Nice garden. Enchiladas with leeks, onions and grilled corn were missing one thing- grilled corn. They brought some over after I alerted the waitress. Six Point beer was out of stock so they comped me a Negro Modelo- nice touch. Rice and beans also fresh tasting- but where is the umphhhhhhh. Food was fine overall, but lacked real Mexican espice! read more

Meh, here's the thing, I don't like 'classy Mexican food'. I feel like the best Mexican always comes from those little honky little restaurants with bad lighting and uncomfortable chairs. So yeah, I'm not the hugest Calexico fan because the decor is too nice, like it's trying too hard to be charming. But also- I've had the tacos here and they weren't too exciting. The fish taco had too much tortilla around it, ya know? Gringo was delicious- not sure what that says about my taste. Margs are just okay, a little pricey. A nice place for a cheap date, but an eh, "it's-in-the-neighborhood-I-guess-we'll-eat-here" kind of place. read more

One of my go to Mexican restaurants in the neighborhood. The atmosphere is great and the food never disappoints. My favorite thing is to sit in the backyard on a sunny day and sip Frozen margaritas. read more

Delicious quesadillas-- might consider their rolled chicken quesadilla one of the few things I could eat every day forever. I used to eat their burritos on my work break back when they were only a food cart. read more

I can't say enough good things about Calexico. This place seriously knows how to make California-Mexican food! I have some friends that live nearby their Greenpoint location and everytime we go out near their apartment I always want to eat here! The guacamole is fabulous, I would highly recommend it. Flavorful but simple. I would recommend ordering anything with the chipotle "crack" sauce on it. I honestly want to buy some of this sauce to use at home. I've gotten both the fish tacos and bean burrito, both are delicious. Portions are very filling and well worth the money. It's definitely a reasonably priced place. This location is often busy, but you can always get a drink at the bar while you wait. Might I recommend the $5 shot and a beer deal? Not super classy but it gets the night off to a good start ;) read more

I come here once a month-- I don't normally seat at the seating area more by the bar or the window spot. Mostly any time I come in it's packed and I can always find a spot with my friends at the bar. The bartenders are pretty cool and they make the drinks perfectly. If i could rate the bar area alone I would give it 5 stars. One of my friends recently wanted to go and she wanted a table-- there was a bit of a wait but nothing out of the norm. The waitress was beyond rude!! Took forever to get our water-- So I decided to ease her work load and head to the bar to order our drinks and pay from them at the bar so we wouldn't have to spend another 30 mins on that. The food took a long time to come out and it was cold. We didn't want to cause a problem since we knew nothing would change. The waitress looked like she doesn't like her job-- and this I can tell from previous experience I have seen her scream at a couple of people. I don't understand why the manager still keeps her around. The cherry on top was when she charged us for the drinks that I paid for at the bar!!! I told her that I went myself to get them and she called me a liar and that I was responsible for paying for my entire order--- Beyond rude.. I paid for the meal and the drinks i had at the and also left the receipt from the drinks i got at the bar. HORRIBLE! She should be signed up to a Customer Service class or just switch her job. Said that Calexico has to get a bad review based on the service of one waitress. read more

The food was average. I had it delivered. It was pretty land. I got some kind of burrito. It was a big portion but I didn't enjoy the quality. read more

Rob Roy was probably a guy who drank a lot of Scotch. Actually wikipedia says he was indeed a Scottish folk hero with a last name of MacGregor. I guess that name didn't roll off the drunken tongue. At Calexico they serve this drink with a bit of Tamarind and bitters. It's quite good. That with guac and chips make an excellent appetizer while waiting for your table. The hostess sold us on various types of tacos, and she was rather persuasive in her story. Eventually we gave up waiting and decided to order at the bar. Quickly I ordered up some rice & beans, with a tofu taco & cactus one too. These huge humungous tacos came out and I realized I ordered too much. Well have to eat 'em anyway I guess. The place has great food and great drinks, definitely stop by if you're on the edge of greenpoint! read more

