What can I say? It's cheap. It's good. It's cheap. It's good. It's good enough Mexican to keep me sated and not make me pine for the restaurants I grew up with in San Diego, but not so great that I stop thinking about them completely. The service is good enough, but the decor is pure cheap. Not someplace I'd go for atmosphere, but the food is pretty decent, and it's within walking distance of my office. One word of warning, though: while they take credit cards, they do not accept American Express. read more

I'm just always sipping rice water through a straw. This is the only place in the Loop that I trust to serve me something I wouldn't mistake for an item off the Disney World - Mexico menu. Sometimes you want a veggie burrito with refried beans and good ole' yellow rice with an orchata. I agree with the other reviewer about the burrito suiza. That is to die for stuff right there. They also have Jarritos soda. If you're from the burbs or some g-d forsaken place that lacks Mexican food for reals, try a Jarritos soda and may I recommend the Tamarind flavor. This location has more seating than the one on Jackson and the service is better I think including bringing the food to your table should it be slow and you're awesome. read more

Been working in Loop and eating here several times per year for more than a decade. It's always been a friendly, reasonably-priced place for some seriously fresh and authentic Mexican food. I will eat some Chipotle, and if that's what you consider high-quality Mexican food, stay there. It's good. La Cocina, however, is authentic Chicago family restaurant Mexican, done right. They get the cilantro ratio right. The steak quality is good on tacos and burritos. Yes, it's powdered refried beans and entry-level Spanish rice, but I kinda want that sometimes. A lot of times, actually. To me, if the choice is high-end Mexican (Frontera?), corporate mexican (Chi-bloat-le) or local independant Mexican, I'll take the last all day. And as the only good loop-based version of that option, La Cocina really hits the spot. read more

This is by far my favorite Mexican place downtown. I always order the exact same thing at every single Mexican place: taco dinner with carne asada, and La Cocina's taco dinner is superb. Not only is their carne asada delicious, but their rice and beans are great too (something unfortunately rare). The manager/owner/lady-who-is-always-there is a sweetheart and the tiny bus boy is so nice too. Everybody loves this place and it's always packed at lunch time. However, head an hour in either direction away from noon and there's plenty of seating with delicious chips and salsa. My least favorite thing about this place is that they close at like 4-4:30 and are only open on weekdays, so I don't get to go for dinner nearly as often as I'd like. read more

The tacos are good. The burrito suizo with steak is GREAT! Just picture a burrito with all the yummy, warm, and occasionally messy or gooey ingredients wrapped inside a tortilla that is toasted to perfection. Sounds delicious, right? Now add a heaping mound of melted cheese on top. OH MAN! It can get a bit noisy in there when it's busy (obviously). The staff is super friendly and the wait time for the food itself is not very long. The line to get to the counter tends to be decently long around lunch time. It's worth the wait, though. Food = *drooling* By the way... Melted cheese is always cause for an orgasm. Just so you know. read more

Extremely lazy staff. Turn customers away so they can close early and go home. I am so done with going to this place and seeing this. Obviously owner is not present. Glad you turned the guy that eats at your restaurant three days a week away thirty minutes before close. Place deserves to go under. read more

Overpriced mediocre Mexican food spot in the loop. I had a craving for Mexican food one day so I stopped in during my lunch hour. The guy behind the counter took my order immediately & I waited less than 10 minutes for my food. I ordered a taco dinner that included 2 tacos, rice & beans. The food was bland & extremely expensive even by downtown standards. $9.50 for a taco dinner (during the lunch rush) is asinine. No lunch special? The restaurant only has one daily lunch special which is still around $7-$8 dollars. If the food was good I could see paying that kind of money for lunch once in awhile but it just wasn't good. It had absolutely no flavor whatever. I won't be choosing to have lunch there ever again. read more

