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Recommended Reviews - El Califa
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Excellent sitdown taco spot with table service. Al pastor was perfect. Rib eye was also good - but a little pricey / would say it's not the essential order here. Loved the smoky salsa! 4.5 stars.
First meal in Mexico City and I can say it was a success. After a long travel day El Califa was recommended by our concierge as somewhere local good and accessible when we needed it. As a party of 6 we were glad to be able to get immediately seated specially when the restaurant was as crowded as it was. It was busy it was lively it was a place where you felt like you should be. We had meat eaters and we had vegans in our group. They have a full vegan menu page which was refreshing. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the salsas they put on the tables with the chips weren't flavorful and good.
I came to El Califa for a quick solo lunch and ordered a costra with arrachera (skirt steak), taco with costilla (rib) and taco with ribeye. I was most excited for the costra which is a layer of crispy cheese wrapped around a filling like a tortilla. I loved the arrachera which was my favorite meat of the 3. The costilla and ribeye tacos were a let down though as both cuts were very thin thing and a bit overcooked and dry. The meat itself didn't have much flavor either and I ended up wanting more meat and flavor. It's pricer than most other casual taco spots and although the restaurant environment is nicer, honestly there are way better spots to eat in Mexico City I wouldn't come here again.
Taqueria el Califa is a local chain that (according to a friend who lives in CDMX), has been around for years and was one of the original taco restaurants known for bringing delicious Al Pastor tacos to a more modern dining atmosphere. Arriving off the plane and staying at a hotel nearby, this spot came up as an option since it was open at 2pm, not too crowded (maybe 65% full) and was decently rated on G-maps. While not the best tacos I had on this trip, I'm appreciative of this intro to CDMX! We ordered: - Tecate $74*: a local beer that you can also find in the US. It's a crisp and refreshing lager, with a clean malt flavor, subtly sweet. - Mexican Coke $50: a slightly different and sweeter flavor than coca-cola we have here. - Cafe de Olla $50: Mexican coffee brewed with cinnamon and brown sugar...mmmmm. - chicken soup $114: a rich, warm broth with lots of chicken flavor, a little rice. Very tasty. - several different tacos $ varied 32-87: their Al Pastor offerings were the highlight, wholeheartedly recommend these--tender, juicy with good flavor, terrific with pineapple, onions and cilantro. The bistec, pork chop and guana tacos were meat grillled in their natural juices with a pinch of salt. You could taste the freshness of the meat though you really have to add the toppings and salsa to get a balanced taste. The meat by itself on a tortilla is on the blander side (and probably not how it's meant to be eaten lol). Four different salsas are provided with your meal, tamarind, red, roasted, and green sauces which each had a terrific depth of flavors and an increasing level of spiciness. I enjoyed each one with my favorites being the roasted (the roasted tomatoes, chilis and onions really stood out in this) and red sauces. The green one I could only use a few drops--spicy food lovers would appreciate! For the tacos they bring the toppings (diced onions, cilantro and pineapple) out on a separate plate so you can personalize the amount you add. The staff was very attentive and were always watching the tables for finished plates, ready to clean up, pour water, ask if our meal was ok. Very quick service! The restaurant functioned like clean and well-oiled taco machine. If I were hungry and in the mood for a casual bite, would drop by here again! *all prices in pesos.
This place was awesome. Friendly, professional staff, great service, good prices, delicious tacos. Vibe is really chill too. Comfortable and laid back place to grab some great food. 10/10 would go back. The pastores tacos were my fav!
Love el califa for the simplicity of their tacos. They have very tender simple flavored, not over condimented meat that is extremely tender. Even their tortillas are super tender and don't break and I think that's what some ppl don't see. These aren't the typical over sauced tacos but the point is to enjoy the quality of the meat. They provide you with three sauces that aren't spicy but only flavorful. I love the queso tacos that is also served in a thin layer. They have amazing service and their waiters are very attentive!
