YUM! I was in the area for a meeting with a local non-profit and we decided to stop here for lunch - what a delicious surprise! I'm always looking for great Mexican food in the city...and it's hard to find. Cocula had a casual atmosphere and the waitress was super friendly. I think I got the Guadalajara combo...crispy taco, enchilada and chalupa with rice and beans...way too much food, but I wanted to try a little bit of everything. It didn't disappoint! The chips and salsa were also amazing - and prices were even better! Cocula please build another location closer to the South Loop!!
(4)
Joseph M.
I been coming here for years. Always great service and great food.
(5)
Raul G.
This place has great authentic Mexican food. The burritos, tortas, enchiladas and tampiquenas are great. Service is average and the drinks are very tasty and affordable. Plenty of seating and parking is also available. This place knocks out the competition in most of Chicago.
(4)
Eliza M.
3.5 stars This is our go-to place in the 'hood when celebrating with a group. Their margaritas and pina coladas are pretty good. I usually get a burrito but today I had the carne asada taco dinner (yep, had it for lunch). I definitely have enough leftovers lunch the next day. Can't really go wrong with any of the dinners/combos. It's always nice to have a spanish speaker in the group but it's not necessary. The waitresses even played a birthday song for me on the jukebox and a friend kindly translated it;)
(3)
robin c.
MMM good. Food is flavorful and fresh. I go there maybe 2-3 times per month for a quick, healthy bite. Love their tortas & long island ice tea. Service is good and food is pretty authentic. This is my local, late hour, spot with parking.
(4)
YOLANDE M.
You get what u pay 4!!! The food is very tasty and the sit-down area is ALWAYS busy - so if u go to eat-in, be prepared 2 wait. As far as the service goes, the guy on the register is always friendly. The waitresses may or may not be fluent in English BUT so what, u get a decent meal for a decent price and u can always ask the register guy for help if language becomes barrier. I go back frequently and will continue to do so.
(5)
Andrew K.
Named after the city of Cocula, Jalisco, Mexico. Stands out from its surroundings because it's big, new-looking, and has its own large parking lot. Open until 3 AM, if you are on the far South Side in the dead of night, here is a good place to go. Meal starts out with a lot of complimentary tortilla chips, salsa, and escabeche vegetables. All of these were OK but not outstanding. Also included slices of fresh lime, which is somewhat uncommon. Iced tea arrived in a huge glass goblet and also had a slice of lime. Was impressed by that but disappointed to find that it is pre-sweetened instant tea, not real brewed. Very slick menu, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections lavishly illustrated with color photos. This aspect made me feel as if in a Mexican version of "Denny's" or something like that, I found out later the reason is that it's one of several "Cocula" restaurants in a chain. Ordered the chiles rellenos. With corn tortillas, actually received flour tortillas. Oh well, I like flour tortillas also, and it's 2:30 AM, and.. I'm hungry... Quantity is above average, getting really a lot of food and enough to take out the leftovers for another small meal at home. The salad accompanying the meal was above average and includes avocado, red cabbage, onion, and dressing. Other than that, I felt everything is good but not outstanding. The building is a work-in-progress at this time: because it's new, they haven't painted most of the walls yet, there is no ceiling installed yet so you see the ventilation ducts and wiring above. Will be nicer when they finish it and I would predict this to become a popular hang-out for the neighborhood. Prices a little bit above average but still inexpensive. The proprietor and waitress were very kind. This place may have the effect of competing with more unique / idiosyncratic taquerias and small restaurants in the area. But overall have to see it as a good thing.
(3)
Jenny S.
One of my favorite places to eat. Starting with the chips and salsa. GREAT! Move on to the steak fajitas or chicken flauta dinner. FANTASTIC! Then wash it down with the best ever horchata. YUMMM! You can't go wrong here. The food is very impressive. I love it. Thanks.
(5)
Tamara M.
always crowded.. they make a great taco and nachos. the parking lots always full so it has to be good
(4)
Glenn H.
I LOVE this restaurant! I have been here at least 50,11 times and every time I come here, I leave as full as a fat lady's purse when giving free samples. Everything is fresh, except for the chips on certain days, you can taste the hours have they not been eaten but besides that no complaints. The waitresses with all their makeup and lure are respectful and present great customer service. I recommend this place to anyone with an Mexican food itch to scratch.
(5)
Marcea W.
Ordered a chicken flauta dinner and a steak taco. Steak taco was tasty best i've had on the southside so far. Flautas were big but a bit dry. So filling.. I was only able to eat the taco and a bite of the flauta.
