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    El Mexicali Cafe II

    4.2 (606 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order El Mexicali Cafe II Takeout or Delivery

    El Mexicali Cafe II Photos

    Business Info

    EL MEXICALI CAFE II ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Good for groups

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    Lisa C.

    We have lived here for 11 yrs, retired, gone to the "usual" Mexican restaurants... well this one is NOT one of them. Thanks to multiple comments on Neighbors we decided to go ourselves.... It was awesome. From the greeters at the front to the servers food runners and of course Crystal our bartender it was a wonderful evening... it's lively well decorated and seems to be well maintained and managed .... We had the signature fajitas with their special sauce and I will say probably the best I've had... and the margaritas aren't bad either lol...we now have a new favorite with a large menus plenty of seating and great work staff... kudos El Mexicali cafe II

    32 oz. Modelo Negra (already tapped a little)
    Paul S.

    A very busy place on Friday around noon. Only a couple parking spots in the back. The floors are immaculate. The campechana is unique with octopus and abalone in addition to the shrimp. Excellent portion in the large format for two to split. Nice sauce that needed a little extra oomph from the salsa. The #3 combo rounded out the meal. It was good but not spectacular, with the relleno showing some smoke notes. The 32-ounce draft beer is an excellent deal at $12 (these days). Excellent service was provided by Fabiola, who had a great backup service crew.

    Shrimp stuffed pepper
    Jane N.

    Went here with some friends for lunch and it was fantastic!! The atmosphere is lovely and so was our server. I decided to try the spicy Margarita and was shocked at the size of it and how spicy it was! My friends were kind enough to help me drink it otherwise I would not have been able to finish it. We loved their food and I look forward to going back to try other items on the menu. I had a small quesadilla with chicken and then I had a Shrimp stuffed pepper. It was amazing!! Next time I will get more than one. I don't remember what my friends got but I do know they cleaned their plates! What a lovely find and it is close to where I live when I am in the desert.

    Chili Colorado wet burrito and chili rellano
    Stacie E.

    Delicious lunch! Service was great too. We sat at the bar and were checked on multiple times throughout our lunch. I ordered their signature fajitas, hubby ordered ala carte chili rellano and a chili Colorado wet burrito. All was fantastic. The place was filled with Mexicans, who obviously know what Mexican food should taste like.

    Chili Relleno and enchilada. (Sorry, I already took a bite before pic) it was AMAZING!!

    AMAZING!! Once again great food and exceptional service!! Had the chili relleno and enchilada as I usually do and it was fantastic again! Jessica was a great server and very pleasant!! Will definitely be back and maybe I'll try something new.... But why change a good thing! Come eat here if you haven't! You won't regret it!!

    Happy Hour
    Emmanuel T.

    We love coming for happy hour I usually get the carne asada taco plate which isn't on the happy hour menu but I love having the margaritas or the chavales/micheladas! The chips & salsa are very good. The chile güeritos are the best always soo tasty! the happy hour menu does have some delicious plates which I've eaten before. The server was super friendly & attentive. I like the ambience & the music from old school rancheras to rock en español! I recommend stopping by & checking this place out!

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    2 days ago

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    2 months ago

    Great food and friendly staff. The shrimp stuffed peppers are amazing. The serving size is good.

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    4 months ago

    We ordered everything they said they were *known* for and were blown away by all of it!

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    1 month ago

    Food is delicious & servers are always friendly & accommodating. They have reasonable prices. Been there several times & it's consistent

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    5 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Amazing food! Service was great and the ambiance was wonderful. I would suggest anyone visiting the desert to go there during their stay!

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    2 years ago

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    2 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Hands down some of the best Mexican food in the Coachella Valley! Try the Tamarindo Chavela. It's the only place I know of that serves them.

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    5 months ago

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    1 year ago

    I came in with high hopes, but didn't care for the food or the music. Still looking for a favorite Mexican restaurant in the area.

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    7 months ago

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    7 months ago

    Food was good like always and our server Vicente was attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed.

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    Page 1 of 16

    El Mexicali Cafe II Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Mexicali Cafe II

    What time is happy hour?

    3-5 Monday-Friday

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    FIRST OFF, DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE PICTURE. This place is actually inside the grocery store. Drinks:…read moreMy husband and I had their margarita which wasn't bad. Not going to say it was the best I've had, but it was drinkable. Recommend: I recommend the birria tacos, they were pretty good. The carnita tacos were a hit out miss. I got 4 and two had a lot of the well cooked meat, while the other two had dry beef jerky texture. Avoid: I would Avoid the chicken and beef tacos, it taste like the leftover and nothing but crumbs. I personally wouldn't go back since I have the same store close to my house that sell the food as well, but for any locals I'd say it's good enough for them and for anyone traveling, I'd recommend they try when I mention just know this isn't a real restaurant type or sports bar as you may think. You get the menu of what the store sells inside which isn't bad.

