Restaurant Cochineal

What an incredible experience!!! I want to move to Marfa, just so I can eat here every weekend 😂 The chef, Alexandra Gates, welcomes and actually seats you herself - wow! She goes over the menu with you and she’s so kind and warm. She pays attention to every detail and makes every dish and drink special and unique. Truly the highlight of our trip to Marfa. My partner and I actually ate there our first night in town and ended our trip with that being our last meal. We also made a mistake and canceled our reservation for Saturday evening thinking maybe we could just walk in because we weren’t sure when we would get back from Ft. Davis that day. They were sooo busy! As they should be! But Alexandra made sure we were able to be seated! How kind! But definitely get a reservation for a Friday or Saturday night! The waitstaff is also incredibly welcoming and friendly! Highly recommend this amazing restaurant if you’re ever in Marfa!

Absolutely delicious. Drove 6 hours to eat here after watching A chef Babish on YouTube. I was not disappointed. My husband and I chose the Chefs menu with the drink pairings, and for two hours I was in heaven. The atmosphere in the restaurant was warm and cozy, perfect date night. Our server Robert was fantastic. He explained each course beautifully. The food was incredible. Best meal I've ever had in my entire life. Highly recommend.

Dined here to celebrate our anniversary. Very cool experience. The chefs menu was unique and delicious. Had some of their exclusive wine and we loved it. Be prepared to spend some money but a must try when visiting Marfa.

Cochineal delivers an incredible dining experience, and to pull this off in a small West Texas town is nothing short of magic. I first came here 15 or so years ago and the imagination and creativity were impressive. Under the current ownership the experience fully delivers and then some. Nilgai tartare. Lions mane croquettes (no lions were harmed). Carefully selected wine list - next level. Manhattan restaurants struggle to deliver this kind of experience and Marfa does not have one. single. stop light. Cochineal is a mirage in the Chihuahuan desert that manifests as reality when you walk in.

Incredible food. Great service (Dallas was our server, she’s amazing)! We read so many horror reviews and heard about town how the service is not great. Glad to report we experienced the opposite. The service was attentive without being overwhelming. Exactly there when you needed them and giving you space when enjoying the night. We had the antilope tartare (I would get it again), pork and the steak for our mains and all was incredible and came out perfectly spaced out. The dessert we had the date cake and that was good and decadent and the apple strudel that we did not care for at all.

The food was great and the atmosphere really nice. I'd definitely recommend eating here and if fact will go back myself again the next time I'm in the area. But they should improve service practices... ...when they brought the bill it was only the little square device, no itemized printout, so I was not aware and they didn't tell me that they included a 20% service fee (even though I was dining alone) and I tipped on top of that. So mildly infuriating to see that when I looked at the emailed receipt. Even if the service fee was listed on the menu, good practice is to remind diners when bringing the bill.

We celebrated my birthday at this James Beard awardee during a week-long stay in Marfa. We'd intended to sit inside but given the mild temps and serenity of the courtyard--in contrast to the thumping music in the dining room--we elected to dine al fresco. Based on reviews, we kicked things off with cocktails and a quarter-loaf of Cochineal's highly-regarded bread. Our mains were delicious--the trout for my wife, the locally-raised beef for me. Without a doubt, one of the highlights was the gracious service by Dallas. She coached me through selecting a terrific sotol, guided us through the entrees and checked back in appropriately. All in all, a very pleasant evening.

Wow wow wow! We showed up too early and with an extra person and the hostess was so accommodating! She ended up being our server for the whole night and we wouldn’t have it any other way! She was an absolute joy! Just a beautiful human being. The entire experience was great! The food omg! Omg! Just amazing! The drinks too! I loved the bread, the shrimp, the soup, and the bison with the mole sauce! Ugh they were nice enough to light the fire pit for us. It was great!

