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    Caliente Mexican Grill

    4.6 (86 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Desserts, Salad
    Open 8:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Caliente Mexican Grill Photos

    Business Info

    CALIENTE MEXICAN GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Caliente Mexican Grill

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    Tacos
    Stephen L.

    For $7.99, you can get the chips, salsa, and guacamole. Thinking this authentic looking restaurant would have good guacamole, It was disappointing, mediocre in flavor. Also it had skimpy serving of thin, brittle chips not up to the task of scooping guacamole. Tacos were a wholly different matter. The mahi mahi had good flavor and some spice. Tasty. The chicken taco, too, had good, complex flavor and some spice. Only the ground beef taco lacked for flavor. The mahi mahi had a generous portion of fish. The crispy corn was the crispiest I've ever had. Best fajitas ever, too.

    Carne Asada Taco, Chicken Taco, Blackened Fish Taco
    Jeffrey M.

    I work right next to this restaurant & have stopped here for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Their food is always freshly prepared & BOMB! The sauces + meats are always on point!! The service is extremely friendly, everyone is always super respectful here! The ambiance is casual but they also serve alcohol so it feels like a higher end casual spot! Definitely recommend

    Chille relleno
    Judith V.

    Customer service, music and vibes were great! The food, and drinks were delicious! Gabriella was our server and the only one working the floor but she had everything covered. Sweet woman and made our visit enjoyable. We ordered jalapeño poppers to start, which were phenomenal! We also had the Plato Caliente and a chile relleno plate as well. We had a Cadillac margarita and a spicy pineapple marg for drinks Cadillac Marg was better in our opinion. Can't wait to come back and visit !

    Tender Carnitas Plate

    The food was delicious! Service was so friendly! I sat at the counter and ended up in a great conversation with some other diners. I ordered the Tender Carnitas Plate and a margarita for lunch. Food was hot, fresh and flavorful. Atmosphere was perfect for lunch with the door open and a cool breeze blowing in.

    Enchiladas poblano and red sauce
    April A.

    Small strip mall Mexican place. Had a mezcal shot that was marinated with pineapples, very tasty. The margaritas were really good I had 2. Bartender and servers were all very friendly. I had the combo fajitas shrimp/steak/chicken all was cooked perfect and had great flavor, it came with rice and beans and gauc. The poblano enchilada was fantastic. We had to pay for chips and salsa but had a great experience.

    Steak burrito
    Sigma Sales 3.

    The lobster taco (not pictured) was amazing. One of the best I have had. The streak burrito was decent, nothing special. Very nice place and polite staff.

    Frankie K.

    My husband and I were going to go to another restaurant; however, they were not open and I'm happy they weren't because we discovered this gem. If you want fresh, authentic Mexican food, great prices and customer service that makes you feel at home, Caliente Mexican Grill is the place. It should also be noted that I'm not a fan of guacamole; however, I am now. Their guacamole was the best. The ambiance is friendly and clean. We will definitely be back and we will definitely share this gem with others.

    Brad W.

    Got the chicken burrito. The first one on the menu, but in a weird twist, there was way too much chicken in this thing. Some people might like that, but you couldn't taste any of the ingredients and I had to remove half the chicken as well. Other negative things were the stale chips (giant tub of chips sitting out in plain sight) and the salsas were not tasty at all. They cook the chicken from scratch too which is unusual, but also scary for undercooked. Might try something else down the road.

    Taco salad [add chicken]

    MOTHERFUCKER GODDAM! This is top tier Mexican food. Fresh. Authentic. Quality. Mexican. Food. Muy bien! Shit had me speaking Spanish I swear to god. The facility is clean, the margaritas were up to standard, and the beer was cold. If I don't come back here it's because I fucken died. This place is incredible.

    Carnitas plate.
    Shasta G.

    Fairly narrow menu but a reasonable variety. Portions were good. No complimentary chips and salsa. Very friendly staff. Average prices. Easy access and parking. Not sorry we gave it a try but no deep need to do it again.

    Plato caliente

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    2 years ago

    Phenomenal service and amazing food & drinks, I highly recommend checking out Caliente!

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    3 years ago

    Eat here!!!! It was fabulous. The owners are so friendly and provide fabulous service. All of our food was delicious!

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    2 years ago

    Greeting the was friendly and prompt. Carne Asada plate was on point. Know they make their rice and beans daily.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food was delicious. I had shrimp tacos on flour tortillas and they were great! The staff was so friendly and attentive. We'll be back.

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    2 years ago

    Food is fresh and delicious. Prices are reasonable and service is great. I would recommend Caliente's to everyone

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    2 years ago

    Incredibly kind and polite staff, great ambiance, super clean, great food, definitely coming back!

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    3 years ago

    Stopped in for lunch. Family owned business. Food & service was great. Highly recommend it!

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - Caliente Mexican Grill

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    Food is fantastic. Ordered chilaquiles with birria as my protein and the meat is tender and…read moreflavorful. My girlfriend ordered aqua chilies they had a nice kick and good portion. We also ordered two cocktails: mezcalita and st.hibiscus both perfect ratios. You can taste the alcohol and not overpowering with artificial mixers, like most restaurants, cocktails. Worth it. Service very good. With great classic Mexican music not the overplayed playlist you hear at every other spot. I might be proposing to my girlfriend here because we loved it so much.

