Mexicali Cocina Cantina

i absolutely love mexicali. it is my go-to spot. no matter what night you're craving a cocktail, even a lonely tuesday, there are other people at the bar. the energy is great and the staff is CUTE! the food isn't the best, but after one of their double margaritas ANYTHING tastes good! :) more

i absolutely love mexicali. it is my go-to spot. no matter what night you're craving a cocktail, even a lonely tuesday, there are other people at the bar. the energy is great and the staff is CUTE! the food isn't the best, but after one of their double margaritas ANYTHING tastes good! :) more

This is by far my worst dining experience ever!!!! We had a party of eight with us. The hostess was very kind and seated us promptly. However the service was absolutely awful. The waiter did not ask us what we wanted to drink and after we told him he still didn't bring it finally we had to ask the hostess to bring it out! Which she did immediately. The restaurant needs to try and get away from what they think are good looking people and get people that can do a decent job. When we wanted the bill split in the beginning of the meal the waiter/wanna be actor fought us over it until we said that three people of our group will just sit else where. Then it wasn't such a problem because he wanted that 18% regardless of his service, his excuse for his bad service is that he has just been there for over a month still fairly new?! Now to the food ( Awful !) I don't know what there definition of fresh is maybe they get it from the same definition of what they think are good looking people. But that wasn't the worse of it. On to the food Very sloppy, greasy and the chicken quesadilla had bones in it. Now for the kicker... the quesadilla had a VERY VERY LONG PIECE OF HAIR IN IT!!!!!! when the waiter came back we handed it to him and he took it and walked away they comped some of it but I didn't have the other half of my quesadilla. The manager came out and basically said oh ok thanks for letting us know. DO NOT GO HERE THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE. TRY IT IF YOU WANT BUT YOU MAY REGRET IT. NOT WORTH IT. Cons: Food, Service, MANAGEMENT!!! more

This is by far my worst dining experience ever!!!! We had a party of eight with us. The hostess was very kind and seated us promptly. However the service was absolutely awful. The waiter did not ask us what we wanted to drink and after we told him he still didn't bring it finally we had to ask the hostess to bring it out! Which she did immediately. The restaurant needs to try and get away from what they think are good looking people and get people that can do a decent job. When we wanted the bill split in the beginning of the meal the waiter/wanna be actor fought us over it until we said that three people of our group will just sit else where. Then it wasn't such a problem because he wanted that 18% regardless of his service, his excuse for his bad service is that he has just been there for over a month still fairly new?! Now to the food ( Awful !) I don't know what there definition of fresh is maybe they get it from the same definition of what they think are good looking people. But that wasn't the worse of it. On to the food Very sloppy, greasy and the chicken quesadilla had bones in it. Now for the kicker... the quesadilla had a VERY VERY LONG PIECE OF HAIR IN IT!!!!!! when the waiter came back we handed it to him and he took it and walked away they comped some of it but I didn't have the other half of my quesadilla. The manager came out and basically said oh ok thanks for letting us know. DO NOT GO HERE THIS PLACE IS HORRIBLE. TRY IT IF YOU WANT BUT YOU MAY REGRET IT. NOT WORTH IT. Pros: none Cons: Food, Service, MANAGEMENT!!! more

Went to this pathetic restaurant 5 years ago and waited an eternity for a Server/Actor to grace us with his/her presence and take our order. They never came over so we got up and left. Went back a week later and finally did get a waiter, but my 2 year old nephew could have vomitted something up better than what we ate. Today, 5 years later, we decided to give it another try because we heard it had gotten better. The hostess (or failed actress forced to actually work for a living) grudgingly seated us. We then waited well over 15 minutes for a server to take our order but no one ever came over, although at least 5 unemployed actors posing as Mexicali servers stared at us as if to say ""get the freakin food yourself"". Needless to say we got up and left, again! Save your time and money and skip this dive! more

Went to this pathetic restaurant 5 years ago and waited an eternity for a Server/Actor to grace us with his/her presence and take our order. They never came over so we got up and left. Went back a week later and finally did get a waiter, but my 2 year old nephew could have vomitted something up better than what we ate. Today, 5 years later, we decided to give it another try because we heard it had gotten better. The hostess (or failed actress forced to actually work for a living) grudgingly seated us. We then waited well over 15 minutes for a server to take our order but no one ever came over, although at least 5 unemployed actors posing as Mexicali servers stared at us as if to say "get the freakin food yourself". Needless to say we got up and left, again! Save your time and money and skip this dive! more

