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    Calexico - Upper East Side

    3.8 (945 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    CALEXICO - UPPER EAST SIDE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Calexico - Upper East Side

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    The piece of plastic inside

    There was literally a piece of plastic inside my food. The plastic says CO2 and you can see then end of the word "toxic".....insane. DO NOT EAT HERE.

    Chips & Salsa
    Timothy S.

    Let me start by saying everyone was nice, but nice does not cut it anymore. What happened to free chips and salsa? $9 for 20 chips? While the green salsa was delish the red salsa tastes store bought from a jar, seriously! I really paid $9?? I "upgraded" to a "grande margarita" that was the size of a small glass completely filled with ice for $20???? That's when shock set in. I picked the wrong place for Mexican tonight. Everyone was nice, inside vibe was cute, service was mediocre (was never even asked about a second margarita), food was ok, overall nothing to return for! Not at all impressed with the menu. I wanted something new, tried something new and won't be back unfortunately. Not worth the prices, so many other options.

    Shawn C.

    A very nice atmosphere with great service, good music, and fresh food. I like their shrimp tacos, chicken enchiladas, and steak fajitas.

    Melissa G.

    I'm a big fan of the vegeterian Cali-Style burrito with black beans. It has guacamole, secret sauce, chili-cilantro fries, Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo served in a warm flour tortilla.

    Baja Fish Taco
    Pamela P.

    Nice place for good quality Tex-Mex food. The music is loud the drinks are strong and the servers and hostesses super friendly. It was our first time and they treated us like regulars. Very enjoyable experience. They run specials at happy hour prices every night. The spicy passion fruit margarita was a bit too salty but still drinkable. We had the queso fundido, tacos, steak fajitas and everything was good quality and size. The only downside was the tortillas that came with the fajitas because they came very cold and unprotected so they got even colder in just a few seconds. Seem like a great place to celebrate a birthday or go during happy our too.

    P M.

    Perfect little lunch spot. Stopped in today for a salad and a glass of rosé and it was the perfect summer lunch on a hot day in July..

    Hot sauces
    Kassandra F.

    Delightful ambiance. Exemplary service. Good comfort food. Fun place to be-- and I appreciated the numerous hot sauce options.

    Chips & Guacamole and Chips & Salsa
    Miriam I.

    Came for an impromptu dinner on a Monday and the vibes were great. We were seated quickly and the service was fast and very good. We started with the chips and salsa and chips and guac. Kind of annoying that chips and salsa don't just come but nevertheless both salsas were very good. The guacamole was also great and both portions were substantial. For our mains we got the chicken burrito bowl and the barbacoa quesadilla. The burrito bowl was lacking in flavor. The barbacoa quesadilla was delicious and very flavorful especially because of the carmelized onions. If I come back, I'm getting the quesadilla.

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    Jesse V.

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    1 year ago

    it always hits the spot. It is so good. The servers are super nice and there's always lots of seats.

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    Page 1 of 24

    Calexico - Upper East Side Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Calexico - Upper East Side

    When is regular happy hour?

    M-F 4-6pm

    Does anyone know if/when Calexico UES will open again?

    Hi Emily! Calexico will indeed be open again, hopefully soon. As you may have heard, there was a serious fire in the apartment above the restaurant, so we had to make a lot of repairs. We are now just waiting for NYFD approval and we’ll be up and… Read more

    Are you guys open?

    No, we’re still closed due to a fire in the apartment above us. We hope to be open again soon. Sorry of any inconvenience. Thanks.

    Is there happy hour on weekends?

    No pretty sure happy hour was Mon-Friday!

    How many tacos come in an order?

    Tacos are priced per Taco. You can order how many you would like. $5 a taco.

    View All 8 Questions

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    Los Tacos No. 1

    4.6(451 reviews)
    1.8 miMidtown East, Murray Hill
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    I'll just say it: best tacos in the world. Completely subjective, I know -- but Los Tacos No. 1…read moremakes it hard to argue otherwise. The ingredients are fresh, simple, and clearly quality. Tortillas are made to order right in front of you, and the whole experience just feels authentic and joyful. I had the steak and pork tacos, my friend got chicken -- we went back for a second round. That says everything. A few tips for first-timers: -- Don't sleep on the quesadillas. Seriously. -- If you like crispy tortillas, order the tostada -- they deep fry it and the result is incredible. -- Get the Horchata. It's not overly sweet and pairs perfectly with the tacos. The staff is 10/10 friendly and efficient. Don't be intimidated by the line -- it moves fast. Case in point: on a rainy morning, there was already a line at 11:01 AM (the place opens at 11). People know what they're doing here. The atmosphere is relaxed. They have nice, authentic music playing at all times. Highly, highly recommend.

    The food influencers did not lie, the Adobada taco is out of this world. There's so much flavor…read morepacked in this small, yet filling taco. I'm a native southern Californian and I was absolutely delighted at the quality of this Mexican food. After you order you give your ticket to the cook and they make your taco fresh, allowing you to get all the toppings or choose your toppings. It's really spacious, with high top rectangular tables for quick eating and some sit-down tables.

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    Los Tacos No. 1 - Where you pick up your food.

    Where you pick up your food.

