Mexicali Restaurants

We had a cozy dinner together last night on a drizzly Bakersfield night and the inviting decor makes you feel welcome. We were greeted with a smiling employee and were seated at once in a quiet area near the front windows which made our visit seem more pleasant and intimate. We had chips and salsa (red and green). I ordered a margarita rocks, refreshing! Steve had a plate of chorizo and eggs with beans and rice on the side. I ordered enchiladas suizas with shredded beef with rice and beans. We both enjoyed our experience and intend on returning to order different things on their extensive menu in future. The Muzak playing is a great mix of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. This is a great place for larger groups or the intimate 2 person party.

There for lunch and they decorated very beautifully for Christmas time.

We love coming here. We really enjoy the food and service.

Was having a rough day. It was Christmas Eve, dad was in the hospital with no ticket home in sight, everything was closed, and I was alone. Sat at the bar, and I don't think I was there more than a couple minutes before being invited into multiple conversations and treated like a friend. And I didn't tell anyone why I was there. Good people make life worth living... worth loving.

While visiting in Bakersfield me and my sister-in-law enjoyed food and margaritas several times at Mexicali. I haven't been there since I was a kid. We ordered an enchilada, taco, rice and bean plate. It was pretty darn big and delicious. Just like the margaritas! We were lucky to always get the same waitress. She is wonderful. Until next time!

This is a time capsule. Very surprising. The food was amazing, plentiful, and fast. You gotta visit here!

Always great food and strong drinks. Mexicali is that iconic local brand of Mexican food that is made with the best ingredients. Warm Chips & Salsa welcome you within a minute of seating. A top restaurant to work at because their committed staff have been there for a decade plus. Thank you for the consistently awesome food and drinks with wonderful atmosphere to dine in!

Visited the Downtown Mexicali recently. Excellent lunch and fantastic service. Melon margarita was excellent as well.

Mexicali is as Bakersfield as it gets...#6, beef taco, extra enchilada sauce, house made guacamole. The standard Mexicali experience, in my opinion. I became a patron to Mexicali in the mid 2000's, when I assimilated into my wife's family who were themselves weekly visitors. For years we would frequent downtown or Mexicali West, usually Sunday's after church. Countless birthdays, anniversary's and date nights have been hosted by Mexicali, and we are so thankful to the staff for the countless meals and endless hospitality. As my own family grows, it's been fun to have our boys starting to know many of the staff by name: Guido, Israel, Jasmine, Jessica. We love Mexicali for the staff, ambience, food and the hometown Bakersfield experience. Thanks for years of memories; here's to many more! -AW

$26 dollars for a smidge of ground beef mascarading as a taco and a tortilla melted in cheese - with nothing else but cheese inside - mascarading as an enchilada, accompanied by what feels like a pound of the most bland, tasteless rice and beans I have ever eaten. When I was waiting in line, there were nothing but Caucasian customers, and they assured me this was the best Mexican food in town. They don't even compare to la villa.

Loved visiting this historic restaurant. Lots of art, photos and space in the restaurant. Enjoyed tamales, beans, rice . Great lunch stop!

Review for the bar. Small and every one knows each other. Drinks are strong. Service is great. I meet a friend every couple of months here. Parking can be hard but we end up spending time and we never feel rushed.

Have been coming here for over 30 years! The food and service were amazing! Margaritas are bomb! And a big thank you miss gracie our server today!!

This was an old school Mexican dining experience I had a wet chili verde burrito and was quite tasty nothing to complain about salsa and chips were also included I will return they do have some good specials available

Worst Mexican food I've ever had! You can always tell how good the food is when the salsa comes. I instantly knew it would be disappointing. The salad was like Pace right out of a jar. I had enchiladas suizas which had no flavor at all. It barely came with sauce. The rice tasted weird. My husband has fajitas that came in a ceramic bowl not the steaming hot pan they typically are served in. They were so bland. I get this place is iconic to Bakersfield but it was absolutely disgusting!

I went to Mexicali with my parents and my son for my father's birthday. It was a Saturday around 4:30 when we got there and we didn't have to wait to be seated. The waitress was friendly and took our orders without writing anything down. She proved to be great at her job because everything was correct when we got our food. The chili colorado is so good! Maybe too good, because I couldn't stop eating it. The portions were good sized and the meat was nice and tender. I think I found only one fatty piece that I didn't eat. The wait for our food wasn't long at all. Mexicali is a true Bakersfield original. Can't go wrong here. And if you like margaritas, you need to go here! Also, don't plan on driving yourself if you do! It sneaks up on you! This is actually where I learned that my son is willing to eat cheeseburgers! In fact, he begged to go back the following weekend for one!

