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This place was just fantastic. The plates are creative and truly have beautiful presentation. I'd have enclosed a picture had my hard drive not crashed.:(
Owner was mixing the margaritas and they were perfect! The curry tamale casserole was an excellent fusion and all meat in everyone's dishes was tender and not fatty. I loved the inclusion of the wide variety of vegetables. The chipotle cream beef dish was phenomenal, truly.
I would go back in a heartbeat. A perfect day would be breakfast at Little Poca Cosa cafe and then dinner here.
Service left a bit to be desired but since I'm a foodie, my scales are 100% tipped toward the weight of the creative delicious meals.
Cafe Poca Cosa is a great concept for a restaurant that makes some really tasty Mexican food in a very swank space. It really reminded me of a generic Vegas spot- but I mean that in a good way. Ultra modern, yet comfortable- this place promised to give a total dining experience to downtown Tucson.
The Plato Poca Cosa is definitely the way to go when coming here. You get three courses from their daily menu (drawn up on a chalk board), all on one plate- chef selected. This way you get a good variety of what they have been able to do for the day, and you get a lot of different flavors together. For someone like me who has a very hard time deciding on what to get, this is the perfect way to do it.
What was funny about our experience going there was our gracious guide and host for the week "warned" us ahead of time that we might be molested by chef/owner Suzana at some point in the night. Once again, we were given the heads up right before entering because he saw her standing at the hostess stand as we approached the door.
Sure enough- she reached out and gave a big warm hug to us all as we entered. It was not in the slightest disingenuous though, and was just one sign of many to come that she truly cares about her restaurant. This place seems to be much more than a business to her. Molestation- this was not. Instead, it was a very warm and lovely greeting, and I for one was impressed!
I remember the three of us ordering the Plato Poca Cosa that evening and so we essentially were tasting nine different items from their menu for that day. From what I recall- all of it was good. If I had to give a couple of critiques though, I would say first that the garnish on the plate, coupled with the salad was a bit too much. The garnish in particular, while nice to look at, was actually a hindrance to eating the meal. The other thing is (and I guess this is where the brilliance of the business model comes through) pretty much all of the items on the menu are slow-cooked meals. From the looks of things what we were eating, while very well prepared and tasting great, was all prepared well in advance. It was also very obvious by the quick turn around time from order to food in front of us.
Lastly, and the biggest cardinal sin in my opinion- the tortilla chips looked and tasted pretty much exactly like Tostitos brand. Suzana- I beg you- you have done such a wonderful job putting together a lovely place, with some solid food- don't short change yourself with "prefab," low quality chips! Especially since it is basically the first impression your diners get in terms of food!
Honestly, the food from the main dish I ate was much more than A-OK, but I can't get beyond that massive pineapple top-turned garnish, and the chips are a poor attempt at a good start to the meal.
Ha! 100th review for the place!!
Yay!
I am a little torn about this place and even though I thoroughly enjoyed my meal it fell a little short on some aspects....should be a 3-star but still glowing in my vacation glory - I am deciding for a 4.
Our friend highly recommended this place, and I can see why. The restaurant itself is absolutely gorgeous, and far more sophisticate than its counterparts in the city (at least from what I have seen). Sleek decor, nice and long bar, dark chairs, superb flower compositions emerging from long vases...
I was instantly impressed.
It was pretty busy when we arrived and after a short wait we were seated at a comfortable table.
Our very attentive waitress took our drink orders - margarita plll-ease! - and brought us the board.
THE MENU!!!
I love this concept that I have only encountered in Parisian brasseries so far. The menu of the day is written in chalk on a portable blackboard and is presented and explained to the customer. It's fun, cute and allows for a permanent change of offerings.
Me likey.
Each one of us ordered the Plato Poca Cosa.
The deal: 3 items chosen by the chef.
You have to love surprises, and since I like everything - that was an easy choice. Especially since I hate trying to figure out what to get when every item sounds equally good.
The first disappointment came short after: we were brought chips and salsa. I jumped on them (I am a walking stomach) but was badly surprised when I found out that the chips were store-made.....
Peeps - it's so easy to make!!!
Why?!?!?
Our plates arrived exceptionally fast. Too fast. Usually a bad sign in a restaurant. Means pre-made, ready to go and often lukewarm.
Temperature-wise, no problem. The portions were huge: three generous portions and a house salad with fruit - that was enough food even for my starving dining companions.
The vegetarian item was my favorite: the tamale pie was rich, flavorful and so satisfying. My beef was quite good too. But the chicken in peanut and chocolate mole was rubbery - which was a shame since the mole itself was delicious.
Sad face.
Spiked chocolate mousse for dessert - solid but nothing to write about.
A good place with some inconsistencies - like so many others around the country.
Although nice margaritas pitchers, and a warm Suzana to welcome you at the door are nice little perks!!
I'm so bummed Poca Cosa isn't where I live in San Diego! I travel all the time and this place has to be in my top 5! I found myself craving the dishes I had from the chef's sampler months later. I can't wait to pass through and enjoy another meal....
I really wanted to like this restaurant. I really, really did.
But it was just one thing after the other that kept taking off the stars.
