I really loved this place: bright and open, it's incredibly inviting. The staff was warm and welcoming (thanks Sofia!) and helped us navigate the menu. We especially enjoyed how conversation-friendly it was here. If you're looking to catch up with a friend, this is a great option! As for the menu, you'll find both Mexican and Ecuadorian options. Starting with the beverage offerings, you'll see many flavors of Jarritos, agua frescoes, and some Ecuadorian sodas. I tried the Tropical, which was delicious. Pink and fruity, it was not too sweet and had a little dose of je ne sais quoi. I really liked it! I saw empanadas on the menu, and while I have had them before, never have I ever seen them served with sugar. Of course we ordered them. They were awesome. Exactly the right balance of crisp and tender, the pastry was a delight. (Definitely sprinkle a little sugar on it.) The salty cheese provided a satisfying little cheese pull and went beautifully with the sugar, too. They also go great with the hot sauce, which is a must-have. It's acidic and bright from the vinegar and has a satisfying heat that tickles the tongue and goes great on everything. The plato vegetariano was the epitome of simple and satisfying: potatoes in a delicious and herby sauce; a fresh salad of lettuce, onion, and tomato; a fried slice of plantain; a mound of perfectly-cooked rice; and a cup of beans. It was comforting without being heavy. The dessert menu featured familiar favorites and one that was completely new to me: higos con queso. While I went with the flan, I did get to sneak a bite of this unusual and intriguing dessert: the figs are poached but retain their firmness and are served with a firm and salty cheese. The figs and cheese come with the poaching liquid, which is not sweet but also not quite savory--it's got quite a depth of flavor and makes for a truly unique dish. I recommend it if you prefer to end your meal with something that isn't super sweet. (If, on the other hand, you prefer a more traditional dessert, the flan here is lovely: a bit sturdier than some you may have had, it's got the right blend of sweet and caramelized--it was just right!) Street parking is available nearby, but if you come later in the evening, it will probably park up. This is a great choice for families and friends! read more

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The first time we went was around 6:15pm on a Sunday evening. It was not crowded at all. There is a small shared parking lot a few stores down the block, and seems to be fairly handicapped accessible. Inside there is a small bar, and 2 TVs that had soccer on with the sound turned off. There was some music playing but it was not too loud, very easy to hear conversation. The restaurant is very clean and family owned. Our server was very friendly, as was every other employee. We ordered Empanadas De Carne for an appetizer. They came out quickly, as did the rest of our food. They were good and came with a habanero sauce which was delicious. I am a wimp when it comes to spice, but I kept putting little dabs of it on my food because it tasted so good. My partner used it on everything and even scraped the bowl out with his chips. My partner ordered a Burrito with roast pork. When it came it was very big, plenty of value for the money, and the flavor was AMAZING. The pork was juicy and so very flavourful. It was delicious. He also ordered a horchata. I am not usually a fan of horchata, but he is. I tasted the horchata and I loved it. It was very creamy and had plenty of cinnamon. I ordered the sopes barbacoa. Again, lots of food for the money. I have never had sopes before, but they were so good. The barbacoa was juicy and again, so very flavourful. We will definitely be back, many times I am sure. read more

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Yummy food and service! Didn't feel too stuffed afterwards! Really enjoyed the atmosphere! Would recommend!

I am always trying to find a good latino restaurant, so when I encountered this one I was immediately impressed. They had a variety of food that gives you options to select, but also isn't overwhelming. When I first walked in I was greeted by a waiter who sat me down. The workers kept the place in a happy atmosphere, even when it got busy. I'm honestly impressed with the entire restaurant as a whole! read more

Food was ok. Tamales wasn't like other tamales I've had; small and kinda gelatinous- meat wasn't that seasoned. Good pricing for lunch specials. Small cute atmosphere. There was only one server for lunch so service very slow. I wouldn't recommend if you were on a time crunch for lunch. read more

This place is so great! Awesome agua de Maracuya! I will be recommending this place to anyone I come across read more

First time here and we came 45 minutes to closing so the staff was a little rushing for us to order and be done with our meal. I'm used to a little more hospitable service when it comes to non "American" restaurants where even if you came in close to the closing time that they are happy to see you patronizing their restaurant. The food was good, flavorful, with a little spice and not too salty. This is the first Mexican/Hispanic restaurant that I've been to where they didn't offer chips and salsa for starters. The price was reasonable and the place was clean. It wasn't busy granted it was 45 minutes till they close. I would come back again for the fried rice. That was the very tasty! read more

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Straight up bussin in my tummy. Yum yum, I sure enjoyed that culinary experience. If anyone wants to hangout sometime let me know.

