La Cocina captures the frenetic energy of the lunch rush at The Grill, a bustling restaurant in Manhattan's Times Square. When money goes missing from the till, suspicion falls on Pedro (Raúl Briones), an undocumented cook who dreams of a better life and is in love with Julia (Rooney Mara), an American waitress who cannot commit to a relationship.

Rashid, the restaurant owner, has promised to help Pedro obtain legal status, but a shocking revelation about Julia compels Pedro to spiral into an act that threatens to shut down one of the city's busiest kitchens once and for all. The film is a comic and tragic tribute to the invisible people who keep our restaurants running and our stomachs full, all while chasing an elusive version of the American dream.