In Estes Park on vacation, I searched for Mexican food loved by the locals. La Cocina de Mama had great reviews. What restaurant with the name Mama wouldn't be good? The hostess was very friendly. They sat us right away even though it was busy. They also let us move tables, as I was getting iced out by the air conditioner. We order chips and salsa (which are not complimentary), but only $3 and the salsa is wonderful. For dinner, we ordered the carne asada plate and the two taco plate. The carne asada was tender and full of flavor. It was cooked with grilled veggies, and served with rice and beans and hand made tortillas. The tacos were large and tasty as was the rice and beans. If we were staying longer in the area we would have returned to try the other restaurant specialties. read more

See all

this place is great!!! there is a small parking lot attached. we did not need a reservation on a monday in mid-september. cozy inside or outdoor patio with amazing views! service was great and quick. the food was delicious, well priced, and very large portions. definitely worth the visit!! read more

See all

In Estes park for a wedding and came out a few days early. I know this is a bold statement, but BEST MEXICAN DINNER EVER. I ordered shrimp enchiladas and my son had fish tacos and we shared a queso. It was amazing and portions are gigantic. Parking a little tight but many locals were in the house which should tell you something If in Estes Park, this has to be 1 dinner read more

We decided to go to Estes Park for the day . In the past we haven't had a lot of luck there. We actually found this place on Yelp and had pretty good reviews.The atmosphere is very quaint and inviting with a full bar and a good sized patio. They have an extensive menu about 4 pages. Normally that would raise a red flag but not so. They have a large drink menu with multiple margaritas. We started with guacamole which was very fresh and had great flavor. We then ordered the chicken flautas and mixed fajitas. The flautas were juicy and flavorful. The fajitas were good sized but could use more seasoning. The portions are huge and could be easily shared. The service was a little slow but it was a nice day so we didn't mind as much. If you are in Estes Park check it out. read more

La Cocina de Mama - Chicken Flautas - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Such a cute place... and the guac, queso and veggie fajita were soooo great! Service was prompt and really good too. Worth the visit! read more

La Cocina de Mama - Guac, chips and queso - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

See all

We went in for an early dinner, and it wasn't crowded, which made for a relaxed meal with phenomenal service! We tried the Cocina Plate and the Create-Your-Own Combo. The homemade chips were fresh and delicious, and the salsa had a tasty little kick. The tortilla soup was flavorful--though it had quite a bit of onion, the seasoning still shined through. We also custom-ordered a chicken enchilada topped with queso, and it was absolutely delicious. The restaurant has a super cute setup, a welcoming atmosphere, and a huge menu full of variety. Overall, a great dining experience we'd definitely recommend! I door and outdoor patio seating available! Huge drink list with lots of custom margaritas available read more

See all

The service was very friendly. The house margarita was tasty and strong. We are used to Tex Mex, which is a different style, but we enjoyed the food and atmosphere at La Cocina de Mama. The $3 chips and salsa were good. The guacamole was fantastic. The cheese enchiladas, shrimp enchiladas and carne asada burrito were good. Leaving off one star because our food sat under the heat lamp for too long, which resulted in my crispy taco being soggy and falling apart. read more

Food and margaritas were good. Had a crispy chili relleno which was a first and it was delicious. You have to pay a few dollars for chips and salsa which annoys me lol. Our server was prompt and friendly.. We sat outside on the patio which was nice. Prices seem a bit high tho! read more

La Cocina de Mama - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

So delicious! We read reviews on 2 Mexican restaurants before choosing this one and WOW everything was so tasty! Seriously wonderful salsa with a bite, pico de gallo with a healthy amount of jalapeño and homemade chips to start. Hubs had mole chicken and a tamale, I had the triple choice fajitas. Everything was fresh and delicious and we even ordered extra salsa and pico gallo to take with us. Service was fantastic too! Highly recommend! read more

We have been in town for a few days looking for a good restaurant that didn't disappoint. We've eaten at several places so far and we were underwhelmed. We are from Southeast Texas and can say we know good Mexican food and Tex Mex. We went in with low expectations because we've had Mexican food in AZ, NV, and CO and the salsa was literally ketchup. La Cocina de Mama was the best we have ever had outside of Houston. I had the Chicken Tinga Street tacos and they were fantastic! The rice and beans did not taste like a can. They were so so good! Even my picky husband appreciated them. He had a crunchy beef taco and cheese enchilada which he thoroughly enjoyed. My daughter had a burger and son had the appetizer chicken quesadilla, which was huge! Definitely would eat here again when in town! Thank you La Cocina de Mama! read more

See all

Best enchiladas I have had. Service was good and the place was nice! Everyone at our table was very happy with their meal.