I work in the neighborhood, so this is a lunch review! Working in the Nassau area of Greenpoint leaves one with one or two great lunch options and a handful of tolerable ones. I'm glad that Calexico opened up for lunch. The plantain chips with chipotle peanut sauce were gratis, and they were a welcome surprise. I never would have thought of the two flavors together in that sauce and they're really delicious. It sounds like one of those things you see someone make on a cooking show but never get to actually try... The burrito was delicious, and the house fries were some of the best fries I've had. I wish there was a lunch special combo with smaller portions for a few dollars less. If there was, I'd be back here for lunch a lot more often. For now, it's when I want to treat myself, but you can be assured that if there's a lunch combo I'd make it one of my once a week spots. read more

The boyfriend and I were visiting my best friends, and we stopped in for tacos before hitting a bar. They were meh. To be fair, we're from the Bay Area, and we're used to El Molino and El Farolito, and these tacos just don't compare. They weren't terrible, they were just very bland. The bartender was very nice though :) read more

Did I smother my mushroom-y quesadilla in crack sauce? Did I devour yet another elote, after swearing off cheesy corn because I look like I'm conducting some sort of ancient animal sacrifice? Did I relish every artery-constricting moment of it? Yes yes yes. Did I get told I would be seated in 30 minutes and wait nearly an hour? Also yes. Long waits and paying twice as much as I would in Arizona kills me. Mexican food in New York, get yourself together so I can stop ordering Thai takeout every other day and stuff my face with burritos and tacos and guacamole instead. read more

We were looking for a place for some good Nachos....instead we found a place with outrageous nachos. Sat at the bar...had excellent service....drinks were awesome and the Nachos con carne asado estaba saboroso! Definitvamente nos vamos a regresar! The place was hoppin on a Saturday night! The mint lemonade was really good too! Would highly recommend Calexico and will be back! read more

Calexico - Greenpoint - Mexican Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Visited a couple of days ago for the first time. Love the ambience. Love the service. Love the food. Will be back to check again. read more

After suffering repeated blows to my gastrointestinal system at the hands of the pathetic excuse of a Mexican joint known as Papacitos, I was excited and relieved to hear about the opening of Calexico in Greenpoint. Wary of being burned to the tune of fifty or so bucks, I waited a few weeks before venturing in and seeing what all the fuss was about. I'm happy to report that Greenpoint has a new king of Mexican food. When my ladyfriend and I arrived at 9:30pm on a Sunday, we were surprised to find a throng of well-dressed 25-35s milling about in the open area near the bar. Fearful of a long wait time, even at this late hour, we were unsurprised to be given a 25m wait time. The host informed us that the bar was first-come, fist-served, and that we could eat there if we wanted. Since the couple on the end was signing their bill, we figured why not. It was late on Sunday and I had to get up at the ass-crack of dawn. We quickly order a pair of delicious margaritas and got to work on the menu. Mercifully limited in size and yet full of creative dishes, the menu was surprisingly inexpensive. The long wait at the nearby take-out counter suggested that the locals weren't afraid to shell out for some solid late night grub. We ordered two tacos a piece as well as a side of plantains. Before long, a bowl of plantain chips arrived, briefly confusing us. Soon enough, our tacos and proper plantains arrived. The plantains themselves were perhaps the low point of the evening: sweet and warm, they lacked any truly memorable qualities. The tacos on the other hand, were absolutely delicious. I cannot recommend the Baja Fish taco enough. My carnivorous companion gave top marks to the beef and pulled pork tacos. Another pair of margaritas later and we were on our way. While I'm not sure I received the full Calexico experience (on account of eating at the bar), I nevertheless feel qualified to give Calexico my full support. Scrumptious food, a lovely atmosphere, and an attentive wait staff made my first trip here world spreading the word about. EDIT: Since writing this review, I have since visited Calexico no less than a half-dozen times. Several months down the road, Celexico continues to be great. I've tried most of what's on the menu, and only the corn quesadilla has disappointed me The new back garden is sparse but pleasant. read more

Popped in for a bite and a beer and it is damn good. Most of the dishes looked great but I went for enchiladas. Portion size was great and the meat was tender but what really makes it (and most of the entrees, from what I can tell) is their house made sauces. The salsas and red and green sauces were phenomenal. I'd order them by the gallon if I could. Beer selection is solid and moderately priced and the interior is charming without being pretentious. read more

