La Cocina de Doña Maggie

Very friendly service, great menu choices of authentic Mexican food. Great food! The best fish tacos I've had anywhere in the Central Valley! Extremely reasonable prices! Our only issue: No alcohol, so no cerveza with our tacos.

Food was so delicious definitely will be coming back just the service was a little bad the girl that was waiting for a table. Told us that we couldn’t order seafood after a certain time.

Great asada wet burritos! Did not wait even 15 min for food. Had ac and fans nice environment. Convenient location nice server asked if there was anything else we needed. Would definitely recommend eating here :)

The mole was amazing. Food was on point. Service was great! Don’t let the outside fool you. Great find.

Awesome place with real authentic food. Don't know how this is so unheard. If this exact restaurant was plopped down at the beach. It would be a 5 star authentic restaurant with lines out the door. Great atmosphere.

The absolute best Mexican food in town. Absolutely delicious and no complaints. Our waitress served 26 people in our group. She was amazing too. This was my first time too. We will be back.

My husband & I were in Porterville this weekend & ate @ La Cocina de Dona Maggie. The food was delicious! I had a shrimp & fish taco it was delicious best tacos I have ever eaten! They salsa had so much flavor! We decided to eat breakfast the next day & this time I tried their menudo, they had handmade corn tortillas & of course I had another shrimp taco! This restaurant is a must try if your ever in the area!

This restaurant is EXCELLENT! They've been in town for a while, but it's a new find for us. We're happy we tried it because we've been back several times. The waitress is very sweet and happy to make recommendations. The restaurant itself is traditionally decorated and very clean. Make sure you try their homemade corn tortillas!

It is not often I order 4 dishes and everything is perfect! While some say the place needs an upkeep, “atmosphere” was exactly what I was expecting from a place that cares about what I was actually there for: delicious authentic mexican food. No English menu - you know it is good already!

No a/c but that’s not their fault. Would love to come back when it cools off. Don’t order the Coke Zero get the Diet Coke in a can. They make their own tortillas and Gordita’s I think. They were so good. We got the Gorditas and biiststek ranch

I may fall asleep writing this because of the food coma. Everything was DELICIOUS! It can be a challenge to find really great food in this small Central Valley community, but Doña Maggie has it!! I had the Chilaquiles con Huevos and a fish taco, hubs had the Chorizo con Huevos (we like breakfast, okay?), dad got a Chile Relleno with Shrimp, and mom got several things: a Lengua Taco, a Fish Taco, and a Carne/Queso Coyota. WE. CLEANED. OUR. PLATES. Don’t even get me started on the homemade corn tortillas. Absolute heaven! The service was super friendly and helpful, as well. If they had served margaritas, I might have died right there on the spot. Seriously incredible food. Great prices.

The gorditas are so delicious your mouth will taste a burst of so many flavors And the posole made perfect you have to try this place plus the waitress is very friendly and fast with service she filled our chip basket before we were done.

First time eating here we had the gorditas de chorizo con papa we also tried the Gordita de chicharon WOW that one was 🔥.the guacamole 🥑 with the homemade chips was also very delicious highly recommended.

The waitress was very attentive with us. The food was brought out in timely manner and it was very delicious😋.

I got caldo de res and gorditas and both dish or so awesome tasted so good I will be back waitresses were very nice coming back asking us if we needed anything or if we were okay awesome service

Tasty food, friendly service, waitresses are very attentive. Clean inside and out.

It was pretty good, I had a torta de adobada and a horchata. Both tasted great. It was empty of people when I was there but it looked and felt nice sitting in there.

Love this place, I feel like I’m in Mexico, every time I come here I get the menudo, love the homemade corn tortillas yum Excellent service, atmosphere.

It’s a very beautiful restaurant!! Food is great and good service.

Vasile Farcas

It is not often I order 4 dishes and everything is perfect! While some say the place needs an upkeep, “atmosphere” was exactly what I was expecting from a place that cares about what I was actually there for: delicious authentic mexican food. No English menu - you know it is good already!

Laura Wyatt

No a/c but that’s not their fault. Would love to come back when it cools off. Don’t order the Coke Zero get the Diet Coke in a can. They make their own tortillas and Gordita’s I think. They were so good. We got the Gorditas and biiststek ranch

Amber Keating

I may fall asleep writing this because of the food coma. Everything was DELICIOUS! It can be a challenge to find really great food in this small Central Valley community, but Doña Maggie has it!! I had the Chilaquiles con Huevos and a fish taco, hubs had the Chorizo con Huevos (we like breakfast, okay?), dad got a Chile Relleno with Shrimp, and mom got several things: a Lengua Taco, a Fish Taco, and a Carne/Queso Coyota. WE. CLEANED. OUR. PLATES. Don’t even get me started on the homemade corn tortillas. Absolute heaven! The service was super friendly and helpful, as well. If they had served margaritas, I might have died right there on the spot. Seriously incredible food. Great prices.

