Cocina

Always excellent food. Arguably the best Mexican restaurant on Oahu. Flavors are always on point and they nail the execution every time. I’m happy to hear that they’ll be opening a new place in Chinatown this July.
We went in for lunch today. Had the fish tacos and fried avocado. Fish tacos were well seasoned without overbearing the natural taste of the fish. So much filling that it was spilling out. Tortillas were solid. Fried avocado was super tasty. Wish there was some kind of pickled element to help cut the natural fat. I would definitely do both again.
I really can’t wait for their new place to open. They would get one more star if they had a little more help with taking orders and delivering to the tables and if prices were a little lower.

So sad and disappointed that I can only give 2 stars. Had very high expectations for this place and finally tried it after a couple years. Unfortunately everything we tried just wasn’t that good, and some of it was down right awful.
We had El pastor tacos, which were pretty tasty, with pineapple and a little spice. Very small though, and on single tortilla.
Rice had absolutely no flavor and was under cooked. Beans were OK.
Verde pork burrito was pretty good, but nothing special.
Finally the biggest disappointment: the fried avacado. Had something awesome in my head, but it was a salty, overripe, fried lump with yucky coleslaw. Whole thing is a miscarriage.
Again, so wanted this to be awesome and did really like the outdoor atmosphere. Staff seemed nice, cool and friendly, but you can’t be cool, Hipster, foody place without actually having really good food.
Sorry, still searching for Oahu’s best Mexican

I always seem to forget to review the best places… Cocina is probably my favorite place to get tacos. They are located to Bevy and other hip places in Kakaako. Sometimes it is a little hard to find street parking because of the construction around the area. They have a small table and counter seats inside, and a few tables outside. Sometimes it gets a little hot inside, so we sit outside and they bring your food out for you.
The tacos run at $ 3 one, or you can get a fat burrito for $ 8. My favorite is the Green Chili Pork because of the pickled red onions, although all of them are delicious. I usually get one of each (taco). The Papas Fritas (potato wedges) and Cocina Rice is also great but filling… The Elote (Mexican-​style street corn) was delicious with lots of flavor! It kind of reminded me of baja-​flavored corn.
I just went last week and they had a sign that they will be gone this Saturday until summer! :’(Hopefully they come back soon, because I want to try their fish tacos next!

We came to check this place out never knew they are close Monday then went Wednesday it open at 11:30am and when you say 11:30 it’s on the dot.
1^st order we had was Chips and Salsa and its salty but it made up the salsa which is very good
2^nd order was the Papa Fritas looks ok never tasted it my son like it I suppose the ketchup is spicy but good
3^rd order was the beef taco it is a street taco $ 3.00 so you need 2 even a light eater like me that was really good.
4^th order was the carnitas burrito and it’s really good except the rice is generic overall it good
Atmosphere is excellent
But if you ask me if I eat here again I don’t know

We recently had Danny and his team cater our wedding, and we couldn’t have been happier. Brought all the goodness the restaurant has to offer, right to our doorstep. Although, a taco bar is not classic wedding fare, everyone was definitely stoked. Got lots of compliments from the guests, and my fiancé and I made sure we sat down and ate, because we were NOT missing out on these tacos.
We had the local fish, the carnitas, and the vegetarian options, plus loads of toppings and sides, and chips and salsa. So ono and so happy that we were able to get them to cater for us.

This restaurant is so cute! Everything is cooked fresh and the cashier was super patient with us, as it was our first time eating there.
My only criticism is that the menus doesn’t offer much selection, and the tacos were TINY! For $ 3 a taco I would expect something slightly more substantial but it was delicious none the less.
Definitely try the fried avocado. It is amazing!

It’s located in Kakaako and super nice spot. They have indoor counter seating and outdoor seating. The menu is good and you can see them make everything in front which is pretty cool.
The tacos and burritos are always amazing. I highly recommend the beef and pork tacos which are delicious. They also have aqua fresca that is refreshing on these hot days. The menu winner is the torta. I wish I could eat that everyday for lunch.
The restaurant is small but has a nice vibe to it. The people are always friendly!

