Empellon Cocina
“We ordered the Guacamole that was freshly prepared with pistachios, it was OUTSTANDING!”
“The bf and I tried two salsas out of the seven offered, specifically the sikil pak and salsa verde, served with housemade masa crisps.”
“We also saw Alex Stupak in the kitchen and Bourdain and Ripert dining at the table next to us, so that was an extra treat!”
Empellon Cocina
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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A pretty chic spanish restaurant downtown. We liked the food and decor, and the wait staff were friendly as well.
The whole space is pretty open and dim, creating a pretty nice atmosphere that contrasts well with the open kitchen. There's also a kitchen-side table that looked pretty sweet.
The food itself is quite good. We had the guac and seven salsas (all were pretty good, some very good) – we just wished there was more guac!
We also had the crab and mango, which was OK, and the fish tacos (which were really good).
Overall, good and not overcrowded.
This place was great. My friends and I got there around 7 on a Friday and sat at the bar. As for drinks, we tried the classic margarita, the mezcal, the spicy cucumber, and the por que no. They were all great, but I liked the mezcal and por que no the best.
We started with the queso, which was good, but the standout was the corn chips. They were SO good – they must be fried in fat or something!
We got the goat tacos and the shredded chicken tacos. The goat tacos were amazing. The chicken were very good, but the goat is definitely the way to go.
The service was great. I would definitely go back.
It's a little pricey here but I think the food and drinks are worth it. The guacamole and the million salsa dips are delicious. The second to last (spicy end) was our favorite. Chips are unlimited… fantastic! I got the oxtail tacos and it was again delicious. You get two tacos which is enough food and the portion size is nice.
They have a nice range of margaritas on the rocks. I was in the mood for a sweet drink so I got the porque no (pineapple) and spicy cucumber (w/o the spicy rim). Both were refreshing and tasty.
The Empellón trio has been on my list for a while. Last night I popped into Cocina with a friend and tried their restaurant week menu. I liked the chill atmosphere and the ethnic decoration. It was nice that they gave you a serving of guacamole and chips as well as your choice of appetizer, entrée, and dessert. I opted for the mango crab appetizer, the mushroom tacos and the arroz con leche. My friend chose the chilaquiles, the chicken tacos, and the chocolate panache with tres leches ice cream. Yes, we chose differently so that we could share. My app could have used more crab to balance out the mango – but it was refreshing. The chilaquiles were quite good. We both found the chicken tacos a little dry and a little salty, but the mushroom tacos were delicious. Both the desserts were good – very very pretty, but at the end of the day I was a little disappointed after all the hype. All this food is very high quality, so I'm still interested to try Al Pastor and the Taqueria and hope for an amazing experience.
Came here with some work friends to enjoy dinner on a Tuesday night. Being vegetarian, I wish they have a couple more options (especially in the mains) but the food that I ordered was not bad. We started out with the guacamole (unique twist adding the pistachios), the seven salsas, the cucumber, the chilaquilas, and the sweet corn. (We ordered a few meat dishes but I can't speak to them). The Chilaquilas and the sweet corn were amazing! For my main, I ordered the tomato with quesillo and pesto taco. It was good but not great. My friends ordered the two pound lobster and the lamb barbacoa which they thought were excellent.
I would love to give this restaurant more stars because overall the dining experience was great as was the service but I wish they would have had more vegetarian options.
Went here a few months ago and had the multi course tasting menu. It was awesome. There was so much food and the price was good.
The food itself was so tasty. I was with my brother and we both walked away feeling full and satisfied. If I remember correctly there was appetizer, entree, desert and I think salad as well. I wish more restaurants would do something similar. It def was a lot of food though.
The ambience at this place is very nice. It's great for a romantic date. Service was great as well. Very attentive waiter and very friendly. It makes the whole dining experience more enjoyable when the servers are nice and don't act like they don't want to be there.
I recommend this place highly! It's worth stopping by for dinner!
Stopped by to grab a quick bite to eat and was not disappointed. We got the nachos and the sliced mango dish to share and we also each had a cocktail. The spicy cucumber and the por que no. The food was incredible and there was a lot of it! The two of us could not finish everything. The mango dish was amazing. Who knew sliced mangos and crab meat went so well together. The dish was very refreshing and a nice change to the typical bar foods. Additionally, the nacho dish was superb. The jalepenos were a nice kick to the already spicy salsa and the chips were sturdy enough to hold all the toppings. There was more than enough to share between the two of us and we really enjoyed the gussied up version of nachos.
Both drinks were also very delicious! I enjoyed the spicy, salted rim on the cups! Also, the bartender was extremely friendly without being overbearing…usually a difficult balance to master.
All-in-all, it was a great experience and I would definitely be back to try their other menu items. The food and drinks were a bit pricey, but you could tell the quality was there. Also, there was a great, laid-back atmosphere–a very comfortable vibe! Highly recommend!
I wanted to try a unique dining experience and do not want to do the typical new american tasting menu so did a bit of research and found this place. their tasting menu is so unique and tasty. I would def come back again, not to mention i absolutely love mexican food. they added in such twist to their menu which made the food even more unique.
I took one of my girl friends here for her birthday as a surprise. We got the 14 course kitchen's table option with the cocktail pairings. DO go for the cocktail pairing, you will not regret it. We had 7 different type of drinks in total (started with a shot of ceviche juice, YES ceviche juice..tequila, then came along riesling, cider, beer, beer cocktail, port and lastly mezcal)..all type of spirits and liquor as you can see!
highlight of the dinner. I don't want to spoil it for you all so I will just lightly mention a few of my personal favorites..
– trout flauta – this was wrapped like a sushi roll with the crisp to be extra crispy. the juiciness of the trout and seasoning was beyond mouth watery. this was my #1 fave out of everything
– salsa, you get to pick a range of maybe 6 different types of pepper and onions. and the chef will mix it for you.
– scotch egg – i believe this was made with quail eggs. im not sure..but it was REALLY GOOD
usually i don't get full off these little plates but the 14 course here was more than enough. I was really full in the end and could barely finish my dessert.
overall its def worth the money and experience i would come back again…to try their 21 course tasting!