I visited Cocina Del Barrio for brunch this Sunday, and I must say that I was rather disappointed, especially after my wife had great things to say about the downtown location.
My experience echoes those of some of the other reviews here... the food is really nothing special and perhaps overpriced. My Huevos Rancheros were downright bland and the portion size was relatively small. My wife only ate about half of her potato-chorizo hash because it was bland and served lukewarm (I sampled and have to agree with her). The waitress seemed programmed to say everything on the menu was excellent. Unfortunately, it is just not very good.
Never heard of the place and the fiance decided we should try somewhere new. A coworker of his suggested checking it out. So we did..
The restaurant is set up weird. The tables are all jammed together and the bar is huge; overly huge which wastes so much space. They sat us at a high small pub table and I felt like we were practically sitting on the people next to us. It was awkward, like a first uncomfortable date. The decor is not the best either- kind of dark and unusual.
So the menu was easy enough. The waitress said "can I start you off with some fresh guacamole" We said sure. Come to find out, it was $8 plus every time she brought out extra chips it was $1- which is dumb. Ok, we can live with that.
We ordered two tacos a piece. They are tiny. Which is understandable but they were $5 a piece. The food tasted ok. One of the tacos I had didn't have any sort of sauce or salsa. It was just a tortilla with some meat. Oh and a few pieces of raw onion.
We ordered churros for dessert because we were still hungry. You actually got a huge plateful. That was the only thing that wowed us.
I don't know. All-in-all the price was way too high even for Edina. Almost ridiculous for what you got. Maybe try it, but you aren't missing out if you don't. If you want to pay a huge amount of money for hardly any food that is mediocre, then this is the place.
Yeah, this place is not bad - I've been here a couple of times for dinner and it's..fine. Â the food is decent and the prices are ok. Â Tonight we had a chicken soup, lobster empanadas, squash fritters and churros. Â There wasn't anything outstanding about the food, but there was nothing inedible either. Â I realized too late that the wonderful churros that I had in my mind were actually the churros from Masa (not Barrio...sigh).
One bonus star because our service was pretty good - they even made our churros after the kitchen had already tossed the chocolate sauce for the night (and so they made our sauce to order.)
I've eaten here a few times - all for dinner and all on the early side (6-7 PM). I recommend this place for a few reasons:
1) It is big so seating usually isn't an issue.
2) Service has been very fast.
3) By and large, the food is great. I can never have too many mahi mahi tacos.
4) I don't go for the Tequila so I really appreciate the Fulton and Surley on tap.
Of all the restaurants lining the 50th and France drag, I find Barrio to be the least hassle and therefore the perfect weekday treat.
Barrio has officially turned the corner and is heading in the wrong direction. Â The last three times I have been there it has been almost empty, with so-so service and food. Â Why is this? Â Your downtown location is always consistently good with great service. Â Why can't you get the same here? Â We went last Saturday night for a drink after eating somewhere else. Â We arrived around 10:30 and there were four people there and a staff that clearly did not want to be there. Â We walked into some heavy metal blaring which made absolutely no sense based on the place and was likely set on volumes that would work if they were packed. Â Service was brutal - the one bartender kept leaving to attend to other duties. Â The place had a bad bar rag smell and overall missed the mark again. Â I so want this place to get it. Edina needs a place like Barrio should be.
Review Source:This is more of a bar than restaurant, with drinks and small plates dominating the menu.   There are a few entrees but I didn't see anyone order those.  Most people get a couple of  the small plates,  Mexican tapas, I would call them.  I liked the portk carnitas and wild mushroom quesadilla I had, but my companions did not like the shrimp taco much.  My husband, who is not a big eater,had to order another round to not go hungry.   Also everything seemed warm, not hot, so I would fault the service a bit. Â
All told this is probably why we could walk in at 7 on Saturday night.
The location is very hit or miss for some reason. Â I've been here for brunch, lunch, and dinner, and it's all been a very different experience. Â
Brunch was terrible - food was off, server was tired, place was just kinda subdued all around. Â Terrible Chirro, shudder!
Lunch was good - all around just good. Â Nothing stood out, so not much to say.
Dinner was great! Â Food was perfect, savory, spicy, and delicious. Â Drinks were amazing and could have drunk so much more. Â Service was lively, talkative, and knowledgeable. Â
I've had late night food at the downtown location and have been to the St. Paul location for drinks. Â The Edina location is all together different, and I'm going to say it has to do with the neighborhood, kids, etc...general demographics of downtown Edina more than time of day.
