Out in the desert, the best meal in Texas was hiding behind a rusty sign. TL;DR: Fine dining in the middle of nowhere. The James Beard nominated chef seats you herself. Make the reservation yesterday. Chef Alexandra Gates met us at the door, walked us to our table, and explained every course herself. Our server Dallas was an absolute gem. We did the chef's menu with the pairing. Nilgai tartare with avocado and toasty grilled bread. Corn ribs that made me emotional about a vegetable. Mesquite Gulf shrimp in a beurre blanc I wanted to drink. Texas quail on ruby slaw with wild boar bacon. Bison in a pasilla-pecan mole, tender as a love song. Horchata pudding to finish, with a little pecan crown. My side dish queen, claimed the sparkling rosé and guarded it like a hawk. I let her. Happy wife, happy pairing. Some of the best food we have ever eaten in Texas, and I've eaten a LOT of Texas. Worth every penny and every mile. read more

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We dropped by after afternoon of Prada and Hotel Paisano. Tapas style meals that totally filled us up, we didn't even order main dishes or desert. Vegetarians will love this place, and everything was good. - see the photos! Pate came in both mushroom and liver varieties and were the highlight for me. The charred corn slices were really spicy but delicious! Nine dishes for about $200. Service charge (Tip) was already included. read more

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This is the best restaurant in Marfa. I had a great meal here with friends while attending Flying Islands Music Fest. Great food, great service and friendly staff. We ran into some people who we'd chatted with at baggage claim in El Paso who were also there. The next day we popped into a shop and the shop keeper said, "Where you all having dinner at Cochineal last night. You were sat by the door weren't you?" That's the charm of Marfa. read more

We had such a nice time dining at Cochineal while staying in Marfa in August. It's a classy place yet friendly and comfortable all at the same time. We even ran into newly made friends from earlier in the day having dinner there too. The seasonal cucumber gazpacho was a fresh starter, but don't skip the fantastic bread and butter while you wait for the soup. Wait, did I mention the sweet butter and garlic spread for the freshly baked bread? The authentic Swiss salad dressing was one of a kind and worth coming back for on its own merit. Our server didn't miss a beat and the bartender made a very proper old fashioned. The James Beard award winning chef/owner visited our table and made us feel very welcome. Plan ahead next time you're heading to West Texas and be sure to check when they are open; make a reservation. Cochineal not to be missed whether you're a foodie or just want to experience Marfa hospitality at its finest. read more

I found this place when googling nice spots in Marfa, TX. It's a really interesting restaurant; seems it was built inside an old house? It's for a very Texas upscale vibe tho, I liked the ambiance quite a bit! They had a lot of tables outside with heat lamps because it does get cool in the evenings, and they had regular tables and bar seating inside. We didn't have a reservation bc I wasn't sure what time we'd be arriving, but luckily they were able to seat us immediately at the bar since all the other tables were taken (wait for a table was almost an hour and a half). Our waitress (her name was Dallas) was super sweet and attentive and clearly knew the menu well. It's not a very long menu and the portion sizes were a little small for the price, hence 4/5 stars. But the flavors were excellent! My dad and I both got the risotto which had a little more to the portion, and my mom got the trout which was admittedly very small for like $35ish. But as I said, excellent flavor there! She also got a cocktail for like $16ish that they made off menu because she likes sweeter drinks and all the main menu drinks were pretty dry. I spent like $170 in total for all our food plus tax and tip I think? Objectively not terrible, but again for the price - it was a little high. Will also mention they had a single stall restroom, it was immaculate! And there was a good bit of street parking just around the corner from the place in front of a church, so even though there's no lot you can find a place to park. read more

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We read reviews that the tasting menu could take a really long time, and some reviewers said it had improved. Unfortunately, our experience was it didn't improve. We asked the waitress, how long it would take and she said it would take 1.5 hours. We were there for 3.5 hours! Our first indication of the slow service was after we ordered drinks, they came 50 minutes later. They were pretty watery so we wondered if they were sitting at the bar for a while. The food was delicious though took a very long time between the courses. The variety of food was great from white asparagus to rabbit to delicious bison ribs. It's too bad the service took so long, this could have been a wonderful experience. read more

