El Coqui Mexicano

This is a fantastic, cozy little restaurant. They have wonderful, authentic Central American food and the lady who owns & runs the place is friendly and interesting. It’s BYOB, a Fantastic value for the low cost of the meals, and a perfect place to grab a bite with your friends before catching a show at The Plaza Theater.
They have the WORLD’S BEST flan. Seriously. It looks like crustless cheesecake. It tastes like heaven. This is what flan dreams it might be reincarnated as if it’s been a really good flan in this life. If you love flan, it will ruin other flan for you. If you hate flan, you still HAVE TO TRY THE FLAN. You will not regret it.

Just when I thought Rico and Eveyln couldn’t get any worse, they decided to close and randomly offer take out, though their phones were cut off quite a bit. They are very nice people and great cooks, but they are completely (and I mean completely) inept at running a business. I hope that they get a business manager and open back up or maybe they are independently wealthy and they don’t need to open. Supposedly they are working on a «bigger» restaurant to be opened at some unknown time at an unknown location. Jesus. Study this model for how not to run a restaurant.

Unfortunately, they have had to close due to the economic downtown. I hope we will see them back in some other capacity, because they are wonderful people who make delicious and authentic Mexican and Puerto Rican dishes. Good luck Rico and Evelyn!

El Coqui Mexicano closed its doors as of 15 May 2010.

I really like some of the food here, other things are hit or miss. At one time they had Chilaquiles that were out of this world delish! The menu has changed and I got a trio of tacos there the last time and was not as impressed as before. I will say I love the casual environment, you can see the owner cooking away and talk with him while he works in the kitchen. The other owner is the hostess and she is also so charming. If you go when it’s busy it is such a small restaurant that you may not be able to get a table, so be prepared to wait or have a back up in mind. Finally, be sure to bring some wine or beer with you, and share it with them too! If I have any leftover wine, (which isn’t often, but hey), I always offer it to them to share.

El Coqui is a rare find: that special place you’ve been searching for that has outstanding food, genuinely warm people, and an atmosphere untouched by big business.
The chef puts a great deal of thought into the culinary balance of each dish’s ingredients, so try the food as is, rather than swapping out foods or making special orders. You won’t be disappointed!

Very small, quaint and tons of livelihood!
Tip #1 BYOB — do it, they encourage it.
The owner is a lovely lady who is so welcoming and just nice. It’s so refreshing. You walk into this vibrant yet quaint «dining room» that has such a home-​y feeling. There is a bar that overlooks the prep/​kitchen area and 5 high top tables. If you are dining alone, don’t be confused when someone else asks to sit with you as this is such a top place for catchin’ some yummo eats. Everyone is super friendly, staff and customers alike.
The menu changes daily so the day I was able to check it out they had empanadas and tacos. I went with the chicken and veggie empanada and it was very yummy and not too greasy which is a huge plus. The tacos, there were 4 or 5 to choose from and the order consisted of 3 that you could mix and match. Since I am a lil obsessed with pork, I went all pork. I shortly regretted my situation after I tasted the chicken, steak and beef that my friends got. The Pork was ok, tasty but a little dry. I was also surprised it did not come with anything else on top of it. No onions, no veggies, no cilantro. The other types of meat came with various things. The beef was my favorite, somewhat tasted like beef stew.
Everything is so fresh though, that is a huge plus. The taco shells we do soft! The guac was not that impressive, I have to admit that I am not a huge guac fan though so I might not be the best judge though.
Overall, great, cute and friendly little Mexican joint that looks like it would be a fantastic date night location.

This was the best food in Orlando for authentic flavor. If you wanted to eat like you were at a local paneria in Puerto Rico this was it. I say was due to the recent changes they made. No longer can you drop on for a great bite. Dinner is now only by reservation and limited menu. They say lunch is still open to the public but tacos, really. I am so disappointed to lose such a great place. I do hope they go back.

I am always on the lookout for good, authentic Mexican, and this delightful place came highly recommended by a neighbor. We headed there early on a Thursday night, and found ourselves to be the only patrons. We were warmly welcomed by the chef/​owner, Rico, who even came over to talk us through the menu and help us make our choices. We settled on the Tostones, followed by the Chicken Tinga Sope, and the Pork Mofongo with Yuca. Meanwhile, two more tables had been filled and their bottles of wine were being opened courteously by Rico for his patrons (byob — no cork fee).
The tostones, while delicious, were slightly over done — on the darker side. The mojo was outrageously garlicky, which I loved at first, but the garlic became slightly overpowering and seriously stayed with me for days!
The sope arrived next and was heavenly. The handmade corn tortilla was crisp that gave way to a pillow of corn masa. The tinga was perfectly moist, with a fresh garnish of lettuce, tomatoes, crema and tomatillo salsa. All in all — the perfect representation of a sope.
The mofongo was again, deliciously moist and tender. The yuca was a nice vessel to soak up the broth. My husband thought it a tad too salty, while it didn’t bother me.
This place is a gem, and with such a friendly atmosphere, kind and talented chefs/​owners we will definitely be back for more.

Man… this place is a conundrum. Ever heard of a restaurant that is open for dinner but closes at 7pm? Well, now you have.
Tues-​Thurs, that’s the deal. Friday and Sat they are open later, which is nice. They also do not offer tap water. If you want water, you have to buy a bottle. Sort of puts a new spin on BYOB.
The lighting inside is absolutely terrible. Everything looks orange, so it’s hard to get a decent visual representation of what you’re eating. As long as it tastes good, who cares what it looks like, right?
Well, it all does taste really, really, good. So yeah, guess so. They make their corn tortillas! Super fresh corn tortillas! YAY! I thought the chicken mofongo was just OK. Really crazy heavy on the garlic, and I love garlic. My friend had the vegetarian garnacha, a tortilla with beans, tons of veggies, cheese and 2 fried eggs. It was FANTASTIC! I’m getting that next time.
They do offer alot of vegetarian options (but not vegan) I was impressed with that.
That 4^th star is all about the food.

