Met up with my girlfriend here halfway ish between Des Moines and KC and we were very pleased. Have not found many appealing restraints along the way but this was a very solid meal. Nothing standout but a decent meal that was pretty cheap, and felt very comforting with how the family working there was so nice and catering! We got steak and chicken tacos. Both were good although we both liked the chicken tacos more. Ambiance is exactly what you'd expect of a small town Mexican establishment, felt very cozy. Would happily go again. read more

La Cocina Real - Steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Lamoni, Iowa

Awesome service great food. Chill ambience. Really nice prices. Portions are reasonable without being too big.

Awesome food, family owned and great service. Definitely need to eat here! Like having a home cooked meal. Stop in with confidence everything on menu is good. read more

The proprietor was ferry friendly and accommodating allowing us to sit on the patio with our dog. Only place in town we felt we could do this. We had the whole place to ourselves. Everyone else in town seems to head to the fast food joints. Cost ran about $18 per person. read more

Real, authentic, delicious Mexican food at very reasonable prices. A family restaurant, a true labor of love. I just wish we lived closer, we'd be here all the time. Very clean, fast friendly service. This cozy place is a true gem! read more

This is a real-deal Mexican restaurant. The food is delicious without the pretense and kitchy decor. The staff is super-friendly and welcoming. Our whole family loved it! read more

La Cocina Real - Cocina Real - Mexican Near Me - Lamoni, Iowa

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My husband and I travel all over the country driving each month for work. We love Mexican food. We have eaten at 5 star restaurants all over the country. I have to say this honestly is the best Mexican restaurant for authentic Mexican we have eaten at anywhere. The place isn't fancy but the food is fantastic. We eat Mexican 3 nights a week and this place is just great. read more

La Cocina Real - All that's left. - Mexican Near Me - Lamoni, Iowa

Great food! We showed up at 1:30pm and thought they may be closed but the gentleman was glad to see us and take our order! No rush- sat outside and enjoyed the pollo creama and fajitas for one. read more

Great people, great food! Loved the fajitas and the owners's special lime margarita! My husband really liked his Chile rellenos. Our puppies loved hanging out on the patio. Definitely worth the short drive off 35! read more

Small place with great food. We had dinner here on a tues night which was buffet night. We decided to go ahead with the buffet which is small but a great way to sample a few of the dishes. It was super yummy and the owner was so sweet. I must say the rice is great. We can't wait to go back and try off the menu. read more

Amazing place, great food very friendly and professional staff I really enjoyed finding this place, will stop again next time through! read more

In the middle of Lamoni Iowa you wouldn't think there would be authentic Mexican eats, guess what, there is! Polite staff, clean and happily painted red and green with solid cheese enchiladas. Prices are a little less than expected and I couldn't find anything to dislike. read more

La Cocina Real - a guitar in a corner - Mexican Near Me - Lamoni, Iowa

In the culinary desert, that covers the stretch of highway between Des Moines and Kansas City, this tiny restaurant is an oasis. Albeit, a Mexican oasis. Everything is made from scratch, and it shows in the quality of the dishes they serve. The cheese chile rellenos were a reminder from my youth, growing up in California/Arizona. Portions were generous and prices reasonable. You won't find the typical, cliche Mexican ambiance...just an extension of their home. The surroundings may not be pristine, but you're here for the food, remember? read more