Honestly, I don't get the hype. Food is expensive even by California standards. Meats were dry. Taco overall was meh. Also not a fan of the cheese w taco. Overall just a very mid experience and it felt like a tourist trap. There's way better tacos in cdmx for much less!
The food was great! Very tasteful and authentic. A must try! I simply wished there were menus in English, it would've made ordering easier and quicker
Excellent place! Todo súper riquísimo. I really liked doing tacos differently - lettuce instead of tortilla, pita bread instead of tortilla. And the pollo al pastor was really good! My favorite was their tamarindo salsa. Delicious. Service was okay, a little slow I thought but just because it was SO PACKED so I understand. The vibes were great, good music and lots of lively people. La sopa de frijoles con esas tostadas, wow!
Good food, good service and open till 4:00 AM. Gotta love it. Oh and they have a Michelin Star
Best taco ever! Simply outstanding. Went back several times. Nice on the inside. Wait staff was great. Menu in English. The costras tacos (a taco with the meat in the middle surrounded by a wrap of cheese that is caramelized on the griddle - pure magic). Got several other things but kept coming back to the costras. The sirloin one in particular was my favorite. Fantastic!
This is a taqueria chain in CDMX, and it was great! A nice sit-down taco spot. Clean, modern feel. Service was superb, our food was brought out quick. Pretty content with the experience, quick and easy. And the tacos were good!
1 month ago
Food was great and service was also great. Fast and friendly. It bit noisy but i dont mind read more
Wow, one of our favorite places to eat while in Mexico City. Decided for an early dinner around 5PM and the place had a few diners. It seated a lot of people. As we sat the dining area became busier and busier. A good sign. They of course offered us an English menu and we requested on in Spanish so that can learn. It was hard to decide what to order, it was our last night so we knew that we were going to over order. We first orders guacamole. Then added a Pollo Pastor Taco, a pork El Pastor, a Bistec/Queso Taco, and a Chicharron de Quesso. The guacamole arrived first and it was the best we had all week...and we had it at least twice per day! Then the rest of the food just started arriving and we dug in. Everything was outstanding. The Bistec/Queso taco was something I had never tried and trust me I will get it again and again. It was delicious. This restaurant seemed to be a "Happy" place. It was humming with excitement. Service was excellent and prices were reasonable. Highly recommend. read more
First meal in Mexico City and I can say it was a success. After a long travel day El Califa was recommended by our concierge as somewhere local good and accessible when we needed it. As a party of 6 we were glad to be able to get immediately seated specially when the restaurant was as crowded as it was. It was busy it was lively it was a place where you felt like you should be. We had meat eaters and we had vegans in our group. They have a full vegan menu page which was refreshing. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the salsas they put on the tables with the chips weren't flavorful and good. read more
I came to El Califa for a quick solo lunch and ordered a costra with arrachera (skirt steak), taco with costilla (rib) and taco with ribeye. I was most excited for the costra which is a layer of crispy cheese wrapped around a filling like a tortilla. I loved the arrachera which was my favorite meat of the 3. The costilla and ribeye tacos were a let down though as both cuts were very thin thing and a bit overcooked and dry. The meat itself didn't have much flavor either and I ended up wanting more meat and flavor. It's pricer than most other casual taco spots and although the restaurant environment is nicer, honestly there are way better spots to eat in Mexico City I wouldn't come here again. read more
Taqueria el Califa is a local chain that (according to a friend who lives in CDMX), has been around for years and was one of the original taco restaurants known for bringing delicious Al Pastor tacos to a more modern dining atmosphere. Arriving off the plane and staying at a hotel nearby, this spot came up as an option since it was open at 2pm, not too crowded (maybe 65% full) and was decently rated on G-maps. While not the best tacos I had on this trip, I'm appreciative of this intro to CDMX! We ordered: - Tecate $74*: a local beer that you can also find in the US. It's a crisp and refreshing lager, with a clean malt flavor, subtly sweet. - Mexican Coke $50: a slightly different and sweeter flavor than coca-cola we have here. - Cafe de Olla $50: Mexican coffee brewed with