It was a beautiful day and there was a table available outdoors, so we decided to give Calexico a try. The two best things were the skinny Margaritas and the el Yucateco hot sauce that they serve. The waitstaff and kitchen seemed overwhelmed and service moved at a glacial pace. I had steak fajitas that were average at best. My wife ordered chicken fajitas. In a first. they turned out to be dark meat. She ordered shrimp fajitas instead. The hostess promised that they would come out ASAP. They were served long after I was done with my entree and weren't cooked through. If it's a nice day, sit outside and have a drink and some guacamole. For anything more complicated, there's Canyon Road and Toloache in the neighborhood. read more

I love the bowls here, super filling and has a great price! The shrimp bowl and fried chicken bowl are the best. read more

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*Tip: Happy Hour is now 4-6 PM instead of until 7 PM!! Just a tip for people trying to take advantage of the BOGO drink special during Happy Hour because I went later than 6 PM thinking HH was until 7 PM but they've changed it now! Food portion was great, I got a good amount of food for the $14 cali-style bowl. Taste-wise I did not think it was anything spectacular. The mango margarita drink I got was very tasty though, I would have definitely gotten more if I came during the right HH hours! Ambience inside I did not love as the music was super loud, which made it hard to keep a conversation with my friends I came with. Would probably come back during HH just for the drinks but not necessarily anything else. read more

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

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I loveee calexico the burritos are amazing!!!! The chips and Guav yummm!! But I truly love the energy of Alejandra and Tatiana they are so sweet and super nice!!! It makes my visits to calexico even better every time!!! Thank you Alejandra and Tatiana you are the best!!!!! read more

Fast service, wasn't really busy though. Affordable lunch special, bowls and burritos. Love the decor. I loved my fried chicken bowl, it hit every flavor and got me super full , my friends like their burrito. loved guacamole n chips, lots of lime which i love. strawberry cucumber lemonade taste good at first but after taste is yucky, like sierra mist. read more

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Happy hour at Calexico is one of my favorites in the UES. They offer 2 for 1 margaritas but instead of automatically serving you a second margarita you get a token to use on your next order or to bring back and use another time. It's great for an afternoon when you want to grab a drink but don't necessarily want two but still want to get a good happy hour deal. I'm not usually a flavored margarita lover but I will say the passionfruit margarita was fantastic. My friends and I also tried the mango, classic, and strawberry margaritas and all agreed passionfruit was our favorite. The flavored margaritas do cost $1 extra durring happy hour and sometimes servers forget to mention that so keep that in mind if you're ordering something other than the classic. Insider tip - if you're wanting an appetizer you should order the chips and salsa with a side of guac. The price comes out to be the same as just one large order of guac but you get chips and salsa too! read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Chips and mango margarita - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

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I have no complaints about the service as the service was really quick and was very pleasant. The vibe reminds me of your typical Mexican restaurant. The burrito itself was lacking a ton of flavor. The barbacoa itself has no seasoning whatsoever. I honestly would have left a 3 star but the extra $$$ for making it wet was cheese and salsa verde and the salsa verde was very sour like it had gone bad of some sort. read more

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

Still daydreaming about how good the baja fish burrito was! If you are getting the burrito or burrito bowl, remember to ask for mexican rice if that's what you want or else they will just give you brown rice which is what happened to my friend. The sauce that they use in the burrito was so delicious and I can't wait to try the other burritos they have. My friend had the shrimp burrito bowl. It does not only look pretty but it also tasted really good since the sauce that comes with it is unique. Taking one star off because I wish they had indoor seatings available instead of just outdoor seat yourself set up. The outdoor seating was also quite competitive in that the moment a table gets up to leave, you have to wait by that table before someone takes it. Can't wait for when they eventually open up their indoor seatings. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Shrimp burrito bowl - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

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The chips and guacamole was soooo good! The chips were crispy and we also ordered salsa that came both green and red. I'm new to New York so I'm not sure if it's common to have to pay for chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants but I'm used to that being free for the table. I got the cheese quesadilla and it was good, it came with a side of their sauce that was delicious. My dad got tacos and a side of rice and black beans that he enjoyed. They have a happy hour at 4pm that I believe ends at 7pm but I am not positive, and they had $10 margaritas. read more

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Great Mexican food! I'm not usually one to like chicken or meat in my Mexican food. However, I got chicken with my fajitas with the cashew cream (vegan sour cream) and it was so flavorful! The chicken was seasoned so well and cooked to perfection. The cashew cream to my surprise was really good as well! The beans, rice, guac, and pico de gallo were perfection as well. My husband got the California burrito and got it fully covered in sauce and cheese. He loved his burrito as well! Definitely a place we will go back to again. They have a great happy hour so will try to go during then. Sorry no pictures were taken-we ate it too fast read more