I definitely had my guard up coming to 50th and France for brunch in general. I adore my hole-in-the wall pancakes and coffee, and for some reason just could not picture barrios delightful chips and guac paired with 50th and france, putting together a great brunch. Yep. Wrong.
The space in the Edina location is fantastic! Spacious and thoughtfully decorated, much like the downtown version would look like if you were not sitting on top of the guests at the next table. They have a few big TVS around a beautiful center bar. There are also nice tables next to floor-to-ceiling windows. The coffee was great, big mug (i'm picky about these things) and I also ordered the french toast. Not out of the world good, but I'm a happy lady when it comes to breakfast sweets. There was a dried fruit compote which I was not in love with, but still managed to clean my plate without a problem. My dining companion had the house bloody, filled with enough "stuff" to make it a little snack, and also ordered the mushroom and cheese enchiladas. I wish I was a savory girl after having these - phenomenal. Barrio - consider adding these or a version to your dinner menu!
As for food - so-so - there are so many other delicious joints in the neighbor hood for brunch, but for HH/dinner/and a pretty delightfully unexpected atmosphere - I'll be back!
I went here with a friend for happy hour the other day to catch up as we hadn't seen each other in a while. The atmosphere has a very after work type feel and I loved the decorations on the inside, making it feel modern and not to gimicky.
The maragaritas are fantastic but holy cow you better only have one if you're planning on driving, definitely worth it though if you ask me.
Once it starts to roll around six it becomes a pretty hip place to hang out and unwind from a day of work, so we ended up leaving then as having a nice conversation proved tough in a loud hopping place like that.
However the bartender was super nice to us and offered us a lot of help in deciding on our drinks and appetizers, super attentive too and not in an overbearing way as well which I found professional and friendly.
I highly reccommend this place if you're in the Edina area, and if you love mexican food it's really the place to be. The crowd isn't super young, so if you're looking for a more 20 something place to be you may want to check out uptown or other minneapolis joints.
Ive seen mixed reviews for Cocina del Barrio, but I can't say I have many complaints. Overall, I think it's just a great place to have lunch, particularly if you can take advantage of the $10 special.
The interior is the first thing that makes the trip to Cocina del Barrio worth visiting. Im not sure if their other locations (Minneapolis & St. Paul) have similar designs, but I was very impressed by the atmosphere created by the lighting and warm colors. They are known for their tequila selections as well, so it's a nice touch to see the open bar from most of the dining area.
The food isn't the best Mexican food Ive had in the cities, but it is still quite good. Everything that Ive had there is very fresh and some of the flavor combinations are quite unique. I had never had cumin fried chicken tacos before and I was not disappointed. The house guacamole is outstanding, too. I once had an issue with an overcooked piece of grilled chicken and the chips can often be a bit overly salted... But those are my only minor complaints thus far.
I havent sampled the dinner menu yet, but I can vouch for the quality of the lunch menu. I highly recommend the $10 lunch special. Typically, it will include two specialty tacos (changes frequently) and a tray of salsas/guac with chips.
Pros: Multiple locations including the Barrio taco truck, fresh ingredients, excellent interior design, $10 lunch special, free parking ramp
Cons: Small portion sizes, somewhat limited menu
My buddy and I scooped in here for happy hour. You have to love $3 Dos Equis We were here just for beers, but the food looked really good.
The happy hour guac looked a little cheesy compared to the fresh made guac. If I see a non man made guac coming from the kitchen, I will bring my rating down to 1 if I see non man made guac. I want fresh.
Our waitress was cute and fun. Overall, a good time.
Stopped in last night for a small bite to eat and few drinks. Â Our server was great--very informative and her descriptions of the menu items was outstanding. Â She told us the menu at the Edina location was a bit different and more expansive with a salad/soup and entree section; Barrio uses local, in season, and organic produce whenever possible.
I had the blackberry mojito. Â It was ok but nothing to brag about. Â The corn chowder was heavenly. Â A definite must get. Â We also got the shredded beef torta, it had a great bbq flavor. Â We also tried the wild mushroom enchilada--a little heavy on the sauce but otherwise good. Â Really though, the chowder is the way to go.
