El Mexicali Cafe

My wife and I are on vacation. We had lunch today and the food was outstanding. We met the owner and she was exceptional in sharing with us regarding their food. The shrimp cocktail was the best. This is a must go place to eat. We will be going back before our vacation is over.

Great little Mexican restaurant. Its not to big inside, we went for breakfast on a Saturday. It was crowded but we were able to get a seat. Food is excellent and reasonably priced. Bloody Mary was delicious!

I gaved this place 3 starts the food was ok I feel could have been better I did get the nachos how ever it's not what I was expecting it's just nacho cheese and guacamole with meat.. I was expecting something better. I just don't think they are worth the money I payed $17

This is a terrific little local Mexican restaurant in Indio, right up against the railroad tracks, which actually adds a lot of charm! I love to have a good crispy taco while a train passes by for 20 minutes rumbling my table and everything around me! If you think I’m kidding, I’m not! I really like this place the beans and rice top-notch the shredded beef tacos top-notch the Machacca fantastic! I really enjoy this place and they serve great margaritas. It’s super friendly and inviting and there’s all kinds of people there but mainly this is a local place where the local Hispanic crowd likes to meet and eat! Highly recommended for casual and authentic lunch or dinner!

Always consistently outstanding and authentic. Again and again, each time we visit the food is outstanding and the staff treats us like family. It's always a treat to us. The shrimp salad in particular is one of the top two i've ever tasted in my life. El Mexicali is a special place and unique dining experience that is absolutely authentic.

Looking for a breakfast burrito while going through Indio. Staff was friendly, and they have a nice outdoor seating area, but we wanted to grab and go. The food was tasty, but for the cost, the bfast burrito should have been bigger. My napkin was much bigger. I might stop in again while traveling, but I'll probably try another place first.

Really good food. Serves chips and salsa. We had one of their most famous appetizers called “yellow peppers” stuffed with shrimp. It was delicious, and had a kick to it spice wise. Service was just as good.

I have been living in the dreaded disgusting south (TN). Oh how I’ve missed good Mexican food! El Mexicali hits the spot. The salsa is delicious and just the right amount of heat. I had a breakfast plate of eggs, potatoes and beans which was very good. And the tortillas are fresh. Friendly service.

Such an amazing find for us! We got 2 sampler plates which we shared and I could have ordered more food but I was full. NOT TOO salty which is a positive, amazing flavors, very nice staff. Can't wait to go back. Will take people visiting us there as well.

Just go! It's the best order the shrimp stuffed peppers. The servers have been there for years soon to learn your order if you go back even high season to season. They had to keep expanding from when they first opened years ago. Because families grow and even the kids and grandkids go back. Ambiance is the real deal. Go they will adopt your cravings

Good salsa served with chips got the breakfast off to a good start. We were in the mood for chilaquiles, so we came here because that, and beans and rice, are reliably authentic. Quick, friendly bilingual service. Tidy dining room and patio. If you just have a strong hankering for a margarita, they have a very cute, well stocked bar. Food is made to order, so it takes a while sometimes. This is a popular breakfast spot for locals of all ages and people who love authentic northern Mexican food. The plate came out piping hot, and the chilaquiles are delish!

Good, honest Mexican food. Everything was good. The shrimp stuffed yellow peppers appetizer was delicious! Foolishly we only ordered two peppers thinking six would be too many for the two of us. We should have had six! Prices were fair. Service was terrific. Outside seating available. Our Cadillac margaritas were refreshing, delicious and appropriately boozy. A good old fashioned dinner by the railroad tracks!

Terrific authentic Mexican food. Would definitely go back. The fried ice cream and bananarito are no longer on the menu, unfortunately

The food was good. They have good breakfast here. The owner was very nice. A very casual ambience can be a little loud with the train in the traffic noise.

Great Authentic Mexican Food at decent prices with service you will be happy with. Very attentive and fresh large portions of traditional flavorful food you would expect. Definitely a must try, and I will be returning when I come back to visit the area....

Quaint little restaurant. It is strange they have soy sauce as a condiment on the table. Not very gluten free friendly. I had the shrimp cocktail which was good and my husband had the fajitas which has teriyaki in them which we found different . Several friends enjoy this restaurant. We enjoyed the train going past us and we had a nice out door experience. The staff was lovely.

