Cucayito Cocina Costeña — Restaurant in Medellín

I usually follow a personal rule when dining out: I don’t order dishes that aren’t typical of the region I’m in. It’s a simple way to ensure I’m getting authentic local food. However, I decided to make an exception this time. After all, I was still in Colombia—just trying a coastal dish in Medellín.

I have a deep connection with the Costa region, so when I walked by Cucayito Cocina Costeña, I thought I’d indulge in one of my favorite dishes from the coast: Mote de Queso. Naturally, I paired it with a traditional drink from the same area, Agua de Corozo.

It was mid-afternoon, and even though the place looked quite busy, I was able to get a table quickly. I ordered right away, and the drink came first. Unfortunately, the first sip was already a letdown. The Agua de Corozo tasted like a watered-down version of what I’m used to—more like Agua de Panela with just a hint of Corozo. Not the rich, tangy flavor I was hoping for.

Then came the main dish—my beloved Mote de Queso. From the first spoonful, I knew something was off. The texture was strange and inconsistent, and the ingredients tasted like they’d been thrown together at the last minute. Some parts were warm, others noticeably colder, as if they hadn’t blended properly. Maybe this would pass for a decent dish to someone unfamiliar with the original, but for me, it was far from acceptable.

The plate also came with carne molida and patacones. Those were okay, but nothing that could save the overall experience. After a few more bites, I had to give up. The disappointment was just too much.

To make matters worse, the checkout process was chaotic. I had to stand in line for about 20 minutes just to pay, along with several other frustrated customers.

In summary, I can’t recommend Cucayito Cocina Costeña—especially not to anyone familiar with coastal Colombian food, or to those genuinely wanting to try it for the first time. I suppose my rule about sticking to local dishes should extend even to different regions within the...

I might have to agree with princess Mariama's review before mine about different standards for foreigners or those that don't speak Spanish well. I went here on the strong recommendation of a local, but was disappointed.

I ordered the bollo with queso, the sobrebarriga, and a fruit juice. The juice was refreshing. The bollo (corn puffs) with cheese was bland. The sobrebarriga (flank steak) was tasty. The main problem was that rather than being served with the advertised sides of salad, rice, and yucca, the meat came out with a pile of even more bollo. I already had more bollo than I could eat. I knew something was wrong but I had other thoughts on my mind at the time. I was just disappointed. I wanted a varied meal and instead had a big pile of corn. Meanwhile, the locals at the tables around me seemed to have had better luck.

The server seemed to be decently nice, and offered to box up the remaining bollo I didn't finish. When I asked for the check, I didn't receive a paper copy, which is fine but a little suspicious. He told me the amount owed, and I asked if the tip was included. He responded by saying it's voluntary (he didn't respond with a clear yes/no answer). I've worked in the restaurant industry for years, and I try to give staff the benefit of the doubt, so I left him some additional cash.

When I got home, I was curious, so I pulled up the menu online and checked the prices. Sure enough, the tip had been included in the price I was quoted, so I had double tipped.

I wanted to like this place. It has a nice, local mom-and-pop ambience and I've heard it serves good food. But between not getting what I ordered and then overpaying, I'm left feeling...

Empecemos por lo bueno, la sobrebarriga asada ..DELICIOSA ...dicho esto voy con lo malo: Espero te tomes el tiempo de leerlo . Soy paisa y queria vivir la experiencia de comer comida costeña ,no solo pescado y arroz con coco , busque en redes y vi este "famoso" restaurante "cucayito", así que invite una amiga de la costa y nos fuimos a comer, al llegar no habían mesas disponibles en el primer piso y los tocó en el segundo (no estaba mal ,me pareció muy bien ), bueno el caso es que la mesera ,no recuerdo el nombre desde el principio sonaba muy antipática y así fue todo el servicio, pedimos de entradas unas carimañolas y unos Quibbes, estaban buenos no la mayor cosa pero buenos con suero costeño (aquí mi primera queja), el suero costeño es lo que más consumen en la costa y como nos vas a dar una copita de esas de aguardiente con suero ?...que miseria , después pedimos mote de queso , sobrebarriga sudada y jugo de Corozo y nizzpero, antes de pedir le preguntamos a la chica si los platos traían suero costeño a lo que nos dijo: "no se ..creo que si ..que si trae yuca si ", INCOMPRENSIBLE una respuesta así ...bueno nos trajeron los platos , como yo nunca había comido este tipo de platos me avente a probarlos primero ..pero antes pedimos más " SUERO COSTEÑO"...Por qué mi plato no lo traía y "tenía yuca" el SUERO COSTEÑO nunca llegó , bueno probé el MOTE DE QUESO ...y sin saber nada le dije a mi amiga..."parce eso sabe muy maluco " a lo que ella lo probó y me confirmó que si tenía razón...muy salado y parecía más UN CREMA DE AJO Y SAL que mote ..a lo que al mote LE DOY UN 1/10...después probé el Jugo de COROZO y me supo a frutiño ..2/10...Y EL SUERO COSTEÑO nunca llego ...pase a la sobrebarriga y le doy un 10/10, cuando íbamos a pagar ...no llevaba mucho efectivo ...y cuando fuimos a caja OJO CON ESTO ... IMPORTANTE....NO RECIBEN TARJETA DE CREDITO ...a mi amiga le tocó ayudarme a cancelar por qué no llevaba todo el dinero ....EN CONCLUSION... la atención : mala La comida : regular Lugar : agradable pero debes tener pago por tdc. UN LUGAR QUE TIENE MAS FAMA QUE BUEN SERVICIO...OJO NO SE DEJEN LLEVAR DE TODO LO QUE VEN EN REDES...Y ACEPTO SUGERENCIAS DE RESTAURANTES...DONDE PUEDA VIVIR UNA MEJOR EXPERIENCIA EN COMIDA COSTEÑA....gracias por tomar el...