Amazing Food and service; staff is super friendly. Food was so delicious , I love their bistec a caballo.

Wasn't served the beginning water with ice. Ordered a fried calamari that is way over priced for a small upsetting plate of calamari that doesn't taste as good as other places I have gone to. In my experience and opinion it really isn't worth it, getting the calamari appetizer it all tasted rubbery plain bland and not very tasteful. But this is my opinion idk how others would feel cause they go off on based of your looks that's pretty upsetting cause they don't treat every customer right . read more

Cocina Latina - Calamari - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Customer Service: hospitable, kind, friendly, & genuine. The server told me how long the order would be and was very attentive. When I had questions, another server was kind enough to help me than having me wait. Food: I ordered their chicken enchiladas with green sauce which comes with beans and rice on the side; one order of soft shell chicken tacos with came with 3 per order - everything was flavorful! Their portions were just right! Their green sauce is absolute fire!!! I will order extra next time! Ambience: it was clean & well put, did not appear messy. There are 2 big screen TVs on opposite sides of the room with the sports channel on while I was there, a cute bar with several wine options and hard liquor. Overall: I really enjoyed it, from the service to the food! PS: There is also sidewalk seating! read more

Can I be honest? I worry about these guys. Next door to Boludo, you know. But the food is good, they leave you alone to hang out, the wait staff is good at their jobs. You genuinely don't need anything else. Get a bunch of apps, stay awhile! I love these guys. read more

Authentic Mexican just of 35W in Minneapolis. I took my Father and a friend here after landing at the airport. We were the only "gringos" there on a Friday evening--which we took as a good sign. After having Mexican food in San Diego, it was decent but not great. The house salsas were medium to spicy and decent enough. The chips seemed fairly fresh. The vegetable platter was decent but seemed a bit overpriced for basically beans, potatoes, and rice ($14). My Father had the beef tacos and thought they were pretty tasty. My friend had the ceviche and loved it. Overall, a worthwhile low-key Mexican dining experience! read more

Cocina Latina - Chips And Salsa - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Burrito has no customization options. You just choose what meat you want, and they give you a small, sad burrito with the meat, some cheese, hot lettuce, and eventually you get to the rice and beans and what seemed to be guacamole. They also don't notify you when your takeout order is ready. read more

Excellent, authentic food, fresh flavors. The steak enchiladas and chicken tamales were perfect. Go for the Coke, bottled in Mexico, made with cane sugar not high fructose syrup! Last but not least, awesome service - Kevin! read more

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BEWARE OF PRICING - I am Colombian and was craving Latin food. The food was good and the waiter was nice. What was outrageous was the pricing of the extras. My daughter ordered a side of grilled chicken to go with her kids' quesadilla, and that was $7.99. My son ordered 2 sides of avocado. Each one consisted of two small slides equivalent to one fourth of an avocado. Each was priced at $3.99. Hence I paid $7.98 before taxes for half an avocado, putting the pricing of one avocado at 15.96. Of course restaurants apply a mark-up, but in this case, it was absurd enough that I am sharing via this review read more

Nice little spot for a Sunday lunch. The menu has a variety of options to choose from and you have the option of sitting inside or outside with a nice street view. I had the steak flautas, they were okay just a little too much chunks of fat in them for my taste. I would come back to try their caldo de res but if there is something you MUST try is their empanadas- SO FREAKIN GOOD! The sauce that comes with it is absolutely delicious. read more

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Cocina Latina is a bright, warm, attractive space. Service is very welcoming and gracious. I met a friend for lunch the other day. Were started with some excellent, chunky, very fresh guacamole and chips. Served with two very good homemade salsas. The creamy orange hot sauce was particularly good with a depth of flavor and a robust punch. I ordered the Mar y Mar plate (fried tilapia and grilled shrimp) with rice and beans. The tender, flaky fish was lightly battered and the shrimp nicely charred. The accompanying rice was not the usual "tex/mex" style but was a hearty and suitable side with the seafood. My friend had the Parrillada Latina ("Latin" grilled meat platter: beef, pork, sausage, crackling, fried green and sweet plaintain). A mountainous plate appealing to your inner carnivore. The refreshing unsweetened iced tea is served with a wedge of lime instead of lemon. A nice twist (pun intended). read more

