This is my go-to Mexican restaurant. It's cheap, always has a daily special and I like the stronger margaritas! The restaurant is decorated with some festive colors and paintings; the ambiance is great. This is not a fancy Mexican restaurant but one that you can get in and out of relatively quickly. They have a small outdoor patio area for when the weather is nice and is about a quarter mile off the Moon Trail. As for the food, I have never had any issues. I've had a variety of meals: fajitas, tacos, burritos, etc. All were delicious. My go to is the fajitas. Their lunch portions are a good size for me at dinner; I order that for a $1 up charge if I don't want the leftovers. Our service has always been prompt, except on busy Friday nights there is a little bit longer of wait. Plan ahead! Their margaritas are strong; if you don't like the taste of tequila coming through in your drink, I wouldn't recommend it for you. If you do like that, rock on! Their Golden Caliente and Texas Margaritas are my two favorites. Cheers! read more

Great place and good margaritas! Love the food and service. It was busy but they got the food out fast

I love this place! The salsa reeled me in, I could probably just sit and eat salsa all day. The one margarita I tried was a little too sweet for my taste but it was on special. Oh and they have great specials! I have gone twice now and both times tried the arozzo con pollo, I believe either way, it's chicken and rice covered in queso. Served with flour tortillas and guacamole salad. It's so good!!! Highly recommend !! read more

My boss and I came here for lunch yesterday and had a blast! Sure, part of that was tequila on a basically empty stomach, but you know. ;P I had the lunch portion of arroz con pollo and it was dang delicious. Can you say all of the queso?! Plus the guac was spicy! All guac is good guac, but I love spicy! I also got the 20 oz. Ultimate Margarita with Wabo Cabo tequila and it was on point! I highly recommend it! read more

Caliente Mexican Restaurant - Lunch portion of arroz con pollo - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

I don't often give less than three stars, but for this, I'm going to make an exception. First for the pluses: The decor is awesome! A lot of haut-relief scenes from Mexico gives a really festive air to the place. The service was mediocre at best. Trying to decide between a couple of lunch offerings, I asked for advice to help me choose. My waitress decided that that meant I wanted *both* of them, which she wrote down without a word, and turned to the next person. I'm sympathetic with second language communication difficulties, but this is a restaurant located in one of the most *un*ethnic areas in Indianapolis, so c'mon... you have to be able to communicate with your clientele. The food was uniformly uninteresting. Little flavor, all of the meat was tough - even the rib-eye, which was a shock. The worst was the shrimp, which looked freezer-burned, and was cooked into oblivion - a little, rubbery, tasteless lump. It was seriously awful. Hard to find a reason to ever go back. read more

Authentic Mexican cuisine, decor is on point, I can't wait 2 go back and should you 2.

Food was bland, employees were on their phones the entire time. It was expensive and well not great. read more

Caliente Mexican Restaurant - Employees on their phones - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Very good food ... and wow check out the hand carved environment from Mexico. Amazing. Guacamole is very good ! read more

Ok, so the food here is AH-MAY-ZING, but the service was terrible. Service wise, it would have gotten 1 star; food wise a 5. Looking at the other reviews, the poor service seems to be a common complaint. We went for an early dinner on a Saturday and there were barely any people in the place, but the service was still bad. There were only two of us. No offers of drink refills. We had to ask three times for more chips. They took our food to the wrong table....and then... we waited... for....ev...er to pay. If they could get their service together, I bet this place would be awesome. But, until then.... we probably won't be returning. Sorry Caliente... you did it to yourself. :( read more

Maybe it was an off day, but we went here based on the good reviews, so I want to share our experience. Chips and salsa were average and kid's quesadilla meal was pretty good. So 2 stars for that. The steak in my fajita dinner was completely inedible. It was cooked to death, and then continued to cooked even more on the sizzling skillet. The corn tortillas were old and funky smelling. I didn't bother sending back because we had a cranky toddler and just wanted to get home. My husband said his enchiladas were ok but below average. Wanted to like it, but doubtful we'll be back. read more

