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Cali Tacos

2.9 (63 reviews)
Closed • 8:30 am - 11:00 pm
Updated 1 week ago

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Drive-Thru window 12/2025
Ben A.

I love Cali Tacos. Their tacos are some of the best around. Their meats are always super flavorful. I've had their Birria, asada and al pastor. Their cali burrito Is also super good and is a good size. I've been here a handful of times and every time their team members are always really nice

Carne Asada Fries
Lucy L.

Stopped by for a quick snack and enjoyed the carne asada fries. The kids had the chicken nuggets and fries and they were decent. The area is spacious with lots of seating and servers were friendly. My husband and his buddies come here often after playing ball and they all enjoy it.

California burrito with a side of rice
Celia V.

This just opened where there used to be a KFC (good riddance). This place is so much better! I ordered the California burrito with a side order of rice. About 15 bucks, which was very fair considering the size of the burrito. The burrito contains carne asada, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, onions, cilantro, and fries. Definitely one of the best California burritos I've ever had. The meat was well seasoned, and all the ingredients seemed fresh. The salsas are very good, the red was my personal favorite. Had a really nice kick! The rice was good, just your standard Mexican rice. The only downside was the wait time for the food. That would not stop me from coming back to try other menu items.

Welcome sign in dining room
Chris Q.

If you're looking for bold, crave-worthy Mexican food, Cali Taco definitely hits the spot. Their birria tacos are juicy and packed with flavor, and the rolled tacos are crispy, cheesy perfection--especially the Cali Rolled Tacos, which might just be addictive. Every bite is a solid reminder of why this place stays busy. The only downside? The dining room and ordering area are pretty tight. It can feel a little crowded, especially during rush hours, so it's not the most comfortable spot to sit down and relax. That said, the food more than makes up for it, and it's definitely worth grabbing to-go if you want to enjoy those tacos in a more spacious setting. Overall, Cali Taco delivers delicious, satisfying food that keeps you coming back--just maybe plan to eat it elsewhere.

Carne asada quesadilla
Michael A.

Opening night at the Mesa location so there was a DJ and free giveaways, it was a great vibe and excellent service like the other locations. By far one of the best taco spots in AZ. The menu is immense and so far everything we have had has been great. Have been eating Cali Tacos for years and I am happy they are finally out in Mesa.

Carne Asada Tacos Combo
A C.

I decided to try this place since I was craving tacos. They had a deal on Uber eats for buy 1 get 1 free 3 tacos which comes with rice and beans. I ordered Carne asada tacos and the Birria Tacos. I ordered The Birria crunchy tacos and the Consome/Broth to dip them. The portions and amount of meat they put in the tacos is good. As a conisouier of Birria I was excited to try theirs. The downside is the Birria meat used in the tacos and the Consome tasted like Tap/Faucet water. The taste just overpowered all of the other flavors and I couldnt get around it. The Carne asada tacos looked like ground beef. Idk if they used a different cut of meat but I'm used to traditional Flap steak or Skirt steak for Carne Asada. Maybe the other menu items are good but unfortunately I wont be back since the tacos were a deal breaker.

Drive thru
Stephanie M.

We were ar the stop light after picking up all the fixings to grill our own asada tacos for the Memorial Day weekend holiday when I saw this place after flipping a U turn we ended up in the drive thru with the other cars. Now I do have to admit the girls working the window were knocking out the orders to go. Where I'm hitting the review with my three stars was the asada the staple for both of these meals for $20 the Carne Asada was super dry on my tacos it was dry like dehydrated meat then you add two super dry tacos to put the meat into i honestly had a hard time swallowing the stuff even with avocado sauce on them. The beans and rice were super I enjoyed them alot. The Cali burrito my boyfriend found to be really greasy. Now I'm from California so I'm use to French fries being in a burrito but it was on the greasy side and considering how expensive it is to eat out now a days we didn't find it worth the peso. The staff on the other hand were kind this place just wasn't for us.

Look at these .If you want you eat your food all thrown in the tray with no care, go here. And we called to talk to them and they deny it!

