My husband and I were craving smothered burritos, and after an extensive search for the best one in the Denver area, we drove to Boulder . Can't get any better than the sweet pork with 1/2 creamy habanero 1/2 green chile. This location also has a stunning patio upstairs with a view of the flatirons. The ladies running the counter and putting together the burritos were very nice and accommodating, and I will for sure be returning. read more

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This may sound odd but it's one of the few places I find myself accepting the drive to Boulder is worth it (~30mins). Sweet Pork Nachos every time. The habanero queso keeps me alive. I have a really good dupe recipe for it but I don't care that I can make it at home I want to be on the rooftop in Boulder eating this 1200 calorie meal in front of the flatirons. The newest staff load it up, give me exactly what I want, and views are unbeatable, love. read more

Cafe Mexicali - Sweet pork nachos - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I fell in love with Cafe Mexicali during my college days at CSU. I recently visited the Boulder location, and I am relieved to say it remains amazing! Never pass up a Cafe Mexicali! It is a northern Colorado staple! My go-to order is the sweet pork smothered burrito! I love it smothered with the creamy habanero and green chile sauces! It's the perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors and the cheese and fresh element of pico tops it off perfectly! Love the freshly made tortillas too! Cafe Mexicali uses a fast casual, order at the counter set up. My experience is always having quick and efficient ordering and food prep process. Perfect lunch spot! This location has sizable dining space. Parking is somewhat limited depending on how busy the strip mall is. read more

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Since I'm forced to give a rating, I'll do 1 star, but I don't think they deserve that. I've tried to order from here through doordash on several occasions and not once have they done it right. Doordash is pretty straight forward. Click the buttons. Read the order. Nope! No cheese? Let's put cheese on it. Order guac? Let's send sour cream instead. All the toppings except for cheese? Let's just leave everything off entirely. Side of salsa? I don't feel like sending that today. I've thrown more tacos in the trash with credits than I care to discuss. I don't get it. read more

I am trying to try all of the street tacos in Boulder. I ordered two pork barbacoa tacos a la carte, which was only $6 total. They asked if I wanted cheese on it. I thought it would be like Subway, where the food preparers behind the counter ask me what I want on my taco, so I was standing there, waiting, while the taco slid through the little heater on a belt. When it came out, I was not asked about toppings. They were immediately covered in pico de gallo and so much lettuce I couldn't see the taco. I was surprised, and I said something. The manager came over and I was told that I should expect the toppings listed on the menu to be automatically added and it is my responsibility to tell them if I don't want something, that I will not be asked. I don't like lettuce on my tacos, so they kindly remade them for me, and the second round had a ton of pico, but it was okay. The BBQ flavor reminded me a lot of sloppy joes I would eat as a kid, but the texture of pulled pork was way better than a sloppy joe. At 12:30 on a Thursday, the restaurant was partly full, but there was barely a line. There is upstairs seating, which is really quite lovely and a lot of sunshine. I think in the summer there may be a back patio. As I was leaving, I was thinking that if I ever needed to rent out a space for a party or a casual reception, this spot would be really nice. I will be back, but for something other than their tacos. read more

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Have been coming to cafe Mexicali for years and it truly never disappoints! Almost every time I'm in boulder I have to make a stop. The line can be long but it moves fast. Plenty of seating (also upstairs and the patio with a few of the flatirons!) Gotta get the creamy haberno with whatever you order. PLEASE open a location in Denver I'm begging you!! read more

Cafe Mexicali - Sweet Pork Quesolle - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Tonight, this restaurant smells like old rags and bleach. The chicken is tough and tasteless. I don't know if the ownership changed, or someone went rogue in the kitchen, but it is a terrible experience now. The tortillas are too thick, the burritos are half-cold, and the soup tastes off. Overall, yuck. read more

I ordered the Creamy Chicken soup twice recently because it's the only thing I've felt like eating getting over the flu. The first time the woman didn't seem to know what the creamy option was as she made it without and I tried to explain. The second time they completely forgot to put any chicken at all in soup. I called them the second time and all they said was "sorry it was a mistake". Just WATCH while they make your food, maybe they are distracted? read more