Ok, let me start off that if you order a pollo asado bowl you should at least get tostadas, chips or something to recompénsate for the crispy bowl you cannot get because of a take out. Second, I have never heard of a burrito not containing guacamole. Let me also add too salty! All four orders were too salty. read more

The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars (and the only reason we don't go more often) is because they severely overcharge for margaritas and side condiments. We know the prices in Greenpoint (we live two blocks away) and we're fine with shelling out some extra cash for quality food, but $9 for a rock glass of margarita and $1 for a side of sour cream that should come with the meal... well, that's just a new level of price-gouging. Even though their margaritas are "real", not the gross mix kind, they should be a full pint size for that price. The bartenders and take out counter staff are stellar. All of them. Real quality, friendly professionals. There used to be a very eager hostess who would attack you at the door with an ear to ear smile, but I think that's because there was a hovering manager who was constantly scoping the staff for perfection. He tried not to show customers, but I could see he was overbearing. Fortunately, I haven't seen him or the hostess the last few times. The food always falls in the good range, but fluctuates from pretty good to very good. They make a tofu asado burrito for me, even though it's not on the menu, and I appreciate that a great deal. My husband and our friends have enjoyed every meal ordered, but all our local friends feel the same about the prices. They only eat here when the mood strikes to blow some money. I will say, Calexico food has a unique taste that puts it in a separate category from most Mexican food. That's probably what makes them so popular (so loud and crowded on weekends that we do take out if it's fri-sun). So, there are times when I'm "craving Calexico"; not craving Mexican food... craving Calexico. read more

Came in here on a Friday night with some friends to get some grub before a night of drinking. Ordered the carne fries, some tacos, and a big ol' burrito. Everything tasted fantastic. The service was A++, and the food seemed come out as soon as I was done ordering. One of the best tacos I've had in the city. read more

Why do people love this place???!!! I don't get it!!! It's just not good. Plus, it's such a lame wanna be cool scene in there it's like a joke. If that's the scene you want go around the corner to Five Leaves where you can at least have some good food to go along with your hype. And the crack sauce--mayonnaise with chipotle. Nothing special, move along read more

Chips and guac. A pollo burrito. Extra crack sauce. Oh, sorry, I thought this is where you order. Review stands. read more

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants--a weekly stop even. But over time the prices have gone way up while the quality/quantity has gone way down. I think today is probably my last straw. The formerly fat fish taco was instead a skimpy embarrassment. One tiny piece of fish literally dwarfed by the 6 inch tortilla. What a shame--I really did love this place. read more

Calexico - Greenpoint - Miles of tortilla, inch of fish. - Mexican Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I am a huge fan of mexican food and this restaurant is by far my favorite!..The corn on the cob is a must..my entire table ordered them. The guacamole was pretty good also. For dinner I ordered the pork quesadilla, it was a large portion and came with their "crack" sauce which is a little spicy and absolutely delicious! If you like spicy try their jalapeño mojito! Overall the prices are inexpensive and the service was great! Can't wait to return! read more

Spending a night in the city with my bestest of friends, I let her have the pick of places that we will visit for food, drink, and generalized merriment. Trusting her best judgement, I let her take me from the Upper East Side to Greenpoint for Mexican food. I am fairly sure we could've stopped at about 75 places in between for Mexican, but this was the place she was raving about. This place was awesome, and if I lived in the neighborhood it would easily become a regular go-to spot. The food was outstanding. The guacamole was perfectly done to my liking, with delicious homemade chips that were plentiful. The chipotle pork quesadilla was mouthwatering good. My friend kept insisting I get it, and I was going to try something else, but dang I'm glad I didn't. I was nice and crisp on the outside, with warm gooey cheese, perfectly seasoned pork, and hints of crunchy tangy pickled onion mixed in. Phenomenal. I would love to go back to try their other meats. The drink I got--Jalapeno mint margarita--was also perfect. I was very happy with my selection: quite spicy, with the hit of fresh mint and pretty generous on the tequila. The mango margarita my friend had was too sweet for my liking, but if you like sweet, it was good. Other little things that made this place great: cool relaxed atmosphere, carton of hot sauces on the table, cheap food (honestly was surprised by how affordable it was for a generous portion), and attentive service. Does not take reservations and can get crowded, but easy to wait at the bar with one of those amazing margaritas. NEED to come back. read more

