Cocina 214

If we lived in Winter Park, we would eat here at least once a week. Everything was fresh and made to order, you could tell. We order the guac and street tacos and both were amazing! The house salsa that is served when you arrive is also very good. Has a lot of flavor. We also ordered tacos and did one side of rice and beans. It was plenty of food for two but we managed to eat it all. The service was excellent and the manager came by to check in. They take pride in this establishment and they should. We’ll be back whenever we come to winter park.

I absolutely love the mahi mahi dish with perfectly seasoned and cooked vegetables. The mexican corn appetizer was also amazing. The chips and tortillas are good and the guac is yummy — salsa is decent. Great service and location and ambience. Looking forward to returning but the prices are the only thing keeping us from being regulars here.

Go for drinks. They are exceptional. A bit pricey but worth the splurge on occasion. Skip the food. They use fresh ingredients and food is freshly prepared but it consistently lacks flavor. And it is very pricey for small plates that are just not good.

Owners come off as slightly condescending of new ideas which is why I leave this place 1 star also the food sub par

Great service, great drinks, better food and wow did I tell you about the Guacamole, we’ll come try it and you tell me, I think it’s the best!

Needed a mexican fix so I popped into this place. I had the real deal in Mexico at Panchos Backyard and it was hard to eat mexican after that experience. I wasn’t disappointed.
Lonnie suggested the fajitas. Chicken fajitas — a nice amount of meat. Great gaucamole. This will be my new place

We went between lunch and dinner for drinks. The bartender, Beth was friendly, knowledgeable, and super helpful, explaining that the margaritas are made with fresh ingredients. Make sure you try the bleu cheese guacamole!
We did not eat in main restaurant, but I will make sure to return in the future to do so!

The bartender asked me to hurry up and close out before 11:00pm came around but other than that the food and drinks are great

We tried a little bit of everything. Started with a few drinks. Definitely recommend the Mojito! The tacos with rice and beans are delicious. We had the brisket tacos. The Queso Fundido appetizer was sooooo good and flavorful. The guacamole was good as well. We didn’t try them but the endless plates of fajitas that walked by smelled AMAZING!!!

UPDATE ¹⁄₂₂: So I actually took some out-​of-​towners here for dinner last night, and the food was probably the best it’s ever been (for me). But the service, again, was TERRIBLE. Friendly waitress, but between bringing us our drinks and returning to take our food orders, there was probably a good 15-​minute absence. YIKES.
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I’ve been to Cocina more than a handful of times, and I’ll go back many more, I’m sure, because I know what I’m getting. It’s decent Mexican-​influenced food (and we don’t have many of those in Central Florida). That being said, I’ve never been blown away by any of the dishes I’ve ordered.
With regard to the menu, there’s nothing particularly out of the ordinary. You’ll find your basic taco offerings, burritos, rice, etc. I don’t believe the menu really ever changes so at least you know what you’ll find during your visit. And the drink choices are rather extensive, too.
My biggest issue with Cocina, and I feel like at this point I’m very validated in my opinion, is the service. On several occasions I’ve had the same male server, and not only has he been terribly slow and inattentive, but he’s just kinda creepy. I feel awful saying that but it’s been like that every time my group has been seated in his section. Outside of him, the other servers I’ve encountered have been fine, just nothing outstanding (and I don’t really expect much when it comes to service).
Again, I know I’ll go back to Cocina but will go knowing what kind of experience to expect.

I’m glad that there’s a Mexican place on (right off of) Park Ave.
My friend had her wedding rehearsal dinner here which was great.
Pros: Appetizers, Margaritas, and the Guac/​Salsa trio.
There’s not really any cons. only that the fish tacos could use a little something… maybe some chipotle mayo sauce. I’ve kinda felt like that about most of the mains I’ve tried… but then again I’m a pescatarian. Another minor suggestion … the place could use some carpets in the main room… or something to buffer the sound from traveling.
Overall — fun atmosphere. great place.

Great margaritas… a little on the strong side (which is fine by me).
The food is just OK… go for drinks and appetizers and you can’t go wrong!!!
Fun place for a girl’s night out!!!