I make it a point to stop in here every time i'm in Boulder. Cafe mexicali is a spot i used to frequent in my college days and find myself craving now that i don't live in Boulder. The staff is efficient and there's ample seating if you're dining in (unless the upstairs seating is closed). I'd highly recommend getting the sweet pork and pairing it with the creamy habanero, two things that cafe mex does incredibly well that you don't often find at burrito shops! read more

Cafe Mexicali - Sweet Pork Smothered Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

When craving a breakfast burrito in Boulder, Cafe Mexicali is my go to burrito place! Not only are their ingredients fresh and delicious but they actually make their tortillas TO ORDER! This is not entirely common and I for one can tell you there is nothing like a fresh homemade tortilla. Everything I have tried has been delectable, but my favorite is just a bacon and green Chili burrito, with cheese of course! Check 'em out! read more

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Food and stuff there was food there like the sweet pork which was good on the nachos. P

A Boulder area favorite for Mexican, I love this place. The food is delicious, staff is friendly and it's always quick. I'm a big fan of the sweet pork. read more

Fresh flour tortillas made to order and great restaurant quality tortilla chips for sale here. These were the most successful elements during our visit here. And we took those to go to make our own concoctions at home. Our breakfast burrito was not successful unfortunately. They have an assembly line of pre-made warmed up stuff much like Illegal Pete's and was equally as bad. Unfortunately, the potato and eggs mixed together and held in a warmer. There wasn't any distinct flavor from either and the potatoes had no texture differentiator. We opted for steak with the creamy habanero. It was overwhelmingly salty to the point we didn't finish the burrito. I can't tell you what the flavor of the sauce was or if that was the element the was overly seasoned. We'd stop back in for fresh tortillas and tortilla chips when in the area but that would be all that we'd buy. Service was courteous and transactional. read more

Breakfast burritos are the best kept secret in Boulder, and it is 75% the fresh made tortilla!

The worst Mexican food in my life. I have never once wasted a meal but had to throw it away after one bite, not even something I would feed my dog. How is this place still open? read more

first time here and it did not disappoint! I'd say Mexicali is a more elevated chipotle/qdoba but more casual than a full service restaurant. The staff behind the counter were really kind and quick! I ordered the ensalada mexicali with steak, which is *different* than a salad, which you can also order. They put something like a quesadilla at the bottom of the tin-- tortilla, cheese, steak, and creamy habanero sauce, cut into pieces so it's easier to eat. Then on top is what you see in the photo which is lettuce, corn, tomatoes, cheese, and tortilla chips. I also added guac which they gave me on the side. I love the balance of the fresh ingredients with the warm/cooked part underneath. Would totally order again! read more

Cafe Mexicali - Flame Broiled Steak Ensalada Mexicali - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

amazing customer services and delicious food items, so much variety and the seating area is so diverse, patio has awesome views, i think there's new ownership with improved quality read more

This place is delicious. The habanero cream sauce is to die for. I got corn and onion enchiladas, which was covered in the habanero sauce and melted cheese with rice and beans on the side. The habanero sauce was not too spicy and had a nice balance of sweet. My husband got the sweet pork enchiladas with habanero cream sauce and absolutely loved it. We ate at the restaurant and it was cute inside. I also like that they ask people to recycle the tins that the food comes in. read more

Cafe Mexicali - Sweet Corn and Onion Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I can't get enough of their sweet pork quesolle with creamy habanero sauce! I have to stop by every time I'm in Boulder read more

Cafe Mexicali - Sweet pork quesolle and creamy habanero sauce - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I will start this by saying that I understand rare occasion things happening when you go out to eat and that I love these restaurants. That being said when I visited today I ordered 2 beef tacos after eating the first taco and getting half way through the second I found a little black spider crawling in my lettuce, I was quickly given a refund thankfully but when I asked the manager who helped me if they look over food shipments when received or if produced is cleaned in anyway he asked me how am I supposed to do that, I am currently a culinary student myself taking my state food certification so I know this is wrong in so many ways. Like I said I understand a rare occasion mishap but then continuing to tell a customer you don't know how to look over or clean produce is completely unprofessional. This just really makes me not want to eat at these establishments which is so upsetting cause I love their food . read more