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We celebrated my birthday at this James Beard awardee during a week-long stay in Marfa. We'd intended to sit inside but given the serenity of the courtyard--in contrast to the thumping music in the dining room--we elected to dine al fresco. Based on reviews, we kicked things off with cocktails and a quarter-loaf of Cochineal's highly-regarded bread. Our mains were delicious--the trout for my wife, the locally-raised beef for me. Without a doubt, one of the highlights was the gracious service by Dallas. She coached me through selecting a terrific sotol, guided us through the entrees and checked back in appropriately. All in all, a very pleasant evening. read more

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A hidden gem. Yes! There is a great restaurant hidden beside some houses. What a great time. Sat at the bar and Benjamin was our main server/bartender but really everyone chipped in with a smile. We just ate appetizers...and desert. Had their house red which wasn't expensive yet the best red I've had on my trip so far. And from a winery in Lubbock no less. The bread is to die for! And we had the salad, escargot and the most amazing mushroom croquettes. Plan your visit around their hours. As they are closed Sunday to Wednesday. read more

Cochineal - Desert! Chocolate mousse - New American Near Me - Marfa, Texas

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A must visit for a dinner in Marfa. Quality food and great service. If you're not down for the chef tasting menu you can make a reservation for their a la carte menu which I highly recommend! Parking - it's Marfa, was able to find street parking very close no problem. Service - I made a 5pm reservation for the bar / a la carte menu and was the first/only one in for a while. Bartender and staff were all friendly. Ambiance - I sat inside at the bar and the overall interior had a charming feel. They also have a large outdoor patio. Food - I'm glad I read the reviews and got the bread to start. The bread was incredible but the star of the show was the whipped herb butter / garlic olive oil - SO good. I got the mushroom risotto for my main and it was delicious. I unfortunately did not save room for dessert but all options looked amazing. Would recommend to anyone stopping through town for a quality meal. read more

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Went here for our anniversary dinner. Wow, our server was fantastic, her service was wonderful as right off the bathroom she brought 2 glasses of wine on the house and said Happy Anniversary. I started, after the wine, with a Texas Buck. A different drink but refreshing and delicious. I then started with the half/small Salade Vinaigrette, light and I enjoyed the dressing. My main course was the Mesquite Grilled Steak Grilled medium rare which was perfect and left enough room for dessert which was the Raspberry Torte, light and delicious. Yes there is upscale dining in Marfa and it was on par with anany big city upscale restaurant. I will return read more

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From a segment in a break from my Substack memoir: I started back on San Antonio toward the Paisano. About a block-and-a-half down the street I found Cochineal, a nearly hidden restaurant with an enticing courtyard. I decided to check it out. The maître-d' seated me at the bar. The bartender--was it Jeff?*--was busy but willing to converse a bit. I looked at the dessert menu and was immediately hooked by the "Toshi's Date Pudding with Rum Caramel and Fresh Cream" entry--a $16 offering. I bit. I texted ML to meet me there and within a few minutes he was sitting next to me at the bar. I offered to treat him to a "Toshi's" and he happily accepted. We sat there scooping tiny spoonsful of this decadent confection, trying hard not to let it disappear too rapidly. Soon we were swiping the dishes with our fingers; it was that good. Blood sugars skyrocketing, we made for the Paisano. *Recent communication with Cochineal manager(?): it was "Bill." And...further info on the origin of the name of restaurant (but not why) : The cochineal is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessile parasite native to tropical and subtropical South America through North America, this insect lives on cacti in the genus Opuntia, feeding on plant moisture and nutrients. https://lbsandyrock.substack.com/p/texas-trek-part-2 read more

Cochineal - Toshi's Date Pudding with Rum Caramel and Fresh Cream - New American Near Me - Marfa, Texas

