La Cocinita Mexican Restaurant

Food had no flavor and waitress took forever to come w coffee but super fast with check, didn't even ask if we wanted something else before dropping it off Reply to owner: 1 table different angles of pictures. 2 plates of chili cheese fries bc my daughter likes chili fries not me. Been here multiple times bc this is where we get invited to by others who are close by and yes there was 1 waitress when we were there. I'm not one to complain if I don't need to especially so early in the day bc i wouldn't want my day ruined..

Fantastic margaritas and had a delicious steak quesadilla. Found this place as it’s only a 6 minute bike ride from my house! The prices are incredible and the food and drink are exquisite. Such a cute, fun, fabulous spot. Will be coming here regularly 💚💚

Always a great stop for crispy chillies and good plates too.

Super clean, great tasting Mexican, friendly service, and our meals came out quickly. We ordered the Mexican Steak, and combination enchiladas. Our bill was under $30, which in Denver is hard to do for 2 people. They also have a family dinner menu for takeout which has also been pretty hard to find at this price point. Definitely will be returning.

Older family run restaurant that's been there close to 40yrs. Good quality food and very flavorful. Good value for the money. One staff member waiting to take and deliver orders, it appears they could use more employees even though we went there for lunch.

The food never disappoints. This isn't a fancy restaurant; it is come eat delicious food and pay a fair price.

We absolutely love this place. We have been going pretty much since it first opened. We love the authentic Mexican food that they serve. Plus the staff and service is very very exceptional.

I called and reserved an outdoor spot for 12. I called day of to confirm. THERE WERE 12 OF US, not 13,14,15,16,17 nor 18. When arriving, I indicated our reservation and was literally treated like crap. The Manager was rude and offered a table inside . She indicated she would’ve had to stop service outside at 5 o’clock for our 6 o’clock reservation, and she was not going to do that!!! The whole point for going there to sit on the patio and enjoy some food and margaritas. We didn’t order margaritas, just ate and got out! The food was mediocre. I won’t be back. The restaurant needs a deep cleaning! I guess you get what you pay for!!

Food was great! Server was great and fast! Prices are maybe the best in Denver for Mexican cuisine. Highly recommend! Also, the pitcher of margarita is a killer deal!

If you're looking for good, sloppy, cheesy Mexican food reasonably priced near Sloan's Lake, this is the place. It's not fine dining, but it's an excellent example of a friendly, comfortable place for good comfort food. In warmer weather, you can dine on the large patio out front.

This restaurant is very tasty, especially for breakfast! They have the best tasting eggs, hash browns, and bacon! In the photo are the Carne Asada tacos (FYI, I like my tacos plain, you can put whatever you want on them though) Definitely recommend!!

Great food and prices ! Small family business that has a wide variety of options, I personally always get one of the combinations and a margarita. Highly recommend and it's a good place to practice Spanish if you're not native

Ordered vegetarian fajitas to-go tonight and really appreciate the gentleman and staff who took my order answering my questions about if their beans and rice are vegetarian (rice is, and if you get whole beans instead of refried, they are). And he checked if sour cream and cheese were okay with me. Which is reassuring because he understood dietary restrictions/preferences are important. And just a side note, how they put all the fixings of fajitas in the 2 boxes was great from a to-go order standpoint, lols. And of course lastly, they're great really classic fajitas I just finished enjoying. Thanks for being knowledgeable and a prompt, tasty dinner

I was a little disappointed with this place. The service was a little on the slower end, but I didn't mind it very much. I had some issues with the flavoring of the meat in the tacos. I found it to be flavorless. We asked for some hot sauce, but were given a bowl of salsa, that was very watery. I thought the avocado in the tacos and the beans given were nice additions, though.

The food and service are fine. They need to change the toilet seat in the men's restroom. It's one of those padded ones but the vinyl is coming off so there's no way they can clean it properly. Disgusting.

We picked up our food it was cold. We ordered green chili and salsa on the side and did not get it. Called them they said oh sorry we are busy do you want to come get salsa and green chili or I can give you 9 dollars back. No I spent over 42 dollars for hard cold burritos with no salsa for tacos and tostadas and green chili for the burritos I would like to come get salsa and green chili and the 9 dollars off for having to come back and get it. They refused and when I said all the food was cold her response was well we expect you to take it home and heat it up. Wow this is not the service I expect when I order to go. Very disappointed and will never go back.

Enjoyed the Chorizo hand held burrito this morning. Service was great and burrito was on point. Will definitely be coming back.

