Happy Hour at Sol Mexican Cocina

Here's another restaurant to add to my list of good Mexican food spots in Southern California. Sol Mexican Cocina, which translates to Mexican sun kitchen if you wanted to know. I found this by accident while looking for a place to kill time while we waited for traffic to subside after a workshop I attended at the YouTube Space La.

Turns out Sol Mexican Cocina has several locations and there is one much closer to me, in Newport Beach. But this post is specifically about the one in Playa Vista (Los Angeles).

The decor was very well done, modern but traditionally Mexican with an artistic flare. It reminded me of a good Mexican bistro you'd find in Mexico city or Guadalajara. The food was also good with the exception of one item that had a strange taste, I couldn't pinpoint what was wrong with it but everybody at the table felt the same way.

The experience was great, and it's fun to be a foodie

The management took it off our bill, even though we didn't even ask for that. They just asked for comments on the food and I felt like I had to tell them because something was strange about the dish, but it was nice to see the bill came back without that. Overall, the service was excellent. Our server was attentive and pleasant, and she knew the menu well.

Management came by the table a couple times to check up on us, and I want to say that it is normal practice but I'm more inclined to think they did this because they saw we had big cameras and we were recording and taking pictures of the whole experience.

I think they wanted to see why we were taking pictures, and also be on our good side if we were going to be reviewing the place.That's smart business, they pay attention and that makes a big difference for me. I have to remember to bring my "big equipment" when I go out to eat more often. I'm always amazed at how much better service turns out when you have a camera, a small tripod and even a microphone. In this case we got a free dessert at the end to try out and comment on: the dulce de leche nachos, made out of sugary "buñuelo" type of tortillas with a sweet cream and caramel and chocolate drizzled on top.

So is there merit to this positive review of the place?

Absolutely! Even if they hadn't taken the item off the final bill, I would still tell you to go check this place out. Especially during happy hour because their deals are great. Tacos range from $2.50 to $5.00 when they would normally be 2 or 3 times the price.

They had a live band playing some music, and that added to the upscale casual but fun environment with a wide open bar area and perfect mood lighting. It was a bit cold so we decided to stay inside but they have some nice places to eat outdoors too, I think I saw a fire pit there as well.

Here's a quick video of the whole event. Great stuff, you'll see a carnitas burrito, a couple of fish tacos, their queso fundido with chorizo and mushrooms, guacamole, corn on the cob and calamari along with some beer and margaritas. All in all, the bill came out to around 76 for 3 of us and I think we were all pleased with the whole experience.