I have frequented the downtown Barrio and have always loved it......not so much in Edina. First of all i hate the design,bad choices { oh but i love the steel bull head ! } it's too cut up in too many compartments,
Our server named  Bull was fabulous, he's a charmer and very informative on the food and menu, we loved him !!!
The food was just so so , except for the guacamole and corn chowder they were both delicious......the rest was bland with no plate presentation at all. Â I must say I think my experience was swayed a lot by the atmosphere, maybe it feels better at night, but for lunch it was a downer.
I dont understand why the bad ratings? Â The lunch special (pork carnitas) was very good. Â i like the old fashion green coke bottles made with real sugar imported from mexico. Â 2 of my co-workers also got the lunch special and were pleased. Â My other co-worker got the soft shell crab and was not happy with it. Â He stated it was too salty and too fishy smelling. Â We all had churros for dessert and it was ok. Â It could of used more cinnamon.
Review Source:I'd go back for drinks and the habanero salsa.
The guac at Chipotle is better and more generous for the price.
Went here for a drink and a snack. The host was rude with that 'I'm too cool attitude' which set a bad tone. The service at the bar was top notch along with the drinks. Had chips and guacamole and a few other appetizers. The rest of the menu didn't really appeal to me.
NOT IMPRESSED...the guacamole is mediocre at best...needed either some salt or acid nor was I impressed by the chips. Asked the waiter what a 'torta' was and if the pork torts was like a pulled pork sandwich. After somewhat fumbling with the answer, he said that it was basically a sandwich and yes the pork was pulled. So, I was surprised (not pleasantly) that it was basically a fried pork sandwich patty with watery vegetables. The salad with it was good, though maybe a little salty. The potato sopes were not good, though our waiter recommended them. My friend had the mahi mahi taco (it was also fried) and was NOT impressed. This was for lunch and I didn't have any alcohol so I can't speak to the drinks...but that may be the only thing I'd ever go back to try...
Review Source:Breakfast at Barrio. Say What?!?!?!?
The rumors are true, Cocina Del Barrio now serves breakfast, and it is goood (yes, triple O good.) It's so nice to find a place in Edina that serves booze during breakfast. Â I had the mimosa with spanish cava and it was so delightful I decided to order two.
Onto the food. My man ordered the Chorizo and Potato hash with sunnyside up eggs on top. The spice level was perfect with its mix of poblanos and chorizo. I ordered the Eggs Benedict with spicy chipotle hollaindaise. The hollaindaise was so rich and decadent that i found myself scraping the excess sauce with my potatoes so I wouldn't waste a bit of it.
Barrio is a must if you want some spice added to your brunch, just make sure to bring enough money, it's a lot spendier than your average breakfast spot.
I need to stop going here with the expectation that things will get better.
Barrio is a good place for a drink, nice energy, a fair selection of beer, not bad at all.
But we keep eating there every few months, hoping that the atmosphere  will carry over into the food. No suck luck. It's almost as if the food gets worse with time. It is simply over thought. The skill and consistency in preparation isn't there to carry complex dishes through to a pleasant finish. They need to step back and focus on the individual components of each dish, ensuring quality of taste before looking at what appears on paper to be a good plate of food.
I recently had lunch here and was both impressed and disappointed by it.
The chips and salsa were excellent. The chips were the best I've had in the Twin Cities and left me wanting more (and wondering if they weren't sprinkled with crack). The tomatillo salsa was the best of the three provided, but all were great. If you go, you have to get the chips and salsa.
The entrees were a mixed bag. The mahi mahi taco was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. The shrimp taco was awful. It tasted like liquid smoke had been poured all over the shrimp at the end of the cooking process, and the shrimp itself was rubbery. In my mind, I have a concept of what ass tastes like. This shrimp taco came very close to that concept.
The chicken enchilada was the best of the entrees I had. Perfectly cooked, good but not overpowering flavors. I'd order it again.
The service was just so-so, and I found myself surprisingly forgiving of its mediocrity since it was provided by the cutest waitress I've had anywhere in the world in recent memory. That v-neck t-shirt with a hint of cleavage definitely helped what was mostly an otherwise forgettable meal.
People in Edina seem to like to take their babies out to eat. Â Barrio doesn't seem like a particularly baby friendly place, but little babies don't really care where they are, so why not? Â Still, the number of babies on a Friday night at 7 pm was jarring. Â Also, lots of expensive clothing. Â Very Edina.
