Restaurant Cochineal

Stacey Gonzalez

Absolutely delicious. Drove 6 hours to eat here after watching A chef Babish on YouTube. I was not disappointed. My husband and I chose the Chefs menu with the drink pairings, and for two hours I was in heaven. The atmosphere in the restaurant was warm and cozy, perfect date night. Our server Robert was fantastic. He explained each course beautifully. The food was incredible. Best meal I've ever had in my entire life. Highly recommend.

Caleb Lindner

Dined here to celebrate our anniversary. Very cool experience. The chefs menu was unique and delicious. Had some of their exclusive wine and we loved it. Be prepared to spend some money but a must try when visiting Marfa.

D S Collier

Cochineal delivers an incredible dining experience, and to pull this off in a small West Texas town is nothing short of magic. I first came here 15 or so years ago and the imagination and creativity were impressive. Under the current ownership the experience fully delivers and then some. Nilgai tartare. Lions mane croquettes (no lions were harmed). Carefully selected wine list - next level. Manhattan restaurants struggle to deliver this kind of experience and Marfa does not have one. single. stop light. Cochineal is a mirage in the Chihuahuan desert that manifests as reality when you walk in.

John Mjoseth

We celebrated my birthday at this James Beard awardee during a week-long stay in Marfa. We'd intended to sit inside but given the mild temps and serenity of the courtyard--in contrast to the thumping music in the dining room--we elected to dine al fresco. Based on reviews, we kicked things off with cocktails and a quarter-loaf of Cochineal's highly-regarded bread. Our mains were delicious--the trout for my wife, the locally-raised beef for me. Without a doubt, one of the highlights was the gracious service by Dallas. She coached me through selecting a terrific sotol, guided us through the entrees and checked back in appropriately. All in all, a very pleasant evening.

Cristin Damon

I been to a few James Beard recognized restaurants and this is by far the best experience I’ve ever had. The ambience is exactly what you’re looking for when you vacation to Marfa. The service was engaging, the menu is approachable and the food was perfectly balanced and portioned. Can’t say enough good things about this place. Will be making a trip back for sure!!

Kit W

Came here for dinner and we enjoyed the Prix Fixe Menu very much, we were super stuffed when left, very generous portion I have to say! They have some very unique ingredients and most of the ingredients are locally sourced, Love it ! It was truly a delightful experience for us. Great dining environment with attentive staff, value for money! I’d definitely recommend this restaurant to my friends.

Ka Bh

Fantastic experience fine dining in Marfa! My family and I came here for my dad’s 65th birthday dinner tonight. The food was excellent, and they continue to produce at a very high level. Our waiter was super friendly, and they were even accommodating to a specific dietary request for a member of our party. I’ll look forward to coming back to Cochineal anytime I am around! We love the food! Given the whole experience of the prix-fixe menu, value for money was spot on!

Max Vanderheyden

Excellent experience of fine dining in Marfa! Our group had multiple food allergies and preferences, but we provided advanced notice they were able to accommodate us beautifully. Great service and creative dishes. We especially liked the natural wine and the game meat. Some room to improve on the cocktails, none of them quite hit the mark for me.

Justina Lopez

We had an excellent dining experience. We had a party of 8 with 4 children. We did not make reservations but they accommodated our party in the private casita room. We highly recommend the chefs tasting with 6 courses. The drinks were fantastic. The very expensive loafs of bread are pricy but so worth it!

Incredible food. Great service (Dallas was our server, she’s amazing)! We read so many horror reviews and heard about town how the service is not great. Glad to report we experienced the opposite. The service was attentive without being overwhelming. Exactly there when you needed them and giving you space when enjoying the night. We had the antilope tartare (I would get it again), pork and the steak for our mains and all was incredible and came out perfectly spaced out. The dessert we had the date cake and that was good and decadent and the apple strudel that we did not care for at all.

