Cafe Poca Cosa

I’ve been here twice, and both times the food, service, drinks, and presentation have been exceptional. When people ask me for a a recommendation for a great dining experience in Tucson, this place is always at the top of my list. The first time I went was a weekday night. The place was packed, but luckily we had reservations. The service was great, regardless of how busy the staff was, and the food was to die for! The second time I went was on a Wednesday afternoon for lunch. The restaurant was much slower, during this time however the food and the service was still impeccable! I love this place! It is a real treat if you are in the area! Bonus note: The parking garage above the restaurant offers free parking for the first hour.

I went here for lunch and was so impressed! I do know what I ate because it was an off menu vegetarian dish that the chef whipped up. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. My partner had a sampling of a few things in the daily menu. The spices smelled devine and he loved very bite. The fruit and salad on the side is a nice compliment to the largest yet freshest and least greasy Mexican meals we’ve had. The patio looked cool and the dining room is modern and comfortable. The service staff are all wonderful. The owner takes pride in her restaurant and makes it a point to connect with all her guests. Tucson’s best!

Good food but way overpriced.

Been here twice. We always get the combo platter for about $ 26 per person. You get three different dishes on one plate. They make sure to give you both something different so that you can basically try 6 dishes. Well worth it.
Seems to be upscale but I’ve seen people in t-​shirts and baseball caps. I guess it is Tucson.

Went last night for dinner and unfortunately remembered why we stay away. The food is pretty good, (tamale pie is delicious) but a pretentious atmosphere abounds here. We arrived just after 7pm and it was so dark inside no one could read a drink menu. We asked our server and she basically said tough. There is no split checks, no substitutions on the plato (chefs choice) dish. So if you have an allergy too bad. The previous time my husband and I were here I asked if he could have a candle on his dessert for his birthday and was told no, despite the lit candle on every table. The overall vibe here is unwelcoming and it’s just not worth it.

Shocked & beyond disappointed. This is ALWAYS my go-​to place for out of town visitors. It was so disgusting today I will NEVER return. It was pitiful from the moment we walked in till the moment we left. To top it off, we all got SICK & remained so for many hours afterwards. I have NO idea what happened, but sadly it is on the WORST DINING EXPERIENCE EVER. NO second chances, this never ever should have happened. SICK ??? Shame on you, Poca Cosa.

The most overrated restaurant I’ve been to in Tucson.
Save your money and dine elsewhere.

Tried the asada cilantro Serrano and the Plato poca cosa plates tonight. Seems they have a different menu every night so there is a chance u won’t get the same dish if u come back. They were both pleasantly displayed and both had great flavor. All meals start with chips and a homemade salsa. I have a high heat tolerance this salsa wasn’t hot but some might think it is. Love the deco.

Went here on a Tuesday night, and there were plenty of tables to be had.
The service was very good — prompt, friendly, well-​spaced check ins to allow privacy.
We couldn’t decide between the red or white sangria so we got one of each. Reasonably priced at 6 $/​glass, the red sangria is quite good and worth the trip alone. The white is good in its own way but tends more towards a juice type flavor. This was dandy for me as I don’t mind my alcohol tasting less alcoholic.
The food was very tasty!
My date and I both got the Poca Cosa Plato, which meant 6 different dishes to try between us. I was most excited for the mole negro but found the flavors of the «tamale pie» to be the most enjoyable.
The presentation of the food is stunning and includes a salad that is fresh and tasty while also serving as a type of divider between the different dishes on the plate. The salad dressing was I believe a type of house made vinegarette that was on the table when we arrived.
Add to this rice, beans, and corn tortillas and you have yourself a downright feast for the price of 26 $ per plate.
Given the influx of restaurants downtown that tug on the hearts and minds of the young professional, Café Poca Cosa rises above the rest for the ambiance, the food, and the service for a fantastic date night out that won’t destroy your bank account.

Please watch your drinks closely!!!
I was really looking forward to dining at Café Poca Cosa as I’ve heard people raving about it for awhile. Unfortunately, I am unable to tell you how my dining experience was because my drink was spiked and I do not remember the meal. Luckily, my boyfriend recognized that something was off when I could barely speak and got sleepy-​eyed after drinking half of my drink, so he got me out of there quickly and back to the hotel where I proceeded to sleep for the next 12+ hours (very unlike me). We normally drink a few cocktails or glasses of wine at a meal, so it takes more than ½ a glass to get me slurring and swaying the way I was here, which is what has our suspicions raised.
I am very disappointed to have had this experience there, and it makes you remember that you should always drink with caution, especially if you aren’t looking at your drink being made and brought to you.
EDIT: boyfriend informed me that when he tried to get me out of there he asked for the check, and it took more than 20 minutes to get it to us. Service was highly unhelpful.

I love this unique Mexican restaurant. It’s very different from the usual fare. Here the menus changes with the whim of the chef leading to great food that is both tasty and different. I encourage all to come and see for yourself. C

Three of us had the shredded beef (cannot remember the Spanish name). The portion was very generous, although the garnish amounted to a full-​blown salad in volume that was only a pile of greens. It was supposed to come with roast potatoes, but neither my wife nor I had any at all.
Finally, the matter of saltiness. I am a lover of salt: my wife is always telling me to taste before salting. But we have NEVER tasted any meat as salty as this. I could not even finish, and had no desire to take what was left home.

Not only is the food great but the presentation is so pretty that you almost don’t want to disturb your plate!
The food is quite lovely and you never know what you will be eating since the menu changes daily.
If you are vegan, this is not the place for you! There is one vegetarian dish offered each day but you can count on meat heavy offerings.
The day we went, we had the vegetarian tamales and they were delicious!