I've been here before so my expectations were very high. Again, Cochineal met the challenge. This is my favorite restaurant in Marfa. I could have eaten the bread all night long; the butter and oil accompaniments were very flavorful. The vegetable fritters balanced well with the aoli mustard sauce. The trout was the over-the-top surprise: truly memorable. The apple panna cotta was a fun finish to a perfect dining experience. I love this restaurant and I look forward to a visit again soon. read more

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Visited here in March 2024 and thought I left a review. We really enjoyed our meal. This is definitely on the higher end of offerings in terms of Marfa dining. I'm not certain why the lower reviews -- at worst our service may have been a tad slow but why do you also want to be rushed for dinner?? My steak was excellent and the shared dishes of the bread service and the German-style salad were excellent. The cultured butter with the bread service is a tad salty so just be prepared for that. Otherwise, a great experience! read more

What a fantastic experience! Wifey n' I in town for a quick anniversary getaway, and with just arrivin' from the long drive (our messy timetable) we stumbled in without a reservation and hoped for the best. Granted, it was an oddball "not peak" time, so the crowd was thankfully thin and they got us in. I'm not really up on the fancy restaurant guidelines and terms etc., but we put ourselves in the server's hands for suggestions, etc., and it was fun, delicious and so unique. It was my first time trying some foods that were familar as food terms, but we've just never put ourselves in a spot to try them, such as caviar, boar, and gazpachio soup, and some others. We LOVED it all! We got a "Prix Fixe", which was a number of courses (check out the pic I took of that part of the menu). Not sure how relevant it will be to people reading this review in the sense it surely rotates greatly depending on what they have going on day-by-day. It's all very "chef-ie", and fluctuates depending, I think. And our server (I think her name's Melissa) was so sweet, attentive, and humored our green-ness, she's great. I got a few pics, I wish I got some of everything and did the items justice, but I hope they communicate well. As for how much it sets you back $$$, I would describe this as not inexpensive, but considering "where" this restaurant is set geographically, the unbelievable artistry, expertise, assortment, flavors, freshness, presentation, atmosphere, finishing touches, staff, comfort,... it was VERY worth it. Not someplace we could come regularly, but wow, one of the best places we've ever eaten and experienced ever. If you have the opportunity to ever visit here, wow, WOW, go for it! (just do bettet than us and make those reservations if you can). read more

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After visiting a big band national Park, I decide pay a visit to Marfaand I find this fine dining restaurant. Since I didn't have a reservation, I took a seat on a bar. The bartender wasn't really talkative. It was the last day of the Japanese cuisine to pay respect the previous Japanese owner. The current owner Andy was out of the restaurant. I don't know if the quality of the food or the service have something to do with it, but that's how it was. I order a charcuterie board with bread, butter, and some dipping sauce. The sauce was excellent. One of the bread was old and hard.Another item that I had was pork cutlet with some cabbage then some chicken bites. My main course was a Ramen and then I have some chocolate mousse dessert. The service took long in between the plates and honestly the food was not what I expected specially for the prices. I'm a foodie. I've been around the world, and I was very disappointed with this place when I asked the bartender to give me a check, he just told me the amount I gave him a credit card and I add 15% to my bill since I was not happy. Than I find out that 20% was already included on my bill which I was not informed ( Automatically adding 20% for service for party of one sitting on bar ??? , Who the F... you think you are ? Soo rude. I end up paying 35 % off of my bill for disappointing service and disappointing food. I should've choose the Marfa burrito instead of this place , I'm never coming back. You guys should be ashamed of yourself. I also tried to call the establishment after I find out what happened I left them a message. Nobody ever get back to me. You don't really care about your reputation you . What a shame, I've been in Japan and what you serving there have nothing to do with it maybe the Ramen was close to it but not for $50.Stay away from this greedy people. read more

