TLDR: friendly staff but underwhelming flavors. The team at La Cocina De Maria are incredibly friendly and attentive. They're knowledgeable about the many items on the menu and kept our waters and chips topped up throughout the meal. The actual food wasn't as great. I tried some barbacoa street tacos and some fried fish tacos. Everything was fresh and well cooked but lacking in flavor - each dish could be seasoned a bit more. I'm hopeful for the restaurant, and I may try it again if they try new recipes or something different to season their food. read more

My steak burrito was ready very quickly. Gooey cheese, chewy and only mildly flavored steak, lots of starch flavor from the beans and rice. I do feel everything would have benefitted from salt, and I wish that as a dine-in customer my burrito had not come wrapped in to-go paper. To give you a sense of the ambiance: the Spanish-speaking cashier/cook was reading a book when I walked in, and the television on the wall was blaring a Spanish-language TV show. I was one of only two customers when I went for a Saturday lunch around 1p. The other customer was also conversing in Spanish with the front of house. I appreciated that a bottled green habanero sauce was at my table, along with Cholula. It helps add to the authenticity. All that said, maybe don't come here for the tex-mex. If I came back I'd try one of the five different kinds of tacos they offered. read more

La Cocina De Maria - Outside - Spanish Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

See all

Placed an order for delivery from one of the food delivery platforms. I saw this spot recommended on my doordash feed as I was browsing one day and I've never heard of it so thought I'd give it a try after reading the good reviews as well. I was a bit skeptical of trying a new place after a few taco places I tried the in past wasn't too good (flavor and quantity wise). I ordered the al pastor, carne, and chicken tacos and was pleasantly surprised. Each order came with 4 tacos and a little salsa cup. The salsa was absolutely delicious. It has the perfect amount of spice to compliment the tacos. Wish they provided more salsa as one little cup is not enough for 4 tacos. The orders also came with limes and radishes. The al pastor was my favorite and id order this again in the future. The pork was juicy and meat was tender. The chicken and steak were ok. read more

See all

We have been searching for real authentic tacos in the local area and we found it! The service is beyond amazing and the location is nice very convenient prices are good the staff is very kind and helpful! ORDER NOW!!! I'll try to post pics next time the food is good didn't even get a chance to take pics lol read more

It's always Taco'Clock as far as I'm concerned and there's some serious deliciousness happening over at La Cocina De Maria lemme tell you. First time here I went with the Barracoa and Carnita Street Tacos and was extremely satisfied with every tasty bite. So much so that I find myself drooling all over again as I write this, Lol.    Also just wanted to note the super nice family that owns and operates this business as they made me feel very welcomed throughout my entire visit. What this spot might lack in esthetically is easily overlooked by their overwhelming charm. Excelente gente sirviendo excelente comida.   So now with the menu embedded into my brain I'm already working on my next order. Gonna have to make another visit because It's almost getting to be "that time" again. Cheers to Taco'Clock!! Come And Get Your Munch On!! read more

La Cocina De Maria - Shake Hands with Delicious Street Tacos!! 2 Carnitas [L] and 2 Barracoa [R]!! - Spanish Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

Awesome hidden gem! If you ever been los tacos, no 1 in NYC. This is the place to go to to get that fix. Great tacos and food

I was struck by all the 5 star reviews for a place so close to home (heck, I used to live across the street), so I bookmarked this and used a dinner with my cousin as an excuse to pull the bookmark off my list. And off the list it goes! Ambiance: Nothing doing. A plain white interior, tile floor, a few tables. I chose one to wait for my cousin and a couple came in and sat right behind me. I no longer had room to push my chair back. The drink fridge wasn't all that full and the dessert fridge was out of everything except tiramisu (do not attempt to convince me that is Mexican). Service, despite what you all say, was not what I was expecting. For the length of time that they brought one dish at a time to the other table behind me, we had no service. My dinner arrived before my cousin's dinner, arrived before my side of guacamole. No bueno. It wasn't an especially long wait, but it was not short. To their credit, they worked hard to overcome any language barrier. Food, despite what you all say, is not going to draw me back. I got street tacos with three meats - tongue, barbacoa de res, and chorizo. The tongue was just chunks of tongue, the least flavorful and least textured version of tongue I've ever received. The barbacoa was rather dry and there wasn't a lot of it. The chorizo was fine, chorizo being what it is. I'm not convinced there was pico de gallo on there - there were onions and a few cilantro leaves, but I didn't really notice much else. Rice was very tasty, beans were beans. Guacamole was smashed fresh, and that I appreciate. The tacos were desperately dry without adequate moisture in the pico de gallo, so I needed the guac to make them edible. Oh, and I tried the horchata to drink, and it was watery. After the nice thick stuff I'm used to getting everywhere else - PASS! At the end, I was still going to give this place a decent rating, until I got the bill. My cousin's mole chicken, which seemed to be reasonably cocoa-infused and quite tender from what I could tell, rang up $16 when the menu said $18. Win. The tacos carried a $3 surcharge for the tongue (lengua), which is not expressed anywhere on the menu. Loss. For the amount you gave me, that's just robbery. And guacamole is listed on the menu as $4 but rang up $6. At least there the menu says items may not carry the price listed on the menu... okay, so really, you guys need to say something when we order an item with a different price. Verdict: Poor atmosphere, poor service, middling food. Go to Leyendas (still holding on in two locations) or Noches or any number of other Latin American Restaurants (notice that capitalization there) before you go here. One and done. read more

La Cocina De Maria - Menu side 1 - Spanish Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

See all

This place is absolutely delicious! Get the black bean dip and chips... you won't be disappointed.