I found this place when googling nice spots in Marfa, TX. It's a really interesting restaurant; seems it was built inside an old house? It's for a very Texas upscale vibe tho, I liked the ambiance quite a bit! They had a lot of tables outside with heat lamps because it does get cool in the evenings, and they had regular tables and bar seating inside. We didn't have a reservation bc I wasn't sure what time we'd be arriving, but luckily they were able to seat us immediately at the bar since all the other tables were taken (wait for a table was almost an hour and a half). Our waitress (her name was Dallas) was super sweet and attentive and clearly knew the menu well. It's not a very long menu and the portion sizes were a little small for the price, hence 4/5 stars. But the flavors were excellent! My dad and I both got the risotto which had a little more to the portion, and my mom got the trout which was admittedly very small for like $35ish. But as I said, excellent flavor there! She also got a cocktail for like $16ish that they made off menu because she likes sweeter drinks and all the main menu drinks were pretty dry. I spent like $170 in total for all our food plus tax and tip I think? Objectively not terrible, but again for the price - it was a little high. Will also mention they had a single stall restroom, it was immaculate! And there was a good bit of street parking just around the corner from the place in front of a church, so even though there's no lot you can find a place to park.

We read reviews that the tasting menu could take a really long time, and some reviewers said it had improved. Unfortunately, our experience was it didn't improve. We asked the waitress, how long it would take and she said it would take 1.5 hours. We were there for 3.5 hours! Our first indication of the slow service was after we ordered drinks, they came 50 minutes later. They were pretty watery so we wondered if they were sitting at the bar for a while. The food was delicious though took a very long time between the courses. The variety of food was great from white asparagus to rabbit to delicious bison ribs. It's too bad the service took so long, this could have been a wonderful experience.

We celebrated my birthday at this James Beard awardee during a week-long stay in Marfa. We'd intended to sit inside but given the serenity of the courtyard--in contrast to the thumping music in the dining room--we elected to dine al fresco. Based on reviews, we kicked things off with cocktails and a quarter-loaf of Cochineal's highly-regarded bread. Our mains were delicious--the trout for my wife, the locally-raised beef for me. Without a doubt, one of the highlights was the gracious service by Dallas. She coached me through selecting a terrific sotol, guided us through the entrees and checked back in appropriately. All in all, a very pleasant evening.

A hidden gem. Yes! There is a great restaurant hidden beside some houses. What a great time. Sat at the bar and Benjamin was our main server/bartender but really everyone chipped in with a smile. We just ate appetizers...and desert. Had their house red which wasn't expensive yet the best red I've had on my trip so far. And from a winery in Lubbock no less. The bread is to die for! And we had the salad, escargot and the most amazing mushroom croquettes. Plan your visit around their hours. As they are closed Sunday to Wednesday.

A must visit for a dinner in Marfa. Quality food and great service. If you're not down for the chef tasting menu you can make a reservation for their a la carte menu which I highly recommend! Parking - it's Marfa, was able to find street parking very close no problem. Service - I made a 5pm reservation for the bar / a la carte menu and was the first/only one in for a while. Bartender and staff were all friendly. Ambiance - I sat inside at the bar and the overall interior had a charming feel. They also have a large outdoor patio. Food - I'm glad I read the reviews and got the bread to start. The bread was incredible but the star of the show was the whipped herb butter / garlic olive oil - SO good. I got the mushroom risotto for my main and it was delicious. I unfortunately did not save room for dessert but all options looked amazing. Would recommend to anyone stopping through town for a quality meal.