First, I completely disagree with the "mexican" influence except for the food. The music was the same old smooth salsa you hear everywhere else, the decor was typical of any ritzier restaurant (little candles, dark colors, half lit up bar) and there is definitely a wait.
I like to end on a good note so here is the bad first
- the rice was ok. It really wasn't that great. It had corn in it, but that's not anything special.
- the beans weren't bad but they weren't amazing. Mexicans eat black beans, you know!!
- For 22 a plate, I got about as much food as I would have gotten at El Taquito in Phoenix. The salad was more than half of the plate and presentation, it was cute, but not conducive to eating.
- tortillas were awful. No, really. Mine were cold, half cooked, and obviously not hand made. For this much money, make your own tortillas!
The good:
- nice wine list. I like a bar with a tempranillo I can have.
- quality of meat was good. It wasn't overcooked and the sauce was tasty.
- the waitstaff was friendly. Sure, I waited 30 min for a table (really, I'm a single girl, is it that hard to sit one person?), but the bartender was friendly and the hostess was attentive.
Overall, if you haven't been to an upscale Mexican restaurant, you will be impressed here. It's not awful but it's not something I'll go back to. I'll take Mexique in Chicago over this anyday.
Pretty good place for a date or business meeting. I would give the service, ambient environment, and the food four stars. The food comes to our table in about 10 minutes. The waiter brings you a small blackboard to your table and explains what they have at that time (the menu changes twice a day). My boyfriend and I shared the plato poca cosa ($15) which is a plate with three different dishes randomly selected by the chef. The food is served on fresh lettuce with a slice of fruit. Lunch starts from $12. I think one dish is big enough for two people unless you haven't eaten for three days. So that's $7.50 each, which is quite affordable even for college students. The food is well seasoned, not greasy, very fresh. The sauce is delicious, but not overwhelming. It didn't really make me go "wow, that's amazing" but I would say it's fairly well done. I wish the meat was tenderer and there was more vegetable side dishes (all I got was a couple leaves of lettuce and 4 green beans). I am not sure if they have a good selection of vegetarian food. It seems like most of their food is either chicken, beef or pork. I would go back there in the future on special occasions.
We did a road trip through Arizona and New Mexico for 9 days. This was the best meal of the entire trip and we ate at a lot of great places!
I went for the plato poca cosa of course and got three great dishes. One beef, one veggie and one chicken dish. All were good but the chicken dish was phenomenal. It had a pumpkin-seed based sauce that was so tasty, I could have had a whole plate of it! This is the best Mexican food I have ever had.
The restaurant itself is pretty cool. I like the modern interior and its location on the ground floor of a big parking structure. Very random!
One of the all time over rated places in Tucson. I've been dragged here at least 5 times for birthday's or with out of town guests and everytime I leave saying wtf is all the hype about? Yes it's cool that they change their menu and everyone always orders the "super chef surprise plate". Generally like 1 or 2 things are pretty good and the others are okay. It always comes out looking really nice with flowers and all kinds of decorative crap on the plate that's really beautiful.
Okay I'll give them that, but ask yourself this. If it wasn't so pretty and didn't look like art on a plate what rating would you give the food? If only blind people rated this restaurant solely on the food it'd have a 2 to 3 star rating. It's over priced and I don't know anyone who's ever said "wow that's some of the best Mexican food I've ever had". It's good looking food, the ambience is okay and it's over priced. Simple as that.
Easily one of the places that makes Tucson great!
I have been here a number of times, but the most memorable visit was for my girlfriend's birthday a few months ago. Others have described the intricacies and peculiarities of the menu, so I won't go in to great detail there, but I will echo what others have said: Get the Plato Poca Cosa! True, you don't get to pick what your three items are, but you can rest assured they will be great. The last time I ordered it, I received a luscious, silky vegetarian green corn tamale, slow-cooked chicken in a sesame mole, and cinnamon-chile carne asada (all cooked to perfection).
This place is a perfect example of food being cooked with care and passion. It may not always be the most technically proficient, and the presentation can sometimes resemble a disorganized jungle of miscellaneous produce, with the entree buried somewhere at the bottom, but the flavors are unique, vibrant, comforting, and often challenging. I have NEVER been disappointed by a meal here.
The wine list is short, but sweet, and the servers are reliable when it comes to pairing suggestions. The only area where the food falls down on the job *at all* is the dessert. I usually don't order dessert in restaurants, but for a special occasion, it seems a shame not to. The desserts at Poca Cosa are fine, but nothing to write home about. We had the cinnamon flan and agreed that it was tasty, but not exceptional.
The atmosphere is elegant and romantic, if a bit cave-like. The lights are kept super low, and it seemed, over the course of our meal, that they kept getting lower. That said, we had a cosy table in a corner nook, so that combined with the lighting made for a romantic evening.
Thrifty eaters and big-spending foodies alike can eat well at Poca Cosa. Most entrees run 11-25, and portion sizing is more than reasonable. Finally, service has always been quick, friendly, and knowledgeable. I am always amazed that, given how often the menu changes, that the waitstaff remains so on-point about all of the different dishes.
