Thirty-five years of done right
When Mico Rodriguez opened Mi Cocina in the summer of 1991, he had 12 tables, $500 in the bank, and a margarita recipe his father had taught him. What he did not have, and what no one expected, was a restaurant that would become the soul of Dallas dining for three and a half decades.
We have never forgotten where we come from. And we have never stopped earning the right to call this city home.
Where it all started
In a half-empty shopping center at Preston Road and Forest Lane, Mico Rodriguez set up 12 tables and opened the doors. No liquor license yet, just bold Tex-Mex, warm hospitality, and a determination to serve food worth lining up for. They accepted Visa credit cards, which was practically unheard of at a restaurant in 1991. Within months, diners were crowding outside that little door.
From one location to a Dallas legend
Juanita Miller, one of Mi Cocina’s most devoted regulars, had a simple request. She slammed her hand on the table and said she wanted Mi Cocina in her shopping center. That second location in Highland Park Village changed everything. The Dallas Morning News would later call it the most popular see-and-be-seen restaurant in the state. Highland Park took Mi Cocina into another plane of existence.
The drink that defines Dallas
The Mambo Taxi was born from two recipes passed down through generations. Mico’s father’s margarita combined with a sangria formula passed down from a Spanish priest, swirled together into a frozen masterpiece that became the defining drink of a city. D Magazine readers named it Dallas’s favorite margarita. Mi Cocina and sister restaurant Taco Diner serve over 1.2 million Mambo Taxis every year.
“With one, you’re feeling good. With two, you’re doing the Mambo. With three, you need a Taxi.”
The Mambo Taxi Rule
35 years in the making
From 12 tables in a strip mall to a neighborhood institution spanning three states, one story at a time.
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1991
The Original Opens
Mico Rodriguez launches Mi Cocina at Preston Road and Forest Lane with 12 tables and a belief that Dallas deserved better Tex-Mex.
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1993
Highland Park Village
A second location opens in one of Dallas's most storied shopping districts, quickly becoming a celebrity haunt and a city cultural institution.
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1999
Most Popular in Texas
The Dallas Morning News crowns Mi Cocina the most popular see-and-be-seen Tex-Mex restaurant in the state. Troy Aikman visits three times a week.
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Late 1990s
Taco Diner is Born
M Crowd Restaurant Group launches sister concept Taco Diner, bringing Mexico City-style tacos to Dallas and extending the Mambo Taxi to a second beloved brand.
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2016
25th Anniversary
An intimate celebration at the original Preston and Forest location brings together founders, long-tenured staff, and loyal guests to mark 25 years of memories.
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2021
Klyde Warren Park
Mi Cocina opens inside Dallas's iconic urban park, cementing its status as not just a restaurant but a civic institution woven into the fabric of the city.
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2026
35 Years Strong
Come hungry, bring a friend, and order a Mambo Taxi. After 35 years, the food, the people, and the welcome are better than ever.
Our guests become family
Diana Goicoechea has been with Mi Cocina for over 21 years. “I have watched kids grow into adults here,” she says. That is not a marketing line. It is the way Mi Cocina actually works. People come back week after week, table after table, and order a Mambo Taxi before they even sit down. “Most people do not even look at a menu.” They already know.
Made from scratch, every single day
When CEO Edgar Guevara took over, he went through every single menu item to revive recipes that had lost their way. He believes Mi Cocina’s power lies in being a collection of neighborhood restaurants, not a chain. “I really try to behave like we’re this little, local place,” he says. That philosophy is why the Preston Forest original is still open, still packed, and still worth the wait.
