EL Cochinito Restaurant is a charming Cuban eatery with authentic dishes and a welcoming atmosphere. The flavorful cuisine and friendly service create an enjoyable dining experience. some customers have noted smaller portion sizes for the price and potential wait times during busy hours.
world t
Visited this restaurant after the diner next door was closed--and was very pleased with the fare. Great cuban food--the cubano sandwich and the cochinito sandwich were both great on a cold morning, and the rice and greens were also tasty. Good americano coffee as well! We will return. Limited parking though--we had to park on the street
bigRamon
Food - We ordered the Mamey batido and the red sangria, the mamey was very good the sangria was average. I ordered the ropa vieja, white rice, black beans, and maduros - the beef and rice was good, the beans and maduros were really good. We ordered the tostones and yuca frita as sides, the tostones were good the yuca was really good. At the table we also ordered the garlic shrimp which was ok, the chicken breast which was ok, and the vegetarian which was good. For dessert we shared three items. The flan was great, it was the highlight of the entire meal. The tropical tres leches was pretty good, the special Cuban birthday cake (mango and guava tres leche cake) could have been better, it was very stiff, no moisture in the cake. Service - Natalie D was our server, she was really good and had good recommendations. She was very attentive and prompt. Location - This restaurant is located on Sunset Blvd in a small strip mall with a small parking lot, made 2-3 spots smaller because the restaurant was using these spaces for seating. Ambiance - we sat outside and there was decent benches and outdoor seating.
joeyleenq
The service was great! They acomodated 12 of us in the restaurante and the food was good. A little low in salt but good and abundant. Kids can share a plate. Downside they did not have a variety of beer, they were out of stock.
ALX305
I’m Cuban and I’m from Miami. Was looking for a good/authentic Cuban restaurant to take some of my LA friends to. Unfortunately the flavor profiles were just off. The tostones would have been sent back at any Cuban restaurant in Miami. Tostones are supposed to be crispy and salty. These had zero salt and the mojo needed more acid. The Ropa Vieja was more green bell peppers than meat. not traditional. So many green peppers. It was ridiculous. The Lechón Asado was dry!! Lechón asado should not be dry and should be wet with mojo etc. The black beans were flavorless and watery. Cuban black beans are thicker and need to cook for a bit. Even if you get them out of a can all you have to do is add garlic, onions and some sazón and let them cook for a while. On a positive note the restaurant is adorable. The service was great!! The plates were all visually on point from the onions on top to the rice served as it should be. Hopefully the flavor profiles will come together soon.
zachlen
This place has ruined cuban roast pork for me. Theirs is the best by far. I lived very near but left LA in 2000. My last time there knowing I would be going back east, so I asked the cook the recipe . He did the best he could but it has never come close to theirs.
2817Traveler
We were here 3 years ago and found the food to be authentic. This time my husband, who is Cuban, found the food to be tasteless. We brought friends here hoping to share our Cuban cuisine and were saddened to note the change in taste. We missed the usual garlic and onion spices.
Ketana_01
It was our first time visiting Los Angeles. My brother in law recommended El Cochinito rest. and we are glad we went with that choice because the food was delicious. Plenty of different options in their menu and excellent prices. The waitress were very nice and friendly. I will recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to eat Authentic Cuban food.
204roberti
We joined local friends here before a theater booking. The venue is simple—no fancy fittings. It is obviously very popular with people who seek Cuban cuisine. We had great meals and sandwiches. Special flavors, quality ingredients. Highly recommended for a real (but not fancy) experience.
850jiayanc
El Cochinito serves good comfort food in generous servings. Their Cuban ham is certainly one of the best in the world. Service is adequate too.
Excellent cuban sandwich and yellow rice with shrimp. Sweet plantains are the best. Very friendly service. Nice size portions for the size. Would go back.
geniousiam
I think that their food is great love the sandwiches, avocado salad and the fried rice. Unfortunately we never did receive our full order. After they took our order it seemed like they forgot about us. We would call on them and they would just pass. Even when we were done we actually had to walk up to the register to ask for the check because they would not come to the table and when we checked the bill they had charged for the items that we had never received and wanted to charge a 18% Gratuity fee. For not providing service? My family and I used to go there often, but had not been for the past five years. We where in the neighborhood so decided to go there, but regret going since their now is a lack of customer service.
RamonFP1
Regular cuban food. Menu variety. Modest place, good service and location. Full, popular. Not cheap for what they offer.
1Jeeplover
We heard about this place and since we love Cuban food we thought, why not. This place is absolutely delicious. We ordered two orders of oxtails which lucky for us they only have it in Sunday’s. Ordered a lechón sandwich for my son, lechón and some pork chops. Everything was delicious and I highly recommend it.
jointfilms
I had been dying to try this place ever since someone pointed it out to me. I love Cuban sandwiches. They claim to have the best (as so many do.) Came here on a Sunday night and the place was crowded but there were at least three tables open. Just sat wherever we wanted and waited to be served. Later it got more crowded and people were probably waiting for tables. I'm guessing they do a lot of takeout orders too. So ordered the Cubano and tostones. Short wait to get the food. They brought my friends food out and my sandwich. But no tostones. I thought maybe they'd be coming shortly. But they weren't so I asked the waiter and he went to check and came back and said he hit the wrong button when placing our order and if he put my order in now of tostones there were a lot of other orders ahead of us and he thought they wouldn't be ready in time. Now you tell me wouldn't you think if he had made a mistake and not submitted my order correctly he'd put my tostones ahead of other orders to get me them? I didn't make a big deal out of it just said fine. But I thought that was really weird. The Cubano was good maybe a little too much garlic for me. But without the tostones the meal ended feeling pretty unsatisfying. I'd probably give them another shot but in no rush to.