If you look at the menu online and think it sounds good, then you'll like it. Â I like the food. Â I like the drinks. Â If the menu seems like not your style, well it probably isn't. Â This is not the case at every restaurant.
When I've been here with a reservation, the service is awesome! Â Awesome like oops we brought you an extra free tamale! Â Your drink arrives in minutes! Â You can sit at a big awesome table in the back!
No reservation? Â Shouldn't be a problem. Â But the 10 minute waited I was quoted was over 30. Â Maybe it was bc the hosts could tell my clothing was cheap. Â And I didn't bring a baby.
After 3 times going here, I can definitely say that we will not be back. The food is atrocious. The first time we went, I had the chile relleno small plate as I wasn't very hungry. It was so disgusting I couldn't even eat past 2 bites. The bf said his chorizo sandwich was pretty good. The second time we went, I had the lunch special which was spring chicken tacos served with chips, salsa and guac. The only thing edible that time were the chips and guac. How can a Mexican restraunt have such terrilble salsa? They have three kinds of salsa and not a single one of them is decent. Sad. The tacos were an abomination. Dry, flavorless..... you would think that the waiter would notice that I only took one bite out of three tacos, but he didn't care. Then tonight.... the rib eye. While the actual piece of meat was cooked nicely, there was this atrocious sauce mess on it that literally tasted like hot dogs. How can a sauce taste like hot dogs? I have no clue. I don't think that they were back there pureeing hot dogs, but that is exactly what it tasted like. I will never go back and am waiting for whatever 5036 France ave becomes next as food this bad can't stick around for long.
Review Source:This Barrio is supposed to have the more extended food options, but I think the downtown location has better food options.
It's a very seafood heavy menu, and they have the usual tapas offering.
The drinks were the usual barrio price (a bit more than I'd like to pay).
The Chips and Guacamole were delicious as always, can't beat their chips and guac at any locations.
We have had reservations and still had to wait 20 minutes after them.
The noise level is out of this world loud most weekend evenings.
I have been here twice in the past week and have had two different experiences. Â The first time was on a friday night and we had an amazing time. Â We sat at the dimly lit bar area that had views of oversized bull heads and candelabras with white wax dropping carelessly above the hostess. Â
The drinks are made well and the service was great-during the first visit. Â The second visit was so crowded that we had to order our drinks at the bar after waiting 20 minutes. Â I'd play it by ear and if it looks full but not overflowing, then go in and have a drink. Â If not, then keep walking down France. Â
Food-the tamales are amazing. Â I miss the ones in downtown LA that are a $1...but beggars can't be choosers. Â Make sure you order the guacamole! Â The chips are spiced and pair perfectly with a nice cocktail. Â
Great for a date, small party, and a night out with the girls. Â You can wear jeans-but dress them up :)
We ordered 2 shots of Corzo tequila at the waiters recommendation. Â They came out, were completely clear, and had no odor. Â After doing the hots, it was very apparent it was tap water. Â The waiter check with the bartender, and they agreed it was not Tequila. Â They opened a new bottle, and poured the shots. Â These shots had the scent of tequlia, and a very smooth flavor. Â No apology from the staff, no offer to comp our replaced 'water' shots. Â What a horrible way to run a business. Â I wish I had complained to management, but instead I write this review and will never return.
Review Source:Overall, we really loved the food, especially the steak tacos.
HOWEVER (yes, it needs to be capitalized)...
1.) Our service was absolutely terrible. Food we didn't order arrived more than once. Multiples of the food we did order also arrived, to our perplexion. Finally, the manager just gave us the extras and inquired as to what was missing. The waitress was abrupt to a fault, missing my wife's dinner order by walking away too soon.
2.) The chicken entre came out raw. Not kinda pink, but bloody. Yeah. Eww. The manager brought us a new one and comp'd it, but it wasn't enough.
3.) The bill was wrong. They tried to charge us for the food we didn't order. I can't believe we even left a tip.
