La Cocina de Ricardo Menu (Update 2025)
Welcome to La Cocina de Ricardo, a vibrant gem nestled in Lake Forest, CA, serving authentic Mexican cuisine that delights the palate. The menu showcases a delightful array of traditional dishes, from the savory Huevos Rancheros to shareable, flavorful appetizers like Ceviche de Pescado and the crowd-pleasing Super Quesadilla.
- Breakfast offerings entice with choices like Chilaquiles Rojos and Huevos con Machaca.
- For heartwarming meals, the Caldo 7 Mares soup and Pozole are must-tries, exuding comfort and tradition.
- Unique creations, such as the satisfying Gua-ra-chon, redefine your Mexican dining experience.
Featuring a full bar, happy hour specials, and a friendly atmosphere, La Cocina de Ricardo is ideal for families, groups, and anyone seeking genuine hospitality paired with delicious food. Experience the warmth of this family-run establishment, where every meal feels like a festive celebration.
Breakfast
Breakfast Huevos Rancheros
2 sunny side up fried eggs on 2 corn tortillas. Topped with ranchero sauce.
Breakfast Huevos con Machaca
Scrambled eggs with beef, chicken, or pork, onions, tomatoes, poblano peppers. Spicy on request.
Breakfast Huevos con Chorizo
Scrambled eggs with chorizo. Hot peppers on request.
Breakfast Huevos con Jamon
Scrambled eggs mixed with ham. Hot peppers on request.
Breakfast Huevos Divorciados
2 sunny side up eggs on 2 tortillas. 1 topped with green sauce and the other with red ranchero sauce.
Breakfast Huevos a la Mexicana
2 scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Hot peppers on request. Mixed with nopales for an additional charge.
Breakfast Omelette Mexicano
Omelet stuffed with enchilada sauce, onions, poblano peppers, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and cheese. Spicy on request. Add ham, bacon, or chorizo for an additional charge.
Breakfast Chilaquilaes Rojos
Corn chips with sauce, onions, oregano in red, and queso fresco, and sour cream. Spicy on request. With 2 eggs or with meat for an additional charge.
Breakfast Chilaquilaes Verdes
Corn chips with sauce, onions, epazote in green, and queso fresco, and sour cream. Spicy on request. With 2 eggs or with meat for an additional charge.
Breakfast Huevos con Bistec
Petite steak; Grilled with onions and peppers, with 2 sunny side up eggs.
Breakfast Huevos A La Diabla
Scrambled eggs mixed with our delicious spicy sauce.
Breakfast Huevos Al Chipotle
Scrambled eggs mixed with our delicious spicy chipotle sauce.
Breakfast Chicharrones en Salsa Roja
Pork skin pieces cooked with our delicious red sauce. Served with onions and cilantro. Spicy on request.
Breakfast Chicharrones en Salsa Verde
Pork skin pieces cooked with our delicious green sauce. Served with onions and cilantro. Spicy on request.
Ceviche de Pescado
A generous portion of fish cooked in lime juice then mixed with onions, cilantro, and tomatoes. Garnished with avocado, cucumber, salsa brava, and limes. Offered also with shrimp or octopus. Mixed for an additional charge. Spicy on request.
Super Quesadilla
Flour tortilla with cheese, beef, chorizo, chicken, carnitas, or carne asada. Shrimp for an additional charge. Garnished with guacamole and sour cream.
Choriqueso
A generous portion of melted cheese topped with chorizo. Served with pickled carrots and tortillas. Spicy on request.
Chiles El Jefe
Grilled onions and hot peppers, served with lime and tortillas.
Botanas Dona Alicia
Beef taquitos, chicken flautas, and cheese quesadilla. Served with guacamole and sour cream.
Oysters
Mollusk.
Aguachile
A generous portion of raw shrimp cooked in lime juice and serrano peppers & avocado sauce. Garnished with cucumbers, red onions, and oranges.
Nachos Grande
Chips, bean, cheese, guacamole, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream. Jalapenos on request. With meat for an additional charge.
Guacamole Dip
Served with chips.
Mexican Pizza
A crispy flour tortilla topped with beans, beef, chicken, or pork, cheese guacamole, sour cream, onions, cilantro, and tomatoes. Jalapenos on request.
Taquitos
5 corn rolled up taquitos with beef, pork, chicken, or potato. served with guacamole, sour cream, and cheese.
Pork Chicharrones
A basket of pork cracklings.