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Had an awful dining experience here with my wife and son. The service was NOT good. It took 15 minutes for drinks to come out. The server was absolutely clueless. I will say that our salad was delicious but the portions for my main (spaetzle) and my son's main (scallopini) left us starving just 30 minutes after eating. My wife ordered a steak that was terribly overcooked. The server asked her "well how do you think it's cooked?" Very snide attitude through out. Then they took another 20 minutes to bring her another steak cooked medium after saying "we'll get that right out." By then we were done with this place. Don't waste your time or money here! Eat at Marfa burrito, eat at Margaret's, eat at Para Llevar, or eat at Jett's Grill. read more

My husband and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary at Cochineal and had such a wonderful experience. The staff greeted us with a special toast upon arrival, which made the evening feel extra special. The food was excellent and the service was warm, friendly, and attentive throughout the night. We are so grateful for such a memorable dinner in Marfa and cannot wait to return. read more

Food was ok though not as good as I anticipated. Indoor atmosphere was nice but the table spacing (or lack of) really ruins the dining experience. When we arrived at 6 pm, they sat us next to the other two occupied tables (a few other two-tops were available and same wait staff for all so not sure why they don't stagger tables) and all of the tables are thisclose together making it hard to not hear everyone's conversations clearly, which I wouldn't expect in a restaurant that seems to market itself as closer to upscale dining than cafeteria seating. The mushroom risotto was good but overly salted as was the trout. We didn't order appetizers since as soon as we sat down we were ready to eat & leave due to the close proximity (my partner could hear the person next to him chewing which didn't make for a pleasant experience for him). The charcuterie and bread our neighbors were eating looked good, so if I ever returned, I'd order that and sit outside on their patio table. read more

best gazpacho ever. so fresh. almost too pretty to eat! but I did eat every last drop. Real food crafted from real ingredients, many locally sourced, made with care. read more

Nothing like being greeted by Chef Alex when you walk in. The seating is close but you don't feel crowded. Had the best French onion soup and all the sauces were flavorful. The staff was friendly and attentive and we stayed and talked for longer than expected, read more

What a cozy little restaurant, at first I wasn't a big fan that the tables were so close together but after we were settled in, and the Prix Fixe Dinner Series started to be immediately placed in front of us... we found ourselves talking with the people around us! Travelers just like us! I'm a firm believer good food brings in good company. Wow did we have an amazing experience here. We paired the cocktail and wine with the dinner series and there was never a dull moment with your tastebuds!! This is a true farm to table establishment, they grow their own vegetables and everything are from local markets and farms...which I love that they support each other here. Plus everything was fresh, in season and phenomenal. The food was plated beautifully and although it looked so simple there was a lot of complex flavors going on and damn!! Was it was sex in your mouth oh so good!!! Especially with the thoughtful beverage pairing!! Magnifique!! Our server, Miguel was fantastic and descriptive on the food, the restaurant itself and even offered us to go in the back to thank the chef and the staff in the back! That's like super star status!!! Although we are just traveling through, he come to Marfa about once a year, it was just amazing and I look forward to returning to see what's next on the menu!! read more

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Was an amazing way to spend my birthday ! Thanks for the delicious cupcake it was such a nice surprise!

Outstanding cuisine, service and atmosphere. I love the garden seating but inside is also beautiful. Chef Alex is a true artist.

Food was acceptable for what was charged, but the service was horrible. Robert would disappear for 10 minutes at a time. It was very strange. We were left without water and tea for so long I had to ask a girl wandering around for a refill. Then the check came and lo and behold 20% was already added for gratuity which kind of then made sense considering the shitty service. Why bother if you know you're going to get 20%? Worst part is Robert finally perked up when delivering the bill and explained 20% had already been added but that we were welcome to add more and made his first joke of the evening Uh.... No. Won't be back. I understand good employees are hard to find in a small town but this was a new low. read more

Service was horrible. Multiple people looking around asking for their server. Food was mid. read more