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1 month ago

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4 months ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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2 months ago

fav places to get tacos. will wait however long if i'm not busy to go here. Best food for a good price in Mesa

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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6 months ago

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1 year ago

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9 months ago

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4 months ago

Food is always good but had to wait 45 minutes to an hour wait on the drive thru they really need to work on that

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1 year ago

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10 months ago

Too cheap with salsa. Extra green salsa is not going to break them. Regular customer here but changing to different restaurant.

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1 year ago

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9 months ago

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10 months ago

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4 months ago

Food was cold, service was slow and immature workers, got my order wrong too really need to work on many things. So disappointed.

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8 months ago

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2 years ago

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10 months ago

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7 months ago

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1 year ago

The pork tacos were okay. The meat was juicy but slightly greasy. The tortilla was soft and warm. Staff were friendly and efficient.

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

The burritos, horchata, and kids meals are awesome! A great place to grab food through the drive thru or dine in with the family!

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8 months ago

Every. Single. Time. I come here the drive through takes 25-30 minutes. Not even kidding.

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Such tasty food, quick and easy drive through service. Always great even late at night!

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Alchemy 48 - More seating options!

Alchemy 48

3.8(74 reviews)
3.6 mi

This place was so sleek! Great concept! Basement speakeasy…read morewith live music. Definitely worth the drive and time spent. Drinks are made to order and such a unique fun experience!! A++++

Such a fun little date night! We went to dinner first and then came here afterward. Definitely make…read morereservations, especially if you want to catch the live jazz music. FYI--the reservation email really doesn't explain how to get in, so here's what you need to know! Go into Level 1, which is an arcade, and walk ALL the way through to the back. Go out the door to the outside patio area and you'll see a security guard. Let them know you have a reservation for Alchemy 48. Someone will come up from downstairs, get you, and take you down to the speakeasy. Then comes the riddle! Don't feel intimidated if you're not good at riddles--I stressed about this part a little bit beforehand. Don't! Just read it. She gives you a clue that basically tells you what to do, and it's super easy. TIP: Make sure you take a picture in the little riddle/entrance room because you DON'T come back through that room when you leave! We almost missed that opportunity. Once you're inside, it has a really nice, romantic speakeasy atmosphere. We loved the live jazz and really enjoyed the whole experience. It would also be so much fun to dress up a little in Prohibition-era style for the night. For drinks, I had the Neapolitan and my husband had a Manhattan. Yes, the drinks are a little strong--but isn't that how they're supposed to be in a Prohibition speakeasy? Overall, we really enjoyed Alchemy 48. It's romantic, a little different, and the hidden entrance and riddle make it more of an experience than simply going out for drinks. Definitely a fun addition to a date night! Service is a tad bit slow

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Alchemy 48 - Lots of cool spots to sit and chat!

Lots of cool spots to sit and chat!

Alchemy 48 - Bar

Bar

Alchemy 48 - The passage way

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The passage way

The Guadalupe on Main - Birria Tacos delicious

The Guadalupe on Main

4.6(330 reviews)
1.6 mi
•$$

Long time GoM fan, first time bruncher. Today's visit did…read morenot disappoint! I want to refer to my previous review for my respect to Owner-Mike and his team. Today is food. I ordered the eggs Benedict with a substitute of shredded beef instead of chorizo. This dish was not my favorite-but this is no fault of the eggs Benedict and more my palate. The hollandaise was very smoky, which unfortunately is not my favorite. The corn muffin, was very dense. So, I ate the eggs with my salad...my muffin will get some honey butter when I eat it as leftovers. There was not a bite left on my plate, but ultimately, I will not order it again. Where GoM is amazing: 1. The churros! I want to bathe in the sauce! These little GF fried delights will knock your socks off! 2. I wanted something "fall" to go with my dessert. The bar tender, said "I've got you!" He made me a Sweater Weather, presented as a shot. This drink will be available for the fall, but is not yet on the menu. And OH MY! It's fall in a glass with just a bit of 'grown up' mixed in. I love going to GoM because I know they will not fail me. Go see the team. Enjoy the flavors and even more wonderful service!