The place was bustling on a week night but we were able to be seated quickly without much wait. The inside was nicely decorated. We ordered mezcal-negroni cocktails to start. I normally drink the mezcal and negroni separately so this is a first for me. The drink was strong but may diminish the smoky experience of the mezcal. The tacos are 5-6 each. Since we were hungry, my friend and I got one order of chicken enchiladas, one order of beef enchiladas. The dish comes with tortillas, rice and beans, guac in generous quantities. We ate very well and were greatly satisfied. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Chicken and beef enchiladas - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

Great casual Mexican spot on the UES! Margs were strong and delicious; they have two sizes, small and large. Tables are first come first serve and on a beautiful Thursday evening, we waited about 10 min for a table of 2. You order inside, they give you a number and then bring your food to your table. I had the Cali burrito which was which was stuffed; I do wish it had more carne asada in it. Burrito came with a side order of chips. We also got chips and salsa for the table which came with two types of salsa; I liked the green one best! Service was quick; we only waited about 5-10 min for our food! Overall, great casual Mexican spot! I'd recommend! read more

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This is my family's regular go to place for a Friday night out with the kids. Excellent tacos and burritos, and their rice and bean sides are perfect for our little ones. We are also obsessed with their house margaritas and the chips & salsa/guacamole. Service is always prompt and friendly. It does tend to get very crowded at nights and weekends so we try to get there on the earlier side when going with the kiddos. read more

Nice atmosphere. The tacos, both the black bean and the carne asada were terrific. I would definitely come back again. We were a little less pleased with the nachos: not enough cheese and beans but that could have been a one time thing. The tacos though, were awesome. read more

Calexico actually started as a street cart in 2006 before expanding into the restaurant business. As its name implies, Calexico serves Cal-Mex food, which is California style Mexican food. Those who are familiar with Cal-Mex know that there is an emphasis on fresh vegetables and ingredients instead of canned stuff. This place certainly fits that description. We ordered the chicken enchiladas and the chicken fajitas. The portions sizes were decent and the meat and vegetables tasted very fresh and were extremely well seasoned. Even the rice and beans felt fresh. This place is very spacious too with both indoor and outdoor seating available. read more

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

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This restaurant is average at best. I ordered the wet burrito and the cilantro fries, which were really good. The burrito was average, nothing to rave about. The margaritas were basic. Overall, the presentation was poor. The service was okay. The ambiance was average. The good thing thing about this place was the price of its food and drinks. read more

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The chicken bowl was salty and the take out staff be looking pissed off but everything else is good and she doesn't want to pour the take out sauce read more

This place is a sneaky excellent spot but once you see how crowded and the traffic that goes here, you realize it's not sneaky at all, it's just good. The tacos were awesome but I especially loved the margarita pitcher. Perfect ratio, great value. Had a great time here and would go back. read more

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

If you order Calexico from Uber Eats, chances are they're not making your food - it's from a ghost kitchen. As soon as we got our recent order we knew something was off. 7 tacos, all deeply chilled like they'd been stored in a fridge. Like, cold shredded cheese that had never been melted. No restaurant would ever put that kind of food in front of a customer. There's a ghost kitchen that just opened up on 86th and Lex. And the old Uber CEO's new business venture is ghost kitchens. For those unfamiliar, ghost kitchens are spaces that make food for multiple restaurants, for delivery. They get the ingredients and the recipes and whoever they hire makes the food. Which means while you might love a particular restaurant, the people who make your delivery a) were not hired by them and b) are making food from 10 other restaurants at the same time. I'm sure they are sworn by some NDA not to admit it, but there is no way Calexico made that meal. Because the tacos had clearly been premade from cold ingredients and then refrigerated. Exactly like you'd expect from an industrial ghost kitchen. read more

