Super cute atmosphere! Nice server and hosts. We tried this place bc we are mexican and they offered pozole, a nice traditional mexican dish, and we were sick of places that only sold potatoes and smoked meat. They serve FRIED ICE CREAM, folks! We wanted some, but were too full to order it. Huge portions here. We got shrimp enchiladas. Good! We got a shrimp chimichanga. Good! (HUGE) Good Guacamole! I wish I could say more positive, but I have to keep it real.... We ordered the pozole. There were 3 tiny pieces (like the size of one teaspoon each) of meat in a giant bowl of hominy and broth. Pozole is supposed to have WAY more meat. In addition, the only traces of meat in the soup were BURNT. So...looks like someone let the meat burn at the bottom of the pot then removed it. No meat. That's the equivalent of robbery in mexican cuisine. Ordered the taco salad. Lettuce was wilted. Menu says it has beans. There were no beans in it. The shell was nice and crispy and home fried. (not prepackaged from a box).
SMGK227
The food was good. The service was timely. The table was clean, but it was hard to read the menu. The menus were so old that some of it was scratched off, and there were typos on it. It was a quaint building, and the food was good.
Stymie4Peace
We don’t think it’s fair anymore to not write a 5 star review as this is our favorite Mexican restaurant in Estes Park. As locals we come about once a week. Don’t miss the Pozole, green Chile, carne asada with shrimp and the new favorite margarita: Smoked Mint. Absolutely delicious, wonderful service and a great atmosphere.
Ceanni
The service was excellent and the food was ready very fast. The food was very very good. I recommend the quesadilla San Bruno, the taste was amazing. If you want mexican food come to this restaurant.
Olivier M
Amazing Mexican Food! I had the Arroz con Pollo and the Chicken Tortilla Soup. Both tasted exceptional. Service was friendly and fast.
aanda14
Nothing I ordered had much flavor. The queso is more like a chile sauce than a cheese dip. The shrimp enchiladas are made with about 30 shrimp and not much else, including flavor. I never thought there could be too many shrimp in a shrimp dish, but this is true here. The corn tortilla was the tastiest thing on my plate. Even the guacamole doesn’t really taste like avocado. I’ve had other Mexican food in town that is much tastier and better. Maybe I just ordered the wrong things, but I would not recommend eating here unless you like overpriced bland food.
RockyMountainStorm
Several months ago, I had lunch at La Cocina and the Carne Asada was fantastic. However, two days ago, I went for lunch again, expecting the same great experience. The carne was tough and totally smothered with tomatoes and onions,.. The place was full of flies, which I had to continually swat off of my food. I had to ask for chips, which eventually came, but then I had to ask for salsa. The salsa was simply crushed tomatoes, as from a can.
Escape07475778117
Food good enough- service slow- Fourth of July weekend so I get it but unacceptable at first. Probably better in off times. Salsa very good- green Chile not great. Beans grainy- rice v tasty.
kjwintexas
The food was great. I especially liked the Chili Relleno. You can choose the batter to be egg batter or crispy. I had it crispy and it was excellent.
traveldog_13
We were chatting with another visitor at St. Catherine's and they recommended this restaurant for a late lunch. They have been there many times. We took a chance and were pleased with the food. Prices were good and portions were generous.
Found this hidden gem on our last day. Breakfast was great! We had the burrito and the tamales/eggs and it was delicious! Will be back on next trip!
93zackh
Food was wonderful and the staff were extremely nice! We ordered 1 dish and split it, they did not charge us extra to split a plate like most places do.
IWannaSeeItAll1968
Excellent food, great service. Is was Valentine’s Day and there were just two young men doing everything from seating people to taking orders, to delivering food and clearing tables Yet we never waited for a thing. They were very attentive to our needs and the food was delicious. We would highly recommend this place and would eat here again if we are back in Estes park.
phoduy
My wife & I went to Estes Park for the weekend. Only 45 minutes from our home - we have been there several times and have our favorite restaurants. However, just being there a few weeks ago we wanted to try something different. After going back and forth, and almost deciding to return to the usual places, we decided to go to Lo Cocina de Mama. It was a great choice. It is a small place and parking can be a challenge - especially on a snowy night, but any hassle was worth it. My wife got the Ceviche - their ceviche comes with shrimp - and lots of it. She does not do spciy all that much, but this had just the right amount of spice from the finely chopped jalepenos. I was trying to decide between the Chicken Mole Plate and the Carnitas Plate - upon our servers suggestion, I had the Carnitas and enjoyed it very much. In additon, we shared ta Pozole soup with Chicken (you can choose Chicken or Pork) and we enjoyed this very much also. One thing, do not expect chips and salsa - I don't believe they provide that - maybe they do for an extra charge. Don't know - didn't ask. Lastly, about our server, I don't know his name, but he was the only one that I saw seating and serving people (the small restaurant was full). Really friendly guy & honest, too. Our bill was $59 - with tip were going to leave $72. I gave him 4 $20's (or so I thought) and asked for $8 back. He returned our change & let us know that I had given him (5) 20's ($100) instead of $80 - we added another $5 to his tip.