All-in-all, Cafe Poca Cosa is a wonderful venue for friends, romantic partners, business lunches, etc. For Latin American food that challenges the tastebuds and remains refreshingly distinct from the rest of the pack, it absolutely can't be beaten!
Diners craving hearty Mexican fare will find dishes more sophisticated than tacos at Café Poca Cosa.
The exterior seems like just another downtown building. Once you step inside, you immediately feel the Mexican influence. The contemporary decor is edgy with fierce black and red tones. There was also some modern Mexican music in the background. It was a Thursday night before sunset, so there were probably only two other tables sat at the time. The rustic chalkboard menu showed the day's items available. There was a bottle of salad dressing on the table that was as decorative as it was functional. There was a whole chili pepper submerged with its buoyancy somehow allowing it to sink to the below the liquid but float above the vinegar. There were whole spices at the bottom such as bay leaves and peppercorns.
As soon as I was sat, I was immediately presented with the chips and salsa with some glasses of water. It was a deep red salsa, spicy with subtle chipotle flavor. It was seasoned just right, making me devour more chips than I should have. The server came and explained the menu very thoroughly to us. It didn't really matter since my companion and I both ordered the Plato Poca Cosa, which has three random items from the menu. Since we both ordered it, the restaurant was smart enough to make sure that my three items were different from my companion's.
My plate arrived with a carne asada with a creamy green sauce, a chicken mole, and a tamale pie with a creamy zucchini sauce. The garnish was a heaping pile of greens and a slice of pineapple. My companion had a carne asada with a pico de gallo type sauce, chicken with a tomato-based sauce, and tamale pie with a beet sauce. The garnish was also greens but with a slice of watermelon instead of pineapple.
The carne asada was probably made of skirt steak or flank steak. It was tender so I didn't need to slice it. I just popped the big chunks in my mouth and chewed it just fine. The sauce brought out the richness of the meat, but it was not exceptional. The chicken mole was scrumptious though. I am usually prefer dark meat, but the white meat was prepared perfectly. It was still juicy and tender. The richness of the chocolate in the sauce probably would have been too rich for dark meat. The sauce was also the right consistency -- it clung to the chicken but was not a thick paste. The peanuts and pumpkin seeds provided body and flavor but was not overpowering. The tamale pie was rich yet left a refreshing aftertaste. The masa was soft and had a stringy cheese in the center. The zucchini was barely detectable to the palate but lightened up the dish. Every ingredient tasted fresh and made from scratch. The plate was beautiful from the abundant vibrant colors. It went for the festive instead of elegant look.
Rice, beans, and tortillas came on the side but were not necessary since the starchy tamale pie was filling enough with the rest of the main dish. The rice and tortillas tasted standard but the beans were packed with flavor.
The waitress overhead me speaking with my companion about my birthday, so she brought me a complimentary dish of delicate flan. It was drowning in the delicious caramel with a chocolate sauce drizzled along the side of the plate. The caramel was just the right sweetness; the sugar did not mask the gentle cinnamon flavor.
The freshness and quality of the food was superb. I could not even resist nibbling on the garnishes. The stylish environment is also hard to find in a place like Tucson and makes it a great place to bring a date. It is about $15 per person for lunch and about $25 for dinner before drinks, tax and gratuity. Make sure to bring a little extra because they have great coffee and better margaritas.
Any Mexican restaurant can brighten any plate with mixed greens with a random fruit slice, but only Café Poca Cosa has the blend of spices in its mole that will keep you coming back.
Heads up:
- The cost of dinner will run you $19-$22 dollars a plate.
- The menu changes 2-3 times a night
- There are over 200 plates the chef makes, but he picks around 10-15 for the menu for the night.
- All the dinner's look like giant salads with whatever meat you order sided beside it. The image posted by the yelp user is your typical plate.
- Dinners come "community" rice, beans, and corn tortillas
- Each menu will have Chicken, Beef, Pork, and a vegetarian item.
- The waiter will bring over a chalk board with menu items and explain what each one is.
I give this place a firm 3 1/2 stars. I ordered a chicken dish, and it was super moist and pretty good. Enough food to take home for sure. My guests ordered a shredded beef dish and enjoyed it a lot, then the other ordered the vegetarian corn tamale and said it was pretty good. Nobody creamed over their food or anything, but it did the trick. Chips and salsa were really decent. Just a bit on the pricey side.
Most people in the restaurant were dressed fancy. I was just in jeans and a tee, guest in shorts and flip flops, and it wasn't a problem. Reservations are suggested.
I'm glad I visited Cafe Poca Cosa, but if I travel back out to Tucson I'll try somewhere different...
Wonderful Southwestern food and great service! This is a great place in downtown Tucson -- I had some of the best mole as well as chile rellenos ever!!
I've shared some pictures. This is a great place that uses fabulous local ingredients combined with an imaginative chef! Absolutely the best place I've eaten in Tucson and worth a stop!!