its been several years since i've been to this restaurant. I figured i try it since my coworker is a guac lover and I remember the guac being awesome back then. This location is located near the elevated train tracks on Wells, so it might be very easy to miss. One way to find it is to look for the line of people spilling out on the sidewalk. Must be good, eh? The way this restaurant is setup is you stand in line to order and pay, and then once you have your order you can sit down at a table and wait for your number to be called. The place was a little bit chaotic. The line as mentioned was superlong and they only had two registers. It was loud in there so you really have to listen when they call out your order number. I ordered three chicken tacos and a large order of guac. Total was slightly higher for Chicago downtown high-roller prices -- about $14. Without the guac, it would have been $9, which was about how much a lunch in the Loop would be. The tacos were OK, nothing that stood-out on the negative or positive side. I guess the place is authentic, as they offered onions and cilantro on their tacos. The guac was not as good as I remembered it. It use to taste fresh, and was green and chunky. This time around, it looked more pale green (perhaps from sitting out?) and it was definitely more runny than I remembered. If you're looking for a somewhat more authentic mexican food and are tired of Americanized "mexican" places like Chipotle, try this place out. read more

Good food for breakfast Burrito Huevos con Chorizo, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. I ate in so they gave me complimentary chips, and tasty salsa. Overall the food was good, I will try out other things on the menu next time I'm in the area. Although one thing that caught me off guard was the overuse of terms of endearment by the service staff. I've only been called "sweetie", "sweet heart", and "honey" at two places in my life, Hooters, and Coyote Ugly. This Mexican joint made three! The reason I don't give them the extra stars is because of the unwillingness of the cashier to give me change for my twenty, You see I needed ones to get on the train for my ride home. She gave me some excuse about not having gone to the bank yet. Funny I paid for my meal with a five and two ones...What would have happened if I had originally paid with the twenty dollar bill instead? Unfriendly service like that makes me upset that I try out new places. Instead she smiled and said, "Sorry Sweetie!" I'll be back, but I'll be holding on to my precious ones. Bwa, ha ha ha! read more

This is my boyfriends favorite place for lunch. Its always packed and the line runs out the door but we are never disappointed. The staff is organized and really does a good job of keeping the line moving. Best enchiladas-- only second to the ones my grandmother makes. read more

I love this place. I used to go here all the time when I was living in Chicago and now living in SF, i dream about this and the girl behind the counter who works there. The taco dinner with steak is delicious, and when I order it, I always ask for a "coke please"... and she always smiles and gets me one. I am coming back to Chi-town in the dead of winter again for a taste, of those tacos.... read more

After reading all the glowing reviews I was expecting some tasty lunch. Instead the food was kind of lackluster, the portions were small, and my order wasn't even right (I found out once I got back to the office). The price was reasonable, so at least I didn't spend a fortune, but I wouldn't go here as a first choice again. I had a cheese quesadilla, which was soggy. I'm just saying... for fresh food, and when i work literally around the corner, my food should not be soggy when i get it back to the office. (my order should be completely accurate as well) The Mexican Coke was Delicious. And the chips were perfect. I'll just have to try more next time to see if it's any better, if there is a next time. read more

A taco and a tamale is enough to fill me up here for under $5. That's all you really need to know. The taco's decent and the tamale is a bit on the dry side. The biggest benefit to this place is that you can order exactly what you want and just what you want. There's combo bullcrap to deal with here. Oh wait, that's like 8 million other Mexican places. BUT THIS IS IN THE LOOP AND I SPEND LESS THAN FIVE BUCKS HERE. That is all. read more

I love this place. It's open for breakfast, it's reasonably priced, the tortas are awesome, the breakfast tacos are bomb, the woman who works the register and takes orders is super nice, there's no upcharge for adding steak to your torta. All around fantastic spot in the loop, much better than any other Mexican place around here. I frequent this place and will continue to do so. Thanks, La Cocina! See ya soon. read more

The store manager is absolutely rude.me and my coworkers have go at least twice a week. My one coworker ordered his food and the young lady at the read the order back. Once everyone got their food he realized he was missing part of his order. Instead of saying sorry about the inconvenience, she proceeds to argue with him. Over one taco!!! Finally he speaks to the store owner and the owner was nice enough to give it to him complimentary. Might be the only place for tacos in the area but we will not go back read more