Cocina is Located in Kakaako; between Auahi and Keawe; right by Brue bar.
Indoor seating is available (which I do not recommend unless you want to smell like tacos) and outside offers a more relaxed vibe with plenty of seating. Public restrooms are available; if not too familiar, make sure to ask where it’s located when you ask for the key. (Back of the bldg towards the parking lot, up the stairs and all the way down to your left).
My favorite is Taco Tuesday’s. $ 3 for yummy tacos! They switch menu specials to «spice» it up. You are welcome to BYOB/​BYOW or just BYODrink! Or purchase their very own agua Fresca (if you’re a fan of cold tea drinks).
Although I am a fan of almost all of their food, I must say I highly recommend their carnitas and fried avocado. The carnitas are well seasoned and just Delish! I always have to remind myself how many tacos I’m getting or else I’ll eat until I can’t anymore. The fried avocado on the other hand. is very light, filling and very tasty!
I highly recommend Cocina for good customer service, reasonable price and most importantly, great food. See you there next Tuesday! Ha!

Last night my sweetie & I were jonesing for some Mexican food, so we ventured out to a new place we haven’t been to called — Cocina in the Kaka’ako area.
Cocina is a casual little Mexican restaurant. As you walk into the restaurant, you head straight to the register where you will find the wall menu. Upon ordering your food & paying at the register, just look for an open seat in the restaurant, or outside where there are a few picnic type tables.
We ordered the following grub that night —
1. Tree Hugger Burrito ($ 8.00) — which consisted of griddled mushrooms, squash, rajas, crema Mexicana, cilantro pesto
2. Two Locally Caught Fish Tacos ($ 9.00) — Salsa vera cruz with capers and green olives, jalapeño yogurt.
3. Chips and Salsa ($ 4.00)
4. Horchata ($ 3.00) — My 1^st time trying this… kinda like a soy milk drink, slightly sweet, with hint of cinnamon. Pretty interesting drink… not bad at all.
Overall I must say the food was very tasty! If you come here real crazy hungry, I just want to let you know the food portions are on the smaller side…
For $ 24 smackers… I felt I did not get much food (I’m going to Taco Bell after! Lol!). But what I did receive was some very yummy authentic Mexican grindz at Cocina!
Would I come back here to try more things on the menu? Why certainly!
Check ‘em out gang!

I haven’t been here in about a year and a half and not sure when this changed but every time in the past that I’ve eaten here, I’ve gotten the headcheese tacos with crispy pig years on top but now they no longer have the crispy pig ears. :(The headcheese is pretty darn tasty but that extra texture from the ears really put it over the top. It’s still a good taco but not GREAT like I thought it used to be.
Other than that little rant, I still enjoy the food here. I especially like that breaded and fried avocado and the fried potatoes. The house-​made habanero ketchup that comes with the potatoes is super tasty. Other things I’ve tried are the braised beef tacos and the tinga chicken burrito, both were good.
A couple things I still want to try is the burger and some of their Saturday brunch items. Good reasons to not wait another year and a half to be back.

Delicious Mexican food. I really enjoyed the beer beef tacos for $ 3 dollars each. My husband also enjoyed his burrito. It was made to order. The meat tasted fresh and juicy. The space is small and cozy. There are outdoor seating area.
It had nearby bicycle parking area, the area is under construction, but well blocked off from the construction site.