I went here for my birthday after trying cushing street but they were closed. I still think this place is highly over rated. The garnish takes up most the plate so I paid $25.00 for diced carrots, shredded beets, and the top of a pineapple dipped in chili powder. I am all about presentation but I feel like my plate is a jungle full of waste when I go here. I don't know to many folks that are gonna eat shredded beets with a chile relleno that by the way was stuffed with boiled chicken that didn't rock my boat. We had mojito's that were super, but f-me $10 for an 8 ounce glass filled with ice and mint and very little booze. To me the prices reflect the setting but not the food. I really do wonder how she gets away with the pricing of both the food and the drinks. Swanky place but i think the ego or rent are first in line, then the food. This time I know I will not be back.
I tried it because it is highly talked about in Tucson. It was ok. It should be called Latin fusion,… Read more »
So, I had dinner here last Friday night on a trip back down ol' college memory lane with some friends from college. This was my 2nd time eating here and I pretty much had the same experience both times....solid 3 and a half stars!
This is a pretty cool, little swanky spot in downtown T-town but it is very, very, very dark! More on that later...the wine list was pretty good, but a little overpriced for some of their selections. We had a great Pinot though and everyone enjoyed it!
When I had called to make a reservation, I made sure to ask if they are able to accommodate guests with gluten allergies since my BF is GF. They said they were more than accommodating, but since the menu changes everyday, they could not confirm what GF options would be available. No biggie, but I was a little nervous for him.
The presentation of the menu is very fast and interesting, but there is way too much to remember or even process. We all 4 requested the chef's plate (where you have no input into your meal as the chef gives you a sampling of 3 dishes) with the out that if the chef couldn't guarantee a GF plate, that my BF would have the chicken mole. The server said it shouldn't be a problem and away we went on the yummy chips and salsa!
Our meals arrived and as described in other reviews, they are HUGE plates with 3 portions from the menu, a salad and usually some crazy fruit or vegetable decoration. The server did her best to describe the dishes, but since it was so dark, even she was not really sure what we were eating. One other bummer was that the chef wasn't "taking any requests on the chef's plates" so no sampler for the GF BF...just the chicken mole.
All in all, this is fun little spot in Tucson that I do look forward to going to again, but just remember...no special requests on the chef's menu or else!!!!
(I know this is long - its necessary so bear with me)
In an unfortunate visit to good ol' Tucson, my guy and I decided to use the ways of the yelp to find a new place to eat on a Friday night. Looking at the top most-rated reviews with the most stars, we found Cafe Poca Cosa. Though mixed reviews, we decided to give the posh, unique latin american downtown "treasure"a try.
The ambiance is great - chic, but hip and inviting. We started with margaritas at the bar, which were quite frankly weak and awkwardly served in a martini glass...???...soon followed by an overpowered over-thought sangria. Our "quick" wait turned into 20 minutes and we were escorted to our table and immediately given chips and AMAZING salsa. Our server was sweet and fairly personable, quick to explain the way things worked. Apparently, the chefs go out daily to find the best ingredients in the market; the menu is then created and written on chalkboards, and the server goes through each explaining the ingredients. Cool idea, but confusing as hell being everything is in spanish without subtitles or additional explanations, making it challenging to remember which is which or what. Having no idea, we each opted for the chef's choice, a combination of three different dishes on the menu.
The dishes came out quickly - I had the beef, pollo mole, and tamale pie with red pepper sauce; he got the carne, pollo chipotle, and tamale pie with white corn something sauce. The beef and carne were pretty good, moist, and flavorful. His chipotle chicken was moist and quite good, while my mole was well BAD, with a way too thick grainy tasting sauce topped with sesame seeds (again...???) The only thing I would ever actually order again would be the tamale pie - AWESOME but go for the red pepper sauce.
So wheres the issue? It all comes out on this huge impressive looking plate tall with greens and topped to edge, making you think the portions are great for the buck. The food itself only took up a quarter of it though!!!! The plate was completely taken over by this ridiculous salad which was dressing-less, covering with the true highlights of the dish and completely ruining the whole experience with everything meshed and mixed together. It was pointless and agrivating. Also, our food was barely lukewarm when served, automatically killing a pretty good dinner thus far. Our waiter was quick to rectify the situation, however, by bringing us out a complementary chocolate mousse dessert. It was good, but really thick and heavy not complementing the meal at all - but crazy props to the waitress.
I guess I would recommend it, I might go back again, but I would be careful with what I select.
Cafe Poca Cosa delivers a very hip atmosphere. The interior is very modern and the waitstaff is very pretentious. I would NOT consider this a Mexican restaurant, the plates have more of a Latin American flare, and items such as burritos and tacos are not offered.
There are no tell-tale signs that the inside of this building would house a restaurant other than the views of tables and people eating seen through the windows.
The menu changes daily and is written on a chalkboard, read by your waitress. Because of this labor-intensive menu reading, you may be sitting for as long as 15 minutes before ever being shown a menu. Luckily, salsa and a small plate of chips will be brought to your table an unlimited number of times.
The ever-changing menu seems to be more of a rotating menu than a completely new menu. The waitress that performed the menu monologue talked very fast, did not make pauses, and hardly needed to read the menu to know what was on it or which ingredients were included in each meal. The waitstaff is very smily and very sarcastic.