Went here for our anniversary dinner. Wow, our server was fantastic, her service was wonderful as right off the bathroom she brought 2 glasses of wine on the house and said Happy Anniversary. I started, after the wine, with a Texas Buck. A different drink but refreshing and delicious. I then started with the half/small Salade Vinaigrette, light and I enjoyed the dressing. My main course was the Mesquite Grilled Steak Grilled medium rare which was perfect and left enough room for dessert which was the Raspberry Torte, light and delicious. Yes there is upscale dining in Marfa and it was on par with anany big city upscale restaurant. I will return

From a segment in a break from my Substack memoir: I started back on San Antonio toward the Paisano. About a block-and-a-half down the street I found Cochineal, a nearly hidden restaurant with an enticing courtyard. I decided to check it out. The maître-d' seated me at the bar. The bartender--was it Jeff?*--was busy but willing to converse a bit. I looked at the dessert menu and was immediately hooked by the "Toshi's Date Pudding with Rum Caramel and Fresh Cream" entry--a $16 offering. I bit. I texted ML to meet me there and within a few minutes he was sitting next to me at the bar. I offered to treat him to a "Toshi's" and he happily accepted. We sat there scooping tiny spoonsful of this decadent confection, trying hard not to let it disappear too rapidly. Soon we were swiping the dishes with our fingers; it was that good. Blood sugars skyrocketing, we made for the Paisano. *Recent communication with Cochineal manager(?): it was "Bill." And...further info on the origin of the name of restaurant (but not why) : The cochineal is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America through North America, this insect lives on cacti in the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and nutrients. https://lbsandyrock.substack.com/p/texas-trek-part-2

Visited here in March 2024 and thought I left a review. We really enjoyed our meal. This is definitely on the higher end of offerings in terms of Marfa dining. I'm not certain why the lower reviews -- at worst our service may have been a tad slow but why do you also want to be rushed for dinner?? My steak was excellent and the shared dishes of the bread service and the German-style salad were excellent. The cultured butter with the bread service is a tad salty so just be prepared for that. Otherwise, a great experience!

Had an awful dining experience here with my wife and son. The service was NOT good. It took 15 minutes for drinks to come out. The server was absolutely clueless. I will say that our salad was delicious but the portions for my main (spaetzle) and my son's main (scallopini) left us starving just 30 minutes after eating. My wife ordered a steak that was terribly overcooked. The server asked her "well how do you think it's cooked?" Very snide attitude through out. Then they took another 20 minutes to bring her another steak cooked medium after saying "we'll get that right out." By then we were done with this place. Don't waste your time or money here! Eat at Marfa burrito, eat at Margaret's, eat at Para Llevar, or eat at Jett's Grill.

I've been here before so my expectations were very high. Again, Cochineal met the challenge. This is my favorite restaurant in Marfa. I could have eaten the bread all night long; the butter and oil accompaniments were very flavorful. The vegetable fritters balanced well with the aoli mustard sauce. The trout was the over-the-top surprise: truly memorable. The apple panna cotta was a fun finish to a perfect dining experience. I love this restaurant and I look forward to a visit again soon.

What a fantastic experience! Wifey n' I in town for a quick anniversary getaway, and with just arrivin' from the long drive (our messy timetable) we stumbled in without a reservation and hoped for the best. Granted, it was an oddball "not peak" time, so the crowd was thankfully thin and they got us in. I'm not really up on the fancy restaurant guidelines and terms etc., but we put ourselves in the server's hands for suggestions, etc., and it was fun, delicious and so unique. It was my first time trying some foods that were familar as food terms, but we've just never put ourselves in a spot to try them, such as caviar, boar, and gazpachio soup, and some others. We LOVED it all! We got a "Prix Fixe", which was a number of courses (check out the pic I took of that part of the menu). Not sure how relevant it will be to people reading this review in the sense it surely rotates greatly depending on what they have going on day-by-day. It's all very "chef-ie", and fluctuates depending, I think. And our server (I think her name's Melissa) was so sweet, attentive, and humored our green-ness, she's great. I got a few pics, I wish I got some of everything and did the items justice, but I hope they communicate well. As for how much it sets you back $$$, I would describe this as not inexpensive, but considering "where" this restaurant is set geographically, the unbelievable artistry, expertise, assortment, flavors, freshness, presentation, atmosphere, finishing touches, staff, comfort,... it was VERY worth it. Not someplace we could come regularly, but wow, one of the best places we've ever eaten and experienced ever. If you have the opportunity to ever visit here, wow, WOW, go for it! (just do bettet than us and make those reservations if you can).