Thank God the food was amazing because the service sucked! We were one of 2 tables seated in the whole place, and it took them like 10 minutes to come over and get our order. It’s not like she was giving us ample time to peruse their 10 page menu. The menu only has about 15 items on it.
Then they forgot the appetizer that we ordered. I had to remind them.
And thank God it’s apparently BYOB ’cause they dont have any alcoholic beverages. Oh well, I drank water.
Onto the food. It was amazing! You can tell they use super fresh ingredients. I had the chicken mofongo and my boyfriend had the sopes tinga. We both tried eachother’s and agreed they were delish!
The prices are great! I think the most expensive thing on the menu was $ 12.
When the food and prices are that good I can forget about how bad the service was. I will definately be back.

Delicious mofongo — don’t go here if you’re in a hurry, but it’s friendly and tasty. It’s a small place, but in a nice way.

The list of things I don’t like about El Coqui:
I wish they were open more.
The list of things I DO like about El Coqui:
tostones
garlic mojo
mofongo
empanadas
friendly people
BYOB
Rico and Evelyn
cool paintings
more of the garlic mojo please
next to the book worm
flautas
perfectly cooked pork
No joke, this is one of the best dining experiences you can have in Orlando while spending twenty bucks (that’s for two!)
I can’t recommend anything on the menu because everything I’ve had has been absolutely, utterly delicious, from the flautas to the mofongo (the chicken is great, the pork is HEAVEN) to the empanadas and tostones.
Don’t plan on making this a quick meal — if you want quick, go to Beefy King down the street (which is awesome for reasons of its own.) This is one of my favorite spots to dine alone, because the staff is really happy to chat with you.

Bueno!!!
This place is wonderful. It is tiny and you may have to wait, but it is well worth it. If you are the type that must be seated right away, demands a glass of water, and quick service, then El Coqui is not the place for you.
Hidden away, next to a book store on busy Bumby Ave, this place gets it right. Every dish is homemade. The place is so small, that you can see the food being cooked (which I prefer).
You can also bring in your own wine!
Try these dishes: empanada, sope with chicken (YUM), mofongo, and the flan.
It’s also cheap, 4 people ate for 38.00, on a Friday night.
The owner came out and had a glass of wine with us and even gave us a cupcake on the house.
All in all, one of the best dining experiences I have had lately.

I’ve eaten here at least 4 times and i have to say that it absolutely rocks! The owners and rest of the staff are the friendliest I’ve ever encountered. You’ll be welcomed and be treated as one of the family from the moment you walk in the door. And the food… well lets just say, this isn’t your average Mexican. Everything is made from scratch, even the tortillas are hand pressed. it just doesn’t get any better than this! My personal favorite dish is the chicken mofongo with yuca, it’s amazing… and for only $ 8, well… i don’t really know what else to say. Oh, and one thing, it’s BYOB, so don’t forget to pick up a six pack or bottle of wine on your way!

We’ve gone here twice now and it officially ranks as one of my favorite places in the Orlando area. They serve a half Mexican half Puerto Rican menu. But be forewarned, this is unlike most Mexican restaurants you have ever experienced. Seating less than 25 people inside, if you get there during a rush you may have to stand around and wait for a while, but you won’t care. If they are really slammed your party might not get all of their food at the same time, but you won’t care. They don’t have a liquor license, but you won’t care. Why? Because of how much THEY care! And because the food is amazing!
Just second time customers and we were greeted by Rico and Evelyn with big smiles and hugs. This is the friendliest, warmest place you’ll ever frequent. You’ll feel more like you have stopped by at a friend’s house for dinner then stepped into a restaurant. So bring your own beer and wine and they will happily serve it up to you. Waiting for a place to sit — don’t worry they’ll chat with you while they cheerfully cook across the counter in the open kitchen area — Evelyn pounding away on Mofungo, Rico hand pressing tortilla’s and Chef Jay (formerly of Mykonos in Longwood) working his magic.
Tonight, a take out patron was dancing salsa with a server while she waited for her food; Jay was orchestrating a birthday shout out from the patrons at the counter to a woman named Nikki across the room while hugs and handshakes and expressions of gratitude were exchanged between diners and staff every time the door opened or closed.
In between we were treated with wonderfully fresh hand crafted food. Flaky, flavorful empanadas, crispy garlicky tostones, spicy chorizo sopes on a home made (in front of us) tortilla, peppery guacamole so unusual and good that even my husband will eat it, yummy yuca mofungo with codfish and vegetables, great gurache with steak and eggs and if you’re lucky Evelyn will have some of her luscious flan made for dessert.
If you want endless chips and salsa and half gallon sized frozen magaritas this is not your place. If you want authentic, fresh, genuinely amazing food served up in an intimate fun, friendly unbelievably welcoming space — El Coqui is where you need to be.

I went back yesterday and tried the Mofongo, with chicken and plantains. It is FANASTIC! One of the best meals I’ve had all year.
Rico and Evelyn are very kind and they enjoy making food from the heart. When you go, make sure to try Rico’s guacamole. It’s like nothing you’ve had before!