This is a review for the most recent Los Dos Vatos pop up held at Cocina on ⁹⁄₂₇. My husband and I bought tickets to the early seating and got there just as chef Gilbert was finishing his schpiel. If you don’t know, the chefs, or vatos, that run this pop up have pretty impressive histories. One was a chef at French Laundry while another was at Hollywood’s Spago before both working together at Shirokiyas Vintage Cave. So needless to say, my hubby and I both had high hopes for this dinner.
We started cafeteria style grabbing a tray with queso fundido (melted cheese with chorizo– which because it had been premade had cooled and stuck to the cardboard cup it was served in), fresh salsa, a couple corn tortillas (cold), some roasted corn salsa (consistency felt more like a soup), home made Chips, rice, mama’s potatoes (sweet and non), and one sope. We were able to choose between chicken and lengua. On the promos and even the menu it said two sopes would be served, but everyone only got one, my hubby was disappointed.
My favorite items were the mama’s potatoes, the corn salsa/​soup, and the sope. I had never tried lengua (beef tongue) before, and thought tonight was the night. I pushed all thoughts of french kissing a cow aside and enjoyed the well seasoned tender meat.
For dessert there was a trio of Arroz con leche (Mexican rice pudding), Churro with chocolate dipping sauce, and a cookie to take home. Unfortunately none of the desserts blew me away, the best one was the churro.
I loved the little details of the night. The ability to talk to the chefs as you picked up your food, the Lanikai brewing keg that had a donations jar, the jenga game that If you dropped a piece you took a shot of tequila, and the duo playing live music outside as we ate. All this, and the horchata chef Gilbert offered my husband and i, added up to a 4 star experience. Unfortunately the food quality and presentation (queso being so cold it stuck to the sides of the serving dish and Arroz con leche so hot I burned my mouth on it) would have been more of a 3 star. I guess I expected more from them, but it is only their 3^rd pop up and it’s hard to serve certain dishes all at once without wait staff. I hope they work out the kinks cause it’s a great idea and they are great guys.

Is good and I think I will have to give another chance to see if I can bump up to four stars. Food is solid and seems fresh and yummy. Had the beef taco which was good — like their sauce that comes with papas fritas better than their hot sauce which is a bit on the sweet side. Also had head cheese carnitas which just means meat from face. Anyhow nice flavor to pork. Also had the fried avocado which was fine but seems kinda gimmicky to me — it tastes exactly how u think a battered deep fried avocado w slaw on top will taste. Good but not mind blowing. Papas fritas good too.
Negatives was the slow service — had to wait a long time to just even place order even though no one in front of me. The server was perfectly pleasant and then when he brought out our food was even friendly. But he seemed busy for the lunch rush which didn’t even seem that busy. Glad they have outdoor benches and tables under shade. We were lucky that we snagged two for such a big group.
So much construction around that no sidewalks to walk on and dusty and noisy. But seems like they’re really trying to make that area up and coming and trendy. Already I love bevy next door.
I def wanna try another day and see how I like it. They should get heir liquor license and serve dos Equis or coronas. That would be so great.
$ 40 for five tacos, two papas fritas, one fried avocado and a coke including tip. I think that’s pretty decent. Might get burrito next time — those seemed quite big and filling.

Hi! My name is Lesley and I’m from the south. I like fried everything and if you top it with cole slaw my Daddy will give you my hand in marriage or something like that. Holy smokes! Fried avocado with cole slaw? Whoever decided to do this was genius. Yes I love tacos. I ordered the chicken mole taco and the beer braised beef. The beef being way better of the two, and the corn tacos was amazing. They didn’t fall apart even though the juiciness of the meet usually would. But let’s get back to fried avocado. Growing up in MO we fry everything. Snickers, twinkles, frog legs, pickles, you name if we fry it. Why I never thought of avocado is beyond me… Definitely impressed.
Street parking is available. There is some. Bring your change for the meters. There are limited spots due to the construction of the building.
They take credit cards too. :) Dress light or you may be sweaty when you leave here. I unfortunately did not dress appropriately today.

BYOB
OUTDOOR DINING
pretty Basic menu
Taste and quality was there, only disappointment was how small their Elote (corn) was.

Great mexican food! Might be the best on the island.
Atmosphere: Quaint place in Kakaako. Some picnic tables outside.
Service: Order at the counter and they’ll bring out the food to you. Excellent suggestions by the cashier. Accepts all major credit cards. Street parking available.
Food: We tried the head cheese tacos, which were full of flavor solid onion, cilantro, pork, cheese, and orange. The fried avocado salad was also very tasty rich and balanced by the fresh cole slaw on top. The papas fritas also had a unique dipping sauce which tasted like a mix of ketchup and bbq.
Intangibles: My new favorite for best mexican!

