Cocina Lolo

One of the area's if not the area's best Mexican restaurant. Lorraine (restaurant manager) ensures her guests receive well-prepared, well-presented, delicious meals at very reasonable prices.
If you enjoy good Mexican fare, dine at Cocina Lolo.
Note: Parking in the adjacent garage is free when dining at Cocina Lolo.

Great place for a quick but interesting bite and margarita before heading to a show at the Queen or Grand.

My husband and I wanted to try something new for dinner so we came here. We won't be back. My first clue should have been the fact that the restaurant was empty. Never a good sign. The service was wonderful, no complaints there. But the food was just ok. Not great and not horrible. The ceviche looked and tasted like it was made in large batches days before serving. We both got fajitas and they were flavorless. Cooked fine but completely bland. The blood orange margaritas were delicious but at $12/glass, that's a little too pricey for my liking. We will stick our local Mexican restaurant in Hockessin.

Cocina Lolo is going to be my new go-to before shows at The Queen. The menu has something for every taste, budget, and appetite, and the wine list is unusual and fairly priced. I had the short rib tacos (so good) and my friend had the chicken tacos which she enjoyed. The chips, salsa and guacamole were also very good, although a bit on the salty side. We were there on a Friday night before a show and were surprised that there weren’t more people eating, although the after work crowd had the bartender busy. I have dined at all of Bryan Sikora’s area restaurants and while they are all pretty good, this one just hit the spot for me.

The food was a bit disappointing and fairly expensive for the portion sizes.
A pitcher of Sangria was $32. We had 4 glasses and there was a lot of ice.

Have tried this restaurant before it closed and re-opened. My opinion hasn’t changed. There are better Mexican restaurants in Wilmington. Won’t go back.
Good blood orange margarita.

Food and drink were outstanding. We wish we ordered a smaller appetizer than the chorizo fundido, which was delicious, so we had more room for our dinner. I had the Cocoa Lager Braised short rib Enchiladas while my wife had the Braised Chicken Enchilada. Both were fabulous. We wish we had a refrigerator in our hotel room so we could have brought the leftovers home for lunch the next day. I wish I had another reason to visit Wilmington soon so we could eat here again.

A wonderful selection of handcrafted margaritas. The bartender was very friendly and she is very accommodating. Our server Matt was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable of the menu and friendly. Very nice menu and the Mexican street corn is delicious. The guacamole and chips are one of the best.

Best Mexican food available in this area. the pear margarita was excellent and unique.

The food and service at Cocina Lolo are excellent. Lorraine and her team serve delicious appetizers and entrees. The staff is friendly and accommodating. I strongly recommend a visit to Cocina Lolo.
Sincerely,
Colonel Thomas Stocks
US Army

We always enjoy Cocino Lolo but we really had to hand it to the staff, which was for reasons unknown short one staffer, at least. And on a busy Saturday night. We fortunately had made reservations via Open Table and were seated promptly, but it was easy to see there was one bartender, one server and one busser. I remarked on this to the bartender, who ended up waiting on our table and others, and he confirmed they had three on the floor and two cooks. But everyone kept their cool and their sense of humor, and any drop-off in service was negligible. Appetizers were excellent - get the tuna dice! - as was dinner. I had the braised chicken enchilada but our server said it was originally served with chile verde instead of red mole, so I went for the green. Delicious. I'll get the mole next time. So many good dishes here. A go-to restaurant for us.

Excellent meal! We started with the chips, salsa and guac---very delicious. Then the 3 of us shared 3 entrees. All were delicious, but my personal fave was the mushroom tacos...wow!

Quaint restaurant good food and portions just right.

The white sangria and spicy margarita was delicious. We really enjoyed the chorizo fundido. Our waiter was excellent.

The food and service at Cocina Lolo are outstanding. The team members are accommodating, friendly and customer service oriented. The cocktails including the Jalapeno Basil are worth a visit. We enjoyed the enchiladas and the cinnamon spiced Mahi Mahi tacos which were absolutely delicious. Our dinner was a special date night and the Cocina Lolo staff ensured we had a terrific evening.
Sincerely,
Colonel Thomas Stocks
US Army

Their guacamole is the best I've had in the city. I could make a meal out of just that. And their cocktails are divine. I had the mushroom tacos (am a vegetarian), and the only fault I could find is that they didn't give me sixty of them. Oh, and our waiter was great - I have a severe shellfish allergy and he triple-checked everything to make certain there was no cross-contamination. Plus, he's a part-time EMT, so that gave me a bit of peace of mind. :)

The service was just TERRIBLE! We had been there before and it was ok but last night the waiter, who I’m guessing is new, was just awful. He was pleasant but literally useless. We ordered our wine, 15 minutes and when we finally got it, from someone else, it was the wrong wine. Second glass also took forever and I had to get it from a different water. Chips and salsa were of, but again had to wait. Refill of salsa came late again, and had to request from a server. It had to be a new waiter experience and I doubt we will return.

We went here about a year ago and have been raving about the fresh made paella ever since. Low and behold, they 86’d their best dish which was disappointing for our party. The really nice waiter brought two terrific cocktails and talked us into their seafood special ($40) to share instead and we were disappointed. Everything was over cooked, dry, and even with the beans and salsa, everything was just dry. Maybe we’ll give it another chance if not for cocktails and apps.