Was an amazing way to spend my birthday ! Thanks for the delicious cupcake it was such a nice surprise!

Food was ok though not as good as I anticipated. Indoor atmosphere was nice but the table spacing (or lack of) really ruins the dining experience. When we arrived at 6 pm, they sat us next to the other two occupied tables (a few other two-tops were available and same wait staff for all so not sure why they don't stagger tables) and all of the tables are thisclose together making it hard to not hear everyone's conversations clearly, which I wouldn't expect in a restaurant that seems to market itself as closer to upscale dining than cafeteria seating. The mushroom risotto was good but overly salted as was the trout. We didn't order appetizers since as soon as we sat down we were ready to eat & leave due to the close proximity (my partner could hear the person next to him chewing which didn't make for a pleasant experience for him). The charcuterie and bread our neighbors were eating looked good, so if I ever returned, I'd order that and sit outside on their patio table.

It's very rare that I feel the need to leave a 1-star review and I will spare some details so as to not leave a novel. 6 of us dined at Cochineal this past weekend and received the worst service I can remember. I will say that the food was fantastic and although there were a lot of mix ups with our orders from start to finish, we were pleased with the food and beverages overall. Most of us there have worked years in the service industry as well as in fields where we daily manage people in high stress situations, so when we brought some issues with our main server to the staff's attention we tried to convey willingness to give the benefit of the doubt and grace for folks having difficult days/shifts. However, after we spoke up the service went from bad to almost hostile. Everyone we spoke with after that only escalated things and seemed intent on misunderstanding us. We finally asked to speak directly with the owner/chef and she was generally kind and understanding. She did offer us a round of drinks on the house but by that point we all felt unwelcome and exhausted by the bad vibes so we declined and paid our $500+ bill. I would side-eye such appalling service even at a much less expensive restaurant, but certainly would expect far better at a higher end place with a very pricey menu. Unfortunately none of us plan to return if we're ever back in town and would recommend that the staff receive better training and expectations for service & hospitality in a fine dining setting.

Food was acceptable for what was charged, but the service was horrible. Robert would disappear for 10 minutes at a time. It was very strange. We were left without water and tea for so long I had to ask a girl wandering around for a refill. Then the check came and lo and behold 20% was already added for gratuity which kind of then made sense considering the shitty service. Why bother if you know you're going to get 20%? Worst part is Robert finally perked up when delivering the bill and explained 20% had already been added but that we were welcome to add more and made his first joke of the evening Uh.... No. Won't be back. I understand good employees are hard to find in a small town but this was a new low.

Service was horrible. Multiple people looking around asking for their server. Food was mid.

What a cozy little restaurant, at first I wasn't a big fan that the tables were so close together but after we were settled in, and the Prix Fixe Dinner Series started to be immediately placed in front of us... we found ourselves talking with the people around us! Travelers just like us! I'm a firm believer good food brings in good company. Wow did we have an amazing experience here. We paired the cocktail and wine with the dinner series and there was never a dull moment with your tastebuds!! This is a true farm to table establishment, they grow their own vegetables and everything are from local markets and farms...which I love that they support each other here. Plus everything was fresh, in season and phenomenal. The food was plated beautifully and although it looked so simple there was a lot of complex flavors going on and damn!! Was it was sex in your mouth oh so good!!! Especially with the thoughtful beverage pairing!! Magnifique!! Our server, Miguel was fantastic and descriptive on the food, the restaurant itself and even offered us to go in the back to thank the chef and the staff in the back! That's like super star status!!! Although we are just traveling through, he come to Marfa about once a year, it was just amazing and I look forward to returning to see what's next on the menu!!

