Mexicali Taco

Their new location is so chill and relax. A must visit for everyone who enjoys a night out for tacos!

Delicious food! Try everything you’ll be happy! Zuri is awesome and always helpful.
If it was open on Sundays I would be there now.

Finally got a chance to check out their new spot (On Fig, across from Evans Adult School). Nice digs Mexicali! AND a HUGE THANK YOU to the owner. He sure knows the definition of customer service.

I was just wondering what happened to these guys and guess what??? they are opening up shop RIGHT IN DOWNTOWN on FIGUEROA. YES. I. CANT. FREAKING. WAIT.
much love mexicali! I will be the first in line (with Jay C and Zak W) when you open your doors.

EXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT…
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
MEXICALI TACO & CO. will be back in action bringing to you some of the Best and Authentic tacos north of the border…

I was a little hesitate walking down a large corridor/​alley with a huge brick wall looking ominously down at me. At the end of the road I saw a little Taco grill that said Mexicali on it. OOOOOooohhh so cute! This little taco place isn’t going to pack a punch. It’s just gonna jab my taste buds.
KO!
You had me at the first bite of the Vampiro. Now I know what my Unilocal Friend Jennifer meant when she wrote OMG Orgasm in mouth. I don’t know why they call it Vamprio, but my guess is because it give the effect similar to a young teenage girls when they see Edward Cullen (R Pats for you people living under a rock) for the first time.
Vamprio– 3 Meats Chroizo, Asada, and Chicken. Gooooowe Cheeese. Heavenly mild garlic Sauce. and the star: Corn Tortilla from Mexico.
If you try to make this at home you will most likely fail. The tortilla is so flakey so right that it makes it impossible to duplicate. If you try to use El Toro Corn Torilla an old Foodie will pop up from a bush and say, «Don’t do that, that will get you 9 to 5! (Chapelle Joke)
I had everything else on the menu but nothing compares to the Vamprio.
Prices are cheap– Vamprio I believe is 3 to 4 dollars. They guys who cook there are super nice too.
Adieu

Yummmmmm… I’ve always wondered what the long line on 1^st is, now I know! The freshest made to order tacos. They bring out marinated meat and cook it right in front of you. No more secret meat fromt taco trucks. Lots of fresh toppings, the red onions and avocado is delicious. They open from 6 – 10 thurs-​sat, but they do sell out early. I like how they have seats out, to enjoy the skyline and they let you skip the line to order more!
My favorite is the Chicken Vampiros (garlic seasoning)
Lots of free parking.

People say Mexicali is consistent.
I’d say they’re consistent alright… consistently MIA!
Tried for the 3^rd time to find them in the past 2 weeks, and they were not around! Each time, we called to ask where they were and they said they were doing some maintenance, and they said they’d be there «tomorrow.» Well today (Thurs night) was tomorrow, and they were still nowhere to be found. And no one picked up the phone this time either.
Super disappointed. Until your food is in my tummy, you get a 1 star for now. :(

It makes me really happy that this place is doing so well!
The owners are friends of a friend and they are just about the friendliest taco truck owners I know.
I have to say something about those Vampiros. The best thing ever. beef chicken, chorizo; all of them are fantastic. I can’t even get the regular tacos after having the vampiros. Don’t get me wrong the tacos are great but vampiros are just so much better. Think about it as a quesadilla on steroids
I also got the cachetada and I was thoroughly pleased with it. It’s similar to a tostada. They roast up the hard shells a bit so if you like that extra chard taste like i do, definitely give it a try!

One Word: Cachetadas! OMG.
Yum yum yum. Everything on their menu is amazing, the vampiros, cachetadas, tacos. The cachetadas have this amazing aoili sauce, and the vampiros have this oh so good garlic sauce…
Why can’t you be open more often!!! MUST TRY!!! YOU WON’T REGRET IT!
We know the owners, and he is such a great person, so nice and friendly!

Had the chorizo and asada vampiros and they were not like any other queso you have ever had. so delicious with the garlic sauce (i love garlic — as all foodies should).
plus, it is really fun to be sitting on picnic tables and have the LA skyline in the background. the food was fantastic and the people serving it were really chill.
a true LA experience!

We hired Mexicali for a private event at home and BOY did they come through. The food was absolutely awesome.
My mom doesn’t eat pork (poor her) a friend of mine had a chorizo taco and told my mother she really needed to have pork in her life.
The food was great, the service was great, the guys were great!!! I was so happy and it made my life so much easier.
My daughter was going to the prom and we had a pre prom party so I already had so much to do and so much on my mind I was just so happy that the food was not a concern at ALL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

No wonder they won Best Tacos in LA!
Actually there is no wonder after I had them because they run a good operation with pretty good food. Tacos are good but I would highly recommend get the Vampiro quesadilla which is a quesadilla that has garlic sauce in it.
If you are cruising through downtown than have hankering for a quick bite this place maybe it. You will spot a parking lot and a crowd gathering at the corner of this lot just off the freeway, When there is a crowd of suits, hipsters, and grunge types intermixing with each other in the middle of the night than you know it should be good.