The atmosphere in this restaurant makes you second guess the jeans you decided to wear here.
The staff was incredibly friendly and quick about refilling chips and salsa and drinks.
The menu is different every day and there are no substitutions.
The red sangria was amazing and I could’ve drank a whole pitcher for myself.
Overall I was not impressed by the food at all. I got the stuffed chili rellano and the plate was covered in water from everything having so much moisture. There was little flavor to it at all which is unfortunate because I was expecting it to be somewhat spicy. The «salad» that comes on the side had huge pieces of greens that make eating it very difficult. The lowest price for a dish was $ 20 and I wouldn’t say it was worth it at all.
I don’t plan on coming back here.

Amazing place. A must have if you are in Tucson.
Someone local recommended me this place and I was very impressed. If you look at the place from outside you would not be sure and even slightly worried as to where am I going for a meal. But, once you get inside the place delivers both in terms of the food and the ambience.
They have an ever changing menu so you have to find out what are your options and choose from them once you get there. But, trust they are good. My humble suggestion would be for you to NOT choose anything. Let the chef do it. They have the chef’s choice (Plato Poca Cosa), I would suggest that you order it and let the food impress you. The only caveat to the above statement is that you should eat all kinds of meats, as you will get what the chef chooses. So check if they can account for that or not.
Poca Cosa means «little thing» but that is the last thing this food is. The chef’s choice is a big serving and the quality is also very good. On my plate I had some flavorful chicken, some scrumptious shredded beef and some sweets. I also tasted what my friends had got a tried the pork and the mole chicken also. My favorite of all that I tried was the pork followed by the beef and then the chicken (both with and without mole). I am giving a preference here but trust me all of it was good and I would love to eat either of those as a meal any day. The plate has some greens which being some balance to the meal also and the table gets some tortillas also.
Enjoy the place and food. Would go back if I am in Tucson again.

This was a refreshing change to the Mexican food I typically consume (cheap, fast, maybe dirty but usually delicious). The venue itself is classy, has nice mood lighting, and is a considerable amount of space. As most people mention, the food changes daily and rather than printing menus the options are listed on chalkboards variously placed throughout the restaurant. The server, Jeff (sp?), in this case was super attentive and knowledgeable about all the dishes and supplemented the menu with details on the plates and recommendations. Let me tell you, the amount of food for a dinner entrée is well worth the money. I can eat enough food to feed a small family and there was no chance at me finishing my plate. It was well prepared and tasty, came with rice and beans, and a side salad.
Overall, the service, price, ambience, and quality of the food makes this place worth visiting again.

Being in Tucson and having SO many Mexican restaurants that consist of the same menu items can make this cuisine seem unappetizing at times.
This is where Café Poca Cosa excels! They are inventive and imaginative from their drinks, to the menu on a chalkboard, to the food itself. While they are pricey, lunch around $ 16 – 20, dinner nothing starts out under $ 20, the service and quality is worth it!
I enjoy the chefs choice: this time I received the Machaca which was exceptionally moist and flavorful, a cream chicken of sorts that had just the right kick, and my favorite was the tamale pie topped with this lovely banana sauce… Just in heaven!
While sometimes I leave overstuffed I was perfectly content after this meal and with my tamale pie I was in no need for dessert.

My first thought was this place is pretty fancy for a Mexican food joint. I definitely appreciate the art displayed especially the masks. I came with some friends after a quick hike at Picacho Peak.
Café Poca Cosa pushes out 2 menus daily according to our waitress! To start our group decided to order a pitcher of margaritas; aside from H2O I definitely needed a drink to wet my palates! The margaritas our phenomenal here and with over 7 selections you should be able to find one that tittles your totes! The complimentary chips and salsa was probably one of the best I’ve ever had… I think I can say that not to say I want to bolster up this place, but seriously good. It was fresh, sweet, with a hint of spice.
For our food I order the Asada En Salsa Brava, cause you can’t go wrong with chopped flank steak doused with salsa. The steak itself was tender and well cooked. The salsa again was not spicy at all but provided a sweet creamy sauce; which I gather the meat was cooked in. My friend gave me a taste of her tamales which she swears by is the best. Needless to say, it was one of the best. I can’t say it’s traditional like grandma used to make simply because of the ambiance, but also the way it was plated. I need to unwrap it myself! However, it was meaty, grainy, and full of girth to say since it was quite large in size. I think I could maybe eat 1 and ½ of these and call it good for they day.
In the end, Café Poca Cosa deserves my love since they provided me with such. I think it’s one of those gems you find in Tuscan and never forget! — Enjoy!

So everyone tells you to come to Café Poca Cosa when you are celebrating a special occasion. So I did! I came to celebrate my husband’s graduation and it was an okay dining experience, but not the one I came to expect with people’s obvious recommendations for a nice restaurant.
The service was what killed me here. It started with a weird vibe walking in waiting for my reserved table. Then the server seemed to have a lot on her plate. I get it, memorizing every detail of a new menu is hard and amazing and not anyone can just come in and do it, but they seemed a little busy. She didn’t really have anytime to figure out what we wanted. Just plain flat weird attitude in this place.
So the menu comes on a chalk board and the server explains it. They say it is a daily special, but looking at some of the reviews, a lot of their dishes are recycled. I opted for the Chef’s Choice and the food was good.
For the price and service I probably won’t be back (or back frequently), but see why people do recommend this restaurant.

The menu changes twice per day so the waiter goes over the dishes verbally. I love this concept. Our waiter was excellent — very knowledgeable about the menu.
My dish was delicious and the portion was huge! Too bad I was staying in a hotel or I would have taken half of it home for leftovers.
It’s a little pricey for lunch, but if you know that going in, it’s worth it.