(3)
Diana J.
This restaurant has quality Mexican grub. There aren't too many options where I work, so it's worth the twenty min drive to pick up some tort as here.
(4)
Roxanne H.
Cocula is the only place I will eat Mexican food outside of 1 other restaurant, and my home. I'm Mexican and am picky about eating mexican food outside of the house. Cocula is always the best. I love their tortas (though I'm really partial only to their chicken torta or avocado torta; cus I'm weird and dont care much for red meat). Their horchata too! It's the best, and sometimes I'll just go in for that. And their prices are really on point. Most favorite thing on their menu? Their caldo de siete mares (7 seas fish soup). Waitresses are always kind and attentive as well.
(5)
Cerene P.
I left this place so upset, i will NEVER sit down and eat here again!!! Usually, i call in my order and pick up my food. This time my brother was with me so we decided to "dine in". First off they give me a menu and the pages were sticky and slimy. I ask a passing by waitress can i get another one bc the one i had was slimy, she gives me a confused look and takes it and never returns with another. When our waitress finally made an apperance she barely spoke english and i had to repeat and point to what i wanted several times. The food was on point and delicious, that was a non issue. But seriously folks can we get a competent server. So we are eating our spicy dishes and need refills. I catch our waitress attention several times and she never comes back to the table. What in the world, seriously, we have tacos, enchiladas, spicy salsa and you don't think maybe we might need to cool down our mouths a little...geeshi... Just sayin. Anyway, I stop eating and just conversate with my brother. We continue to sit there and she visits all the other tables except ours. By this time i am ready to go and heated. So i get up and go to the register and ask for my bill. She pops up and asks do i need help, uhhhhh you think, i've been trying to get your attention for the last 20 min but you chose to ignore us. She gives me the bill and asks was everything ok, um NO!!!!! So in a hurry i pay the bill and we leave. I normally always give tips and give people the benefit of the doubt but today was not the day. I think i need to find a new mexican spot, bc this was seriously RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)
R D.
Changing my review since my wife and I will not eat here anymore. We were regulars there over the last two years but one waitress in particular kept getting the orders wrong and always blamed us for it. The last straw was when she claimed I ordered a chicken burrito when I had said steak. I had always ordered a steak burrito with a coffee so was rather confused. My wife also heard me say steak. She refused to return the food so i tried to eat it but was too angry to take more than a coupla bites. The same waitress had botched a coconut shake order with chocolate on the previous visit but we figured it was a language issue. Plus the shake turned out to be good. Not so much the chicken burrito. We don't like being called or treated as liars so will pick another out of the gazillion Mexican restaurants in Chicago.
(1)
Jon B.
great for a quick mexican fix. The drinks could be better, but the food is delicious. The latin music coming from the juke box ties it all together and the staff has great table manners, in addition it was also recently renovated and expanded.
(4)
Rahshonda K.
Want good Mexican Food? Yep! Then check Cocula out! Anytime I have gone to different ones the food has been good. I have to say I was not impressed with the service and atmosphere but I tried to get pass all of that to enjoy the food which I did. The staff doesn't speak a lot of English so pointing to the menu or knowing a little bit of Spanish will go a long way here. I ordered the chorizo tacos and they were delish. Everything tasted and appeared to be fresh. I have been here twice so far and never had any issues.
(4)
R'Mel C.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! I literally grew up here!!! I've been coming here since I was 14 and it was in a grocery store down the street! I'm 46 now!!! The Carne Asada dinner will make you slap your momma! LOL I've eaten at every single one of their resturants! I love them all! This one and the on on 57th and Pulaski are my favorite. 57th is very pretty and fun on Sun nights with the band! 88th and Commercial is my hood that I grew up in! My husband and I lived here when I was pregnant!
(5)
Amanda L.
