Cochinita & Co

You can tell when an area is being gentrified and the former hood elements and barrio tendencies are being repackaged in reviews with terms like "recently updated" or "up and coming" or "diamond in the rough". You can especially tell when the real estate developers successfully swindled these urban explorers with a new area name change and all the hipsters run with it; the commically inaccurate Eado starts infiltrating through all the summaries and place descriptions as opposed to Eastwood or East End as this area is actually called.Where as these points are the invasion and contributing to the forced loss of identity, Cochinita & Co is the bridge that is both staying true to it's roots but also bringing the community with it. Author and Chef Victoria Elizondo, a 2023 James Beard Emerging Chef Semifinalist and 2024 James Beard Emerging Chef Semifinalist Best Chef Texas, is bringing in amazing recipes and cooking techinuques that were born here in the struggle, that have a connection to the community, and that add and grow, not root out and replace, the area known as East End.I remember the first time I came by and I have to admit, I did not like it. Not the food, it was great, just the ambiance and the enviorment seemed way off when I came the first time when it was just the kitchen at Kicking Kumbucha Korner or whatever it was called. Since then, Cochinita & Co has taken over the spot entirely and has revamped the place to show off it's identity; thank God, because now it feels like home and I feel like I belong, and the place belongs here in Eastwood. I've been here several times and each time, the food was on point and delivered on every facet. The cochinita pibil, the barbacoa, and the roasted chicken tacos are superb, all carrying the right amount of flavor and seasoning. The tenderness in each meat was highlighted by the excellent salsa and garnishes. At dinner, the mole negro is a true standout. It's not just a sauce slathered on; there is an intetional effort to bring in the flavors de Central Mexico here, with the mole having that subtle sweetness it's supposed to have, accompanied by the perfect amount of spices and chile. Absolutely fantastic, and a must try here. The guisados are also top notch; they vary through the days / weeks but you can't go wrong with a green chile guiso that was so juicy and tender, you really don't want to order anything else. That said, my favorite plate is the stunnng chilaquiles. I love chilaquiles, and I always try them out, often to be dissappointed, but here, Chef Victoria has mastered the art of "not soggy, crispy, but not too crispy" tostones mixed with an incredible red salsa that I would drink out of a bottle. There is no way I can't get this everytime I stop by, and it sucks because there isn't a child size portion I can order so I can try other things. Oh well.The crowining achievement outside of the food is Loteria Night, currently every Tuesday night. It's a relatively small but well atteneded event where folks swing by the brick and mortar to play Loteria, a traditional Mexican game similar to BINGO pero con sabor. The rollicking good time by folks, the prizes, and the dinner all add to a lively evening... but this is where you sense that the community belongs here. The Spanglish thrown about, the enchiladas being served, and the folks meeting vecino a vecino is where community belongs, builds, and binds and really shows off the power of a cocina bringing community together. It's during these nights where the East End, Eastwood, Second Ward not only survive but thrive... when a business and it's owner give to the community, and not just take.

Absolutely love Conchinita & Co. This spot truly is a diamond in the rough. My first couple of visits, I had come for the breakfast tacos - especially the conchinita pibil. More recently, I've varied it up and ordered the desayuno, which was also great. They have a few vegan options as well. If you are new to the area, visiting, or just haven't been to this one - go check them out.

Went to Tuesday bingo night for dinner. More options to choose from but brunch is still my favorite bc of the French toast and chilaquiles. But tonight my favorite was the crispy potato, flautas were still a winner for.

Picked up a bunch of totopos and chile oil to take back to my grown kids and my adopted grandson who asks for "spicy chips" every time he comes over. The seasoning is perfect, chips are thick and perfect for adding chopped brisket, guacamole and cheddar cheese for a long weekend treat! Owner is kind and delivers excellent customer service!

Squarely in EaDo, I'd forgive you for never thinking of making it out to visit yet. It's in a small strip center with decent parking. The interior is a mush mash of different woods tones, metals, and pastels. Its quirky and genZ modern. Food was excellently prepared. Quality was spot on for our breakfast across the board. The menu that you can walk up and read in 30secs or less is usually a good indicator of high execution of the things the business actually wants to make. We had breakfast tacos, with chorizo that didn't leave your hand dripping in grease. We had tamales of 3 different varieties, all of which made a case for being there, not samey or boring at all. Loved the poblano and cheese the best. Chilaquiles that rival some of the best ive had in Houston in both the rojo y verde options. lastly a burrito i didnt even touch u tilk the nexy morning that was enormous in size and flavor. i havent even had their namesake cochinita thats on the lunch menu. Tge staff was leem to mention how good they are as they hekped us with all our other requests. Absolute Hidden Gem

I loved the lion's mane flautas, the Totopos+guacamole and their refreshing Paloma's. Came in a party of four and we had no trouble getting a table despite the lunch rush hour.

