Mama Coco Cocina Mexicana

We had an absolutely wonderful dinner on Friday night at Mama Coco. We ate our appetizer (empanadas) and entrées (Suizas Mariscos and Conchinata Pibil) so fast that there was no time to share a pic. This recently opened place in Menlo Park has fantastic Mexican food. Great flavors across many regions of Mexico and super fresh ingredients. All of the flavors were so well balanced and delicious! We kept on going and had dessert also. The chocolate cake (Azteca) was wonderfully satisfying without being overly sweet or too rich.
They have a nicely lit back patio too for a nice evening outside and with with kid-​friendly toys and a play kitchen for warmer days of dining out with the kids. A new favorite in our neighborhood.

This unassuming spot delivers delicious food, and has easily become one of our go to restaurants. The guac is among the better ones I’ve had and is especially delicious with the crumbly cotija sprinkled on top. If you get the Tostada Ensalada, go with the filet of salmon as your protein. Mama Coco cooks it so perfectly that it melts in your mouth.
Service always comes with a smile. The people here are the type that ask how your day is going and genuinely care about providing you a great experience.

I came here with some friends after work one night. Everything is downtown Palo Alto was closing early since it was the day before NYE. I called to ask if they were still open after a friend looked them up in Unilocal.They said they were closing early cuz it was slow but were willing to wait for us since we were 5 mins away! Great service!
The service the was quick and our server are some recommendations too. I ended up having the 4 taco plate. 2 steak tacos and 2 shrimp tacos. My favorite was the shrimp tacos! Big pieces of shrimp topped with a «chipotle mayo» sauce. The sauce made the tacos taste great that my friend ordered a side of sauce for his burrito! Lol.
The chips and salsa are served before your meals. The salsa was a verde type salsa, it has a bit more of a «kick» if you’re used to the traditional salsa mix. I would return again to try some of the other things on the menu!

The Pescado & cochinita pibil were excellent! It was delicious and very presentable! Omar and his staff gave us amazing service. Definitely coming back.

I love coming to mama coco food is always delicious service is always so friendly. Very kid friendly and can also come just to grab a drink! Cochinita pibil is my favorite with a michelada and to finish off the capirotada! Oh the capirotada is to die for! Very highly recommended

Came in today and really liked the setting, ambiance, and food. I had the fondue to start off and it was very authentic Oaxacan cheese that seemed never ending. Had the torta with al pastor but the chipotle aioli really did it. Will be back if I’m in the area. The best part was the setting: kind of like a hip taqueria yet a place that you can go on a date.

Chips and Guacamole was good
I had the chicken with home-​made sauce. The portion was too much and the sauce had strong flavor which was kind of overwhelming. Not a big fan.
Margarita and sangria were good.

Food is delicious. Walked in very skeptical about this place being authentic. The ambience is really nice, very private and relaxing. Although the tables seem to be very low, or is it just me? Food is delicious. Ordered the guac and chips and fried calamari as appetizers. I have to be honest, the margaritas have me coming back! Serrano margarita is superb! If you’re in the area anywhere from Redwood City to Mountain View this is the place to go for margaritas! Strawberry margarita was delicious as well, had fresh strawberries and nice tequila kick. They sell by the pitcher too! I then ordered the chicken enchiladas, which were delicious, just the right flavor. The staff was very attentive. Manager came to our table to make sure all was well, which was nice. Will keep coming back! If you’re looking for Mexican in the area, that’s not UnaMas definitely check this place out!

Poor service and food.
I had requested all sauces on the side. After about 25 minute, when the food arrived the sauce was on the steak.
They took it back and «fixed» it by washing the steak, and brought it back to me within 5 minutes. I ate the somewhat wet stake as I did not have anymore time to go back and forth with them.
First time. Drove 7 miles to get there. Won’t go back.

A little bit of an unknown spot on El Camino in Menlo Park between Ravenswood and Santa Cruz Ave.
The food here is awesome, really high-​quality Mexican with a homemade feel. My go to is the shrimp burrito, but you can’t go wrong with anything on their menu.
There’s a really neat back patio for hanging out, or for a private event for which you can reserve the space if needed.
One of the best parts about Mama Coco and why I always find myself returning is the service. Ownership and cooks and staff are incredibly friendly, take care of the locals, and take pride in their product.
Love this place, and you will too!