Came in today for lunch. I have fond memories of this place growing up and wanted to love it. Sadly, it felt so underwhelming and generic compared to the more authentic places in town. Service was attentive and on point. The food left a lot to be desired. My tastebuds were like, "Come on, Jess- you know better than this."

I remember Mexicali used to be the place to be back in the day. I can't believe that it's still hopping. We went there recently and it was just packed full of people saw some celebrities and had a pretty good time. Food it's your typical Mexican food. Everything was good nothing to complain about. Drinks were great. Great service.

Iconic space, nice almost historic atmosphere, menu food is decent but drinks are good. Mexicali piqued my interest as we were driving through area and noticed this large, estate like restaurant restaurant with a characteristic sign with a palm tree and neon lights. You can tell upon first enter in the restaurant, the place has a lot of history; if only the walls could speak the stories they would tell. There are two choices you make when enter in the restaurant, cocktails or restaurant. The cocktails side is more lively and vibrant, by that I mean it feels like a bar with food and the other side is the restaurant which feels more low key, despite there being interesting architectural elements (like exposed beams and high ceilings and interesting artwork on the fountains). We ate at restaurant, if I were to go back would probably pick the cocktails side (what's not to like about the Bar tenders taking shots with each other). Service was very friendly. Bea was great. Although I wish there was a cocktail menu. The food was like slightly glorified Chevys. We got the fajita and Esther's plate. But we're decent but not something to write home about. I wouldn't come here for the food, but the vibes and drinks. The spicy margarita was quite nice, not sweet and spicy for sure.

This is a busy spot for great Mexican food. Staff is friendly & it's worth the wait. The drinks, especially their margarita game is amazing. Family friendly environment the food is fresh & tastes great. The chips & salsa are addicting.

Don't have a full review, but we stopped in for a drink on a Sunday afternoon. The bar area is cozy and dim, a nice refuge on a warm day. Service was friendly and cocktails were large (not necessarily strong). Full meal service is available in the bar, and it was busy. It seems to have a number of regulars.

Mexicali is one of Bakersfield's few remaining long standing, old school, family owned restaurants with a loyal clientele. The atmosphere is warm and cozy. They have provided delicious food and good service for many years. This evening I was tired after work and I wanted warm & tasty comfort food. Bill was my delightful server, very friendly and attentive. I ordered a bowl of their scrumptious Chili Colorado with corn tortillas. No one does it better in my humble opinion! Mexicali is one of my favorite go to's for an inviting ambience and delicious food.

First time coming here!! I've always heard of this restaurant but I just never had the chance to try out. My friend really likes this restaurant and so we all chose this as our place for dinner! I ordered the Burrito Especial and our dishes came out probably 10 minuted later? It was pretty quick or maybe my friends and I were so busy catching up that lots of time has passed. But still, the food arrived 10-15 min later and it was delicious oh my. I jusy love burritos so much. Their chips and salsas were really good. Especially the salsa and I'm not really a salsa typa person but that salsa was addicting. The interior of the restaurant was also something i liked. It felt very home-y :) the only thing i noticed was lack of ?? Air conditioning. Or maybe it was just me. I felt like I was slightly sweaty through out the meal.

Service and atmosphere were good but the food was mid at best. Salsa was bland and the food was bland with only salty predominate flavor. I got a mix plate with tamale, enchilada and chili relleno. Would not recommend or visit this place again.

One of the best Mexican restaurants I have been to. Ordered the Mexicali burrito and it did not disappoint! Cadillac margaritas are some of the best in town.

The food was so bland. I honestly did not enjoy it. I sometimes take my leftover food home, especially at those prices but decided to leave it behind as I won't even touch it again. Disappointed.

I'm going to start by listing the positive aspects of Mexicali... the atmosphere is great and they seated us quickly. The server was friendly, fast, and efficient. Now for the negative aspects of Mexicali... the chips were served in a comically small bowl, I love ruining my meal by over indulging in chips and salsa. So that was pretty annoying. The chips themselves were also subpar. The salsa was basically tomato sauce with a couple of green chilies in it. The food itself was underwhelming and lacked flavor. If you like Mexican food that is a little more flavorful then there are so many better options.

