Review: Cocina De Mexico, Big Bear City

Cocina De Mexico Restaurant
304 W. Big Bear Blvd
Big Bear City, Ca
Cuisine: Mexican
Food: A
Service: A
Price/Value: A
Atmosphere: B-
(A little too small, but very festive and fun for kids)
Overall: B+

We were very hungry when we took this trip down to Cocina De Mexico Restaurant. We only had about 20 minutes to get something and we knew Cocina De Mexico would be the best bet for quick service.

Cocina De Mexico is a small family restaurant that makes the best use of it's space to provide an authentic taco shop feeling when you eat there.

Burritos, Tacos, Quesadillas and more


Steam table filled with tender meats, rice and beans

The menu at Cocina De Mexico is very simple. The steam table holds piping hot Carne Asada, Carnitas, Chicken, Al Pastor, Adobada and often a special of the day. Burritos($3.99) come with rice and beans inside. All Meat Burritos ($4.99) are a great value. Tacos ($1.25) come with cilantro and onion. Tortas ($4.95) and Cocina De Mexico's Cubana Torta ($5.49) are served on soft bread. There's Nachos for ($3.99) and Super Nachos are ($4.99) with chicken or beef. They also serve Taquitos ($3.99), Combination Plates (6.99) with rice, beans and tortillas, Enchiladas, and a full Breakfast Burrito ($3.49) menu. Corn tortillas here are handmade and some of the best we've had. The Salsa Bar at this restaurant has everything you need to enjoy your Mexican food but it's so popular that often the salsas are running low or empty. The staff is always really great about getting more of something that you're missing.

A huge burrito for a small price

On this particular visit we were excited to see that Lengua(tongue) was in the steam table. Lengua is one of those meats that must be cooked properly to be good. Cocina De Mexico's staff is always happy to offer a sample of their meats if you need one to decide. The sample was tender and the lengua was prepared properly, with careful attention to how it was trimmed. There were not undesirable parts left in the final product. We ordered one all meat Lengua Burrito with guacamole, onions and cilantro, and one mixed burrito with Lengua and Carne Asada, beans, cilantro, onion, tomato and guacamole.


All meat burrito with guacamole, onions and cilantro


Dining Experience Summary

Kids love the festive pinatas


When we walked into Cocina De Mexico there was one person in front of us. His order was taken and made just as quickly as any fast food restaurant. When we got to the counter the special of the day was Chile Rellenos. We could tell just by looking at them that the batter was excellent and they were stuffed full. Someone at a table was having one and the cheese was very abundant.

This is straight up counter service. There are four long tables inside and one circular stone table outside. Most customers clear off their own tables and put their bottles into recycling bins. We enjoy sitting at the outside table in the afternoons and early evenings with our dog. If it's not crowded inside it's very pleasant to sit down and eat. There is a good variety of Mexican sodas in the reach in cooler and the fountain has Coca-Cola drinks that are mixed properly. They always have a refreshing Agua Fresca and today we got to try the Horchata. It had a strong cinnamon flavor and it was very creamy. There was a lot of rice powder at the bottom and we could tell it was authentic. In past visits we've sampled their Mango, Watermelon, and Cantalope Aguas Frescas. Cantelope is among our favorites as well as watermelon. These drinks are made with real, whole fruits so there will be chunks in your drink when you order Aguas Frescas and mango has more than others.

From time to time Cocina De Mexico gets so crowded that the line is out the door. Even during these times, your order will be ready relatively fast. The workers have the assembly line format well practiced so they are able to turn out a lot of food quickly. This is one of the fastest places to get food in Big Bear City.

The food is kept warm on a steam table. Cocina De Mexico is very popular and cooks rush to the front with large bowls of fresh meat frequently. As with any restaurant that offers really fast food from steam tables, it's best to come in during lunch and dinner hours. Sometimes if you go in during off times the items such as Carnitas have a slight over cooked flavor and it's best to get Carne Asada or Chile Verde because they hold up a little better. The same goes for breakfast. Try to get your giant, meaty and cheesy breakfast burritos earlier rather than waiting until the end of breakfast for the best egg quality.

We recommend Cocina De Mexico for when you need a very fast meal that will fill you up. The burritos are huge and deserve an A for value. We often run down to Cocina De Mexico just to buy some guacamole, salsa, onions, cilantro and fresh, handmade corn tortillas to go with our own pork and beef roasts that we cook at home. In the past when we've had to provide food for a lot of people on short notice Cocina De Mexico has been able to accommodate us with affordable quarts of Carnitas, Carne Asada, Refried Beans, Spanish Rice and all the accompaniments. They can really come through for you in a pinch, however I'm sure they'd appreciate as much notice as possible for party orders.

Aside from some minor inconveniences caused by the small space, Cochina De Mexico is a life saver when your too busy or you need to watch your pennies.