i wish this place was open ALL THE TIME, but they have very specific hours.
Mexicali is basically 3 guys one big open fire grill and LOTS of great marinated meat. If you come here right when they open (around 8pm) you wont have to wait that long, but any later and there might be a long line. the aroma of the beef, pork, and chicken sizzling on the grill just makes my mouth water.
Everything is good, the carne asada is my favorite but their chicken is amazing and so is their pork. They really know how to marinade and grill it. I’ve tried all three kinds of meat in all their different ways of serving it (tacos, quesidillas, vampiro, and more). The meat has this great smokey taste to it cus of the open fire grill and their Vampiro is SOOOO GOOOD! the cheese is gooey and theres a good amount of garlic in it. MY favorite!
They also have great variety of salsas and this really good green guacamole sauce!
Theres just something about an open air bbq of great mexican food then eating it in or on your car with people around you doing the same that makes me love coming here.
recap:
1) Vampiro
2) Hours are kind of late
3) cash ONLY

I’ve lived long enough that I thought I knew the limits of carne asada. Since trying Mexicali Taco, I’ve had to adjust that upper bound by several hundred degrees of awesome.
Mexicali is run by two Mexican guys named Javier and Esdras. They know their way around a taco, and they go to great lengths to source good tortillas and high-​grade meat. They’re also pleasant people, and I’m happy that they seem to be doing well. For the whole origin story, check out this wonderful post by my friend Daniel D.:
. It’s pretty cool.
You can find Mexicali in a parking lot at 1^st and Beaudry, with a great view of central downtown. The set-​up is simple, with a big old grill and a couple tables where you can dress your tacos. The whole operation is run out of a truck. Food comes on colorful plates wrapped in plastic — easy clean up for you and the boys.
So let’s talk about that food. If you get one thing and one thing only, make it a carne asada taco. In fact, if you get two things and two things only, make them two carne asada tacos. There’s a reason Mexicali was voted the best taco purveyor in L.A., and it’s got to be this insanely delicious taco. The meat is grilled and chopped up on a stump before your eyes, and it is quality stuff. It’s tender and each chew releases a burst of juicy beefy goodness. The flavor is not unlike that of Korean barbecue, with a great grilled char and a pleasant peppery edge. You get a choice of flour or corn tortilla, and there’s no wrong decision — the Mexicali guys go to great pains to find good tortillas. They’re different from your standard pliant restaurant variety, with a texture that’s light and halfway to crispy. Once you have your tacos in hand, you get to top them. Salsas are presented in giant mortars, and pickled red onions and radishes in big jars. I like to top mine with some fresh pico and tart red onions, and add some of the lovely avocado salsa. There’s also a bright habanero sauce that will give you a nice kick without kicking you in the pants.
The carne asada isn’t the only thing worth eating, though. The menu is short, and everything on it seems to be delicious. Other than the carne, Mexicali offers chorizo and chicken, and both are great. The chorizo is nicely spiced with a great loose sausage texture, and the chicken delivers a satisfying charred flavor without any missing moisture. If you care to branch away from tacos, I would first recommend the cachetada. It’s similar to a tostada, with a corn tortilla grilled nice and crispy topped with your choice of meat, plenty of cheese, and chipotle aioli. The tortilla bed yields an irresistible crunch, and while the toppings should be heavy, they go down nice and easy, all that meat, cheese, and sauce down the hatch. The vampiros are also very popular, but they’re at the bottom of my list of Mexicali treats. These are essentially quesadillas infused with garlic and loaded with the meat of your choice. Tasty for sure, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’ve already had dinner. Finally, if you’re lucky, you’ll visit when they have sanchos on the menu. These are jalapeños stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. They’re even better than they sound, perfectly balanced little flavor bombs, a practice in blissful excess.
My only complaint about Mexicali is that it only opens from 8 to midnight Wednesdays through Saturdays. All that really says is that I love the food so much I wish I could eat it more often. The carne asada is so delicious that even complaints come out back-​handed. There’s a Chuck Norris joke in there somewhere, but I think when it comes to tacos, Mexicali has even that man covered.

Oh my goodness. For the nighttime views of DTLA alone, this joint would blow most 5 star joints out of the water. There is nothing more appetizing than chowing down on a taco off your car’s hood while admiring the cityscape. It makes you feel awesome you live in LA.
Now. The food is good, but I wouldn’t quite say amazing on all counts. The grilled meats are tasty and the chicken is most definitely the star in their lineup. I’d come for their vampiros quesadilla (garlic infused) with grilled chicken anyday. We stopped by Mexicali for our fourth meal and it quickly turned into a fifth meal whe we went back for seconds on the vampiros.
The ordering/​paying process is a bit confusing, but as long you’re not in a rush and you have a good ‘tude this place will be great to just hang out.