Absolutely fantastic! Love this place. Been there twice. Had the chicken mole enchiladas the first time they were great. Today I had the number three combination off the charts. Chicken taco, beef, enchilada, and a chili releno with rice and beans. Cleaned the plate. I will definitely be back. It will be my go to Mexican joint. It's a bit expensive, but what the hell isn't in California? Definitely recommend this place. Service was fantastic too. People are always nice in this place.

We went to have lunch. We had an extremely great meal. The manager shared with us her vision and her food process. This is a great place togo. We will go back again.

Great food and great service! We loved it! We especially fell for their appetizers! Modest digs but clean and comfortable. The patio was a bit too noisy being on Indio Blvd but cute as can be. We WILL be back next time we are in Indio.

We had El Mexicali II prepare food for a group of 40+ adults and children last Saturday. Food was ready for pickup when we arrived and the food was excellent! El Mexicali II catered two years ago for the same group and we had the same experience!

Food here is delicious! We are out here visiting and wanted to eat some authentic Mexican food and found this spot. The service is great our server Jose was super attentive and friendly. Love the chile güeritos stuffed with shrimp omgggg to die for! Recommend for sure!

Great place to eat one of our old favorites. We go here all the time when I find some pics I'll post them. I know I got some.

Every December, we come from San Bernardino to celebrate my wife's birthday. The food is always so fresh, and the service is great. We do come down throughout the year, but this is a must for her birthday

I had Huevos Rancheros Breakfast here @ El Mexicali Cafe. This restaurant was highly recommended on Yelp for the Coachella/Indio area and since I was in the area I thought I'd give it a try. Very surprised !! It was SO SO good ! In fact, golfers from the surrounding communities also come here for the food... it's so good. I saw several people who live in Palm Desert also here at El Mexicali while I was there... very very cool. This restaurant is on my list of good mexican restaurants now.

The chile guerritos are absolute fire. Hands down the best in the desert. Fast service, bad neighborhood...trains every 10 minutes just add to the flavor. I eat here often figured I should give them the rating they well deserve

Yesterday morning we had the lovely opportunity to try out El Mexicali Cafe for the first time. Passed by here going to the new farmer's market in Indio, was curious to see what the hype was all about. El Mexicali Cafe looks like a truck stop from the 1960s. Inside it looks like Mexico, not the pseudo Mexico designs one often sees in Southern California. I knew we were in for an authentic experience. The chips and salsa were delicious. Yes, the salsa was hot. However, it was packed with flavor. To offset the spice I had a delicious pineapple (pina) agua fresca. For $3.50 one gets unlimited refills of their agua fresca. Typically agua frescas are too sweet for my taste. However, this one was perfect and fresh. On a warm day in Indio it worked. Ceviche de Camarón $10.50 Shrimp marinated in lemon juice, served cold with fresh cucumber, tomato and cilantro I wanted a light mid-morning meal. This ceviche was both flavorful and refreshing. The mini tostadas which accompanied the ceviche were perfect. It was a good-sized portion, I relished every bite. Service was excellent. Our waitress was nice and hospitable. They were setting up a mariachi band as we were finishing our meal. Need to remember to come here later next time and enjoy the entertainment. El Mexicali Cafe is my new go to place for Mexican food in the Coachella Valley.

We have dined here many times, the inside was cool on a very hot day. Service was great, super nice server with a great personality!! Salsa was good as always, my chili relleno omelette was yummy. Husband had napolitos with eggs and potatoes, he left nothing on his plate, lol. We will be back again, thanks ladies for another awesome breakfast!!

Came to try out this place with a coworker for lunch. The workers are very friendly. The restaurant is small and in a parking lot by itself. You could totally miss it if you weren't looking for it. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The one thing that bothered me was that there were flies flying around everyone's food while we were trying to eat. Another thing that bothered me was the waitress took my straw from my cup and touched the top where I drink from and put it in a to go cup so I didn't think that was sanitary. She was trying to be helpful but that's not okay. The chicken crunchy tacos were fresh and greasy. It lacked flavor but the salsa was hot and gave it a kick. The chips they give you are greasy but had to add salt to it. The chicken enchilada had no flavor and the sauce tasted water down. The taquitos looked burnt but my coworker said it tasted good. The rice and beans were good. It's a first time and probably won't be coming back.

