Cocina Madre lives up to hype as affordable new Mexican restaurant with good food in Yorkville

YORKVILLE – Love Mexican food but maybe still feeling a little uneasy about dining amid the COVID-19 pandemic? Cocina Madre, 1965 S. Bridge St., comes highly recommended as both a take-out and dine-in option.

My guest and I happened to be in the area at the same time and we decided to meet up for some hyped up Mexican food from the restaurant, which opened earlier this month. While we were directed to take a seat and wait for our food to arrive at one of the dining area's spaced-out tables, I gave my guest a little background about the restaurant – including how the family used to own a Mexican restaurant in Elburn, which also reportedly had very good tacos back in the day.

Needless to say, as two people who constantly talk about food to each other anyway, my guest and I were stoked to try out this place.

Once we sat down at a table, waitstaff immediately brought us some chips and salsa to munch on while we decided what we wanted to order for our main courses. We both thought the chips were great – not too bland, not too salty – and the salsa had a bit of a kick to it but wasn’t unbearably hot.

Regarding measures taken due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I happened to notice that most staff members were wearing masks, as were patrons, while we were eating inside. However, it’s worth mentioning there are outdoor seating options for those who would want them as well while it’s not too chilly outside just yet.

My guest and I happened to arrive at the restaurant around the same time that at least a couple of dozen orders for pick-up came in at once. Despite there being an hour wait time for those pick-up orders, we didn’t spend more than 20 minutes waiting for the food to come in and an hour and 15 minutes total while dining inside the restaurant.

I had ordered a few items a la carte, including a shredded beef taco and a chicken taco. I also ordered a side of rice, and all three items were served on one plate for me.

I ordered both tacos with lettuce, tomato and cheese and with corn tortillas. I personally thought the shredded beef and chicken were seasoned well and either meat wasn’t too dry. I personally prefer chicken over beef on any ordinary day, but I was surprised at how much I ended up enjoying the shredded beef taco and I thought it wasn’t too difficult to eat, as some beef is sometimes.

My guest ordered the chimichanga plate, which they ordered with pork and green salsa. The plate typically comes with rice and beans, but staff accommodated my guest’s request to replace the side of rice with another side of refried beans.

My guest said they thought the green sauce wasn’t too spicy and the pork was seasoned well. They thought the pork was very flavorful and savory, and the beans tasted good as well. Just a heads up: The chimichanga was huge – it was the size of my guest’s face.

Something to bear in mind for some folks with food allergies: I was told by waitstaff that the kitchen uses vegetable oil for the main menu items, namely the tortilla chips. However, since we didn’t have the chance to order dessert this time around, I’d advise asking the allergy related question anyway if you have your eye on that churro or flan.

Overall, I’d recommend the food and dining experience to anyone and I’d happily go there again – and perhaps order a churro next time!