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    Rincon Norteno Cafe

    3.8 (281 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Rincon Norteno Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    RINCON NORTENO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Rincon Norteno Cafe

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    Shrimp Fajitas
    Kathy S.

    I should have taken more photos, but everyone started digging in because the food was so good. Ordered for a party of 20 and the food could have fed 30! We had shrimp and beef fajitas, rice, beans, corn/flour tortillas, chips and salsa. For the vegetarian's the beans have lard, but you are good to eat the rice. The staff were so friendly. I called to ask questions doing the order and everyone was so helpful. I highly recommend this place. Everyone kept telling me how good the food was and I did have some picky guests!

    Strawberry marg
    Ben R.

    Very reasonably priced and pretty expansive menu. This is not a fancy set up, but the food does taste good and seems legit authentic. The margaritas were among the best i have had; they very large and festively adorned. although the taste was well received by everybody in the party, some of us did have some indigestion later that night - would go back and try again. Service is friendly but a little spotty.

    New bar-remodel
    Holli A.

    I have been coming here for over 30 years. Rincón Norteño is a small casual Mexican restaurant that has been in the Valley since 1964. Their salsa is amazing, it's not your typical cold salsa it is served warm homemade tortilla chips. I always usually sit at the counter so I can watch football or basketball and be close to my server. I order either the chili Verde or the green chicken enchiladas combination plates. I get both the rice and beans. Rincon has the best rice it's moist. A lot of Mexican restaurants serve it very dry and I appreciate the fact they don't. I love their refried beans. Every time I am in the valley, I make sure to stop by and enjoy a meal and place an order for salsa to go.

    Combo plate with enchiladas and chile relleno.
    Vanessa G.

    I was staying nearby for a concert, and wanted to try a Mexican breakfast that all the locals eat at. This was the right place! It was packed and I definitely see why. The food is amazing! I had the shredded beef nachos. It comes with a mild red sauce on top. The nachos were so flavorful. Definitely enough to share. My husband had a combo plate with chicken enchiladas and a chile relleno. He loved his meal. The chips and salsa were great and the service was very attentive. We were constantly given refills on our iced tea. This is a casual, family friendly spot. I'll definitely be back!

    My Huevos Rancheros -  no rice , no potatoes and no cheese
    Kimberley K.

    ****** HoT Salsa ****** ( temperature-wise ) Excellent Food ! This place has been recommended .. to me .. by several people over the years. It's a diner-esque atmosphere .. but all the people are warm & friendly here. It's just so lovely to experience, I made several changes to my Huevos Rancheros and they were able to accommodate me with no problem at all. Instead of 2 eggs like they normally do .. I requested 3 eggs and for not much more .. Prices are Phenomenal ! You will not get regular red looking salsa here with your chips. Never seen this before. I requested something "red looking" and the solution was Salsa Fria ( cold salsa ).... How strange is that ? Lol Salsa Fria is AMAZING taste wise so make sure you ask . . I can taste the lard in the beans .... That's probably why they taste so good .. haha

    Andy W.

    Mixed experience, but mostly good. We ordered a combo plate with a beef taco and an enchalata and a Gaffina con Venduras burrito (chicken with vegetables). The burrito was delish. Lots of tasty shredded chicken. The vegi was sliced green peppers and tomatoes - not what I was expecting, but tasted pretty good also. The enchalata was very good. The beef in the taco was dried out and tough. Both dishes came with refried beans and rice. The beans were excellent - smooth and creamy. The rice was, well, rice. We may be back to try some of the less traditional dishes.

    Menudo
    Artie L.

    Come here almost every time I am in Coachella Valley. Patricia is always so accommodating. The chilaquiles are some of the best I've had and my dad always gets the menudo.

    Pictures are from our first visit combination plate with enchilada and chili. Riano was wonderful.
    Brent A.

    Our last time there was very disappointing. The wait staff was extremely slow. Food was dry. It's a shame because I have had better meals there in the past. I don't think we will be back for a while. There are too many other Mexican choices available. Give it a drive if you've never been here before though.

    $5.95 Happy Hour margarita was good Happy hour daily from 3 to 6

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    1 year ago

    This place never disappoints!!! Awesome service as always and the best fried whole fish I've ever had...

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    1 year ago

    Th food and staff are all great! As soon we walk in our server Boz knows our drink order! She is awesome!

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    El Mexicali Cafe - Combinacion de Mariscos

    El Mexicali Cafe

    4.2(420 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Just a hop skip and Mexican jumping bean away from "downtown" Indio is a hole in the wall cafe…read more The restrooms are located outside and were kept very clean. If their bathrooms are dirty imagine what the hidden kitchen looks like. A good rule is if the bathrooms are dirty, consider another restaurant. Comfortable outdoor seating was plentiful. Chips are crisp, fresh, and as a single diner they did not temp me in eating a large portion of corn chips. The fresh salsa is one of the best I have eaten. Just enough heat to make you a bit cautious, yet not enough for regrets. My regular is two crispy beef taco combination. If their beans and rice are marginal, rarely are the plated meals better. The beans were superb. My critique would be I wanted more. Beans were clean, meaning not to heavy with lard, bacon grease or whatever they use as a refrying agent. Rice was crisp, light and flavorful. The Taco's were on the small size, they used the standard street taco sized corn tortilla. But the flavor was great once I added a pinch of salt. Service was quick, staff was congenial. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, I would definitely put this one on your list. I will be going back to try some of the other fare, but crispy tacos, rice and beans pretty much some up my choice at Mexican restaurants. Mixed crowd with many brothers from down below the border. Their food reminds me of family style meals. The ceviche looked delicious and I will be trying that the next time I visit.

    This is my 2nd time coming here, the first I ordered the chile rellenos plate, very tasty, this…read moretime we ordered the Mexicali Sampler & Chorizo w/Egg breakfast plate, so good & so much food; We sat outside & a gentleman was singing, very nice ambiance for a Sunday midday.. Service was great, our waiter was super nice & very efficient!

    Photos
    El Mexicali Cafe - Bar area.

    Bar area.

    El Mexicali Cafe - Chile guerito, seasoned with a squeeze of lemon, a light pour of soy sauce and a dab of mayonnaise (as suggested by our waitress).

    Chile guerito, seasoned with a squeeze of lemon, a light pour of soy sauce and a dab of mayonnaise (as suggested by our waitress).

    El Mexicali Cafe - Downtown Indio

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    Downtown Indio

    Casa Mendoza - Fried ice cream

    Casa Mendoza

    4.0(930 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    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
    Casa Mendoza - Bar Area

    Bar Area

    Casa Mendoza - Friday lunch, outside, single comb  $12.99

    Friday lunch, outside, single comb $12.99

    Casa Mendoza - Mango and a skinny cucumber margarita are strong and tasty and these are the small size!

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    Mango and a skinny cucumber margarita are strong and tasty and these are the small size!

    Rincon Norteno Cafe - mexican - Updated May 2026

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