Cocina Economica

Top notch stuff.
Succulent meats (we had the braised beef shoulder and the pork belly) with all the fixings for more-​than-​you-​can-​reasonably-​eat tacos (the dishes come with tortillas, beans, rice, and salsas for flavor). The flavor and cooking was on point; guac was also noms.
The décor was sweet and they had a nice (slightly hipster) vibe going on. Service was friendly. Unfortunately didn’t try the drinks this time but they seemed promising.
Overall, a great food-​preggers-​inducing experience. Looking forward to returning to my new favorite Mexican place ;)

If you are looking for an authentic Mexican food this is the place to go. Really good margaritas. It’s a small cozy place but they will do their best to accommodate you even on a very busy night. Their tres leche for dessert is to die for!

Great restaurant. Try the lamb dish

Pros: Food was delicious and authentic, very cool décor and intimate feel, great sauces with nachos.
Cons: Despite having made a reso we were seated at an awkwardly shaped table that was crammed, different people at our table served at different times, drinks very expensive.
Verdict: Would recommend.

Tiny place with about 10 tables. Went in on a Thursday evening and it was busy. Service was good and the food even better. We were a big group so we got pretty much everything on the menu. The ceviche, shrimp and carnitas were delicious. I highly recommend this place. Drinks were a slight let down but great meal otherwise.

Food was delicious and authentic. I liked that the tostadas for the guac were baked, not fried. Guac was delicious. Not spicy but you have the option to spicy it up w Playa Cabana’s 2 amazing hot sauces, the smokey one and the habanero one. These sauces are so good. We had the beef shoulder. Very tasty, meat was perfectly cooked. I like that u make your own taco bc u can load it up any which way u like. The rice and beans were delish too. This is the best Mexican I’ve had in Toronto so far. Only downfall, the margaritas are so small… I knuckle too many back.

My dinner upset my stomach. This is thanks to the almost cold dinner I had at Cocina Economica. Despite other reviews I read, my experience tonight was very disappointing. Highlights:
— poor portions that contained 50% fat and bone in the meal
— small drink for a high price
— long wait time for our dinner which arrived in stages and was not hot
— a policy not to do separate bills
— an automatic addition of 18% for a group
— bland disappointing dishes
— Surprises on the bill (nickel and diming over what comes with your meal and what is extra)
The Margarita on various pages I previously saw was in a margarita glass and looked great. What I actually got was small and disappointing. Not even in a proper glass. $ 12 for a tiny through together drink. I asked the waiter for a proper glass and to his credit, he corrected it but it is disappointing it was necessary to do so. The portion was pretty small compared to other Margaritas I have had.
The beans and rice were not served on our main plate as pictures in from other reviews. They arrived on small plates with tiny portions and they were cold. Not appetizing or inspiring. I could have gotten better out of a tin from the grocery store.
My main was Res En Salsa Verde (Braised Beef) $ 15. It looks NOTHING like what other reviewer’s pictures have been. Luke warm, full of fat and bone. Bland. The server asked how our meals were and I let him know it was bland and fatty. He just said sorry and that it was supposed to be like that. What is the point of asking if you don’t take corrective action?
Others ordered the Barbacoa (Lamb) $ 18 and the Shrimp $?. The Shrimp got a good review. The Barbacoa was okay but not spicy. Unfortunately, an order of guacamole was ordered $ 9. Small portions and bland. Overall it was felt we could have done better at a fast food burrito place. Wow. That doesn’t say much to me. What happened to all the good experiences I read about and some saying it was like home cooking they remember in Mexico? This was not my experience.
I might have given a slightly higher review but then came the bill. The server indicated they don’t split the bill and then agreed to split it among the couples at the table. That turned out badly. People so did not drink and had a small order were given $ 80 bills and those who did drink and ordered appetizers got the lowest. He claimed all the bills were split evenly but they weren’t so we asked for one bill and worked to figure out what we each owed ourselves. That took a long time and ruined the meal.
We also discovered extra charges for the tortillas even through we had a large table and there was only enough for six of us. He earlier indicated that each meal would come with the tortillas. There were 4 containers and 8 people so seems to me someone didn’t get theirs. We had to share and then get charged for extra when we never got what we already paid for. I noticed this occurred in another review and I can confirm this happened again to us.
Sadly, I cannot recommend this place in good conscious. The interior is nice and the staff are generally friendly. I really wish I could have given a better review.
Now I await my stomach ache from cold fatty food to settle down.

