So I knew of Cocina but wasn't able to come until recently. I had ordered for pickup prior to sitting to try it. I like how they created their own app to make it easier for pickup. Prior to coming in I had tried their beans tacos dorados (tres taquitos) and their chilaquiles. Tacos were okay. I felt like there wasn't that many beans inside. Chilaquiles were delicious. I live close but by the time they got to me, the tortilla was not as crunchy anymore. Still enjoyed them. When I went in, got the chilaquiles again since I wanted to eat them fresh. Even better. Loved the sauce and how crunchy they were. I did get the red ones. They are a bit spicy for those who don't like spice. I have really liked that they use black beans instead of pinto beans. Their red rice has always been nice an fluffy. Another time I went I tried their quesobirria shrimp tacos. They are tied for my all time favorite spicy shrimp tacos. They were so good. The chipotle sauce you do to add to it was delicious. Overall, I love Cocina 1912. Love that it's so close to me and how delicious the food is. I have definitely started to bring people already to try it and will continue to do so. read more

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Shoutout to yelp elite Raquel for bringing me here. We'd been eyeing this restaurant for a while and we finally came in for lunch and had a wonderful experience from start to finish. Cocina 1912 is located in downtown Santa Paula and was easy to find. Large signage outside and plenty of 2-hour parking out front and across the street. This restaurant is surprisingly large. Not only do they have the regular dining area but they also have an attached second room for dining and a larger event space. This space can be rented out for markets, parties - you name it. Would make a great music space too. Another standout here is the staff and the hospitality. The young gal working behind the counter was super nice and welcoming. She helped us with the menu and on deciding what to order. What I also love is even though it's an "order at the counter place", the staff were attentive to come over to our take multiple times to check on us. Talk about A+ service and care. This alone would keep me coming back. Thankfully, the food is equally as good and tasty! We started with a Jamaica drink which was refreshing and hit the spot. For our mains I ordered the Al pastor tacos and my friend went with the shrimp tacos that were made queso birria style. Lastly, I ordered a side of rice and means. Everything was tasty and satisfying! The tortillas are freshly made each day and you could really taste it. The Al pastor and sides were about a 4/5. Not the best I've had but totally satisfied my craving and I'd get them again. The real star of the show was the shrimp tacos! My friend let me try some and I was blown away by the freshness of the shrimp and thought it was a delicious dish. Very spicy though so I know I can't hang lol. Regardless though I loved them, so if you can handle spice and love a good shrimp taco, you absolutely must get these. Such a solid experience here and a fun time with my friend. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Chilaquiles are my favorite breakfast/brunch food! Had an amazing experience at Cocina with their green chilaquiles topped with carne asada and perfectly runny, crispy-edged eggs. So delicious! Paired it with an agua fresca de jamaica. As a first-timer, I loved the atmosphere, great service, and the beautiful decor highlighting Mexican culture/ Santa Paula history. Already planning to come back for those tacos with handmade tortillas! Plus, they proudly serve Beacon coffee! Highly recommend! read more

The chilaquiles and the michelada were absolutely amazing! Great service!! I will be back!!

Tried Cocina 1912 this weekend- tried their chilaquiles they were good, I think I would've liked them more without the egg. The staff was super friendly and attentive! read more

Cocina 1912 - Gordita - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

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This venue is inside a beautiful ancient building, in Santa Paula. I have tried food from there 4 times, always the same result. They are very expensive, and give big portions, but the food has no flavor The tiny portions of salsa, for the large portions of food, are just not good. Very disappointing, and expensive read more

I've been here a couple times before, but this place just keeps getting better. The service today was great, and the food was on point. The beans and rice were so good I finished them before I even touched my breakfast tacos, and the tacos were amazing. I highly recommend this spot. Even the coffee was solid. read more

Cocina 1912 - Breakfast Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

I was in Santa Paula for business and came here for lunch. It's a great spot and the restaurant is clearly a favorite of the locals. I got the mole chicken with Coke in a bottle. Definitely a food choice for lunch. Highly recommend read more

The restaurant was very clean and aesthetically pleasing because of the exposed brick. I got the birria plate with consume and it had so much flavor, it was very filling and the handmade tortillas complimented the meat nicely. The server was attentive and very friendly, she brought out our meal pretty quickly. read more

Cocina 1912 - Birria plate with consume - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

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Came by here last minute and I was impressed. The food is fresh and high quality. The girl at the counter was so friendly and helpful. She offered us extra coffee and anything we needed. Lastly, the place is so cute! They have it styled like a cute mexican mixed diner vibe. They're playing oldies and it's so clean in here. Highly recommend! read more

Cocina 1912 - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

Food was super fresh and flavorful. They have a big space to the side of the restaurant. Came on a busy day, had to wait a bit but overall still very good read more

Tried the menudo, was okay. I hear their other dishes are good, though. Will try more menu items later if I'm ever in the area again. read more

The food here is fabulous! I had the best mole sauce I have ever had on their mole shrimp enchiladas. They have four or five different salsas in squeeze bottles, it's like a tasting menu for sauces!! They made a vegetarian burrito for my husband that was delicious. read more

The food was cold by the time we got it, but it had great flavor. The salsa was excellent.