EL Cochinito Restaurant is a charming Cuban eatery with authentic dishes and a welcoming atmosphere. The flavorful cuisine and friendly service create an enjoyable dining experience. some customers have noted smaller portion sizes for the price and potential wait times during busy hours.
Visited this restaurant after the diner next door was closed--and was very pleased with the fare. Great cuban food--the cubano sandwich and the cochinito sandwich were both great on a cold morning, and the rice and greens were also tasty. Good americano coffee as well! We will return. Limited parking though--we had to park on the street
Food - We ordered the Mamey batido and the red sangria, the mamey was very good the sangria was average. I ordered the ropa vieja, white rice, black beans, and maduros - the beef and rice was good, the beans and maduros were really good. We ordered the tostones and yuca frita as sides, the tostones were good the yuca was really good. At the table we also ordered the garlic shrimp which was ok, the chicken breast which was ok, and the vegetarian which was good. For dessert we shared three items. The flan was great, it was the highlight of the entire meal. The tropical tres leches was pretty good, the special Cuban birthday cake (mango and guava tres leche cake) could have been better, it was very stiff, no moisture in the cake. Service - Natalie D was our server, she was really good and had good recommendations. She was very attentive and prompt. Location - This restaurant is located on Sunset Blvd in a small strip mall with a small parking lot, made 2-3 spots smaller because the restaurant was using these spaces for seating. Ambiance - we sat outside and there was decent benches and outdoor seating.
The service was great! They acomodated 12 of us in the restaurante and the food was good. A little low in salt but good and abundant. Kids can share a plate. Downside they did not have a variety of beer, they were out of stock.
I’m Cuban and I’m from Miami. Was looking for a good/authentic Cuban restaurant to take some of my LA friends to. Unfortunately the flavor profiles were just off. The tostones would have been sent back at any Cuban restaurant in Miami. Tostones are supposed to be crispy and salty. These had zero salt and the mojo needed more acid. The Ropa Vieja was more green bell peppers than meat. not traditional. So many green peppers. It was ridiculous. The Lechón Asado was dry!! Lechón asado should not be dry and should be wet with mojo etc. The black beans were flavorless and watery. Cuban black beans are thicker and need to cook for a bit. Even if you get them out of a can all you have to do is add garlic, onions and some sazón and let them cook for a while. On a positive note the restaurant is adorable. The service was great!! The plates were all visually on point from the onions on top to the rice served as it should be. Hopefully the flavor profiles will come together soon.
This place has ruined cuban roast pork for me. Theirs is the best by far. I lived very near but left LA in 2000. My last time there knowing I would be going back east, so I asked the cook the recipe . He did the best he could but it has never come close to theirs.
We were here 3 years ago and found the food to be authentic. This time my husband, who is Cuban, found the food to be tasteless. We brought friends here hoping to share our Cuban cuisine and were saddened to note the change in taste. We missed the usual garlic and onion spices.
It was our first time visiting Los Angeles. My brother in law recommended El Cochinito rest. and we are glad we went with that choice because the food was delicious. Plenty of different options in their menu and excellent prices. The waitress were very nice and friendly. I will recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to eat Authentic Cuban food.
We joined local friends here before a theater booking. The venue is simple—no fancy fittings. It is obviously very popular with people who seek Cuban cuisine. We had great meals and sandwiches. Special flavors, quality ingredients. Highly recommended for a real (but not fancy) experience.
El Cochinito serves good comfort food in generous servings. Their Cuban ham is certainly one of the best in the world. Service is adequate too.
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent cuban sandwich and yellow rice with shrimp. Sweet plantains are the best. Very friendly service. Nice size portions for the size. Would go back.
I think that their food is great love the sandwiches, avocado salad and the fried rice. Unfortunately we never did receive our full order. After they took our order it seemed like they forgot about us. We would call on them and they would just pass. Even when we were done we actually had to walk up to the register to ask for the check because they would not come to the table and when we checked the bill they had charged for the items that we had never received and wanted to charge a 18% Gratuity fee. For not providing service? My family and I used to go there often, but had not been for the past five years. We where in the neighborhood so decided to go there, but regret going since their now is a lack of customer service.
Regular cuban food. Menu variety. Modest place, good service and location. Full, popular. Not cheap for what they offer.
We heard about this place and since we love Cuban food we thought, why not. This place is absolutely delicious. We ordered two orders of oxtails which lucky for us they only have it in Sunday’s. Ordered a lechón sandwich for my son, lechón and some pork chops. Everything was delicious and I highly recommend it.
I had been dying to try this place ever since someone pointed it out to me. I love Cuban sandwiches. They claim to have the best (as so many do.) Came here on a Sunday night and the place was crowded but there were at least three tables open. Just sat wherever we wanted and waited to be served. Later it got more crowded and people were probably waiting for tables. I'm guessing they do a lot of takeout orders too. So ordered the Cubano and tostones. Short wait to get the food. They brought my friends food out and my sandwich. But no tostones. I thought maybe they'd be coming shortly. But they weren't so I asked the waiter and he went to check and came back and said he hit the wrong button when placing our order and if he put my order in now of tostones there were a lot of other orders ahead of us and he thought they wouldn't be ready in time. Now you tell me wouldn't you think if he had made a mistake and not submitted my order correctly he'd put my tostones ahead of other orders to get me them? I didn't make a big deal out of it just said fine. But I thought that was really weird. The Cubano was good maybe a little too much garlic for me. But without the tostones the meal ended feeling pretty unsatisfying. I'd probably give them another shot but in no rush to.
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