LA COCINA RESTAURANT, Espanola - Restaurant Reviews, Phone Number & Photos

Is this a Mexican restaurant?

Yes

No

Unsure

Details

About

At La Cocina, our dishes use Native New Mexican ingredients and spices. Proudly serving Northern New Mexico for 46 years!

PRICE RANGE

$11.00 – $32.00

CUISINES

Mexican, Southwestern, Spanish

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch

FEATURES

Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Table Service

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4.5

254 reviews

Excellent

142

Very good

67

Average

26

Poor

10

Terrible

9

An0nyMs

Tucson1609 contributions

Huge and authentic!

Dec 2023 • solo

This place has been open since 1980 or so. It still has the same New Mexican food I had passing through Española as a child. I picked the Frito Pie. (You could get them at the Woolworths dime store on the Plaza in Santa Fe: They'd give you a bag of Fritos with meat, red chili sauce, etc poured into the bag.) Here, it was much more elegant: a big bowl filled with carne adovala, congratulate sauce, beans, cheese, etc. and a bag of Fritos on the side. I was also really happy to see that they brought a free sopaipilla with the meal. Decades ago, it was normal to get these with a meal. They're made of bread dough that puffs up when it's fried. You tear off the corner and put honey inside to cool the fire of the chile. Now, if a restaurant serves sopaipillas at all, they'll cost a few dollars extra... some even treat them as dessert. Part of the reason I say this is authentic was to hear the customers and servers talking in "Spanglish." It's a mixture of Spanish and English words... I've never known exactly which language people would pick for which words, but it's always fun to listen to. All of this cost $10.95. It's also a beautiful restaurant inside and out. Don't miss it!

Written 30 December 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Andrea C

22 contributions

Delicious New Mexican Food

Jun 2024 • family

Stopped here Saturday morning for breakfast, friendly staff. Seated immediately. Food was delicious but be prepared for large portions. Only complaint I have is I wish I had shared as I felt so much wasted food. My son does not like breakfast and they kindly let him order from the lunch menu.

Written 8 July 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Monica D

Alamosa9 contributions

Feels Like Home

Feb 2022 • couples

We walked in at 8am coming from Gallup in the wee hours. The restaurant was full of locals including the table of gentlemen who smiled at my husband’s Bronco shirt. We both had juevos rancheros. He had the green sauce and I had the red. The plate came filled with homemade pintos and fresh cut hash browns. The sauces were spicy but just enough to warm us. The eggs were cooked perfectly and we watched as tortillas were hand made in a room nearby. Even more wonderful than the food was the excellent service we received. Coffee refills were never far away and the beautiful Adobe room was filled with art and natural light. Make time for this beautiful place on your next NM trek. You will not be sorry.

Written 6 February 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dibe B

3 contributions

Slow, bad service

Jun 2024 • family

Placed a to go order at 1:20 pm for a quart of green chile stew a kids burrito and a combination plate, took exactly 1 hour to prepare… 2 plates and a bowl of soup! there was no wait for tables as guests were coming in and being seated right away so can’t blame it on being busy. On top of that I was given a hard time for asking for tortillas instead of sopapillas. I’ve worked in a busy restaurant in Santa Fe for 20+ years so I know how it works, and this is not it.

Written 9 June 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Marjorie T

1 contribution

Poor Service

Sept 2024 • family

The service is very poor. We walked in and was seated at 5:30 pm to get an early bird dinner. At 6:20 pm we were still waiting for our meal. The manager came out and defended the restaurant stating everyone had to wait that long when we saw a couple being served that arrived about a half hour after we did. A good manager apologizes for the wait to his customers and offers some kind of compensation. Not this guy. Never going back to this hole.

Written 6 September 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Just_a_Rd_Warrior

Albuquerque62 contributions

A Surprising (and Good) Discovery

Aug 2024 • couples

We have passed by this restaurant many times and recently stopped by for the first time. The breakfast burrito was amazing! The service was attentive. Prices were reasonable. The atmosphere was quite charming. The breakfast clientele seemed to be mainly loyal locals, which speaks volume for why the restaurant is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. When we drove back by the restaurant a few days later around lunch, their parking lot was packed. Can't wait to find another excuse to go back.

