaurant has plenty of seats both inside and on the patio. The service is always top notch as is the food. If there was a complaint it would be paying for chips and salsa. So I usually skip getting it at this restaurant.

Paid for chips and salsa, worth it. Fish tacos --not so much. The mahi in the Oh Mahi taco's was not fresh, and did not taste like Mahi. I am big fish taco fan, the fish in this taco entree did not stand up.

My friends and I came here for Cinco de Mayo since they were having drink specials. It's a really cute looking restaurant (especially the outside seating area). We started off with the Queso Fundido with chorizo and nachos. The Queso Fundido was probably the best thing we had during our whole experience. Nachos were average. Our dinner came out and I could tell we were all visibly disappointed (I didn't snap pics of our dinner). One of our group ordered some veggie tacos. They were extremely soggy. I ordered some Mexican flag brisket enchiladas. They were COVERED in way too much lettuce for being $18. I think I would've paid $12 but $18 was def too much money for what I got. Another friend in the group ordered the carne asada, and he was disappointed with it (wasn't seared properly for being $30+). We waited longer for our server to pick up our check and payment so we could leave than we did for our food to get to our table after we ordered. Overall, it was a very mid experience. I probably won't come back here realistically speaking as I know better Mexican restaurants in the area. But glad I was able to take advantage of their Cinco de Mayo drink deals.

It was okay, the queso fundino was the best part it was a meal in its self. I could've been great with just this and the cocktail. The spicy margarita was okay. So was the main entree. The service was great. The restaurant was beautiful inside and it wasn't too busy went around 4pm on a Sunday. My total meal was around 60/70 dollars.

First and probably last visit. Food was good, but service was awful. I ordered a chicken burrito. It was great, I'd definitely have it again. The problem was service. Food took way too long, even though the place was at half capacity. Our waitress was extremely unattentive of us. She took our order when we sat down, but disappeared until our food arrived. We were never offered drinks or appetizers. When our entrees arrived, she disappeared again for 10+ minutes. They got my wife's order wrong, so because our waitress would just vanish, we didn't know who to tell. They also have the gall to charge $4 for chips and salsa. We've been to much higher end mexican places and in the vast majority of cases they have complimentary chips and salsa. However, if you're gonna charge for them, they better be out of this world. Unfortunately, they were extremely underwhelming, so I would not pay for them again. For the price, there are much better options in the area if you want mexican fare.

If you are looking for a good Mexican restaurant in Winter Park, look no further than Cocina 214. Make a reservation! This restaurant offers a variety of seating such as indoor, outdoor, and the bar area. The menu has something for everyone. Tacos, quesadillas, burritos, steak, and more. For an appetizer, we did chips, salsa, and queso. Nothing special about it, just average and what you would expect. I chose the mahi mahi tacos for my dish and was not disappointed. The mahi was full of flavor. Our waitress was precious. I wish I remember her name but hope to see her again next time. She encouraged me to try sauce on the side with my tacos, and it was delicious. Can't wait to come back!

Be tempted to walk off the main park ave for this restaurant! Super fresh and flavorful Mexican cuisine awaits. There is outdoor seating, indoor, and a separate bar area for those that just want to dive into the list of tequila. The house made salsas were great as was the guac.

The food is meh! The happy hour M-F 3:00-6:30 is bomb! The drinks are always a hit, tasty and also hitting!

Fantastic food.....the citrus dressing on the tacos are to die for. The service was beyond exceptional! Julio was wonderful!

We went to an event here and had the best time. The service was quick and efficient, even though there were probably 60 of us. The food was great as always. The enchiladas and diabolos are always a favorite. The back room was decorated nicely. We will be back again soon for happy hour as that is our favorite time to go

Best Mexican restaurant in Central Florida!!Beautifully prepared plates with homemade and warm tortilla chips! Queso to die for!

Two words: Food Poisoning. I went there last night and ordered the Nachos Machos with meat/beef. My guests got chicken. I've been violently ill since an hour after eating this. Nonstop vomiting all throughout the night. I'm so dehydrated and exhausted. The chips tasted weird, then when I got my meal, it was flavorless and I kept saying it wasn't worth it. I was hungry so I tried to push through. I wish I didn't. Worst food poisoning. I'm still sick this morning!! 0/5.

Consistent & tasty. I've come here a few times and their food is very consistent with portions, taste, etc. I enjoy their queso and tried the Nacho Macho during happy hour and it was the perfect portion and filled me up for 8 hours! Their happy hour (4-6:30PM) is a great deal. The service is always a little bit slow but it's never bothered me because it's a great restaurant to enjoy and spend a few hours sipping drinks and snacking. I definitely recommend coming here for a fun date night - try the Diablo!