Food and service both excellent!…read more The only problem was it was so loud we couldn't have a conversation. There was a large party who decided to do karaoke with the DJ and a speech with a microphone so you couldn't not be part of it - in the same dining area as regular guests (on a Sunday evening around 5pm - not your normal party hours). We'd try it again but definitely sit at the bar to be able to enjoy a conversation.

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The Guadalupe on Main - Really great bar area! Good amount of top shelf stuff.

Really great bar area! Good amount of top shelf stuff.

The Guadalupe on Main - Shrimp fajitas

Shrimp fajitas

The Guadalupe on Main - Award-winning margarita

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Award-winning margarita

The White Rabbit - The bar

The White Rabbit

4.1(469 reviews)
4.4 mi
•$$

Recently arriving in Gilbert to visit a friend of mine from high school, we were looking to find a…read morevenue to enjoy some good cocktails. A Yelp search for local speakeasys led us to The White Rabbit, an establishment located roughly 30 minutes away from my buddy's home. Upon arriving, we provided the friendly security staff with the "secret" password for the evening. Entering the dimly lit bar, we were warmly greeted by a server and the vibrant sounds of laughter. After being seated, we began perusing the drink menus (they have an overwhelmingly amount of options) and I arrived on the "Smoke and a Smile" as my first drink. Taking in the environment as we awaited our drinks, I observed that this venue serves as an appropriate setting for either a date night or a night out with friends. Our drinks arrived shortly, in which we all expressed how delicious our selections were. So delicious that we all took turns passing our drinks around as if they were flight samplers. We ended up having three rounds of drinks before heading over to the dance floor portion of the venue, in which we had additional drinks while enjoying the nostalgic hits being played by the DJ. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at The White Rabbit, I will definitely make a return visit whenever I'm in town!

I have been wanting to try the white rabbit for years and finally made it over! Expectations may…read morehave been a little bit high on my end at no fault of theirs. I did appreciate that the speakeasy was below ground and required a password. I do think it's odd that when making a reservation online, you are not prompted on how to retrieve the password. Thank goodness my friend receives the emails and let me know ahead of time what to say. You enter down a long hallway and wait at a bookcase that opens. It kind of feels like forever because there's nowhere to go and could create a little bit of potential claustrophobia/panic for people who may be sensitive to those types of environments. The drink menu was good but I really wasn't wowed. They did offer three mocktails which wasn't really impressive and the cocktails did include a variety of liquors and flavor profiles but again, wasn't as extensive or interesting as some other speakeasies around town. The food menu was very disappointing - a lot of dairy and bread - pretzels with cheese, flatbread, queso with chips, and "rabbit food" - hummus with bread and vegetables. We asked to have all vegetables instead of bread and they did accommodate with a generous helping of full-size rainbow carrots and cherry tomatoes. We actually ran out of hummus before we could finish the vegetables. I understand elevated pricing for the aesthetic/experience but I did think the pricing here was a little bit high for what was received.

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The White Rabbit - Prosecco

Prosecco

The White Rabbit
The White Rabbit - Entrance hallway

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Entrance hallway

The Vig - Blue Crab Cake

The Vig

4.0(145 reviews)
2.4 mi

The Vig is one of those places that strikes a nice balance between a relaxed neighborhood hangout…read moreand a polished dining experience. We started with the hummus platter, which was a lovely introduction to the meal. The hummus was exceptionally smooth, accompanied by crisp vegetables and warm, pillowy naan. Simple ingredients, thoughtfully executed. I also ordered the Parmesan truffle fries, which were golden, crisp, and pleasantly restrained on the truffle. It's an ingredient that can easily overpower a dish, but here it complemented rather than dominated. The espresso martini deserves its own mention! Smooth, balanced, and neither overly boozy nor cloyingly sweet. Exactly how I like mine. Service was attentive without being intrusive, and everything arrived at a comfortable pace. Nothing overly elaborate, just a consistently enjoyable meal in a welcoming setting. I'd happily return for another round of fries and martinis!