Cafe Mexicali - The spider in my food - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

My favorite burrito spot in all of Colorado!! I always get the steak smothered burrito with habanero sauce, it is so delicious!!! Pictured in the background is a pork smothered burrito! read more

Cafe Mexicali - Steak smothered burrito w/ habanero sauce - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

3 years later, after biting into a rock in my burrito from this place, I found out my tooth had broken in half. Had to be crowned. I'm wondering how I can get compensation today. Never ate here again or will ever again. read more

Cafe Mexicali - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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Burritos are delicious I can't get enough I even paid 24 for a breakfast to get delivered to my work in broomfield that how good they are

The BEST burrito I've ever had!! The staff is hardworking and dedicated to good and quality food.

Fantastic Mexican restaurant! Highly suggest trying the inside out chicken burrito! The service is also very quick and the staff are kind.

I ordered online and got a sweet pork burrito and some nachos. Nachos came fine but they literally forgot the sweet pork in my burrito. I am sweet porkless . Paid almost $15 for a rice and bean burrito because they forgot the 3rd ingredient. read more

Cafe Mexicali - Label for what I bought - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

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eh. burritos were severely lacking filling. just literally rice beans and meat. then they pour a pretty disgusting "queso" on top which is nothing more than just melted cheese, no seasoning nothing. pretty gross tbh read more

The food is good, but over the last year, not only have they raised their prices, they have been stingy with their eggs and Potatoes. It takes 3-4 bites before I even get to the eggs. Today, I got less the a serving spoon off eggs and potatoes. read more

Meh. Still trying to find any decent Mexican in Colorado. Not very vegetarian friendly. You only options are corn & onion anything. Most of their sauces are not vegetarian, chips are tortillas are vegetarian. The rice is NOT even though the website says it is. Thankful the manager told me the truth about it. Worst of all due to a language barrier the woman helping me had absolutely no idea what vegetarian meant and had to pull 4 different people over 4 different times and finally just walked away so someone else could help me. Skip it if you're vegetarian I guess. read more

My boyfriend and I come here often for burritos. The portion size is generous and we love how are the flour tortillas taste fresh and slightly Dowie because they are made to order. I always get the pico de gallo and lettuce inside the burrito instead of on top and prefer the steak option for meat. The creamy habanero sauce is my guilty pleasure and to be honest I've gotten my burrito smothered in it and also more on the side. read more

I used to frequent the Mexicali in Fort Collins, Colorado and would give that establishment five stars. This place gets four stars because they messed up my order. I chose the sweet corn and onion burrito with white sauce (best sauce ever) with chips on the side but they gave me a bunch of lettuce instead of chips. The burrito was busted open and not wrapped properly but still tasted great. I'm not hatin' tho, I'd def come back read more

My wife and I dropped in for supper. we both ordered smothered burritos. Mine was steak and hers was chicken. The service was fast. the quantity was ample and the food was delicious. read more

We were looking for a quick breakfast (specifically breakfast burritos since my friend was craving them) on our way up to Eldora. Cafe Mexicali popped up and was really close to our route. Such a good decision. We were so happy that Cafe Mexicali opened at 8am for breakfast. As we walked in, the staff were making fresh tortillas. Score! Each day has a couple different options for burritos. We were there on a Saturday and the options were bacon, pork green chile, and chorizo. Super pumped that I could combine the options. Went for a pork green chile and bacon burrito and loved it. It also included eggs and potatoes. I went for a regular size because the large is massive. The regular was the perfect size for me. It was also convenient that there was a coffee shop right next door. Staff was super friendly, gave recommendations, and were really patient with us since we were pretty indecisive. We will definitely be making this our go to stop on the way to snowboarding. Definitely coming back to try lunch/dinner too. read more