Appetizers
Soups
Caldo 7 Mares Soup
Fish, shrimp, crab legs, mussels, and octopus soup.
Caldo de Camaron Soup
Shrimp broth, shrimp zucchini, carrots, cilantro. Mixed with fish or octopus for an additional charge. Also available with fish or octopus.
Sopa de Mama
Chicken soup with noodles. Caldo de pollo con fideos. Garbanzo beans on request.
Pozole
White, red, or green. Hominy soup with pork or chicken.
Sopa de Albondigas
Meatball and vegetable soup.
Sopa de Tortilla
Tomato and chicken broth, served with tortilla, cilantro, Jack cheese, and avocado. With chicken on request for an additional charge.
Caldo de Res Soup
Chunks of beef with vegetables. Garbanzo beans on request.
Menudo
Tripe with red broth. Available with hominy. With pata for an additional charge.
Birria
Goat meat soup: Meat and red broth. Garbanzo beans on request.
Caldo de Pollo Soup
Chicken soup with vegetables. Garbanzo beans on request.
Caldo Tlalpeo Soup
Chicken soup with vegetables, melted cheese, and avocado slices.
Mole de Olla
Chunks of beef with vegetables and red beef broth. Garbanzo on request.
Ensalada
Choice of grilled chicken, shrimp, steak, fish fillet or carnitas. A bed of romaine lettuce, mixed with carrots, and red cabbage. Topped meat with Jack cheese. Garnished with avocado, tomato, and cucumber. Garbanzo beans on request.
Salads
Tostadas
Taco Salad de Carne
Crispy flour shell. Filled with beans, beef, pork, or chicken. Lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and tomatoes.
Tostada de Ceviche
Corn crispy toast topped with fish ceviche, garnished with limes avocado, and hot sauce. Also available with shrimp or octopus. Mixed for an additional charge.
Tortas Hot Sandwiches
Choice of carne asada, carnitas, beef, chicken, milanesa beef, milanesa chicken, and ham and cheese. telera bun, beans, meat, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole. Jalapenos on request.
Tortas Hot Sandwiches
Torta Guadalajara
Torta Guadalajara
Torta ahogada, hot sandwich drowned in spicy sauce. Beans, carnitas, marinated onions, and avocado in a sourdough bun.
Enchiladas de Mole
2 enchiladas stuffed with chicken and topped with our mole sauce. Garnished with avocado, sour cream, and onions.
Enchiladas de Pescado
2 enchiladas stuffed with fish cooked in red sauce with onions. Topped with melted cheese and garnished with avocado, onions, and sour cream. Spicy on request.
Enchiladas de Camaron
2 enchiladas stuffed with shrimp cooked in red sauce with onions. Topped with melted cheese and garnished with avocado, onions, and sour cream. Spicy on request.
Entomadas
2 enchiladas stuffed with fish or shrimp cooked in red sauce with onions. Topped with melted cheese and garnished with avocado, and onions, and sour cream. Spicy on request.
Enchiladas Suizas
2 chicken enchiladas topped with our delicious red or green sauce. Garnished with guacamole and sour. Spicy on request.
Twin Enchiladas
Burritos
Beef Burrito
Chicken Burrito
Asada Burrito
Steak or chicken. Asada is grilled with onions and peppers. Flour tortilla, beans, and meat. Onions and cilantro inside.
Surfer Burrito
Double flour tortillas, beans, rice, beef asada, chicken or pork, lettuce, tomato, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream.
Machaca con Huevos
Flour tortilla, beef, chicken or pork with eggs, onions, poblano, and bell peppers, tomatoes, and beans.
Chimichanga
Fried burrito with beef, chicken or pork. Served with guacamole, sour cream, and cheese.
Make Your Own Breakfast Burrito
Veggie Burrito
Flour tortilla, beans, rice, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream.
Chorizo con Huevos
Flour tortilla, chorizo, eggs, and beans.
Beans & Cheese Burrito
Flour tortilla, beans, and cheese or beans, rice, and cheese.
California Burrito Special
Carne asada, french fries, cheese, and guacamole. Wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Guarachon Special
A giant thick corn tortilla, topped with beans, melted Jack cheese, beef, chicken, pork or carne asada, lettuce, pico de gallo made of avocado, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, radishes, cucumber, nopales, a touch of lime, and queso fresco. Served with tomatillo sauce. Spicy on request. Healthy choice: Instead of a tortilla, a layer of chile poblano for an additional charge.