I really wanted to like Cocina 1912, but unfortunately our experience missed the mark. We visited on a Saturday and it wasn't busy, which made the lack of service even more noticeable. When we arrived, there was no clear direction on how things worked no sign or host so we stood waiting until we finally flagged someone down. That's when we were told it was self-seating and that we had to order at the front. We were a party of 7 adults, (4 adults, 3 kids), and while I'll take responsibility for not noticing ahead of time, we later realized there is an automatic 18% gratuity for parties of 6 or more. Normally, that makes sense when there's actual table service but in this case, there really wasn't any. We had to place all of our orders at the counter, and after that, no one checked on our table. No drink refills, no follow-ups, nothing. Anytime we needed something, we had to get up and go to the cashier ourselves. Its more of a self-service setup than a full-service restaurant. Food timing was also very inconsistent. Some dishes came out fairly quickly (around 10-15 minutes), but the last plate for our table didn't arrive until about 30-35 minutes later. As a group, this made it difficult to enjoy the meal together. What was especially frustrating is that after paying (with the automatic 18% already included), the system still prompted us to leave an additional tip. We didn't realize the 18% had already been added until later. To their credit, when we asked, they did refund the extra tip. I also couldn't help but notice another large party dealing with the same issue constantly getting up to track someone down for help. It just doesn't make sense to charge an automatic gratuity when there's little to no service being provided. On top of that, the food was pretty bland, which didn't help the overall experience. I really wish this could've been a go-to local spot for us, but as it stands, it's hard to justify coming back. If they're going to keep the 18% gratuity, there needs to be actual table service to match it or reconsider the policy altogether. I hope someone that came make a change sees this from the POV of a customer. read more

This is some of THE BEST Mexican food I've ever had. My friends and I went last weekend because we were nearby and found it on the map. Now, we are all craving it and planning to go back ASAP. It's order-at-the-counter and there are plenty of tables. There is also a back patio. Everything is homemade from scratch -- and I mean EVERYTHING. Even the chips and salsa was incredible. I was blown away by the light, perfectly cooked tortilla that my burrito was wrapped in. All of our food was unbelievably fresh. I can't stop thinking about the fresh corn masa. All of our meals were truly SO delicious. I'm not a meat eater, but my friends were huge fans. We got to chat with Jojo, one of the co-owners, who told us the story of renovating the space to make it Cocina 1912, and you can tell that there is SO much love that goes into this place and the food. I cannot recommend it highly enough! read more

Great, authentic Mexican food. I got the chicken enchiladas in red sauce. Everything was very fresh & flavorful. Canned soda & bottles of Mexican Coca Cola. Service was amazing. You order your food at the register & they will bring it to your table. Parking right in the front. Will definitely return when in the area. read more

Cocina 1912 - 4 enchiladas (chicken w/red sauce) - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

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My family and I stopped in to try this place out since I always hear my friends talk about it! Food did not disappoint! Super super yummy and love the vibe of the whole spot! Beautiful location, and the service was lovely! Will definitely be back next time we are in town highly recommend Cocina 1912! read more

Cocina 1912 - Steak burrito - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

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This has been my all time favorite restaurant for some good salsa verde chilaquiles. The only thing is they need to go back to pinto beans not sure why they decided black beans would be better? Their pinto beans were really good and went better with the food. Other than that my chilaquiles were really good. read more