This place is tucked within narrow streets and is definitely a hidden gem. I was visiting the Christmas Market nearby and wanted to try restaurants around the area outside of Distillery District and Cocina Economica came up on Unilocal.
Was I thoroughly pleased!
The décor is cozy/​quaint/​quirky/​different — you name it! It’s hard to find one word which describes it accurately. With the number of Mexican restaurants booming around Toronto, I’m surprised this one managed to remain fairly off the radar and wasn’t crowded with lineups.
Every table is served with tortillas and sauce. We ordered the ceviche to start, followed by shrimp and beef shank entrees to share between two people. Each entrée comes with beans, rice, and tortilla wraps, and the portions were generous. So be prepared to get your hands dirty!
Our server was friendly and willing to explain lots of the dishes to us, so overall it was an enjoyable experience.

The food in this place is sooo good. I went with two of my vegetarian friends and there were so many options for them to chose from. The service is casual and friendly mostly due to te small size of the bar. Highly recommend it’s def a hidden gem
Can’t wait for the summer to sit on the patio

Interesting/​OK/​Fair experience.
Cool, authentic décor (unlike the mod/​hip/​trendy Mexi places in the city). We waited for 5 mins for seating at the upstairs bar on a Saturday night (without reso). Upstairs is cozy — in my opinion, better than downstairs. We ordered our drinks and food with Melissa — she was the highlight of our time at Cocina. Our food took ~45−60 mins, including a basic app of guac + chips. Melissa felt really bad and so she comped us a round of Margarita’s and Mezcol shots post-​meal. She knew a ton about tequila, drinks and the various Mexican regions; It was great chatting with her.
The verdict:
— Sangria — I had a glass of the red which was pretty boozy. Could definitely taste the tequila, so good if you enjoy boozy sangria.
— We don’t typically drink Margaritas, and these were AMAZING. No added sugars; all natural. I’d come back just for the Margaritas.
— Guac — we’ve definitely had better. It was quite ‘pureed’
— Cevice — great, fresh
— Soy vegetarian entrée — just fair… came with soy ground, beans and rice with warm soft corn tortillas so you could build yourself. It was… Meh. The toppings were the highlight — a jalapeño purée, salsa and cilantro with lime.
Overall, we were disappointed with our food and the wait. Melissa more than compensated, however, and we would definitely come back for the Margaritas alone.

This place is truly a hidden gem in Toronto. Located in a small space in a the middle of no where, you can find the most authentic Mexican dishes around. Serving such classics such as Carne Asada and chicken enchiladas that bring you into a Mexican home. The price point was fair for what you get and it is quite filling.
The restaurant is a small intimate space, that seats less than 20 people so space is very limited! But once you’re inside its as if you’re a guest in someone’s home waiting for dinner. They bring out fresh guacamole, tortillas that are still warm off the press and some of the most intense hot salsa I’ve had in Toronto!
Come check this place out as soon as you can and you won’t be disappointed!

I don’t know why I haven’t write a review of cocina economica yet! I’ve been here several times, I discovered this paradise (haha) by a friend of mine and I was blown away, I’m mexican, from Mexico city, I know what mexican food should taste like and I also know what mexican inspired food taste like (I had a lot of that living here) ok, we’ll this is real mexican food, it’s like going to your aunts house and having traditional mexican food. I’ve tried pretty much everything in the menu and I like everything in the menu haha… I have a few favourites
Barbacoa
Tacos de ceviche
Bistec en salsa verde
Guac (obvi)
And please save some space for the dessert!
Pastel de tres leches. Omg
I also want to mention the staff, everyone is so great! Ashley, gavo, and I can’t remember the name of the cook but she is great, one time my hubby And I ordered so much food she came out to say hi and to help the server place it on the table (we eat a lot)
Love the atmosphere as well, the music is on point and the décor.
Make sure you make a reservation cuz the place is really really small.
Ooooh almost forgot! Dave’s Margarita. Sooo good

Thank you Unilocal for helping me find this gem. Authentic Mexican in a cozy space on Berkeley Street.