Best mexican in the loop. Anyone wanna contest that? Still waiting... read more

I really enjoy La Cocina (which means kitchen in English). It's definitely a go to spot to get my lunch on. I usually go with the taco dinner special which comes with tacos, re-fried beans, and some spicy rice. It's pretty much a slam dunk meal. Outside of the food being very good for the price, the service is exceptional. Don't be discouraged by the long lines because it moves muy rapido (it's Spanish so if you don't get it...Google it) and they bring the food to you so no waiting awkwardly. Also, the lady who works the counter, might be the nicest lady ever. Lastly, don't forget to get either a bottled Coca-Cola or a mandarin orange Jarritos because they are the best drinks ever. Boom! read more

I love La Cocina. I have tried the Fajitas, Burritos, Taco's and they are all pretty good. However, I highly recommend the basic Chicken taco. These things are simple: 2 corn tortilla's (key here), Chicken, lettuce, tomato, and Cilantro. However they are fantastic. I recommend doing the sit down thing where you can use their pourable salsa. Both red and green are tasty. The staff is very helpful, efficient, and friendly. They get you in and out quickly which is a plus. BTW... as stated previously, the music is pumping and adds nicely to the atmosphere :-) read more

Ever since I had my first al pastor taco, I have been on a hunt to find the best in Chicago. La Cocina ranks as one of the best in my book out of over the twenty and some Mexican restaurants that I have tried all over Chicago. My usual order is an al pastor taco Mexican style with only onions, cilantro, and lime and a single order of enchilada suizo with carne asada. The al pastor is marinated in a bold, sweet, and spicy sauce. I'm not sure if they use ancho chile powder but there was definitely some spices that were used. The enchilada suizo has touch of mole` to it that you don't always see and it is really good. If you are in the area, I would definitely recommend La Cocina for excellent Mexican food at reasonable prices in the downtown area. This is a great place that stands out in comparison to the many overpriced restaurants for lunch. By the way, they also close early so take note of the time in case you are planning on grabbing a taco on the way home. read more

Pretty disappointed into what this place has turned into. It seems the owner and main guy I saw every time I came here has gone somewhere else. Ever since then, the Steak has been very mediocre. It used to be cooked to perfection with so much flavor, now it's pretty soft and bland. They also stack on too much lettuce on the tacos. I will still come here for a quick taco fix, but no longer is this one of my go-to places. read more

The best Mexican in the Loop. If you're not in the Loop, don't crawl down here for this, but if you are and want preety legit Mexican, this is your spot. Chips on the table are a great touch. I usually drown them in the salsa-hot-sauce stuff that's on the table. I've been here probably over dozen times over the last few years. It's good every time. Beef, steak, chorizo are all good. Chicken is so-so. Don't think I've ever had the pork because I like the steak so much. I love the taco salad. And on the flip-side, the burrito suizo with steak or beef is the absolute best. read more

More like 3.5 stars, but def not quite a 4, so I guess a 3 will do... This place is a pretty sketchy hole-in-the-wall place under the train tracks, but hey I didn't expect it to be fancy so that's fine. The menu consists of a variety of traditional Mexican dishes, from tacos to burritos to carne asada to flauntas. The prices are not very cheap, but I suppose the big portions make up for it (except for the quesadillas... they are tiny and something like $3. So not worth it). The only major complaint I have is that I ordered a Mexican steak and they didn't tell me it was going to take at least 15 min after I paid. Since lunch time during the work week is hectic, I definitely would have ordered something else quicker if they told me before. The steak was also extremely salty..... not a fan. read more

Ordered food for my family and it was not as advertised. Then as we were eating the cook came from the back and began to mop the floors... making my family and I feel rushed. Very disappointed! read more

This is probably my go-to spot in the loop. Cheap, fast, and great service. A word of warning as the place will have a line out the door during the noon hour. I generally head there after 1 when things have calmed a little. The steak tacos are the only thing I've tried, but they are excellent. Good taste and good size and prepared in a traditional manner (read don't go expecting sour cream and a load of cheese on top). The service is top-notch as well. The staff do a great job at organizing the lunchtime chaos. The free chips and salsa is a nice touch. read more

