La Cocina Mexican Restaurant

I have been searching for authentic Mexican food and a venue that reminds me of my beach volleyball tournaments in Rosarita days. The search has been real, I went all through Georgia didn't find anything. The closest I can get is San Diego California, obviously. I figured due to the unique cultural diversity and St Augustine Florida I would come into luck in finding something decent in the area. After searching reviews, we settled on trying out La Cocina Mexican Restaurant. When we pulled up, at 8:30 p.m. I immediately smiled because it literally looked like a place I ate at in Rosarita. There was an outside patio, and we were immediately greeted by VERY friendly waiters. We looked at the menu and the prices were all very reasonable. I settled on the beef enchiladas. While waiting we were brought out fresh chips and salsa. The salsa was extremely fresh and had a good flavor to it. The waiters were very nice! Great conversation, very well traveled, they all had goals and dreams - which I fully support. For me, part of a restaurant experience is the service and ambience / atmosphere atmosphere. I was not disappointed at all. In fact, I haven't had this great of service since relocating to the East Coast. #nolies The food was five star! Very authentic flavors, the beef enchilada had a sauce that was a little sweet but again more like a Rosarita style less like Tex-Mex. The beans were made with lard, the rice was not boxed rice it was freshly made. These were very large portions, so I ended up taking half of my meal home. I'm always about rationing my food because leftovers the next day of a great place you visited are kind of my thing. The venue itself is very low-key, dim lighting, it takes you to a completely different region of the world. The walls are adorned with beautiful Mexican murals and there are more private rooms. The early April Florida weather was stellar and naturally we opted to dine outside. Honestly, the vibe alone is worth a visit. At first it feels like this place is going to be a small hole in the wall, but once you enter and walk through you realize there is plenty of seating for large groups. I HIGHLY recommend visiting this restaurant, even if it's a little out of the way - like it was for us. Pro Tip: if you want to eat good food, don't go during busy times - at any restaurant. REASONS TO VISIT: 1. Plenty of Parking 2. Ambiance 3. Reasonable Prices 4. Authentic Food 5. Excellent Service

Very friendly staff and the place remember me the restaurant from my country.

We had been really looking forward to trying this restaurant out. But we were very disappointed. Margaritas were probably the worst we have ever had, extremely sour, acidic, and didn't taste like they had a hint of tequila. Server made little eye contact, poor customer service. Food was average and overpriced for the quality. They clean their tables with foam glass cleaner, I don't believe that is considered safe for surfaces you are serving food. The tortillas are served in what looks like a very well used oven hot pad, it seemed unsanitary.

I have visited this establishment frequently. Unfortunately the last few times have not been so great. I got there right when they opened, and ordered a sweet tea it tasted terrible like they hadn't cleaned the tea pitcher properly. The chips were stale, and the salsa tasted rancid. Everything in the restaurant is dusty, and the menu was very dirty. Unfortunately because of this experience and the prices I will not be back.

It was a little small and expensive, but service and food was awesome.

Best Mexican food in the area. Enchiladas are

Great place. The food is amazing, the employees make you feel like you are at home. They are very servicial and friendly. We are in love with how fresh and delicious is the food. We love their salsa, super yummy. We definitely recommend this place. Great for family or friends gatherings. Thanks for your great service!

This place is a joke. We asked for a refill on chips and the girl was extremely rude to us and rolled her eyes and turned her nose up and NEVER brought us more chips. Our waitress was nice but I got the Flautas, 1 kids chicken meal, guacamole, and 1 drink and my bill before tip was $64. I had to leave before I could pay so I left my debit card with my mom who paid and didn't know what exactly i ordered and didnt think it was off. After doing the math we were over charged by almost $25 and when my mom got back to our Airbnb she realized she was overcharged too! I have tried to call multiple times as our server took the itemized receipt but no one will answer.

The food was tasty but the price on the receipt was higher than the menu price.

Just had the most amazing Mexican food! Everything was fresh and absolutely delicious! A must try if you are in the area. Very authentic Mexican food, all the staff members were friendly and took good care of us!