The bottom of the blackboard menu reads "no requests." Well I wanted to test this so I requested a salad, which is something not on the menu. I once received an elaborate salad for $10. Entrees are priced at around $15.
I enjoyed my experience here. When you go dress up a little, not all out sunday best but dont go in a tshirt and shorts. i did and i felt awkward. This place id recommend a reservation prior to going or else you are going to wait. Bring big bucks when you come cause its 14 a plate or so. But it is definitely worth it. menu changes every day so you are always in store for something tasty
be in a group of no more than 6. its hard to get seated otherwise
A very different but amazing experience. I am no longer in Tucson but I have to write a review about some of my favorite places there and this is on the top of the list.
I first visited with a group of people from work and when I arrive I looked over the menu and felt disappointed, there was not a single thing on there that looked good. Not having any other choice but to stay and eat lunch I decided to order the trio. What they brought out was some of the most delicious food I have ever tasted!! Every time I go back I dont even look at the menu, I just order the trio.
The best thing I have eaten there was the tamales. These tamales are not wrapped in corn and made into a dry lump but served in small dish with the perfect moist consistency.
The "worst" thing I have eaten there was the chocolate mole which is just something I have never enjoyed but I am sure if you like it you will love what they have at Poca Cosa, my friends swear by it.
Cafe Poca Cosa has possibly the best Mexican food in Tucson, but it is a bit expensive. The food also maybe could be described as "fusion". The restaurant is sort of upscale. The food is delicious, and they have a variety of dishes on their menu, which they change daily. When I was there, the air conditioning was on too strong, which seems like a waste of energy, but this is typical in Arizona. In any case, they always have a good variety of tasty dishes, some of which you will not find anyplace else. They also have a variety of drinks.
An absolutely wonderful restaurant. My husband and I had a wonderful time here- the service was extremely pleasant and efficient, and the food was amazing. As most people suggested, I had the Plato Poca Cosa, and I loved all three dishes they brought me. My husband went with a chicken mole, and the flavors were so good- it felt like it was something brand new that neither of us had ever tasted before. For dessert, we had chocolate mousse, and it was hands down one of the best desserts I've ever had. I do have one small criticism. We were seated at a small table, so once our two dishes were brought out, drinks, tortillas, beans, and rice, it was pretty crowded. Getting our food into take out boxes took careful planning. But other then that, absolutely amazing. Go try it!
Cafe Poca Cosa is an extraordinary modern and affordable restaurant in downtown Tucson. They definitely transformed what looks like a former office space into a really chic space with giant awesome bar and plenty of life inside. We waited just a few minutes to be seated, and then a few minutes more for our waiter.
Every dish on the menu is described in detail, and the dishes of the day are selected from dozens that are in rotation. There are chicken, steak, pork, fish, and vegetarian options and most are from $19-28.
We both got the Poca Cosa Platter, which is a sampling of three dishes and a large salad in the middle, served with family style beans and fluffy white rice and corn tortillas. The restaurant makes sure that the dishes will be different.
The plating is artful, playful, and ultra appetizing. I had an amazing corn tamale with a sweet potato puree and white cheese, asada in a salsa, and a chicken breast in a peanut sauce. The food was deeeeeeeelicious. So, so, so, so good. My roommate loved her plate as well.
We kept exclaiming that you could not get food this great in L.A. for the price. I had a Bohemia and the most amazing food all for about $34 with tax and tip. The waiter was so friendly and helpful... and I just could not have asked for a better last meal in Tucson.
If I had to make a top 5 favorite restaurants list, this would easily make the cut. I loved everything about Poca Cosa. The atmosphere, the margaritas, the food. Its all reasonably priced and all incredible. The only sad thing is that if you fall in love with a dish you may not see it again for a long time as the menu changes daily. I recommend trying the sampler menu. It's the same price as a regular dish but the Chef decides what it 3 items he wants to put on your plate. It is amazing and you will never be disappointed.
After the buildup about Cafe Poca Cosa from my friends and various restaurant review sites, I expected the food to be much better than it was.
I ordered the Pollo con Chipotle y Queso, which was billed by the waitress as a "spicy" chicken dish with chipotle peppers and a white cheese sauce.
When my chicken arrived, it was two rather bland chicken breasts which were well cooked but almost entirely un-seasoned. The sauce consisted of a mild tomato-based sauce with no cheese (as far as I could tell) and one chipotle pepper on top. The small pieces of chicken were surrounded by a vast mountain of assorted vegetables arranged in a "salad," but the salad too was un-seasoned with no dressing I could taste.
Overall I was quite disappointed in the flavors. Seasoning was severely lacking in all parts of my dish and it was certainly not worth the $25 I was charged including my soda and tax/tip.
I went here after being told this place is amazing... I believe there are great restaurants everywhere but swankiness doesn't replace tastiness to me. The place is swank and hip... great place to meet up for drinks and have dinner. I would say, the drinks are at city prices. Something that I just wouldn't pay for in a place like Tucson when you can get the same thing for half the price.
We waited about twenty minutes for a table on a Saturday night after our original table was given away. Hmmmm...