Nice decor. Good parking. Decent / standard Mexican food found across America. Prices pretty good. read more

We've been here twice and will certainly be back. Both times have been on Friday nights. First trip we got the ultimate margarita with cabo wabo. Unfortunately, we couldn't drink it. It was so strong that it tasted like straight tequila. I want to pay for a well balanced drink, not shots. The mix was generic bottled and gave a not so fresh taste to the whole drink. On the flip side, all our food was very good. It was busy so it was hard/impossible to get a water refill - which I needed since it was hot outside and my food was spicy. I tried options from the ala carte since I didn't need rice and beans. It was cheaper than the combos. Chile relleno was the BEST! It was hot and the cheese oozed out. Such great flavor! Also tried the tamale, good flavor but very dry. Husband has the ultimate combo and liked it all. Second visit, they tried to sit us in the little bar area. They didn't ask. No one else in here except employees hanging out, eating and talking. The TV was turned up so loud we couldn't hear each other. I had to asked to be moved to the dining area. Got the chile relleno again. This time it wasn't cooked as long, cheese wasn't completely melted and outside breaking wasn't as golden. I also got bean and cheese enchilada - it was ok, it was not served with red sauce like my husbands was last week, not sure if they forgot. It was good but lacking in flavor. It was made with corn tortilla, which I liked but didn't expect. We tried the cheese queso app. They didn't bring any extra chips so we weren't able to finish the cheese sauce, so that was disappointing. And that was the small side as an appetizer. But it was very good when it's warm. All in all, the service is pretty quick to get your food but it's hard to get anyone to stop by the table if you need anything. Good food if your craving Mexican. read more

The food here is above average, but service has been shaky 3/5 times i've been there. I've been brought flour tortillas when I ask for corn (twice), been brought the wrong entre and had to wait, and whoever I ask about the menu generally has limited knowledge. I've had good margaritas, but have also had soupy frozen margaritas. Overall the restaurant lacks consistency. No entre comes with sour cream to my knowledge - not only are you charged when you ask for it, but they bring a bowl as if you ordered an entire side...just give me a scoop will ya? I don't know, I have been a handful of times, so obviously its not SO bad, I just decided after my most recent experience, that I will be going to Cabos instead. Ciao read more

Great food and a fun atmosphere. Prompt service and easy to eat and run. One of the better Mexican joints in town, definitely worth a try if you've not been here. read more

This place is amazinggggg. It's your "standard" Mexican place if your standard is amazing guac, queso, salsa, and entrees + phenomenal service + lightning fast take out. I eat here more often than I should but apologize for NOTHING! :) Highly recommend the chicken chimichangas and margaritas! read more

This restaurant is beautiful and customer service was fantastic. Their Texas Margarita is my favorite! The medium was plenty big for me! The is that classic "sloppy" Mexican food--beans and cheese and melty goodness. I loved their chips and my kids were huge fans of it all. **Parking is in the back and they have lots of room for big groups. We'll definitely be back! read more

We went out on a limb and tried a new to us lunch place. Lunch! There was two tables in the place with customers, and we still waited for 5 min before anyone even came to seat us. As quite as it was the service was so slow! Once we got our food, it looked good, and it tasted good, but nothing out of the ordinary Mexican American fare. The decor is lovely and their tomatillo sauce was great. Not sure we would come back, with so many places around there, with better service. read more

Great neighborhood place for Mexican food. The food is hot when served and great tasting. Not too spicy but very flavorful! The guacamole is delicious and the queso is a white cheese dip! The chicken fajitas are delicious and the chips are hot and very fresh! read more

Food quality was not good. Refried beans had no flavor. Service is slow and water is horrible.