Overall an okay experience, but nothing that really set it apart.
I like the interior and patio areas of the restaurant, nicely decorated, modern, and comfortable. The service seemed eager to make us happy, but in reality it was a bit inconsistent.
Our appetizer was ordered when we first sat down. About 10 minutes or so after we ordered the appetizer (which seemed like an unnecessarily long time), the ubiquitous chips & salsa arrived. The salsa was very boring and watery. Better than nothing, but worse than most. Of course, like most Mexican restaurants queso is available for an extra charge, but at $ 8 (!!) I had to pass. It’s a bowl of warm cheese. Come on.
Guacamole is another option, for $ 9. Again, pass.
The appetizer we ordered was the fried avocado slices. These were pretty tasty. 5 thick slices of avocado, breaded and fried, with a chipotle cream dipping sauce that had a nice kick to it. Again, there’s the issue of price. It’s $ 10 for a few slices of avocado tossed in breading and fried. But to be honest it felt like the deal of the century compared to an $ 8 bowl of warm cheese, so there’s that.
Anyway, after what seemed like a very long wait for the appetizer (I didn’t check the clock, but we had been sitting around for a while filling up on our second batch of chips & salsa when it arrived), it arrived and the server took our entrée order. We had hardly finished the appetizer when the entrees came out. Couldn’t have been more than 7 or 8 minutes. The pacing seems a bit off.
The burrito (I chose brisket for the meat) was good, but there’s wasn’t really anything to set it apart from the crowd. It was definitely a good size (I probably shouldn’t have eaten the whole thing, but there you go) and once doused with hot sauce (Cholula FTW) it disappeared pretty quickly. The meat inside was okay, pretty tender for the most part, but had little flavor of its own. I don’t want to undersell it; it was a good burrito. But I’ve had great burritos, and I’ve had crappy burritos. This one’s right in the middle.
The experience was rounded off with a pretty long wait for the back-​and-​forth of the check and payment. Total bill for two burritos and the avocado (no drinks, just water) was $ 40, a bit too high for me to return given the availability of better options closer to home.

This beautiful restaurant managed to remove all the flavor from their dishes. Our hopes were dashed from the start. Margaritas lacked any flavor profile — they didn’t remove the seeds from the peppers, so you’ll suck them right up the straw. We had a direct view into the open kitchen and they were indeed hustling to get the plates out, but unfortunately our dishes didn’t tell a story :(Our salsa looked and tasted like tomato sauce from a can, chips were bland. The guacamole sampler seemed like an afterthought with their selections — blue cheese, mango and habanero. Both ceviches tasted the same. We bounced after starters.

tldr; it’s a «Tex-​Mex» spot on Park Ave.
If you’ve been spoiled by the likes of Austin/​Houston Tex-​Mex then Cocina 214 might come to you as a disappointment. If you’re just looking for a spot to get some solid Tex-​Mex then this place is not a bad choice at all. I arrived here with a larger group already waiting, so I can’t speak much on wait times but each seat already had a glass of water and multiple servings of chips and salsa were already set on the tables being attacked by my party of friends and friends of friends. The vibe here is between casual and somewhat upscale. I did feel like I was a bit underdressed but it IS park ave after all! If you plan on coming here and making the walk after, dress up a little. You’ll feel nicer walking around the area and hitting the bars.
Our server seemed a bit disappointed in our party for having a liking to water until I ordered a drink from the bar. I was originally going to try out their brisket tacos but was swayed otherwise after hearing about how «dry» the brisket can be at times. I went the safe route and ordered steak enchiladas with their «mexican flag» (aka banderas) sauce. I found it overall satisfactory with nothing to really point out. I would say I enjoyed it but there was really nothing to Wow about.
I went against my friend’s suggestion and ordered the Dark & Stormy (shut up I wanted rum) and I started to regret it. Service was A-​OK, throughout the night the waiter opened up a bit and was very timely with refills, making sure we were good, and getting our checks.
My biggest thing though is their prices. I really really wanted to try their tacos but $ 13 for 3 «street» tacos (and $ 2 extra if you want rice & beans on the side) is a bit taxing. If hardshell tacos are your thing then expect to pay $ 5 each. Then again, location, location, location! If you’re cool with the Park Ave tax, then Cocina 214 isn’t a bad choice at all. I think I’ll be back to suck it up and see if they really are worth it… and to drink tequila.

A 3-​star review because I’ve heard good things and the atmosphere is sleek and beautiful, but our service was incredibly slow and the food was just mediocre.
Being located right off of Park Ave, it’s expected that prices will be a little steep, however, it’s also expected that the food’s tastiness would be on point. Many of us had an attitude of «meh» when it came to our meals, especially considering the prices. No flavors to write home about.
The drinks were another story — everyone seemed to love those. Our table ordered different margs and the marg/​sangria mix — all delicious.
Our food didn’t arrive for an hour after ordering and our server took over an hour from the time we asked for our checks to us walking out the door. We did have a large party of 15, but with a reservation, I feel they should have been more prepared.
My experience may have been better with a smaller group but I would definitely not recommend this spot for a bigger group.

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Orlando/​Winter Park! The guacamole is always fresh and the salsa has just the right spice. Fresh tortilla chips are hot and crisp and there are vegan, vegetarian and gluten-​free options marked on the menu to make food choices easier. Don’t forget multiple margaritas and tequila drinks to choose from.
Mushroom & Truffle Oil quesadilla and the Snapper tacos were spectacular yesterday.

