Cocina Latina

Love it! Do yourself a favor and order the chicken soup in lieu of an appetizer. You will not be disappointed. The soup is refreshing and soul-​warming just as it should be. I had the enchiladas with chicken and red sauce and my husband had the enchiladas with pork and green sauce. They were both delicious and yum! We have family from Guadalajara and this is the closest that we can get to what they make here in the Twin Cities. The tamales were large and good. I’m usually a Los Lomas tamale girl and I’m not sure these surpass theirs but they were close to that level. We had a piping hot side of fries and coca-​colas served in small glasses with ice and bendy straw. Comfort food for sure.

I had their chicken taco while at open streets for $ 2 and it was pretty yummy. They piled on the cilantro and onion which I love and I added some salsa verde. The chicken pieces were substantial and flavorful. I’ll have to check out the restaurant itself and update my review.

Best tamales that I’ve had in a long time. Food was fresh and flavorful. Service was spectacular. Prices are affordable. Restaurant is very clean. Pico de gallo and guacamole tasted like it had been prepared right before they brought it out. Fresh!

Everything on my plate was grey. I cannot add a photo because there is no button. Grey steak. Grey beans. All tastes like bad hot dish soaked in water. Notice that all the photos are posted by the owner. The food looks nothing like the photos. Wish I could show you, but clearly the owner blocked photos for a good reason. Gross food.

Came here on a Monday night at dinnertime, it was very quiet (only one other table in the place). First impression, I thought the place had an old musty odor to it, although my boyfriend didn’t notice it. We were kindly greeted by the server and chose our table. We ordered the meat empanadas and they were ok. Couldn’t tell weather they were fresh or frozen — they were perfectly molded into little round half-​spheres which makes me think they were frozen.
The bf and I both actually decided on the same meal item — carnitas chimichangas. They arrived quickly and were hot! And huge! On the side was lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes, in the chimichanga was rice, peas, refried beans, cheese and shredded pork. The pork itself was delicious, as was the sauce on the top, however, I didn’t think the chimichanga had too much flavor. I felt it needed more seasoning or something.
Service was great, our server was friendly and attentive. Food was so-​so. I was kinda bummed that the
Check-​In offer was no longer accepted (but our server compensated for this by offering us the happy hour special on our empanadas.
All in all, this place was ok. Might go back, might not. Can’t wait to try some of the other new restaurants in the area.

Latin food is one of my top 3 favorite cuisines (wait…are cheeseburgers a cuisine? if so, then it’s top 4.). While I’m partial to Cuban food and I think Hola Arepa (brick and mortar) is kind of a joke, Latin American fusion food is definitely winning me over — especially considering the cuisine has a deep love of spice like I do.
This is a taco mecca and we’re talking cheap tacos too. Three tacos (all the same meat, unfortunately) + a side (rice, beans or uh… french fries, you fucking gringo) is around $ 9 after tax. That’s beautiful, man. So far we’ve tried the chicken and roasted pork tacos. While the pork tacos have a great flavor, we both like the chicken tacos the best. And that’s pretty goddamn weird for me, I think chicken is the most boring protein ever. I never order chicken. But something spoke to me and I ordered them the first time and the neckbeard stole one of them (he ordered the pork the first time) and he was a changed man. The next time we ordered food, he got the chicken tacos. #trendsetter
The steak quesadilla comes with rice and refried beans — the rice is awesome and the beans are gross. To be fair, I hate refried beans (black beans 4 lyfe, yo) so it could just be a personal thing. The steak quesadilla was hearty, the quality of the steak was so-​so but it was cooked well and it was cheesy as fuck. Definitely something I’d order again, especially if I’m fucking drunk or high as hell. It was a substantial meal for $ 11.
The cheese empanadas are heavenly. I hate that word, but I can’t even lie… I was in pastry, cheesy heaven eating them so it fits. The order comes with 3 empanadas, this bothers me because I hate sharing shit — four would be ideal for parties of 2. Just a thought.
One more thing… Cocina Latina boasts an amazing hot sauce. AMAZING. Get this fucking sauce if you’re not a total pussy. It will melt your face off and you’ll love it. DO IT.

I love this place! Delicious salsas and guac. Enchiladas are excellent too.