This restaurant is in a busy plaza in Carmel, which means that at popular times, such as dinner, it is really difficult (if not impossible) to find a parking spot. The parking lot is just too small for all the businesses in the plaza. I was with a large party of 15 people, which may have contributed to the poor service. It took over 10 minutes for the server to get our drinks, and then more time to take our orders. When the food came, the server had difficulty remembering who ordered what, so some dishes were left sitting at another table or given to the incorrect person. The menu was quite extensive, and a bit beyond the typical assortment of dishes available in local Mexican restaurants. Salsa was served in small carafes to accompany the warm chips -- but refills were difficult to get.I ordered carne asada, which was good and appropriate size, with rice and beans and a 1/2 inch grilled slice of beef that was lightly seasoned and wasn't too tough. Some grilled green peppers and onions would have been nice. The portions were rather big and several people took the rest of their dinner home. The poor service continued as one diner received the incorrect food, so the plate went back to the kitchen and her order was forgotten..... After waiting until everyone else had been served, she had to put in another order, which was prepared and served quickly. Small items such as cutlery or drinks, had to be requested several times before the servers remembered to get them. Overall, this restaurant has average food at an reasonable price, but the service for large groups is terrible. read more

This is my fiancé and i's favorite local restaurant. The food is amazing and everyone is so friendly. Not to mention they have a great margarita menu!! Highly recommend read more

Always great food and great service. We've never had a bad experience here. Fun atmosphere! Kid friendly and always super sweet to my son. The only Mexican place we eat out at. read more

A very traditional Mexican restaurant found in Carmel! Similar to a Cancun or a La Hacienda, plenty of alcoholic beverages to choose from with beer and margaritas to choose from. They occasionally have drink specials on their House Magaritas and daily specials as well. I ordered a half order of their beans and nachos and I was pleased with the portion size for myself since it was bigger than I was expecting! Their queso is delicious as well as their chorizo queso. I really like ordering from their ala carte menu since it is more reasonably portioned and I can actually finish my meal that way without having to take extras home! The service is pleasant and polite and the decor is very colorful and inviting! read more

Very nice restaurant. Loved the food and ambience. Service was good as well. Will definitely come back again. read more

Let me start by saying great friendly service!! However, if you want to substitute anything it's apparently a very ridiculous request/task for the cook. We wanted grilled chicken nachos instead of shredded chicken (because wet nachos are the best-not!!) The cook will not accommodate according to the waitress! Too bad the cook is running the show!!! With Cancun & Hacienda within a mile away- I'll take a little slower service to get nachos the way I like them!!!! read more

The service was good. The food was tasty. As authentic as you can get for Indiana :-) The ladies' restroom was apparently sub-par. read more

Great food and wonderful service. I had the chicken and vegetable soup which was much more interesting than the name. It was a meal sized soup with lots of rice, chicken, and avocado in it. Wonderfully spiced. read more

Caliente Mexican Restaurant - Chicken and vegetable soup - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

Hands down fave place! Steak fajitas are so good. Love the food and selection. Never have to wait to get food or be seated.

This is starting to become out "go to" restaurant. Food is good, restaurant is colorful & clean, the wait staff polite & fast & drinks are STRONG! We keep going back, with friends and family because we have fun. read more

I was very disappointed when El Sol de Tala (later Javier's Hacienda) on East Washington Street ultimately closed for good. I had been going there for at least thirty years, frequently took friends or family members to share the experience, and long touted it as the best Mexican restaurant in central Indiana. So with El Sol/Javier's forever gone, you can imagine my pleasure to discover Caliente. I have been a few times now, and it is definitely my new favorite for Mexican food in this area. read more

This place is horrid! I ordered a Chicken burrito- Menu said all burritos come with Refried beans. Mine didn't come with any, so they brought me a side. When the bill came, they charged me for a side of refried beans. The waitress, who spoke in broken English, tried to tell me there was a thin layer of beans on this dry overpriced burrito.The burrito was disgusting. Never again! read more

Went to Caliente last night for dinner. Got seated and took 12 minutes to get chips and salsa waited another 10 min and never saw a waitress or waiter. 3 employees standing at the front desk the whole time talking. We got up and walked out and the man was hat seated us said was " have a nice night" poor service!!!! read more

The chips are plentiful and the guacamole is good. It's a pretty standard Mexican place. Not too authentic, and not terrible but it doesn't really stand out either. I wouldn't go out of the way to go here but I wouldn't flat out refuse either. read more