12 of us went to this place for a friends birthday. We were so excited to get together and have lots of drinks and some good food with crazy good friends. Now I know, a big group can be daunting, but think of the fatty tip you're about to get! The waiter seemed a bit preoccupied when taking our orders. When we got our food, it really wasn't ours. 7 out of the 12 orders were wrong! Now, I have an allergy to avocado, and I am pretty specific to order stuff on the menu that doesn't come with, since people usually forget to leave it off even after I tell them a million times. So when my order came out covered in guacamole, even when the menu said it doesn't come with, after I told the waiter of my allergy... I was a bit unhappy. Because it was so dark in the restaurant and almost everyone's order was wrong, I was a bit hesitant to fill my mouth with something I couldn't see after it was wrong the first time. When I did, it was not good. I mean it was some of the worst Mexican I'd had in a long time! The table agreed. Also, there were orders that were supposed to have guacamole and didn't, same with sour cream. So everyone had to ask for what was supposed to be there, meanwhile, mine wasn't supposed to be there. When the bill came, we were charged for all of those side orders of guac and sour cream... $2.50 a piece, 10 times over. WHAT!? Needless to say, our poor waiter was running back and forth like a madman. Good sport, considering his kitchen and all was a complete mess! Good drinks, but we'll never be back. more

12 of us went to this place for a friends birthday. We were so excited to get together and have lots of drinks and some good food with crazy good friends. Now I know, a big group can be daunting, but think of the fatty tip you're about to get! The waiter seemed a bit preoccupied when taking our orders. When we got our food, it really wasn't ours. 7 out of the 12 orders were wrong! Now, I have an allergy to avocado, and I am pretty specific to order stuff on the menu that doesn't come with, since people usually forget to leave it off even after I tell them a million times. So when my order came out covered in guacamole, even when the menu said it doesn't come with, after I told the waiter of my allergy... I was a bit unhappy. Because it was so dark in the restaurant and almost everyone's order was wrong, I was a bit hesitant to fill my mouth with something I couldn't see after it was wrong the first time. When I did, it was not good. I mean it was some of the worst Mexican I'd had in a long time! The table agreed. Also, there were orders that were supposed to have guacamole and didn't, same with sour cream. So everyone had to ask for what was supposed to be there, meanwhile, mine wasn't supposed to be there. When the bill came, we were charged for all of those side orders of guac and sour cream... $2.50 a piece, 10 times over. WHAT!? Needless to say, our poor waiter was running back and forth like a madman. Good sport, considering his kitchen and all was a complete mess! Good drinks, but we'll never be back. more

I have been here several times and it never ceases to amaze me how BAD the service is. The servers mess up my order every time!!!!! It takes forever to get a drink and the music is way to LOUD inside. So loud that you can't hardly have a decent conversation. Sitting outside is OK, but the servers forget you are out there so you have to wait longer for refills, to place an order, etc. If you go there, I recommend that you order everything at once - drinks, appetizers, meal, and more drinks. Eventually, if you are lucky, most of it should eventually come out. I gave this place a try...I really did, but it's not worth returning! Pros: The pro is that Casa Vega is down the street. Cons: LOUD, BAD SERVICE, long waits, bland food more

I have been here several times and it never ceases to amaze me how BAD the service is. The servers mess up my order every time!!!!! It takes forever to get a drink and the music is way to LOUD inside. So loud that you can't hardly have a decent conversation. Sitting outside is OK, but the servers forget you are out there so you have to wait longer for refills, to place an order, etc. If you go there, I recommend that you order everything at once - drinks, appetizers, meal, and more drinks. Eventually, if you are lucky, most of it should eventually come out. I gave this place a try...I really did, but it's not worth returning! Pros: The pro is that Casa Vega is down the street. Cons: LOUD, BAD SERVICE, long waits, bland food more

Went on a Friday night, the place was crowded so we thought it would be good....WRONG!!!!! Waited for 20 minutes, not sure why when there was lots of empty tables. Waiter was soooo slow and the margaritas were horrible. When I order a mango margarita i expect it to taste like mango or at least alcohol, not watered down orange stuff.\r We ordered the queso fundito w/shrimp as an app. it had like 5 shrimps in it, not good. we were going to order dinner but decided to pass since the waiter never came back to us. Go to Casa Vega down the street, even Baja Fresh has better Mexican. Dont waste your time or money here! more

Went on a Friday night, the place was crowded so we thought it would be good....WRONG!!!!! Waited for 20 minutes, not sure why when there was lots of empty tables. Waiter was soooo slow and the margaritas were horrible. When I order a mango margarita i expect it to taste like mango or at least alcohol, not watered down orange stuff. We ordered the queso fundito w/shrimp as an app. it had like 5 shrimps in it, not good. we were going to order dinner but decided to pass since the waiter never came back to us. Go to Casa Vega down the street, even Baja Fresh has better Mexican. Dont waste your time or money here! more

Like every common Mexican restaurant, this one brings you chips and salsa, BUT the catch is you must ask for refills since they're too busy staring at their faces in the mirror. In addition, if you notice you have been seated at a table without silverware, you must ask for that too, maybe even the manager because all of the waiters are hired solely based on physical appearance. More into the bargain, if you order a cup of soup, they take it literal by bringing you the $8.00 soup in a coffee mug...an hour after your order it! If soup ain't your thing and you're in the mood for a tasty burrito, get ready for the wettest mexican dish you've ever tried to eat. And if you're still hungry and willing to wait another hour, ask one of the employees to show you a dessert menu. They'll kindly smile and ask, ""what's dessert?"" So, in all respects, DO NOT EAT AT MEXICALI. \r \r The Blunt Kunt com more