    Mom and I had a quick lunch here because it's across the street from Winco market in Indio we go…read moreto now and the . It's attached to Vallarta market . The server was so sweet and accommodating. Mom absolutely loved her taquitos chicken and beef. I had the tacos ,pork and beef ,and they were good but the meat was dry and could use more flavor on both. We would definitely go back for a quick lunch. Two tocos were about $5 and the taquitos were $11.99.

    Photos
    Exterior of Sayulita Tap Room with modern design and inviting outdoor seating.
    Exterior of Sayulita Tap Room with modern design and inviting outdoor seating.
    Sayulita Tap Room
    Exterior of Sayulita Tap Room with modern design and inviting outdoor seating.

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    Casa Mendoza

    Casa Mendoza

    4.0
    (934 reviews)
    5.7 mi
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    SHORT ANSWER: Just an update, but Casa Mendoza seems to be just getting better. Some new staff but…read morefood quality and people here are very welcoming. LOCATION: In Old Town La Quinta, OTLQ easy to find, tons of parking but at times it gets busy so you may have to walk a bit. FACILITY: very traditional inside and out, clean, and lots of space between tables. MENU: rather massive, we usually order the same things so all the other options makes my head hurt so we just go with what we know. FOOD PREP: excellent, always looks the same which is a good things. FOOD QUALITY: some of the best in the valley. LIBATIONS: lots of choices and not too expensive, wish they had a locals city of LQ discount like some of the other options in OTLQ.. WAITSTAFF: very nice, everyone. OVERALL VALUE: if you order the right things, it is a great value but you can go nuts and spend a lot, tourist dollars spend well, upselling happens for those who want it and deserve it! TIP: Sitting outside is great most all year, we don't go out when it is crazy hot, but have dined outside in 100+ temps, we prefer the front outdoor space.

    *Mi Casa es Su Casa*…read more My buddy had a small casual bday get-together with his family and invited me to join the celebration. I saw all the favorable reviews on Yelp and was looking forward to my first visit at Casa Mendoza. Very chill & lively family owned Mexican joint in Old Town LQ. The place was kinda busy @6:30pm on Hump Night ~~ always a great sign when I see this. Felt more like a Sunday Evening. It took an hour to receive our meals. Ordered @6:45 arrived @7:45pm. Good thing the Chimichanga & Gauc apps arrived pretty quickly. The Gauc was Excellente. All their food was very good. But all our meals arrived cold/lukewarm. Took forever to receive our food and we knew for a fact it's because all our plates sat a while until we were served. The actual plates weren't even warm and the sizzling fajitas had sizzled out and lost its dazzle. Because it was still 95 degrees when dinner was finally served, our lukewarm meals were doable on a hot night. Everyone did enjoy their meals tho. I was very pleased with my Mahi Mahi in Garlic Butter Sauce. The refried beans were outstanding. The rice very good...and I made tacos with the 3 corn tortillas. But would have enjoyed it even more had all the food been a little warmer. I stuck with H2O but all margarita drinkers said their drinks were good and hit the spot on a warm night. The service in general was also inconsistent for our small party of 8. The Birthday Boy was a little frustrated and got up a few times from his throne seeking assistance -- such as missing tortillas for meals, water refills, extra napkins. We even had to wait longer than anticipated for them to acknowledge the bday boy with a celebratory bday song & sombrero...and the fried ice cream, which didn't include a candle. Tho we all enjoyed ourselves and time together...a 2 hour dinner at a Mexican joint on a Wednesday night wasn't what we anticipated. Especially with one restless 7 year old ;-) But everyone working at Casa Mendoza is very friendly with great attitudes. Hostess team, waiters, servers & runners too. So that made up for the spotty service, just a little bit. Since I'm closer to the other Casa Mendoza in Palm Desert, I'd go there in the future with my wife, and order the exact same thing. But hope for much better service and warmer food.

    Photos
    Bar Area
    Bar Area
    Friday lunch, outside, single comb  $12.99
    Friday lunch, outside, single comb $12.99
    100 outside misters outside.. cheers

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    100 outside misters outside.. cheers

    El Mexicali Cafe II - mexican - Updated July 2026

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