Love this place! I frequent this place often since it's in walking distance from my studio. The food is always amazing and they have the best margaritas in town! read more

I give Caliente a 1/5! Our service was absolutely horrible!! We've eaten at Caliente multiple times and had poor service every time but we love the food. We decided to go today for mothers day! We first ordered guacamole which they couldn't serve because there was no fresh avocados. The salsa was so spicy, our mouths were on fire and it didn't help that our water cups were empty the entire meal! Our food took 45 minutes to come out and we still hadn't gotten any water. From the time we ordered to when we got our food, our server didn't stop by once to refill water, chips, or salsa - or even to let us know that our food was going to take forever. My mom sent her food back because it took so long and she was no longer hungry - her mother's day meal was ruined! We won't ever be going back to Caliente and recommend you don't either. read more

We were hoping to add Caliente to our list of favorites based upon the reviews left by other people. But our experience was very different from those positive reviews. Our server was very friendly and helpful. She was attentive and responsive without hovering. The food was disappointing. Everything had a very processed flavor, like it came from a mix or box. It certainly didn't taste fresh or handmade. The guacamole was smooth and strangely shiny with a gray tint...no pieces of actual avocado. I've had better retried beans straight from a can. The queso had a grainy texture and the chips tasted greasy and had absolutely no salt. The carnitas was okay but I've had better elsewhere. We chose Caliente based upon reviews but were terribly disappointed. We'll stick with our neighborhood favorite. read more

We enjoyed lunch on a Friday here. We arrived at 11:30 & service was quick. Menu options looked pretty similar to La Hacienda, at least in that we could find our favorites. Lunch prices were very reasonable. Food was tasty & we thought very similar to our old standby La Ha. We weren't terribly adventurous & had some of our favorites - enchiladas calientes (some other places call them enchiladas verdes or suizas), queso and of course the chips & salsa. read more

Caliente is typical midwestern Mexican fare. The staff is really nice, and they have a great outside patio. The decor is fun and colorful. The taco I ordered was good, as was the rice. Didn't knock my socks off, but was good. I liked the chips and salsa because the chips were warm, and the salsa was fresh! I'd like to go back to try some other dishes, and their guacamole. I think you can rate a Mexican restaurant on its guac! read more

I saw the reviews for this restaurant. The reviews seemed to be consistently excellent. I ordered the Carne Asada which I order every time I eat Mexican. I found the dish to be bland and it was served lukewarm. My wife tried the enchiladas and found them to be lukewarm also. We went early in the evening and the service seem to be mediocre. Was very disappointed hoping to find a go to Mexican restaurant. This was not the place read more

I would give Caliente six stars if I could. Now, keep in mind that if you are looking for anything fancy or trendy this is not the place. BUT if you are looking for awesome, affordable tex-mexy deliciousness with lots of cheese dip and extremely strong margaritas then you are in the right place. I made a reservation here for 10 people for Friday night. A bunch of girls were in town for my sister's bachelorette party on Saturday, and we wanted a casual, laid back dinner on Friday. The interior of this place is kind of fun - lots of brightly colored designs. It was very lively on a Friday night - good for groups and for families. And...the food. THE FOOD. We started out with two quesos and two guacs. Both amazing. I'm personally more of a queso person, and this queso was extremely delicious and flavorful. Then, I got a shrimp chimichanga with queso on it. It was amazing. It was filled with shrimp, peppers, and onions. My sister got the quesadilla favorita with chorizo (she got it without the chicken) and it too was really really good. As soon as I tasted my margarita I knew I'd only need one. It was STRONG and wasn't one of those margaritas that tastes too mix-y and less tequila-y. It was perfect. Another plus about this place - the service. I picked this place because it was one of the few casual places around that would let me make a reservation on a Friday night. We got there, and our table was already ready. The servers were very friendly, and our food came out quickly (but not so quickly we couldn't enjoy our appetizers first). I will definitely be returning on my next trip to Indy! read more

Caliente Mexican Restaurant - Quesadilla Favorita with only chorizo (no chicken) - Mexican Near Me - Carmel, Indiana

See all