This was a cool place. I had always wanted to check it out, but had not really had any reason to do so. Its seated in Winter Park, just off of Park Avenue. Parking is always. (I mean ALWAYS) a challenge in the Park Avenue area, but one you located a spot, its a great place to walk around. We were hungry for lunch after some walking around at the art festival and stopped in this place. Given there were so many people roaming around the rat festival,, this place was surprisingly not busy. We were seated right away. Service was not necessarily quick, but it was also not unreasonable. I ordered enchiladas and my wife ordered the spinach and mushroom quesadillas. They were both tasty. The enchiladas had plenty of topping and tasted great. I also tasted the quesadillas and they were arguably the better dish - I would recommend give IG this a try ! Overall the experience was great - with the possible exception of the obnoxious people that we were sat next to - I can;t blame the restaurant for that - however, there was plenty of open seating available and I am a little baffled why we were sat elbow/elbow with another family....in and of itself it would have been fine, but this particular family was pretty obnoxiously......again, it did not take away from the meal itself, but it happened to be part of that day;s experience. I'll give this place a try again if I get a chance.

Most of the times there aren't a lot of people there when I go, but don't let that fool you, the food is good. The drinks are great. I live the queso fundido

Look at that cheese pull!! Ordered the queso with chorizo for an appetizer and it hit the spot. Paired with some tacos, good drinks, and a great atmosphere in the heart of Winter Park, doesn't get much better than that! The service was great, she was very sweet and attentive. Would recommend stopping here for dinner or drinks while on Park Avenue.

The food was very tasty but don't come hungry. The portions are small. The service was very slow. Ambience was pleasant but very dimly lit.

The restaurant itself is very fun and inviting for a weekend night out, however the food is the reason this is my first and last visit. As other yelpers have noted, they have the gall to charge $4 for chips and salsa which is typically complimentary at most restaurants, however we were very hungry and decided to get them anyway. I don't think I've ever had such bland chips and salsa in my life... the chips had no seasoning whatsoever and the salsa was subpar at best. Our actual entrees took over 40 minutes to arrive with the restaurant not even being close to full or half capacity. When we finally got our food (chicken quesadillas, chicken street tacos), they were extremely bland and the tacos came with no cheese. Even the rice was bland. Overall if this restaurant could just add seasoning to their menu and pick up the pace on meals arriving to the tables, this place could be great. Too bad this was my first and probably last visit.

I came here for dinner the other night and I was a little disappointed. It wasn't as good as I remember it being. I got the chicken enchiladas and they were ok, but not great. Also, it was a slow night and they only had one server in our area and we waited over 10 minutes for our order to be taken, even though the waiter kept walking by our table. The whole vibe just seemed off. There are better Mexican restaurants in the area.

la atención es buena pero la comida estaba vieja, las papas fritas aguadas y los frijoles sabian a viejos y súper re calentados

Hidden Gem two blocks off Park. We made reservations but to be honest we did not need them. Big props for having outdoor seating and being dog friendly. My son has been coming here all year. He said the queso was really good. It was. He got a chicken quesadilla and it was good. The chicken burrito comes with ranchero but they switched to verde for my wife no issue. I had their "melt in your mouth brisket" tacos. They were pretty good too. Not filled the same but tasty none the less. I was a little worried to honest after five minutes of sitting no server. Then the busboy brought us water. Waiting some more and still no server. Then Rueben showed up. He saved the day for us. Apps in. Back to get our entrees. Boom boom boom. Food came out just as we finished our apps and it was hot. Pro tip for parking. Large public lot east of park between Welbourne and Morse. Parking can be a challenge near Park Ave.

A must have is 'El Diablo' - the swirl of 214 Frozen Marg with Sangria. Premium Flight also features el Diablo, blue agave & orange blossom if you want a variety! The Southern Comfort tacos have a southern twist to it, featuring fried chicken & coastal slaw. Fun night & good food.

I've been meaning to check out this spot for some time now and I finally got the chance to visit with a friend. Though, I cannot attest to the full menu, as this was my first occasion going, but I really enjoyed my Street Tacos (Chicken). My friend had the Melt-In-Your-Mouth Brisket Tacos and Cocina Trio & Chips - which she enjoyed as well. The drinks, were pretty delicious as well. We both had the El Diablo Swirl Margarita and I also had the 214 Rocks Margarita. Both were good. The next time I visit, I'll try their Margarita flight - which is reasonably priced! Overall, for a first experience, I truly enjoyed my food and drinks.