Cocina 1912 - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

Recently went here for breakfast and it was so good that i felt i needed to post my review here too instead of just my blog. As usual, i bought everything so you don't have to. Environment: this was a cute little place with a wonderful ambience co-owned by two very personable individuals who spend their time working in the kitchen and making sure all of the orders are right. I loved the rope rigging of the hang down lights and all the servers had a pleasant attitude. While i did not sit inside as they were busy and i wanted some sun, it's definitely a nice indoor area that was well maintained and comfortable. The food: I got the Breakfast Burrito with meat, Breakfast Tacos plate with two extra meats, the Menudo, the Gordita Lengua, a Chile Relleno with a 32 oz Horchata to wash it down. I HIGHLY recommend the tacos which were just the right size to give you great flavor but still leave you wanting more. All the breakfast plates come with a small side of beans and rice which were well done but not necessarily something you would write home about (that being said, i rarely expect them to be and they were still delicious enough to where none were left). The Breakfast Burrito was MASSIVE. As many of you know, i love my American portion sizes and this did not disappoint. I did feel there was a touch too many beans that overpowered the other ingredients but that did not stop me from thoroughly enjoying it. The Chile Relleno was the best one i have had outside of New Mexico. The initial appearance wasn't necessarily breathtaking but I'm pretty sure i could eat five of these in a sitting and be a happy little stuffed pig haha I am surprised at myself but this was actually my first time having Gordita Lengua. That being said, totally worth it. I would definitely order this again (as long as i still had room for the breakfast tacos). The Menudo was good. If you like menudo, you will enjoy it. If you don't, i suggest just trying one of the other items they offer. The Horchata was good, a touch on the sweeter side but still hit the craving i was having. Not the best in California, but definitely worth it if you're having a craving and also have a sweet tooth. Overall, definitely worth the stop. Would 100% go back again. read more

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Awesome breakfast burrito and great hot sauce as well. Great staff - even got chips and salsa with breakfast.

I'm so bummed I didn't get a photo of my husbands burrito bc it was massive. Service is great!! Horchata was so good! My new fav breakfast place in SP read more

Cocina 1912 - We ate it all! - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

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GETTING HERE: Located on Main Street in Downtown Santa Paula. Parking isn't the best; try street parking on Main or some of the side streets. I'd also recommend using the parking lot next to the Oil Museum if needed then you can walk over. REVIEW: Thank you Yelp! I didn't know about Cocina 1912 until I saw it making its rounds on Yelp. So glad I made the drive out here and did so before their Grand Opening on 7/28/23. This afternoon was a 5 star eating experience for sure! If you look at a few of my pics you can see the openness of the ceiling. The beams are so cool looking! It makes the feel of the restaurant open and airy, even if its rather small inside. The customer service was probably the best I have had for a long time, too. When you enter you can choose a table and then place your order near the front. I ordered their Chilaquiles and my guest ordered their Shrimp Tacos. See the picture as the tacos were HUGE. Fresh and such tasty shrimp included. The only caveat she had for her meal was that she didn't care for the sauce on the tacos. My Chilaquiles were so good. I had ordered for over-medium eggs; however one egg was over-easy and the other was over-hard. But, who cares! Not a thing at all. :) Perfect chips and perfect green salsa. (Their red salsa is HOT, imo). Very easily 2-3 meals from this order. Santa Paula is improving and it's so exciting to see. Come support this outstanding new, small business and eat some yummy Mexican food. HIGHLY RECOMMEND Cocina 1912 X 1000! read more

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Amazing, fresh and delicious. This is my second occasion stopping for lunch at Cocina 1912. I work in the area from time to time and I'm so glad I found this spot. It will be my go to anytime in Santa Paula. The girl at the register was so friendly. I even went home with four purchased salsas for my family to try. Deliciosa! read more

Food is delicious Ambience we love the old brick work look Servers always make us feel special

The BEST chili relano I have ever had! Grew up in San Diego eating all the really Mexican food and this place is soooo flipping good. Everything tasted fresh and made with love. Lately everywhere we go we are paying premium prices for salty, stale bad food but this place did not disappoint. Husband had the shrimp in Diablo sauce and his was delicious. A lot of places make spicy so spicy you can't eat it but he said this was perfectly balanced, very spicy but enjoyable. We will definitely be back! read more

We were craving breakfast burritos so decided to check out Cocina 1912. I believe this is a new place in SP. We walked in and almost every table was full. The staff was friendly and welcoming. They answered our questions and had us take a seat while we waited for our to go order. The breakfast burritos were huge and delicious. read more

Cocina 1912 - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

This is a cute family restaurant. I ordered beef soup it was delicious and my husband ordered chili verde burrito it was also delicious. They have two inside seating areas and an outside patio. Once they get more organized. I think this restaurant will do very well. Right now they are advertising for help. They do need it because the food does take some time to come out. We are definitely going to enjoy their food and wonderful and friendly staff. read more

Really good food with a lot of fun options. Fresh and delicious! The service was so friendly and helpful. The restaurant and restrooms a spotlessly clean. We got the taco plate and the torta and fries, and had enough left over to have for dinner tomorrow. read more

New and freshly updated (love that in old buildings, in fact their name is the date it was constructed). Ample and comfortable seating. Owned by three families, all of whom were present the day we stopped by for lunch (always love the personal touch). Friendly and attentive service (a must-have to get a fiver from me). Food tastes like extra effort was given. Donna enjoyed a chili rellenos burrito, the tortilla a bit crispy as they gave it a grill. Rice and beans good as well. I had the enmoladas (chicken and cheese wrapped in corn tortillas and topped with mole sauce) which tasted as good as home made mole should. Marina and Jo Jo, your enthusiasm impressed us so much. Can't wait to go back next time we're in Santa Paula read more