I haven't been this excited about a burrito in a long time, so thank you Calexico for showing me that Mexican food ain't just about the chimichangas, enchiladas, and fajitas. I got the pork burrito and it was perfection. A rich flavor, lots of meat, perfectly cooked rice, great sauce that oozed everywhere, and just enough cheese...this is what sueños are made of. At $12, it's not exactly cheap but neither is it a rip-off, though the undressed tortilla chips that came alongside the burrito were a bit of a let down. Oh! Also the fries I stole from my friend's plate were delicious, mmm. I would love to go back and try some cocktails when I'm feeling less cheap and possibly try more items from the menu although I really just want that pork burrito again--don't judge! read more

*Review based on take out experience only in Greenpoint location* TL;DR: Not horrible, but also not great especially given the price range. High price alert. A $13 burrito? I understand it's NYC, but are you for real? This place is not even in Manhattan ($13 typically would have given me at least a burrito with guac even in Manhattan), and $4 just for a side of guac? what is that about? ($4 would have given me a taco). Someone should recheck the logic/reasoning behind the price point. So I opted for the fish burrito only w/o the guac. I was hoping that given the price it would better be something that blew me away. Unfortunately, it didn't. While I can appreciate the the huge burrito portion and the perfectly cooked fish, somehow my taste bud failed to notice the crack sauce which supposedly come with the burrito. I felt the slaw that was inside the burrito overpowered the existence of the sauce. Overall, OK burrito, but nothing too memorable. Anyhow, not sure I'd return back to this place for my Tex-Mex fixings, especially since there are Tex-Mex places with much better food and much lesser price. read more

Stopped in after dance class for a drink the other day and this place was busyyyyy. Luckily the bar area is open for grabs and we found 4 seats. I had their frozen margarita and it was so good - so good I am pretty sure I got 3 brain freezes sucking it down. Haha I didn't order food but my friends did and it looked great. I did try a bit of the guacamole and it was delicious. Also - all the good came out lighting fast. It was pretty impressive. I can't wait to come back and try that fish taco.... Looked so good. read more

Great late night meal. We arrived to our hotel pretty late at night and were looking forward to venturing out and grabbing a bite to eat before settling in. Our hotel gave us a list of restaurants in the area, but a lot of them were already closed (it was about midnight and by the time we would get anywhere it would be after). We short listed to the few options we had available and decided on Calexico. Not sure if we were extremely hungry or tired from the flight, but had a great experience here with good food and good service! The restaurant was pretty busy for the time with most of it's tables full. They had a bunch of drink specials going as well. We stuck to mainly food and the standout for us was the Elote - grilled sweet corn with a lime mayo, sour cream, cilantro, chile powder and cheese. We had a similar dish at another restaurant also in Brooklyn (never had/seen it outside of NYC before!) but this one was our favourite. read more

I really can't say too much good nor bad about Calexico - it was just A-OK, as the three-star review implies. The feel of the restaurant, both in terms of the staff and the clientele, is very Brooklyn; maybe that sounds like a stereotypical cop-out, but for someone who lives in one of the other boroughs, traveling to many parts of Brooklyn can feel a lot farther away than a couple miles, to which I'm sure many people can relate. The drinks were solid, especially the cucumber/grapefruit soda drink I tried. The food was good, but not great; with Mexican food especially, I feel like the restaurants that don't differentiate themselves with great food, whether it be based on authenticity, unique dishes, taste, or otherwise, just blend together. That is exactly how I felt leaving Calexico. If I was in the mood for Mexican and was not in the area, I certainly wouldn't consider coming to Calexico again, but in that moment, leaving TØRST and craving Mexican food, it was the perfect fit. read more

I don't write a whole lot of reviews, but I just looked at Calexico's Yelp page, and I am enraged over the 3.5* rating. And I see some people wrote that Chipotle is better? Shame on you! Calexico is amazing. You can taste the lime and the cilantro in the guacamole - it is fresh and delicious. After I'm done with a burrito bowl, I feel happy. Chipotle licks Calexico's dirty ass!!! read more