Written 9 September 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wgm51

Albuquerque127 contributions

Delicious New Mexican Food

Sept 2024 • couples

We have eaten here before, and it is the best New Mexican food in Espanola. The service is friendly and efficient, the portions are generous (enough to take home for another meal), the prices are very reasonable, and the atmosphere is comfortable. There are always lots of local people here which is a good indicator of the quality of the food.

Written 29 September 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rjamr1

New Braunfels25 contributions

Friendly and delicious

Jan 2024 • couples

This restaurant was recommended by a friend of the group that has moved to Santa Fe. Our waitress was excellent. She guided us through the menu. Within our group we had margaritas that were tasty. Our beer was very cold and fresh. Our dinners varied from fajita Salads to lamb enchiladas. Everything was served well and quickly. The meal was topped off with sopapillas. We will definitely return.

Written 31 January 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LaurettaYoung

Portland580 contributions

Save room for desserts!

Sept 2023 • couples

Excellent New Mexican food. I didn't give this a five star since probably nothing in this category can rate as a five star due to the nature of the food which can look rather "gloppy" on the plate but that's the nature of the dishes. The food was very good, the service was very good and the desserts looked amazing although we were too full to try them!, Save room

Written 23 September 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dan A

Denver1 contribution

Good service, mediocre food

Jan 2020 • couples

The service was excellent, but the food was Mediocre. My wife ordered the lamb enchiladas with red sauce. Even though this was “mild”, it still overwhelmed the meat. The flavoring didn’t really work with the lamb. She also ordered a margarita, which was a mistake. The restaurant only has a license for beer and wine, but made the margarita anyway! It was really just a sangria with margarita mix. The sopapillas were cold and hard. My meal, a combo plate with enchilada, soft taco, and tamale, was also disappointing. The tamales were prepackaged and brought in by a distributor. Frozen tamales from the grocery store have more flavor. The enchilada was tasteless, and the taco flavor wasn’t very good either. The posole, which is made on site, was the best part of a mediocre meal.

Written 25 January 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Glenn G

3 contributions

I'm never disappointed.

Sept 2023 • family

Great, authentic northern NM food. The northern NM food like enchiladas, tacos, tamales, stuffed sopapillas, beans, posole, etc., are outstanding. American entrees, burgers, and salads are also very good. Staff is friendly and attentive.

Written 24 September 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

brentsmiley

Los Angeles40 contributions

So Nice, We Did It Twice!

Jul 2021 • none

Over the past couple of decades of travel, we have developed a routine where we only eat local family-owned restaurants whenever and wherever possible. We very very rarely eat in the same place twice, not because it isn't good, but because we are visiting and want to sample what we can. Not this time. La Cocina got us both nights we were staying in Espanola. This was a fantastic experience with great food (I'm from SoCal and have tasted my share, this was top notch), great service (everyone had a smile and was welcoming), and enough to eat that we couldn't think about dessert, though it looked great. We were not the only ones thinking this, because on the 2nd night, we had to wait for 30 minutes for a table (the place is not small) but after the meal on the first night, no way we were leaving. If in Espanola, eat here.

Written 27 July 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BackPacker793748

Washington74 contributions

Reliable very good Mexican food inj a nice atmosphere

Oct 2021 • none

To start, their salsa is very good. for entrees the Carne Adavado is great, spicy and tender, but the lamb burrito is hard to beat, great flavors with red and green chili (Christmas is the way to order to get both). Lamb Burrito isn't that common, so really worth a try. Finally, the sopapillas are light and delicious, but you have to eat them hot with their good honey.

Written 21 November 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SantiagoDelValle

296 contributions

Very good carne adovada.

Mar 2020 • none

I had the carne adovada burrito with green and red chile and it was very good and spicy. The sopapilla was also freshly prepared and a good dessert after the meal. This legit NM Cuisine and both chiles are good.

Written 6 March 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

shrek58

Peotone139 contributions

Blue Corn Pinon Pancakes were Incredible!

Jul 2021 • none

By far my fave restaurant around the Espanola area! Servers are friendly and courteous, though some were better than others, most very good. We usually come for breakfast, had dinner once it was very good too. Finally had the Blue Corn Pinon Pancakes, OMG! Full of pine nuts, great taste, used honey in lieu of syrup. Also love the Huevos los Arcos, I prefer green chilis our son like Christmas. Atole make a fine hot cereal or side, you gotta try the Atole! See you there the next time we're in the area.

Written 29 July 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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