So when Bill from Street Gourmet LA declared Mexicali Taco & Co the best and only true carne asada gig in LA, I took note and knew I needed to hit up this nocturnal pop-​up stand in the shadow of the Hwy ¹⁰¹⁄₁₁₀ interchange.
I gave the guys $ 20 and said, «give me whatever you want» and boy did that 20 bucks go far. Both the carne asada and chicken were the most flavorful taco meats I’ve ever had. Everything was amazing, but I highly recommend the chicken quesadilla with garlic infused cheese (a.k.a. the Vampiro). The Mexicali Taco & Co. stand is open Wednesday through Saturday 8pm until 12am, but they usually sell out before then so jump on it!

Outstanding. Absolutely outstanding.
Words cannot even begin to describe the immense joy and reflection that these tacos bring to me.
But I will try.
I had been looking for actual tacos de asada in Los Angeles. Pure and simple tacos consisting of roasted meat, home made tortillas, and fresh, simple ingredients. After trying place after place after place (refer to earlier reviews), I began to think that I would never find them.
Enter Mexicali Taco & Co.
They actually serve asada meat, not bistec. Bistec is cooked on a heated flat surface, asada (from latin asar — to roast or bbq) is typically bbq’ed.
These innovators bring out their own grill, and bbq all the meat. They travel to Mexicali every week to get fresh tortillas that you couldn’t possibly get anywhere in SoCal absent some serious searching. The guacamole is the purée form that you’ll find in Baja areas of Mexico. All together, somehow these simple ingredients, followed oh so faithfully, grow from their singular constituents to a form a more cohesive, delicious, addictive whole.
To me, these tacos are quite possibly the best I have ever had. I am very confident that you will also feel the same way.
If you’re in the area, stop by. You won’t regret it. Also, the two guys who run it are incredibly nice, and very welcoming. Chat em up, and they’ll talk your ear off. They’re incredibly proud of their product (my first time there, the man behind the grill offered me samples of chorizo and asada, asking what I thought of them).
I’ll leave with a quote from How I Met Your Mother, loosely modified to fit Mexicali Taco & Co:
:imagine Mozart — Serenade for the Winds in the background:
«Just a taco? Just a taco. It’s so much more than „just a taco“. I mean… that first bite – oh what heaven that first bite is! The tortilla like a flour freckled breast of an angel resting gently on the guacamole and salsa below – flavors mingling in a seductive pas-​de-​deux And then… a radish… the most playful little radish! Then a hint of tomato, a snap of lettuce and a… slices of asada so exquisite; swirling in your mouth breaking apart and combining again in a fugue of sweets and savor so delightful. This is no mere taco of grilled meat and warmed tortilla: this is God… speaking to us in food.»

This is my number one favourite taco stand. What really kills me is there hours! I want Mexicali access all the time, for godsake. They are only open Wed-​Sun from 8PM to midnight. And don’t count on them being there if its raining or rained that day or might rain that night. It’s really tragic how many times I’ve pulled up and cried myself back to King Taco.
They also sell out of a lot of the good stuff later into the evening, which is even more tragic because you think you’re in the home stretch and then they don’t have any cheese left and I cry all the way home because I’m a spoiled brat.
So here’s what’s good:
1. Everything with chicken — this so rare for taco stands! Usually I go beef or pork. But seriously, try their chicken. This is no ordinary taco stand. They’re using high quality stuff here.
2. VAMPIRO — I love garlic and cheese and chicken. This is the best quesadilla I could have ever imagined. It will blow your drunk-​ass-​taco-​craving mind.
3. SUPERMAN — If you’re a meat lover, this is the way to go. It’s chicken, chorizo and asada made into a quesadilla. This would definitely be my number one only I’m a sucker for the garlic sauce.
4. HABANERO SALSA — If you like spicy, this stuff will rock your boat. I put it on all my tacos (which of course, are just as amazing as all their other selections).
To top off how amazing their food is, these guys are also really nice. They talk to you like you’ve been hanging out for hours and don’t even seem to mind my high-​maintenance-​overly-​self-​conscious style of ordering.

After driving by Mexicali tacos several times, I finally got a chance to try it… twice in one week!
When I walked up to the grill with my buddies I was surprised to see a menu with items I’ve never seen before. We talked to the guys working there and got some recommendations. I wasn’t that hungry the first time I went so I ended up with just one Vampiro. It was awesome! The garlic was subtle and the meats were good and not as greasy as kike’s across the street. Next time, I’ll ask them to add a little extra garlic sauce.
2 days later, I went again with another buddy and ended up ordering too much food. 1 Cachetada with asada, 1 Zuperman, and 1 Sancho. Both the Cachetada and Zuperman were awesome and I love the fresh guac and pico de gallo they have available! The Sancho was slightly disappointing as I expected more from all the good Unilocal reviews.
Either way, great food, kind of expensive for a taco stand but well worth it.