I've been to this Calexico location a total of 3 times, twice with my friends, and tonight, with my parents. The first two times I've been, I've ordered the burrito bowl- the first time, I got the shrimp, and the second time, I got the ground beet bowl, which uses marinated soy protein instead of beef. Tonight, I ended up going a different route and ordering the Baja fish burrito, which was a decision I was happy I made! Even though it came out hot, and even with the wet ingredients in the burrito, the fish remained crispy. The mango salsa wasn't overpowering, and complimented the whole thing really nicely. It's also one of the slightly cheaper sit-down restaurant options in the area, which, for the quality of the food, is an amazing deal. Everything is also always so flavorful. I ended up trying the sangria tonight as well, which had great flavor and wasn't too strong. It's garnished with an orange slice on top, which is a slightly different presentation, but the taste was good, and it was nice to have a little sweet treat at the end! Every time I've been here, the service has been quick with no issues. I'm also impressed by how friendly the staff is- everyone from the host, to the waiters, to the people who clean up do a great job at making everyone feel welcome. It's also not a very loud restaurant, which I'm a fan of. Just a tip, though, like many other NYC restaurants, it gets crowded at peak times, but if you go at a slightly off hour, it'll be easier to get a table. They also accept reservations, which is always useful! I plan on coming back many more times to try more things. read more

Stopped by on a Saturday for brunch. It was delicious! Service was 5 stars. Brunch menu was so good, I can't wait to be back in NYC to try their other menu items. Brunch cocktails are 2x1, they have a beer and a shot for $11. What more can you ask for! They even played the Premier League game on their TVs for me and my friend to watch! Thank you Calexico for the nice vibe on a Saturday morning. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

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Let me start by saying everyone was nice, but nice does not cut it anymore. What happened to free chips and salsa? $9 for 20 chips? While the green salsa was delish the red salsa tastes store bought from a jar, seriously! I really paid $9?? I "upgraded" to a "grande margarita" that was the size of a small glass completely filled with ice for $20???? That's when shock set in. I picked the wrong place for Mexican tonight. Everyone was nice, inside vibe was cute, service was mediocre (was never even asked about a second margarita), food was ok, overall nothing to return for! Not at all impressed with the menu. I wanted something new, tried something new and won't be back unfortunately. Not worth the prices, so many other options. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Chips & Salsa - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

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I love Mexican/Tex-Mex, and I enjoyed my first dinner at Calexico. The chips & guacamole were yummy. My only problem, is it's addictive and then it's hard not to be full when my main course arrives. The veggie quesadilla was delicious. I added caramelized onions and cotija cheese. I think I have found my new favorite veggie quesadillas. The black bean burrito was also very good. The noise level was pretty loud but, I will definitely be a return customer. read more

My wife and I were walking to see if there was anything around to eat. We walked upon this nice little quaint Mexican food place that we felt we can pop into and see what it was like. It was a nice little place and their menu items were limited for a Mexican food establishment. The gentleman that served was nice and came back to check on us during our meal. The food was decent. They didn't have a chicken breast alternative for the pollo asado tacos and salad. My wife does not eat any other chicken meat besides chicken breast meat. No big deal. She ordered the shrimp instead. The drinks were very expensive for the amount you get. I would say the size of the glass was a 8oz high ball glass with ice, I would say you got 4oz of a margarita for 17 dollars. I am used to 16 oz margaritas for 10 bucks. But that is west coast drinking. The tacos were tasty. Good size. 7 dollars a piece a la carte. And what is this business of not getting any chips and salsa at the table. The charge was 9 dollars for a small basket with a small side of salsa with no refills. Wasn't having it. Then the bill came. For the two of us, with my wife ordering a drink and salad. I ordered two tacos with a side of rice and a drink, the bill came to over 90 dollars with tax and tip What is with the taxes New York State Tax New York City Tax Oh, a Specialty Tax (what is that) 3% charge for using your card You can see we were surprised and not pleased. I heard from more than one local resident, if you want really good Mexican food it is not on the Upper East side of Manhattan. We will keep looking read more

A very nice atmosphere with great service, good music, and fresh food. I like their shrimp tacos, chicken enchiladas, and steak fajitas. read more