First time, great. Second time, bad. Third and fourth times, great! I think they got a new chef. Cheap food, good drinks and cool atmosphere. good times read more

We've enjoyed this restaurant for quick carry outs for a bit now. The food is good and the staff friendly. Parking after 4p is a bit tricky as it's rush hour but.....definitely worth it! Stan tacos are amazing, my wife and son love the chicken ones. The burritos are also amazing and if you choose to sit down, they are attentive. Mom and pop restaurants like this are what my wife and I enjoy and this locale has never let us down! Buen provecho! read more

I meet with coworkers for lunch here regularly. The food is better than many other mexican restaurants in the area. I'll usually opt for chicken tacos, a chicken quesadilla or something similar with Horchata. The food is always served relatively quickly, cooked right and the staff is always very friendly. We always try to get there around 11 or 11:30 at the latest to ensure we get a table. The line gets pretty long if you come in at noon (which is typical of lunchtime places in the Loop) read more

Being a Mexican I must say I have been disappointed. My order of choice was a steak burrito. The meat was not well cooked for one. I don't believe the meat was even steak. It had a different texture and was over seasoned. I am sad to say for once I wish I would have stopped at chipotle vs here. I would have gotten a bigger portion for less and in all a better tasting burrito. As for the service, It was very uncomfortable. Walked in confused as to where to order. As there was many people, None paying any attention to me. A girl was forced to take my Oder and they complained about it. In Spanish, yes shockingly I know Spanish. Oh and I failed to mention I dinned in and was not asked once if I needed anything. Kinda felt like my business was a burden. Needles to say there will not be a next time. read more

My absolute favorite spot for lunch downtown. The portions are huge and it's not expensive. The food is so delicious. There can be a wait some times but I've never been late getting back to work once. LOL I like the torta, the tacos and they put the perfect amount of cheese on the beans. I love the bottled pop and we all know that means REAL SUGAR!!! read more

I pass by La Cocina every morning when I get off the train, but it wasn't until some Yelp feedback gave me the vote of confidence I needed to finally check it out... We decided to grab some take out so I ordered ahead [shout out to menupages.com for having the menu online!] about 30 minutes prior to when we wanted it. I walked in and didn't get very far because the line was way back to the door. Once I got up to the front, I waited another 15 minutes for our order. After I got the goods and stepped outside, I felt as though the rest of the world was incredibly muted. When has the Loop ever seemed quiet at 12:30 on a weekday afternoon? Apparently, it does after spending excessive time in La Cocina, because it's so bright and SO loud. I will forever associate techno with Mexican food. Maybe that fast beat is what keeps them moving so fast! Got back to the office and we were all set to grub... and then we realized... HALF OF OUR ORDER WAS MISSING!!! So after a jaunt back, we finally got to dig in. My friend and I both agreed that the food was awesome (though cold from sitting out for-ev-er) and a great deal. The pepper and cheese tamale was delish as was the super taco. I'm not certain I would ever sit in there to eat, simply due to the congestion factor and I'm kind of wary about take out because more than half of the lunch hour was spent running back and forth and back and forth. But the food has earned these stars! read more

This is a "taco only" establishment. I feel bad giving this place 2 stars (it's 2.5) because the people that work there are nice, so I'm giving it 3 stars. There are three types of Mexican restaurants: ones where everything is good, ones where only tacos are good, and ones where everything is bad. By good, I mean the tacos are good by lunchtime Loop standards (read:low). Everything I've had other than tacos had been bad (tamales and sopes). I used to go to the old location of this place, before it closed due to John Marshall's expansion. This current location has horrible noise management. It sounds like a school lunch room. It's very unpleasant. I don't think I'm going to come here anymore, now that it's out of my way. read more

