Cocina De Mino is one of several successful south Oklahoma City Tex-Mex restaurants that has expanded to other locations throughout the metro. For most of these "mini-chains" the original location has always had the best food, and I think the same is true for Cocina de Mino. Although I have tried some of the branch locations, the one on South Western seems to serve the most satisfying meals.

Flautas de Pollo are one of the "Specialties" on the menu, and seemed to offer a better meal than the standard enchiladas and tacos. These are two very large rolled crispy tortilla shells filled with chicken white meat, covered with salsa ranchera, and containing guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo on the side. Although this is not the traditional Mexican style of flautas of which I am familiar, I thought everything was quite tasty. The meat was fresh, the toppings were good, and the pico de gallo had a good kick.

The Refried Beans served on the side were some of the best I have tried in Tex-Mex restaurants. While I generally think Tex-Mex restaurants in Oklahoma are mediocre, one reason is that they do not take the care to provide flavorful and fresh beans as Cocina De Mino does.

The Rice had a tomato and spice flavor that I liked, but it was probably in the mid-range of Oklahoma restaurants.

The Guacamole served as one of the toppings to the flautas was good, but not as spicy as I would like.

Both the free Queso and Salsa served before the meal were good. The queso did not taste anything like Mexican queso fundido, but it was good for Tex-Mex style melted cheese. I would call it one of the better ones in Oklahoma City.

A much better Green Salsa is available on request for those who would like something spicier than the red salsa that is brought to the table upon seating. The green salsa not only satisfied my desire for something spicy, but the flavor would make it respectable in most El Paso or border restaurants. While many Tex-Mex restaurants use jalapeños for the heat, these seemed to be a better variety of green chiles.

While Cocina De Mino does not match the Tex-Mex cuisine I used to eat in Austin and San Antonio, it is probably the closest I have found in Oklahoma City. One thing that most Oklahoma restaurants do, though, that I have not experienced much in South Texas, is the piling on of huge portions of fats and carbohydrates (chips, tortillas, rice, beans, cheese, etc.). Cocina De Mino joins the majority of restaurants in serving these overfilled plates. Still, by using self-control and ignoring the "extras" I do not wish to consume, I find very good meals here.