We chose this for our Sunday evening family outing, armed with extra $ from
. All of us enjoyed our food very much. My husband got a meat plate with an assortment of meats. My 11 year old daughter was happy with fresh squeezed limeade and a plate of French fries and small bit dogs. Of my young adult sons, one ordered tasty fried rice with different meats, and one had chicken breast and fried plaintains. I asked for recommendations for something unusual, and chose a rice dish with seafood: mussels, shrimp, crab claws/​legs and some calamari/​squid, also with a few plantain and avocado slices. The food was tasty, and the portions good sized and priced around $ 15.
It was so good we forgot to take pictures!
For desserts, we opted for the cheesecake and flan, which were fine, but I disappointed myself by not choosing something more unusual, such as figs and queso. Son 1 went for guava paste and cheese, which was interesting. I wished I had ordered a milkshake instead; a usual flavor such as mango or berry, or even a wine tree tomato shake. Next time!
The service was very attentive, clearing each plate the minute it was emptied.
Throughout, a soccer match was on each of the 4 TVs, one on each wall, but the noise level was fine for a normal conversation.
We enjoyed it and would go back again.

We came here because we had a gift certificate. The good stuff: The service was really quick, the beers were cheap, and the beans and rice and chile relleno were all really tasty.
However, there are only a couple of vegetarian items on the menu, so I got the veggie fajita. I was disappointed when it arrived – it appeared they simply chopped up an onion and pepper with some frozen peas/​carrots mix. It was salty without other flavors.
Overall the experience was meh, although they might have better items for meat eaters.
Also, no free chips and salsa. Boo.

Pros
Arepa appetizers
Huge portions
Mexican offerings as well as South American
Bebidos (smoothies made with either milk or water)
Cons (which may be because of the region they’re representing…)
No yucca
No Caldo soups
No Encococado
No llepengachos
Thought I should give this a re-​try after frequently mostly Chimborazo for my South American fare. Three of us returned on a Friday night to a a fairly open restaurant, but only a few staff serving. Our food was a little slower and by the time we had our arepa appetizers, I was ready to gnaw my hand, or at least my larger digits, off. I ordered the lomo de cerdo asado which was a very flat piece of grilled pork with a sweet plantain and beans n rice. The pork was good, but didn’t have a lot of flavoring (which seems to be a trend with a lot of Central/​South American dishes) but it was a good sized serving. I’ve previously done the platters, which were almost too much food. (Whole fried plantain, pork cracklng (looks like thick fried bacon) along with beef.

The food has good flavor, kind of mild Mexican, definitely not Latin American as they promote. Skip desserts and sangria! The service is bad and what convinced me if not returning to this place.

We went in here on a Sunday night around seven and there were nine of us. Luckily they could accommodate right away for seating. There were only two woman serving so it took a little to get our drinks, but we didn’t mind at all. After we ordered we waited the standard fifteen minutes or so and we were not disappointed when our food came out. Everything looked and taste amazing! I wouldn’t say it’s the best place I’ve ever been to, but I enjoyed it a lot and the servers were great, and you get a lot of food for your dollar. Definitely a good place.

The first time I came here I sat over 10 minutes unattended, so I left. This time I was able to get a table and I ordered the catfish stew which was a huge meal all on its own with a flavorful broth and came with a side of flattened discs of fried plantains and a tasty orange colored salsa. While the one chunk of catfish was fall-​off-​the-​bone tender the 2^nd one was tough and I didn’t bother trying to pry off morsels of flesh. I was already full by that point anyway The downside is that it was $ 14: the soups/​stews/​weekend specials don’t have a price and the menu tells you to ask the waitress for what they have on offer. Only after I paid for it did I recall that I did ask for the soup of the day and that was listed at $ 6.99. So between either waiting a long time without being acknowledged or receiving good food and paying double what I should have, I won’t be going back.

The delicious dishes here always satisfy my hunger for Central American food.
My favorite is the Bistec Encebollado.

Oh my god yessss… I moved here from San Diego and finding some authentic Mexican food has been hell… I’m soooo glad my friend took me here it reminds me of home! I have a feeling I’ll become somewhat of a regular :)

Yum yum yum.
I’ve only had the tacos, so I can’t really say too much. But they were perfect. Juicy chicken on two small corn tortillas, and topped with cilantro, onions, and lime.
We did have to pay for the chips and salsa, which is why I didn’t give it 4 stars. I can’t help it. I’ve come to always accept that at a Latino restaurant. I’m spoiled.
The prices were very reasonable (and they also have great happy hours) and the servers were nice and attentive.
They told me about a killer lunch special– so its safe to say that I’ll be back.