Nice place that is bit away from the craziness of downtown, and has its own parking. Its a small place with limited seats though. Their drink options seemed very interesting and we went for the jalapeno rita and mezcalita. Both were excellent - especially the jalapeno margarita. For dinner, we ordered Enchilada divorciadas, chicken enchilada, and tamales. The enchiladas were decent - divorciadas was the better one. Our tamales was okay - the sauce was tasty but could have done with bit more punch. The filling was also just okay - nothing memorable. For dessert we ordered a flan that was more dense like a flan cake would be instead of individual steamed/baked flan. That would be the only disappointment I would say. read more

Nice People but Mexican food worse than Taco House! Worst money we ever spent on food. Disappointed no Chips and Salsa either!!!

Great place! We had a ten minute wait. The host said we were welcome to quick run our errand and when we got back, a nice cozy booth was waiting. The portions were so big that we both had enough for lunch the next day. They even sent fresh tortillas for our leftovers. The place was vibrant with activity. Food was very yummy. Beers were cold. Margaritas real. Not syrup. read more

Pretty good! We liked that they are not located downtown so it's a lot easier to get to and park. The place is small but we went in around 3:30 so it was a good time on a Saturday. My husband had the sizzling fajita platter- (chicken and bacon) He said it was one of the best fajitas he has ever had. I had the chicken fajitas. They give you lots of meat. Service was slow even at 3:30-4:00. It's pretty good food and we were hungry after hiking RMNP. Not the best Mexican food I've ever had but pretty good for this area. read more

See all

The chicken enchiladas and refried beans were fantastic, my dad loved the street tacos and my mom loved her taco salad even though it was huge! The margaritas were good, the service was very friendly and good and the ambiance is cool in here! read more

Food was great the service was excellent and the ambiance feels like a cantina in Cabo. A must try is the Cucumber Margarita!

Super friendly, fun atmosphere. Food and margaritas are delicious!!! Victor is an amazing server. Can't wait to come back!!!!

We both ordered items we had never had before and both of us were very happy with our choices. My husbands shrimp chimichanga was filled with shrimp and he feels it is the best chimi he has ever eaten. I ordered Mexican Alambres with alpastor and it was delicious but a bit greesy. The restaurant is a typical Mexican restaurant with Mexican music and vibrant colors. The service was quick and accurate with a smile and willingness to please. The place was almost full when we left and I think most of the people were locals who know good food. read more

Wanted some legit Mexican food, and not tourist trap stuff. Came here and we were pleasantly surprised! Food was outstanding, lots of flavor and seasoning! And dishes we normally see at home! Shrimp enchiladas: shrimp inside the tortillas AND on top. Shrimp Michelada - enough said! Pastor street tacos, SO MUCH MEAT! Really flavorful, could taste the chorizo! Only reason to remove a star was their cucumber margarita, while very tasty, was kinda weak. Didn't taste much tequila. Service was really good too. Y'all visit this place! It's great! Oh, and you can park at the restaurant!! read more

See all

This place is great! I had the cucumber margarita and it was amazing. I also had the carne asada which was also amazing. Tortillas and chips are fresh and homemade and the service was wonderful as well. We sat outside for the views and had a lovely dinner. Definitely recommend this place! read more

Extremely tasty, authentic Mexican food! Sweet family run business and this place is legit.

The service was very good and the food was chef's kiss!!! I could smell the aroma of the seasonings in the sauce and knew instantly it was going to be good. Definitely a must in Estes Park! read more

This is not Tex Mex but close. Good service. Nice patio. Overall good Mexican food and good portions.

The place was very busy but we were quickly seated. Waiter showed ip immediately and brought our water, pop, dos xx. The waiter said it might be a few minutes because of a big group but had our amazing food in 15 minutes. Will definitely be back. read more

Love the outdoor seating, there's plenty indoor if that's your preference. Fish taco is a must, it'is very flavorful. Chips and salsa as well! Guacamole was ok. Waiter was very nice and helpful. Service was a bit slow, but it was worth the wait. read more

See all

Visiting Estes and had dinner here. The trio enchiladas were not bad. Hubby was not impressed with the chili rellenos. Cheese dip was a total disaster. When my kids don't finish cheese dip you know something is wrong especially for $10. The margarita was pretty good! Overall would not go back. Prices are way too high for mediocre food which is typical for a mountain town. Service was pretty good which was a plus. read more

As others have said, great food and service. We were seated in less than 10 minutes with the restaurant full. Our first time here.