Whenever I am thinking about dining out in beautiful Downtown Winter Park, often times Mexican food does not cross my mind.
There are lots of dining options in that area from upscale to casual, but for some reason I often overlook Cocina 214. I am a big fan of authentic Mexican food and the Americanized Tex-​Mex food as well, so I was delighted to attend a new menu preview event for Cocina 214.
What exactly is Cocina 214 you may ask? Cocina is Spanish for Kitchen, and the 214 part comes from the Dallas area code, because the owners, who are from Texas, missed the Tex-​Mex and Mexican foods they grew up on. The menu is full of contemporary Mexican and Tex-​Mex inspired dishes that combine bold flavors with the freshest local ingredients. Items like Queso Fundido and Guacamole at Cocina 214 may be your average Tex-​Mex standard fare, but you will be hard pressed to find Fried Avocado Bites at any other Mexican restaurant in Central Florida.
The same goes with the rest of the menu here too. Items like Snapper Frito Tacos, Truffle and Mushroom Quesadillas, Cauli Frito Tacos and Corn Crusted Mahi are sure to impress the adventurous palate. If you want more traditional, Cocina has that too, with Chicken Tamales, Brisket Quesadilla and an assortment of Tacos and Fajitas.
Fried Avocado Bites are lightly breaded hass avocados fried and served with chipotle cream dipping sauce, and are very delicious. The Mango Ceviche features snapper, serrano peppers, red onion, red bell pepper, citrus and mango.
For something a little lighter, Isidro’s Caesar salad is made with romaine lettuce, cotija cheese, fried onions strings, grape tomatoes, homemade croutons and Caesar dressing.
The Mexican Corn is a tasty Aperitivo, or appetizer with grilled corn, cayenne pepper, lime, cotija cheese and queso fresco.
The Dragon Fruit Margarita is sweet and flavorful, and is only available for a limited time. The margarita menu at Cocina 214 features everything from house made specialties to Skinny Ritas and even a «Pop Rocks Rita.»
Enchiladas are served Mexican-​style with romaine lettuce, queso fresco, onions, sour cream, grape tomatoes & veggie rice. You can add protein to them such as chicken or beef and you have an option of sauces as well. Snapper Frito Tacos are traditional Mexican street tacos with lightly fried wild snapper topped with coastal slaw, pico de gallo and a chipotle cream sauce.
For an awesome vegetarian option, the Cauli Frito tacos are lightly fried cauliflower, coastal slaw, red bell peppers and chipotle cream sauce. These tacos were crispy and tasty and had a great taste.
Another item not readily found at most Mexican restaurants, the Snapper Veracruz with wild snapper, tomato, olive, caper, herb topping and veggie rice was quite delightful.

This place was alright.
When my girlfriend and I walked in the hostesses looked at us like we were aliens. Maybe it was because we were carrying bike helmets (I live less than a mile away, only a lazy piece of shit would drive that kind of distance) and were dressed casually (to be fair, it’s delusional to think that one can be under dressed for a Tex-​Mex restaurant, as the food itself is inherently casual).
We got the guacamole trio, which was pretty good. The mango guacamole was great as was the habanero guac, but I can’t say that I’ve ever seen bleu cheese guacamole before. Do you know why nobody else does bleu cheese guacamole? Because it’s not a good idea, that’s why.
I got the chicken enchiladas, which were pretty good, albeit nothing special. The same can be said about my girlfriend’s steak burrito. This place is pretty expensive for what you get, though (our bill was $ 55 with tip). It’s pretty much just a run of the mill Tex-​Mex place with delusions of grandeur.
El Pueblo on Aloma is way better and way cheaper, but you gotta speak Spanish to eat there.

I stayed away for awhile. Worried that their trendy décor was over compensating for mediocre Mexican and sugary cocktails. My favorite Mexican places are a little more chill.
Gave it a try recently and I was not disappointed. Not the best Mexican I had ever had but I would certainly come back. Prices were higher and portions were smaller than average.
We order the Queso Blanco with added chorizo. I have a passion for Choriqueso and there’s was pretty good. The queso was thicker and more velvety than I am used to. Tasted sort of like fancy velveeta but it was good all the same. Dinner was Brisket Enchiladas and The Enchiladas combo that came with one cheese, one chicken, and one beef. Both meals came with good rice and beans on the platter. Smaller portions yet still very filling.
Wednesday is «ladies night» here so even though I was with my guy my tasty frozen Marg was only $ 4! Cold mexican beers like Corona Light and Modelo on draft.
Desert got us interested with the choice of little donuts, but we opted for the skillet brownie when the server explained it comes out like fajitas with hot honey smoking under the brownie. Sold us there.
Pretty satisfying experience overall. Would totally come back or recommend to a friend. The bar is nice, as is the large main dining room, but the covered patio was is really great for enjoying the weather without the sun beating on you.