Wow wow wow! We showed up too early and with an extra person and the hostess was so accommodating! She ended up being our server for the whole night and we wouldn’t have it any other way! She was an absolute joy! Just a beautiful human being. The entire experience was great! The food omg! Omg! Just amazing! The drinks too! I loved the bread, the shrimp, the soup, and the bison with the mole sauce! Ugh they were nice enough to light the fire pit for us. It was great!

What a find!!!!! Fantastic food and really great staff. It was our second wedding anniversary and we took a chance and made a reservation. SO GLAD WE DID. The homemade bread is just YUM. The veggies are so fresh and served beautifully on a wood tray with a lime vinegerette. Steak smoked to perfection. Don't go to Marfa without dining here.

Wonderful meal. Sat outside, which was nice and quiet. I was set on having steak, but the waiter advised I try the bison short rib. Man I’m glad I did, what an incredible dish. Pecan mole, seared pear. Finished off with the classic Toshi’s date pudding. Haven’t been here in years, still such a gem.

The finest dining in Marfa! Food was delicious, starting with homemade bread and spreads. Cochineal wine was uniquely sourced and bottled for the restaurant, I had the red wine, which was medium to full bodied and complimented the food well. An elegant setting, subdued lighting, attentive service. Would definitely recommend.

Sandy Z

Wow wow wow! We showed up too early and with an extra person and the hostess was so accommodating! She ended up being our server for the whole night and we wouldn’t have it any other way! She was an absolute joy! Just a beautiful human being. The entire experience was great! The food omg! Omg! Just amazing! The drinks too! I loved the bread, the shrimp, the soup, and the bison with the mole sauce! Ugh they were nice enough to light the fire pit for us. It was great!

Magdalena Mayer

Incredible food. Great service (Dallas was our server, she’s amazing)! We read so many horror reviews and heard about town how the service is not great. Glad to report we experienced the opposite. The service was attentive without being overwhelming. Exactly there when you needed them and giving you space when enjoying the night. We had the antilope tartare (I would get it again), pork and the steak for our mains and all was incredible and came out perfectly spaced out. The dessert we had the date cake and that was good and decadent and the apple strudel that we did not care for at all.

Hadi Akhtar

Wonderful meal. Sat outside, which was nice and quiet. I was set on having steak, but the waiter advised I try the bison short rib. Man I’m glad I did, what an incredible dish. Pecan mole, seared pear. Finished off with the classic Toshi’s date pudding. Haven’t been here in years, still such a gem.

Donna Williams

What a find!!!!! Fantastic food and really great staff. It was our second wedding anniversary and we took a chance and made a reservation. SO GLAD WE DID. The homemade bread is just YUM. The veggies are so fresh and served beautifully on a wood tray with a lime vinegerette. Steak smoked to perfection. Don't go to Marfa without dining here.

The food was great and the atmosphere really nice. I'd definitely recommend eating here and if fact will go back myself again the next time I'm in the area. But they should improve service practices... ...when they brought the bill it was only the little square device, no itemized printout, so I was not aware and they didn't tell me that they included a 20% service fee (even though I was dining alone) and I tipped on top of that. So mildly infuriating to see that when I looked at the emailed receipt. Even if the service fee was listed on the menu, good practice is to remind diners when bringing the bill.

We were passing through Marfa looking for a nice sit down. The space is cute and quaint. Overall it was just missing that something to bump to 5 stars. The food was good. I did enjoy everything I ate, but few dishes made me go… woah. The bread was good. The gazpacho was really good. The roasted vegetables were okay, they did not do anything that I thought was remarkable. Now the escargot…. I could’ve had another one of those. That was the star appetizer for me. 10 out of 10. If I had had some extra bread to dip in that sauce ooooo it was so good. Now… when they took the apps away, the stack of dishes did collapse and did get all over the floor and some of our clothes/bodies. No problem! I was not fazed at all, accidents happen. It did take them about 45 minutes to clean it up off, despite staff continuing to walk around/over the spillage. That was odd to me. We also hadn’t received our drinks until well into the appetizers, and not at the same time. That component of the service was a bit off to me, a little nonchalant. Next came the mains. For me the order of favorites went lamb > pasta > trout = risotto. All very good! I thought the entrees shined much more than the apps. I’d order any of the entrees again. I thought the cheapest one (a veg dish) being $30 was a bit high for what/how much it was, but the flavors were there, nonetheless. I was starting to see the James beard quality come out. Dessert I was holding on for something to WOW me. The bread pudding got the closest. The fruit puree was delicious and the cold cream paired with the warm bread was a perfect contrast. The date pudding didn’t do it for me, but I think that’s just because the flavor wasn’t for me personally. my friends loved it. Overall, strong dishes. They were very good with being mindful of our various dietary restrictions/allergies. Service was a teeny bit clunky and the dishes were a smidge more expensive (e.g. $20 cocktail before tax + tip) than I would have priced them, but I would definitely go again and try some of the other dishes.