Michelle Sanchez

The gorditas are so delicious your mouth will taste a burst of so many flavors And the posole made perfect you have to try this place plus the waitress is very friendly and fast with service she filled our chip basket before we were done.

Jose Ceballos

First time eating here we had the gorditas de chorizo con papa we also tried the Gordita de chicharon WOW that one was 🔥.the guacamole 🥑 with the homemade chips was also very delicious highly recommended.

Stacie R

The waitress was very attentive with us. The food was brought out in timely manner and it was very delicious😋.

Mariaelena Cervantes

I got caldo de res and gorditas and both dish or so awesome tasted so good I will be back waitresses were very nice coming back asking us if we needed anything or if we were okay awesome service

Jesse Villarreal

Tasty food, friendly service, waitresses are very attentive. Clean inside and out.

Juan Morales

It was pretty good, I had a torta de adobada and a horchata. Both tasted great. It was empty of people when I was there but it looked and felt nice sitting in there.

J Cervantes Rivas

Love this place, I feel like I’m in Mexico, every time I come here I get the menudo, love the homemade corn tortillas yum Excellent service, atmosphere.

Janet Diaz

It’s a very beautiful restaurant!! Food is great and good service.

By far the best and most authentic Mexican food in Porterville California. The enchilada sauces are to die for. Their ingredients are fresh and delicious. Definitely how mom used to make

The food was AMAZING and our server was so nice and attentive! I got the fish a la diabla and my boyfriend got the chicken mole. Both sauces were so so so so good. He said the chicken was perfectly cooked and it was the best meal he’d had on our road trip through California.

Belinda Ruffa

This restaurant is EXCELLENT! They've been in town for a while, but it's a new find for us. We're happy we tried it because we've been back several times. The waitress is very sweet and happy to make recommendations. The restaurant itself is traditionally decorated and very clean. Make sure you try their homemade corn tortillas!

cesar villalon

By far the best and most authentic Mexican food in Porterville California. The enchilada sauces are to die for. Their ingredients are fresh and delicious. Definitely how mom used to make

Laurel Hanson

The food was AMAZING and our server was so nice and attentive! I got the fish a la diabla and my boyfriend got the chicken mole. Both sauces were so so so so good. He said the chicken was perfectly cooked and it was the best meal he’d had on our road trip through California.

The dining area and general atmosphere is extremely dated. There are obvious water stains on one wall from a leaky roof. The decor of shabby dusty multi-colored paper flags simply needs to be discarded. I do like the large older picture prints in genuine wood frames. The booths and tables looked clean. The dining room is usually quiet even with several families present. The saving grace here is the food is tasty and plentiful. The service is not fast but neither does it take overly long for the food to arrive at your table. I would say it's very reasonable considering that the food seems to be freshly cooked without a lot of pre-made pre-prepped ingredients. One burrito is $10 with no sides except the corn tortilla chips and plain salsa that is brought with your drinks. The flavors are authentic and fresh. I do not recommend the coyota; it is prepared as a doubled over fried corn tortilla rather than the round cornbread-style stuffed hand pie that i was expecting. The toppings are rather a sad scraggly mess that doesn't do anything for its appearance or flavor. It's more like a taco with the ingredients scattered over the top instead of a true cayota. You'll be charged over $1 for every iced tea refill, $5 to add guacamole to your burrito, and another buck & change for every credit card charge to pay for your meal even if it is the same ticket with friends splitting the cost. Also, if your serving staff takes a break (or a personal phone call apparently) there is no one else who will cover your needs during that time. Hopefully you won't have to eat half your meal with an empty drink cup as we did. The restrooms are each one room, single throne single sink arrangement; two bathrooms located down an odd hallway behind the kitchen services area. Maybe restrooms are shared with the motel lobby which is on the side of the building? They did not smell bad and looked fairly clean if shabby and dated. The bathrooms have paper product rolls laying on top of toilet/sink rather than being loaded into any type of holders. I would guess the facilities on the entire property have probably not been updated or anything replaced since the early 80s or before. There is no "view" to speak of any direction out any windows. The building is located on a corner and very close to the highway. That area is rather run down and has ugly parking lots with dead grass and no live plants or flowers inside or out. However, if you're only looking for authentic flavors and freshly cooked food, do not cross La Cocina off your list.

Excellent food. Make sure you note that most items don't come as platter with rice and beans. The coyotas (fried meat pies) are awesome.