Terrible experience and awful service. Waited over 25 mins to be greeted once sat at our table. Waiter in our section, kept serving tables around us but skipping ours. The hostess came over and said she would grab our drink order. We ordered drinks, a bottle of wine and bread. Another 15 mins went by and she came back and said she would just grab our orders bc she would now be serving us. We asked to wait for drinks to order first. Another 15-20 went by and still no drinks or discussion of specials. Meanwhile the waiter assigned to us had intro's served drinks, apps, and orders to a table that sat after us. We decided we were leaving. When getting up, the couple next to us said they agreed and wished they would have left too. Your restaurant lost a 700-1k ticket last night, due to how snooty, rude and unwelcoming your establishment is. Talked to several other locals and they all say they avoid this place. Warning the food is mediocre and service is piss poor (as I've been here twice before). Good riddance and to the skinny guy with the straw hat that refused to wait on us, have 7 yrs of bad karma

Hard pass! Every time I go there it continues to get worse and worse. Not sure why I even go back! The staff literally go out of their way to be rude and snotty.. Not a vibe. Rather go to DQ () across the street..

My partner and I planned our entire Big Bend National Park-Marfa trip around the tasting menu at Cochineal, eager to experience the cuisine of a James Beard award-winning restaurant. Unfortunately, our experience was highly disappointing, and the price was not worth the poor service we received. We spent the day at Big Bend and began calling the restaurant as soon as it opened at 5 PM to see if we could push back our reservation, for which we had already paid a deposit. No one answered the phone. Fifteen minutes before our reservation, we received a call from the restaurant informing us that they were not busy and we could push back our time. We arrived on time and waited over 18 minutes before being greeted by our server, Caroline, to get our drinks. When I asked Caroline to go over the tasting menu, her response was odd, confused, and uncomfortable. We asked if we could order additional items off the à la carte menu, but she said no because everything was timed, and we had reserved the tasting menu. This didn't make sense, as they took so long to greet us and get our drinks. We wanted the tasting menu but also additional food since we practice fasting, and this was our only meal of the day. I've never heard of a fine dining establishment denying customers the opportunity to spend more money, especially when they were not busy. When we asked for coffee, Caroline said they had espresso but gave a rude response when we asked for an Americano. My partner was so turned off by her attitude that he wanted to leave, regardless of the deposit we had paid. We received better service for half the price at Margaret's the night before. When asked for a tequila menu, Caroline brought over just three tequilas, even though we saw more at the bar. I had to get up and show her what I wanted, which was a very odd interaction. The food was good, but the overall experience with our server was terrible. We were so excited to try this restaurant, but from the beginning, it was a mess. I'm extremely disappointed in the management team for not providing their server with better training. When experiencing a tasting menu at this high of a cost, the server is part of the overall experience and should be there to provide whatever we need within reason, like drinks and answers to what's on the menu. Save your money and go elsewhere in Marfa.

This was one of the best fine dining experiences me and my family ever had! We were originally going to do the Al a carte menu, but they were able to accommodate us and allow at least one of us to do the chefs menu on late notice. The FOOD was amazing. Every dish was tasteful and you could tell everything was fresh. Truly a farm to table experience. The waiters and waitress were amazing & kind. We can't wait to come back to try the next seasonal menu!

There's so much to say. My husband and I booked the chef's table, meaning we had a direct view of the kitchen. It wasn't necessarily the most glamorous place to sit, but it was so cool to see all of the insanely hard work the kitchen staff was doing and to meet the chefs. Every course was unique and delicious, beautifully presented, and perfectly timed. I still dream of the first course and the dessert even a few months later. I highly recommend coming here for a special occasion or just because you're there.

What a fabulous experience! My son and I arrived in Marfa at 9:30pm and were told all restaurants were closed. We found Cochineal and they said they would absolutely take care of of us. The food was outstanding and the staff was engaging and welcoming. They did not rush us to quickly eat as we were the last people in the restaurant and must have wanted to clean up and go home. After driving over 7 hours from Tucson on our way to Austin it was so kind and refreshing to be welcomed in to a restaurant late, have an amazing meal and friendly people around us. Highly recommend them to everyone and will go back next time I am in Marfa.

