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    Cocina Hijole Maria

    4.7 (257 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Cocina Hijole Maria Photos

    COCINA HIJOLE MARIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Cocina Hijole Maria

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    I just had dinner at Cocina Hijole Maria in Concord and it was one of the best restaurant experiences I've had in a long time. Before I even walked in, Chris greeted me outside and took the time to explain the story behind the restaurant. He shared that it was opened by a mother and son who are the chefs, and that everything is made from their own family recipes. His kindness, enthusiasm, and willingness to answer questions immediately made me feel welcome. The restaurant itself has a warm, inviting atmosphere. Both the indoor and outdoor seating areas feel comfortable and welcoming, almost like you're being invited into someone's home. The location is great too, just steps from Todos Santos Plaza. After a long day working out of town, sitting outside with the soccer game on was exactly what I needed. The food was exceptional. I ordered two crispy chicken tinga tacos, a lightly fried fish taco, a side of spicy jalapeños, fresh guacamole made to order, and their homemade masa tortillas were outstanding. You can taste the difference when food is made from scratch. The Peruvian beans were creamy and flavorful, the rice was perfectly cooked, and every bite tasted like someone genuinely cared about what they were serving. The chips were thick and crispy, served with their house salsa. I also tried their spicy house salsa and an incredible salsa made with seven different chiles and other ingredients that was absolutely mouthwatering. To drink, I ordered their spicy mezcal margarita, made from a house recipe infused with honey, fruit, and jalapeño. It was balanced, flavorful, and one of the best mezcal cocktails I've had. The best way I can describe the experience is this: remember when Julia Child became emotional tasting Nancy Silverton's dessert on Baking with Julia because it was so good? That's honestly how I felt eating this food. Not because it was fancy, but because everything tasted homemade, authentic, and crafted with care. The secret ingredient here is love. If you're looking for delicious homemade Mexican food, a welcoming family atmosphere, and people who truly care about what they're serving, Cocina Hijole Maria is absolutely worth a visit.

    Claudia S.

    The best Mexican food and drinks around this area. Amazing shrimp tacos on Saturdays !

    Birria tacos and torta
    Christy T.

    I am so impressed by this little restaurant! We came on a weekday and it was pretty busy. The team was so attentive and answered all our Qs about the menu. I like that it's a very short menu for their dinner options! There's actually a pretty long breakfast menu so definitely something I want to check out in the future. The birria tacos and torta we got were incredible! There's a decent amount of indoor or outdoor seating on their covered patio. My only little complaint is the fire pit thing (?) in the center of some of the outdoor tables that takes up so much room - maybe it would be worth it to have a different set up/layout. With so many choices of Mexican restaurants in Concord, this is such a great addition and probably one of the best!

    Pastor and chicharrón tacos
    Mariela V.

    Free chips and salsa that are tasty. All the tacos were really good! We tried the Al pastor, tinga, chicharrón, and quesabirrias. The birria and broth was REALLY good, as were the Al pastor and chicharrón tacos. I expected the chicharrón tacos to be a dry/crunchy meat as chicharron usually is, but I was pleasantly surprised when it came out nicely seasoned and cooked with some sort of sauce? Also really liked the pickled onion they serve on the side and the homemade tortillas really gave the tacos a home made taste.

    Deirdre P.

    Really great spot. Handmade tortillas. Everything we ordered was delicious. Loved the salsas and totally homemade. The mango Fresca was refreshing. Service was wonderful. They put together a table for 5 for us very quickly. Will totally come back when in the area.

    Mulitas
    Robin L.