cinnamon and brown sugar...mmmmm. - chicken soup $114: a rich, warm broth with lots of chicken flavor, a little rice. Very tasty. - several different tacos $ varied 32-87: their Al Pastor offerings were the highlight, wholeheartedly recommend these--tender, juicy with good flavor, terrific with pineapple, onions and cilantro. The bistec, pork chop and guana tacos were meat grillled in their natural juices with a pinch of salt. You could taste the freshness of the meat though you really have to add the toppings and salsa to get a balanced taste. The meat by itself on a tortilla is on the blander side (and probably not how it's meant to be eaten lol). Four different salsas are provided with your meal, tamarind, red, roasted, and green sauces which each had a terrific depth of flavors and an increasing level of spiciness. I enjoyed each one with my favorites being the roasted (the roasted tomatoes, chilis and onions really stood out in this) and red sauces. The green one I could only use a few drops--spicy food lovers would appreciate! For the tacos they bring the toppings (diced onions, cilantro and pineapple) out on a separate plate so you can personalize the amount you add. The staff was very attentive and were always watching the tables for finished plates, ready to clean up, pour water, ask if our meal was ok. Very quick service! The restaurant functioned like clean and well-oiled taco machine. If I were hungry and in the mood for a casual bite, would drop by here again! *all prices in pesos. read more
1 year ago
This place was awesome. Friendly, professional staff, great service, good prices, delicious tacos. Vibe is really chill too. Comfortable and laid back place to grab some great food. 10/10 would go back. The pastores tacos were my fav! read more
1 year ago
Love el califa for the simplicity of their tacos. They have very tender simple flavored, not over condimented meat that is extremely tender. Even their tortillas are super tender and don't break and I think that's what some ppl don't see. These aren't the typical over sauced tacos but the point is to enjoy the quality of the meat. They provide you with three sauces that aren't spicy but only flavorful. I love the queso tacos that is also served in a thin layer. They have amazing service and their waiters are very attentive! read more
1 year ago
Honestly, I don't get the hype. Food is expensive even by California standards. Meats were dry. Taco overall was meh. Also not a fan of the cheese w taco. Overall just a very mid experience and it felt like a tourist trap. There's way better tacos in cdmx for much less! read more
10 months ago
The food was great! Very tasteful and authentic. A must try! I simply wished there were menus in English, it would've made ordering easier and quicker read more
8 months ago
Excellent place! Todo súper riquísimo. I really liked doing tacos differently - lettuce instead of tortilla, pita bread instead of tortilla. And the pollo al pastor was really good! My favorite was their tamarindo salsa. Delicious. Service was okay, a little slow I thought but just because it was SO PACKED so I understand. The vibes were great, good music and lots of lively people. La sopa de frijoles con esas tostadas, wow! read more
7 months ago
9 months ago
Good food, good service and open till 4:00 AM. Gotta love it. Oh and they have a Michelin Star read more
Best taco ever! Simply outstanding. Went back several times. Nice on the inside. Wait staff was great. Menu in English. The costras tacos (a taco with the meat in the middle surrounded by a wrap of cheese that is caramelized on the griddle - pure magic). Got several other things but kept coming back to the costras. The sirloin one in particular was my favorite. Fantastic! read more
This is a taqueria chain in CDMX, and it was great! A nice sit-down taco spot. Clean, modern feel. Service was superb, our food was brought out quick. Pretty content with the experience, quick and easy. And the tacos were good! read more
2 years ago
9 months ago
2 years ago
Cute and easy to get to from my hotel. We wanted a quick inexpensive bite to eat. The service was fast and they have plenty of space for the visitors. As someone who is not used to traditional tacos I was confused about the ordering process and the tacos. They are tacos that don't come with the toppings unless you ask. You have to ask for them gringo style for the toppings us on the US are used to. Regardless the tacos tasted great just a learning curve when first ordering! read more
10 months ago
2 years ago
3 years ago
