I pride myself on being able to eat just about anything. I am a college student who, for the majority of the time, lives on garbage food. This is not to say I like garbage food, but rather it is what I am familiar with. Tonight, I decided to spend a little extra and treat myself. I found La Cocina on Yelp and the reviews were above average, and the photos of the food looked great. After my experience tonight, I decided there are some things I just won't eat. I want to be clear before launching into my description of how horrendous the food was: the service was decent. The food, on the other hand, sat under a heat lamp to the point where the lettuce was brown and gooey and everything else was baked to the crisp. I ordered the chile relleno and my roommate ordered the braised beef tacos. The salsa was tomato juice mixed with black pepper. The guacamole surely came from a bag, and the hot sauce was Tabasco mixed with vinegar. The rice was absolutely inedible to the point where it left an aftertaste so bad that it was reminiscent to eating a bar of soap. The meat in my roommate's tacos is best described as sandy leather. The beans had a thick crust due to the heat lamp and were spicy beyond words -- which is ironic, considering the salsa and the hot sauce were both tomato flavored water. Even the Coke was flat and was inexplicably warm despite the copious amount of ice used to water it down -- it defies science. The chile relleno was an over ripe poblano chile with no cheese to speak of and was coated in a thick crust of over crisp Panko bread crumbs. All told, we spent 40+ dollars on the most fundamentally disappointing dining experience I've had to date (remember, I pretty much eat garbage for a living so that's quite the testament to how inedible the food truly was). After careful deliberation, I've decided I would have rather lost my $40+ in a freak accident than pay for the unpleasant dining experience we just had. We left hungry. read more

Under new management--fabulous menu. I wanted to try everything but decided on the curry and was thrilled. Ambiance is the warm and friendly, and the service was great. I'll be going back every chance I get. read more

Quite a little unexpected find (other than the advice we got on Yelp, which was all quite accurate). Nice atmosphere eating in a little courtyard outside with attractive lighting in the trees. Nice jazz duo provided background music from 6-8:30. Fairly eclectic menu....and I would expect that the quality and taste were as good as the two dishes we had, Southwestern Pot Roast and the Veggie Curry. An apple crisp a la mode for dessert was equally good....all very flavorful and satisfying. Would definitely love to come back and try the whole menu. read more

Awesome atmosphere, live music, great patio. Super chill and nice to relax with friends. Drinks are awesome and the cantina is super fun, highly recommended as a date night place or somewhere to bring someone new to Tucson. read more

Great food, great drinks, amazing patio in the heart of downtown Tucson. Can I say more?!?

My Husband and I dined here in mid March and they had bluegrass music playing that night. The Patio was wonderful and had a few heaters to take the chill off, My husband had the Southwestern Pot Roast and I had Presidio Reuben both were quite good. The homemade ginger ale was a bit over bearing but that's a personal taste. We loved the relaxed atmosphere and the music did not drown out our conversation and as a side note the music was also very enjoyable. If you always want or like fine dining you may not enjoy the ambiance of La Cocina as some of the chairs on the patio are plastic lawn chairs, but to me that just added to the relaxing atmosphere and they did not rush you through your meal. We plan on going back and La Cocina is on our list of restaurants to visit again. read more

This review is strictly for the coffee bar. A friend and I stopped into La Cocina in mid-afternoon on a warm day, for iced coffees. The barista couldn't have been nicer. I got soy separately in a little pitcher. My friend got a refill of her iced chai; the barista noticed I was sipping while she was just sitting there with an empty glass. I will definitely be back based on this first experience with La Cocina. read more

Great outdoor dining under the shade of trees in historic Tucson....wonderful drinks, unique food, and friendly staff. Great place for a casual lunch, office happy hour, or group celebration. read more