Fun tasting menu, pretty pricey for what it was. Interesting assortment we wouldn't have ordered a la cart. Glad we tried. The escargot was great.

Very nice staff. Bill the bartender was super attentive. Everyone here seem to love their job. Nice atmosphere good food. A bit overpriced

I've been to a few James Beard awarded restaurants and this is by far the best experience I've ever had. The ambience is exactly what you're looking for when you stay in Marfa. The service is engaging, the menu is approachable and the food is perfectly balanced. Can't say enough good things about this place

Every time I come to Marfa I make sure to book a table here for my bday. Always amazing food. Little slow with staffing. Very dog friendly patio.

Great and unique food items yes, but a bit more costly and very long waits between plates. 2 hours 15 mins for 7 courses seemed long to us. Smaller courses that don't always fill you much by the very end given the longer duration. Quite delicious and unique no doubt we agreed. Just not sure the food amount and long waits make $85 a person without drinks, purely worth it is all. Great service yes, great menu design yes. Very neat decor and dining room set up also. Just a tad costly and overly extended time frame for me give 4 or 5 stars compared to many other tasting dinners I've done like this before.

Ate here last week and was hugely disappointed. I received an invitation via email to rate my experience; expressed my disappointment and expected them to perhaps contact me about it. But since they haven't, I'll relate our experience here. Good news: the mezze plate was huge as amazing - easily the best we've ever had. That's where the good news ends. Both my wife's fish and my steak were salty nearly to the point of being inedible. And in fact, the butter on the bread board was inedible. The frites that accompanied my steak were lukewarm and tough (I had infinitely better fried potatoes with my burger at Water Spot the night before). I now regret not saying something at the time; but they were busy ( which perhaps accounts for the lackluster food) and we had already spent a good portion of our evening there. All things considered, I would not eat here again

The best food in Marfa! However, coming from a city like Houston, I'd still only give it 3 stars. I'll start with the positives. The service is EXCELLENT. Our party had a few dietary restrictions and both the waiters and chef were extremely accommodating. They were attentive and did their best to make sure everyone was comfortable. As for the food, nothing we had was bad, and some were really good. However, after spending $600 for a party of 4, I can't say that it was exactly worth it. If you're looking for high end food in this area, this is your best bet. And if I were from somewhere else I might think this was great. But I want others from major cities to know that while this is fine, you should probably manage your expectations.

This place is a scam. Food was okay but not anything spectacular. We did the a la carte menu- got an appetizer, entree, bread and two drinks and the bill was $135. They love to throw in the line "these herbs are from our garden" and served us some weeds with our bread? What?? Staff wasn't friendly at all, very stuck up actually. Terrible vibe inside. Also, there were a TON of flies landing on us and our food the whole time. Go to Margaret's or another friendly and more affordable place with surprisingly good food!

We love this place! So much attention and care goes in to each dish. We have gotten the same server every time we go and the last time we were there, she told us she saw we were on the list and wanted our table. That made me feel special that she remembered who we were. The fact that we have a restaurant like Cochineal out here in West Texas adds even more reason to visit the area!

We had an amazing experience at Cochineal. Must admit we were hesitant going in based on mixed reviews and long dinner times but everything was perfect. We opted for the full tasting menu and every course was delicious. Ended up as a 2.5 hour dinner and timing was spot on. Cozy and interesting space and excellent service. Highly recommend.

The worst experience I have ever had at a fine dining establishment. Food was good but took 4 hours to complete the fixed price menu and it wasnt even busy. The arrogance of the wait staff was obnoxious and worse which is why Marfa is in a serious decline as a town. No service, terrible attitude etc. Then to cap it off took three times to get the bill correct - even tried to charge me nearly 60.00 in tax. Time to boycott this establishment and other stores in Marfa that are obnoxious and have attitude.