Chris Eyo

We were passing through Marfa looking for a nice sit down. The space is cute and quaint. Overall it was just missing that something to bump to 5 stars. The food was good. I did enjoy everything I ate, but few dishes made me go… woah. The bread was good. The gazpacho was really good. The roasted vegetables were okay, they did not do anything that I thought was remarkable. Now the escargot…. I could’ve had another one of those. That was the star appetizer for me. 10 out of 10. If I had had some extra bread to dip in that sauce ooooo it was so good. Now… when they took the apps away, the stack of dishes did collapse and did get all over the floor and some of our clothes/bodies. No problem! I was not fazed at all, accidents happen. It did take them about 45 minutes to clean it up off, despite staff continuing to walk around/over the spillage. That was odd to me. We also hadn’t received our drinks until well into the appetizers, and not at the same time. That component of the service was a bit off to me, a little nonchalant. Next came the mains. For me the order of favorites went lamb > pasta > trout = risotto. All very good! I thought the entrees shined much more than the apps. I’d order any of the entrees again. I thought the cheapest one (a veg dish) being $30 was a bit high for what/how much it was, but the flavors were there, nonetheless. I was starting to see the James beard quality come out. Dessert I was holding on for something to WOW me. The bread pudding got the closest. The fruit puree was delicious and the cold cream paired with the warm bread was a perfect contrast. The date pudding didn’t do it for me, but I think that’s just because the flavor wasn’t for me personally. my friends loved it. Overall, strong dishes. They were very good with being mindful of our various dietary restrictions/allergies. Service was a teeny bit clunky and the dishes were a smidge more expensive (e.g. $20 cocktail before tax + tip) than I would have priced them, but I would definitely go again and try some of the other dishes.

Chuck Seal

The food was great and the atmosphere really nice. I'd definitely recommend eating here and if fact will go back myself again the next time I'm in the area. But they should improve service practices... ...when they brought the bill it was only the little square device, no itemized printout, so I was not aware and they didn't tell me that they included a 20% service fee (even though I was dining alone) and I tipped on top of that. So mildly infuriating to see that when I looked at the emailed receipt. Even if the service fee was listed on the menu, good practice is to remind diners when bringing the bill.

Food was very good, service was good as well but the seating is cheap and uncomfortable which effects the ability to relax and enjoy the meal. If you want to be comfortable, make a reservation for the dining room (very few tables, so good luck) and avoid sitting at the bar or outside.They would benefit from spending some money on comfortable seating and get rid of the cheap metal stools and chairs. It is also really dark so visually, although I am sure the food presentation is lovely, you can’t see what you are eating, so it robs you of that sense.

Danelle O'Neill

Food was very good, service was good as well but the seating is cheap and uncomfortable which effects the ability to relax and enjoy the meal. If you want to be comfortable, make a reservation for the dining room (very few tables, so good luck) and avoid sitting at the bar or outside.They would benefit from spending some money on comfortable seating and get rid of the cheap metal stools and chairs. It is also really dark so visually, although I am sure the food presentation is lovely, you can’t see what you are eating, so it robs you of that sense.

