Mi Cocinita Mexican Grill & Cantina

We had dinner at their Soap Lake restaurant on a Wednesday night in late August 2022. Their first restaurant is in Ephrata.
We tried their Pollo Enchiladas Rancheros and Pollo Quesadilla Loco. We ordered the Guacamole for our chips, and it was mostly avocado which is how we like it. Their food style is from the Jalisco region, and we enjoyed that style as it is not "heavy" or greasy at all.
We finished with Fried Ice Cream with caramel syrup (other option is chocolate syrup), one of their two desert choices. (no flan desert here)
Their cheerful decor was full of color. Friendly staff. The bathrooms, bar area, and restaurant were very clean. The air conditioning kept it cool inside.  Some guests ate at their outside table area.

Looks like regular Mexican food but it's so much better than anything around. Fresh hand made tortillas, home made salsa and sauces, and actually seared before stewed meat! Where most places cut corners and serve food fast and bland, these guys are making it like you're family. Might take a while but that's cause they are doing something special. Also, get the mole!

If you haven't been, it is THE go to Mexican restaurant in the area. We have many to choose from but I always steer anyone I know towards Mi Cocinita. You will not find anything store bought that they can make themselves. The tortillas, sauces, chips, everything all hand made and prepared to order. The food is always piping hot and DELICIOUS!!! They have almost any meat you could want. The bar is my favorite place to sit for a meal, they have regular family seating in the dining room that's comfortable and accommodating. Not to mention clean bathrooms. Head down for a drink and some tacos, tell em I sent you!

We have tried out Mi Cocinita and were quite pleased with it. They fixed up the older restaurant nicely. Better, they serve good food with good and surprisingly fast service. We noted that the staples seem homemade and stand above the usual fare at other places. My favorite dishes are their Street Tacos and Enchiladas Rancheros. For a restaurant to survive through the Covid-19 scare in a small town, that speaks to the quality of their food. I have been to Central America. It seems more like what I ate there.