I had the best carne asada and it came with huge slices of lemon a roasted pepper another roasted sliced pepper guacamole rice beans and the steak was superbly seasoned and cooked Choice of corn or flour tortillas also plus you get the chips in and salsa to begin with

Great staff that works there! Always striving to please the customer. Offers a great meatless green chili that is so delicious. I hope this place stays open since the rumors keep stirring that it will be closing. All items are very tasty on their menu. HIghly recommended!

Delicious and affordable. The guac isn't my favorite but pretty much everything else is really good.

I had a great experience from the moment I walked in. The soda and chips were brought out right away. The service was amazing and so fast. I ordered 2 tacos, enchilada, and burrito. I can say without a doubt this is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Denver. I will definitely be coming back and brining family and friends. 10/10 recommend!!

The menu has been pared down a bit. . . there used to be like 40 combos and now there's just 10 or so. I don't think I've ever gotten anything but rellenos so it doesn't bother me any. The rellenos are great but this place really sticks the landing on the ambiance. It's a love letter to the north Denver of yesteryear, still existing in small pockets but getting squeezed out by greedy developers building gaudy box buildings with creamsicle orange trim. Down the street there used to be a dive bar that now serves biscuits. I hope La Cocinita never changes; good food served at a fair price under the slightly too-bright light of a fluorescent bulb. Worn out vinyl seats in the booths, salty waitresses, a nice patio out front. Cold Pacifico. It's nearly perfect.

I've been coming here for a long time since I live right around the corner. It's a great place to grab a margarita and chow down on some tasty Mexican food. Service can be spotty at times, but it's not because the staff isn't friendly and trying their best. It's because coming on a peak time means they are packed full and they're busy. They are always welcoming, always smiling, working hard, and aiming to please. This used to be known for cheap cheap cheap food, but inflation has caught up a little so the prices have risen but they're still solidly in the reasonably cheap range. My go-to here is the #6 combo which comes with a relleno, tostada, taco, and enchilada, but I've tried and liked just about everything off the menu except for the breakfast. One basket of chips with salsa is complementary, but you can pay for more or order a side of guacamole and they'll bring you a second basket. This is a no-frills restaurant, so if you're coming looking for an out of this world Mexican extravaganza, you may be in the wrong place. Come here instead for simple good food and service. One thing about this place is that they don't take reservations and they don't have a wait list. Tables all full when you arrive? Hop in line. See a clean available table that you like? Jump on in when it's your turn and sit on down. This is a good thing since you get to choose where you'd like to sit instead of having a hostess seating you at a table you might not like. But do them a favor and wait until they've cleaned the table off. It's not easy wiping down a messy table without messing up someone's clothes if there are customers already seated. Parking is easy here for those driving. They have their own lot right out front, but if it's very busy, it's no problem to park on the street. You'll usually find a wide open spot right in front. One thing I do like is the payment system. They've upgraded to the square terminal which allows taps. That means you can use a contactless credit card, or if you're a payment geek like me whip out your Samsung Pay, Google Pay, or Apple Pay. You can choose to tip from one of the pre-selected percentages, use a custom amount, or give zero and leave cash on the table for the server. I like the "no think" pre-selected amounts since the beer and margarita does a number on my ability to add 2+2. For those looking for a party-type bar atmosphere this is probably not your place for that. It's a family restaurant and although they have a super small bar and offer an assortment of beers and margaritas, it's a food service place as the primary business.

First, the food was really good and the patio looked inviting - however, we sat inside as it was extremely hot. Inside could have been cleaner and more inviting as far as ambience, but the food and margaritas were really good. Staff was adequate and friendly. Solid place for when you don't need the ambience - just good food at a pretty reasonable price.

The food was delicious I got the grilled fish tacos so good! Our server was so friendly!10/10 definitely recommend!

The food is amazing. This is our go to local Mexican food spot! Great prices and atmosphere, truly a neighborhood gem.

So this establishment has been in here since I went to high school in this neighborhood- So it's ancient, but the food back then was much better- I'm not sure if its owners are new or it's the same family but the food was mediocre - Not sure if my review will have an impact because it's always busy regardless - I'm assuming because every time I come in it's on the weekend and early and they serve alcohol and it's a good place to nurture a hangover - Either way it's nice to see it still open after all these years - 7/15/19 Busy as use, we came here because of the location, but reassured not to come back - Although the staff was friendly the food was cold and not fresh - 99 Mexican food restaurants in Denver but this ain't one -

A north Denver classic - sweet family owned place - good mex/American menu. Prices are reasonable.