Cute, laid back, and pretty solid food for the price. I say this based on the food we had, anyway. I noticed there were mixed reviews of the tacos but did not try them. I would give them five stars if their drinks had been a bit stronger. This is really the only thing holding me back. I still fully intend on going back for the food though, and would be happy to get drinks here during happy hour when they're cheaper! Came here on a Thursday night about an hour before close. They were nearly full, and it felt a bit short staffed. Our waiter was sweet, but I wish he had come by more often. We got the crispy brussels sprouts with the peanut salsa on the side, the smoked queso, several mango margaritas, and a wet carne asada burrito to share. The crispy brussels sprouts were very good. We were so happy to have a bit of green with this meal, and the crisp was well done. Personally neither of us really liked the peanut sauce though. It is *very* peanut-y, and not balanced if you ask me. Me and my partner took a couple tastes of it, made a face at each other, and agreed we were glad we got it on the side. To be fair I'm picky about peanut sauces, but my partner is not, and was still not into it. The mango margaritas were also good, but I wish they had been a touch stronger. I will say the drink was well balanced, though. For how sweet the mango juice is, the strength of the drink made sense. If they were to make their drinks stronger, they'd also need to make their mango mix sweeter or more complex. The smoked queso was delicious. I loved the flavor and texture the roasted corn added. Once you break the baked skin of the queso, don't take too long to finish it! It's served in a dish that seems to maintain its warmth, but it's still the kind of queso that will get thick and chunky if allowed to cool too much. I've gotten a burrito delivered from Calexico once before and it felt like the burrito I got during this dine-in experience was larger. Not sure if that's my imagination, or anything to do with making it wet, but I was happy about it. My partner and I were glad we split this. We still ended up having a bit left over to take home. If you're craving both enchiladas and a burrito, making one of their burritos wet seems like the perfect option. I really enjoyed the flavor the extra sauces added. The amount of steak in the burrito was perfect, and well done. If you ask me, it's a hefty burrito. Definitely planning to come back and try their other burritos! read more

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Try: Strawberry Margarita Mix, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, and Chips & Guacamole. Why: I was craving a margarita with chips & guac so this was one of the few places on UES that offers "adult libations" for delivery on Yelp/Grubhub. I thought $35 for 32 oz was a good deal for refreshing strawberry margaritas. I also liked their guacamole with a bag of chips plus salsa. I ordered Crispy Brussels Sprouts in peanut chili salsa, cotija cheese, and radish, which was great and had a nice mix of flavors and textures. The Chili Cilantro Fries didn't really have much chili or cilantro on it, but the fries were decent and came with two dipping sauces. Notes: For some reason I wasn't able to see or order their main menu items like tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. as it was grayed out on my Yelp/Grubhub app. I was really just craving margaritas and chips & salsa anyhow, but ended up buying some additional appetizers. I have gone here pre-pandemic and it's a great spot on UES. Looking forward to coming back soon. read more

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The 2-for-1 brunch cocktails are good enough of a reason to go. The champagne sunset was great and the Bloody Mary was super strong. The waitress was friendly and attentive. We got the normal non-brunch nachos that were super yummy and good portion. We split the ground beet tempeh which was so good. As a vegetarian, finding a good veggie burrito (that isn't unreasonably expensive) is tough especially in this area. I also loved that every table had an array of different hot sauces, it was fun to try different things! Would definitely recommend! read more

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

Calexico is great. We had 3 dishes and all were outstanding. I had the barbacoa burrito. Fantastic taste and a big portion. And for the upper east side the prices were great too. Highly recommend. read more

Oof, this one hurts. Just moved to the neighborhood and have been dying to try one of their gorgeous spicy margaritas. It's rare that I dine out during this pandemic so I'm ultra let down that I took a risk and was very disappointed. On a positive note- their seating availability is great. You can sit down at a proper outside table (not in the street, it's on the sidewalk so much safer) and also a few little bar tables nooked within each open window which is where my friend and I sat. The deal is that you order outside (only had 1 person working who made the drinks/gave the food/took your order/checked you out) which was too hectic and he was definitely overwhelmed- and rightfully so. There are no servers so I felt for the guy and still tipped him well. The reason I came was to get an awesome spicy margarita which I had been salivating looking at photos of for weeks. When we came I was informed that all margaritas are already pre-made and in these huge unappealing plastic jugs ready to be poured. No spicy rims are available either, drinks are in plastic cups served with no ice and they charge the same $13-$15 per margaritas as they did pre-pandemic which sucks because you're getting less of an experience and less quality product. If you're thinking of coming here right now just skip it. But after indoor dining opens back up I'm going to come back and update my review! read more

