Coba Cocina

As a downtown Lexington resident, I drove past the construction site that is now Coba Cocina on Richmond Road.  Our friends and family enjoyed speculating as to whether they were building a persian nightclub or a mosque with the golden dome and over-the-top architecture.  

You can imagine our surprise when they plopped a mediocre (at best) Mexican restaurant inside of an off-the-strip Las Vegas nightclub.

We arrived to no wait on a Monday night (looks like the excitement has worn off) and were instantly greeted by four very helpful hostesses. Immediately we were sat by the jellyfish tank (which is less impressive if your back is to it) which is just as cool as you think it is.  Definitely a unique centerpiece.

The service was attentive but not exceptional and the service from the bar and kitchen was prompt.  However, with such a burgeoning craft beer scene in Lexington, you would think that Coba would have more than Bud Light and Dos Equis on tap.  I also don't understand why they bring you an 8 oz. glass for a 12 oz. beer but it's not really that big of a deal.

The "house" salsa is decent enough with a nice touch of garlic but the bean dip is better.  Both would be better if Coba served chips that weren't passed under a heat lamp after coming out of the bag.

I ordered the Maximilian.  Four enchiladas, beans, rice, and a cheese sauce; the standard mexican fare.  The food arrived hot but that's the best compliment I can give it.  The tortillas were chewy to the point where they almost tasted stale.  The cheese sauce had absolutely zero flavor while the beans and rice were resoundingly unremarkable.  Overall the entree arrived lukewarm which is simply unacceptable when the restaurant is slow.  I think they may have attempted to make up for it by coating the meal in salt.

BOTTOM LINE: The decor is tacky at best and most certainly doesn't make up for the lack of flavor in the food.  Not only is it not worth a two hour wait, it's not worth any wait at all.  The prices are reasonable but there are a half dozen Mexican restaurants in town that serve better food for roughly the same price.  My suggestion?  Walk in, claim you're going to have a drink at the bar, look at the jellyfish, and head on down the road.

It was a long wait for the food.. But the manager made up for the wait. Really good food with a nice ambiance!

Not impressed with the food. It was very bland and greasy. I had the tacos. The person I was with had a dinner entree and the portion was surprisingly small for the price. We would not eat there again. Disappointing meal!