We came in on Cinco de Mayo for the first time. I think the first impression this place left was less than awesome, but I understand that it was cinco de mayo, so I'm happy to look past that. We waited in a line for about 15-20 mins before someone told us to sit down, which was weird, because there were a few tables opened. Turns out, it was free seating, no one from the staff just bothered to tell us that as people waited in line. I'm attributing this to the holiday. The outside was quaint and wonderful, we picked a seat and ordered. First up, we got the magaritas that came surprisingly quick, based on the night's traffic. Normally, magaritas tend to be too syrup-py, which screams mix, which typically ends in my disappointment. The strawberry magarita was great! not syrup-py at all and well balanced. Then we ordered dinner. I am a big fan of some good mexican food, but for some reason or the other, I went for the mexican hamburger, as it was shown as a featured item on their menu. My partner ordered one of the combination plates. We also got a quick starter of "guacamole salad", which was... interesting. It came before the main dishes and I wasn't quite fond of it. It seems fresh, along with a mix of various vegetables. I think guacamole doesn't have to be messed with, the outcome of the mix produced a weird texture, but good flavor. The food came out pretty quickly. The server was also pretty nice, as I think he knew we were a little irritated that we had to wait pointlessly. The mexican hamburger comes with a beef patty in a tortilla along with beans, it was also smothered (in green chile). I will have to be quite honest here and say I wasn't very impressed. Sauces are the key ingredient to mexican food (in my opinion), and I don't think this place quite delivered. The green chile was weak, there was no real punch of flavor or spice, which left me quite disappointed. The actual mexican hamburger was just okay. I think a dish like this NEEDS a good sauce to really stand out. My partner seemed to enjoyed the combination plate, it looked quite authentic and interesting. He recommends it. Overall, I don't think the food is quite up there in terms of mexican food in the area, but it has some pretty amazing magaritas. Come on a nice sunny day, grab a magarita and enjoy their beautiful patio.

Decent food, although Mexican in Colorado is nowhere near Texas quality. Weakest link at Cocinita is the service. I think the staff would be happy whether or not anyone ever came in at all; this is really apparent when the restaurant gets busy. My food has come out semi cold once, so I question the preparation. Prices are low, so it evens out. To sum it up, it's better than most of the Colorado-Mex places in town, but not necessarily worth going out of your way to plan a visit.

Pretty decent place. Not overly new or fancy but it is easy to drive past this place thinking you'll find something better. Mistake! Don't sleep on this hidden highlands gem. Outdoor seating with umbrellas for this hot days. Fair amount of tables so feel free to bring that large group for lunch or dinner. Street parking is available. The lot itself fits seven or so cars but is rarely filled with more than two at any one time. Large dining room with several wall booths and center tables. No ornate or frilly but the food more than makes up for the lack of spectacular decor. Missed breakfast so have to remember to come back and sample the menu. Tad pricer than other local spots but I have a feeling the portions go above and beyond. Our burritos were well filled and our plates piled high with rice and beans. The complimentary table chips were delicious. Not just the general yellow and tasteless variety you often see. Table salsa too, flavor depth and heat but nothing too overwhelming. Greet portions. Great price. Quick and friendly service. We will certainly be back after a run around Sloan's Lake!

The food is delicious but the service needs improvement. The carnitas is so delicious with the green chili. Order a pitcher of the gold margaritas and sit outside and enjoy the Colorado weather. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this place. It is a small neighborhood place, that feels like a family run joint. The staff was super nice, and the food was very good. They are known for their green chile, which I had on my Tamale, and it was great. Portions were good, and the prices were low. I will for sure be going back!

Stopped here just on a whim. You get a decent amount of food for the price. I got the #9 which comes with a taquito, Chile relano, a tamale, cheese enchilada and beans with rice. All that for $8.75! For a quick bite I would recommend this place. If you want something better than Taco Bell, this is your place.

This is a no frills Mexican restaurant with some pretty great food! Good for kids and groups. We went here for a quick dinner after being out all day and was pleasantly surprised. Everyone seemed to like their food ok! I got the Tacos Al Carbon and was happy with how they turned out even though the tortillas really didn't hold up and got soggy fast. Might not be a destination location, but decent food!