Food was good but not great. Service was again ok but not fully attentive. (Needed to ask for refills on chips & drink after empty for pretty long time) I will say that the sangria was very tasty and one of the better mixes I've had over the years. Fajitas was not great. Beef & chicken appear to have been cooked in a skillet and were over cooked. Not grilled like traditional Fajitas in Texas. The vegetables were plentiful and the sauce was tasty but, for the price it was very little meat and this was disguised by the significant amount of bell peppers. The set up was unremarkable. Rice & Beans. Caldo De Reyes was A good contender and the ingredients were appropriate but, the soup base is fairly flavorless. Truly good Caldo de Reyes has a flavorful soup base. This was not that. So it's not to be Hypocritical, I will say through we ate almost everything. We were hungry and it was good. Just not great. Certainly not enough to bring us back in the future. There are other places that do a better job for the money. The final two items that bother me the most were: * 3 1/2% convenience fee to use my American Express card. * the gratuity calculation on the bill was not based on the pre-tax amount. In fact, it was based on the post tax plus the additional credit card surcharge multiplied times the percentage rate. I have never seen that before and I have dislike to seeing that. I would have preferred they did not try to do a gratuity calculation on the bottom of my receipt. If you're going to incorrectly it right don't do it. We left the inflated gratuity amount but it was grudgingly. *** Those final two items were enough to ensure that I will never return. ****

This place was outstanding. I live in California so get a lot of Mexican food. This was truly excellent. Even the homemade tortilla chips were outstanding. We all got different items and everyone was happy. They even have a full bar and happy hour. Parking was easy. Honestly I can only think of good things to say. There's a front courtyard and you could bring your dog and eat out there. Indoor tables were limited to maybe a dozen. Yum yum.

This is a great place to bring the family, food selection and service is above par. We had an appetizer called " Chiles Guero's ". They're broiled yellow jalapeño peppers stuffed with ground shrimp and cheese. You can skim a thin layer of mayonnaise, a splash of soy sauce plus fresh squeezed lemon juice to bring it an another level of flavor. It's a small location with indoor and an outdoor dining space. It's about 100 feet from railroad tracks and allows you to watch the train go by while you eat, great for little kids to experience something out of the ordinary. We all selected different dishes and each one of us gave our plate two thumbs up. We will definitely come back and enjoy the experience again.

It's hard to find a Mexican restaurant you love when you cook Mexican food all the time at home. I know this place has been around a long time, and there must be a reason, but I don't think I'll be returning. Unless it's for the Churros. Those were fresh and warm and yummy. I do recommend those! Service was ok.

The food and drinks were DELICIOUS, the prices were REASONABLE and the customer service was EXCELLENT. I highly recommend this spot, you won't be disappointed.

This place is not the place to get Mexican food. The service is very slow, not once did they check how our food was or even offer any refills. We kept getting flies on our table and the floor was covered with food. The chicharones con huevos was terrible, the only good thing was the beans and eggs. The soup of 7 marres was disgusting they used tomato seasoning and no flavor at all. The ambiance was like the workers didn't want to come in today. I would have gotten better quality and service at a Taco Bell or Deltaco.

The food was great and service attentive and fast. They are a neighborhood favorite and have been in business since the 1960s. If you are passing through on a road trip, you should definitively stop and have a meal. Their Mexican rice tasted just like my nana's and they have delicious nopalitos which are hard to find.

Fantastic good and friendly service.. our go to place when we're in need of Mexican food.

The absolute best Mexican food I've ever had. All the servers have been so sweet. The 88 is awesome of course. Going back again and again!

The food is good. We had a bad experience with the server named Martha. She is very very rude. We arrived at 5pm to have dinner. We waited for a table inside, but they Martha decided to seat 4 separate groups before us. We asked her about it and she said in a very mean tone, "you guys aren't my problem". Would not recommend just because of the service, mainly Martha.

Our go to spot when out in Indio! Love the food and the service . My son loves watching the train go by! So def a must when we're vacationing out that way

The food here is five star but the service is a bit slow and the ambience is a bit to be desired with a busy highway on one side and a very loud train track on the other. Onto the food... The chips and salsa were a nice and spicy start but the yellow peppers stuffed with shrimp were something most of us had never seen before but glad we ordered since they were really, really good. A great starter. A few of us ordered their cheese enchiladas (red and green) - they were great and the refried beans were exceptional. They were lighter in color and tasty. Also one had the Quesio Fundido with chorizo which was nice as were the Chilaquiles (another new dish for us). Except for the slow service the staff was friendly and the food great.