This was our favorite restaurant in Marfa. We ate here on our last night in town and were blown away not only by the fact that we found charcuterie and escargot in a tiny west Texas town, but the quality and flavors, exceptional service and ambience felt on par with any restaurant that identifies as a foodie destination back home. Honest to god, that escargot was one of the best things I've had in my life, period. Great selection of wine, and the charcuterie board had a lot of character as it was all regional meats (wild boar pâté, venison sausage, etc). The restaurant is run by a husband and wife and I think it's so amazing that the kitchen is run by a boss lady chef with the help of her husband. My regret is we didn't have room to try more. TAKE A LEAP and order the escargot! You will be blown away.

Amazing menu. Great ambience and design indoors and out. Lots of options for seating including kitchen barstools. Staff and service was great. The food was really special and the ingredients were really fresh. Will definitely be back.

One of the best places in Marfa to get fresh coffee and a bite to eat. The have local and freshly baked goods that are super clean ingredients! Overall, great chill vibe and has outdoor space if you are looking for some vitamin D.

This is a hidden gem in deep west TX. The food is beyond description. The bonus was their house made red wine! My only regret was not buying a case of that wine. The wild boar was super tasty. I cannot wait for fall or winter for me to travel and enjoy the amazing cuisine.

I came here one pre-pandemic night with a person with whom I was besotted. It was Easter weekend --- though, being a lapsed Catholic myself, this was only brought to my attention the day of. It doesn't matter what we ate. I don't recall every fine detail. I remember that it tasted like being in love. It was very good. Make no mistake. These dishes were gorgeously plated. It's likely the cocktails were of some other dimension and surely contained a series of presumably unpronounceable ingredients culled from a lush desert garden. I remember the gin. I remember the stem of the glass. I remember the service being phenomenal, and that our server was attentive and warm and kind. The interior was sleek and romantic without being pretentious. Go to Marfa and then go here. Take someone you love. Do yourself the favor.

The first time was okay. Our server was nice but each course took forever and three hours later-we decided not to do the set meal next time. Second time was so bad that we just got up and left after our waitress ignored us. No joke-the table across from us sat down 7 minutes after we did and we watched the waitress bring their drinks, take their order, la la la la....and continue to treat us like we weren't there. I'm not saying this place isn't worth a try-I'm just letting you know it's hit or miss. Since there's not a ton of choices in Marfa, this is what you get. Meh.

I will say first off that the food here was very good. Besides my steak being too rare, everything they served was amazing. However, as another reviewer mentioned, we arrived on time for our reservation but were told to wait in an adjacent "gallery" area where we were ignored for 30 minutes until our table was ready. Once we finally were seated and ate our dinner, our server forgot we existed after giving us our main courses. The service was terrible, and on top of that they added a minimum 20% gratuity that they did not deserve, even though our table was only 2 people. I think some of my issues with this place are indicative of the service/hospitality available in Marfa as a whole, but still. Eh.

We cannot talk about the food because we ended up not eating there, but we can speak about our experience. An important part of a fine dining experience is the wait staff, and the host at this restaurant was very rude. Although we had a reservation, they did not have an open table. Instead of apologizing for the mixup, the host was dismissive and apathetic. He told us to wait in an adjacent room for our table, which he said would be just a few minutes. He refused to let us order drinks from the bar and had us shown to the other room where we were given water and menus. After about 30 minutes of waiting, we asked how much longer it would be and were told the table was being cleared--which turned out to be a lie. We asked if we could at least order drinks--no one had bothered to ask if we wanted anything. We felt like we had just been dumped into this other room and were being ignored. On top of that we were hangry! After 45 minutes of waiting and being ignored (we did not even have our drinks yet), our dining experience had become a bad taste, so we took our appetites and our money elsewhere. We will never go back.

