Food: * * * *
Staff: * * * * 1/2
Ambiance: * * 1/2
Experience: * * * 1/2
Overall Rating; 3 1/2 out of 5
Address: 10 Bridge St #2, Frenchtown, NJ 08825
Website: Cocinadelsolnj.com
Telephone #: (908) 996-0900
Cocina Del Sol is a great, little restaurant that sits in the heart of Frenchtown, NJ and a stone's throw away from the Delaware River. Its entranceway is more reminiscent of a Prohibition era speakeasy than a Mexican restaurant as you make your way down the narrow stairwell towards the nondescript door, but its sign and the donkey statue at the top of the stairwell are indicative of its decor.
When you walk into the restaurant, you are immediately hit with the smell of authentic Mexican cuisine and the bright, painted walls. The walls are covered with paintings, murals, and decorative nick-nacks, creating a fun dining experience, but it is a far cry from what one could consider "fine dining." If that's what you're looking for, then you're in the wrong place. Take a stroll down the street and you'll find two fine dining restaurants, but Cocina Del Sol is a great family restaurant that is full of life and energy. It is truly representative of the artsy town that it calls home.
The tables can be a bit small, but they are well-cleaned and sturdy. The staff is absolutely PHENOMENAL! Faye and I have been here several times now, and we have never waited more than twenty seconds to be seated upon walking in the door. On this particular occasion, Faye and I had barely been seated and a server was at our table and took a drink order. When he returned with our waters, he also had a basket of homemade tortilla chips and homemade salsa (both of which seem to be bottomless!). The chips could have used a bit more salt, but they were still warm, crispy, and durable when dipping in their salsa. A word to the wise, the salsa is fresh but has a pretty decent kick to it that sneaks up on you. If you can't handle some jalapeño, avoid it. I'm good with heat, but Faye usually orders some guacamole to cut the heat.
I have tried several dishes here, including their crispy beef taco platter, but tonight I went after my favorite dish here, the beef chimichangas! I had never had a chimichanga before, and I thought the name sounded fun (to be perfectly honest), so I had to try one. You can order the dish with Salsa Verde, Roja, or Mole sauce. I always go with the Mole sauce, which has a bit of a grainy texture, which may sound odd, but it's awesome to get a bit of a chocolaty kick to the beef. The chimichanga itself seems like a bit of a miracle. The tortilla itself, as you can see below, is fried perfectly (one of my tortillas was a bit crispier than usual that night, but still awesome) and the beef is moist and pulls apart like its straight out of low temperature oven after cooking for hours. The dish is served with lettuce, guacamole, and sour creme with sides of rice and refried beans (I had them hold the sour cream).
Faye, as per usual, ordered off of the menu and went with the special for the evening: Salmon with Shrimp in a Chipotle Coconut Sauce with sides of rice and asparagus. Having tried, okay...traded some chimichanga for, one of her shrimp, I would highly recommend the dish! The shrimp were cooked immaculately, and the sauce had a nice blend of mild heat from the chipotle and sweetness from the coconut. The asparagus still had some firmness to it, which is great, and Faye even stole some of my mole sauce to top it with. As for the salmon, we agreed that the portion was a bit small, she described the flavor "amazing." The fish easily flaked off of itself while still maintaining its steaky consistency. The presentation was simple, yet elegant, and Faye's eyes widened when it was set down in front of her.
As far as the overall experience, we were seated in the side room of the restaurant where the tables are extremely close together, and Faye's seat was practically backed up into another woman's leg, despite there being many available tables in the larger dining room. I personally find the decor to be a bit cheesy, which could take away from ambiance of a romantic dinner date, but it's part of the appeal of the overall restaurant. Long story short, Cocina Del Sol is an awesome restaurant that you need to try if you ever find yourself in Frenchtown, especially if you like authentic Mexican cuisine, but know that if you are disappointed with the appearance that the food and staff is top of the line! This was hard for me, but I rate Cocina Del Sol at 3.5 stars (although I seriously considered 4 stars, and on a different visit I would probably increase the rating). Please go check it out. You'll love every morsel!