It was just really good! We started with the recommended shrimp stuffed yellow peppers. They seems to be roasted and we're excellent (with soy sauce and mayo- weird right?) Absolutely yummy!!! We also had a chicken enchilada and chili relleno with beans and rice. Both were excellent and it's a good combo bc they're quite different. (The enchilada was delicious and quite different from red sauce and cheese we're accustomed to. We also got grilled fish tacos which were sensational. (My husband said they were the best ever!) The chips are served cold and the salsa very hot (!) so easy to resist. I'd skip drinks next time. The mango margarita was way to sweet and the regular margarita did not taste like fresh limes. I will be back on next trip!!!

Best mariscos in town. Get aguachiles - red and green Guerros Bomb fresh mariscos & believe it or not their regular asada plates are prime choice, have a margarita while you are there. I am here for two weeks and have been back 3 times.

On my most recent trip to CA I stopped in at this yummy again for yummy Mexican food.. never disappoints. This time i had the pescado tacos with rice and beans .. the tacos were full of flaky fish and toppings.. big flavor in every bite. The beans were creamy and perfect with the tacos, the rice didn't have a lot of flavor but complimented the beans nicely. The mango margarita with the tamarindo Candy was delicious.. tangy, sweet, spicy .. all the flavors!! The salsa with the chips was chunky and spicy.. really good!! The soups are perfect during cold weather .. the service is always friendly and pretty fast for a crowded lunch hour. Outdoor covered patio seating due to covid, plenty of parking

Food is Good but it's too expensive and the service is horrible. Id much rather spend my money else where The Ambiance is kind of tacky as well No thanks.

Thank you Elvira and staff for keeping us all well fed and happy. Even in the 100 degree weather, their fans and misters kept us comfortable, Food was amazing. Starting with their Signature Chiles Gueritos Rellenos de Camaron (with soy sauce and mayonnaise, who knew?), paired deliciously with the spicy Chavela. Then moving on to assorted Ceviches, it was a perfect lunch time treat. Definitely need to try all the other dishes, both breakfast and lunch.

Their food was served at the right temp, the service was great and the atmosphere is always good!

Love this little place! I've had just about everything on this menu. Shrimp Stuffed yellow peppers w/Mayo & Soy are a favorite for us. The menudo and chilaquiles are also very good. We are regulars here.

No longer the yummy roadside Mexican spot... The peppers used to be fresh, the chips and salsa used to be fresh too....NOT anymore... no flavor days old, horchata not great wow so many reasons not to comeback. Sundays were always packed long gone are those days.... Bummer...

Food was ok, overpriced for ok Mexican food. The charge extra to use your credit card and won't separate the check it you come in with a group. Took a while to get out food and it didn't all come out at the same time so some people were waiting to Eat. Al in all wouldn't go back again.

Just not good. The sauce on the chicken fajitas was unusual for that dish and very bland. The chili verde below average, and the shrimp stuffed peppers unflavorful . If you're seated outside the street traffic is loud, and if you happen to pull into the parking lot at the wrong spot you may destroy your car hitting a curb.

The original location is better than El Mexicali II but the hype surrounding both isn't justified. The food is just ok. Not great not bad. Service is friendly. So nothing really bad to say. I'm just not overwhelmed.

This small cafe has great food! We got the appetizer platter, the guacamole, enchiladas, and salad. The skinny margarita was best i have had in the valley. Waitress was so friendly. Salsa was good too.

Always a decent meal here. I prefer this quaint location over the one on Monroe Street. Shrimp stuffed chili are always a must! The chicken taco plate is always pretty good. I don't like their enchiladas. I'll never get them here again. My husband always likes the burrito combination plate with asada or shredded beef. Salsa & chips are always good & they include them free with takeout also! Margaritas are not great when I have had them. Overall, mostly good experiences here.

It may be a small establishment, but the food was amazing! We had the carne asada tacos and chicken tacos. With rice and beans. Their salsa is very tasty. Servers are very friendly. Next time I would like to get the shrimp stuffed yellow chilies. We will be back!

This place is awesome They have seemed to adapted to the Covid Norm and to me they are doing an Outstanding job, they probably have maxed out there seating area in the Patio and I see they owner is making every effort to make it comfortable by adding Misting System they are adding TVs and the Beers are ice cold The Chile Guerritos are great with the Chavelas

El Mexicali Cafe is located on Indio Blvd and is our favorite. It's next to a rail road track, and the building shakes as the train goes by. Food and service are always great. We've been eating there for 16yrs.

The original will be always the best!! This place is so good. The hard shell tacos are amazing. Chiles gueros are a must try.