Cocina De Barrio — Restaurant in San Diego

I’m not sure how to begin this letter. I don’t want to say ‘Dear’ and I think ‘To Whom it may concern’ both are too insincere for me. Let me start off by saying how really disappointed and discouraged I am about my recent experience at your restaurant. It was the morning of July 9th, the day of our biggest holiday of the year; Eid Al Ad’ha. I’m Muslim. A friend of mine had raved about your food and atmosphere. Knowing we couldn’t make reservations, my friend did call the day before and spoke with your manager to give him heads-up that a large group of us, as individual families, 50+ would be showing up after our prayer the next morning, for breakfast. He did explain that they didn’t take reservations, but it should be fine and he could accommodate us. We show up and started forming a line around 9:30am the next morning. At least 4-5 of our groups were first in line. They started taking our names down. Don’t know why, and started seating us sporadically around the restaurant. Making some of us wait, while seating other people in line behind us with equal amount of guests in their group. I had four in my group; I was third in line and third on that “list” they made us put our names on. We explained we called yesterday, we knew the policy, but we had shown up together, they could have seated us in the back patio; instead, spread us all over the restaurant. I couldn’t take it, I called for the manager and told him I was third in line when this opened and was still waiting while they seated other people. How we obviously were all Muslim, dressed in our best, with head scarves, it was obvious. Meanwhile ALL of your employees were giving us dirty looks. Okay, here’s where I tell you, the majority of our group are Somali American, I am a white convert of over 38 years. So what was it? Your manager seated us, finally, after 45 minutes and some of the groups that were behind me had finished their breakfast. Needless to say, I was really disgusted. I sat because my family was hungry and by that time everyone from our group had already ordered and were half way done with their food. I wouldn’t eat! I would sit, because it was my family, but when your manager served us, I told him straight up, this was so uncalled for. Being a convert, I’ve had my run with racism, you name it, I’ve experienced it. However, to get it in a group like ours was really shameful.

I don’t expect anything from you nor your employees, this letter is just witness to God, Almighty, that I’m not accepting it. And by virtue of pointing it out is really a very nice gesture on my part to point out your errors and hope that it doesn’t occur with...

Finally, a Mexican restaurant that serves AUTHENTIC Mexican food!

From the moment our “Memelitas” appetizer touched my tastebuds, I was transported Mexico; the flavors from every component, the beautiful presentation and tenderness of the the meat were simply on point.

We were offered an accompanying sauce that was spicy and delicious. So delicious in fact, that I will long for it until I have it again. A good way to describe it is -as we learned to say in Mexico- “Pica Rico”, a delightful heat that would be satisfying even simply accompanying a tortilla.

My main entree of “Pollo en mole coloradito”, was flavor and juiciness perfection. The sauce would make Oaxacan chefs proud. The beautiful hand made tortillas topped with a leaf, the super tender and perfectly cooked nopalitos were exceptional, and I was unexpectedly surprised by the grilled carrots: they had that true Mexican flavor I cannot even pinpoint. I had to close my eyes to slowly enjoy that flavor and the feeling of being in Mexico.

As the final course, my tastebuds were once again blown away by the the deliciousness of their goat cheese flan, which texture was closer to a light cheesecake than the gelatinous offerings by other restaurants. It was served with fresh fruit, which further enhanced every single bite.

On top of all of these attributes, the staff was attentive, prompt and professional. The ambiance was enjoyably tranquil and the premises were decorated in good taste and with a wink of playfulness. Overall, it was a great dining experience. For the first time in 30+ years of living in San Diego and always being asked for a recommendation, I finally have a Mexican restaurant I can recommend to anyone and do so confidently.

Thank you, chef Flores, for bringing the “real thing”...

Overall: Vibrant food - a feast for the eyes at an unbelievable value. Since you know all the Old Town Mexican places are booked up on open table on a Saturday night, why not head a few blocks east and check out Cocina de Barrio on Fifth?

Atmosphere: Do not let the small, simple indoor seating area fool you when you first walk in, Cocina de Barrio is a first class dining experience. Ask to sit outside in their covered patio and order some cocktails and tacos right away. Get plates to share and keep a menu so you can order many things to try. This is a great place to really relax and enjoy your meal - laugh loudly with your friends and go ahead and order just one more plate of tacos.

Menu: You cannot go wrong on the menu. Ceviche tacos, oysters, and the most tender octopus I have ever had. Their salmon came with this amazing masa that stole the show for the table. Ask for extra servings of their spicy salsa. The table raved about the beef and lamb tacos and had to get a couple orders. The plating is fun and artistic yet casual, with generous portions for the price. Several vegetarian and vegan options with cashew cheeses make this an excellent option for a diversity of dietary needs.

Service: José was so attentive to our table that you'd think we were the only patrons. Even with a crowded patio, he stayed on op of the table and our drinks and plates were never empty until the end. He took the time to make personal recommendations made our experience memorable. The staff is warm and welcoming like a family inviting you in for dinner and drinks.

Price: We could have easily kept the bill to $50/pp, but with appetizers, extra tacos, cocktails and entrees, we came to an exact $70/pp after a generous and well...