Having tried all the restaurants in the Playa Cabana family (with decent if not stellar feedback), I was excited to venture to Cocina Economica, having heard that it was the most authentic of the bunch.
Now perhaps it was the day that we went (after a major sporting event), but the service, food and ambience were just mediocre. The service was quite glacial, and food/​drink items were mixed up several times with minimal apologies. It didn’t help that were surrounded by drunken buffoons at a neighbouring table, who had a few too many rounds of tequila.
As for the food, we ordered 3 dishes plus a pitcher of sangria — all were «fine», but unfortunately did not blow me away. I suppose you get what you pay for, but overall, I left feeling that Toronto still has a long way to go in terms of Mexican cuisine.

La Cocina Economica Toronto’s most authentic Mexican eats. Walking through the door and greeted by a huge smile and a welcome was La Cocina’s manager Javier (, I think really our good time vibe was started here). Chef Samantha’s perfectly seasoned fixin’s waiting to be seized by your tortilla. Her incredible palate shines making each bite an adventure south full of taste and pleasure. Will I be back, unfortunately they are closed Sunday’s, soooo, definitely on Monday.
#toronto #mexican #cocinaeconomica #thumbsup #delicious

I had never been to any of the Playa Cabana family of restaurants. Which thinking about it, is very odd since I love tacos! Anyway, I had been doing research on new restaurants when I stumbled on this restaurant. What intrigued me the most when reading about Cocina Economica is that it was attempting to take a more simple and authentic approach to Mexican food and staying away from the gimmicks and «twists.» Rather than add a spin to an already delicious cuisine, they were going to try to keep it real — yeah, having a hard time explaining why I just had to check this place out. :)
On the restaurant’s website you can make a reservation but you can’t see the menu. The food menu is split into 4 sections:
Bocaditos (appetizers)
Entradas (mains)
Sides
Dulces (desserts)
I had made a reservation for 6 and when we got there on a Friday night, the restaurant was packed! So much so that we were squeezed in a corner and lucky for us, and them, the 6^th person cancelled at the last-​minute because there was no room to fit a 6^th body in the cramped corner we were in. Immediately after sitting down we were served fried tortillas and two salsas — one red, one green and neither was spicy. Soon after our waitress came by to take our order. Some of my friends decided to share appetizers, but I went straight to the main. Our order was:
Tinga tostada $ 12 (appetizer)
Al Pastor $ 14 (main)
Pescado en papelado $ 22 (main)
Barbacoa $ 18 (main)
Pastel Impossible $ 9 (dessert)
I ordered the Al Pastor and I LOVED it! It was marinated pork leg served right off the spit and it was served with rice, beans, tortillas and grilled pineapple. I specially loved how I asked for no onions and this request was made possible. I was in heaven. I grew up eating this food, so knowing that a restaurant in Toronto was making food that reminded me of the good moments growing up had me feeling ecstatic!
The rest of the table also enjoyed their meals and the only item that was not well-​received was the caldo (soup) that came with the Barbacoa (lamb) — I am personally not a fan because I find it tastes greasy and gamy.
The Hiccups
Several people at our table had ordered Coronas (so cliché I know :)) and as more people arrived they also wanted Coronas and realized that rather than pay for them separately, you could get a bucket and it would be cheaper. So we asked our waitress for the bucket deal. She told us that it was too late because some people had already ordered some individually and the «system» could not be changed from singles to the bucket deal. Okay, we found that silly and bizarre. But after some back and forth she agreed to give us the price of the bucket.
Because our table was so small, there was no room to put all the tortillas for each of our mains, so our waitress told us that she was going to bring more out when we were done with the few we had been given — every single one of our dishes came with tortillas, but only got half the amount because of space on the table. We ran out of them pretty quickly and we couldn’t find our waitress so we asked another staff for more tortillas and he told us that there would be an extra cost. I told him to please check with our waitress first because she owed us another batch. Then our waitress came over with the 2^nd batch and we figured the issue had been addressed. When we got the bill we were charged for the 2^nd round of tortillas ($ 3)! Argh! And they did not take it off the bill! So sad to see a good meal be tarnished by something that could have been very simply taken care of.
In sum, though there were some letdowns the food was delicious enough to warrant a second visit. And who knows, this is a new restaurant and new establishments should be allowed time to iron out their kinks. And let’s be honest, they are not lacking business!

