Make sure to show up early if you want to play lotería at Cochinita & Co.! Tables fill up fast.
Houstonia’s The Must List tells you about something going on in Houston that you absolutely cannot miss.
Victoria Elizondo has built her celebrated Mexican restaurant Cochinita & Co. on a foundation of great food made in-house and a real community feel. The 2024 James Beard Best Chef: Texas semifinalist has occupied the space at 5420 Lawndale over the past four years, moving from her Politan Row stall to an incubator within what was at the time Kickin’ Kombucha. The cozy restaurant has since expanded to include a wine program, more pastry options, a happy hour, a free book shelf, and prepackaged foods to serve as something of a one-stop shop for East End residents.
“We’re…trying to offer as much as we can, so that the people that are in the neighborhood don’t have to venture out to other places,” Elizondo says.
Among the offerings is a weekly lotería night, held every Tuesday beginning at 6pm. Growing up in Monterrey, Mexico, Elizondo remembers how the matching game was played on porches, at farmers markets and mercados, and during parties. She sought to bring more reminders of home to her customers.
“Older Hispanic people, women and men, they’re my toughest crowd because they’re my toughest critics. They have an idea of what a Mexican restaurant should look like, or should feel like. So that was just kind of like my little bridge to win them over,” Elizondo says. “And yeah, it worked.”
Lotería night was slow going the first year: Only a few folks showed up to play, and Elizondo often served double duty as both hostess and owner—after running around to pick up prizes. It ran her ragged, but the effort paid off. The event grew steadily over the span of two years, and now anyone hoping to play has to stake out table real estate about a half hour before the games begin. Luckily, marketing manager Jorge Valenzuela stepped into hosting duties to give his boss a break last year. He also worked as a teacher, so his skills keeping a class full of kids engaged also help with keeping the energy up during an evening of fun.
“I feel like [teaching] requires you to perform in front of students every day. But I just like having a sense of community,” Valenzuela says. “When I think back to being an educator, I always wanted people to feel comfortable being in my space, or in a space where I was involved.”
He possesses an easy charisma as host, making sure everyone from newbies to seasoned players can follow along with instructions, delivered in both English and Spanish. Though often compared to bingo, lotería only shares with it some basic rules. Songs and rhymes can accompany the cards as they’re drawn, and Valenzuela likes changing up the win criteria to keep things interesting. Sometimes you can win if you hit all four corners. Others, a diagonal. Still others, a full card. And any other variants the host may conceive of. He’ll also throw in opportunities to play with two cards, a way of playing more familiar to older players.
Elizondo and Valenzuela offer prizes sourced exclusively from local small businesses, as a way to promote and showcase their talents. This can include handcrafted polymer clay jewelry by Cositas HTX, piñatas from Piñatas by Chi, purses from Gigi’s Boutique, and plenty of others. A photographer once donated a free session to one lucky winner. It helps keep lotería night something special, and promotes a sense of camaraderie and community in the ever-changing East End.
“We’re not here to gentrify the neighborhood. At the end of the day, we are working with quality ingredients. We are making things from scratch, which takes a lot of time and labor costs, and I am trying to pay my staff a fair wage…I guess that was my worry,” Elizondo says. “Some people made their assumptions, but most people understood the difference and the value behind everything that we do.”
This value is certainly recognized by the regulars, who on some weeks fill up all the available spots before other guests arrive. Lotería attracts a mixed crowd ranging in age from very young children playing their first game to older people showing up in groups. Friendships form over the Cochinita & Co. tables. Elizondo speaks of a disabled woman who took a METROLift service to the restaurant every Tuesday. She played alone at first, but eventually started coming in to meet up with new pals she got to know every week.
“[Lotería night] is also a way of, instead of being divisive, uniting everybody and having everybody hang out together…especially since you know they’re part of the same community,” Elizondo says. “It’s been really cool.”
Know Before You Go
Cochinita & Co. doesn’t charge visitors to participate in lotería games, but does request that you make an entrée purchase. The game begins at 6pm every Tuesday, and it’s advised to arrive at 5:30pm to claim a seat. Parties of six or more can make reservations. For more information, visit the restaurant’s website.