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There was literally a piece of plastic inside my food. The plastic says CO2 and you can see then end of the word "toxic".....insane. DO NOT EAT HERE. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - The piece of plastic inside - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

I'm a big fan of the vegeterian Cali-Style burrito with black beans. It has guacamole, secret sauce, chili-cilantro fries, Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo served in a warm flour tortilla. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

this is my second time coming here and this is what $24 looks like... I asked for chips on the side and they gave me a big bowl of chips and not even an ounz of everything else. After i said its not acceptable, they took the order back to the kitchen and just put everything in a smaller bowl. I asked for a full bowl of everything and just the chips on the side in a smaller bowl they did the complete opposite. I will be giving the food away and never come back this is your sign. and look at the owners responses to 1 star reviews, not a slight pinch of accountability. read more

Nice place for good quality Tex-Mex food. The music is loud the drinks are strong and the servers and hostesses super friendly. It was our first time and they treated us like regulars. Very enjoyable experience. They run specials at happy hour prices every night. The spicy passion fruit margarita was a bit too salty but still drinkable. We had the queso fundido, tacos, steak fajitas and everything was good quality and size. The only downside was the tortillas that came with the fajitas because they came very cold and unprotected so they got even colder in just a few seconds. Seem like a great place to celebrate a birthday or go during happy our too. read more

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there was a mouse running around. mediocre service, food is ok but prices are way too high for average mexican. $15 marg is crazy. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

I stumbled upon this place and went in for a drink.. naturally I get jalapeño poppers and Queso as well as a margarita. I didn't enjoy the queso so much. I should have stuck with guacamole but I do love spicy so I wanted to try the queso! I'm also not too much of a fan of cheese so this one could have just been me. The margarita was phenomenal. A perfect blend of spicy and tequila. The ambiance is cute as well. A traditional taco spot with a pretty bar and the music was at a perfect volume playing your traditional music. I came in here solely for a margarita and they did not disappoint. Service was also A1. Thank you! read more

The black bean quesadilla was amazing. Didn't care much for the cold/stale feeling chips. The staff is great and super attentive!!! read more

Ordered takeout from them tonight, mind you I've been a customer for years. One of the items was not delivered and when I called to try to find out what the situation was all I got was an attitude from the asshole guy that picked up the phone. He then told me to call GrubHub and hung up. Nice customer service, especially for a regular customers. Might have to take a break from them. There's plenty of other Mexican restaurants to go to up here. read more

Perfect little lunch spot. Stopped in today for a salad and a glass of rosé and it was the perfect summer lunch on a hot day in July.. read more

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Delightful ambiance. Exemplary service. Good comfort food. Fun place to be-- and I appreciated the numerous hot sauce options. read more

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Went here years ago for some drinks and taco burrito things. All was really good and so was the service. Ambiance was fun and lively. No issues getting a table. read more

Came for an impromptu dinner on a Monday and the vibes were great. We were seated quickly and the service was fast and very good. We started with the chips and salsa and chips and guac. Kind of annoying that chips and salsa don't just come but nevertheless both salsas were very good. The guacamole was also great and both portions were substantial. For our mains we got the chicken burrito bowl and the barbacoa quesadilla. The burrito bowl was lacking in flavor. The barbacoa quesadilla was delicious and very flavorful especially because of the carmelized onions. If I come back, I'm getting the quesadilla. read more

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If you want authentic Mexican- this is not your spot. However if you want some NYC Tex Mex with great service and a great atmosphere, this is a great local place. Every time my family goes, everyone is happy, full and content. read more

Great spot to grab a casual lunch/dinner with drinks in the neighborhood! I've had the chicken enchiladas as well as their bowls with carnitas. The interior is on the dimmer side, but modern and casual. read more

We have ordered delivery tacos many times. I always get the fish tacos. This time they substituted chicken or perhaps rat. The receipt still claimed Baja fish which it obviously was not and could not have been an honest mistake. Beware. read more

I came here for dinner on a weeknight. This is a perfectly fine Mexican spot if you're in the area. There's nothing particularly special about it and the service is a little slow, but the food is solid. read more

The margs on the rocks were good. The food was weak sauce. Sorry, New York, do better with tex mex. read more

