This place is amazing, if you are in the area I recommend it, the food is always good and the salsa is amazing

I came here for Mother's Day. My family came right at their opening at 1pm because we wanted to avoid lines and the hassle of crowds. We succeeded because we came to scout the place 20 minutes before it opened and I was the 3rd family in line when it opened. This place is located in a tiny strip mall that is so unassuming. You actually would have driven by here a thousand times while driving on Sepulveda. But I came upon this place because I was looking for healthy eats. And how can you resist VEGAN MEXICAN in the valley? We came to celebrate and we did. We got an array of their assortments of delectables. We got their nachos, burritos, tacos, street corn, and even flan. Thier REFRIED BEANS WERE THE BEST I'D HAD. Their walk up order front is welcoming but you do have to scour to get seating if you have a larger company which we had handmake our own craft table to fit the size. The experience was heartwarming because of the company but the food was soulful and healthy, just as we hoped.

Ok if you're vegan and you haven't been to Cocinero, what are you doing??? One of my top 3 vegan Mexican spots, hands down. Get anything. Literally. Get anything and it will be fire. I always get tacos--asada, pastor, and chicharron are my go to. My partner always gets a bowl with asada, chicharron, and cheese sauce. Service is great; the young men working here are so nice! Chill spot, give it a go, vegan or not!

WOW I'm so impressed by this place and I'm not even vegan! Their flsvors are delicious, super savory, and you def don't feel fomo for not eating meat. The place itself is super clean and I love how minimal the interior is, yet it's so warm and cozy because the staff is super kind!! I got the QuesaBirria, Taco al Pastor, and Chick'n Quesadilla. My fav was the Birria!! The Consome sauce was soooo delicious, and the Birria was savory and crunchy with the perfect amount of cheese and "meat". Everything tasted super fresh too. The taco was also super delicious, they made the "carne al pastor" super well seasoned and a bit crunchy which was nice. The quesadilla's "chick'n" taste real too- I added the sauce on top it but next time i would just get it plain bc it makes the quesadilla a little soggy. I was super stuffed and satisfied. I would 100% come back. Oh and their Horchata was so yummy- it's sweet and reminded me of arroz con leche a bit!

*As of 2024 their indoor seating is back!* This review is definitely a long time coming considering El Cocinero is the business I've patronized the most since moving to the valley... but there's no time like the present! Whether you're a plant based foodie or just someone who appreciates good Mexican food, El Cocinero is well known for their flavorful, house-made plant proteins-- there's seven to choose from so there's bound to be one that you like. I've tried almost everything on their menu, and I would go through the process of ranking each item out of 10, but they'd just all get 10s. What can I say, I'm easy to please! That being said, for first time visitors I strongly recommend their birria with consome or their al pastor tacos, and you can't leave without trying their flan or getting a glass of their horchata. El Cocinero is an LA staple for sure. Try them once and you'll understand why!

Came back and tried the mulita with asada. It was so good! Would recommend and order it again.

I've heard so many great things about El Cocinero so finally decided to try it out. I kept it simple and went with tacos (chicharron, carnitas, and suadero) and nachos (carne asada).I am the biggest cumin hater so unfortunately I didn't love everything I tried because it was cumin heavy. I did love the "chicharron" and would come back to just try it in a burrito or mulita. Brought my mom and she loved everything we tried. There's a ton of parking. There are tables and bar style seating available. Making it easy for dine in or take out.

Hands down some of the best vegan Mexican food out there. I found them on IG a long time ago and wanted to try them the next time we were in the Valley. The service is very thorough and they are very nice. We've ordered to go both times, once in person and the other using their online option. This place hits the spot every time. Their food is so flavorful and so fresh that we always over order (and share, sometimes). I always forget to take photos, so all I have are the two posted with this review. Here is what we enjoy from El Cocinero: - Asada Tacos - Chicharron Tacos - this mess is C R I S P Y!!! -Asada or Chickn Burrito -Quesadilla - sweet and simple, you can't go wrong -Asada Torta -Horchata - because, duh. -Flan -Always a side of rice and beans and their spiciest salsa The place is set up like your traditional taqueria which I appreciate. Nice artwork on the wall, nothing fancy and nothing over the top. I love this place! I wish it nothing but the best and cannot WAIT to visit again!

I finally tried El Cocinero after following them on IG for so long and the delicious linner my friends (non-vegan) and I had did not disappoint! The three of us ordered a pastor quesadilla, asada nachos and chicken fries and all three were a hit. We ordered for pickup and found parking easily in the strip mall lot (parking is free). I recommend getting your UberEats pickup order in early, since the slots fill up quickly and per the staff, they do not start preparing the order until the start of the pickup window (for freshness, I assume). The restaurant was busy with customers on a Saturday afternoon, which was great to see. Staff was super friendly too! I can't wait to be back to try the sopes and the quesabirria tacos.

This place is beyond amazing in every capacity. I finally got to try this place and I am so so happy that I did. I was a little overwhelmed at first because everything sounded so good. The staff was so incredibly kind and let me try each protein options so that I knew exactly what I liked the best. I opted for a burrito and my friend got the tacos. I cannot wait to come back again. HIGHLY recommend and the portions are HUGE