Horrible horrible service avoid at all costs. Had reservation and the gave it to a walk in , no apologies after 1 hr we left

This was one of the best meals I've ever had. Everything about our experience at Cochineal was perfect. My husband and I were in Marfa to celebrate my husbands birthday and this is where we had his birthday dinner. Wow. We started with the qual medallions. They were delicious! For entrees I had the white fish chowder and my husband had the venison osso bucco. My chowder was so unbelievably good I literally licked the bowl. The osso bucco was also spectacular. For dessert we had the date bread pudding. I would usually not order bread pudding but oh man, this bread pudding was simply out of this world! If they have it and you are there, get it! I can't wait to go back and try other dishes. If you are in Marfa, Cochineal is a must!

We had a wonderful seven course prix fixe dinner at Cochineal with the wine pairings. Everything was delicious! We didn't have any problems with service, as others have indicated, and it was a full house the night we went. Definitely, this was our culinary highlight in Marfa. My only complaint was the flies....but they disappeared after sunset so only suggestion would be to make a later dinner reservation if you plan to sit outside. Other than that, I highly recommend having a nice dinner here.

The perfect restaurant for both celebrating and chilling out. Which we did both of for our 10 yr anniversary dinner. The hostess is a real life angel baby and recommended the vegan vegetable board ( which we now do too- non vegans trust me, it's perfectly grilled veggies and dip so good we asked for seconds. ) loved our server who wasn't typical marfa "too cool" and helped us with the menu, we live in Chicago and treat ourselves to all the best food experiences in the city and this restaurant and clever chef could easily slide right in with our top 5, but why when they are the gem of Marfa?! Highly, enthusiastically recommend this place. What we ordered: Artichoke Hearts Bibb salad Vegan veggie board Ruby Trout ( sustainable from Idaho and so fresh ) No dessert bc the veggie board filled us to the brim, but they sent us a sweet lemon sorbet treat with our espresso anyway and I wanted to hug everyone. Thanks for the great start to our anniversary trip y'all.

place is tiny with tables way too close. wife and I felt like the tables next to us were part of our party. service was sketchy at best as was food. thn to top it off they added a 20% gratuity on a to top! I am a generous tipper when I receive good service but the amount of my tip should be MY choice! We will not return to this place

Our last meal to end a wonderful vacation in Marfa. I would have never thought there was a restaurant in that exact spot. I've passed it a couple of times and didn't see it. The sign is low key during the day but lights up at night. I like the big outdoor area before walking into the restaurant. The main dinning area is small but nice. I love the decor...bathroom is clean and a good size.

After spending a few days camping in Big Bend, we did a short stay in Marfa and decided to go out for a nice dinner for my friend's birthday. Our hotel recommended Cochineal and after reading about the chef's recent accolades, we were excited to splurge on a true foodie experience. We opted for the Prix Fixe because we were excited to see what surprises were in store. Unfortunately, our experience fell flat and we walked away feeling duped. As soon as we were no longer paying for the mineral water, our glasses were empty frequently. Our server was not very engaging with our table even though we saw them chatting with others. Our server explained what the first course was to us, but subsequent courses were served without explanation and we weren't sure what we were even eating. The plates were served family style between the four of us, but the amount of food in each course was tiny. Nobody walked away full or with leftovers, as you should when you're paying almost $90/pp. After seeing the restaurant celebrate a birthday at the next table over, we told our waiter that it was my friend's birthday while we she had stepped away. We didn't want to assume that they did something for birthdays but after seeing them do something for another table, we told them. Our server told us that they usually did either a bonus dessert or a complimentary bottle of champagne. My friend's husband picked the champagne. After dessert came out, the server asked if there was anything else we needed, and then brought the check. No acknowledgement of the birthday conversation we had JUST had. It's a shame because the food was delicious. But we walked away feeling outrageously disappointed in the experience. It was not worth what we paid. I guess if you are wearing clothes from Target, expect to be treated a little differently.