Delish! And memorable, especially their special sauce! Love it with their hearty quesadillas. Great, friendly and helpful service! Warm, and inclusive atmosphere, always a good time! read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

Eaten here (UES) and also had their delivery. I have to think they have phenomenal management here because employees are all friendly, cooks do a fantastic job and delivery service so reliable and without lots of fees. Please keep up the good work!! read more

I happened upon Calexico during a walk and wanted to try it out! At first, I thought the prices were a tad steep, but I'm really glad I tried it out because I discovered an incredible lunch special along the way. Service: Amazing!! The servers are kind, knowledgeable, and helpful. No notes, as they say in the theater... hahaha but in all seriousness, the service was lovely from start to finish! Ambience: Also lovely! The inside has a very funky unique vibe, but I opted to sit outside because the weather was so great. I love the teals and tans in the color scheme. Food: My amazing server (arg I wish I got her name!!) was the best. They have 2 lunch specials, the first being any two tacos you want plus rice, beans, guacamole, and chips; the second being a sort of beer + burrito combo. It's not on the menu, but she offered up the information as soon as I sat! I got the taco lunch combo for $14 which I thought was a great value for what I got. The tacos were top tier (I tried the Barbacoa and the Fried Chicken tacos). The fried chicken taco made me say "wow" out loud. Such a great combo of flavors. The barbacoa was juicy and flavorful as well -- delish! Also, their chipotle buttermilk ranch is one of the best sauces I've ever had in my life. I would drink it... if that was socially acceptable haha! Ask for extra (it comes on the fried chicken taco, but I'd recommend asking for more). Overall: I had an amazing experience from start to finish. Great food, great area, great place, great service--all of it! I'd highly recommend. Rating: (5 out of 5 stars) read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - The amazing lunch special - any 2 tacos, rice/beans/chips/guacamole - yum! - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

Got it -- here's a longer, harsher version of your review that still sounds natural but really drives the point home: (1 Star) Absolutely terrible experience at Calexico. I don't usually leave bad reviews, but this place truly earned it. The food was awful -- bland, overcooked, and just plain disappointing. My steak was cooked completely wrong, and no one even bothered to ask how I wanted it done in the first place. It was tough, dry, and honestly tasted like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for hours. The service was just as bad, maybe worse. Our server, who had bright orange hair, never once checked in on us the entire time we were there. We had to flag her down just to get basic service,we were asking for anything. She didn't ask how our food was, didn't offer refills. It felt like we were an inconvenience instead of paying customers. For a restaurant that charges the prices they do, you'd expect at least decent service and edible food. Instead, it was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. Between the inattentive service, terrible food, and complete lack of care, I can confidently say I will never be coming back. Save your money and go literally anywhere else -- you'll have a better meal and better service for half the price. read more

Came by after work with a group of friends for happy hour. Margaritas and draft beers are BOGO, great deal for NYC! They have a system where you order a drink and they give you a token so your second drink is free, and you can redeem it after happy hour ends. I tried the new barbacoa burrito which came with barbacoa, rice, refried beans and caramelized onions, pretty average. My friends had the nachos, elote and fajitas and enjoyed them. Service was great. Overall a nice place to stop by for some drinks and a quick meal read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

Been to Calexico multiple times and it's either really good or just decent. The tacos were amazing the first time I went with a variation of hot sauces available. Great for happy hour drinks as well. Service is great with attentive staff. Spacious as well, relatively easy to get a table any time or any day. The most recent time I visited, I ordered the chicken enchiladas. Although they looked beautiful, the ingredients didn't taste too fresh which was slight disappointing. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Chicken Enchiladas - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