Enjoyed our dinner at this place. Had gorditas, and they were very good. Atmosphere is nice and service was friendly. Only suggestion is that the server come check on the table occassionally.

Good portions, I had the shrimp wrapped in bacon. Wish it had cheese instead of cream cheese but they were still good. Would come again to try the breakfast. Our server was kind and attentive.

The Caldos de Res and the salsa chips are amazing. Our waitress was amicable, polite, and approachable. The place needs a little upkeep. We felt relaxed and welcomed at Doña Maggie's.

Be Real

The Caldos de Res and the salsa chips are amazing. Our waitress was amicable, polite, and approachable. The place needs a little upkeep. We felt relaxed and welcomed at Doña Maggie's.

I called to order burritos and eat there but they said ,no, that they were closing. It was 840. So we ate burritos in the parking lot and were done eating by 9pm. Food was great but wish we could of sat down inside for 10 minutes, to eat.

Rose C

I called to order burritos and eat there but they said ,no, that they were closing. It was 840. So we ate burritos in the parking lot and were done eating by 9pm. Food was great but wish we could of sat down inside for 10 minutes, to eat.

The food was very delicious, but they don't offer free refills on their fountain drinks. I don't know if they were off their game or if this was regular service. But they got our order wrong, (she didn't write it down) and it was very very warm in there. After they brought out our corrected order we noticed that when we ordered they didn't offer the option to choose regular tortillas or homemade tortillas. They served us homemade (which cost more) and then wanted to charge us for them. We actually preferred regular tortillas but by this time we were afraid to ask them to correct anything else on our order again since we had already asked for a few corrections before that. Maybe it was just an off day.

The restaurant was clean and well maintained. I didn't visit the restrooms to see how clean they were maintained, that's a good indicator their kitchen is clean and sanitized. I ordered cactus (nopalitos) in an omelette...w/side of refried beans. It was not what I expected. I could count the cactus bits and it was covered with cheese! I don't know what they were trying to cover up, maybe the taste? I mentioned it to our server who was very kind although she apologized for the error. We also ordered champurrado a chocolate drink but I've had better. Vallarta market has the best champurrado!

Not a fan. The tacos were way over fried. Also over charged on food and drink items. Two people costed us over $65 and I had water to drink.

Lisa Hall

Not a fan. The tacos were way over fried. Also over charged on food and drink items. Two people costed us over $65 and I had water to drink.

Ordered menudo on Sunday and I was super disappointed. Menudo is 12$ a plate and I ordered for my family. The tortillas were already sour aka they were spoiled. They sold us spoiled tortillas. They looked beautiful but nope. The granos in the menudo were hard and not fully cooked. They used large beautiful looking grano aka homeny but didn’t know how to cook it. The meat in the menudo was hard and was mixed with pig meat. I was really looking forward to eating here but now I’m hungry and upset I spent so much.

A friend referred me to this place. I had the Caldo De Res for the price so not worth it. No flavor to the broth Very small serving vegetables were hard to the chew. My husband ordered Tacos de Lengua the cook sent out Steak tacos. The servers although were pleasant did not understand the English language.

I hate writing poor reviews but feel compelled to write something since my husband and I got food poisoning here. We stopped on the way up to Sequoia with our 3 kids. No one else got sick, thankfully. My husband ordered the gorditas and I ended up eating part of one. He got really sick and it ended up being a problem in part because we were up in the mountains and the closest hospital was 2 hours away. It was an awful way to start our vacation, too. The server was really sweet though. The gorditas tasted really good, so I guess that's good? There was a big laminated tarot card (?) of a devil on our table which was weird. Everyone's food came out at pretty different times and my youngest kid's food was brought out last. Also there was no toilet paper/seat covers in the bathroom - just a roll of paper towels next to the toilet and the toilet was stopped up. The menus were totally falling apart with the prices covered up. It didn't feel very clean, so it didn't feel surprising to get sick.

Avoid this place. Burrito was god awful, there were no prices on the menu and the bathroom was completely disgusting. Were it not for being recommended by my customer, I would had walked out. As it was I got a bad case of food poisoning from a chili verde burrito - which cost $15, and my customer's meal was over $26, Of course who knows whether the meal was jacked up since there were no prices on the menu.

My first visit was wonderful. The food was great and their beans tasted just like authentic -home made beans and the service was great as well. My 2nd second visit was awful. I wanted a tamale but of course they didn’t have any (this happened on the 1st visit as well but I let it go then) I asked for a shredded beef sope and they didn’t have any shredded beef. The service was awful not once did our waitress check on me and she did not come to our table was when I flagged her down ( it was not busy just us and 2 other tables which another waitress was helping). When we were finally ready to go I asked for a to go container and we waited for 20+ min and i finally got tired of waiting plus I had to get my son to bed so we just paid and left. NEVER AGAIN WILL I GO BACK!!!