Definitely a hidden gem! A very casual and homely place. Tried the al pastor tacos which were delicious. Pork was a bit chewy but great nonetheless. Make sure you get the guacamole too! read more

The food was very good! The only thing I don't like is that they don't have an online ordering app. Hopefully soon

Hidden Gem. Small quiet restaurant but the food was awesome. If you are in the Parsippany area and want authentic Mexican food, this is your place. read more

See all

Truly sooooo delicious. Run out here to try this spot the family that owns it is so cute. I came here visiting from LA so I've had lots of Mexican food. This is seriously UNBELIVABLY GOOD read more

Stopped here last night for dinner after finding this restaurant on google and was a little worried about the fact that there was one other person in the restaurant. So glad I stayed! I ordered the Tontas Tortas with steak and no mayo and was not disappointed! They were so amazing, i ate them within 10 minutes. Ate it so fast, I do not have a photo but definitely recommend! The guacamole as well, is one of the best I have ever had. Excellent service, and food was made fast. I will try to upload some photos of the restaurant that I took, but it is a quiet restaurant; great for friends, couples, families or just one person. 5/5, definitely recommend! read more

See all

Authentic, delicious food and very friendly service. I had the chicken soup and it was really good. Looking forward to returning soon.

Excellent Excellent Excellent ! Wow stopped in early on a Saturday night and we were greeted by Emily. Super nice and friendly and great customer service. I was wanting to try all of their taco selection so Emily, made arrangements with the kitchen to plate up a selection of Steak, Barbados, Pollo, Al Pastor, and Carnitas. These were some of the best tasting tacos I've experienced outside of Mexico. A gentleman from behind the counter came over and talked with us and told us about all of his fresh salsas that he makes. He brought over a selection of 5 different salsas, They were all amazing and so fresh. Don't let this little building underestimate the quality of the food...... I'll highly recommend. read more

La Cocina De Maria - Spanish Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

Ok, I almost didn't stop here. I pulled up an hour before they closed and there was a total of 0 people dining (red flag for sure). I put it in reverse and went to back out - but - decided it was late and just needed to grab something quickly on the way to the hotel. Felt like a tostada, so ordered the three tostadas plate and waited patiently. The lady serving was friendly and kind. Ok, so I didn't know it at the time, but it was served in two increments. First the plate of food was placed down and it looked fresh and tasty. Then the heavens opened and a dove came down and placed this little dish of green heavenly deliciousness next to the plate. At first I gave it the "eye of caution," as most would with a small little dish of what looks like green tomatillo sauce. My first thought was "I'll just taste it and set it to the side." I dipped my fork in it, tasted it, and my eyes opened wide. Oh. My. Goodness. I dumped it on my tostado. Yes, dumped. It had creaminess, freshness, a little heat, but a depth of flavor that's typically not there with Mexican food. I love Mexican because of the freshness and flavor, but the flavors usually aren't too complex. This sauce had it all!!! Ok, now the tostados themselves were outstanding too. The shells were fried freshly and were crisp and still warm. Highly recommend the chicken!! Honestly, the beef was forgettable. Veggies were fresh and the portions were plentiful. After I finished the second tostada, they heard the "click, clink, clink" of me scraping the bottom of my upside-down dish of epic deliciousness onto my tostada. I started praising the sauce and the angel filled my little dish up again!! They did tell me the ingredients, but you'll have to go ask for yourself. I'm looking forward to my next trip to NJ so I can stop here again! Literally, it's worth the trip JUST to try this sauce. read more

Best tacos in town and their flavor waters are the best as well, I tried the horchata this time but I will definitely be back read more

La Cocina De Maria - Best tacos in town and their flavor waters are the best as well i tried the horchata this time but will definitely be back. - Spanish Near Me - Parsippany, New Jersey

Honestly the service was great, but the food was ok, I didn't like the taco at all. I'll give them another try.

Food was soo good and flavorful! Service was personable friendly and familiar! Totally recommend this great place!!

Lake Par resident here! We had lunch here with another family the other week and it was GREAT. Came in right at opening on a Sunday and even though they were just getting started for the day, they greeted us with a smile and made every accommodation for us. We had 3 toddlers with us and they made every effort to be helpful during our meal, including changing the TVs to kid's shows. Great homey restaurant that definitely felt authentic in how they decorated the place. The food was also authentic, plentiful (tacos that were actually a good size, which is hard to come by) and the sauces, side dishes, etc. that came with the meals were very tasty and again, good portions. We'll definitely be back and are going to make this place our 'go to' for Mexican. The fact that its less than a mile from us is AWESOME. read more

Excellent food and very quick service! I had the last enmoladas which is chicken enchiladas with mole. Very good!

Food is authentic and fresh ! It is very authentic and a great atmosphere . I even had personal delivery service come to me , right on time . Great place to go when you need good food for a reasonable price !!! read more

Great service, food was excellent, tasty definitely will come back soon, thanks La Cocina de Maria Parsippany read more

See all

Building/space is not that attractive but the food is awesome. Love this kind of place. Good daily selection of hot foods (think rice/beans, chicken, fish, pork dishes), nice friendly people and reasonable price. read more

I stopped here for lunch and the food was absolutely delicious! I had the rice , beans with beef and yellow plantains. Place was cozy but it was clean and staff is very friendly and attentive. Food display area was kept neat and clean. I would definitely return and try other dishes. read more

Delicious lunch and large portion for the price. On the menu, the Pollo Con Mole is excellent. Love the mole sauce. Carnitas tacos are also very good. New favorite Mexican restaurant. Check it out. read more