Manny's Cocina

Great good. Excellent gluten free options.

I’m from Los Angeles, and grew up with high quality Mexican restaurants locally. So since moving to the Midwest good, authentic Mexican has been hard to find. We came with our 2 year old for dinner on a Friday a little before 6pm and were impressed with the detailed decor and ambiance upon walking in, which is exactly what we wanted. We were not looking for a Chipotle or Burrachos style dinner. We were seated inside, in an alcove, near the kitchen (but not right on top of the kitchen) by a very friendly server (Kiara) who was so accommodating and gracious! What a perfect spot. Our toddler was mesmerized by the wall sconces, the paintings, the pottery, the fish, the parrots, and especially the busy kitchen! The gluten free menu held a number of options (not just salads), and our Apacalupo nacho appetizer (pictured) was able to be modified for a gluten free meal as well. I was so thankful Kiara did not seem unsure or uninformed about gluten free eating. She was confident, attentive, very genuinely helpful, and unfazed by my requests. We ordered the gluten free Mahi Mahi fish tacos, gluten free Enchilada Ranchera with barbacoa beef, red wine, and flan for dessert. The desserts are not gf, so I didn’t have any, but my husband and toddler were quite pleased with it. The flavors were wonderful, the food arrived quickly, and the salsa that came with our chips was some of the best I’ve ever had. Our dinner entrees were between $12-16, which we found reasonable, especially considering the generous portions, gluten free status, and ambiance. Our toddler even danced to the music, and kept commenting “Good food! Good food!”. We did not feel rushed or ostracized for bringing a small child. He was quite happy with the booster seat and smaller water glass and plates they had for him. We left very satisfied and thankful for such a fun place to eat out. There were not many fellow diners when we arrived, but the restaurant was filling up by the time we left after 7. We will definitely be back!