Very good, approachable Mexican-American food is served here. It's definitely a locals spot for the gringo that wants to try popular Mexican food from the 80s. Don't get me wrong, the options are good quality, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a chimichanga in a Mexican neighborhood restaurant. What impressed me the most was their attention to cleanliness. Smack dab in the middle of their patio stands a sanitation station that brings comfort to those that need that assurance. Food recommendations include the Sampler Plate, Grilled Chicken Entree, Mexican Steak, and the Cocinita Nachos. They all taste super fresh and that's not easy to do with taquitos (sampler plate). La Cocinita is a solid option for Mexican-American comfort food. Get it...

So my mom tells me way back in the day, when she was young this place was a dairy. I'm glad the dairy closed and La Cocinita is there instead! I love this place. For one, I love how cheap it is!! No joke two people can eat here for under $20 if you aren't drinking booze. But if you are drinking booze, the margs are cheap and tasty. The chips are usually fresh, like just out of the fryer and the salsa is homemade and spicy. My favorite is the tamale plate for $5 and that is two tamales w rice and beans. I think my mouth is starting to water... CON: The service is bad. And its seat your self, so there could likely be someone who comes in after you've been sitting and waiting to be served and they get service before you.

There is just something about the classic Mexican dishes that bring comfort to the soul. And eating that in a bit of a dive is even better. The chips and salsa were served warm and the salsa was very good. The chili relleno plate was good and hit the spot. Not a lot of spice in either the green chili or the chili itself. I would bet the chili was from a can. I opted for the soft chili relleno so it was really more of an omelet with chili and cheese. The beans were more of a whole bean pinto situation which I enjoy. The rice was not the best rice I've had in a Mexican restaurant but not the worst either. The service was very fast and very friendly. My whole tab was $7 so you can't beat that.

So disappointed. The grilled chicken dinner has been our favorite for years but now it's smothered in a very greasy green chili sauce. Made us sick. Hope they go back to the original recipe.

I asked for a burrito to not be smothered because it was to go. I was expecting meat, Pico sour cream and guac inside of a tortilla with meat and cheese. Because that's what a burrito is. I got a tortilla filled with greasy slop they call shredded beef that was SMOTHERED with guac and tomatoes and sour cream with some lettuce next to it. I wanted something easy to eat on the go and I ended up with the worst plate of food I've ever been served and it was an absolute mess.

By far the best Mexican restaurant in Denver! The owner is extremely humble and waits tables. My one complaint is the margaritas are mostly sweet sour mix. Like a dash of tequila. Amazing salsa and the Mexican hamburger is my fave followed closely by the carne asada chili cheese fries!

We ate there yesterday. Really great food at an affordable price and a very comfortable place. Excellent friendly service.

We've eaten at La Concinita several times now. It has become our favorite Mexican restaurant. The food is always good and reasonably priced. The house Margarita is great - better flavor than a lot of the house Margaritas we've had elsewhere. The atmosphere is basic, but that's not a problem for us. When we go out to eat, we go for the food, not the atmosphere. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The restaurant is always busy at dinner and parking can be a challenge, most of the time we go for lunch because it isn't quite as busy. The full menu is available at both lunch and dinner, a refreshing change from some places that have a limited lunch menu.

Service is always great, even when busy. Food is delicious with ample portions. Have always been pleased with whatever I've ordered from chili rellanos, Mexican hamburger, beef burritos and enchiladas. Fresh chips and tasty salsa for dine in. Has both indoor and covered outdoor dining areas. Highly recommend this restaurant.

Love this place!! Such good quality food for amazingly affordable prices & great service! Also is such a home like vibe inside, you can tell they take pride in their food!

We ordered takeout from La Cocinita after spending over 30 minutes "googling" best authentic Mexican restaurants near me. We had a very specific craving and wanted to make sure we were making the right choice. La Cocinita is THE BEST! Their chicken enchiladas are awesome and filling. The smothered pork and bean burrito is an absolute steal. We only photographed the carne asada at a because we scarfed down the other food too quickly and realized we needed to share this for others to see in the neighborhood. The service was great as well. Had no problem accommodating my girlfriends dairy allergy. Definitely taking all the right steps to be COVID safe. We'll be back soon!!

This place was ok. I was a little underwhelmed overall but the prices are very affordable. Service was just ok. The booth we were in was not so comfy as I felt the cushions were sunk in and made for someone 4' tall. We had a nacho app that was good enough to finish off! My shrimp fajitas were good but were more warm than hot which was disappointing. Can't beat $5 margaritas! Overall this place gets 5 stars for value. There are just a lot of great Mexican restaurants in Denver. I can think of several better than this place thus the 3 Stars.

