Mexicali Cocina Cantina

Well, the bar does look like a cool place to hang-out and drink - just don't eat the food. The rice was hard, the chips were average (at best), the salsa sucked and my meal was tasetless. If you watch what you eat you will be disappointed you wasted your calories here. Go to Casa Vega. Pros: Decor Cons: Everything else more

Well, the bar does look like a cool place to hang-out and drink - just don't eat the food. The rice was hard, the chips were average (at best), the salsa sucked and my meal was tasetless. If you watch what you eat you will be disappointed you wasted your calories here. Go to Casa Vega. Pros: Decor Cons: Everything else more

I visited Mexicali yesterday and was worried about what I was going to get because of all the negative reviews on this page. Well, I can tell you...those naysayers are wrong! There was a group of 8 of us, we were seated promptly at a prime table and had one of the best servers I have had at any restaurant in about the past year. James was personable, attentive, and didn't give us the server ""fly by"" when we stayed more than an hour after we were done eating. And speaking of eating...our food was fantastic. It arrived in a satisfactory amount of time, it was piping hot (yes the plates come out HOT!) and it was terrific. Chips and salsa were fresh and tasty, order the Braised Beef Burrito, it has goat cheese and some other magnificient flavors inside, my friend ordered the Border Shrimp, it was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Try the infused tequila, like nectar! If you want to really enjoy a time out with friends and not be part of ""the scene"" try Mexicali in the late afternoons on the weekends. We met at 3 p.m. on a Saturday, enjoyed terrific service, decent people watching and great service. There are some ""affected"" plastic people there in the early afternoon, but they are entertaining. Plenty of free parking in the back. Give Mexicali a try or another chance, we had a great time, great food and a great server. Be sure to ask for James, you'll be glad you did. Pros: Fun atmosphere, Braised Beef Burrito & Border Shrimp, Great Parking Cons: Sometimes the plastics show up earlier than they should more

I visited Mexicali yesterday and was worried about what I was going to get because of all the negative reviews on this page. Well, I can tell you...those naysayers are wrong! There was a group of 8 of us, we were seated promptly at a prime table and had one of the best servers I have had at any restaurant in about the past year. James was personable, attentive, and didn't give us the server "fly by" when we stayed more than an hour after we were done eating. And speaking of eating...our food was fantastic. It arrived in a satisfactory amount of time, it was piping hot (yes the plates come out HOT!) and it was terrific. Chips and salsa were fresh and tasty, order the Braised Beef Burrito, it has goat cheese and some other magnificient flavors inside, my friend ordered the Border Shrimp, it was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Try the infused tequila, like nectar! If you want to really enjoy a time out with friends and not be part of "the scene" try Mexicali in the late afternoons on the weekends. We met at 3 p.m. on a Saturday, enjoyed terrific service, decent people watching and great service. There are some "affected" plastic people there in the early afternoon, but they are entertaining. Plenty of free parking in the back. Give Mexicali a try or another chance, we had a great time, great food and a great server. Be sure to ask for James, you'll be glad you did. Pros: Fun atmosphere, Braised Beef Burrito & Border Shrimp, Great Parking Cons: Sometimes the plastics show up earlier than they should more

This is not your typical mexican restaurant. The menu is comprised of many different choices with a slight twist. I wasnt a fan of goat cheese before, but after having a braised beef burrito with black beans i was sold. The service can be slow, especially on mondays when the whole menu (including drinks) is 30% off. Although they say you should call ahead of time to make reservations I found that you end up waiting still about the same amount of time (sometimes longer) than expected. Pros: easy on the pockets monday nights,extensive menu, reasonably priced & easy parking in back Cons: service lag time, bar & booth walk space is narrow and dark. more

This is not your typical mexican restaurant. The menu is comprised of many different choices with a slight twist. I wasnt a fan of goat cheese before, but after having a braised beef burrito with black beans i was sold. The service can be slow, especially on mondays when the whole menu (including drinks) is 30% off. Although they say you should call ahead of time to make reservations I found that you end up waiting still about the same amount of time (sometimes longer) than expected. Pros: easy on the pockets monday nights,extensive menu, reasonably priced & easy parking in back Cons: service lag time, bar & booth walk space is narrow and dark. more