There is no way you can get the same dish day to day since the menu changes and is on a board. I had the special dish which is three items on the menu picked at random. Unfortunately, I ended up with the chicken with chocolate sauce. Can I say euwww? Yeah.. euwwww.. who ever thought that was the right way to do it?
The fish portion was good.. not spectacular. The salad dressing wasn't my thing unfortunately although the fresh fruit was a nice touch. I liked my spicy beef.. but more because it was spicy.
It was a decent find.. but for me, nothing amazing.
An avid fan of Mexican food, and a very critical foodie, this is by far the best I've ever had. Up front, I say don't go here for dinner. It's a lunch place. If you're here for dinner and cocktails, and give this place bad reviews, I heavily roll my eyes at you. Of course you can get great food for $30-40 elsewhere. It's their lunch menu, which runs about $10, consisting of the same fare and portions that will stun you.
The story behind the restaurant, at least by hearsay, is of 2 sisters from Mexico D.F. who decided to open a restaurant in the states. The menu is constantly changing throughout the day and you have the option to order at their whim. The plato poca cosa is a smaller serving size of 3 menu items, taken completely at random, based on the chef's mood. And no, it's not just the leftover stuff from what other people ordered. I've sat down with 6 other people, no other parties present, everyone ordering the plato poca cosa, and no one getting the same combination of items.
If they have it, and you don't care for chance, try the tamales or any of their mole dishes. I was only in Tucson for 3 months, but easily came here 3 times a week.
The concept of changing menus twice a day and having the waiters read/describe the menu to you is pretty neat...you do have to be able to concentrate to what is being said in order to make a decision...luckily ALL of the choices the night I went sounded delicious.
I chose the sampler...which I highly recommend. The chef chooses three entrees for you to sample...so it is a risk. I did notice we got a lot of tamales that night...so it wasn't as much variety around the table as I had anticipated. The art is also a little...interesting...and it is really dimly lit so some of the time I couldn't tell what I was eating.
But, what I was eating was tasty. And the salsa...wow...excellent.
Some of us at the table chose to share plates and the owner/chef came out to playfully scold us...but we ordered desserts so it was all good in the end.
This is a wonderful restauruant! I looked on yelp while on a business trip to Tucson and I decided to check it out. It was well worth the visit! The food is delicious and the serving sizes are huge. Also, I liked the presentation of the food when it was served. I highly reccomend stopping by!
This is my favorite place to eat in all of Tucson. The mole negro is *simply fantastic*- rich, complex, thick, spicy, sweet, with a slow cooked taste.
Get the plato poca cosa and let them pick three of their daily selections for you. They're all good, so you can't go wrong.
I miss the old location though. I thought it was far more charming.
OH MY GOD IT'S A PARTY IN YOUR MOUTH.
Be adventurous - order the plato poca cosa. A little bit of everything it's essentially the chef's choice. Our waitress assured us that if we all ordered the plato poca cosa we'd have a taste of all the menu items. Only two of us did and the one who was concerned about getting the chicken with jalapeno pesto dish wasn't disappointed. I had an amazing savory mole, a spicy chicken dish and a tamale pie casserole with banana cream sauce that was so sweet and fabulously delicious I had to save it for last as if it were desert. And the cheesecake!! Best cheesecake I've ever had. Better than Mozart's in Austin, TX. This place was definitely worth every dollar and I would seriously considered flying to Tucson just to eat here. Especially since I've really never had anything like it, even in Austin.
The entrees run $20-25 each so don't be wary that there isn't a menu to check out the prices on. Even if they were $30-40 each, I would eat here - it was that tasty.
Party in your mouth. Mole invited.
I cannot say enough good things about Cafe Poca Cosa. I first knew it when it was a smaller restaurant in the Clarion Hotel five years ago and would drive to Tucson from Phoenix to eat there. The food is just AMAZING! The Plato Poca Cosa will always be near and dear to my heart and palate. The Mole sauce is the perfect consistency. The shredded beef is well-marinated and well, you never know what you're going to get for dinner. (I'm usually not big on the surprise element with food, but in this instance, it has always worked out well.)
When I walked in last Friday night to the new location, I was a little skeptical. The restaurant is huge, it was busy and when I told the hostess I didn't have a reservation, she made it seem like me getting a table would be difficult. Basically, I knew word was out this was a "hot spot" and I assumed the worst.
I could not have been more wrong. This restaurant gets the biggest award for consistency. The food is the same, the prices are the same and the service was impeccable. If this restaurant was in New York (where I now reside), it would have a six-month wait.
God, how I miss this restaurant. Ladies, keep doing what you do.
On a side note, if you are giving this restaurant a bad review for not being a "authentic Mexican food" restaurant, hit up Los Betos on Speedway for some rolled tacos. They are $4 and probably more what you're looking for.
Oh, you MUST get the margarita from Cafe Poca Cosa-- this is what a Margarita is supposed to taste like. Not all sugary and nasty, this is clean crispy tang with tequila. YUM!
Our server was Hector and he was super great. Susanna came by and said hello too--- another great meal at Cafe Poca Cosa!
One of the reasons I like going to Tucson is Cafe Poca Cosa. Reservations are recommended. Truly… Read more »
Mole, Mole, Mole, Mo-le....MO-LE...