Great little place off the beaten track with good Mexican food and great service. We both had enchiladas which were tasty and more than we could ever finish. Our server was funny and really friendly, making the experience all that much better. Parking can be tight so park next door at the paint store if it's after 5. read more

We are from Austin Texas and know what Tex-Mex should taste like and La Cocina de Mama is the real deal. We got the pick three platter and portions were plentiful and reasonably priced. margaritas are strong. Only missing thing was free chips and salsa. Service as good and can sit inside or outside. Skip all the Mexican places on Elkhorn and come here unless you're from California.and don't like Tex-Mex. read more

Don't let the parking lot fool you--this restaurant is warm, welcoming, and has a cozy, comfortable atmosphere. The food is authentic, delicious, and served in very generous portions. The refried beans are absolutely fabulous and some of the best I've had. If you're looking for great Mexican food with a friendly environment and large servings, this place is definitely worth a visit. read more

This is not authentic Mexican food at all. I ordered a carne asada burrito that had the smallest portion of carne asada I have ever seen. The meat was so salty and overcooked. Full of fillers like beans, rice and too much cheese. The food is not good. I don't know how they have 4 stars. It's sad the food is overpriced and not good. I don't recommend this place go get some pizza or a burger. Don't think I'm being salty either. It's the food that's salty. read more

La Cocina de Mama - That's your carne asada. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

The food was very fresh and traditional Mexican food. Loved it! Everyone was friendly. Try to sit in the front of restaurant...seems cooler than in the back. read more

Got the chance to try their chips and guac from the food truck at Rockcut brewing. So so so good!! Served quickly, and the folks were extremely nice and threw in a couple salsas for free!! This is coming from a South TX native, don't sleep on their salsa or guacamole!! read more

Well, it's been a year and Im back in Colorado with some church summer campers. This time I'm in Estes Park, Colorado and as I always do I wanted to try a local Mom & Pop rather than a chain restaurant. So after checking Yelp and reviews, I decided to try La Cocina de Mama. It had 4 stars and a total of 312 reviews. I looked over the menu and decided to try the Chicken Mole Enchilada plate. Plate also comes with a serving Spanish rice and refried beans. All I can say is WOW !!! Shredded chicken white meat top with a sweet not spicy mole sauce. Rice cooked to perfection and serving of beans topped with melted cheddar cheese. Service was outstanding and food was delicious. Giving La Cocina de Mama FIVE stars. I travel all over this country and I highly recommend this establishment. read more

See all

La Cocina de Mama is authentic Mexican at its best. My husband lived in Mexico for a few years and said the beans were just like the ones he ate everyday in Mexico. (And he's picky about his beans!) The waiter was great helping us decide on what to order. We had the traditional guacamole, chips and salsa, chicken fajitas, kids chicken quesadilla, mama's kitchen enchiladas with chicken, fish tacos, a tamale, and a relleno. Everything was great! My son did say his enchiladas were spicy, but he loved that about them. The restaurant looks small when you walk in, but opens up with additional seating. We highly recommend! read more

Can't say this is the best ever, but it was satisfying and the portions were insane. Definitely enough to feed two on one entree. It's in a less crowded area of Estes with a small parking lot so if you are trying to avoid that hassle, this may be a decent spot for you. We parked easily and were seated quickly. The servers made quick work of drink orders. My friend ordered horchata and I excitedly ordered red sangria. Won't lie, I was quite disappointed when they server came with a mini wine bottle and wine glass. I was expecting a house made sangria served over ice with fruit. I'd have skipped out had I known it was just a shelf purchased wine. I could have run to Safeway for wine and spend the same for a whole bottle. Sangria is a cocktail in my opinion. Skip this and try a margarita instead. I believe those are house made. Ultimately the food was good. We really enjoyed the guacamole appetizer. That was probably the best item. The burritos and enchiladas were also tasty. Prices seemed reasonable but we will try the other Estes Park offerings. I can't say I have an overwhelming desire to return but it was pleasant. Service is friendly and ambiance is kind of meh. It's a small establishment with tables packed in quite closely. read more

La Cocina de Mama - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Yum! We were in the mood for Mexican food, so we checked reviews and this place had good ones. We started with chips and roasted tomato salsa which was delicious. My husband and I thought we could probably share an entree and get full, but we couldn't decide on what to split so we each got our own thing. He ordered the chicken fajitas and I had the carne asada burrito. Both were good, but I thought mine was better We should have just split something though because the portions were huge and we both had lots leftover. Overall a very good experience. read more

great tacos al pastor the veggie tacos were good too we will definitely be back . the veggie tacos were tasty with fresh ingredients read more

See all

We were seated immediately on their pretty patio. The patio needs more shade, but otherwise it is a nice place to sit for lunch. Service was efficient and friendly. Food was delicious: I had a bean and cheese burrito, and my companion had enchiladas suiza. I was intrigued by the numerous cocktails on the menu and they weren't overpriced. I didn't have a cocktail because I need to drive but looks great. I will definitely come back to this place on a future visit to Estes Park. read more