    I sniffed this place out as a possible eatery at which to grab a Mexican breakfast, which is not a…read moretypical choice for me. But I wanted something hearty after donating blood the day before at Phoenix Fan Fusion. I felt like I didn't eat enough to replenish all of the corpuscles I shed, so a hearty late breakfast was in order. I was pleasantly thrilled with my choice of Presidio Cocina Mexicana, as the late breakfast I ordered did not disappoint! I ordered the Chilaquiles, which are essentially breakfast nachos, and you have a choice of protein to add. I chose the birria beef which was perfectly slow-cooked and complemented the corn tortilla chips, cheese, and eggs superbly. I opted for both the red chile and green chile sauce which coated the chips along with a generous layer of tangy cotija cheese. I asked for the eggs scrambled and they cooked them just how I like them... fairly dry and in a thin griddled layer. Add to this mound of well-seasoned goodness a decent dolloping of Tapatio hot sauce (and salt and pepper on the eggs) and I had endless perfect bites of spicy, meaty brekkie goodness that brought delighted yummy sounds from my grateful gullet! This was quality food and the couple at the bar next to me raved about the Menudo, so it has all the hallmarks of authentic Mexican fare. It restored me from borderline anemic to my usual strutting rugged caballero self. "¡Arriba, arriba! ¡Ándale, ándale!"

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    If you are looking for upmarket Mexican food, with a great drink on the side, my favorite go to…read morespot in downtown Phx is casa corazon... they have a good menu and fo everything well, from grey Baja tacos, in true Baja style to chili rellenos, fajitas and oh my god the salsa bar!! To die for. Chips are gratuit. Service is prompt and knowledgeable. The entrance is via the kitchen as this was once a home, now converted into a great eatery. So you come in the side door to the dining room . Wait staff all greet you and guide you to the dining room, festooned with roses and talavera tiles. It's not kitschy, just gorgeous. The menu is ample and you can't go wrong with anything. The initial refrito dip, tho yummy, has pork. But they have the best, the absolute best black beans!! Try them just for a change. You'll be converted. The dining area is small but cozy and beautifully done. So enjoy!!

    I'm so glad we finally went to try Casa Corazon. We met with a friend visiting from out of town…read moreduring lunch, and everyone absolutely loved it. The restaurant is inside of an old brick home with wood interior and warm colors. The service was good-- friendly and food came out at a good pace, we were checked on regularly. We ordered an appetizer and then entrees from the lunch menu. The aguachile appetizer is SO good. It's bright, fresh, and has a lot of flavor in the green sauce. It reminds me of a ceviche type dish due to its raw butterflied shrimp that is marinated in the house made chile serrano & cilantro citrus sauce. It was awesome. We were also given free chips & house made bean dip. I ordered the mixed two item plate with a chile rellano and taco corazon (grilled taco dipped in a red chile sauce, stuffed with shredded beef & melted cheese. Topped with grilled onions). The black beans and rice is also tasty. I tried a bite of the other dishes, and I also really liked the brightly colored spinach & cheese enchiladas with pink sauce ( signature beet sauce). I look forward to trying other items from the menu, I was eyeing the steak Mexicano or red snapper. Those dishes sound good for dinner.

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    Taco Chelo

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    Came here for our Friday lunch date a couple of weeks ago (but forgot to write a review)…read more We had a couple of their tacos (I had the Al Pastor as it was only available on a Wednesday ‍ and the wife had the Costra taco and it was all pretty good. Great flavors. We shared their Flamingo (crispy rolled flour tacos stuffed with cheese blend and roasted anaheim pepper, topped with lettuce, sour cream, avocado salsa, pico de gallo and cotija cheese) - VERY GOOD! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! We both had the Modelo Especial with lunch as well, as you gotta do it right! Service was quick as it wasn't that busy when we arrived and were seated - but it got busy not long after.. You can see its a popular place and right in the heart of Tempe so no surprises! It's not a noisy place but far, and quite open, so its pretty average for noise. We will be back - as there are some great foodie places around in Tempe, and Taco Chelo is definitely one of them!

    So my husband said these are the best tacos he has had and his favorite of any we have had in…read morePhoenix. I felt different. First of all, eating anywhere in Tempe, starts with a frustrating time.... Trying to find parking and having to pay to park. I don't understand why restaurants don't have parking for customers. Idk maybe I don't know where to look. Second, it's hot AF in here. I feel sorry for the guys cooking. It's 105 today and the restaurant is so small, it's probably impossible to keep cool during the summer. Finally, the food. It all tastes very fresh! NO SEED OILS is amazing. I feel like I have won something when I find a restaurant that uses olive oil and beef tallow to cook in. Best corn tortillas I have had for sure. We basically tried one of each taco. (Although some of the tacos we ordered were wrong, so we just kept adding) not a big deal, because they were delicious and we loved them. I felt like the carne was chewy but my husband loves chewier meat. The taco with the marlin was my favorite. And the one that came out kind of like a cheese crisp. It's loud in here and again the space is very small. They do not serve wine at all. But yummy margaritas! The bartender is working solo and working hard! She busted her butt and did an amazing job. And smiled the entire time. She was awesome

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    Really cool vibe inside
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    Caliente Mexican Grill - mexican - Updated June 2026

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