I'm finding it hard to believe that I have never reviewed this place before as I used to live in the neighborhood and have been here a gazillion times. Since moving out of the area, my parents have moved in the area and I was recently in town visiting them. GF met up with me and I decided to bring her here as I have fond memories of this place. I would like to start off by saying that the service provided was excellent. Our server was almost up our ass too much but not quite too much and therefore achieved the desirable balance. When he was occupied, the bartender brought over our drinks to expedite things which was appreciated. They have an excellent Mexican drink menu which includes numerous margaritas. I was going to go down that route UNTIL my line of vision glazed over something I have never seen before in my Mexican-restaurant-going-life. I am a michelada STAN and I'm usually excited to see even one michelada on the menu but this place offers TWO varieties. I ordered the numero uno. GF ordered jalapeno mint or something similar margarita and I took a sip, it was delicious. Those two flavors are an unusual combo but they actually go very well together. Speaking of stans, I am also a stan for nachos so that was a must. Diet starts after the holidays, amirite? I LOVE that they come vegetarian by default but I requested the pico de gallo and sour cream on the side and received less judgment regarding my topping omissions than usual. The chips were very crispy and there is no suspicion that they were purchased at the grocery store. I liked the variety of toppings cheese, jalapenos, beans, corn, guac) but the quantity could have been more generous. Many chips were naked or minimally topped which, in nacholand, is a no no. I ordered a black bean taco and a ground beet taco. The black bean taco included black beans, guac, cotija cheese, and a special sauce and this was absolute fire. You will get the special sauce all over your face until you are more civilized than I but it is totally worth it I could live off of that shit. The ground beet taco is their only vegan taco although the black bean taco can be vegan upon request according to their menu. Served in a hard taco, it includes a ground tempeh, beet mixture which did not taste overwhelmingly beety, with pico, lettuce, and cashew crema. This was also a very tasty taco. GF ordered the vegetable enchiladas which include a bunch of veggies like onions, squash, corn, and cheese, slathered in a sauce and sour cream and served with rice and beans. I tried the rice and beans and they were both delicious. They have many other vegetarian and a few vegan options and this place is definitely worth a visit on the UES. read more

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Calexico provided an enjoyable hangout spot with my friend. It was nice to explore more Upper Manhattan spots. The taco I chose was delicious, and the strawberry drink stood out. The service was excellent, allowing us to stay seated for as long as needed. It was very much appreciated. Overall, I would consider returning in the future. read more

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Love love love this place! Whenever I'm on the upper east side, I try to stop by even if just for the esquites. Best esquites I've ever had, and everything else is top notch. I'd say a little Americanized Mexican but the flavors are fantastic (the pulled pork is especially good), and their guacamole is spot on. What really makes this place though is the staff... they are always super welcoming, friendly and attentive. There are often two managers, Tatiana and and Aleja, ask for them! read more

Short review: Abysmal esquites (worst in the city I've tried.) Terrible mushroom quesadilla. Pretty good brussels sprouts. Fish bowl is good. Really don't get the reviews at all. The fact that the Yelp description doesn't even say Mexican says all you need to know about the flavors here though perhaps this is because there is no Cali-Mex option. Anyway I was here with two others a couple months ago. I had one of their Pina/Piña Calexico to drink which consisted of rum and pineapple infused tequila. This had a tacky tropical tiki glass complete with the tiny umbrella as well as a maraschino cherry and a piece of pineapple and it was filled with a whole lot of ice. It was quite sweet and surprisingly I didn't really taste much of the alcohol which is a bit surprising with what is listed. I personally would not recommend it as it wasn't worth it for the price. As is usual with us three, we got two appetizers and each of us got a main dish. I unfortunately went with the esquites which is one of if not my favorite Mexican appetizers. This consisted of grilled corn off the cob (instead of on like in elotes,) with cotija cheese, lime mayo, chile powder, sour cream (why,) and cilantro. Depending on preparation, this is either soupy or with a bit of broth and it usually has a fiery bite to it but this was not that at all. There also usually isn't sour cream (instead mayo is used usually) and there was a good amount of it for some reason. The corn was burnt and lacked flavor having not nearly enough tajin (or other chili.) I personally wouldn't pay $5 for it let alone whatever they charged and it was by far the worst version of this dish I've ever had. Our other appetizer was crispy Brussels sprouts with peanut-chile salsa, cotija cheese, and radishes. This dish was night and day compared to the other one with a good crisp but not so much it was burnt like the other vegetable. The salsa could have been more hot but it added some good flavor as well. I would recommend it. After my bland appetizer, my main was the mushroom quesadilla with huitlacoche and caramelized onion. They list their quesadillas as having cheddar and Monterey jack and chipotle "crack" sauce. The quesadilla had a very bland mushroom inside. I personally love huitlacoche (aka corn fungus) as it has a wonderful earthy flavor but I really couldn't taste it here as it was overwhelmed by the bad cheese blend. The mushrooms were also bland and all of the flavor came from their sauce which was essentially a chipotle mayo. This was also terrible and that someone used to ordering $4 quesadillas which actually have a lot of flavor, it wasn't worth it at all. I also tried someone's Baja fish salad which was by far the best dish. Pretty flaky fish though the breading was falling apart and the flavors were nice with a pretty good slaw with a little bit of heat unlike everything else. Pretty solid. Someone otherwise had fajitas which were fine. This was one of the rare times that I definitely did not order the best dishes. I unfortunately went with two of my favorites and they turned out to be the worst versions I've ever had of either of them. While I did have some good food, the bad dishes and bad cocktail outweigh the good. Nice server though it did take a while in the beginning to be served (likely since they were crowded for some reason.) Low 1. read more