A pretty trendy and happening spot considering it's located on a block that's still predominately Polish trying to hold onto their roots. I noticed that not all customers ate here. Some came in just to drink and socialize at the bar. I was told that it 's usually busy here so we were lucky that we didn't have to wait long for a table. The guac/chips were good. The corn was AMAZING! The pollo verde was really good but I thought the chicken was a tad dry. Prices were reasonable. Overall I really enjoyed my meal. read more

Man I really wanted to like my experience. I got there and was greeted by 2 very nice greeters who told me it would be about a 1/2 hour wait which was perfect since I wanted to go to the bar anyway. It was a bit crowded but the crowd was very chill. My girl and I got the text that our table was ready in about 20 or so minutes. We had a very nice waitress who just had a calm about her so, so far so good. We ordered the chips with guacamole to start. After eating the dip we still had a bunch of chips left and one of the busboys asks to remove the plate which we said no. This dude walks away and then after like 30 seconds walks past our table and swipes the chips from the table. Who does that? But whatever, worse things in life than someone taking my chips. My girl got the Pork Grits and I got the the fish tacos and watercress salad. The grits were way to salty and we really should have said something but didn't. She was eating it not me but I tried it and yes it was very salty. My tacos were okay, not great. I've had better but whatever. The salad was amazing. So I'm eating from my sale bowl and granted there wasn't much in the bowl but the fork is literally in my mouth and this same busboy walks up to our table and grabs my bowl while my fork is in my mouth. I looked at him like 'what he hell are you doing?' and he then put it down. What's up with this guy? That kind of ruined it for us and at that point we were over the place. I don't know if it was the manager or whatever but some other guy came to us clearing our table and asked how was everything. I didn't want to be a dick but he asked so I told him about the chips and that one of our dishes was really salty. I really said it in a way that wasn't offensive at all but this guy acted like he was annoyed like why was I telling him this. Next five minutes this guy drops a plate of chips on our table and walks away without saying anything, like we were complaining or something. I said we don't need chips now since we're done eating and again I'm trying to be nice since there's far worse things in life but he didn't really seem interested at all. The waitress came by and wrapped the chips up for us, she was very nice so that saved the night and hence the 2 stars but between the bus boy and the salty food plus the weird chip thing, I'm not sure I'd come back, maybe for drinks. Note to anyone who's a server, ask before you take someones plate, don't just take it or make people feel like they have a crazy time limit. I understand if people are lingering for an hour with nothing on their table and it's crowded but we were there no more than a 1/2 hour or less. Also, if you ask your table how was everything? Listen to them and value their feedback. There's a difference between people who are looking for something for free and people who are simply giving you an answer to your question. If you can't handle constructive criticism don't ask those kinds of questions. FYI, the chips they gave us I made sure to give it to a homeless person so at least that happened. read more

I've been coming to this place since high school and it's always been such a friendly vibe here. You guys made sure I didn't drink alcohol till I was 21 years old which I hated but you were only doing your job I suppose. I love all your food and the vibe. It's a pretty white neighborhood and I always worried I'd be discriminated but nah, you guys are genuinely awesome. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars, and I know everyone's figured as much that this would happen but your fries have shrunk. Your plates are getting smaller and your prices are going higher and that's not cool. What's next? Cashless payments? Please don't succumb to everyone's foolish ways of awesome chain restaurants being cheap skates. Your my last hope! Thanks! read more

Walked into this little Mexican joint on a Monday afternoon and it definitely exceeded my expectations. Although I didn't get to taste the drinks (on the clock) they had some very intriguing combinations of cocktails. I ordered the gingro bowl (not on the menu) and couldn't have been more satisfied. The service was great. Our waitress was very attentive. Overall, great experience, great food. Will definitely be back when I'm off the clock. ;) read more

I generally spend my days living in Greenpoint wishing that our brand new Calexico was actually a brand new brooklyn Chipotle location. That said, the food is decent (if not slightly overpriced) and the drink specials, beer list is tight. Like others have said, service is horrible, get the opinion that people working in the front of house are just doing it to somehow develop their street creds, and if that occasionally coincides with getting your order in under a half hour so be it I guessssss. UPDATE: four stars now mostly due to roommate's convincing, ""Hey, this isnt mexico, i'm glad it exists" -Jeff read more

