SOL Mexican Cocina: A Little Bit of Baja in Cherry Creek

I was recently invited to sample some new items off the re-vamped Lunch and Happy Hour menus at SOL Mexican Cocina in Cherry Creek.

Please note: Financial compensation was not received for this post. I was invited by the PR firm working with SOL Mexican Cocina to come in and try items off the menu on the house. Opinions expressed here are my own.

Decor

Like many other restaurants in the Cherry Creek area, SOL is a spacious restaurant with modern contemporary decor. The elegant dining room is a sophisticated setting without a single tacky Mexican chotchkie in sight. The Mexican design influence is subtly reflected in some of the colorful artwork that adorns the walls and echoed in the warm orange/red color accents and Atzec-inspired patterns of the upholstery, wood, and tile decorations.

Food

Happy Hour picks

There are some amazing Happy Hour deals in Denver and I would definitely add SOL Mexican Cocina to that list. Incredibly, their HH every day of the week from 3-6 p.m.  By choosing a selection of items from this menu you could certainly cobble together a delicious, three-course early dinner for less than $15.

My favorite item on the HH menu is the awesome Dos Tacos deal. Choose from Chicken, Carnitas, Beer Fish, or Black Bean Sweet Potato tacos and get two for $5.  (You can also get a single taco for $3.) I particularly liked the fish taco (lightly battered, fresh, crispy and crunchy – but not hard) and the veggie taco (hearty and flavorful, shown in the photo above).

Order a Corn Esquites on the side – a total steal at only $3. This grilled corn with chipotle sauce, cotixa, chile, lime, and butter is carved table side for you because this is a classy place and they don’t want you getting corn kernels getting stuck between your teeth. (Decidedly an unfancy look.)

For a fun fusion option, the Mexican Hot Dog is a great choice for $6. They give a Mexican twist to this all-American favorite by piling on bacon, cheese, chipotle sauce, lettuce, pico de gallo, pickled jalapenos, and spicy roasted green chile salsa on top of a classic Hebrew National dog.

Finish your meal off with the $5  Watermelon Copita. It’s a light, refreshing dish made of watermelon cubes  served with fresh lime, salt, and chile con limon on the side.

And of course, what would Happy Hour be without the booze? Lucky us, the 2017 Top Taco Best Cocktail winner, the Watermelon Margarita is on the menu for only $9. It features muddled fresh watermelon, Corralejo Blanco, and fresh lime juice. Just note – I ordered a virgin version so your marg will likely not be a tallboy like mine, but if you want a primo margarita, you’re getting a $.75 discount off the normal dinner menu price.

Lunch favorites

The folks at SOL tole me that the lunch menu was revamped to appeal to Cherry Creek’s business crowd by offering smaller portions of some dinner menu favorites. “Small” is definitely not how I would describe these lunch portions – you are definitely getting a bargain, especially at the less expensive lunch menu prices.

Take my favorite item on the lunch menu – the Chopp Salad with Carne Asada added. It’s a Mexican cheese, pico, bean, and avocado salad with the most delicious, tender meat bites.

Also a fan of the beautiful Tortilla Soup with Chicken for $6.75. An elegant chicken soup with roasted tomatillo, chipotle, chicken, melted cheese, avocado, fried tortillas, onion, cilantro, and lime.

You can also get two or three tacos with one side dish for lunch at the reasonable price of $8.50 or $12.50.

Verdict

Yes, SOL Mexican Cocina is a “chain” restaurant in the sense they’ve got two other locations in California, one in Arizona. However, what they excels at is in serving a varied selection of Baja-inspired dishes. You can feel confident that no matter who you bring, there’s something for everyone to like on this menu, making it a perfect place to bring your visiting in-laws or picky-eater friends.

The Happy Hour options and prices are really appealing and a great way for those who want to sample their food without a huge monetary commitment. Worth a visit for the Dos Tacos HH deal alone!

Details

SOL Mexican Cocina Cherry Creek – 200 Columbine St #110, Denver, CO 80206

• Decor: Sophisticated Mexican-inspired
• Crowd: Well-healed professionals
• Recommended: Dos Tacos Happy Hour deal, Chopp Salad with Carne Asada