Like every common Mexican restaurant, this one brings you chips and salsa, BUT the catch is you must ask for refills since they're too busy staring at their faces in the mirror. In addition, if you notice you have been seated at a table without silverware, you must ask for that too, maybe even the manager because all of the waiters are hired solely based on physical appearance. More into the bargain, if you order a cup of soup, they take it literal by bringing you the $8.00 soup in a coffee mug...an hour after your order it! If soup ain't your thing and you're in the mood for a tasty burrito, get ready for the wettest mexican dish you've ever tried to eat. And if you're still hungry and willing to wait another hour, ask one of the employees to show you a dessert menu. They'll kindly smile and ask, "what's dessert?" So, in all respects, DO NOT EAT AT MEXICALI. The Blunt Kunt com more

Mexicali's food is very consistant. It's got a great atmosphere and a really cool outdoor patio where you can eat, drink and be merry while... more

The food at Mexicali is terrific! And the margaritas are the best! Always yummy, big and strong. I have brought many out-of-town guests here and everyone (including the in-laws) love it. The menu has something for everyone and this is a great place to bring large groups. I admit the service is sometimes lacking and it can be really noisy but the food is consistently fantastic, so that outweighs any of the negatives. Plus, you can also get take out to avoid the service and the scene. Pros: Delicious Food & Drinks Cons: So-So Service, Long Waits for Tables more

The food at Mexicali is terrific! And the margaritas are the best! Always yummy, big and strong. I have brought many out-of-town guests here and everyone (including the in-laws) love it. The menu has something for everyone and this is a great place to bring large groups. I admit the service is sometimes lacking and it can be really noisy but the food is consistently fantastic, so that outweighs any of the negatives. Plus, you can also get take out to avoid the service and the scene. Pros: Delicious Food & Drinks Cons: So-So Service, Long Waits for Tables more

I have been coming here for years, this is my ""cheers"" so to speak. Although I think the food is bland, and I know because I have eaten here many-a-time hoping something has changed, I have my stand by. The service from the waiting staff is a coin toss. For the most part, I have to admit I have not been wowed by the servers here in a long while. As for the bar tenders, that is a different story. EVERY bartender this place has ever had has been fantastic! One I would like to put a spotlight on is Dave. Not only is he the nicest guys here, but he is fair (so it doesn't matter what gender you are or how hot you are, you are getting treated like a valued guest). Everytime I come here he remembers my name, the names of my friends and our drinks. Since day one. No doubt he is one of the reasons why the bar seats are highly sought after commodities. Also, being that its the valley, the parking is free. Yes, I said FREE and plentiful. Never a bad thing! Pros: Parking, the bar tenders and the strong drinks! Cons: service at the tables, average food more

I have been coming here for years, this is my "cheers" so to speak. Although I think the food is bland, and I know because I have eaten here many-a-time hoping something has changed, I have my stand by. The service from the waiting staff is a coin toss. For the most part, I have to admit I have not been wowed by the servers here in a long while. As for the bar tenders, that is a different story. EVERY bartender this place has ever had has been fantastic! One I would like to put a spotlight on is Dave. Not only is he the nicest guys here, but he is fair (so it doesn't matter what gender you are or how hot you are, you are getting treated like a valued guest). Everytime I come here he remembers my name, the names of my friends and our drinks. Since day one. No doubt he is one of the reasons why the bar seats are highly sought after commodities. Also, being that its the valley, the parking is free. Yes, I said FREE and plentiful. Never a bad thing! Pros: Parking, the bar tenders and the strong drinks! Cons: service at the tables, average food more

Ok first the pros: the food is great here! They have the best pico de gallo out of anywhere I have ever been! Nice STRONG margaritas too. I get take-out here a lot too and it is always delicious. I probably eat here about once a week because the food is just so yummy.\r The con might only be worth reading if looking for a waiting job, as I was a few years ago here. I was interviewed for a job, and sent back to the manager's office for the second part of the interview. Don't know if the same guy is here now...large, kinda flamboyant, and very very into asking me personal questions (what does your boyfriend do? does he live with you? etc etc). I answered his questions politely and professionally only to have him say he thought they were ""sufficiently staffed"" at the end of the interview. Hello!! You could have saved me an hour of my day by telling me this from the get-go, so then I would not be subject to your nosy, creepy, intrusive, personal questions.\r Not very professional from the hiring standpoint, in my opinion.\r However, food is fantastic so though I don't wait tables there, I remain a loyal customer. Pros: terrific food Cons: creepy owner/manager guy asks personal questions during server interviews. more