I remember my first trip to Poca Cosa like it was yesterday:) I actually miss the location is the old Clarion Hotel. It had more of a funky/independent feel back then. Now the upscale decor and attitude is a little stuffy for me. Just not stuffy enough to knock off a star!
For your first time, get the Poca Cosa Platter / Plato Poca Cosa - normally one meat, one chicken, and one tamale pie. Don't think - just order!
As a creature of habit - I have moved on exclusively to just ordering the tamale pie (I can't remember what they call it on the menu). It normally has two options for mole/sauces each day. My favorite flavors have been mango and beet (yes, beet!). To my tastebuds - it's more sweet than a savory dish. Every menu item comes with a large side salad, rice, beans and corn tortillas. All fresh and tasty everytime.
On a rare occasion, I treat myself to the chocolate mousse. Really rich and dense - this is truly what choc mousse was meant to be. I haven't had it in a while. It used to be $6 at their old location, I wonder if it has gone up?
Make reservations! Also, I truly think that unless you are out for a special night or date, this restaurant is at it's best value for lunch!
So I went to this place, which was recommended by a friend of a friend. Here's the good: The decor is nice; a very modern, wavy, flowing space. Muy upscale. The chalk board with the evening's dishes was fun, the waitress was very nice, had a sense of humor, and the service was very good. Both me and my partner chose the "Chef's Choice" or "Chef's Surprise" [Can't remember exactly what it's called], but the kitchen staff chooses three different, random dishes featured that evening for your plate. The food was actually pretty tasty and both my partner and I enjoyed our dishes. Their house cocktails were also very tasty. I didn't know this at the time, but they have a parking garage behind the restaurant, and the restaurant validates. I had to park on the street, about a block and a half away.
I would actually go there again, but ....
Now, the bad. We are wine enthusiasts, and we had our own bottle we wanted to enjoy with our dinner. First, the waitress did not know if we could drink our own wine, or whether there was a corking fee [Most places charge to uncork your own wine bottle when you don't buy it from their wine list - standard custom]. To her credit, she did say she would look into it and scampered away quickly to find out. She came back with the excuse -per the owner/manager - that the restaurant did not have a license to open up wine bottles brought in from outside. Are you kidding me? It sounded like a bunch of bull to us, but we didn't make too much of a fuss despite our disappointment that we couldn't enjoy our wine. We did settle for some tasty cocktails. I love spicy food, so the chips and salsa were good, but I wanted something spicier. The server said they didn't have anything spicier [points deducted] but she did go to the kitchen and had someone actually chop up a medley of fresh Jalapeno, Serrano, Habanero, and Guero chiles [points given] for us. It certainly was spicy, but since it was just the chiles, it needed a little something-something. Once we added salt and lime juice to the fresh pepper relish, though, it was quite delicious. I did like the fact our server went out of her way to accommodate my spicy salsa request.. When the food arrived, there was a mountain of veggies over the plate. Sort of a turnoff for us. We didn't know if this was a salad, or garnish, or what, since it had no dressing, and you had no choice but to dig through it to get to the actual meal. I think it would be better if they gave you the salad/'garnish/whatever on the side, instead of mounded on top of the dish. The greens were actually pretty good, it was just odd the way they were served. Once you got down to the actual food, though, it was quite a good dinner. One of the chicken dishes I had was really, really good, and I don't normally care for chicken in upper-scale restaurants. It had a flavorful tomato sauce that complemented the chicken really well. My partner also really liked his selections. I think the prices are a bit high for the dishes, flavorful as they were.
I did like this place, despite the short good list and the long, extended bad list. Yes, I would go there again, but to anybody that hasn't been there, I would not so much warn, as inform them of our experience.
I gave this place only 3 stars because of the wine incident, and the salad mess on top of our plates.
We'd only been there for dinner and now we went there for lunch. The prices are about $10 less per plate but the portions are the same. It was delicious! So, I told them about yelp and handed them a "You've Been Yelped" card.
Thanks ladies! Keep up the good work. I can't wait to go back!
When we were in the process of moving to Tucson, people told us, "You HAVE to eat at Poca Cosa". I… Read more »
Sigh - I love love love this place - Suzanna Davila is not only a great chef, she's really sweet and always comes out to check on how your meal is. That's pretty cool. Okay, I DO miss the old location, but the acoustics are better in the new digs. The salsa is so good you will be tempted to eat too many chips, and since you'll want to eat all of your plato you have to be careful...basically prepare to leave poca cosa with a very full belly.
if there are any negatives at all, i would say that sometimes some of the servers can be a little pretentious, but hey - maybe that's just me.
I felt like someone important when the owner offered us a sample of different dishes while we sat at the bar waiting for our seat. And i was also impressed when the waitress read us the whole menu for the night off the top of her head. The food was really good, it was kind of like fusion style Mexican. Everybody was nice and friendly, fun times.
Susana Divila is a chef worth admiring. She cooks like your mom -but with really bright and spicy verdant Mexican sauces. What in the world of fine dining could be better than that?
Comforting nutritious food.
Simple comforting presentation.
Poca Cosa's menu comes on a chalkboard.