Staff: * * * * 1/2
Ambiance: * * 1/2
Experience: * * * 1/2
Overall Rating; 3 1/2 out of 5
Address: 10 Bridge St #2, Frenchtown, NJ 08825
Website: Cocinadelsolnj.com
Telephone #: (908) 996-0900
Cocina Del Sol is a great, little restaurant that sits in the heart of Frenchtown, NJ and a stone's throw away from the Delaware River. Its entranceway is more reminiscent of a Prohibition era speakeasy than a Mexican restaurant as you make your way down the narrow stairwell towards the nondescript door, but its sign and the donkey statue at the top of the stairwell are indicative of its decor.
When you walk into the restaurant, you are immediately hit with the smell of authentic Mexican cuisine and the bright, painted walls. The walls are covered with paintings, murals, and decorative nick-nacks, creating a fun dining experience, but it is a far cry from what one could consider "fine dining." If that's what you're looking for, then you're in the wrong place. Take a stroll down the street and you'll find two fine dining restaurants, but Cocina Del Sol is a great family restaurant that is full of life and energy. It is truly representative of the artsy town that it calls home.
The tables can be a bit small, but they are well-cleaned and sturdy. The staff is absolutely PHENOMENAL! Faye and I have been here several times now, and we have never waited more than twenty seconds to be seated upon walking in the door. On this particular occasion, Faye and I had barely been seated and a server was at our table and took a drink order. When he returned with our waters, he also had a basket of homemade tortilla chips and homemade salsa (both of which seem to be bottomless!). The chips could have used a bit more salt, but they were still warm, crispy, and durable when dipping in their salsa. A word to the wise, the salsa is fresh but has a pretty decent kick to it that sneaks up on you. If you can't handle some jalapeño, avoid it. I'm good with heat, but Faye usually orders some guacamole to cut the heat.
I have tried several dishes here, including their crispy beef taco platter, but tonight I went after my favorite dish here, the beef chimichangas! I had never had a chimichanga before, and I thought the name sounded fun (to be perfectly honest), so I had to try one. You can order the dish with Salsa Verde, Roja, or Mole sauce. I always go with the Mole sauce, which has a bit of a grainy texture, which may sound odd, but it's awesome to get a bit of a chocolaty kick to the beef. The chimichanga itself seems like a bit of a miracle. The tortilla itself, as you can see below, is fried perfectly (one of my tortillas was a bit crispier than usual that night, but still awesome) and the beef is moist and pulls apart like its straight out of low temperature oven after cooking for hours. The dish is served with lettuce, guacamole, and sour creme with sides of rice and refried beans (I had them hold the sour cream).
Faye, as per usual, ordered off of the menu and went with the special for the evening: Salmon with Shrimp in a Chipotle Coconut Sauce with sides of rice and asparagus. Having tried, okay...traded some chimichanga for, one of her shrimp, I would highly recommend the dish! The shrimp were cooked immaculately, and the sauce had a nice blend of mild heat from the chipotle and sweetness from the coconut. The asparagus still had some firmness to it, which is great, and Faye even stole some of my mole sauce to top it with. As for the salmon, we agreed that the portion was a bit small, she described the flavor "amazing." The fish easily flaked off of itself while still maintaining its steaky consistency. The presentation was simple, yet elegant, and Faye's eyes widened when it was set down in front of her.
As far as the overall experience, we were seated in the side room of the restaurant where the tables are extremely close together, and Faye's seat was practically backed up into another woman's leg, despite there being many available tables in the larger dining room. I personally find the decor to be a bit cheesy, which could take away from ambiance of a romantic dinner date, but it's part of the appeal of the overall restaurant. Long story short, Cocina Del Sol is an awesome restaurant that you need to try if you ever find yourself in Frenchtown, especially if you like authentic Mexican cuisine, but know that if you are disappointed with the appearance that the food and staff is top of the line! This was hard for me, but I rate Cocina Del Sol at 3.5 stars (although I seriously considered 4 stars, and on a different visit I would probably increase the rating). Please go check it out. You'll love every morsel!