    I was a little late to discovering this place, but honestly better late than never. I ordered the Muletas and ended up having three because they were that good. I tried the chorizo, chicken tinga, and al pastor, all paired with delicious beans and rice. Everything was so well done. The service really stood out. Even on a busy Saturday night with limited staff, the team was incredibly prompt, attentive, and genuinely caring. You can tell they work really well together, which made the whole experience even better. I sat outside with a large group, and the space was roomy and comfortable--perfect for a night out. The menu might be small, but every item is executed so well, it doesn't need to be big. Also, the drinks were amazing. The house-made RumChata and Palomas were absolutely delicious. I can't wait to come back. Plus, it's a small, family-owned business, so definitely show them some love!

    Birria tacos

    We came in for dinner on a weeknight and were immediately greeted by one of the staff who was running an order to the patio. We all ordered something different: birria tacos, chicken and asada street tacos, fried quesadilla and the special for the evening--lightly breaded and fried sea bass with rice and salad. We all enjoyed our meals and the flavors were great. The menu is small but I think that speaks to their specialty--everything was so well done. I love that their menu told their story. Couple with the warm service and cozy ambiance, dining here felt like an extension of their home and family. I will be back for fish and shrimp tacos!

    Xochi A.

    Came for the Fish Tacos but they are a Friday ONLY special. The inside is super small with just a couple of tables (5) but they have outside seating. However, this is my 2nd time here now and it's the second time I felt compelled to write a review. i got the FRIED QUESADILLA with grilled chicken and it was amazing! It's not greasy like you might assume. It's nicely proportioned with the other ingredients, lettuce, tomato, meat, crema & cotija. Nice size and price at $9, and has a great cheese pull! It comes with green salsa & pickled red onions on the side. The shell is made fresh. A must try. I wanted to come for the chilaquiles earlier but didn't make it. Breakfast stops at 2p but I will be back! Oh, and the service is great. One of those "be right with you", "is everything ok?" kinda places.

    3 plates tacos: pastor, asada and fish plus mulita and side of guac
    Kimberly N.

    Finally got to try Cocina Hijole Maria, and this place lived up to the expectations! The restaurant is located on Colfax Street. It is small, but they have a lovely patio. During the summer, it would be perfect to spend summer nights. It was busy and we had to wait a little bit to get seated. The staff was very attentive and checked on us frequently while we waited. They also checked on us several times during our dinner and kept bringing us refills. They were amazing! There were a lot of people inside, the music was great, and the atmosphere was fantastic. Now for the food, these were some of the best tacos I've ever had! Everything tastes very homemade and authentic. This is not a regular Mexican restaurant. The menu is small, but every dish is exceptional. -I ordered the 3 street tacos dish 5/5: pastor, asada, and fish tacos. The fish taco was my favorite but the flavor on the pastor and asada steak was also delicious! My husband had the same dish with the same tacos and he loved them! Each taco has a lot of meat, and we were very full after finishing them. -We also shared an Asada Mulita 4/5, and this was good, but the best were the tacos. It was a bit heavy for us but we were also very full by the time we ate it. It comes with two tortillas, cheese, meat, cilantro, and onions. -Guac, Salsa, and chips 5/5: delicious and homemade! The salsa and chips are complimentary. The salsa tastes fresh and tasty, and the chips are freshly made. We ordered the guac on the side and it was very flavorful. We also had the guac with our tacos. -Agua Frescas 5/5: horchata and watermelon. Both have lots of flavor, are not too sweet, and are very refreshing. Several people had cocktails and I would love to come back to try them. Overall, the experience and the food were extraordinary. I am very excited to have this place in Concord. Give them a try if you are in the area. You won't be disappointed!

    Margarita
    Jamie L.

    This place is the real deal! Not a large menu but they don't need it when the dishes are done so well. I enjoyed the mole chicken enchiladas and the Hijole Pineapple margarita. Fantastic combination of spicy and sweet. Chips and salsa are homemade. The service is amazing. It's a cozy space but it works. Make this one place in the area you frequent

    Tacos!
    David C.

    Fantastic family run resturaunt. Mom cooks, son was mixing cocktails. You can tell! Mu quesabierra was really tasty. I would come back for these. The other order was their unusual but really tasty and satisfying fried quesidia. My Aztec Old Fashioned was great. We will be back!