So, you don't want to wait in the line that wraps around the outside of Chipotle, but you do want guacamole... enter, La Cocina. Definitely a solid choice for a quick loop lunch, La Cocina has the main bulletpoints I seek: --cheap --fast --fills me up. I love that they have shredded chicken (as opposed to chunked), I love that the chicken isn't ridiculously spicy, and I love that you can get eggs/chorizo for lunch. My only few negatives are: --everything seems really, really salty --those menu boards. For reals La Cocina, fix those menu boards/tvs. There are 2 or 3 rotating menu pages, but they flash up on the next one so fast that you can't ever really read the menu. Even if there is a long line, they will have you in and out in minutes. read more

Everyone raves about the al pastor, but I liked the steak taco best. Chicken was also good. They do the Mexican-style with cilantro & onions only, I highly recommend it that way if you're unfamiliar. Their salsas are excellent. Looking forward to going back to try the fish taco dinner... read more

Great "unhealthy-style" mexican. Pork and steak gorditas were really good. The Coke with real sugar in a glass bottle was also a plus. Place is a bit small and hectic at lunch time though. Some of the tables are so close to the line, you end up eating with people standing practically on top of you. Next time I'll get take-out. read more

I'm surprised this place doesn't have a higher star rating. I really like this place. When I came I wanted to try everything, so I got a steak taco, a beef tostada, and a chicken enchilada along with a side of guacamole. Everything, I got was delicious. It tasted homemade, and pretty authentic. Both the red and green salsas are flavorful and spicy. The prices are reasonable, and I will continue to come back here for my Mexican fix. read more

It is currently 2:30 and just walked over in pouring rain to find out once again they are closing early. How do you run a business like this? read more

Solid Mexican joint for a quick lunch. How I have avoided going here for 4.5+ years is beyond me. I ordered the enchilada dinner, chorizo, mole - three chorizo enchiladas covered in some actually decent (but not New Rebozo caliber) mole, and dusted with lettuce and cheese, plus rice and beans. for $8, this is plenty of food, and it's tasty. Chorizo is decently lean, sauce is good, real corn tortillas. No complaints at all. And the order itself came up quick - didn't have to stand around waiting for more than a minute or two. Other folks got burritos, which I should try, even though I hate flour tortillas, and there's a lot more on the menu as well. I need to try and work this in to my rotation, as there's plenty of locations in the Loop. Now, is it as good as Bien Trucha or New Rebozo? No, of course not. But it's really not trying to be the same thing, right? Best (well, fine, only) Mexican I've had in the Loop. read more

The food was fine but the lady at the front was rude. We got chips and salsa (which never came out) and when we asked for it, they were stale and SOGGY. read more

La Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great Mexican food - seems pretty authentic. I think its priced reasonably and the service was very good. Its pretty much a great place for lunch for those that work in the Loop. Its definitely a nice alternative to the chain Mexican-esque restaurants out there (no disrespect to Chipotle - love that too!). I had the taco's which were fantastic and good portions. Cozy location read more

Gordita! Gordita! Gordita! When I saw it on the menu here, my heart - no, let's be real - my mouth watered like a dog's. Remember Taco Bell's pillowy-soft gordita shells? The whole mess of what was no more than an over-sized taco that mushed in your mouth with one big hot beefy injection? Erm... they were my favorite. And then they were gone. Seeing 'gordita' takes me back to my Taco Bell-eatin' days. Those are no mas (as is beef in my life) but with a plethora of fillings at La Cocina it took but two seconds for me to order the 'dinner' for lunch and patiently wait. These are not at all like your favorite old skool Taco Bell gorditas. They're mother-loving BETTER. The shells are cornmeal-based, fried discs of delicious stuffed with all sorts of Mexicano ingredients that will have you reaching for not one, not two, but probably 20 napkins to aid in the slop that's sure to drip down your chin. And that's a good thing. Actually, everything - the rice, the salsas, the gordits (-a for reasons unknown to me) and the beans were tops. I'd give 5 stars to LaCo but those aforementioned beans were a tad too salty, even for this salt-loving-if-I-were-a-deer-I'd-never-leave-the-salt-lick lady. Great Loop lunch spot. Check it out for fast, affordable yum. read more