    Los Tacos No. 1 - Tacos

    Tacos

    Los Tacos No. 1 - Carne Asada taco with a cold glass bottle of Mexican coke....best lunch combo.

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    Carne Asada taco with a cold glass bottle of Mexican coke....best lunch combo.

    Cinco De Mayo - Barria

    Cinco De Mayo

    4.6(38 reviews)
    1.7 miMidtown East

    Delicious every time!! I was told they used to add a free carrot cake slice. I wish they still did…read morethat because I love carrot cake!

    Cinco de Mayo landed on my radar when a bunch of us at work were looking for a place to grab some…read morelunch. We had our usual list of spots in Midtown East, but this time we wanted something a little different. We ultimately landed on Mexican, however even then there were several spots to chose from. One of my colleagues found CdM, and since we had nothing to lose we decided to check it out. In terms of physical space at CdM, there is very little; this is actually a walk-up spot hence it is solely a takeout restaurant. The menu is pretty straightforward - lots of Mexican staples with a good variety to choose from. The burrito bowl looked good so I decided to go with that - I was given choice of protein (I chose pastor) and types of beans (I chose black). The bowl was really good - all the ingredients tasted fresh and they were generous with the portion. They added sour cream to the top of the bowl and it came with a side of salsa verde which I thought was a nice touch. We also ordered some bags of tortilla chips to share - these were my favorite kind as they were semi-thick and super crunchy. Overall, I had a solid experience at Cinco de Mayo. It definitely hit the Mexican craving spot and I would have no qualms returning for another meal.

    Photos
    Cinco De Mayo
    Cinco De Mayo - Cinco de Mayo Plate

    Cinco de Mayo Plate

    Cinco De Mayo

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    Rosa Mexicano

    Rosa Mexicano

    3.6(186 reviews)
    1.3 miMidtown East
    $$

    I was so very happy one of my favorite restaurants was still around!! Love love love the food here…read moreand even though 3 people shared 2 meals, we were still stuffed when leaving here. The staff was extremely nice, and even though we were 45 minutes late, they were able to fit us in, so appreciated that. The service was amazing. the restaurant is lovely and packed like true Mid-town NY restaurants. They surprised my mama with a song and free dessert to celebrate her birthday. The whole restaurant joined in, so nice. The food is amazing!!! I don't think they have a bad dish. My mama enjoyed which did my heart good because it's a favorite of mine and after so many years, it's still amazing . Totally recommend !! We for some reason got hooked on the hibiscus pomegranate iced tea. Yummy yum yum.

    We chose this place for brunch, as it was close to where we needed to be. My friend has been to…read moretheir other location and said it was good. We had reservations and there was a party ahead of us at the entrance. No greeting or acknowledgment from the hostess upon entrance (red flag). She seated the other party and very lackadaisically returned to her booth to finally acknowledge our presence. She seated us with menus but no brunch menu even though it was still brunch time. I had to ask the waiter for it. Took a while to get order in. We ordered two apps and one entree to share. Took even longer for our food to arrive. We ordered: Nachos - they were ok Fried calamari - overly salty, slightly fishy, and COLD Chile relleno - underwhelming, lukewarm Hibiscus pomegranate iced tea - tasted like grenadine water. Zero pomegranate or hibiscus flavor. Also, different prices between brunch and regular menu. We were charged regular menu price. Overall, super underwhelming and not worth your time or money. Chipotle would've been better than this.

    Photos
    Rosa Mexicano
    Rosa Mexicano
    Rosa Mexicano - Enchiladas

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    Enchiladas

    Tan - Beautiful plate but tastesless

    Tan

    3.9(246 reviews)
    1.4 miMidtown East

    Came here for my bday brunch and it did not disappoint at all. What sets this place apart from most…read moreplaces besides their awesome Tulum aesthetics is the fact that not everyone has to participate in the bottomless alcohol option, so you can invite your non drinking friends. They also have an à la carte bottomless food option which even me would Jed have to participate in. This is one of the only places that offers a bottomless food option. The waitress was very attentive and the drinks were strong! Worth every penny and I will be back here again for sure. I thought I took more photos but I didn't, this place is a vibe. 5 stars

    What a GORGEOUS space. Whoever interior decorated this restaurant deserves their tens because it is…read morea spectacle. I had only seen daytime pics, but being there in the evening is a treat. If you are someone who is looking at an aesthetic place, this is a top contender. Unfortunately, I would say this place is better looking than the food is good. The food was fine, appetizers were all fresh but lacked any real depth in flavor. I wasn't too thrilled with the bone marrow I had either (but the tortillas come in the cutest basket). Personally, if it wasn't for the drinks and the space, I cant say this place is worth it - you're not coming here for the food. Another little complaint I have is the women's restroom on the second floor - right by the door is a floor to ceiling mirror which I understand was included to make the space seem bigger, but my friends and I agreed that it is a little misleading - I kept wanting to walk into it thinking there was more space there and not wall. I would recommend maybe putting a decal on it to clearly show its mirror.

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    Tan - First floor Lum

    First floor Lum

    Tan - Tuna Tartare* **

    Tuna Tartare* **

    Tan - Mexican Zombie Margarita Jungle

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    Calexico - Upper East Side - salad - Updated May 2026

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