Great service and delicious food. A nice cuisine-mix of three countries, Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico! came here after visiting the Basilica of Saint Mary and downtown Minneapolis, my dad, my husband and I. It was my father's last day in town. We tried Lomo de cerdo asado, Pechuga de pollo al grill and Churrasco..... everything was so tasty delicious! Sylvia was our very attentive and informative server. She gave us the background history. ~ Today was our second visit, August 23 rd, 2019. We sat at the bar, wanted to try something different, my husband doesn't drink alcohol and we asked for NA beer, Carla said that some people already asked but they don't have any, but next time they will. Come on manager you need to be on top of customer needs! Hopefully you guys will consider all types of customers! read more

Cocina Latina - My dad enjoying his last day in Minneapolis. - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Enjoyed our dinner here. Nothing really special about this restaurant but it seemed popular for a Tuesday evening. There was a soccer game on while we ate. Service was very good - very good nacho bowl with sauces and guac, and our food came pretty quickly. I had steak flautas and a jarritos. We also had grilled camarones and a margarita (that was nice!) I liked my flautas but I had expected bits of steak, not ground beef. It was good anyway and very filling! Side of refried beans and salad. read more

Cocina Latina - Flautas, Rice And Beans, Ensalada - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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The Chaulafan is pretty tasty but I don't know that it's worth the price ($16) the portion was decent but still not worth that price. It's noted as having chicken, pork, beef & shrimp. I only see 5 shrimp and two small pieces of beef. Where's all the other meat!?! The waitress was nice and atmosphere was also nice. read more

Cocina Latina - Chaulafan rice w/beef, chicken, pork & shrimp. - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

SO. GOOD. Extremely flavorful and very nice portions. I would skip the horchata as it was too sweet but the savory is to die for We had a plantain dish with a stew and fresh ceviche. All the flavors meshed really well and everything was authentic and adventurous read more

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I love the Tacos here! They are always lovely when I come on a Tuesday and make delicious foods. The Champagne is amazing. read more

Cocina Latina - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Our daughter recommended meeting hear for dinner. All the good reviews for this place are well founded. Great chicken enchiladas w/ salsa verde and pork tamales. Loved the cheese empanadas. Only critique (NBD), they played the same song our whole time there. We heard it 30 times. read more

five out of five stars easy! i wish i would've taken a pic of our food but we demolished it right away... from the food to the service, this place was great. will be back and highly recommend! read more

Never disappointed with my meals at Cocina Latina. We ordered take out today and needless to say we had no leftovers! The food is so flavorful and we appreciate their menu with a variety of options! I love the burrito & my boyfriend is obsessed with the mar y mar! We got the chaulafan as well because our son loves this rice!!! make sure to continue supporting small businesses like this restaurant! read more

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It was just ok. We couldn't get a spot at Hola Arepa so wandered in here hoping for some comfort food. We were slow to be greeted despite the restaurant being nearly empty. Service was good once we were greeted. I found the menu to be confusing- three different cultures and options felt all over the place, menu descriptions were minimal. We ordered guac, enchiladas and a taco salad. The food was marginal. My taco salad ended up being $20 after subbing shrimp instead of red meat and adding some avocado. I think for $10 I would have been satisfied with it but $20... no. It was soggy and the shell wasn't crunchy. The enchiladas were just ok. We won't be back unfortunately. The staff seemed nice but there are too many better food options within a few miles. read more

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. read more

Cocina Latina - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Ordered a churassco 12 oz paid $18 and came home notices how slim the steak was , so I just happened to have a table scale right there put the steak on the scale and weighs out to an 8 oz steak, I called and spoke to the owner an older lady and told her and showed her the picture and she told me we didn't get this steak there wtf? I got the bank transaction right here , I gave them I chance to make it up and the lady was sooo nasty I have the photo here for everyone to see what quality steak they are serving plus the weight is not 12 oz !! read more

Cocina Latina - Not a 12 oz churrasco , Frauds I wouldn't eat here again , nasty owner - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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 karaoke - 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 karaoke 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. read more