All that said, I might go back for tacos at lunch, but never again with a group for dinner. This place doesn't have their stuff together.
knowing how busy this place has been, i bothered making reservations for my friend and I, even though we were arriving at 5pm on a Thursday. the restaurant was empty, so maybe our waitress was bored. but we were gabbing as girls do, hadn't looked at the long and hard to read menu/drinks list yet. i gave the normal, "i think we need a minute" that you give when you're not ready. um, when i say that i don't think i literally meant count to 60 and come back. she did this several times before we were finally ready to order something, seriously conveying the "hurry up and order" feeling. so we ordered drinks (not necessarily what i wanted but i was in such a rush, geez!).
still, the restaurant was empty. our drinks arrive. again, she asks what else we want to order. hello, we're still talking. "we need a minute" (maybe i should have learned my lesson and said that we need five minutes, since she's clearly timing us). so we order the guacamole, it's great (tiny), and hopefully buys us some time. no, she hovers. the restaurant is still empty. we eventually order a few more things (our food arriving at completely different times as other reviewers have mentioned) but all the while her checking in every two (or 60) seconds. not being friendly, certainly not hiding the emotion of "well this table isn't ordering $200 worth of food tonight so definitely isn't worth my time".
anyway, we weren't worth her time. barrio isn't really worth mine. there are so many great restaurants to eat at in this neighborhood, i won't be back.
Met a few friends at Cocina del Barrio on a Thursday night and was shocked by how busy the place was at around 7pm. Â I was however super pumped that my friends had scored a table (which I found out via text) and went in search for my gals....this search was rudely ended by a very aggressive hostess who virtually demanded to know what or whom I was looking for in the restaurant by yelling at me in the crowd. Luckily, I found my friends in the back and settled into a cozy booth.
About 20 minutes later a waiter came to the table to take drink orders. We also ordered food at the time and waited.....and waited....enter drinks (very good and strong. I recommend the blood orange margarita).....wait 10 more minutes....enter yummy guacamole.....and then probably the most random thing of the night: the waiter brought out each individual tapas separately by person (even if two people ordered the same thing). So, first one friend got one small plate, we waited 5 minutes and watched her eat, then she got her second plate, we waited 5 more minutes and watched her eat, then the second girl got her first plate (which was the same thing as the previous girl's first plate), we waited 5 minutes and watched her eat....you see a pattern??
Then we were totally ignored by the waiter until the bill came (when he made jokes with us).
So, needless to say, we were not impressed by the staff or service. The food and drinks were wonderful (almost 5 star worthy), but it is hard to look past service that includes being ignored and watching your friends eat for nearly a half hour while you wait for a taco. I am just not overly eager to return.
Went for happy hour and it was okay.
The space is missing the cool factor that the downtown one has. Â It tries and it comes close, but not quite.
And this locale doesn't serve The Good The Bad and The Ugly which is on the cocktail list downtown (and my fave). Â However, The Miguel was pretty tasty.
The guacamole was good, the jicama salad was not.
I guess I prefer it over Salut next door, but not over Barrio downtown.
After reading my original review of Cocina del Barrio, the General Manager gave me a call. Â He apologized profusely for the service my girlfriends and I received that night, and offered dinner for two on the house. Â My husband and I decided to make reservations this last Tuesday.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a very pleasant hostess. Â She seated us immediately at a table with full view of the kitchen. Â The crowd was not as busy as my previous experience on a Saturday night, yet most of the tables were full. Â It felt lively. Â We were welcomed to the restaurant by our waiter. Â The manager came to our table shortly after. We were off to a good start.
My husband ordered The Trinity Margarita. Â It tasted just like a top-shelf margarita should. Â
I ordered a glass of the Spanish Cava. Â Light and refreshing.
We decided to share the guacamole and  some small plates (Pork Carnitas Tacos with Salsa Verde, Skirt Steak Tacos Al Carbon, Lobster Empanadas,  Roasted Pablano Pepper Stuffed with Shrimp and Chihuahua).
Guacamole was delicious and pretty garnished with radishes, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro.
Of the small plates, my favorites were the Pork Carnitas Tacos and  Lobster Empanadas.  The pork on the tacos was so tender and full of flavor.  The Lobster Empanadas was a crunchy dish that matched well with the salsa verde and citrus salsa.  The Roasted Pablano Pepper was tasty, albeit on the heavier side with the cheese sauce.
For dessert, we went with the recommendation of our waiter and ordered the Pumpkin Cake - Cajeta Ice Cream/ Pepita Brittle/ Pumpkin Yogurt Puree. The cake was served warm, topped with a cinnamon spice crumb and a pepita brittle. Â It was nicely paired with the cajeta ice cream (made with cajeta caramel and lightly salted) and the pumpkin yogurt puree. Â It was a nice and spicy alternative to the typical chocolate dessert we usually order.