Lime & Pepper Salad Special
A bed of romaine lettuce, carrots, and red cabbage, topped with grilled chicken with lime and pepper, queso fresco, and garbanzo beans. Garnished with avocado, tomatoes, and cucumber, and served with cilantro dressing.
Burrito de Fajitas Special
Wheat tortilla, steak, chicken, fish or shrimp, grilled with onions, poblano peppers, and tomatoes with whole beans.
Special Items
Cocktails
Coctel de Camaron
Shrimp cocktail with tomatoes, onions, cilantro, avocado, and special sauce. Spicy or with cucumbers on request. Mixed with octopus for an additional charge.
Campechana
Shrimp and octopus in cocktail sauce with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado. Spicy or with cucumbers ion request.
Campechana Familiar
A 32 oz. cup with shrimp, octopus, and oysters in cocktail sauce with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado. Spicy or cucumbers on request.
One Item Combination
Two Items Combination
Chile Relleno a la Carte
Quesadilla a la Carte
Tostadita a la Carte
Mini Burrito a la Carte
Bean and cheese, beef, chicken, or pork. Wet on request.
Mini Chimichanga a la Carte
Bean and cheese, beef, chicken, or pork.
Gordita a la Carte
Beef, chicken, or pork.
Enchilada a la Carte
Beef, chicken, pork. or cheese.
Flauta a la Carte
Beef, chicken, or pork.
Sope a la Carte
Beef, chicken, or pork.
Taco Crispy a la Carte
Beef, chicken, pork, fish, bean, or potato with lettuce and cheese.
Taco Soft a la Carte
Asada, birria, carnitas, lengua, or pastor with onions, cilantro, and salsa de tomatillo.
Taco Rosarito a la Carte
Breaded fish or shrimp, cabbage, tomatoes, cilantro, and tartar sauce.
Tamal a la Carte
With sauce and cheese. Beef, chicken, pork, or queso y rajas. Red sauce on beef or chicken, green sauce on pork or queso y rajas.
2 Tacos Callejeros a la Carte
Mini soft tacos with choice of beef, chicken, or pork with onion, cilantro, and salsa.
2 Taquitos a la Carte
Corn tortilla. Beef, chicken, pork, or potato.
Combinations
Platillos Especiales
Molcajete Ranchero Especiales
Strips of steak, chicken, chorizo, queso fresco, nopales, zucchini, spicy tomato sauce, roasted serranos. Served in a hot mortar, avocado, rice, and beans with queso fresco and tortillas.
Molcajete de Mariscos Especiales
Filet of fish, shrimp, octopus, queso fresco, crab legs, nopales, roasted serranos. Served in a hot mortar, rice, and beans with queso fresco, avocado, and tortillas.
Molcajete Cielo, Mar, y Tierra Especiales
Steak, chicken, shrimp mixed with octopus, queso fresco, nopales, and roasted serranos. Served in a hot mortar, rice, and beans with queso fresco, avocado, and tortillas.
Parrillada Campestre Especiales
Strips of steak, puerco al pastor, chorizo, queso Mexicano, grilled poblano peppers, and onions, whole grilled serranos, and guacamole. Served on a hot skillet.
Sizzling Fajitas Especiales
Choice of steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, or veggies. Cooked with red bell peppers, green poblano peppers, onions, tomatoes, and a bit of red sauce. Served with guacamole. Additional charged with mixed meats.
Carne Guisada con Frijoles Especiales
Choice of steak, chicken, or pork. Grilled with onions, poblano peppers, and mild red sauce. Served mixed with whole pinto beans.
Enchiladas de Langosta Especiales
2 lobster meat enchiladas. Served with rice and garnished with avocado slices, onions, sour cream, lettuce, and radishes.
Asada y Camarones Especiales
Grilled steak topped with onions and poblano peppers. Served with roasted garlic shrimp, garnished with lettuce, avocado, cucumbers, limes, and tomatoes.
Camarones con Tequila y Limon Especiales
Shrimp sauteed with tequila, lime, and butter, seasoned with granulated garlic and cilantro. Served on a bed of rice. Garnished with lime, tomato, and avocado.
Plato Proteina Especiales
Low carb dish. Shredded beef grilled with onions, poblano peppers, and tomatoes, topped with melted cheese. Served with 2 fried eggs, lettuce, and radishes.
Chile relleno
Mojarra Frita Family Specialty
Whole tilapia fish, marinated in lime juice, and then deep-fried. Add diabla sauce or roasted garlic on top for an additional charge. Single serving only.