BrentY77
My wife and I had a late lunch while in Estes Park. This truly feels like a small family-owned and run restaurant. The food was fine. The Margarita was one of the best I've had. Free chips and salsa would be nice.
Super cute atmosphere! Nice server and hosts. We tried this place bc we are mexican and they offered pozole, a nice traditional mexican dish, and we were sick of places that only sold potatoes and smoked meat. They serve FRIED ICE CREAM, folks! We wanted some, but were too full to order it. Huge portions here. We got shrimp enchiladas. Good! We got a shrimp chimichanga. Good! (HUGE) Good Guacamole! I wish I could say more positive, but I have to keep it real.... We ordered the pozole. There were 3 tiny pieces (like the size of one teaspoon each) of meat in a giant bowl of hominy and broth. Pozole is supposed to have WAY more meat. In addition, the only traces of meat in the soup were BURNT. So...looks like someone let the meat burn at the bottom of the pot then removed it. No meat. That's the equivalent of robbery in mexican cuisine. Ordered the taco salad. Lettuce was wilted. Menu says it has beans. There were no beans in it. The shell was nice and crispy and home fried. (not prepackaged from a box).
The food was good. The service was timely. The table was clean, but it was hard to read the menu. The menus were so old that some of it was scratched off, and there were typos on it. It was a quaint building, and the food was good.
We don’t think it’s fair anymore to not write a 5 star review as this is our favorite Mexican restaurant in Estes Park. As locals we come about once a week. Don’t miss the Pozole, green Chile, carne asada with shrimp and the new favorite margarita: Smoked Mint. Absolutely delicious, wonderful service and a great atmosphere.
The service was excellent and the food was ready very fast. The food was very very good. I recommend the quesadilla San Bruno, the taste was amazing. If you want mexican food come to this restaurant.
Amazing Mexican Food! I had the Arroz con Pollo and the Chicken Tortilla Soup. Both tasted exceptional. Service was friendly and fast.
Nothing I ordered had much flavor. The queso is more like a chile sauce than a cheese dip. The shrimp enchiladas are made with about 30 shrimp and not much else, including flavor. I never thought there could be too many shrimp in a shrimp dish, but this is true here. The corn tortilla was the tastiest thing on my plate. Even the guacamole doesn’t really taste like avocado. I’ve had other Mexican food in town that is much tastier and better. Maybe I just ordered the wrong things, but I would not recommend eating here unless you like overpriced bland food.
Several months ago, I had lunch at La Cocina and the Carne Asada was fantastic. However, two days ago, I went for lunch again, expecting the same great experience. The carne was tough and totally smothered with tomatoes and onions,.. The place was full of flies, which I had to continually swat off of my food. I had to ask for chips, which eventually came, but then I had to ask for salsa. The salsa was simply crushed tomatoes, as from a can.
Food good enough- service slow- Fourth of July weekend so I get it but unacceptable at first. Probably better in off times. Salsa very good- green Chile not great. Beans grainy- rice v tasty.
The food was great. I especially liked the Chili Relleno. You can choose the batter to be egg batter or crispy. I had it crispy and it was excellent.
We were chatting with another visitor at St. Catherine's and they recommended this restaurant for a late lunch. They have been there many times. We took a chance and were pleased with the food. Prices were good and portions were generous.
Restaurantji Recommends
Found this hidden gem on our last day. Breakfast was great! We had the burrito and the tamales/eggs and it was delicious! Will be back on next trip!
Food was wonderful and the staff were extremely nice! We ordered 1 dish and split it, they did not charge us extra to split a plate like most places do.
Excellent food, great service. Is was Valentine’s Day and there were just two young men doing everything from seating people to taking orders, to delivering food and clearing tables Yet we never waited for a thing. They were very attentive to our needs and the food was delicious. We would highly recommend this place and would eat here again if we are back in Estes park.
My wife & I went to Estes Park for the weekend. Only 45 minutes from our home - we have been there several times and have our favorite restaurants. However, just being there a few weeks ago we wanted to try something different. After going back and forth, and almost deciding to return to the usual places, we decided to go to Lo Cocina de Mama. It was a great choice. It is a small place and parking can be a challenge - especially on a snowy night, but any hassle was worth it. My wife got the Ceviche - their ceviche comes with shrimp - and lots of it. She does not do spciy all that much, but this had just the right amount of spice from the finely chopped jalepenos. I was trying to decide between the Chicken Mole Plate and the Carnitas Plate - upon our servers suggestion, I had the Carnitas and enjoyed it very much. In additon, we shared ta Pozole soup with Chicken (you can choose Chicken or Pork) and we enjoyed this very much also. One thing, do not expect chips and salsa - I don't believe they provide that - maybe they do for an extra charge. Don't know - didn't ask. Lastly, about our server, I don't know his name, but he was the only one that I saw seating and serving people (the small restaurant was full). Really friendly guy & honest, too. Our bill was $59 - with tip were going to leave $72. I gave him 4 $20's (or so I thought) and asked for $8 back. He returned our change & let us know that I had given him (5) 20's ($100) instead of $80 - we added another $5 to his tip.
My wife and I had a late lunch while in Estes Park. This truly feels like a small family-owned and run restaurant. The food was fine. The Margarita was one of the best I've had. Free chips and salsa would be nice.
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