Giant tortilla lacks filling. Terribly unfriendly service. I asked, "i understand that traditional Barbacoa is made with lamb. Do you serve any dishes with lamb?" Response: No it is not and no we don't serve lamb. Fair enough. Do you have pickled jalapeños? No Do you have fresh jalapeños? No Do you have wifi? No Restroom. No. Not a smile from anyone behind the counter. I considered walking out as I felt more as a bother than a customer. I will not return. So many better Mexican restaurants here in town. Service terrible. Food soso. read more

So I've been to Cafe Mexicali once before and it was eh... but this time.. completely different. Little sister wanted Cafe Mex for her birthday so we went to the Boulder location. Caleb helped make our food, taking time to tell us which sauces were vegetarian and which ones weren't (we're both vegetarians and even though my lil sister has been going here for years, today she learned the white sauce had a chicken base), and going the extra mile to make sure our food was made to the best of his abilities. Cade went to check us out and upon finding out it was my lil sister's birthday, helped us celebrate. Both of these two gentlemen made this experience enjoyable. And the tres leches... should be illegal. Way too good... like waaaay too good. read more

This place is known for their home-made flour tortillas. Being newcomers, we had no idea what their food looked like so some pictures near the menu board would be extremely helpful. Its not your traditional taco and burrito place since they do some interesting things with familiar ingredients. For example, they have an inside out burrito which is like a "wet burrito" but the pieces are chopped into more of a casserole. My Mexican salad had a whole flour tortilla folded up into a triangle, then cut up into 1" squares and tossed with the other ingredients. Like I said, some pictures would help. The building is beautiful with several levels and outside decks, fireplaces and cool views. The staff is friendly, the prices are cheap and the food quality is pretty good. read more

I love coming in here because they have the best tortillas. Very few Mexican restaurants in Boulder offer breakfast, and they have a pretty good one. Bar none though, I have to say, their tortillas are my favorite out there. I order them frequently and often get extra if I'm grabbing a burrito. Then I take these tortillas and can eat them later. Would definitely recommend. read more

It's sooo good & different from all the other fast casual Mexican places (Qdoba, Chipotle, Pancheros, Illegal Pete's)! They make their tortillas fresh & their ingredients are so fresh! I had the Ensalada Mexicali with steak & oh my it was NOMZ! The quality of the ingredients & flavors is bomb & large portions for left overs! We were there before lunch rush but the service was great. I'd choose this place over their competitors!! My husband had the steak burrito & it was huge!! He normally eats it all but had some leftovers as well!! read more

Cafe Mexicali - Ensalada Mexicali - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Creamy habanero sauce on one of their burritos is to die for. Go-to burrito spot! Yum!

I did like this new place (first visit) and I will try it a few more times to see if they deserve 4 stars but for now I'm calling it 3 1/2. When I eat Americanized fast casual Mexican, I prefer "cali" over 'tex" so this fits the bill. We got a variety of enchilada plates and everyone (4 of us) liked theirs. I had the pork barbacoa which was less seasoned than I expected but still good quality meat. The sweet corn/onion enchilada was well appreciated. The chicken breast had big chunks of meat. We had the chips, salsa and guac appetizer. The chips were warm and not too salty, good for me. We should have gotten an extra guac container as it was quite small (we will next time- even for 2 people it is small) for the amount of chips and # of people, but fresh and tasty. The salsa was heavy on the Mexican oregano and light on the cilantro. I would have preferred it the other way around, but the others were happier this way. The rice was good, and I prefer this prep to a tomato base. Black beans were excellent. As for service and selection, I had no problem. When I got there, 6-7people were already in line and ordering and it moved quickly and everyone was friendly. I had never been there before so I had studied up on the sauce choices on the menu in advance of ordering and it clearly did state that the mild was tomatillo and the other strengths had different peppers. As for bean choice, I could hear the offerings for the customers ahead of me and was prepared for the black or pinto option as my order was taken. It was fun watching them make the tortillas right in front of the customers and if I have the option, I would take kids there to see it. read more

Cafe Mexicali - Mexican Near Me - Boulder, Colorado