I heart this place! It is adorable, family run, and the food is wonderful! I'm heartbroken that I haven't been a regular at La Cocina De Consuelo for the last 10 years!
Fist off, just look at how cute it is inside. The walls are painted different shades of ocean blue and then there's that bright orange accent nook. The chairs and tables are super simple - just stained with various yellows, oranges, reds, and blues. If Consuelo hadn't become a chef, she could have become an interior decorator. In addition to the main room there's a back patio. (Also, the restaurant was packed when we got there, but everyone conveniently left all at once so I could take this photo without being a creeper.)
I ordered the chicken flautas, the mango and jicama salad, and the fideo. It's nice when you can choose from a couple different sides because beans and rice don't always hit the spot. I had never had fideo, so I wanted to give it a try. It's like a nice, simple chicken noodle soup with spaghetti noodles and no chicken - quite satisfying. The flautas, which are rolled up, stuffed, and fried tortillas, were really crunchy and a little hard to eat, but I could tell that they were fresh and I enjoyed them. The mango jicama salad also had diced tomatoes, a bit of corn, cilantro and a tiny bit of red onion. It was really fresh and delicious.
Paul, of course, got the biggest thing on the menu - the combo plate with one cheese and one beef enchilada, a shredded chicken taco, guacamole, and black beans and rice. The enchiladas were filled with stewed ground beef and high quality cheese, and topped with a luscious red sauce, more cheese, and a heaping serving of chile con carne. The chicken was moist and perfectly spiced. The tortillas had been grilled and were warm, fluffy, and crispy. The guacamole, beans, and rice were so simple too, but really fresh and delicious.
I just can't rave about La Cocina De Consuelo enough. In Austin so many tex-mex spots douse everything in grease to add flavor and prepare massive buckets of beans and rice to last for days to save time. Consuelo rejects that. She opts to make everything fresh with simple preparation to highlight the naturally flavorful Mexican ingredients. Sometimes it's better not to overcomplicate things. That is... unless it's dessert...
I don't have words to describe this magnificence, you just have to experience it yourself. I basically begged Consuelo for the recipe for her tres leches flan, but it's hers and she guards it carefully. Without a doubt, this is one of the best desserts I have had in my life - probably in the top five. It's not like any flan I've ever had. Most flan is served in a cup and it's jiggly like pudding or jello. I almost could have mistaken this flan for a cheese cake, but Consuelo insisted with one eyebrow raised, "It's not cake, it's flan." I don't care what you call it, it's amazing. It's so creamy but it's firm and has the mouthfeel of condensed and clotted cream. It's rich, but not so rich that you have to stop eating because you sort of get a headache. It's also topped with fresh, light caramel sauce. DROOL!
I could just gush for pages and pages about La Cocina De Consuelo. I'm in love with this place and in awe of this woman who has built such a wonderful, homey, little restaurant that makes you feel like you've stepped into grandma's kitchen.
La Cocina De Consuelo - 4516 Burnet Road
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