This courtyard restaurant/bar/music venue is set in a magical courtyard of one of Tucson's old Presidio neighborhood structures and is truly an experience that no visitor or resident alike should miss. First the food: My Nicoise Salad with smoked salmon was excellent and my husband raved about both the quantity and quality of his pork tacos (and he's a taco freak so he knows what he's talking about). Service: Attentive and friendly. One of our party accidentally dropped her dinner salad to the ground and it was replaced quickly with no charge. Music: Great music by a trio that was presented at a volume that allowed conversation to be held yet was entertaining when we focused in on it. Ambience: Haven't really experienced anything quite like it in Tucson. Shops surround the courtyard and a few were open in the evening for browsing. Not to be missed! read more

Took the street car from Helen St to downtown for the first time tonight. Got off at Church and Congress and headed straight to La Cocina. It is just a short walk from the street car stop and it is an absolute gem when it comes to food and atmosphere. I love the food and it's unique courtyard, cantina, bar and really cool shops all in one place -now that I know how easy it is to get there on the street car we'll be going even more. Highly recommend date night at La Cocina. read more

This is one of the best restaurants I have had the pleasure of finding!!! We were in Tucson 4 nights and happened upon this restaurant the first the 2nd nite and were sooo happy we went the next 3 nights. Not only was the food excellent, but the staff, especially Emanuel and the owner Jo were soooo friendly and welcoming. I have very special dietary needs and they met them with a blink of the eye. We would HIGHLY recommend it and give it a five star rating, which I don't think I have ever done before. read more

Great experience. Fun and eclectic. Service was great and the food was excellent. We had the smothered burrito and chicken penne. great portions! Met the owner, Jo, and she was very attentive and very nice. read more

Tourist trap. Sure, the courtyard has a great vibe. If you're from the Midwest, it must seem wonderful to sit outside in an adobe courtyard in December under the heat lamps. But don't expect a warm welcome. I stopped there with a friend Sat evening (12/10/2016) for a quick bite after a gallery opening. There were plenty of open tables, but we couldn't get service where we sat. Finally, we flagged a server who seemed to be doing her best to avoid eye contact. She explains that, if we sit at that table, we have to order at the bar. Ok, we go to the bar, where there is a long line. But there are also open bar stools, so we decide to eat there. Bartender is very busy, but stops by every minute or so to ask whether I want a drink. Each time I ask for a menu. Eventually, we get menus. We attempt to order, but are then told we can only order bar food at the bar. If we want a meal--like the one the guy sitting next to me at the bar is eating--we have to get table service. My friend remarks that this seems odd, but doesn't mention that the reason we're at the bar is that the server told us to go to the bar. Bartender advises us that "this rule just makes things better for everyone." Friend remarks, "There sure are a lot of rules here." I tell him, "This is their business. I suppose they can run it like they want to." Bartender condescendingly launches into a lengthy explanation of the need for the rules, & how otherwise our order would unfairly disadvantage others, etc. then she again asks me (6th time) if I want a drink. We took a moment to decide whether we want to order some fries, & bartender makes a condescending, snarky comment, " Do you guys now understand the need for the rules, or would you need for me to explain them to you again?" We walked. read more

OMG...what a treasure. This is the best kept secret. I am one of the pickiest eater s ever and was totally impressed with their turkey Reuben. The service and ambiance was delightful. read more

I had not been to La Cocina in a long time and found myself going twice this week. Loved the service, music, drinks,and food. Try the Bbq pulled pork...woohoo ...it was so yummy! I also had a brownie covered with jalapeno fudge and it was amazing. Oh yes, did I mentioned the Hibiscus Cosmos...mmmm. Love this place! read more

Beautiful setting, excellent food, friendly service, and often, live music. The menu focuses on fresh and local ingredients, and includes vegetarian and vegan options as well as grass-fed burgers. Best grilled fish tacos ever! read more

I've had the curry and quinoa, the fish tacos, the 2-sauced burritos, the steak tacos and they're all delicious. I'm impressed with their varied menu. I can always find something appealing for whatever time of day or mood I come in with. When it comes to the ambiance, all I can say is COME OVER THERE! It's so cool. The bar is a blast, the music is always fun and the place is just so comfortable and beautiful. It's Tucson at its best. I know where I'll be this Friday night (great bluegrass on Friday nights)! read more