We were at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital with our daughter and really wanted some Mexican food. We went to Unilocal and found a bunch of reviews about this place. Guess what, it’s awesome! I’m so glad we came here. Everything from the strawberry margaritas rimmed with this fab spicy salt that went amazingly well with the margarita to the tender, juicy carnitas taco special served with a delicious fresh salad that had mangoes, oranges and sherry vinaigrette to the tender and delicious carne Asada served with the most amazing cactus salad.
Now let’s talk about the customer service. Over-​the-​top! They are so friendly and nice and extremely knowledgeable about the food. Omar the owner and Alejandro our waiter were awesome!
They also have an outside patio that has all kinds of toys if you have small children so it’s definitely family friendly! We cannot wait to go back again soon.

Not sure how his place got 4.5 stars. The food is average and the service is awful. Couldn’t get anyone to refill my water and ice tea the entire time I was there. Couldn’t get anyone to pay attention when I was ready for the check. Couldn’t get anyone to notice when I needed an extra napkin. Flies were everywhere as I was eating since they don’t have AC and just leave the doors open.
Needless to say, I won’t be going back.

Pros: Lovely patio in the back for big parties, healthy-​ish take on a chili relleno (Not battered and fried) and decent prices.
Cons: No tequila so the margaritas are made with agave wine and mix. Not a fan of that, but they weren’t terrible — really sweet though. The service was short staffed when we went so it was pretty tough to get a refill on chips, etc, but I wouldn’t expect that to be all the time. Lastly, the flavors of what I had just weren’t that great — the guac was kinda weird, salsa was watery, my rice was covered in cold sauce, etc.
Overall, not terrible, but probably would opt for an alternative.

I wanted the burrito bowl salad with grilled chicken to taste good, but I didn’t realize it would be covered in chipotle aioli and couldn’t get over that fact. My friend got the sopitos, which looked delicious. I probably would’ve liked Mama Coco better if I’d gotten something else. The service is quick and the staff is very friendly. They didn’t mind that we changed to an outside table even after we sat down-​probably because the restaurant was relatively empty.

I ordered take out from this place twice, and the first time everything was fine, because I got there almost right before their closing time.
This time, however, I called them at 6:05 pm. They told me that it’ll be ready in 35 minutes, so I got there at 6:42 pm. I didn’t leave until 7:10… Why? Because people that work there are incompetent.
One of them checked my order and it had sour cream on it, even though I asked for no sour cream and no cheese… It took 20 minutes to remake the salad, and the beef on it still had cheese… They
took another 10 to replace the beef… And I was watching them all this time, and the staff just moves very slowly. They need to hire someone who will streamline their kitchen processes, because they are not doing a good job.
The steak was burned by the way.

My office mates and I decided to give this contemporary Mexican restaurant a try and after having passed by it numerous of times, so glad we did. Another bookmark checked off of my list, thank you!
The space is airy and inviting; turquoise walls and red accents reminiscent of Aztec Mexico. The restaurant is split in two spaces; a main dining area to the right and take-​out/​bar seating over the open kitchen to the left.
I ordered the veggie tostada salad for take out; grilled vegetables of sweet peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes over a romaine salad with black beans, pico de gallo, and a sprinkling of cotija cheese, guacamole, and Mexican crema served with serrano chile vinaigrette. The tostada shell was crisp and light. Not a greasy bottom in sight.
I really enjoyed my dish. It was fresh, hearty, flavorful, delicious. The same could be said by my coworkers. They all seemed to really enjoy the food.
Service was attentive, friendly and were kind enough to accommodate our separate orders and different methods of payment. Our food was made lighting fast. I’d definitely go back for a sit down meal and enjoy one of their signature cocktails.

Yummy! I’m a sucker for great Mexican food, and Mama Coco delivers!
My husband and I tried the tortilla soup, and we enjoyed it! It was a red, tomato like broth; it was spicy and flavorful.
We also split the fajitas and they were also delicious.
I lived the décor, the customer service was great, and the owner/​manager came by and made sure to talk to us.
The only thing I would reconsider ordering is the queso fundido. The cheese was super thick, and I almost choked on it! Oops.
Overall, this is a great place!