My friend Mike + I's "Burrito Sunday," search continued, last week, as we drove out to Chicago's southern lakefront towards South Shore's S. Commercial strip. There were few options up the strip, granted it was a Sunday evening. We passed Cocula + it's Chile's exterior a few times but were eventually won over by it's parking lot option + overall slim pickens elsewhere. First couple of thoughts upon entering Cocula: "Did this used to be a Wendy's?" + "It's packed!". A mix of good/bad signs, depending how you look at it. We found a booth + were soon handed our menus (their menus resemble that of a Mexican Denny's) + a basket of chips/salsa. The chips were a lot like Tostidos + the salsa was a standard red w/ a lot of cilantro thrown in perhaps to cover up the store bought flavor. I gave Cocula an extra star due to the fact that they not only had horchata but they had it by the PITCHER. I was sold! Sure, it wasn't the best horchata I've had but the pitcher option was a big selling point in my starved state. While we waited for our order, I noticed a girl no older than 9 eat an entire vat dressed in a goblet of dark red shrimp cocktail. She managed to pick out the tempting slices of avocado + left them to the side. I then looked behind Mike to see the couple seated behind us who I'm assuming had ordered a pitcher of Bloody Mary but it resembled Heinz 57, more so. I had ordered my usual veggie burrito w/ avocado (which they forgot). It arrived with a side of pasty beans + rice, which had three kernals of corn + two green peas. I was hungry so overlooked the redundancy of the rice/bean mix. The burrito was ok, no flavors really jumped out at me. Mike had ordered a steak burrito + was pleased with it's medium/well-done texture. I could have gone with more spice, something more memorable but my burrito definitely left me feeling full + I had to pass on the last cupful of horchata left in the pitcher. All that said, the staff was rather nice + the price was resonable. I'm sort of bored with writing this review ...Sort of like my Cocula experience.
(3)
Rebecca C.
The scene: I'm hungry, and my taste buds are asking for something with a little Mexican flair! What do I do? I either cook something up myself or have my Mom whip something for me! Or, I head on over to Cocula's on Commercial! Yes, they are a local Chicago chain but believe me, this is the BEST one. I don't know what the cooks do here that's different, but the food is just better at this particular location than than the other ones. This is one of my favorite restaurants in my area! Their food is really good, and always hits the spot! I'm obessesed with their steak fajita dinner, tortas, seafood, and drinks! Their horchata is especially good, as well as their limonadas (try it, they bring it you in this huge glass goblet and its like a limeade slushi). They also have a good selection of imported Mexican beers and tequilas, and are open 'til about 3:30a.m.! How can you go wrong? Lately, I've been ordering their "Combinacion" dinners which is the #4 (a tostada, enchilada, and a taco, with your choice of meat. I prefer the the tostada and the taco be picadillo and the enchilada be chicken! and have the tostada be brought you on the side so that it doesn't get soggy!). Ahh yes, another South Chicago staple reviewed on Yelp!
(4)
Teierra M.
I love this restaurant...they have live music, great waitresses & the best of it all FAST SERVICE!!
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Derrick F.
Fast service and good tacos
(3)Angie C.
YUM! I was in the area for a meeting with a local non-profit and we decided to stop here for lunch - what a delicious surprise! I'm always looking for great Mexican food in the city...and it's hard to find. Cocula had a casual atmosphere and the waitress was super friendly. I think I got the Guadalajara combo...crispy taco, enchilada and chalupa with rice and beans...way too much food, but I wanted to try a little bit of everything. It didn't disappoint! The chips and salsa were also amazing - and prices were even better! Cocula please build another location closer to the South Loop!!
(4)Joseph M.
I been coming here for years. Always great service and great food.
(5)Raul G.
This place has great authentic Mexican food. The burritos, tortas, enchiladas and tampiquenas are great. Service is average and the drinks are very tasty and affordable. Plenty of seating and parking is also available. This place knocks out the competition in most of Chicago.
(4)Eliza M.
3.5 stars This is our go-to place in the 'hood when celebrating with a group. Their margaritas and pina coladas are pretty good. I usually get a burrito but today I had the carne asada taco dinner (yep, had it for lunch). I definitely have enough leftovers lunch the next day. Can't really go wrong with any of the dinners/combos. It's always nice to have a spanish speaker in the group but it's not necessary. The waitresses even played a birthday song for me on the jukebox and a friend kindly translated it;)
(3)robin c.
MMM good. Food is flavorful and fresh. I go there maybe 2-3 times per month for a quick, healthy bite. Love their tortas & long island ice tea. Service is good and food is pretty authentic. This is my local, late hour, spot with parking.
(4)YOLANDE M.
You get what u pay 4!!! The food is very tasty and the sit-down area is ALWAYS busy - so if u go to eat-in, be prepared 2 wait. As far as the service goes, the guy on the register is always friendly. The waitresses may or may not be fluent in English BUT so what, u get a decent meal for a decent price and u can always ask the register guy for help if language becomes barrier. I go back frequently and will continue to do so.
(5)Andrew K.