La Cocina is the whole package. The atmosphere was great (love the outdoor seating surrounded by beautiful flowers and tasteful artisan shops), the food was super delicious (the spring roll and the quinoa bowl were fabulous!), the cocktails were very tasty (loved the sangria), the waitstaff was amazingly attentive and the entertainment was truly worth listening to. Jo, the owner, made us feel very welcome and whole experience was simply awesome. Treat yourself to La Cocina. You won't regret it! read more

La Cocina is genuinely my absolute favorite restaurant, and one of my favorite places, in Tucson. The food is wonderful and very vegetarian/vegan friendly, the atmosphere of the outside courtyard is beautiful in the evenings, and the staff are exceptionally friendly. read more

I loved this place! Lemon salmon penne was delicious! Great service despite being pretty busy. Very relaxed atmosphere. The best part was trying to figure out if the turtles basking in the sun in the middle of the cafe were real (check it out to find out for yourself)! ;-) read more

This is LONGGGGGG overdue!!! This magical little gem is my most favorite spot in Tucson!!!! I have always had a great experience, great food, great staff and love the atmosphere. I tell everyone visiting from out of town or people who live here to check out La Cocina. The rustic look and super chill environment makes a great place for date night, hang with friends or catch a great local band! I wish I could give more than 5 stars! read more

I went to la Cocina on a Thursday night for the first time to meet 5 friends. We sat outside on the patio, I enjoyed how large the patio was and how open it was and the atmosphere was great. We started off by ordering some drinks and the drinks took an abnormally long time to be served..probably 15 minutes to get drinks on the table. We then ordered nachos and awhile after that we ordered other starters the nachos took forever- probably 20 minutes to come out... But all the other appetizers came out quickly after that. The food that I had tasted great, the nachos were good, their chips/salsa/guac plate was fresh and delicious, the quesadilla was great and the polenta fries were unique and delicious. We ordered a second round of drinks and it took the server a very very long to bring those out. We asked her and the food runner twice where the drinks were and they seemed to not care. Essentially I was very very disappointed with the service we received that night. They took a very long time to bring everything and never apologized. We asked for our checks and the server said okay I'll bring that out...after 30 minutes had passed and we still hadn't received our checks I went and found the server and asked if she was going to bring us our checks. She then said "yeah I'll get to it, I'm very busy. You weren't wanting to leave and needed them right away were you?" I just said okay and walked away. About ten minutes later she brought the checks. This should not take 40 minutes.... When patrons ask for their checks it means they are done dining. I would like to recommend this place and was excited to go here, the foods good but I was just very very disappointed with the service. If you want to eat here plan on designating a lot of time. read more

Wow, just wow. These people really care about their customers and their needs and the quality of the food. We got there right after a big rush and had a concert to get to. The owner (!) was concerned that we'd have to wait a long time for our food. She was very up front about the wait time, about 40 minutes, but promised we could get seated right away. Our wait person came over with menus and, because we were kind of in a hurry, took the time to review the menu and took our orders right then. I have some allergies so had to ask questions and she was really nice about it. Pot roast for him and green chili pork stew for me. She was in such a rush she forgot the drink order but they came back a little later and got those from us. 39 minutes later our food came, it was so delicious I am still talking about it. By far the best food we've had so far in Tucson. And they gave us our lemonades for free because of the wait! I'd give them 6 stars if I could. read more

This place is awesome! Not only is the food delicious and the atmosphere fun and funky, but the owner and her staff were so good to my family. We ate here two days in a row. The first time I came with my family of five adults, a baby and a toddler. The owner came over and asked our toddler if she would like to feed the turtles. She was delighted and distracted and we were able to take our time enjoying a nice meal outdoors. The next day, my family tasked me with finding a place for lunch for around 20 (!) people with thirty minutes notice. I decided to try La Cocina again since we were staying at the Air Bnb across the street. They were able to move some things around and accommodate our large party. They also lent us a fan to take home to drown out some of the noise that would be happening that evening with their live music. We and our sleeping babies were so thankful for the extra white noise! Thank you for going above and beyond by providing excellent customer service and being decent human beings! read more