Great and unique food items yes, but a bit costly and very long waits between plates. 2 hours 15 mins for 7 courses seemed long to us. Smaller courses that don't always fill you much by the very end given the longer duration. Quite delicious and unique no doubt we agreed. Just not sure the food amount and long waits make $85 a person without drinks, purely worth it is all. Great service yes, great menu design yes. Very neat decor and dining room set up also. Just a tad costly and overly extended time frame for me give 4 or 5 stars compared to many other tasting dinners I've done like this before.

Josh Hockett

Great and unique food items yes, but a bit costly and very long waits between plates. 2 hours 15 mins for 7 courses seemed long to us. Smaller courses that don't always fill you much by the very end given the longer duration. Quite delicious and unique no doubt we agreed. Just not sure the food amount and long waits make $85 a person without drinks, purely worth it is all. Great service yes, great menu design yes. Very neat decor and dining room set up also. Just a tad costly and overly extended time frame for me give 4 or 5 stars compared to many other tasting dinners I've done like this before.

We sat outdoors because it was a beautiful evening. The bread appetizer was amazing, but we got it before our cocktails. I ordered vodka cranberry, and the bartender sent a prickly pear vodka without asking me first. It was good, but…I ordered the steak and grilled seasonal vegetables. My husband ordered the mushroom croquettes. The croquettes lacked seasoning, and the steak was TOUGH! Service was so bad that the waiter apologized as I was leaving the ladies room. Would never consider returning…unless to pick up a loaf of the bread.

Sherrie Felder

We sat outdoors because it was a beautiful evening. The bread appetizer was amazing, but we got it before our cocktails. I ordered vodka cranberry, and the bartender sent a prickly pear vodka without asking me first. It was good, but…I ordered the steak and grilled seasonal vegetables. My husband ordered the mushroom croquettes. The croquettes lacked seasoning, and the steak was TOUGH! Service was so bad that the waiter apologized as I was leaving the ladies room. Would never consider returning…unless to pick up a loaf of the bread.

It's very rare that I feel the need to leave a 1-star review and I will spare many details so as to not leave a novel. I, along with a party of 6 total, dined at Cochineal this past weekend and received the worst service I (as well as others in my group) can remember. I will say that the food was fantastic and although we were brought things we simply hadn't ordered as well as not given dishes we HAD ordered, we were pleased with the food and beverages overall. Most of us have worked years in the service industry as well as in fields where we daily manage people in high stress situations, so we brought some issues with the service to the staff's attention trying to convey willingness to give the benefit of the doubt and grace for folks having difficult days/shifts. However, everyone we spoke with about our issues only escalated the situation and seemed intent on misunderstanding us. We finally asked to speak directly with the owner/chef and she was generally kind and understanding. She did offer us a round of drinks on the house but at this point we all felt unwelcome and exhausted by the tension so we declined and paid our $500+ bill. I would side-eye such appalling service even at a much less expensive restaurant, but certainly would expect far better at a higher end place with a very pricey menu. Unfortunately none of us plan to return if we're ever back in town and I would recommend that the staff receive better training and expectations for service & hospitality in a fine dining setting.

Lydia Taylor

It's very rare that I feel the need to leave a 1-star review and I will spare many details so as to not leave a novel. I, along with a party of 6 total, dined at Cochineal this past weekend and received the worst service I (as well as others in my group) can remember. I will say that the food was fantastic and although we were brought things we simply hadn't ordered as well as not given dishes we HAD ordered, we were pleased with the food and beverages overall. Most of us have worked years in the service industry as well as in fields where we daily manage people in high stress situations, so we brought some issues with the service to the staff's attention trying to convey willingness to give the benefit of the doubt and grace for folks having difficult days/shifts. However, everyone we spoke with about our issues only escalated the situation and seemed intent on misunderstanding us. We finally asked to speak directly with the owner/chef and she was generally kind and understanding. She did offer us a round of drinks on the house but at this point we all felt unwelcome and exhausted by the tension so we declined and paid our $500+ bill. I would side-eye such appalling service even at a much less expensive restaurant, but certainly would expect far better at a higher end place with a very pricey menu. Unfortunately none of us plan to return if we're ever back in town and I would recommend that the staff receive better training and expectations for service & hospitality in a fine dining setting.