Asados Family Specialty
Grilled onions, poblano peppers, and red bell peppers.
Al Mojo de Ajo Family Specialty
Roasted garlic, mixed with onions and poblano peppers.
Al Chipotle Family Specialty
Spicy red chipotle sauce.
A La Diabla Family Specialty
A spicy red devil sauce.
Empanizados Family Specialty
Breaded.
Rancheros Family Specialty
Red sauce, tomatoes, onions, poblano peppers, and red bell peppers.
Seafood Family Specialties
Poultry Family Specialties
Pollo en Salsa Verde Family Specialty
Juicy chicken breast or thigh and leg bone in. In a mild tomatillo sauce, with onions, and poblano peppers.
Pollo en Mole Family Specialty
Chicken breast or thigh and leg. Cooked in our delicious mole sauce.
Pollo Picado Family Specialty
Chicken breast; cooked with tomatoes, onions, and poblano peppers. Topped with Jack melted cheese.
Pollo a la Diabla Family Specialty
Chicken breast or thigh and leg. Cooked with spicy devil sauce.
Pollo al Chipotle Family Specialty
Chicken breast or thigh and leg. Cooked with chipotle sauce.
Milanesa de Pollo Family Specialty
Breaded chicken breast. Served with sliced fried potatoes, guacamole, and hot sauce.
Bistec Ranchero Family Specialty
Steak strips; grilled with onions, poblano peppers, potatoes, and tomato. In a mild sauce.
Lengua en Salsa Verde Family Specialty
Slices of beef tongue. Cooked in our delicious mild tomatillo sauce with onions and poblano peppers.
Lengua en Salsa Roja Family Specialty
Slices of beef tongue. Cooked in our delicious mild red sauce with onions and poblano peppers. Tomato in red.
Milanesa Family Specialty
Breaded steak, topped with sliced fried potatoes. Served with guacamole.
Carne Asada Family Specialty
Grilled steak with onions, red bell peppers, and poblano peppers. Served with guacamole.
Picadillo de Res Family Specialty
A generous portion of our delicious shredded beef, mixed with onions and poblano peppers. Topped with potatoes. Served with cilantro and onions. Also available with chicken or pork.
Calabacitas a la Tano Family Specialty
Zucchini strips buried under a mountain of shredded beef, grilled with onions, poblano peppers, and tomatoes. Topped with melted Jack cheese. Offered also with chicken or pork.
Carne a la Tampiquena Family Specialty
Grilled steak with onions, red bell peppers, and poblano peppers. Served with a chicken mole enchilada and guacamole. Single serving only.
Albondigas al Chipotle Family Specialty
Meatballs in a tomato sauce, mixed with onions and red chipotle sauce.
Beef Family Specialties
Pork Family Specialty
Carnitas los Gordos Family Specialty
Roasted lean chunks of pork. Served with onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and guacamole.
Costillas Verdes Family Specialty
Pork ribs in mild green sauce. Mixed with nopales for an additional charge.
Costillas Rojas Specialty
Pork ribs in mild red sauce. Mixed with nopales for an additional charge.
Pastor a la Lake Forest Family Specialty
Marinated chunks of pork. Cooked in a red sauce. Served with cilantro, onions, and tomatillo sauce.
Chile Verde Family Specialty
Chunks of pork. Cooked in a mild green tomatillo sauce. Garnished with cilantro and onions. Add nopales for an additional charge.
Chile Colorado Family Specialty
Chunks of pork. Cooked in a mild red sauce. Garnished with cilantro and onions. Also available with beef or steak.
French Fries
1/2 Avocado
Order of Rice
Order of Beans
Sour Cream
Cheese
Chiles Toreados
Chips & Salsa
Side Orders
Child's Plates
Kids Taco Plate
Choice of beef, chicken or pork. Served with beans and rice or french fries.
Kids Burrito Plate
Choice of beef, chicken or pork. Served with beans and rice or french fries.
Kids Enchilada Plate
Choice of beef, chicken or pork. Served with beans and rice or french fries.
Kids 2 Taquitos Plate
Choice of beef, chicken or pork. Served with beans and rice or french fries.
Kids Milanesa de Pollo Plate
Steak or fish. Chicken fingers. Served with beans and rice or french fries.
Kids Pancakes Plate
3 pieces. Includes a small milk or a small orange juice.
Kids Scrambled Egg Plate
With bacon or ham served with beans and rice or french fries.
Kids Fried Egg Plate
With bacon or ham served with beans and rice or french fries.