This place has so much potential. Unfortunately, it's horrible. It's not because I live in Northern Cal and I'm used to ridiculously good food. It's because the food was simply terrible. My mom, dad and I were excited to try this place and were beyond disappointed. My dad and I ordered Chilaqules that were clearly not made fresh that day. They were cold and hard. Someone made an attempt to warm them up for us which caused the cheese to harden even more. My mom's tacos were bland and the side of beans were almost tasteless. A woman who seemed to be in charge of the place took one of the dishes off of our bill, which was nice. But I left hungry and unhappy. One other point - one of the staff members who brought us water had 6 inches of cleavage showing. It was vulgar and embarrassing. Not something that me or my parents needed to see while attempting to eat a meal. There is a time and place for your breasts to be hanging in someone's face. It's certainly not mid-Saturday at a mainly eating establishment. Gross all around. read more

I wanted so badly to like this place, but with the exception of the music and the atmosphere (both of which were excellent and the ONLY reason I'm even giving 2 stars), I was extremely disappointed. The service was appalling. They never came around with coffee, were rude about us needing to change tables, it took a full hour for our food to come out, and I had to hunt them down to get my check. They were busy, but I have experienced excellent service at plenty of restaurants that were just as busy and with the same number of servers. The food was also very disappointing. I had the BBQ pork sandwich which was just below mediocre. The pork was dry and somewhat tasteless; the bun was just cheap, mass-produced type; and the BBQ sauce was the worst part--pretty much just ketchup (in fact, I asked for both ketchup and BBQ sauce on the side and I literally could not tell the difference). I've had much better BBQ pork sandwiches for 2/3 the price at brew pubs back home. DON'T come here unless it's for the cool atmosphere or you know the band will be good. read more

La Cocina has such a quaint atmosphere and the ambiance is so pretty We were visiting from Denver, Co and had found this place online under best restaurants in Tucson. This is a hidden gem of a restaurant full of beautiful lights throughout the outside dinning area, which is very spacious and full of trees and flowers. There was live music on Saturday, a delightful band that creates easy listening music. The service was impeccable, our waitress Casey, was so friendly and attentive in her service and recommendations. The food was so fresh and the portions were plentiful, try the taco salad in a crispy shell. The Jerk chicken and rice was very tender and flavorful. Joe, the owner, greeted us immediately upon walking inside the outside dinning area. My fiancee and I could not believe that was the owner, because Joe was so friendly and made sure that we were seated in an area that was not too hot, (there are fans all throughout the outside area) and also got us a pitcher of water right away. Our dinning experience, food, service, and atmosphere exceeded our expectations. We absolutely loved this place all the way around. I would definitely recommend this restaurant over the ones that are located on the same street. read more

After a long couple of days traveling, we reached Tucson hungry, thirsty, and excited to see what the town had to offer. We referred to Yelp for guidance and it led us to this cool little place in the city. The atmosphere was great, the music was unobtrusive and the margarita hit the spot. But....What happened next was quite the opposite. I'm going to use a realistic time reference because I'm very aware when most people say "it took a half hour" , it really was more like 15 minutes. In this case, it was a full 57 minutes. I know this because immediately after ordering, I ran out to my car for my glasses. While doing so, my wife text messaged me to grab something for her. So, this defined the time frame perfectly. I assume our server(very sweet girl) messed up our order. After 28 minutes, a lady (assuming the manager/owner) came by our table to tell us our food was being plated and would be right out....we waited...no food...then, a guy came to our table with the wrong food. A bit later, our server came by and said "sorry, we will definitely discount your meal" Ugh, that's the worst! Don't tell me you're going to discount my meal! Do that when you bring the bill! apologize, own your mistake and bring me the chips I asked for so we don't starve! Well, the chips never came as we waited another 14 minutes for our food. Our food finally arrived! 57 minutes after placing our food order. It's wasn't bad. 3 taco salads....My daughter was to the point where she was so hungry she was no longer hungry and didn't eat hers. When the bill arrived, they discounted a whopping 25%! Seriously! It would have almost been better to not discount at all! A FULL hour wait, my daughters wasn't eaten, we never received the chips we asked for to hold us over and the manager never came back to the table! Just left this poor server to deal with the mess! I'd have happily paid for my drinks but the food should have been completely comped! This could all have easily been dealt with differently and we would have left happy customers. I'm giving 3 stars because I really think they just need to pay closer attention. I fell in love with it when I walked in. Wish I would have felt the same when I walked out. read more

