Cochinita & Co., the Mexican concept from James Beard Emerging Chef semifinalist and cookbook author Victoria Elizondo, once again has a permanent location in Houston’s Lawndale/Wayside neighborhood. Elizondo has been serving out of Kickin’ Kombucha’s Kickin’ Market at 5420 Lawndale in suite 500. Both businesses recently revealed on social media that Cochinita & Co. has taken over the shared space and is currently serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. As for Kickin’ Kombucha, it’s moving back to its original location just two doors down inside suite 100.

Elizondo, a Mexican immigrant and DACA recipient, has grown the Cochinita & Co. brand over the years through pop-ups, a catering business and a line of packaged products that includes tostaditas, salsas, “Trail Mex” and more. For a time, Cochinita & Co. had a storefront location in Politan Row food hall in Rice Village, but the food hall didn’t survive the pandemic. 

For Kickin’ Kombucha, the move is bittersweet. Robert Lopez founded the company in 2010 as a hobby-turned-passion-project after he was turned on to the beverage (a fermented, effervescent tea) while recovering from a leg injury. He partnered with a group of friends and began producing and offering Kickin’ Kombucha products at farmers markets before opening a tasting room, brewery and distributorship.

Kickin’ Kombucha developed a cult following over the years and eventually expanded into the Kickin’ Market and café when the space at the opposite end of the strip mall became available. For the market, the company partnered with local vendors to offer pantry staples, finer foods, a full coffee bar, natural wines and craft beer in addition to kombucha. In 2021, it brought in Cochinita & Co. both as a vendor and to utilize the full-service kitchen to hopefully drive more business to the storefront. Kickin’ Market managed to push through the pandemic, but the rising cost of goods and services, along with a bevy of supply chain issues, led to the decision to dial things back for now.

At the end of March, both Kickin’ Kombucha and Cochinita & Co. released statements regarding the shake up. Kickin’ will keep its original location as a taproom and manufacturing facility and is retooling the sales and distribution model. Kickin’ Kombucha will no longer be sold at Whole Foods Market, Central Market, or any other grocery store chains, opting instead to work with independent and family-owned businesses in the Houston area like Black’s Bodega and Blacksmith. It will continue to offer a selection of market goods in the tasting room, but the focus will be on kombucha. Enthusiasts now have the option to sign-up for the new Kombucha Subscription service, which offers a half-gallon per week from the rotating tap list.

As for Cochinita & Co., it will still offer the same high-quality Mexican cuisine it has become known for, while continuously working with fresh, seasonal ingredients and offering exciting specials. Tacos are a given and available all day long, which makes sense since Elizondo’s cookbook is called “Taco-tastic: Over 60 recipes to make Taco Tuesdays last all week long”. The breakfast menu, available Monday through Friday from 8 until 11 a.m., includes breakfast tacos and burritos, tamales, nopalitos with scrambled eggs, and more along with full coffee and espresso service. 

For lunch and dinner, guests can enjoy plates of cochinita pibil, mole negro, tamales and vegan flautas, or choose from a selection of tacos with flavors like pineapple shrimp, barbacoa and vegan tinga or keep things healthy with one of their colorful quinoa bowls. As an appetizer, I highly recommend trying the fresh guacamole served with crunchy, house-made totopos — which are also available to purchase by-the-bag. Cochinita & Co. also supports local vendors including but not limited to Acaju Yogurt, Slow Dough Bread Co., Bee2Bee Honey Collective and Kickin’ Kombucha.

Cochinita & Co. is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Kickin’ Kombucha’s tentative hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. 

Mario-Sebastian Berry

Mario-Sebastian Berry is a wine and spirits vendor who has been in the hospitality industry since 2002. Currently, he represents Blanco, Texas-based Andalusia Whiskey Co. and multiple wine labels. Somehow, he also finds time to be Houston Food Finder’s associate editor and social media manager.