Named after the city of Cocula, Jalisco, Mexico. Stands out from its surroundings because it's big, new-looking, and has its own large parking lot. Open until 3 AM, if you are on the far South Side in the dead of night, here is a good place to go. Meal starts out with a lot of complimentary tortilla chips, salsa, and escabeche vegetables. All of these were OK but not outstanding. Also included slices of fresh lime, which is somewhat uncommon. Iced tea arrived in a huge glass goblet and also had a slice of lime. Was impressed by that but disappointed to find that it is pre-sweetened instant tea, not real brewed. Very slick menu, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner selections lavishly illustrated with color photos. This aspect made me feel as if in a Mexican version of "Denny's" or something like that, I found out later the reason is that it's one of several "Cocula" restaurants in a chain. Ordered the chiles rellenos. With corn tortillas, actually received flour tortillas. Oh well, I like flour tortillas also, and it's 2:30 AM, and.. I'm hungry... Quantity is above average, getting really a lot of food and enough to take out the leftovers for another small meal at home. The salad accompanying the meal was above average and includes avocado, red cabbage, onion, and dressing. Other than that, I felt everything is good but not outstanding. The building is a work-in-progress at this time: because it's new, they haven't painted most of the walls yet, there is no ceiling installed yet so you see the ventilation ducts and wiring above. Will be nicer when they finish it and I would predict this to become a popular hang-out for the neighborhood. Prices a little bit above average but still inexpensive. The proprietor and waitress were very kind. This place may have the effect of competing with more unique / idiosyncratic taquerias and small restaurants in the area. But overall have to see it as a good thing.
(3)Jenny S.
One of my favorite places to eat. Starting with the chips and salsa. GREAT! Move on to the steak fajitas or chicken flauta dinner. FANTASTIC! Then wash it down with the best ever horchata. YUMMM! You can't go wrong here. The food is very impressive. I love it. Thanks.
(5)Tamara M.
always crowded.. they make a great taco and nachos. the parking lots always full so it has to be good
(4)Glenn H.
I LOVE this restaurant! I have been here at least 50,11 times and every time I come here, I leave as full as a fat lady's purse when giving free samples. Everything is fresh, except for the chips on certain days, you can taste the hours have they not been eaten but besides that no complaints. The waitresses with all their makeup and lure are respectful and present great customer service. I recommend this place to anyone with an Mexican food itch to scratch.
(5)Marcea W.
Ordered a chicken flauta dinner and a steak taco. Steak taco was tasty best i've had on the southside so far. Flautas were big but a bit dry. So filling.. I was only able to eat the taco and a bite of the flauta.
(3)Diana J.
This restaurant has quality Mexican grub. There aren't too many options where I work, so it's worth the twenty min drive to pick up some tort as here.
(4)Roxanne H.
Cocula is the only place I will eat Mexican food outside of 1 other restaurant, and my home. I'm Mexican and am picky about eating mexican food outside of the house. Cocula is always the best. I love their tortas (though I'm really partial only to their chicken torta or avocado torta; cus I'm weird and dont care much for red meat). Their horchata too! It's the best, and sometimes I'll just go in for that. And their prices are really on point. Most favorite thing on their menu? Their caldo de siete mares (7 seas fish soup). Waitresses are always kind and attentive as well.
(5)Cerene P.
I left this place so upset, i will NEVER sit down and eat here again!!! Usually, i call in my order and pick up my food. This time my brother was with me so we decided to "dine in". First off they give me a menu and the pages were sticky and slimy. I ask a passing by waitress can i get another one bc the one i had was slimy, she gives me a confused look and takes it and never returns with another. When our waitress finally made an apperance she barely spoke english and i had to repeat and point to what i wanted several times. The food was on point and delicious, that was a non issue. But seriously folks can we get a competent server. So we are eating our spicy dishes and need refills. I catch our waitress attention several times and she never comes back to the table. What in the world, seriously, we have tacos, enchiladas, spicy salsa and you don't think maybe we might need to cool down our mouths a little...geeshi... Just sayin. Anyway, I stop eating and just conversate with my brother. We continue to sit there and she visits all the other tables except ours. By this time i am ready to go and heated. So i get up and go to the register and ask for my bill. She pops up and asks do i need help, uhhhhh you think, i've been trying to get your attention for the last 20 min but you chose to ignore us. She gives me the bill and asks was everything ok, um NO!!!!! So in a hurry i pay the bill and we leave. I normally always give tips and give people the benefit of the doubt but today was not the day. I think i need to find a new mexican spot, bc this was seriously RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)R D.