It's very rare that I feel the need to leave a 1-star review and I will spare some details so as to not leave a novel. 6 of us dined at Cochineal this past weekend and received the worst service I can remember. I will say that the food was fantastic and although there were a lot of mix ups with our orders from start to finish, we were pleased with the food and beverages overall. Most of us there have worked years in the service industry as well as in fields where we daily manage people in high stress situations, so when we brought some issues with our main server to the staff's attention we tried to convey willingness to give the benefit of the doubt and grace for folks having difficult days/shifts. However, after we spoke up the service went from bad to almost hostile. Everyone we spoke with after that only escalated things and seemed intent on misunderstanding us. We finally asked to speak directly with the owner/chef and she was generally kind and understanding. She did offer us a round of drinks on the house but by that point we all felt unwelcome and exhausted by the bad vibes so we declined and paid our $500+ bill. I would side-eye such appalling service even at a much less expensive restaurant, but certainly would expect far better at a higher end place with a very pricey menu. Unfortunately none of us plan to return if we're ever back in town and would recommend that the staff receive better training and expectations for service & hospitality in a fine dining setting. read more

My partner and I planned our entire Big Bend National Park-Marfa trip around the tasting menu at Cochineal, eager to experience the cuisine of a James Beard award-winning restaurant. Unfortunately, our experience was highly disappointing, and the price was not worth the poor service we received. We spent the day at Big Bend and began calling the restaurant as soon as it opened at 5 PM to see if we could push back our reservation, for which we had already paid a deposit. No one answered the phone. Fifteen minutes before our reservation, we received a call from the restaurant informing us that they were not busy and we could push back our time. We arrived on time and waited over 18 minutes before being greeted by our server, Caroline, to get our drinks. When I asked Caroline to go over the tasting menu, her response was odd, confused, and uncomfortable. We asked if we could order additional items off the à la carte menu, but she said no because everything was timed, and we had reserved the tasting menu. This didn't make sense, as they took so long to greet us and get our drinks. We wanted the tasting menu but also additional food since we practice fasting, and this was our only meal of the day. I've never heard of a fine dining establishment denying customers the opportunity to spend more money, especially when they were not busy. When we asked for coffee, Caroline said they had espresso but gave a rude response when we asked for an Americano. My partner was so turned off by her attitude that he wanted to leave, regardless of the deposit we had paid. We received better service for half the price at Margaret's the night before. When asked for a tequila menu, Caroline brought over just three tequilas, even though we saw more at the bar. I had to get up and show her what I wanted, which was a very odd interaction. The food was good, but the overall experience with our server was terrible. We were so excited to try this restaurant, but from the beginning, it was a mess. I'm extremely disappointed in the management team for not providing their server with better training. When experiencing a tasting menu at this high of a cost, the server is part of the overall experience and should be there to provide whatever we need within reason, like drinks and answers to what's on the menu. Save your money and go elsewhere in Marfa. read more

Cochineal - New American Near Me - Marfa, Texas

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This was one of the best fine dining experiences me and my family ever had! We were originally going to do the Al a carte menu, but they were able to accommodate us and allow at least one of us to do the chefs menu on late notice. The FOOD was amazing. Every dish was tasteful and you could tell everything was fresh. Truly a farm to table experience. The waiters and waitress were amazing & kind. We can't wait to come back to try the next seasonal menu! read more

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Terrible experience and awful service. Waited over 25 mins to be greeted once sat at our table. Waiter in our section, kept serving tables around us but skipping ours. The hostess came over and said she would grab our drink order. We ordered drinks, a bottle of wine and bread. Another 15 mins went by and she came back and said she would just grab our orders bc she would now be serving us. We asked to wait for drinks to order first. Another 15-20 went by and still no drinks or discussion of specials. Meanwhile the waiter assigned to us had intro's served drinks, apps, and orders to a table that sat after us. We decided we were leaving. When getting up, the couple next to us said they agreed and wished they would have left too. Your restaurant lost a 700-1k ticket last night, due to how snooty, rude and unwelcoming your establishment is. Talked to several other locals and they all say they avoid this place. Warning the food is mediocre and service is piss poor (as I've been here twice before). Good riddance and to the skinny guy with the straw hat that refused to wait on us, have 7 yrs of bad karma read more