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it always hits the spot. It is so good. The servers are super nice and there's always lots of seats.

Ordered: Steak burrito with guacamole One of the best burritos I've had on UES. I ordered delivery which was very timely. Food was hot and burrito was extremely well portioned. All ingredients were fresh but only thing I would add is a little hot sauce which I wish it came with. Other than that it was a solid meal! read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Burrito - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

Food was just mediocre. Had the chicken quesadilla which looked like a chicken wrap. Large chunks of chicken which was great but the chicken to cheese ration was off. Also it was too salty to finish. The sour cream that came with it was lacking flavor and a bit watery. Ordered the wet chicken burrito. My husband said it was too salty as well and didn't finish it. Lastly, we ordered the chips and salsa. The chips were on the thinner side but this comes down to personal preference. read more

Met a friend for lunch on Cinco de Mayo. I was 10 minutes late and she'd already started her frozen margarita, lol. They had some Cinco specials and we both chose the "lunchbox." For $14., you got any 2 tacos, plus rice and beans, and a little individual guacamole w a few tortilla chips. The tacos are $6 each, give or take, depending on what's in each one. To add on the rice and beans is $5, so throw in a bit of Guac and chips and that was a good deal. She had the barbacoa and the beet tacos; I had the shrimp and the Baja fish tacos. All were very good and the tacos were filled. Several choices of hot sauce are in a box on the table; I tried a couple of them! The only problem was how long we waited for the meal - at least 20 minutes, probably much longer. Ordered around 1:30 but we weren't eating until well after 2. But they were packed inside and nearly full outside, so that would explain it. read more

After visiting the MET, my friend and I got a late lunch at the nearby (~15 min walk) Calexico in the upper eats side. There were plenty of open seats and it was a nice day, so we chose to sit outside. The menu was a good size, not too overwhelming and not too limited. We ordered the mint lemonade and strawberry and cucumber lemonade to start and the shrimp burrito and vegetable enchiladas for food. The lemonade was deliciously refreshing and a good size for the price we paid. The mint lemonade was satisfyingly minty and the strawberry cucumber lemonade was a deep red with a natural strawberry flavor and a refreshing cucumber aftertaste. The shrimp burrito was unfortunately unflatteringly presented in an aluminum foil wrap, but that did make it convenient for eating. However, I enjoyed my vegetable enchiladas, which was brightly presented on the plate, but I wish there were more vegetables in the enchiladas. Overall, Calexico was a pretty good Mexican restaurant! read more

This place is phenomenal. Great food, stunning frozen margs. Impeccable service and a fun atmosphere. Pricing is really good for the UES too. If you're looking for Mexican food or Tex mex in the UES don't bother... go to Calexico instead! read more

Stopped in with some friends for a fun evening of margaritas and Mexican food. Located on the Upper East Side between 77th and 78th on 2nd Ave. its a lively place with a supper fun vibe. Margaritas are good. Warm homemade Chips and salsa are always a great compliment for margaritas. These did not disappoint and both the red and green salsas were made fresh with just the right amount of spice. Chicken Fajitas come to the table sizzling with warm tortillas and a plate of beans, rice, salsa, lettuce and cheese. It's always fun to make your own burritos. Carne Asada Bowl has grilled marinated steak, monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, chili crema, and topped with crispy tortilla strips. This Cal-Mex restaurant is solid. Service is good. If you're looking for a fun casual night out on the east side... this is it! read more

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