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The food was really good! Very very fresh!Everything we ordered was amazing, and I appreciated their beverage options as well. The children's menu was priced well. It was great for the whole family. read more

Beautiful space with yummy food smells, staff were happy and helpful. Breakfast burrito and carnitas burrito were both delicious!! Great local spot for good food to eat there or get to go!! read more

This place continues to impress every time I come. FYI the 2-3 bad reviews are from people who did not realize that you have to go up to the counter to order and pay first. If you go in and sit down you might be in for a wait like the 1-2 folks who complained about waiting. Enjoy this place is great! read more

Cocina 1912, tucked in the heart of Santa Paula, is a place that has a lot of promise, but it's becoming increasingly clear that consistency isn't one of its strengths. I'd like to say I'm a regular, but after two visits in less than two months, I'm starting to wonder if I'll return again. The restaurant has potential--its interior decor is charming, and the food, when it's right, is worth the wait. However, as any seasoned diner knows, getting what you pay for should never be a gamble. And here, unfortunately, it is. Let's start with my first visit, which was busier, and my order of cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans. The food took a leisurely 40 minutes to arrive, but honestly, I didn't mind the wait. The spicy red salsa they serve is something to remember, fiery yet balanced. But that visit feels like a distant memory now. Today, however, was a different story. I decided to try the Gorditas--a classic Mexican comfort food--hoping for something satisfying and comforting. I placed my order with a vegetarian Gordita in mind, asking for avocado, beans, and rice. I also ordered two others, one with carne asada and the other with pollo. The restaurant wasn't busy this time around, so I was expecting prompt service. But when I opened the to-go bag to hand the vegetarian Gordita to my brother, who's on a restricted vegetarian diet, I was surprised and disappointment. The Gordita, usually a pocket of corn masa stuffed with your choice of filling, was mostly rice. And not just a little rice--this Gordita was about 85% rice and only 15% beans, the kind of oversight that you expect from a fast-food joint, not a restaurant that advertises itself as a place for flavorful, home-cooked meals. And the real kicker? All the Gorditas were priced the same. For a veggie option that was essentially a glorified rice ball or side order of rice, it was overpriced. Cocina 1912, like so many other places trying to keep up with the rising costs of dining out, needs to step it up. A restaurant experience should feel like an indulgence, not an anxiety-inducing exercise in checking to make sure the order is right. I want to be able to trust that I'm getting what I paid for without second-guessing the kitchen. Unfortunately, it looks like I'll need to start double-checking my orders before leaving. To be clear, this isn't the worst Mexican food you'll find in Santa Paula, but it's hard to justify coming back when a simple Gordita could be a gamble. Cocina 1912 has the tools to be great--let's hope they start using them. January 17, 2025 read more

It was great to discover this restaurant on our way to Ventura. Great ingredients makes delicious food, it's not greasy like other Mexican food. It's not loaded with cream or other flavors and the simplicity is what makes this place amazingly good. From now on it will be part of our stop. Did I say the service was equally excellent!!!! read more

Cocina 1912 - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

I highly recommend this restaurant! Authentic and delicious food. The ambience is chill and the service is excellent! read more

Cocina 1912 - Delicious salsa - Mexican Near Me - Santa Paula, California

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Cocina 1912 has amazing customer service Food was flavorful and delicious highly recommend it. I Had their Mole Enchiladas 10/10

Service and amazing food! I always call in my order and when I arrive the staff is always so friendly and welcoming. Sunday football and menudo, the best! I've had the chille relleno burrito, so good! read more

Food is great, service friendly, ambiance very nice and clean. Will be back soon. My wife and I tried this place last minute.

We came out to Covina 1912 because it was a Sunday and we thought we'd take a drive out to Santa Paula. It's been a while since I've been to the town so I had forgotten how charming it was. The restaurant is right on the strip and at first blush has a great ambiance to the interior. I really enjoyed the homely rustic vibe. While small and quaint the staff and kitchen punch above their weight. The ordering process is simple and the person taking the order was very nice and cordial. We wanted to try something a little different so we opted for the Chilequilles, chile relleno and the carne asada. All three presented nicely and were of decent portions. I think both the chile relleno and Chilequilles were not what we were accustomed to seeing, but both were good. I'd say the carne asada was good as well. Mexican food is sometimes hard to judge because you really cannot get it too wrong and it takes something very special to be elated. I'd say Cocina does a good job with their food, service and ambiance, but they need a little something special to push it over the top. Don't get me wrong it's worth a trip to check them out but if they had a little something extra then perhaps I'd want to move to Santa Paula. read more

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