Do yourself a favor and scratch this restaurant off your visit list! You'll be glad you did. Better go to Casa Vega, down the road for 100X's better service and food. My boyfriend and I recently dined at Mexicali and were shocked and appalled. Unfortunately, we have dined there over the past several years but this time was the worst. Maybe it's new management? But it's definitely the management! \r \r First of all, the glass table tops on the patio aren't even held in place properly. Dangerous. Secondly, the burrito's come wrapped in paper. With the RED lighting you can't even see it! Watch out. So consequently what happened to me was that when my plate was brought to me, I was warned but the glass tabletop turned and the HOT plate burned my arm. Very painful. As you probably guessed, I ate the paper around the burritio that I couldn't see. Even worse, the waiter was a complete fake and didn't care. Neither did the Manager who turned out to be the Owner (so he claimed, but wouldn't give me his card). He offered ice for the burn which I had declined because ice is not good for a burn. Then he offered aloe vera which he didn't have and still made the waiter bring ice to the table. \r \r From there it got worse. The owner offered a coupon, then some more drinks. Perhaps to make us forget. We only wanted to leave at this point. We were still expected to pay for everything. The bill was $61.38 and we left $60.00. Then the nightmare began, before we were even in the car, the waiter ran after us telling us we were horrible people and called us profanities. He also wished us a terrible Christmas. Considering a burn and ingesting paper for half a dinner, these jokers got bent over a $1.38 and what they thought was a lack of a tip. As far as I am concerned they owe us for this one! We didn't deserve this treatment and neither do you. I would not reccommend this place to anyone due to this experience. It's also non-traditional Mex. food, OVER-RATED!!!!!! Cons: The owner, management, service, food, and environment are a hazard! more

Do yourself a favor and scratch this restaurant off your visit list! You'll be glad you did. Better go to Casa Vega, down the road for 100X's better service and food. My boyfriend and I recently dined at Mexicali and were shocked and appalled. Unfortunately, we have dined there over the past several years but this time was the worst. Maybe it's new management? But it's definitely the management! First of all, the glass table tops on the patio aren't even held in place properly. Dangerous. Secondly, the burrito's come wrapped in paper. With the RED lighting you can't even see it! Watch out. So consequently what happened to me was that when my plate was brought to me, I was warned but the glass tabletop turned and the HOT plate burned my arm. Very painful. As you probably guessed, I ate the paper around the burritio that I couldn't see. Even worse, the waiter was a complete fake and didn't care. Neither did the Manager who turned out to be the Owner (so he claimed, but wouldn't give me his card). He offered ice for the burn which I had declined because ice is not good for a burn. Then he offered aloe vera which he didn't have and still made the waiter bring ice to the table. From there it got worse. The owner offered a coupon, then some more drinks. Perhaps to make us forget. We only wanted to leave at this point. We were still expected to pay for everything. The bill was $61.38 and we left $60.00. Then the nightmare began, before we were even in the car, the waiter ran after us telling us we were horrible people and called us profanities. He also wished us a terrible Christmas. Considering a burn and ingesting paper for half a dinner, these jokers got bent over a $1.38 and what they thought was a lack of a tip. As far as I am concerned they owe us for this one! We didn't deserve this treatment and neither do you. I would not reccommend this place to anyone due to this experience. It's also non-traditional Mex. food, OVER-RATED!!!!!! Pros: none Cons: The owner, management, service, food, and environment are a hazard! more

On Halloween my girlfriend and I decided to dine here. After waiting for a couple minutes for the ""hostess"" she turned around and with a very harsh and rude tone said ""WHAT"". I was so shocked that I did not know what to say. The next day, I shared my bad experience with my co-workers and one of them experienced similar service. Pros: Food Cons: Service more

On Halloween my girlfriend and I decided to dine here. After waiting for a couple minutes for the "hostess" she turned around and with a very harsh and rude tone said "WHAT". I was so shocked that I did not know what to say. The next day, I shared my bad experience with my co-workers and one of them experienced similar service. Pros: Food Cons: Service more