We brought our 92 year old grandmother and our auntie here and I will say that the service was horrible!! Our waitress was not at all friendly. It seems that when we gave her our order she was bothered by what we wanted and how we wanted. Our grandmother requested 1 taco al la Carter but the waitress said it could not be done and that it came as a plate. So we ordered it after we originally place our 1st order with another waitress..well it came after 15 min. Our salads we origianlly ordered came about 35 minutes later after we asked another waitress about our order and why it was taking so long. We think the 1st waitress was upset and made it a point to explain why the taco plate came out faster to basically ptove her point of crappy service. Not to mentioned we notice that we other guest that were seated after us got their food before we did!! Zero rating for me Allie!! You might want to have some customer service training with your staff...especially with elderly and minoroties! read more

My husband and I arrived at about 5:30, plenty of seating. Got a table and waitress promptly took our drink orders. Told waitress we were here to listen to the band and would take our time on food order. Had another drink and then ordered two appetizers as we weren't real hungry. Appetizers came, were kind of small, but good. We didn't finish and asked for box. Ordered another round of drinks and were waiting for them to be delivered, when hostess asked if we wanted our check. We said, "not yet"as we were waiting for our drinks. Hostess then came back and told us there were reservations for this table. As we had been sitting there for a couple of hours eating and drinking: spending money, we thought this quite rude. Don,t know we were singled out as needing to leave; we were just quietly listening to the music. Like this place and will try again, hopefully without being run out. Ended up spending $64.00 + $12.00 tip, so it's not as we were just taking up space. read more

Our party happened to be of 6 people, so we were charged a forced gratuity. I understand why restaurants do this, because people are less likely to tip through group absolution. However, the service we received was not worthy of a 20% gratuity. 3 different servers worked our table, none of them knew what the other ones were doing, so there was confusion between them that should have been transparent to us. Service was slow, and drinks went empty. We were there for about an hour before anyone took our dinner order. And that was only because we flagged them down and asked them to please take our order. Also, we had to overtly ask for water or we would not have been served any. Overpriced for the atmosphere, quality of service and food we experinced. Food was edible, not terrible, but definitely below average. The drinks were pretty lousy too. I would definitely avoid this place in the future. read more

If you have ever seen the film Sideways with those wonderful images of friends gathering together outside under dim lights surrounded by trees twinkled with stars and the air of fragrantly good food to go along with good company, then you have come to La Cocina. The courtyard is adorable, cozy and intimate, you are in your own oasis of a spot romantic and warmly inviting. The environment is the prelude to what you will find in the service. The staff you will meet are equally as welcoming and accomendating. This past fall, I visited with my family when I was very sick. I explained to Jo Schnieder of my particular dietary needs. Jo cooked me up something special. She went above and beyond for me. She brought me a delicious zucchini soup that was unbelievably tasty and warmed me up with goodness the kind of cooking that comes when you can tell heart has been put into it. I was so taken back and appreciative. My boyfriend and I were so delighted at our experience there that we returned this past weekend with the specific intent on enjoying our night sharing a wonderful meal together there and with hopes of seeing Jo again to share of my returned good health. I was delighted to enjoy the quinoa bowl with veggies that was so delicious. As the music played, we enjoyed our meal and I was full of appreciation and delight at our wonderful evening spent at La Cocina. We look forward to returning again! Thank you Jo! read more