Mi Cocina Review: Upscale Tex Mex Restaurant in Dallas/ Fort Worth

Mi Cocina is a well-known upscale Tex-Mex chain in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. The food is not the best Tex-Mex you'll ever have, but it is fresh and flavorful, and the quality is consistent. If someone from out of town wanted to try Tex Mex, I would probably take them here for the great sunset-style fajitas (see below) and trendy atmosphere or to Pappasitos for the ribs and lively atmosphere (and more diverse menu).

There are two superstars on the Mi Cocina menu: the guacamole and the sunset style fajitas.

The guacamole is consistently excellent. At every Mi Cocina location I have been to in both Dallas and Fort Worth, the guacamole has been fresh and perfectly flavored with just the right amount of fresh lemon/lime, diced tomato, cilantro, and not too much salt. It is not too garlic-y, salty, or spicy. They really bring out the freshness of the ripe avocados, and they get it right every time regardless of whether or not avocados are in season in Texas.

The sunset style fajitas at Mi Cocina are unique and extremely popular, certainly one of my favorites. "Sunset style" means that the fajita meat is covered in a delicious chili cilantro queso and topped with fried onions (optional). It is a bold and different way of serving fajitas that I would highly recommend trying (unless you hate cheese).

The beef and chicken fajitas are $14, but one order is large enough for two people if you aren't huge eaters. Alternatively, you can go for the rib-eye fajitas, which are excellent medium-rare and will run you $20 (again, probably enough for two people).

On a related note, Mi Cocina's queso (which is similar to the queso used on the sunset style fajitas) is also very good and worth ordering even though you'll already have chips and salsa on your table.

The rest of the Mi Cocina menu features the usual Tex-Mex fare dominated by varieties of taco, enchilada, beef, and chicken platters. It seems overpriced, but when compared to other Tex-Mex restaurants in the Dallas / Fort Worth area that are less upscale, the prices really aren't that much higher.

The basic dishes, which include chicken and beef tacos and enchiladas with rice and beans organized into different combinations of what seem like the same thing, are about $9-10. They are average but not great. The fancier taco platters with better cuts of meat like beef rib eye are $14-20, and the most expensive chicken/beef/shrimp platters are about $25.

If all you want at Mi Cocina are tacos and you think you'll save a few bucks by ordering a la carte, sorry to disappoint. An order of 3 tacos a la carte is $10, and the tacos are not large or especially good. They taste fine but I would not normally order them, and I am a taco fan.

The lunch menu (served M-F) is popular with the business crowd and offers $12 fajitas or $9 taco/ enchilada/ burrito dishes.

Some people complain that Mi Cocina has a pretentious atmosphere, but I have only witnessed this scene at a few of their locations in more posh areas of Dallas and Fort Worth. You'll run into that crowd at any upscale eatery in certain parts of Dallas or Fort Worth, so no surprise there. Still, there's no reason that needs to hinder your eating experience.

Generally, Mi Cocina restaurants are fairly busy for both lunch and dinner, but the service has always been attentive enough for me, and the dining environment has never been an issue before. The décor is modern and trendy, which is unusual for good Tex Mex restaurants and makes it a good place to go with family, friends, dates, or business clients.