Last but not least, the manager brought over a shot of Asombroso Tequila to end our meal. Â He explained it was a reposado aged in old Bordeaux barrels, which gives the tequila a pinkish hue. Â It had hints of chocolate and was meant to be sipped. Not being a big Tequila drinker myself, I took a few sips and found it to be very smooth. Â My husband went for the gusto and drank his whole shot in one:)
Bravo Cocina del Barrio! Â You made things right. . .and there's something to be said for that in the industry. Â We will be back again:)
After a very much anticipated wait, we finally made reservations at Cocina del Barrio. We've been to Barrio in downtown Minneapolis and loved it. All the hype for Cocina del Barrio was promising. But the reality of our experience there came down to this - the results are so mixed that i couldn't really rate it higher than 3 stars.
Now, if I were rating on food alone, no-brainer: 4 stars. There were four of us, and we ordered quite a variety of items. Everything was very good. I think the highlights were the ceviche, the fish tacos, and the lobster empanada.
So here are the complaints.
No. 1 - They've got to get a handle on their reservation system. My wife and I arrived right on time. But our dinner companions were a few minutes late. We ended up waiting about a half hour longer after they arrived. So in total, we didn't get seated until 30-45 minutes after our reservation time. Based on some of the other Yelp reviews, that seems to be a real problem.
No. 2 - When we did get seated, it was at a high-top table in the bar. So the bar scene at Barrio is getting a lot of buzz. But man, is it loud. We would have preferred a table in the dining room.
No. 3 - Service. Not really bad. But not so great either. As I noted above, we stuck with small plates for our meal. But one person in our group inquired about one of the entrees. "Oh," our server advised. "It will take at least a half hour for that to come out of the kitchen." So what's the problem? Do the servers really want to discourage customers from ordering something that looks good on the menu? Or is the kitchen so disorganized that they can't put up a meal in a reasonable amount of time? One more gripe about the service - our server forgot one of the items that we ordered. We were about finished when we asked about it. "Oh," he said. "I forgot."
There are so many good standby restaurants at 50th & France, I'm not sure if I'll make an effort to return to Barrio. Actually, if I feel the urge for their delicious Mexican small plates, I'll probably go downtown again. Too bad.
Meh! That's really all I can sum up for this place. Meh. We arrived here for dinner (not by my choosing - I checked Yelp, and was a little concerned) on Friday night around 7:30. And I know that it is Friday, and everyone is busy, but when we make reservations a week in advance and we still have to wait an hour I can't help but get a little annoyed. The place was SWAMPED, so I was pretty excited about the food, as a busy restaurant usually means really good food. After our table FINALLY left, we were able to sit down and order some drinks. The service was fast and attentive and our server had some great food suggestions. I ordered the shrimp tamal and Bob got the mahi mahi, pork and steak tacos. The food is tapas style, so the plates are pretty small. Our table started with the queso fundino and guacamole. The guacamole was pretty good! I usually find that guacamole is really bland, but this was spicy and tasty! The chips were also really good and seasoned well. The queso was ok, nothing special. Plus, with the prices, I would definitely pass on that as a starter. The shrimp tamal was also ok. Nothing great. A little heavy on the garnish and the flavor was a little off, like the plate was missing something. Bob really enjoyed the mahi-mahi taco but the pork and steak tacos, were ok. Overall, the entire meal was OK. Nothing good, but not too bad either. The reason for the 2 stars instead of 3 was the prices. I think this place is really overpriced. For the amount that we paid here, we could have easily had an amazing 3 course meal at Bar La Grassa or Corner Table.
Sorry Minneapolis, when it comes to Mexican, we have to do better than this.
First attempt we called for reservations on a Friday night and they were booked until 10pm. Â So we came back the next day for lunch instead. Â The place was quiet for lunch hour. Â
The decor is very cool, reminds me of the Hell's Kitchen downtown. Â Lots of red and black. Â Wait staff were average, cordial. Â
We ordered a few things to split and share:
- Guacamole: good but not great. Â No spice but it was fresh. Â Chips are Homemade! Â and tasty. Â The salsa is bland, very little spice.
- 1 Pork Carnitas Taco: Pork was beyond great, but then they screwed it up with this weird green sauce (maybe tomatillo) The sauce killed all the flavor the pork had. Â The only way i know the pork was so great is that i dug some out from under the sauce to try it alone.