I'm a big fan of The Vig Fillmore, so I was excited to try this new Mesa location. This location…read morehas a much larger dining room. The bar is quite large with seating all around. There is a small room off the back. The decor is a little different, brighter, and you can see that there are heavy curtains that usually close it off. Patio is actually really pretty - - I would say it's got a much nicer atmosphere than the dining room. We were seated in the little in the back. I'm not sure why, because I was plenty of seating in the main dining area. I didn't love it because it was kind of bright and not really a great date night dining area, compared to the rest of the restaurant. Our cocktails were quite good, and my husband really liked his burger. He ordered a side salad with the Gorgonzola dressing, and that was amazing. It made me wish I had just ordered a salad because that dressing was so delicious. I ordered the salmon which comes with butternut squash and Brussels. The salmon was fine but I did not like the brussel sprouts or the butternut squash and I did not like the glaze on any other food. I picked up my salmon and left the rest. Hubby was nice enough to offer me half of his salad because he saw how unhappy I was with my mral. That said, I'm sure that there are other people that would absolutely love that meal and that was just a personal taste of mine. Overall, this was a nice enough place, especially since Mesa seems to have bit a shortage update night type of restaurants. I will come back, but I will try something different - - certainly something with a salad in that fantastic dressing.

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The Vig
The Vig - SPICY TUNA with crispy rice, sweet soy, green onion, avocado, togarashi

SPICY TUNA with crispy rice, sweet soy, green onion, avocado, togarashi

The Vig - LAMB MEATBALLS with tzatziki, pickled cucumber, pickled onion, confit tomato, fresh herbs, grilled naan bread

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LAMB MEATBALLS with tzatziki, pickled cucumber, pickled onion, confit tomato, fresh herbs, grilled naan bread

Arizona Distilling - Distilling Columns

Arizona Distilling

4.7(173 reviews)
3.7 mi
•$$

The vibe was very much speakeasy adjacent. I love how the bar is sunken in so that you can have…read moredirect eye contact with your bartender. I was here for a first date, and it was a great place for that. The drinks were strong, taste amazing and you can tell that they are very intentional with what they do and how they do it from the ingredients used to how it is presented. Bartender was very engaging, a great balance between being attentive but not being overly intrusive. Music was great and appealed to all demographics. Would definitely come back.

AZ Distillery is a great addition to Downtown Mesa. It has a moody, almost brooding atmosphere, and…read moreon a weekend evening it was busy and full of the noise of people having a good time. The bartenders were friendly and chatty, checked in often, and somehow managed to keep conversations going while still getting the work done. The drink selection is definitely geared more toward liquor and craft beer drinkers. My boyfriend enjoys whiskey and a good craft beer, so there was plenty for him. I don't drink much beer anymore and usually prefer wine, so the limited wine selection was a little disappointing for me. I ended up going back to a domestic beer, and $5 for a Coors Banquet felt a little steep. Cocktails seemed to average around $15. I'd love to see a little more variety for people who aren't liquor or big craft beer drinkers. That said, I'm impressed to have a place with this kind of atmosphere right in Downtown Mesa without having to head to Scottsdale for a night out. It gets very busy, so I'd plan ahead if you're going on a weekend evening. Overall, an enjoyable spot and especially a good choice if whiskey or craft beer is your thing.

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Arizona Distilling
Arizona Distilling - Back wall