Cocina Latina - Tostadas with shrimp and extra avocado - Latin American Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Regular prices are a fair but the happy hour is fantastic! Food is authentic. However, of food was a bit bland (enchiladas). Service was mixed. One waitress was very kind but could not speak English. Therefore, the other server had to take care of every table. Finally, atmosphere was ok but the music was so quiet that it sapped the energy. It was very easy to hear everyone's conversations. The restaurant has lots of potential, but needs so tweaks to be an elite restaurant for its genre. read more

My wife and I had an Entertainment Book On line coupon for a 2 for one lunch at Cocina Latina, so we decided to use it on a brisk Minnesota Saturday. We entered the strip mall looking restaurant on the corner and it looked like they took over some other business and made it a restaurant. First thing I noticed was no tap beer, probably 5 stars if it had some taps flowin'. We chose a nice booth in the smallish establishment. The menus came out and it takes about 10 minutes to peruse all of the options, and they all look good. Our server came over and I ordered the chicken enchiladas and my wife got the shrimp tacos and tamales combo. After about ten minutes our food came out with a saucy creamy red colored salsa. I dropped a dollop on my food and the spice was intense and flavorful. It had quite an awesome kick. The re-fried beans looked a lot like the ones in Mexico, a lot saucier than American re-fried beans. They were slightly bland, but with the salsa they turned into a perfect melange of spicy and lentil soup like texture. The chicken enchiladas were chock full of large chunks and the red sauce was pretty bland, probably to fit the Norwegian taste buds, but is was perfect with a few dabs of their excellent salsa. There was a lot of rice on the side, which i didn't have a lot of, because I was already getting full after a couple enchiladas, but add the salsa, and BAM! Amazing rice. My wife said the shrimp tacos were amazing as well and we didn't even get to the tamales, because we were both pretty stuffed. So for 20 bucks including tip, we got about 4 meals worth of amazing authentic Mexican food. Our server was awesome as well. Very polite and attentive. Awesome place, but could use some taps of Dos Equis. read more

Good food overall They had really good plantains The sauce they provide that is orange is very very good There tamales are decent I like a little more masa in them then what they had but not bad Family friendly and a decent price for happy hour Also great quick service !! read more

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I really loved this place. I did Ubereats so I can't comment on the actual atmosphere or quality of staff. But I am optimistic. Anyways, long story short the food is awesome. It makes you feel like you're having super authentic food with decent portions and the flavor. Ohmygosh, it wasn't like overbearing spices, or very bland. Just in the middle where the way it was cooked and the little bit of spices spoke through every bite. Like everything from the saucing, to the potatoes, to the meats. Oh and the plantain. Must do. read more

This place is absolutely disgusting. We ordered chicken tacos with flour tortillas and they gave us corn. The chicken was absolutely disgusting dry like it's been sitting for three days. We ordered queso and it came with chunks of cheese that look like tofu on top of corn. We could not eat it..... My burrito came soaking wet like it was raw. I'm not quite sure how this place is even open but I called the owner and told him I would never order from them again! It does not even make sense how a place like this is in biz!!!!!!!! read more

Pork Enchiladas, get them with the green sauce. Lomito Saltado with french fries, and by with fries I don't mean on the side, I mean stir fried right into the dish. They have a good happy hour, where you can try various, interesting appetizers for a good price. read more

I love Mexican food and having grown up with it can be more judgmental. The place is quaint, service is good, and rapid. The atmosphere is family friendly; inviting you to come in, relax, and have a beer. They have a good beer selection and happy hour with good options. The portions are very large, especially if you get an entree. One of my absolute favorite thing is they offer red and green chile annnnnd you can have both on one dish! The street tacos are flavorful and they use corn tortillas which made me even happier! Great places for a relaxing dinner with friends and family read more

BEST ORCHATAAAAA EVERRRR !!!!! Food is authentic and very friendly environment ! Servers are nice. Would definitely recommend this place. read more

I had not visited here prior to the COVID pandemic, but have picked up lunch 4-5x now in the past 2 months and they have been fantastic. Food is ready within 10-15 min for pickup, the restaurant is super clean, masks (even before they were mandated) and really great staff. Food is excellent and well-priced. The pork is my favorite (in any of the dishes), and my wife, a vegetarian, loves both the chile relleno and huevos racnheros. Very good food and service. Recommend! read more

Good Latin food... it is more on the authentic side than tex mex... I think its over priced. Probably wont go back because of the prices. I got enchiladas and the house margarita (normal sized, not jumbo) and it was about $25 which I found pricey. Food was good, margarita was not. read more