The server goes over every item and allows for questions.
Once, Poca Cosa was located in an incredibly vintage and brightly colored dimly lit romantic cantina, and it is this soul which brings me back to her newer sleek and luxurious digs.
The place really seems like movie stars must meet there, it is very modern and glamourous. To tell you the truth I miss the old building a little, I haven't really grown accustomed to Poca Cosa all grown up! -Still, I have driven for an hour and a half on several occasions from Phoenix with a central motivation of a night involving this place, among other things.
I spent my 30th birthday in the old cantina at Poca Cosa. My (now ex) husband was able to buy a bottle of Dom Perignon for us before we went to the Tucson Opera. To be quite honest Poca Cosa was the highlight of that birthday, and we had wished we had allowed for a longer time before the opera so that we could soak in more of the atmosphere!
Beautiful!
A warm staff and really honest good food.
Every plate comes with an undressed spinach salad containing large unpretentious slices of red onion (easily removed if you are like me!) mushrooms, cucumbers and mandarin oranges. Her vinaigrette is lovely, full of plenty of oregano, and comes on the side in a big bottle, which is a bit dramatic, but kind of fun, and nice for those who only want a little! Poca Cosa fluctuates several different Moles and I have had her green mole and (I think ) a yellow and red mole.
Don't eat too much salsa! You don't want to be too full to eat your meal!
I have tasted many dishes here, including the tamale pie, which is pretty good, and is her stand-by vegetarian option. To tell the truth this option is my least favorite of all of her offerings and I would love to see more vegan innovations by this very creative and capable chef, because nobody wants a tamale pie EVERY every time.
The beans that she serves are whole and delicious, and her rice is some of the only rice I would ever eat (rice gives off methane when grown, bad for the ozone layer, I avoid it so I can have an occasional hamburger.... yeah yeah ... I know) Her rice and beans are VERY yummy.
The one time I had flan here it had a little bit of coffee and a prune at the bottom. WOW YUM! The house coffee tastes exactly like it should.
A Tucson gem. This isn't "standard" U.S.-Mexican food (meaning "bland") nor "authentic" Mexican-Mexican food (meaning the kind abuelita made, or the kind you get at a Taco Truck); it's gloriously innovative Mexi-fusion cuisine bursting with fresh vegetables, succulent meat, complex flavors, and beautifully balanced spices. The menus change constantly (daily at a minimum) to showcase the season's best, and it shows: Two of the best things about this restaurant, and it isn't easy to narrow it to two, are the variety and the consistent freshness of the ingredients. It doesn't hurt that the service matches the ambience, sleek and professional yet friendly, often practically seamless. The dining areas can get loud, so I wouldn't recommend it (at least on Thursday-Saturday evenings) for people looking for an intimate, hushed meal.
As for the bar, the wine selection is decent, and the margaritas are my favorite in town (no bottled, sticky, jaw-twinging Sweet-&-Sour here).
As others have noted, the Plato Poca Cosa is a great way to try a few different things. The menu is undeniably geared toward carnivores, but there is always a vegetarian option, as well. The portion sizes here are very generous, especially with the chips and salsa, rice, and beans that accompany the meals, so I have split a plate with a friend on more than one occasion and we have both walked out completely satisfied. The lunch menu is less expensive, but as far as I can tell offers essentially the same quality and portion size as the dinners.
This isn't going to be a favorite of very conventional eaters or people who gravitate toward the bland, but it's a knockout for more adventurous diners.
I had heard so many great things about this place from may friends. We arranged a party of 6 on a busy Saturday night . Cafe Poca Cosa makes a great impression from the moment I entered. More a Mexican restaurant in San Francisco than Tucson. The staff is super friendly almost to a fault. The only problem is for someone like myself who has a very small apatite and a vegetarian too boot this is not the best place. They only serve large entrees and only one was vegetarian. So that was my only choice on the menu. While my friends raved about their food I was brought a $19 plate of corn mush covered in a refired bean sauce. The corn mush was somewhat tasty but overall not worth the price or the hype. My suggestion would simply to offer a wider variety of entrees it would be easy enough to add a couple salad offerings. Overall I would not come back because it is so limited.
I absolutely love this place. I've been here a couple times when I fly down to visit my parents. I love the constantly changing menu boards, I love the helpful staff, I love the ridiculous amount of food they can cram onto those plates, and I love the tequila list.
I'd describe the carne con chile ancho I had, but who knows if it'll be on the menu board when you go? All I can say is my father cannot eat spicy food, I cannot eat bland. My mother was trying to avoid carbs, my sister was shunning meat. Everybody was not only satisfied, but wowed. WOWED. Last time I went my girlfriend got the Plato Poca Cosa, and if I were less finicky about seafood I would only get that when I return. I've never talked to anyone who was disappointed with the chef's selections for them. Grab a mezcal margarita, sit back, and let the kitchen decide what you'll like. You'd be surprised how often they are spot on.
Tucson, AZ
Category: Latin American
Tucson, AZ
Category: Latin American
Tucson, AZ
Category: American (Traditional)
Tucson, AZ
Category: Mexican
Tucson, AZ
Category: Mexican
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