Great staff and delicious food. Cute little house with lots of room. Staff is very friendly, accommodating and on top of their service.

have been a loyal customer for many many years . recently my take out orders are always missing one or two items. When I went back to ask for the rest of my order I was accused of lying . I guess being a loyal customer for many many years as well as a 25% tipper means nothing at La Cocinita! Am looking for a new place to get tacos.

Both of our recent takeouts have been terrible. After removing the items from the house our kitchen still smells terrible and it's been an hour. We used to eat there regularly but never again. This was toxic.

Our fam used to be regulars here, but as of late we have had to make other choices. Heads up, even through it says the restaurant closes at 9 on weekdays, it's actually closer to 8:15..in the summer? Uhhh..what?

I have been here a couple of times thru out the years and have had great service and food. As I have lived in the North Side my whole life aka (Highlands). Last couple of weeks things have changed, chips are stale. The service isn't that great. Tonight my friend and I went there and had margaritas and some food. First of all the food came out cold for both of us, then they brought it back warmed through some warmer. The food didn't even look good, so we sent it back and it seemed warmer, but not really my friends beef and bean burrito was bare inside like some just spread beans and beef very thinly. My beans and rice were cold. One of margaritas, had this baby ant in it, all they could say was sorry. If I wanted protein I would have ordered chicken! The server said we have a different cook and he will tell him to step it up. We had to pay for the food and margaritas. Needless to say my friend and I will NOT be back!

OMG! I have been here two times with my wife and never have been served!! I took my daughters today, and thought I'd get served because they're dark, where I have red hair and freckles. My neighbor says they dont like white people so he doesnt fo because he doesnt get served. My daughters asked if we had the plague. I was so embarrassed. I'LL NEVER GO AGAIN!!! THEY DONT LIKE LIGHT SKINNED PEOPLE!!!

First let me say I'm sorry my phone died so no photos of my food. Located just east of Sheridan on 29th. Big parking lot. Great covered patio. Now those are the good things. Chips and salsa provided. Salsa chunky and good. Decent chips. I had strawberry Margie tasty but could not taste the tequila. Rellano plate was very disappointing. Were the chilis from a can? Tasted like they were. Beans were part bean and part refined. Lacking flavor. Rice was dullsville. The green chili had the consistency of water..really. even though I had great service I wont be back

Salvador.... What has happened to your restaurant? Went last night and service was terrible! I thought your new bar was for customers and not for your staff to sit and chat and play on their phones. Very inattentive to the few customers you had. We were not the only ones disappointed as the two couples outside were overly ignored. Thre was no sense of customer appreciation or urgency to assist. With so many other options now in our neighborhood,. You're going to need to stand out and your staff is not helping. Time for a shake up! And keep the bar area open for your customers, not an employee break room. Doug

We came here for an early dinner, and had a truly authentic meal. The facility is really homey and welcoming. We started out with the chicken taquitos, which were made with a red chili sauce! So yummy. I had carne asada and my friend had the steak burrito. Both were incredible sizes and amazing prices. Unbeatable for the price and quality! Get the other of margaritas. They're so refreshing on a summer day.

While I would not go out of my way to come to this Highlands Mexican spot, I will visit when I am in the area for some authentic and cheap Mexican food served, with class and a smile. The service is friendly and quick, and the portions are pretty substantial. It can get pretty crowded at times, but the wait usually isn't too bad. Plus, this place is dirt cheap, particularly for restaurants in the area. Why is everyone and their mama moving over to this neck of the woods, with their hippin' and a hoppin' and their bippin' and their boppin.' (I have a pretty good Bill Cosby impression, which despite the recent news activity, still rolls people over with laughter, if I do say so myself). With all the hipsters (is that still a thing) moving into the area, restaurant and home prices are skyrocketing, so it's nice to find a place in the area that sticks to its roots. The chips and salsa are not mind blowing, so why do I keep eating them? Oh, because they are free (the first basket, that is). The salsa is not too runny and chock full of all the usual suspects (tomatoes, onions, cilantro, etc). Nice non-threatening kick to soothe my hungry belly before chowing down on some grub. My go-to order has become the carnitas plate. Large portions of chunky pork swimming in tasty green chile, served up alongside guacamole, beans, and pico de gallo, and your choice of tortillas (you best believe that I'm getting corn and not those boring white tortillas). The patio looks cute and inviting, so I must swing by in the summertime to check it out so that I can enjoy my margarita and let the sun soak into my skin. Get that Vitamin D while you're filling up the belly with Mexican goodness. The best food I've ever had? Not so much. Does it get the job done? Absolutely.