Cocina 214 — Restaurant in Winter Park

I have edited my original post:

My wife, son, and I attempted to eat here on a Saturday afternoon. I say attempted bc the hostess sat us at our table, and no one ever came to our table to even take a drink order. After 5 minutes of waiting I went back up to the hostess, and politely asked if she could get someone to wait on us...she said she would. We waited another 5 minutes and still no one came. The place was not even that busy...maybe 25% full. Finally we got up, and went to let the hostess...who could have been a manager...know that we would be leaving. She said sorry, and that she asked someone to come check on us. That was all she had to say. She couldn't even say can I please get you guys some water while I fixed this issue. We heard good things, but sadly we will never return...local customers in the Food and Beverage business.

Edit: My wife was contacted by the owners. Apparently they heard about our unfortunate experience from another local business owner who my wife knows...my wife is a GM of a restaurant in College Park, FL. I will say that the owners went above and beyond to reach out to her through multiple outlets. They expressed ABSOLUTE dismay concerning our experience. While they have yet to talk to her formally, it is nice to know the lengths they will go to in order to fix our situation and any others that might experience the same thing. Obviously everything will not go right in any business, but being able to reach out and fix those mistakes is what matters! I will amend my rating once she speaks to them directly.

Edit: My wife finally spoke to the owner, and all I can say is that is how...you as an owner...should handle a problem. She, the owner, expressed horror as to the way we were treated. She gave no excuses, but assured that this problem would be dealt with so that no one would have to have the experience we had. My wife felt completely satisfied with how things have been resolved. We will give it another shot the next time we are in the area. I truly expect to have a positive...

With a string of awards to its name, this restaurant promised a culinary delight. Regrettably, it delivered quite the opposite. Perhaps my expectations were heightened by a string of exceptional Mexican meals on the West Coast, but this experience fell flat in comparison.

The meal started on a sour note with chips that tasted store-bought, paired with a salsa resembling a bland, watery pulp rather than a vibrant, textured accompaniment. The queso fundido, typically a showstopper, was burned to the point where its charred aroma and flavor overwhelmed any hope of savoring the cheese. The tortillas, often a hallmark of authentic Mexican cuisine, were a letdown—stale, room-temperature, and far from fresh. This same lackluster tortilla served as the base for the steak street tacos, further compounding the disappointment.

The sides didn’t fare any better. The rice was uninspired, and the black beans served in place of traditional refried beans seemed an odd choice, detracting from the authenticity of the dish.

Being located in Winter Park on the prestigious Park Avenue, one might expect a commitment to quality, but the execution here was anything but. While the service was passable—certainly not offensive—it barely rose above mediocrity.

In the end, I couldn’t help but compare this meal unfavorably to West Coast fast-food Mexican restaurant. At least there, for a fraction of the price, you’re treated to fresher, better-prepared food. Sadly, this visit was a misstep that didn’t live up to its acclaim or its location. Re: On the West Coast, the Mexican Food is just better, so I totally understand that I couldn't expect the same kind of flavor, that is why I compared it to what a low-end fast food Mexican Restaurant would be on...

The stars are exclusively for food. We have been regular customers for eight years and the food is always great. Everything else is lacking. On our most recent trip our server forgot my wife’s unsweet tea until I asked about it 15 minutes later. When we ordered, my wife got shrimp fajitas and I got steak fajitas. My wife asked how much to add extra shrimp and was told they were two dollars each. I mentioned to the waitress that I did not need the rice or the beans or the tortillas and I would love if they were able to substitute something else, like vegetable or corn. She said she would check with the kitchen. When she brought the tea back she told us that the kitchen said they won’t substitute anything. You would think for $24 with a pretty small amount of meat they would be OK throwing something else my way, next time I will order all of the food and just have it go to waste I guess.

When the bill came the shrimp we were told were two dollars each rang up at three dollars each. I asked the waitress and she very confidently said again that they were two dollars each. She went to the computer and then came back and said that they used to be two dollars and they change the price. no apology, no price adjustment, not even comping the tea. Before we left my wife asked for an unsweet tea to go. We ended up leaving that behind because the waitress brought her sweet tea.

We have had similar experiences, more so lately. We’ve continue to come back because the food is good, but you can get better elsewhere for a better price, and with better...