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

Came to eat a late lunch at Calexico and meet up with some friends on the upper east side. The restaurant was spacious and bright, with lots of decor and music. It wasn't crowded given the late afternoon hour. We were seated under the speakers in the corner but were told we could change seats if we couldn't hear each other. A pack of crayons, coloring sheet (with kids menu), and high chair were provided for our toddler. After perusing the menu, we decided on the chips and guacamole appetizer as well as the chipotle pork rolled quesadilla and the barbacoa wet burrito. Since we had out toddler with us, I made sure to specifically ask the server if anything we were ordering was spicy, and he said no to all. Unfortunately, our barbacoa burrito was forgotten. When it did eventually arrive (after we checked in with our server), it was a plain burrito (though we had ordered it "wet" - with salsa, melted cheese, and sour cream on top). When we informed them of this, we ended up getting the same plain burrito back with two small cups of salsa on the side. We got charged an extra $4 PER salsa and did not get the the cheese or sour cream. Also, both the quesadilla and the burrito ended up being too spicy for our toddler to handle. On the positive side, the food was tasty, flavorful, and very filling. Would just hope for more accurate and attentive service in the future! read more

The worst Mexican food I've ever ordered in nyc...undercooked and the quality of the food was just not good..

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

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We ordered a steak fajita to go. It was extremely tough , chewy and basically inedible. We've order Mexican in the neighborhood and expected a decent amount of guacamole, toppings and chips to go with the dinner. The toppings were scant and no chips! We won't be coming back read more

Order 2 tacos and the service was very quick! The size of the taco is comparable to the price point! I ordered the baja fish and the carne asada. Unfortunately, by the time I was about to start to eat my second taco, the moisture from the inside made the tortilla completely mush. So I consumed the rest of the taco with a fork. Overall, I like the ambiance and the taste of the tacos. I would come back again but get something else. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Left - carne asada Right - baja fish - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

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Low quality food. There is no flavor and questionable protein. The service is terrible. The ambiance is nice. Over all I would spend my money somewhere else. Oh yeah and they charge $4 for stale chips that taste like nothing. read more

Had Rosa Mexicana the day before having Calexico, and surprisingly preferred Calexico - with the exception of the guacamole. Calexico is solid Mexican food. I had the chicken quesadilla and enjoyed it. It was definitely salty, but I don't mind that. Really liked the Baja fish taco which was spicy but also sweet. Didn't enjoy the steak taco as much as the Baja fish but it was still okay. Chips were fresh and good. I got delivery, and despite the weird delivery protocols that my building has in place right now, the delivery man called me twice to ensure I knew my food was waiting for me in the lobby - and told me he didn't want to leave before he connected with me - it was really cute. I will definitely order again. read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Steak taco and Baja fish taco - get the tasty Baja fish taco! - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

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I was craving fajitas so decided to order in from here. Very disappointing! The steak was very leathery - inedible. The fajita veggies were undercooked. The tortillas were stale. Can't speak to the other items on the menu, but I am not inspired to order again. read more

This place, diabolical. Menus are as fun and interesting as the shirts worn by the staff.. I can't remember how many times I have been here but it has to be at least 4. It's only missing a star because it felt a bit and a little rushed. Before the entire table was finished. The bar drinks are also awesome and fun. We had a round while waiting for a table. I'm not writing this right after going there. This is all off of my degrading memory lol. I remember always enjoying myself there. I'm also not sure how informative this is as I can't remember what I had or drank. I just remember liking it and looking forward to going back. Hope it's the same for you read more

Hostess was very nice and pleasant. Our waitress ,Tatiana was helpful and patient. We took our 2 yr old granddaughter there for dinner. All staff were friendly and polite. Food choices are ample and very tasty. If u need a place to eat quickly (with young children) or leisurely this is fine! read more

The food and service is always great! I love this spot especially for brunch on the weekends or happy hour. It's perfect for meeting friends, family or even date night. Variety of tequila, upbeat playlist ranging from 80s classics to modern day pop/ hip-hop/ r&b and food that's as closest to true authentic TexMex. Brunch 2 for 1 cocktails on weekends until 3:30 read more

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

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I love Calexico. It's been the same great food and service for forever. Drinks amazing food amazing music amazing. Always recommend it.

Celebrated a friend's birthday with excellent fish tacos. She had the chicken ones both were delicious. Margaritas were fresh and not to sweet. Will definitely return soon! read more

Calexico has been my go-to for years. The burritos, bowls, guac, margaritas, nachos, and service are outstanding. Consistent service, both in person and delivery. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! read more

Calexico - Upper East Side - Black bean burrito bowl - Salad Near Me - New York, New York

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The food was delicious. Tacos are much better than expected, and they are loaded with meat/shrimp. Service was spectacular. Super friendly and helpful servers who are on top of their game. Lots of seating. Chill vibes throughout the restaurant. Great for a weekend night dinner. Highly recommend if in the area. read more

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Decent food, I got shrimp and chicken fajitas. My friend got the fish taco which looked bomb and a park taco. She loved her jalapeño margarita. Good place to come for lunch or after work with coworkers or friends. read more