We were exited to try this place for the first time. The horchata and waitress were great. But the food was terrible. I ordered an asada chimichanga and the meat looked and tasted dry. My kid got a torta and burrito, asada was the same, Like it had been reheated for the last 3 days. My husband got gorditas and they were stale. He got one with carnitas and the meat was bad. It smelled and looked bad. It tasted rancid. They took the plate off of the bill but we didnt want to eat anything else after that. We just payed for the other plates but didn't eat them after the spoiled meat. We just couldn't believe that they would serve spoiled meat to anyone. Even worse, carnitas. We will never eat there again.

The service is extremely lacking. It’s very hard to get the waitress attention. The air conditioning doesn’t work in the summer so they run fans that are extremely loud. The heating doesn’t work in the winter so bring a blanket and the food is extremely greasy.

The food here was trash! They used canned enchilada sauce and the cheese is mozzarella also not even warmed up enough melt the cheese. The rice was soggy also. The salsa was so bland it must have been just tomatoes. I am beyond disappointed!

Frankie Milner

The food here was trash! They used canned enchilada sauce and the cheese is mozzarella also not even warmed up enough melt the cheese. The rice was soggy also. The salsa was so bland it must have been just tomatoes. I am beyond disappointed!

Food is very bad two of us got diarrhea we ate in the afternoon no wonder place was empty when we got there this is an embarrassing for mexican food salsas are just tomato sauce would not recommend.

La Cocina de Doña Maggie: More Like La Cocina de Doña "Maybe Later" I was really hoping for authentic, soulful Mexican food, but my recent experience at La Cocina de Doña Maggie was a huge disappointment. This is, hands down, the most underwhelming meal I've had all year. The "Food" I ordered the Carne Asada Plate, and I'm honestly still confused about what I was served. The meat was tough, gristly, and had absolutely no seasoning—it was flavorless and dry, like old shoe leather. I couldn't even finish half of it. The sides weren't much better. The Spanish rice was bland and pasty, tasting like it came from a box, and the refried beans were so watery they practically ran off the plate. The one bright spot was supposed to be the salsa, which was just too chunky and overwhelmingly salty. This isn't "home cooking"; it's a desperate cry for seasoning and a decent cut of meat. The Service and Atmosphere The service was incredibly slow, even though the restaurant wasn't busy. Our server seemed completely uninterested in our table. We had to ask for water refills three times, and when the food finally arrived, it was practically lukewarm. The atmosphere was just strange. The lighting was too dim, and the decor felt tacky and dated, not charmingly rustic. It all just contributed to a feeling that they simply don't care about the customer experience. Bottom line: If you're looking for genuine, well-cooked Mexican food, keep driving. La Cocina de Doña Maggie is a major letdown that charges way too much for subpar food and nonexistent service. Zero stars if I could give it.

mo ochoa

Food is very bad two of us got diarrhea we ate in the afternoon no wonder place was empty when we got there this is an embarrassing for mexican food salsas are just tomato sauce would not recommend.

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La Cocina de Doña Maggie: More Like La Cocina de Doña "Maybe Later" I was really hoping for authentic, soulful Mexican food, but my recent experience at La Cocina de Doña Maggie was a huge disappointment. This is, hands down, the most underwhelming meal I've had all year. The "Food" I ordered the Carne Asada Plate, and I'm honestly still confused about what I was served. The meat was tough, gristly, and had absolutely no seasoning—it was flavorless and dry, like old shoe leather. I couldn't even finish half of it. The sides weren't much better. The Spanish rice was bland and pasty, tasting like it came from a box, and the refried beans were so watery they practically ran off the plate. The one bright spot was supposed to be the salsa, which was just too chunky and overwhelmingly salty. This isn't "home cooking"; it's a desperate cry for seasoning and a decent cut of meat. The Service and Atmosphere The service was incredibly slow, even though the restaurant wasn't busy. Our server seemed completely uninterested in our table. We had to ask for water refills three times, and when the food finally arrived, it was practically lukewarm. The atmosphere was just strange. The lighting was too dim, and the decor felt tacky and dated, not charmingly rustic. It all just contributed to a feeling that they simply don't care about the customer experience. Bottom line: If you're looking for genuine, well-cooked Mexican food, keep driving. La Cocina de Doña Maggie is a major letdown that charges way too much for subpar food and nonexistent service. Zero stars if I could give it.