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, good flavorful food, moderate prices, friendly helpful service. In the evenings the place is LOUD almost brainsplittingly so, but for the yound and nervous, that energy is great. The food has seriously gone south over the last year. Tasteless black beans, overly salted pintos. Meager portions of soup (the "bowl" would be a cup anywhere else). The kitchen provides tiny almost useless amounts of sides like cilantro and cabbage (5 strands of cabbage for a soft taco plate? Clueless in the kitchen? Yes.). Flat barely flavored fajitas, greasy "roasted" vegetables that also taste flat. The only part of the meal that seemed truely authentic was the coffee. It reminded me of the sort of coffee that you came across along a remote section of Route 40 when you stopped at a dust covered souveneir mart and gas station, the coffee that has been cooking all day in a Westbend maker. Concentrated, bitter, foul. The only thing missing was a dead fly floating in it. Quite possibly the worst coffee in LA. On the plus side, the chips are good as is the salsa that is served with it. The staff in friendly and helpful, if overwhelmed. They will all be deaf in later life. There is a fun energy to the place despite the food. But hey, few people are really going there to eat. We used to be regulars and used to recommend to our friends, but can't do that now. We may stop back in a few months to see if the owners have made corrections as all of these problems are due to management decisions. But I suspect that management really doesn't care if the meals are good, just so long as the bar keeps generating money. Pros: Lost of energy at the bar, lots of happy young people Cons: Poor quality food, the worst coffee in Los Angeles (I hope) more

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, good flavorful food, moderate prices, friendly helpful service. In the evenings the place is LOUD almost brainsplittingly so, but for the yound and nervous, that energy is great.\r The food has seriously gone south over the last year. Tasteless black beans, overly salted pintos. Meager portions of soup (the ""bowl"" would be a cup anywhere else). The kitchen provides tiny almost useless amounts of sides like cilantro and cabbage (5 strands of cabbage for a soft taco plate? Clueless in the kitchen? Yes.). \r Flat barely flavored fajitas, greasy ""roasted"" vegetables that also taste flat.\r The only part of the meal that seemed truely authentic was the coffee. It reminded me of the sort of coffee that you came across along a remote section of Route 40 when you stopped at a dust covered souveneir mart and gas station, the coffee that has been cooking all day in a Westbend maker. Concentrated, bitter, foul. The only thing missing was a dead fly floating in it. Quite possibly the worst coffee in LA.\r On the plus side, the chips are good as is the salsa that is served with it. The staff in friendly and helpful, if overwhelmed. They will all be deaf in later life.\r There is a fun energy to the place despite the food. But hey, few people are really going there to eat.\r We used to be regulars and used to recommend to our friends, but can't do that now. We may stop back in a few months to see if the owners have made corrections as all of these problems are due to management decisions.\r But I suspect that management really doesn't care if the meals are good, just so long as the bar keeps generating money. Pros: Lost of energy at the bar, lots of happy young people Cons: Poor quality food, the worst coffee in Los Angeles (I hope) more

A lot of people don't like Mexicali's food. I think they are wrong. I love the food at Mexicali, especially their braised beef and rotisserie chicken. There's an extensive tequila selection, if that's your thing, but I like the Pometini. It's dark and loud inside, and while the waiters are nice to look at, they are not very good at food service. Our orders are often wrong and we are regularly ignored, but it's pretty cheap and tastey, so we don't complain and we keep going back. We almost always have to wait no matter what, but it's worth it. I recently went for lunch and found the club sandwich to be the best I have had in a while. YUM. Pros: Beef, Margaritas Cons: Service, Long waits, Loud more

A lot of people don't like Mexicali's food. I think they are wrong. I love the food at Mexicali, especially their braised beef and rotisserie chicken. There's an extensive tequila selection, if that's your thing, but I like the Pometini. It's dark and loud inside, and while the waiters are nice to look at, they are not very good at food service. Our orders are often wrong and we are regularly ignored, but it's pretty cheap and tastey, so we don't complain and we keep going back. We almost always have to wait no matter what, but it's worth it. I recently went for lunch and found the club sandwich to be the best I have had in a while. YUM. Pros: Beef, Margaritas Cons: Service, Long waits, Loud more