La comida esta muy buena!!!
Muy buena presentación de los platos y la ración de comida es la perfecta!!!
Muy amable el trato de los jefes con los clientes!
Lo recomiendo a todas las personas que quieran comer comida mexicana!

Mama Coco Cocina Mexicana is a mainstream Mexican restaurant appealing to the urban crowds of Menlo Park. I appreciated the family friendly décor and layout but a few key misses made the experience less than expected.
The location is convenient on El Camino Real and the bright space includes a popular back patio area. Our table was spacious and great and we looked eagerly at the menu, which included varied appetizers and well conceived main platters.
Service was prompt and they have a prominent drink menu with sangria and margarita options.
We ordered a large selection of appetizers and started with a pitcher of sangria ($ 23). The sangria was refreshing but filled with ice and absent of both the fruit and wine that make the drink.
Like many, we waited and though we ordered some simple starters like guacamole, burrito salad, and calamari, food service takes a long time. When the food finally came out, we realized why: they like serving everything together which inevitably prolongs the wait because of certain cooked dishes. Portions aren’t huge and while everything was tasty, the wait dampens enthusiasm.
A few mistakes on the order (tacos ordered when taquitos ordered), wrong credit card bill, and a split credit card charge just charged twice on a single card and no indication of such capped off an uneven experience.
Overall, really enjoyed the family friendly vibe and thought the food was solid for Menlo Park. Would have appreciated mainly quicker food service, but that may improve with time. Nearby La Viga (Redwood City) and Fiesta Del Mar (MV) have nailed the food, quality, speed equation.
Mama Coco accepts credit cards but I’ll assume not American Express as the Visa was charged twice and not the American Express for a split bill.

Got take out from Mama Coco Cocina. I had the «Chicken Taquitos,» which are soft tortillas served with mango salsa. ($ 6 for 2). I also had the «Tortilla soup.» ($ 8)
I called ahead so when I got there my food was ready. While I was waiting for them to bag my order, I was talking to the staff and they were all very nice, smiled a lot and seemed like they liked their jobs.
The chicken taquitos were good. They really reminded me of well cooked chicken soft tacos. The tortilla soup was really good. They gave me the crispy tortilla strips on the side so they wouldn’t get soggy in the to go cup. Smart thinking.
The interior of the restaurant looks clean and there is a lot of tables so it would be a good place for groups.
The restaurant faces El Camino Real and there is parking in front of the storefront but there are also large parking lots behind the restaurant so it is very convenient.
I’ll have to come back some other time and try other things on their menu.

We had a great time at Mama Coco last week. Driving by on a weeknight after 8, it looked empty but that’s deceiving. Everyone was seated in the patio out back. Really nice atmosphere on a balmy night.
Service was very friendly and attentive. Our server Gerson answered our questions and was knowledgable about the items on the menu. The owner was also walking around and checked in with us.
We had shrimp ceviche to start. It tasted very fresh, albeit a little sweet. The tomato sauce reminded me of a Mexican shrimp cocktail. My bf had a margarita, which was made with agave wine instead of tequila. He was skeptical about it, but liked it so much that he ordered another. He also couldn’t decide if he wanted mole or not, so the server brought him a sample of the mole sauce. Bf said the sauce tasted just like the mole his mom makes — definitely authentic. A hint of chocolate with a kick from the chile peppers. He ended up ordering the marinated steak with two small mole enchiladas and beans, plus a side of rice. I ordered the tostada salad with grilled steak. My salad’s greens and grilled green onion tasted very crisp and fresh. The serrano chile dressing was delicious. I didn’t find it spicy. The guacamole was a cool, tasty touch.
Don’t expect huge taqueria size portions. The tacos are on the appetizer section and are more like «street tacos» — just small tortillas with meat. The burritos were good sized — we got a steak one to go for our always hungry teenage son. He liked it! They serve quality ingredients in a flavorful way. The portions were perfect for us. Entrees are well under $ 20 per person, which is a deal in this area.
We really liked sitting on the patio out back. They had lights strung up and umbrellas with nice Latin music playing. A family with three kids was there and the the kids were happily distracted with the toys and activities the restaurant has out for them.
Check out Mama Coco’s — I’ll be back!