Changing my review since my wife and I will not eat here anymore. We were regulars there over the last two years but one waitress in particular kept getting the orders wrong and always blamed us for it. The last straw was when she claimed I ordered a chicken burrito when I had said steak. I had always ordered a steak burrito with a coffee so was rather confused. My wife also heard me say steak. She refused to return the food so i tried to eat it but was too angry to take more than a coupla bites. The same waitress had botched a coconut shake order with chocolate on the previous visit but we figured it was a language issue. Plus the shake turned out to be good. Not so much the chicken burrito. We don't like being called or treated as liars so will pick another out of the gazillion Mexican restaurants in Chicago.
(1)Jon B.
great for a quick mexican fix. The drinks could be better, but the food is delicious. The latin music coming from the juke box ties it all together and the staff has great table manners, in addition it was also recently renovated and expanded.
(4)Rahshonda K.
Want good Mexican Food? Yep! Then check Cocula out! Anytime I have gone to different ones the food has been good. I have to say I was not impressed with the service and atmosphere but I tried to get pass all of that to enjoy the food which I did. The staff doesn't speak a lot of English so pointing to the menu or knowing a little bit of Spanish will go a long way here. I ordered the chorizo tacos and they were delish. Everything tasted and appeared to be fresh. I have been here twice so far and never had any issues.
(4)R'Mel C.
I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! I literally grew up here!!! I've been coming here since I was 14 and it was in a grocery store down the street! I'm 46 now!!! The Carne Asada dinner will make you slap your momma! LOL I've eaten at every single one of their resturants! I love them all! This one and the on on 57th and Pulaski are my favorite. 57th is very pretty and fun on Sun nights with the band! 88th and Commercial is my hood that I grew up in! My husband and I lived here when I was pregnant!
(5)Amanda L.
My friend Mike + I's "Burrito Sunday," search continued, last week, as we drove out to Chicago's southern lakefront towards South Shore's S. Commercial strip. There were few options up the strip, granted it was a Sunday evening. We passed Cocula + it's Chile's exterior a few times but were eventually won over by it's parking lot option + overall slim pickens elsewhere. First couple of thoughts upon entering Cocula: "Did this used to be a Wendy's?" + "It's packed!". A mix of good/bad signs, depending how you look at it. We found a booth + were soon handed our menus (their menus resemble that of a Mexican Denny's) + a basket of chips/salsa. The chips were a lot like Tostidos + the salsa was a standard red w/ a lot of cilantro thrown in perhaps to cover up the store bought flavor. I gave Cocula an extra star due to the fact that they not only had horchata but they had it by the PITCHER. I was sold! Sure, it wasn't the best horchata I've had but the pitcher option was a big selling point in my starved state. While we waited for our order, I noticed a girl no older than 9 eat an entire vat dressed in a goblet of dark red shrimp cocktail. She managed to pick out the tempting slices of avocado + left them to the side. I then looked behind Mike to see the couple seated behind us who I'm assuming had ordered a pitcher of Bloody Mary but it resembled Heinz 57, more so. I had ordered my usual veggie burrito w/ avocado (which they forgot). It arrived with a side of pasty beans + rice, which had three kernals of corn + two green peas. I was hungry so overlooked the redundancy of the rice/bean mix. The burrito was ok, no flavors really jumped out at me. Mike had ordered a steak burrito + was pleased with it's medium/well-done texture. I could have gone with more spice, something more memorable but my burrito definitely left me feeling full + I had to pass on the last cupful of horchata left in the pitcher. All that said, the staff was rather nice + the price was resonable. I'm sort of bored with writing this review ...Sort of like my Cocula experience.
(3)Rebecca C.
The scene: I'm hungry, and my taste buds are asking for something with a little Mexican flair! What do I do? I either cook something up myself or have my Mom whip something for me! Or, I head on over to Cocula's on Commercial! Yes, they are a local Chicago chain but believe me, this is the BEST one. I don't know what the cooks do here that's different, but the food is just better at this particular location than than the other ones. This is one of my favorite restaurants in my area! Their food is really good, and always hits the spot! I'm obessesed with their steak fajita dinner, tortas, seafood, and drinks! Their horchata is especially good, as well as their limonadas (try it, they bring it you in this huge glass goblet and its like a limeade slushi). They also have a good selection of imported Mexican beers and tequilas, and are open 'til about 3:30a.m.! How can you go wrong? Lately, I've been ordering their "Combinacion" dinners which is the #4 (a tostada, enchilada, and a taco, with your choice of meat. I prefer the the tostada and the taco be picadillo and the enchilada be chicken! and have the tostada be brought you on the side so that it doesn't get soggy!). Ahh yes, another South Chicago staple reviewed on Yelp!
(4)Teierra M.
I love this restaurant...they have live music, great waitresses & the best of it all FAST SERVICE!!
(4)