Hard pass! Every time I go there it continues to get worse and worse. Not sure why I even go back! The staff literally go out of their way to be rude and snotty.. Not a vibe. Rather go to DQ () across the street.. read more

Great and unique food items yes, but a bit more costly and very long waits between plates. 2 hours 15 mins for 7 courses seemed long to us. Smaller courses that don't always fill you much by the very end given the longer duration. Quite delicious and unique no doubt we agreed. Just not sure the food amount and long waits make $85 a person without drinks, purely worth it is all. Great service yes, great menu design yes. Very neat decor and dining room set up also. Just a tad costly and overly extended time frame for me give 4 or 5 stars compared to many other tasting dinners I've done like this before. read more

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There's so much to say. My husband and I booked the chef's table, meaning we had a direct view of the kitchen. It wasn't necessarily the most glamorous place to sit, but it was so cool to see all of the insanely hard work the kitchen staff was doing and to meet the chefs. Every course was unique and delicious, beautifully presented, and perfectly timed. I still dream of the first course and the dessert even a few months later. I highly recommend coming here for a special occasion or just because you're there. read more

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What a fabulous experience! My son and I arrived in Marfa at 9:30pm and were told all restaurants were closed. We found Cochineal and they said they would absolutely take care of of us. The food was outstanding and the staff was engaging and welcoming. They did not rush us to quickly eat as we were the last people in the restaurant and must have wanted to clean up and go home. After driving over 7 hours from Tucson on our way to Austin it was so kind and refreshing to be welcomed in to a restaurant late, have an amazing meal and friendly people around us. Highly recommend them to everyone and will go back next time I am in Marfa. read more

The best food in Marfa! However, coming from a city like Houston, I'd still only give it 3 stars. I'll start with the positives. The service is EXCELLENT. Our party had a few dietary restrictions and both the waiters and chef were extremely accommodating. They were attentive and did their best to make sure everyone was comfortable. As for the food, nothing we had was bad, and some were really good. However, after spending $600 for a party of 4, I can't say that it was exactly worth it. If you're looking for high end food in this area, this is your best bet. And if I were from somewhere else I might think this was great. But I want others from major cities to know that while this is fine, you should probably manage your expectations. read more

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Very nice staff. Bill the bartender was super attentive. Everyone here seem to love their job. Nice atmosphere good food. A bit overpriced read more

Ate here last week and was hugely disappointed. I received an invitation via email to rate my experience; expressed my disappointment and expected them to perhaps contact me about it. But since they haven't, I'll relate our experience here. Good news: the mezze plate was huge as amazing - easily the best we've ever had. That's where the good news ends. Both my wife's fish and my steak were salty nearly to the point of being inedible. And in fact, the butter on the bread board was inedible. The frites that accompanied my steak were lukewarm and tough (I had infinitely better fried potatoes with my burger at Water Spot the night before). I now regret not saying something at the time; but they were busy ( which perhaps accounts for the lackluster food) and we had already spent a good portion of our evening there. All things considered, I would not eat here again read more

I've been to a few James Beard awarded restaurants and this is by far the best experience I've ever had. The ambience is exactly what you're looking for when you stay in Marfa. The service is engaging, the menu is approachable and the food is perfectly balanced. Can't say enough good things about this place read more

Cochineal - Mesquite grilled steak: Texas Akasushi beef, Potato, Horseradish cream - New American Near Me - Marfa, Texas

Fun tasting menu, pretty pricey for what it was. Interesting assortment we wouldn't have ordered a la cart. Glad we tried. The escargot was great. read more

Every time I come to Marfa I make sure to book a table here for my bday. Always amazing food. Little slow with staffing. Very dog friendly patio. read more

We love this place! So much attention and care goes in to each dish. We have gotten the same server every time we go and the last time we were there, she told us she saw we were on the list and wanted our table. That made me feel special that she remembered who we were. The fact that we have a restaurant like Cochineal out here in West Texas adds even more reason to visit the area! read more

Cochineal - Squash blossom and halloumi cheese! - New American Near Me - Marfa, Texas

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