    Fried quesadilla with Chicharonnes
    Elaine R.

    Our group left service was bad this time around. We let them know of our group and no one came out. We went in 3x asking for order or at least water. The last time we checked in no one was inside the restaurant (no workers). That was our signal to go. Sad our first visit was great not sure what happened.

    Combo torta
    Donna T.

    Stopped in after shopping at the mall for a quick dinner and was pleasantly surprised. The small but mighty restaurant was packed on a Sunday evening with most patrons sitting at the bar. The server kindly explained the menu options to use and provided complimentary chips and salsa which we happily ate up. -Horchata: my fave horchata consistency which is sweet but not overwhelmingly so, creamy, and you can taste hints of the rice. -Combo torta: this came was a bunch of toppings I can't remember including chorizo. Bread was good. It was also huge. We enjoyed it and took half home. -Chicken Tinga fried quesadilla: I really liked this! Super flavorful and the corn tortilla was handmade and had the perfect crunch since it's deep fried unlike your traditional quesadilla. It was also a generous portion. Their salsas are really good too. I hope you expand soon because it was a full house but for good reason. Next time, I'll try the cocktails.

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    11 days ago

    Food is bland and limited options, service is decent, but the workers are kind and ambiance is nice

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    13 days ago

    Hands down, absolutely the best Mexican food around. Period family owned and operated.

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    Cocina Hijole Maria Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Cocina Hijole Maria

    Are dogs allowed in the patio area?

    From what I've seen, dogs are usually fine on the patio as long as they're friendly, not barking, and kept close on a leash. It only seems to be an issue when dogs are on long leashes or inconveniencing customers

    Where can I find the happy hour menu?

    They have a happy hour drink special only. From 5-7

    Can you get a wheelchair into the restaurant?

    Yes it is wheelchair accessible

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    If you want the authentic Greek experience, fly to Greece. But if you're craving delicious Greek…read morefood closer to home, head over to Elia in Walnut Creek, it might just save you the cost of a plane ticket while still amazing your taste buds. We started with the crispy zucchini appetizer, which was the perfect crunchy beginning to the meal. The salad was light and refreshing, and the burrata with figs was a sweet and surprisingly delicious combination, not something I would normally order, but absolutely worth trying. For our entrée, we shared the chicken skewers with rice and salad, and it was more than enough for two girls reminiscing about our fun college days. The atmosphere and décor were vibrant and inviting, especially sitting outside on a gorgeous sunny day. Parking was easy with a nearby garage, or if you're lucky, you can grab street parking. We skipped dessert only because we had our eyes set on bundt cakes down the street, but I'm sure the desserts here are just as wonderful. This is the perfect spot for fresh food, good vibes, and a relaxing afternoon or evening. There's even a theater nearby, making it a great dinner-and-a-movie destination all within walking distance. I loved the food, the customer service was excellent, and I cannot wait to return. Thank you, Elia!

    We walked in on a Saturday evening and this place was poppin. Luckily there were tables available…read moreand so we decided to eat here. The food and vibes were delicious! I really liked my lobster bucatini. The coconut ceviche was very fresh, not too sour and tart. My friend got the filet mignon skewers, and those were okay. We both got a drink as well. Service was friendly enough. The only thing that's rubbing me the wrong way is what we were charged on our bill. I am 100% sure I rounded my bill to $XX.00 because that's what I like to do, but when I saw the charge it was different. I am also sure I did not pay the exact amount as my friend (confirmed because she did the exact 18% rec), so to find out we both got charged the same amount.....very sus. I of course already threw away the receipt, but recalculating our meal...We definitely did not spend $100.67 each...So just be aware when you check your statement!! SKETCH!!!

    Photos
    Main dining room
    Main dining room
    Complimentary bread with olive oil
    Complimentary bread with olive oil
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