It was hard to tear myself away from the delicious food, but I had to write this:
Soy sausage (please excuse me, I’m going to call them platters) was spicy, savoury, and saucy. The rice and beans with the protein are plentiful and I love how they’re laid out in the to-​go container (bonus for reusability as it isn’t Styrofoam).
Braised beef platter: same rice/​beans with an amazing amount of tender, soft, juicy braised beef. The salsa verde was spicy and tangy and awesome.
The sauces were complimentary to the dishes. Cilantro cream, a lovely mole and a VERY spicy but delicious hot pepper sauce. Looks are deceiving but it was quelled by the rice. And the tortillas! Oh! They are cute and little, fresh and warm and made of corn! So yummy and authentic.
The staff were very nice, quick, accommodating, and great at making me feel welcome even just for take out. The margarita was sour and refreshing.
I’ll be back because I want to try everything. Especially the dessert. Nice hours, cute place!

Decent food in a tiny house-​turned-​restaurant. I love that everything is gluten free. A+ for that. Limited vegetarian options are a minus, though. Interesting Mexican water and soda menu that I would try if I visited again. This restaurant is tucked away, but in a cool way that probably makes the regulars feel like they have their own in-​crowd. Staff was gr8! Patio right on the street. Easy cab ride from the heart of downtown. Mexican Coke was smooth & delicious (said hubby). Glad I tried it, but wouldn’t rave about it. 7÷1÷15

Made a reservation here and arrived promptly at 7:30pm ready to eat. I was pretty dismayed having to wait until 745pm despite having the reservation. In fact I was already thinking «minus one star» in my head. The waiter was very courteous though and apologized several times and offered to grab us some drinks while we waited.
Cocina Economica is a pretty tiny place, maybe seating 30 inside and a small patio out front. It was jam packed and I expect it to remain that way, so make a reservation!
We were seated in a corner nook of the bar area which was perfect, direct access to the drinks and could slightly view into the kitchen.
The menu consists of 10 – 15 tapas style smaller portions and 5 – 6 entrees. All reasonably priced. I opted for the pastor, $ 13, which is pork served with pineapple. Came with a side of rice and beans and hot tortillas to eat the meat with. We also shared a guacamole $ 9. You are served a trip of salsas to start and the waiter made us some free drinks to try, a Mexican drink with rice milk and cinnamon on ice, which was very refreshing.
The food was delicious, I definitely recommend the carne pastor.
Décor is very cool and very Mexican. Waitstaff all super friendly.
An easy 5 star given that our bill only came to $ 60 before tip, which was food for 3 people and a couple coronas!
Voy a volver!!!

You know the feeling you have when something spontaneously happens and it’s awesome? That’s what happened when we stumbled upon Cocina Economica today. The Mexican food was casual, yet flavourful with every bite. I had the tostadas with rice and beans and a sweet tasting horchada — and it was a perfect hangover meal!
Mexican coffee with my absolute favourite, homemade Alfajores to go was the perfect accompaniment for the walk home. Thanks for the great food and friendly service, we will be seeing you again soon!