Located pretty far east of the more well traversed portions of EaDo and next to KIPP on Lawndale. Plenty of parking in this little shopping plaza which also includes a donut/kolache spot. The interior is clean but not ultramodern. The music is a Men I Trust/ Tame Impala/ Indie pop mix perfect for the millennial hipsters that have and have not yet found this spot. The food here is solid; evoking more traditional pairings compared to the usual Tex mex flavors that Houston is more known for.Green chilaquiles 5/5Red chilaquiles 4/5Tamales 4/5Chorizo and bean taco 4.25/5Nopales and bean bacon 4/5The green chilaquiles ranks around the top I've had in Houston. Super far away from the house and honestly I would not drive here just due to the distance but it's a good pick if you're within 5 miles or in the area.

I'm still on the search for my Mexico City style breakfast/brunch place. A no frills place with great food, quick, affordable. This was close, but not all the way there. Cochinita is located a bit out of the way on the east side. The place itself is really nice - quiet strip mall, easy to find parking, and lots of seating. It wasn't busy at all when we went around 2pm on a Sunday for a late brunch. They have a few tables outside, so we brought our pup. They had some dog treats for pups too, which was nice. They also have a little market inside the store with some fresh tamales, cookbooks, and salsas!We ordered at the counter and they brought the food out to us. More of a self-service type place. We tried the chilaquiles with red salsa (because it's supposed to spicier than the green salsa), a breakfast taco, and tres leches French toast. We love chilaquiles - and it was okay. The dish wasn't hot, which took away from it a bit. And felt like it could have used another egg on there for the portion size. It was not as spicy as we would have liked - but they had some great habanero and jalapeno salsas on the side. The taco was great - you can build it however you like and they had some great vegetarian and vegan options. I went for egg, cheese, bean, potatoes. Tortilla tasted fresh! French toast was good. Definitely something I would share - it's pretty sweet!

I met up with some friends here for brunch on Sunday. At first I was skeptical about this being an appropriate place for a reunion of old friends as I could not figure out from the online descriptions/reviews if this was a pop-up counter in a shared space, a deli-style marketplace, or something else. Fact of the matter is it's a modern counter-service Mexican cafe with a decent amount of indoor and outdoor seatings, run by a famous chef as the other reviews here affirm. I had a black sugar latte and the vegetarian mushroom tinga tostaditos. Fantastic! The only suggestion I would have for the owners is to set up a bar-style seating area for solo diners. There were a several tables occupied by solo guests on a somewhat busy Sunday. It looks like there is enough space to move one of the larger communal tables in a bit and put a high counter with bar stools next to the window opposite the main kiosk. We had two young kids with us at one of the large communal tables, and they enjoyed playing with a box of blocks the cafe had. Lovely. The atmosphere was quite relaxed and chill, everyone just giving the kids their space. We would not have enjoyed it as much if we had been at a formal sit-down Sunday brunch restaurant. Parking was tight. I was tempted to park in the US Post Office lot across the street since it was Sunday, but opted for street parking instead. You'd be able to see from the restaurant if a tow truck came out to the Post Office lot. There seemed to be a continuous turnaround of patrons so if I had waited a bit I may have gotten a spot in their front lot. Footnote: I had a vegetarian meal here, and this place reminded me a bit of Radical Eats, for the Houstonians who remember them from the Fulton Street days. I would love more unpretentious kitchens that serve up vegetarian food rich in character and flavor.

This is why I love Yelp. I'm giddy when Yelp reviews point me to places like this, that I never would have found on my own. We were very pleased with the food, the service, and the vibes we found at Cochinita!We ordered The Desayuno (not pictured because my husband dug in before I could snap one) and the 3 Leches French Toast, a latte and a London Fog. All plates were emptied before we left. The restaurant itself was clean and inviting. The staff were friendly and helpful. The food was delicious and was beautifully plated. They have a collection of house made sauces and oils available to spice up your meal (and you can even purchase some to take home.)Cochinita is a real treat. The neighborhood is worth a cruise after breakfast for the murals, too!