One of the pricier restaurants we visited while in CDMX. The place was busy on a Saturday night around 12am, with a Solomun dj set playing on the tv that set the vibe for night owls. Service was prompt and our server was cordial but not friendly. We ordered an appetizer of guacamole that came with tostadas. The guacamole was mediocre and could have used more salt. For entrees, we tried a pita gaona (res) and tacos al pastor. I was curious to see how pita bread compares to tortilla with same ingredients, and tortilla takes the win by a long shot. Both the res and al pastor were flavorful and tender. For dessert, we ordered a guava cheesecake. This was easily the highlight of the meal with it's subtle flavoring and texture combination of gelatin like topping, mousse filling, crunchy pie crust, and almond shavings. While the entrees and dessert were great, there are plenty of other restaurants that offer quality food at a much lower price. read more
Five stars for the food, 2 stars for the service. But really, we Yelpers care about the food, amirite?? And you need to come here for that. It's not a full on restaurant nor is is a corner pastor stand. It's more like a taco diner with the most ginormous menu ever. The Costra stole the show, with your pastor, I mean choice of meat ;) ) inside a gigantic thinly fried cheese case with a tortilla to hold it all in. The salsas are all good, though I can tell if they are geared towards gringos as none were spicy enough. But the pastor was the star of the show, as you knew it would be as soon as you walked in past the gigantic trompo. Note that they have many vegetarian options, if you need to satisfy a dining companion :) Service: sure, my Spanish isn't perfect, but it's good enough. The issue was they served me everything except my Costra and I waited - no joke - 30 minutes to get that because it fell off the orders and my waiter would not make eye contact with me for the longest time. Eventually got it and worth the wait, but very annoying. Would have been 5 stars otherwise. read more
1 year ago
Had a good experience at this restaurant. Food was good and the atmosphere was great. Love that they give you 3 different salsas with chips to start off. We ordered the steak and chicken tacos with a side of beans which didn't disappoint. I will definitely be returning when I'm back in town read more
2 years ago
Delicious food, good atmosphere, great, quick, attentive service! I got the ribeye y queso taco and it was so delicious I ordered another one! One of the best tacos I've had in 6 days in Mexico City! I also had the consome de pollo chicken soup and that was SO flavorful! One of the best chicken soups I've ever had, anywhere! The prices are a little high but I personally think it's all worth it for the ambience, service and good food! I would/will definitely come back! read more
This was one of the best taco places my friends and I went to (Besides the street tacos). We got the famous tacos, and nopales (cactus). Despite this place being a chain, it was filled with locals and very little tourists. It opens late into the night, and was reallyyyy packed when we went at around 10pm. The salsas were also fantasticccc. My favorite was the salsa with all the chiles chopped up in there. I highly recommend the Al pastor taco! read more
3 years ago
Amazing!!! Some of the best pastor tacos I've had. Came with my family during our stay at CDMX. We had a great time and ate so much! We tried the pastor tacos, sopa de frijoles, quesadilla de rajas, flan, and some local beers. Definitely recommend this as a dinner spot. A bit pricier for the area but not too bad. The service was quick and very attentive! We were seated quickly after arrival and had an amazing dinner read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
The food here is really good and tasty. I was skeptical at first because it's a chain. Glad we ate here to try it out. I like rotating meat spit it was sorta next to us. We ordered a bunch of stuff to taste test and was satisfied. Seemed like fresh ingredients with unique combinations you do not see to often (well I don't for that matter) read more
don't get me wrong, this place is good, but for mexican tacos, i think its better to stick to the streets or at a least cheaper option. We ended up getting 5 tacos, 4 meats no cheese and one mushroom with cheese. Interestingly enough, the best one was the mushroom. I don't know if it was because i was hungry that made it taste amazing, but the mushroom one was really really good. I also like the fact that they give you lots of sauces to try. i think 2 out of the 4 were really spicy for me, and were not enjoyable. The sauce i liked the most was the chipotle style one. This place is a fancier taco joint, and thus prices will be more than the typical tacos you'll find elsewhere. The ambiance is nice, but next time i go to CDMX, i'll skip on sit down "fancy" taco restaurants. read more
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