Our family really wanted to like this place. I love how this place is built & designed. The decorations outside and inside is really cool. This place would be great for parties, baby showers, it spacious for all kinds of event BUT the food was lacking & the drinks tasted like it was the bartender first day. My husband order a vodka sprite with a splash of cranberry. He got sprite, cranberry & a splash of vodka. The other family members alcohol drinks tasted like plain watery drinks which were disappointing since these drinks prices are up their. The chicken quesadilla was good, my carne asada & guacamole were delicious. The rice & bean lacked seasoning which is sad since this is supposed to be a Mexican restaurant. The corn tortillas were falling apart. The Queso was so watery it barely went stay on the chip. I would given this place a two but the server was on top of things & the decor is really cool. The food which is why we were their lacked any substance.

I have only order through Uber eats from here. However, the food is always great! I got the chicken burrito and the guacamole with chips. Everything was fresh and delicious.

Had an overall nice experience. It was a late sunday afternoon, and the restaurant was fairly quiet. I had the steak street tocos, which I enjoyed. My husband's soco (southern comfort) tocos was actually even better. I'll probably get that the next we visit as an appetizer. Our margaritas were ok. Our server was very sweet and friendly. I would say the biggest ding was their restrooms. They definitely needed some attention. I would visit again the next time I'm in the area and in the mood for some Mexican food.

Great way to end a great week! El Diablo, Ceviche and Cheese Enchiladas with Mexican Flag. Cocina 214 - well done...

My first visit. And Party of 8 first-timers for lunch. The nachos were tasteless, lacking cheese and zero jalapeños. The quesadilla was a small, dry, thin little thing and not served with salsa. Luckily, we had purchased some chips & salsa. The poached pear salad (undressed) was served with wilted lettuce. We won't be back. Service was excellent, (But the restaurant was basically empty, so.) On the other hand, it's a beautiful restaurant. Very pretty.

I really love this place. Everything I have tried there was great but the brisket quesadillas are to die for.

We've been to Cocina dozens of time since they opened (I believe it was 2014?) and still stop in on occasion. They are known for their "up" margaritas, such as my personal favorite: The Park Ave Lux. It's done like a martini but it's a margarita. The space has always felt clean and upscale, though I do want to see the menu change and evolve as many other restaurants do. It would be great to have different specials, new items, and include more chicken-based items on the menu, as it's a bit limited. The food is consistently great otherwise, and has a decent happy hour as well.

This place is pretty good all things considered! My reasoning for 4 stars is the food is a little pricey. Don't get me wrong it's good but it's underwhelming for the price you pay. (Sides are extra.. rice and beans etc) the atmosphere is upscale compared to most Mexican restaurants and both times that we've been the service has been pretty great!

This is another fantastic part of a great neighborhood. The restaurant has sections..bar..restaurant and patio.The restaurant is beautiful with red accents and candles. The bar is where I sat and has a nice atmosphere but different than the restaurant. The service was quick and they have alot to offer off their specialty drink menu.They have a big assortment of tequilas & mezcal. They offer a modern Tex-Mexican menu. Its a purchase your chips n salsa kind of upscale establishment. I ordered the chickira tacos..the fillings had roasted chicken..so tasteful and tender..grilled corn and veggie rice on a inhouse made tortillas. They were delicious. They were $13 for 3.. no sides. They were good size so could me considered a shareable portion. Great consideration..

I recently dined at Cocina 214 for the first time in years and I remember why I haven't been in so long. The service was friendly, but terribly slow and the food & drinks are very mediocre. For the price point and location it's just unacceptable. We were seated for almost 10 minutes before anyone came to our table. Once the food was dropped, nobody came to check on us so we couldn't order another drink or ask for extra sauce. Unfortunately this was probably my last time dining at Cocina 214.

Amazing food and wonderful staff. Love sitting outside on nice weather days, but the inside seating is also beautiful. Very nice staff, good drinks, and their queso is to die for. They even have a good kids menu for those with picky kiddos! Best thing is it's amazing food with a not a bad price tag.

One of my favorite restaurants when I'm craving Mexican food. The drinks are really good. Fresh guacamole always. Their chicken tortilla soup and chicken enchiladas are good.

Cocina 214 is a great spot in Winter Park,FL I always sit at the bar. Friendly staff! Great appetizers! Great margaritas! And it's walking distance to park ave!

We just had the best dining experience. Esteban was our server and absolutely amazing from the moment we walked in. Had two different Margarita flight which were fabulous. The meals were the freshest web have had in this area. Highly recommend them for your next meal out. Ask for Esteban. He was such an amazing server who made the best cocktails. We can't wait to go back and bring friends.