Cocina is Mexican hipster happiness. Eat your beer braised beef and your jalapeño yogurt from a metal tray while you sit at a communal table and dine al fresco.
I enjoyed the Headcheese Carnitas Tacos. The pork had craveable crispy edges, the toppings were fresh and flavorful, and the corn tortillas were nice and thin. The Chicken Mole Burrito was less successful for me. You can tell they use quality ingredients like guac and fresh chicken, but the flavors and soft textures muddle together resulting in a bean-​y, sweet burrito. The taco version might be better. The Papas Fritas are also good. The potato wedges were deep fried, topped with bits of salty, tangy, garlicky cheese and served with homemade ketchup.
BYOB. In the early evening, when it’s cool and still light enough to sit outside, this is a great place to hangout with friends, drink beer and eat tacos.

Went here tonight for the first time. Everything was SO good. Prices are so cheap. And Monday is free margarita night?! It’s also BYOB.
Now onto the food:
«Tree Hugger» vegetarian taco $ 3 (you can also get this as a burrito for $ 8). Soooo good. Flavor is amazing. Lots of mushrooms and cilantro!
Fish tacos (2 for $ 9) ummm need I say more? So fresh. So yummy!
Fried avocado $ 7 omg it’s a large half of an avocado that is deep fried in a light crispy batter and topped with their homemade cole slaw. Omg so good!
Papas Fritas $ 5 this was seriously the best fries ever. Served with chipotle ketchup. Yes please.
3 tacos, 2 appetizers, & a margarita for $ 24?! Where else can you find such great quality with low prices?! Also the waiter/​cashier was very friendly & helpful. So good that I am considering going back tomorrow. Lol.

TACOS AND BURRITOS WITH A SIDE OF SMOKY HAIR
I love Mexican food so went here on the recommendation of Unilocalers. This place is a take-​out, hole-​in-​the-​wall off Keawe St. with out door seating but prices were that of a sit down restaurant. First thing you experience when you walk in is an overwhelmingly smoky grill– and not a good kind of smoke, more like a burnt, call the fire department smoke. I almost couldn’t breath! I suffered the rest of the day as my hair soaked in the smoky smell and followed me the rest of the day. The menu is extremely small and dishes are not run of the mill Mexican dishes– don’t expect cheesy, savory burritos and tacos– there’s a twist to each item. For instance, the chicken burrito comes with a pineapple pico and the fish tacos come with a stewed tomato and olive relish. So I didn’t exactly feel like I got my Mexican fix, but the food was good.
Beer Braised Beef Burrito — Could not detect any beer flavor. Very strong acidic-​stewed tomato flavors. Very little queso cheese. Average sized burrito and does not come with beans and rice.
Fish Tacos — Fish was perfectly cooked with a nice hard sear on the outside. I’m used to fish tacos with some sort of crème with cabbage. This one came with stewed tomatoes and olive and had a nice kick to it. Very messy to eat. Tacos were extremely small (refer to picture). Size comparable to a credit card. These were $ 9 and also didn’t come with beans and rice.
Side Potatoes — Quartered and fried yukon potatoes with spicy seasonings and sprinkled with queso. This thing was horrible. Would not recommend.
Chips and Salsa — You need to pay extra for this, but the chips were freshly fried and salsa was very good!
In all, when I think of Mexican street food, I think of smoky, bursts of flavor and spice laced with melting cheese. This was not it and for a hole-​in-​the-​wall, it was TOO EXPENSIVE.