After 6 long hours on the road, we pulled off the Interstate and into Lamoni with no plan in mind. We pulled through a quaint downtown without spotting a soul, deserted for the July 4th holiday. As we toured this little town, we started resigning ourselves to Subway on the way out, but we took one more lap to check on an "open" sign sighting a block from the main drag. La Cocina Real was our oasis, and it was no surprise it took another lap to spot it. This tiny little building is the definition of unassuming, fronted by a completely empty brick street. The sign promised authentic Mexican cuisine, so we reached for the door. As it cracked open, we were met with the sound of classical guitar. I turned my head toward the sound and saw a middle-aged Mexican man who looked up from the bridge of his guitar to give me a broad smile. This was going to be a-okay. The proprietor placed his guitar on a chair and greeted us warmly. We had our choice of any of the dozen or so empty tables in this lonely place, so we settled in. The owner told us he was hoping to catch people on the way to the park for the July 4th, but he was very happy to see us. We ordered an horchata and a beer, and the owner returned later to tell us he didn't think the horchata was good enough to serve. Okay, a beer for me too. We tried the chile relleno, a couple of tacos, a tamale, and an enchilada. Everything was good. Not best-I've-had territory, but very flavorful and delicious. At the risk of sounding snobby, this is leaps and bounds better than any food I'd expect to find in small town America. The authenticity was in the flavor. Most importantly, this guy was the most wicked friendly dude who has ever brought me food, and we were made to feel at home. From venturing off the freeway into an unknown town, to following the faint light of the open sigh, to walking through the unassuming door, we had no way of knowing this little joint would make such an excellent addition to our journey. If you're passing through, make a stop and enjoy some authentic hospitality and tasty food. If you live there, feel fortunate to have such a great option in your town! read more

Met up with my brother at the half-way point between KC and Des Moines, IA. Went in not expecting very much, but was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the fresh food and the great service provided by these good folks. Even with a big group of college kids coming in, the kitchen and the staff kept things moving so no one waited too long for food. The college kids (from the local Graceland University) all seemed to enjoy their tacos while my brother and I enjoyed our dinners. I had the Chicken and Steak Fajitas while he had the Chile Colorado. Both very tasty. Just a heads-up, no liquor license at this little establishment, but the quality of the food made that irrelevant. read more

Me and my husband love Mexican restaurants but this restaurant is the absolute BEST I have EVER been to. When they say family owned family oriented... they mean it. It is just a small humble operation. They have real Mexican cuisine like REAL REAL Mexican cuisine. The people that work here are sooo nice.. it is insane. I have never felt more welcome, warm, and at home than I did at this restaurant. If you are hesitant on what to eat tonight. Don't think just GO HERE! read more

Delightful family-owned and -run restaurant. Extremely friendly and welcoming family provide excellent service and cook delicious homemade Mexican food to order. It was a pleasure eating here and I will definitely return if I'm in Lamoni again. read more

Holy moly their yummy! Great food. Best experience. Authentic. Must go try it if you are in the area!!

Awesome authentic place! Very nice owners loved it :) so good the food is freshly prepared! Not the prior made stuff then heated up

The food was good and authentic, but this place is disgustingly dirty. Ruined my appetite. Above the bathroom door is a shelf with cleaning solution and the bottle was so grimy, the door falling off, and could be painted. Just gross. If you are a clean person don't eat here. read more

Pleasant surprise. We pulled in after a long drive, the owner is very nice and made me a veggie burrito that was delicious! They have a home made drink called Hochata, get it! I can't say if its authentic or not, but it's definitely home made good food! read more

we were driving from KC to Minneapolis and we stopped here for a quick bite. a quiet nice restaurant with a single lady working waitressing, cooking and everything. she brought us our chips and salsa and a jalapeño ranch, our drinks. fair service. it was a ok meal and was ok for a town with not a lot of people. read more

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We love to frequent the only Mexican food in our quaint little town. The owner and his family are always friendly and attentive. I love the chile rellenos. We are big fans of the pork tortas as well! Come for the authentic food, come back for the smiles and service! read more

Just happened upon this place! It had great authentic mexican food and the friendliest service! We were suprised we had never even heard of this place as we do not live that many towns away! If your looking for good food and friendly service this is your place! read more

Wow. I came here from California for a conference at a local college. Wasn't expecting much from the local cuisine. But this place is amazing and authentic Mexican food! The Friday night buffet was just $10 and had a variety of freshly prepared things like roast pork, enchiladas, mole sauce, rellenos. Family owned and very friendly. M read more

The chorizo tacos might be the best I've had and chicken enchiladas were very good as well.