Love this place! Really wish there was, at least, one fried item on this menu. Fried Shrimp would be everything! The fried flounder taco was wonderful! Lastly, music is getting a little strange...not sure why there was a change there.

Went to LaFia and loved it so I wanted to try this one. The guacamole with crab was delicious. I had the steak fajitas and hubby had the mahi mahi tacos. Both were very good but hubby said too small a portion for a guy. No problem after eating all the yummy guacamole I couldn’t eat all my dinner

Great happy hour specials. The tuna dice is an absolute must have! Guacamole is also very good and fresh. Bar tender is great-- very friendly and makes a mean margarita!

The food at CL is outstanding, very creative and fresh. The service can be a bit slow and attention to detail is sometimes lacking. We eat at CL at least once a month and will continue to visit. Best Mexican food in Wilmington.

Perfect place if attending an event at The Queen. Great parking next door. They offer validation for parking. Lots of small plates to try different things!!

I wanted to get one of the chef’s plates but were told they wouldn’t be ready for another hour.
Otherwise food and margarita were really good just a little overpriced.

My husband and I are from So Calif so we really miss good Mexican food. We were excited to try Cafe Lolo. We started with an appetizer, the guacamole and chips which were really good! They were out of some entrees, so I opted for 2 small plates, the chili rellano and street corn. My husband loves carnitas, so he ordered the taco dinner. The Chili was more beef than cheese, but which was good since the cheese had turned. The beef also had a spice, possibly allspice and or cinnamon? The carnitas also tasted like cinnamon was added. We decided to try dessert, the house-made churros. They were over cooked, more like a Mexican doughnut with none of the custard like center which are churros. The ice cream also had ice crystals in it. All told, we were disappointed.

Only one employee—bartender—serving all tables. If this is typical I wouldn’t recommend for pre-theatre dining. Food also not quite as good as previous time we were there last year.

Mahi tacos and mushroom tacos were amazing. Crab guacamole is spectacular. Mark handled our party of 6 with grace and poise. Will absolutely return!

We stood at the check in station for the host to greet us. The bartender kept yelling for the host to come out who spent more time in the kitchen than out front addressing the customers. We were literally the first diners of the evening with just a few bar patrons so it wasn’t like they were busy. The host/waiter was somewhat attentive once were were seated but again spent more time in the back taking/filling takeout orders we presumed. Overall not enough to get us back there for an overpriced Mexican cuisine.

Crab-stuffed peppers are EVERYTHING!!! So glad they are back!

The best items on the menu over the last two years was removed for new menu.

The food was so-so. I was expecting it to be much higher quality.

Delicious food and a great atmosphere!! This is our go to restaurant before we go to a show in the city! Every time we have dined here it was wonderful!

Restaurant has gone downhill. Used to love the food but it has slipped. The salsa was watery and tasted like bland tomato sauce, the meat from the carne asada was cold and had to be sent back to be reheated. Enough said. Won’t return.

We were so excited when the restaurant reopened as this is one of our favorites. We went the week they opened and were surprised at the much smaller menu, but the food was good. We went back tonight and the place was almost empty. The wonderful bartender, Lorraine, was the only employee working front of the house and she did a superhuman job! We never felt rushed, she was professional and charming, and made accommodations for the food as we needed. She is a gem!!
I do miss the old menu. We can get fajitas anywhere. Where is the molcajete?? That was our absolute favorite and go-to dinner, and one we craved regularly. We enjoyed the paella, another dish no one else does. Please reconsider expanding the menu to bring back some dishes that made Cucina Lolo stand out from the other run of the mill restaurants. Also, please have vegetarian and vegan options available. I know the kitchen can make accommodations, but it also helps to have real starters and dishes available off the menu.
But do NOT let Lorraine go! Her sangria is fabulous (and I make my own, so I know whereof I speak!). Her Some Like It Hot margarita is just inspired!

Great margaritas and crab guacamole. Several Vegetarian friendly options.

Mexican cuisine, rather unique and very tasty . Good value for the price. I service excellent.

The entrees we selected were delicious. Well-prepared and well-presented. The wine we selected was an excellent choice. Recommend saving room for the chocolate pudding for dessert. The staff is friendly, courteous and accommodating. Miranda provided excellent service. She met each of our requests. I recommend reserving a booth or table as the seating area is small. Cocino Lolo is the Wilmington area's best Mexican restaurant.

Crab guac is amazing! Mahi tacos also delish and served as a generous portion. Great spot for dinner before a show at the Queen.

Food and ambiance was great, unfortunately was not impressed with our waitress. She had 2 tables and was minimally attentive and unpleasant.

When the restaurant closed for the summer, I suspected it was due to slow business. I was fond of it once and kept trying back, hoping that it would get its spark back. No one seemed to care about the place when I was there last spring. Then I read what was said to the press, which was that the restaurant would renovate and revamp its menu when it opened in the fall. I went there optimistic. Absolutely nothing has changed in the look, and the food is the same, only less inspired. And it’s super stingy with the queso fresco! I will not be giving this place another chance. I understand that the Sikoras are putting their energy into their Kennett restaurant, which is very lively. I am not sure why they bothered to re-open. The neglect is apparent.