Cocina Mexicana (TACO TACO TACO!)

"Seriously Dad... this place has the best tacos in Lancaster!"
"Okay, sounds good.  Where is it?"
"It's at mumble mumble near Prince and mumble"
"We'll give it a try..."

Seriously, my #1 son.... you were just trying to keep it for yourself, weren't you? (Super greedy, my dino loving friend. Super greedy.)

We finally just googled Cocina Mexicana, and made plans to stop there on a Friday after work. It's NOT at mumble mumble Prince and mumble, but in reality resides at 47 North Prince.  Near the Fulton but on the opposite side.  Yes, there are many, many interesting dining choices within a block or so, and this joint fits right in.  Excellent food, great service, and friendly atmosphere.

We got there around 5:30, having parked a few blocks away to enjoy the walk. Normally cities, any cities, make my hackles rise.  Too many rats in too small a maze.  That said, walking Prince Street in the Yippy section on a Friday evening feels safe and comfortable.  Sure, there's lots of rats out and about, but they are friendly and fun loving rats. (I don't mind walking around the city, if I am on my way to a destination. I am just not a city dweller by nature. I like woods and quiet, and less crime)

#1 son held forth on the food, how nice the owners family is, and etc blah blah.  My brain shut off after the word TACO began echoing around in it.  Having grown up thinking Taco Hell is what Mexican food was all about, it came as a shock later in life when I was introduced to the honest Mexican cuisine.  It was love at first bite.  Tacos may not be the epitome of that cuisine, but I'll damn well go out of my way to find a decent one... or a decent five maybe. (One of the girls I went to university with was from Mexico and I learned that I love well done, REAL Mexican food. A lot.)

Yeah, Cocina Mexicana has this covered.   Hell yeah..... that's some good tacos right there.  And everything else too, mostly.  For a tiny hole in the wall shop, they put out some awesomely good food.  I remain convinced that somebody's Grandma is in the back, cooking up a storm.  Only Grandmas and 5-star chefs cook that good. (Also they do amazingly well on their Restaurant Inspections! A huge plus in my book!)

We got there early, and had choice of tables.  That turned out to be a good thing.  Right about the point when I posted "Why isn't this place packed?" on Facebook, the deluge hit.  Every table was full within minutes.  Perhaps there is some hipster dinner bell that I've never heard.  It stayed full til we left, and we didn't dawdle as we knew the table was valuable space to a small place when they get busy.

Starters:  We ordered the Guacamole ($6.25, they run a market price so this could vary), and Chalupas Poblanos ($5.25).   The Guac needs no introduction, except that this was really quite good.  Herself is a Guac eating machine, while I barely enjoy a bit now and then.  The Guac from Cocina Mexicana..... yeah, I can eat that.  It comes with fresh warm tortilla chips, and many a chip died in battle as we struggled over that bowl.  In the end, I conceded the battlefield to herself, and ate my Chalupas.

Not that I got the dirt end of the stick.  The Chalupas Poblanos were tasty, and I thought I could happily make a meal out of them.  Especially as they made a superb platform for trying the three bottles of sauce brought to our table.  A mild hot sauce, a medium green chili sauce, and a 'hot' sauce.  All three were good, with nice flavor.  The mildest one being my favorite, but even the hottest one had good flavor and moderate heat. (They were "okay" I didn't love them, and was nervous that this is what the whole meal would be. I found them not super flavorful.)

Look.... if you are hunting a fancy dinner, try El Serrano (and that's a different review).  Cocina Mexicana is not fancy.  It's exceptional food, with just enough decor and color to let you know what to expect.   Yes, the sauce comes in plastic squeeze bottles.... and that is PERFECT for what this place is.

For mains, we ordered Tacos.  Before you ask, yes, there is a taco song running in my head.  It goes:  "Taco taco TACO!  Taco taco TACO!".    Don't judge me.  It's been a weird life. (Yes he sings this little ditty aloud, and frequently.)

I ordered a Chorizo taco ($2.50) and a Lengua (beef tongue) taco (also $2.50).  Herself can tell you about her own tacos herself.

On both of mine, I asked for sour cream and Pico De Gallo.  The pico was super fresh and memorable.  I'd happily bring home a bucket of it and put it on everything, except maybe ice cream.

Of my two tacos, the beef tongue was a clear winner to my palate.  Not to cast shadows on the Chorizo, as it had a true Chorizo flavor and made for a great taco.  It wasn't that fake Chorizo found in the grocery aisle next to the mystery meat 'Kielbasa', but a decent Mexican sausage and full of flavor.

The Lengua was my first foray into beef tongue territory, but won't be my last.  It was tender, flavorful, and turned a good taco into a great taco.  Drizzled with a bit of mild sauce, it exploded on my palate and left me wanting more.

So I had the Al Pastor (pork and pineapple) 2.50 and the Arabes (Pork with Cilantro Sauce) 3.25, I added cheese and sour cream to both.Holy crap, they were so flavourful and delicious! The pork and pineapple was just the right amount of sweet with spicy! And the pork with cilantro was mouth magic. Yummy!

After all this, we barely had room for afters.  Still, we felt it our duty to our readers to make the effort. Yeah..... that's it.... our duty. That's the story we are going with.

Actually, Herself saw Flan on the menu, and not even the hounds of hell could have kept her from ordering it.  I was happy to ask for Sopapillas as a sweet treat.

Her Flan, which we shared, was tasty. Smooth and creamy, with caramel undertones. (It was not homemade I suspect, not as creamy as I like in my flan. I gladly shared it with himself, to make it go away)  My Sopapillas.... meh.  They were the warm/fresh tortilla chips with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and a drizzle of honey.  Enjoyable, but not the puffy fried dough version I was expecting. (I was a little bummed that they were not the puffy fried dough I was expecting, but they were still tasty. I would get those again before the sad flan!)

So.... how good was the meal?  How about 'I have a new favorite place for Mexican food' good?  Their menu is far more extensive than just simple tacos.   I can see us returning often, and dropping the starters/afters in favor of various mains to share.... as we eat tacos, of course.  We will be going early though, as it gets real crowded, real quick.  Watch for us at the corner table, chortling with glee as we chow down. (I will definitely eat there again, gladly. I look forward to trying the meals, on top of more tacos.)

Post Script:   We decided to get four more tacos to go, expecting the ride home to settle our meal a bit and make more room. You would have too.... you know you would have. (The tacos do not travel well, the fresh tortillas don't hold up great to travel and get kind of soggy. )

On a side note, this is a VERY affordable place, if you do not get a million extra things. You could walk out having spent $10-15 and have a happy full belly!

Overall I give Cocina Mexicana restaurant:
4.25 out of 5 forks for flavor
3.75 out of 5 forks for atmosphere
3 out of 5 forks for location (city = poopy parking, although if the Fulton is not having a show, you can park in the lot right next door!)
4.75 out of 5 forks for service
3.9375 forks overall