- 1 Fish Taco: Lack luster, fresh, good but nothing great
- Shredded beef torta: Excellent grill flavor, had some cheese and black bean spread on it that wasnt necessary, the meat had a nice flavor and the bread was grilled and crunchy. Â
Our lunch with drinks was $40ish
I'm excited to go back, the food was clean and authentic. Â Not loaded with sauce and cheese. Â The bar was nice and they had a great selection of beers and high end liquor. Â If you want to save some cash and be seated right away go for lunch, otherwise you'll need a reservation or be willing to wait.
Well it has been awhile since I have posted on Yelp (not that I've stopped eating at as many locations as possible), but I had to try the new "Mexican" restaurant at 50th and France to see if my search for good Mexican food in Minneapolis (and my neighborhood) had finally been solved... In a a word, "NO."
Barrio suffers from a multitude of problems.  Aside from the crappy service (the wait staff sucked, which is inexcusable compared to other recent opening such as Mozza Mia, Raku and Lola's), and  the food just simply isn't that good.  It's like a glorified Chevy's or an awful rendition of Pink Taco in Los Angeles, without the portions and a higher price.  In fact, I would say the recently departed Tejas (which was also mediocre at best) was about the same. Â
The place has a great decor, a hopping bar, and some great ideas for little dishes. Â When I mean little, I mean for $5 gets you 1 small taco (I could argue that Zantigo's makes a better one). Â The tamales were sub-par, the drinks were decent but pricey, and the enchiladas were it's only saving grace (well the guac was OK but its pretty hard to totally F-up guac). Â I'm pretty used to spending some $ in this part of town, but at least at the surrounding places I get the grub and service to semi justify its existence.
If you want a comparison I would say Rojas at West End (St. Louis Park) is far superior. All-in-all, not a great addition to the area in comparison with other recent openings.
This review has nothing to do with the food and everything to do with the service at the bar. I swung in to Cocina del Barrio yesterday evening (9-ish) for a quick beer and possibly dinner. I sat at the bar and immediately felt that I was an inconvenience to the bartenders. Rather than a "How's Your Night?" I got a "Do You Need Something?" Â I ordered a pint and asked for a food menu.
The bartender returned 5 minutes later (which is a fine amount of time) and said "Alright, what do you want?" Being that it was my first time at this exact Barrio, I asked him what he liked. He pointed out two suggestions which seemed completely random. I then asked him what he didn't like (which I think is just as important). This question seemed to stump him and he got flustered...enough so that he glared at me and shook his head in disgust. At this point, I was fed up with the 'service' and said that I was just going to have my beer and take off. The bartender just tossed the check in front of me saying curtly "sorry I couldn't answer your question" and walked away. Several minutes later, I just asked him to run it on my card they had requested to start a tab. They said they gave it back to me, that they ALWAYS give it back to the guests. I knew otherwise. They looked for my card and found it by the register. Now I know some restaurants will keep your card until you close out, but for a bartender to completely blank on giving it back when that is their policy is completely unacceptable. The bartender ran the card and again tossed it and the check at me, simply saying "bye."
Now I'm not one to complain, and this is the first review I've ever written of a restaurant. I'm sure there are plenty of friendly servers at this particular Barrio, and I'm sure the food is up to par with the other locations. I was so bummed out by how I was treated at the bar, though, that I probably won't return for quite some time.
And for reference, the music at Cocina del Barrio was loud at this time of the evening, and the bar area was fairly full with attractive 20-somethings. It seemed a little tamer than the DT location, but not as relaxed as its neighboring restaurants in the 50th & France area. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing, just a point to call out in case a louder 'party' atmosphere isn't your scene.
We stopped in on day 2 for dinner. Bottom line is great place for drinks and chips. Taco was really small. I would give Chipotle a much higher rating for their food. One person in our party liked their soup. Margarita was served without salt and we sent it back for repair. On balance, fun spot. By the way. the Tim P. was there with family which was fun to see. Merry Christmas!
Review Source:Stopped in on opening night for some apps and margaritas. Â Ordered the red snapper ceviche, carnitas and steak tacos. Â The place was pretty crowded as expected. Â It has a different feel than the Minneapolis and St. Paul location but seems pretty fitting for the Edina crowd. Â Food quality was on par with the rest of the Barrios, I just think it's a little spendy to make it one of my regular places. Â They did a good job of designing the space and it's a welcome addition to the area.
Review Source:
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