The restaurant is beautiful. They have a completely separate and large bar area with tables if you want to dine in a less formal, but still classy atmosphere. There is an indoor, and outdoor terrace seating, where we sat. The outside view isn't anything special. You look at a parking garage unless you turn your back to it. Cool fun fact, they host the annual Winter Park Chihuahua race that draws quite the crowd of dog lovers, young and old. Now for the meal; very disappointing. I was optimistic that $3 mimosas for brunch would be the start of a lovely afternoon and dining experience with my husband. First, everyone who worked there that I encountered looked miserable; the hostess, our waiter, and a lady who I think was the manager. The water boy was the only one who seemed to have a pleasant, enough, attitude. He smiled, so the bar was set low. That's more than anyone else did. I am a firm believer that some people just don't have the right attitude and personality to work in the service industry. We'll start with the mimosa that could have been more chilled and sparkling. My interest fizzled out along with the carbination in the drink, so I didn't order another, which is not like me. The chips and salsa were ok, not bad, but ok. The salsa had a kick to it if you like spicy. At least that had flavor. We were not supplied with cutlery, napkins and side plates until after our meals arrived, and I had to ask for it. Other tables were already made up with these necessities. For my meal, I had the chicken tamale with rice and black beans that were all flavorless. The black beans had the most flavor. The tamale was dry, had too little filling, and too much masa wrap. My husband had the tortilla soup and reported that it was mostly broth, and it too was uneventful, and maybe had three pieces of chicken in it. Its a fun looking restaurant and my expectations far exceeded by experience. The lack of communication and personality from the staff doesn't exactly say come back and see us again, and the bland food didn't leave me craving for more.

awful service and rude waiters. tried to talk to manager because the bartender said my ID is fake. Manager would not talk to me. overall bad atmosphere

I frequent this restaurant a lot due to their delicious diablos. Unfortunately, today I had the worst service I have ever experienced from here. The waitress rushed my group out and was clearing our plates before we even finished eating. My friend still had her quesadilla in her hand when her plate was cleared. The waitress was extremely rude during our visit and was very unkind to our group. We were there all of 45 minutes for a 10 person group, and was treated as an inconvenience. The waitress also was upset one of our group members was only ordering drinks and not food. Very disappointing from one of my favorite restaurants to go to.

I have to say this wasn't our first choice for Mexican on a Friday night but we came here by chance and we were glad we did. The steady and magi were superb and have to say the fried avocados were worth trying. The entire staff gave wonderful sincere service- especially the hostess! She kept checking on us to make sure we're were good.

This is the worst service I have had at a restaurant in my entire life. We waited for over 2 hours for the food and drinks were 45 minutes in between. The restaurant was 25% full yet it took a ridiculous amount of time for everything to arrive. I will never be back here and I would not recommend this place to a single person. The food and drinks are overpriced and the ambience is overrated. It was my 21st birthday and I was severely disappointed on every level. I have been out to dinner at over 10 places in Winter Park and this is the worst service I have experienced by far. The cherry on top is that they charge 20% tip automatically. I would've tipped nothing if it was up to me the servers are completely incompetent and I wouldn't wish this restaurant upon my worst enemy.

Service extremely slow in a nearly empty restaurant. No drink refills, quality check. Saw them at delayed start, delivery, and check.

Do restaurants know how much they impact their customers? This is such a special place. When I proposed to my fiancé, she said yes but that she had 3 conditions. One of those conditions was truffle quesadillas from Cocina 214 every 3 months. That my friends is a keeper! And an easy condition to accept. Cheers!

Had a couple hours before my next meeting so I met the hubby at Cocina 214 for dinner. What a nice spot. This was his first time there. At 4p the place was not busy at all. We had the spinach and mushroom quesadilla and mahi taco with the corn shell. It was quite tasty. We also ordered the trio and let me tell you.. the house salsa is much spicier than the fire roasted salsa. The guacamole was very good and I'm pretty picky about my guacamole. But what we both enjoyed was the queso. We'll be back!

Strongest/best margs in Winter Park! If you're looking for good restaurant to sit and drink margs at, you've found the right place. Cocina is very spacious with festive decor and excellent vibes. The queso is fire and I have been know you scarf down their quesadillas. The marg flight is to die for (and if you drink too many you may end up on the floor) but it's totally worth the hangover! Don't sleep on the dessert either, you won't regret it.

They fit our party of 8 in on a Saturday night without a reservation! Staff was very friendly and accommodating! The margarita flight was quite tasty! I had the carnitas tacos and they were good too!