Back wall

Arizona Distilling

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Espiritu - Summer Salad

Espiritu

4.5(259 reviews)
3.7 mi
•$$$

Restaurant week is great for discovering new places you haven't been before. This was our chance…read moreto visit Espiritu in Mesa. There is construction in front so you walk through plywood walls to get to the entrance but the party is inside. The atmosphere is relatively dark and they have VERY old Mexican themed shows on the tv. They also have an incredible drink menu which my adult Daughter took full advantage. The service was also excellent as she tried to decide between drinks. Our waiter was very helpful and they always made sure we had enough water or anything we needed. The start of the prix fixe menu that week was clams or Birria Dumplings. Hello.....Dumplings! Is that really a choice. Went right for the dumplings and thrilled I did. There were a couple dumplings swimming in a red consume that was truly deep in flavor. The wrappers were tender and the beef inside even more so. It was so great, I would return just for those. Next we had the Chicken. I love dark meat and my son-in-law loves the white meat. We started to laugh when they presented a bowl with 2 legs to me and one with a breast for him. We laughed and asked, "How did you know". Both were fantastic. Again, incredible depth of flavor with the sauce, delicious roasted green chile and tasty potato discs. It was great and the legs were big! Finally, for dessert, I went with the Bourbon Flan. Very smooth and creamy with a great flavor and sauce topped with some Bourbon Whipped cream. I will definitely be back to try the Flank steak which a nearby table raved about.

Decided to give this place a try since everyone has been raving about the Smashburger there…read more I'll be honest, I don't see the hype. Is the food bad? no, but it is great? Also no. The menu is quite unique I.e Birria dumplings etc. It just didn't blow me away. Plus it's a little overpriced for my opinion. Now the service and the drinks, phenomenal. Now would I be back? Probably not unless it's for a nice cocktail

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Espiritu - Inside

Inside

Espiritu - Birria Dumplings

Birria Dumplings

Espiritu - Dining Room

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Dining Room

Tucked Away Craft Kitchen & Bar - Grilled Tri Tip

Tucked Away Craft Kitchen & Bar

4.7(313 reviews)
1.8 mi
•$$

Ok! We had the hatch green chili brisket grilled cheese OMG and the sticky ribs with elote. Both…read morewere so delicious! We sat at the bar and our bartender, Angie was so clever by tempting us with dessert before we even got our meals. She was a highly attentive and very engaging. The only downside was the hot air coming in from the door.... But it was 112° today so rather hard to avoid. They have a small menu, that changes monthly. We will be back.

The first time we ate at Tucked Away It was a regular full-time restaurant. We enjoyed the food…read morewith its New Mexican twist. If I remember correctly, the chef studied with Bobby Flay. Much to our dismay, the restaurant was closed to focus on catering. Luckily, though, It reopens for pop-ups. This morning I saw an Instagram post announcing that there would be a brunch pop up today, so we got up and got ready to go. It really is tucked away in the corner of plaza and goodbye Safeway. Inside is a small dining room with a bar, and through the rolling doors is a patio with outdoor seating. You can see the kitchen through the plexiglass divider, and there is bar seating along the divider so you can watch the cooking. There's a great, colorful mural on one wall and some fun lighting fixtures and art. Today's pop up was packed when we arrived. We grabbed the last two chairs which were on the bar overlooking the kitchen. The menu had seven choices. Of course we ordered two different things so we could share, but we skipped cocktails. We ordered: *Steak chilaquiles Christmas style (both red and green chile) served with a side of beans and talked with an egg *Green chili pork hash served with a side of beans talked with an egg Both were delicious! We both ordered scrambled eggs, and I'm pretty sure it was more than an egg. I'm not sure how they cook those eggs but they were the best ever. The pinto beans had green chili in it and was so good. I'm from New Mexico, and these tasted like the beans that you rarely find outside of New Mexico. The steak on my chilaquiles was really good - - thin sliced and tender. I was able to easily cut it with just a butter knife. The pork in the hash was so yummy. What are scrumptious brunch! It was nice to sit overlooking the kitchen, as it was quite a show to watch the chef. I was amazed at how over easy eggs were tossed and caught in the pan without the yolks breaking. Heck, I can't even flip eggs with a spatula without breaking the yolk! Anytime I've overlooked a chef cooking, I'm totally in awe of their amazing skills, and this was no different. I really recommend Tucked Away, just as I did when it was a regular restaurant. Follow them on Instagram to be alerted to pop ups. You won't regret it!

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Tucked Away Craft Kitchen & Bar - A very easy drinking amber beer.

A very easy drinking amber beer.

Tucked Away Craft Kitchen & Bar - Salad

Salad

Tucked Away Craft Kitchen & Bar - Rack of Lamb

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Rack of Lamb

Cali Tacos - tacos - Updated November 2026

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