I hate to write a bad review since the food was really good, but I had a terrible experience at Mexicali. My party of 4 showed up around 10pm on Sunday night, we got seated quickly and all seemed well but then the waitress brought over our margaritas and one glass broke and the entire contents toppled directly into my lap, soaking my jeans. She was helpful at first but then said she'd bring over some more napkins and never came back. My boyfriend had to swipe some for me which helped a little but still left me soaked and sticky. We decided to stay since our food was going to be out in a minute and at that point I was too hungry to consider going home to change first. The waitress apologized and comped the drinks. I spoke with her afterwards and with her manager and he didn't believe me at first that I was soaked and instead of apologizing and offerring to comp the food he said there was nothing he could do and finally acquiesced and gave us some tokens for free drinks the next time we come in which is virtually useless to me because why would I want to go back? Then we waited for at least 5 or 10 minutes for the waitress to realize she hadn't brought us our check even though we'd asked her to bring it ASAP so I could get home and change. Overall, the manager was just not apologetic and did not seem to care in the least that 4 people would be leaving his resturant and never wanting to come back. Pros: good california mexican Cons: terrible service, terrible manager more

I hate to write a bad review since the food was really good, but I had a terrible experience at Mexicali. My party of 4 showed up around 10pm on Sunday night, we got seated quickly and all seemed well but then the waitress brought over our margaritas and one glass broke and the entire contents toppled directly into my lap, soaking my jeans. She was helpful at first but then said she'd bring over some more napkins and never came back. My boyfriend had to swipe some for me which helped a little but still left me soaked and sticky. \r \r We decided to stay since our food was going to be out in a minute and at that point I was too hungry to consider going home to change first. The waitress apologized and comped the drinks. I spoke with her afterwards and with her manager and he didn't believe me at first that I was soaked and instead of apologizing and offerring to comp the food he said there was nothing he could do and finally acquiesced and gave us some tokens for free drinks the next time we come in which is virtually useless to me because why would I want to go back?\r \r Then we waited for at least 5 or 10 minutes for the waitress to realize she hadn't brought us our check even though we'd asked her to bring it ASAP so I could get home and change. Overall, the manager was just not apologetic and did not seem to care in the least that 4 people would be leaving his resturant and never wanting to come back. Pros: good california mexican Cons: terrible service, terrible manager more

This place has to be one of the worst restaurants that I've been to in years!! I came for a business meeting of four. Sat outside, an because the tables are so small...we had to push 2 tables together to seat 4 people. At that very moment the manager rushed over to our area as if there was a fire on the patio, Screaming ""What are you doing!""...""You cant just push my tables around!"".He went on for another 5 minutes explaining how much business they had, and why they needed the tables. Only to find that after an hour had passed, no one ever sat there!! From dirty glasses,To horrid service!! This place gets a BIG FAT ""ZERO"". Pros: The bartender made a nice drink. Cons: The glass was dirty!!! more

This place has to be one of the worst restaurants that I've been to in years!! I came for a business meeting of four. Sat outside, an because the tables are so small...we had to push 2 tables together to seat 4 people. At that very moment the manager rushed over to our area as if there was a fire on the patio, Screaming "What are you doing!"..."You cant just push my tables around!".He went on for another 5 minutes explaining how much business they had, and why they needed the tables. Only to find that after an hour had passed, no one ever sat there!! From dirty glasses,To horrid service!! This place gets a BIG FAT "ZERO". Pros: The bartender made a nice drink. Cons: The glass was dirty!!! more

We live in the area, and used to love Mexicali. The service and wait has always been miserable. But now the food has gone south of the border as well. Over the past few months, we've had worse and worse experiences with their food. Maybe the chef changed, or they've lowered the quality of the food to save money. I dunno. It's sad. Definately don't order anything with chicken in it. The enchiladas and even the rotisserie chicken was dry and flavorless. Yuck... Pros: Loud, moody, dark atmosphere Cons: Terrible, overpriced food. Long wait. Poor service. more

We live in the area, and used to love Mexicali. The service and wait has always been miserable. But now the food has gone south of the border as well. Over the past few months, we've had worse and worse experiences with their food. Maybe the chef changed, or they've lowered the quality of the food to save money. I dunno. It's sad. Definately don't order anything with chicken in it. The enchiladas and even the rotisserie chicken was dry and flavorless. Yuck... Pros: Loud, moody, dark atmosphere Cons: Terrible, overpriced food. Long wait. Poor service. more