I have many West Coast friends that say they can't eat Mexican or Latin food in NY. While Calexico doesn't completely sway these West Coast naysayers, they are certainly a step in the right direction. I've been to Calexico on lunch dates, for dinner, late night, with small groups and large groups (difficult, but we went late night and they accommodated us by putting together a bunch of tables in the back), and the service has always been consistently good. The food has also always been above average. I've eaten or shared most of the menu there now and I have to say - STICK TO THE TACOS. They are really, really good. Unfortunately, the rest of the menu is somewhat middle of the road/above average. I discovered this after raving about this place to many of my friends, and they would order the burritos or enchiladas, and I have to say, they were disappointing (but only after considering how good the tacos were). Some of their apps are good as well although slightly pricey for elote corn ($4) and guacamole ($8). They cater to the American palate and also offer sandwiches which are good, but when I go to Calexico, all I want are the tacos! They have a long bar which you can eat at, and a good selection of mixed drinks as well. I'm not too big on sweet drinks, so you can ask that they make your drink a little less sweet if you share my preference. All in all, definitely worth going to if you are nearby, worth going a little out of your way, but maybe not as a destination unless you want to eat a dozen tacos ;p read more

I've been here quite a few times. The service is always on point, and their chips and guac are very reasonable and they also give you extra chips when you order a burrito. The burritos are enormous and very filling. I do have to say that the burritos have been poorly constructed the three times I've come here. The meat never seems to be evenly distributed, and when I've ordered the chipotle pork burrito, there was not much pork to be found and it was quite bland. As for the carne asada, it was much better and more flavorful, however some pieces were very tough, and chewy. Overall it is not a bad place, but to be honest for the same quality you can go across the street to la nortena and spend much less for the same amount of food and free chips/salsa. read more

So someone said we should come here and try the chipotle pork quesadillas.... excellent choice! We started with the nachos. I'm not a big fan of most quesos ... this was velvety and flavorful. Layers of toppings.. perfect. read more

I had the most magical night at Calexico. Gene is a cocktail GENEius who can create whimsical frozen cocktails from anything on the menu. Great food, good vibes, open late night. Good veg options for the carnivorous challenged like myself. I really can't ask for more from a neighborhood spot. read more

Calexico - Greenpoint - Mexican Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Finally tried this place on the suggestion of several friends. Let me begin by saying I'm a burrito snob from the SF Bay Area, where the true concept of the burrito reigns supreme (and the super burrito was invented). I generally don't like burritos in NYC. Tacos are what I get when I get Mexican food, but burritos always fail to impress me here. That being said, this place makes one of the best burritos I've had in NYC. It's a sloppy mess of beans and rice and meat that have all been seasoned and stewed before being combined into a tortilla. Is it a little pricey? Yes. Is everything in this area overpriced? Just about. Deal with it. You moved to the most expensive city in the US. You should be used to it by now. And at $8 for a burrito, it's not even that overpriced. Is it the best Mexican food I've ever had? No. But it's more passable than that crap they reheat out of bags at Endless Summer, and it's about $4 cheaper than the equally passable food from Taco Chulo, my other neighborhood fave. i can't speak for the wine, as I would never expect much ordering cheap wine from a Mexican Joint. That reviewer should probably try getting Mexican beverages with their Mexican food next time. I also can't speak for the tacos, as this place was supposed to have the best burritos in the area, and that's what i've been looking for. There are plenty of good tacos around here. Show these guys some love, and i'll bet you'll be pleasantly surprised. read more

Underwhelming. The baja fresh tacos @ $4 each were bland and unappetizing. They were topped with fresh mango, which was of course tasty. The crack sauce lent some additional flavor, but it wasn't enough. I didn't finish them. I instead finished my boyfriend's carne asada burrito ($8), which was pretty good. The chipotle wings were ok, nothing special. At $8 it wasn't a very good value. The part of the meal that genuinely upset me were the rice and beans. The portion was small and they tasted like they were washed with water, completely tasteless,. They were just $3, so I wasn't that upset when I threw it in the trash. I ordered take out, but when I showed up at 8:30 on a Fri night, it was a shitshow. Crowded and loud. The staff kept asking me to move out of the way bc there wasn't much space. Will not go back. read more