Very solid. The food is always tasty and the prices are affordable. The portion sizes are huge, which is always a plus.
The chips are good if they’re fresh, occasionally they have been a bit stale. They’re still very good. Their hot sauce leaves a bit to be desired, but it’s the only thing I’ve been disappointed in. The entrees have been great. My favorites so far are the chimichanga or enchalada platters. The tacos are good, not great.

We came here because we had a groupon or some certificate to use up. We had read the reviews so we were excited to try it out!
We ordered chips/​salsa/​guacamole and chorizo with corn cake for appetizers. The salsa, chips, and guacamole were yummy! The guac had alot of cilantro in it, salsa was perfect, and chips were homemade and hot. I am not a chorizo fan so I would pass on that but I think it was ok.
Our entrees included steak quesadillas, carnitas enchiladas, and a steak chimichanga. All were served with rice and beans. I had the enchiladas and my first few bites were fabulous but digging deeper, they were cold. My beans and rice also were luke warm. I am someone who has to have my cold food cold and my hot food hot so this did not make me happy. If only restaurants could serve food hot, I think that’s worth an extra star always!
The quesadillas were ok, I thought they lacked taste, as did my carnitas, they were pretty blah as far as flavor. The meat was nice and tender but flavorless. My daughter also said the cheese in her quesadilla was not melted very well and they were luke warm. The chimi, too, was not hot, and was not deep fried. That is pretty odd… A chimi that’s not deep fried? It was like a football sized huge corn tortillas stuffed with meat…
The service was pretty good, atmosphere warm and cozy, and I think I would give this place another try. They always seem to have deals on line for certificates, so although the prices seem a little spendy, grab a groupon, and its well worth it then.
*No free chips and Salsa here but order some, it really was the best part of our meal*

Stumbled upon this hole in the wall and am I ever glad. Just as good if not better than my other faves like Norteno and Pancho Villa. Service was amazing. Do not leave here without trying the guacamole! Everything on the extensive menu looked tempting with many fun and unusual (at least for these parts) dishes — but I went for an «old standard» of tostadas that were huge and delicious to the core. Three on a plate and I was full after just two and needed help finishing the side of rice and beans I’d ordered.
We were there on a Sat night when we unexpectedly encountered karaōke — usually not my favorite. But the three occupied tables (including us) ended up participating and it kind of turned into this fun group sing event. But not at all the drunken awful kind of karaōke that makes me want to run away screaming. Just some neighborhood fun, and even the servers sang some tunes! And it was a mix of American classics like Total Eclipse of the Heart and lots of fun Latin American pop.
Good time all around — I can’t wait to go back.

Yum, yum, yum.
Came to Cocina Latina for a lunch meeting after discovering that The Lowbrow (down the street) is not yet open for lunch. It was the right decision.
I was tempted by the Colombian and Ecuadorian menu items (the menu is loooong), so I ended up asking for a recommendation from the server since I’m not that familiar with either type of cuisine. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the mood for hunks of meat and eggs on Tuesday, which is standard for those dishes.
With her blessing (first thing she recommended), I ended up skipping the South American stuff this time and ordered the enchiladas platter with carnitas, my favorite Mexican meat. Of the three shredded pork treasures on the plate, I did two with red sauce and one with green sauce — -both great, but I liked the red sauce best. It came with rice, beans and it all tasted superbueno. I cleaned my plate like a hungry hippo.
My friend ordered a chimichanga. I can’t speak to the taste, but the size of this thing presents a delicious challenge. It’s almost as big as a loaf of bread. No foolin’.
They have a lot of refrescos latinos on the menu that go beyond the usual Jarritos. The atmosphere is comfy and the service was excellent too. They serve beer and have a happy hour daily, plus some lunch specials that we had both wished we’d noticed before ordering because they sounded like a delicious way to try multiple things. I think they were around $ 7 each.
One last note! Make sure you try the creamy looking hot sauce on the table. It’s exceptionally tasty.