¡Olé la comida Mexicana es muy delicioso, con matices de sabor regional!
Sorry, I don’t speak Spanish nor conjugate sentence structure well but, I have to say that dining at Cocina will get you wanting to become bi– or multi-​lingual. The folks here feature Mexican cuisine with a little bit of fusion (Tex-​Mex) or tweaks to it. Maybe it’s hipster Mexican?! Well, whatever you want to call the style, it’s DELISH!
We came here to dine before going to the CMYE HOT Preview: The Flying Dutchman. This was our first time, although, we’ve passed by several times on our way to other venues. Our draw tonight was Taco Tuesday (which we missed because we were too early) but, the food was downright amazing! This restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating à la community tables. They don’t serve alcoholic beverages but, you can just go down the block to the convenient liquor store to pick up your own «poison», er, beverages. However, if you want to keep in the non-​alcohol mode, Cocina offers daily agua fresca, Mexican Coca-​Cola and Jarritos (Mexican soda).
Being that this was our first time here and we were waiting for a fellow Unilocal friend, we started with chips and salsa. The chips were served freshly fried and salted with a salsa that was delightfully refreshing. The salsa wasn’t your typical salsa fresca that is chunky or just chopped tomatoes and cilantro. Nooo, it was fresh tasting but its consistency was like a thick purée. The tortilla chips were thicker than what we’ve eaten before but it held up well when dipping into the thick salsa. It was very tasty.
By the time our friend arrived, we jumped to place our orders because we were told that it might be a wait for our food to be prepared if the kitchen gets overwhelmed. We ordered hibiscus drinks to quench our thirst and accompany the food. We also shared our dishes with each other so we’d all get a taste of each dish.
THE FOOD:
— Two locally caught fresh fish tacos: street vendor sized tacos featuring grilled locally-​caught fresh fish with salsa Vera Cruz, capers, green onions, jalapeños, and drizzled with yogurt. Each taco was served with two soft tortillas so you could actually make 4 tacos out of the serving. The fish was delicate while its condiments matched as well piqued natural flavors.
— Two house made headcheese carnitas tacos: 2 street vendor sized soft tacos with house made charcuterie headcheese, poblano chilie-​orange relish, pickled jalapeños, and Cotija cheese. These tacos were very flavorful, not spicy, but just tasty. I’d return just for these!
— Tortuguesa: is not your typical hamburger in a bun. This dish was made up of a grilled locally-​raised Kulana beef patty, avocado purée, picked jalapeños, grilled onions, Tex-​Mex cheese, house ketchup and topped with a sunny side up egg. This burger was served between a torta roll and to eat it, you had to «prepare» to be a bit messy. You should first burst the egg yolk to allow it deliver its eggy rich sauce all-​over, place the top of the torta roll right over the egg, cut the burger in half or just go for it by picking up the whole sandwich and bite into its luxurious flavors. We liked the flavor of the burger as it was grilled to its perfect doneness and melded well with the rest of the flavors.
— Frijoles charros: this was a bowl of tastebud unctuousness. These pinto beans were nice and creamy when bit into yet still held their form without looking like mush. There were chunks of smoked trotter meat that added that flavor layer of saltiness and smokiness, and finally, the pickled jalapeños did its magic of adding a bit of vinegarness and spice. The beans were rich and fillng and I could only eat a soup spoonful. This was «Flavor Town» in a bowl!
— Papas fritas: fried potato wedges tossed with toasted garlic, Tajin (Mexican seasoning made from Mexican chilies, lime and salt), queso fresco, and habanero ketchup. These fried potatoes were tasty and served fresh out from the kitchen but, because I’m not really a deep fried food eater, I would say that it’s not something that I’d order again. My husband and friend said that they would…
— Fried avocado with creamy Valentina slaw: admittedly we were a bit skeptical at first, but, this appetizer/​small plate was the BOMB! This dish hit us on all points – flavor, texture, portion size, presentation and aroma. I was expecting a beer-​battered avocado half but instead got a light tempura fried avocado half filled with a slaw that was not overly vinegary or slogged down with mayonnaise. The cabbage was still a bit crunchy, too. Cutting into this dish was a treat… you could crack the light battered crust then your knife slid right through the ripe avocado half like butter! The flavors and textures were just amazing. Um, okay, I’d order this one again and NOT share. Haha.
If you’re in the Kaka’ako area and up for Mexican cuisine with a twist, great service and casual ambiance, come on and try Cocina.