The wife and I decided to go have lunch at Mexicali restaurant this weekend. Order the famous Kenny Burger with onions on the side and cut in half as we were going to share. Food came out and the bun was soggy like it was dipped in water and grilled oinion all over the burger. Sent that back and asked them to make another the way we ordered it. Got the second plate, fries were cold as they were from the previous plate. The burger had a great but but it was not cut in half however, the patty was the same "now cold" patty fromt eh previous burger and not onions on the side to be found. When we tried the burger and fries we were very dissapointed due to the cold food and the lack of effort to make a new plate that we had asked for. The drinks as usual at Mexicali were great as the bar staff never fails to come through. If you want a great drink this is your place. If you want great food I would suggest another restaurant for sure. 40 years Ive been going here and fo rthe $$ they charge it is no longer the place to eat!

You truly can't go wrong heading to Mexicali for a great Mexican meal. We go often and most recently had lunch after church. We appreciate that they are downtown and open on Sundays. I typically keep it simple with a relleno or fajita salad, but whatever I order, it's just the best. The chips are perfect and so are the margaritas. I actually ordered a pint of margaritas to take home. I must learn how to make them as well as they do. We never seem to wait long for a table no matter how many people are with us. They take reservations and have spaces for large celebrations as well. I always feel a special familiarity when walking in and just feel at home.

Bartender was cool friendly i had a good time. The drinks were delicious. Salsa was good.

My husband and I like to sit in the small, cozy section near the bar, away from the main dining room. This gives us a more intimate and personalized experience. He always orders Esther's Delight, which consists of a chili verde taco and a chili reno served on a hot plate with a salad topped with avocado dressing. It always looks delightful, and I suppose that's why it's named Esther's Delight. I usually order the number 14, which includes two cheese and onion enchiladas with a salad topped with the House Thousand Island dressing. I absolutely love the Mexicali enchilada sauce, as no one else makes an enchilada sauce like it! Unfortunately, I can no longer have dairy products, so I ordered the chili verde tostada without cheese. It looked good and tasted delicious and has become my new favorite dish at Mexicali. As soon as we were seated, the busboy brought water to our table. Our waitress, Maria, was cheerful and promptly took our food and drink order. Before we left, the manager stopped by our table to check if everything went well and to tell an amusing joke. We enjoyed our dinner and highly recommend Mexicali Restaurant to everyone, and we plan to go back for more!

This is Bakersfield at its best. In all the years it hasn't changed and it was great!! Passing through on a trip to see mom, used to live here. We met some friends for lunch. Thought I'd give my Montanan fiancé a true Bakersfield experience and it didn't disappoint. Bill our server was super friendly attentive and quick to check on us but not in a hovering way. Food was hot, tasty and good size portions. If you are looking for Bakersfield Mexican food you need to try here. Their chips and salsa are on point as I filled up on them as usual. Good job Mexicali after all these years!! Same decor as before lots of tables and they were all full as it was a weekday at lunch.

Years ago the food was top notch but not so much now. Went there for dinner yesterday and the food was horrid. Thick tasteless dark brown Mole sauce over everything. Salsa was a can of tomato sauce with something green floating around in it. Sky high prices! Will not go back ever. Bill our server was the best. Very attentive and friendly.

We decided to go to Mexicali for the first time in a long time since we always like to venture out and see other places and other venues and styles of Mexican cooking . We were quite pleasantly surprised by the "at home" feel that this old place still gives after all these years, they are a staple of Bakersfield and have pulled back to the basics and the old building on 18th St. which is where they do well. The food was absolutely phenomenal starting with the salsa which was very good and tasteful and not too hot to which my wife could eat. , the chips were fresh and the service was great. I did get a laugh when I started speaking Spanish to the server and she replied. "I don't speak Spanish" lol. The food was like coming back to mom's kitchen. In many ways. It was faithful and good and just like it was when we remembered the last time we visited and it has been 2years or 3 years.

This place has been great ever since they first opened back in the day!! The Owner IRENE and Her daughter Nicole do a FANTASTIC job keeping the food consistent and so delicious the place has beautiful old world charm and ambiance in the downtown area of Bakersfield. We eat there whenever we can and have for years it feels like going home and having some good family food. Keep up the great work Irene and Nicole you girls are amazing! Thank you everybody for being so kind and taking good care of us when we come in we appreciate it so much. Blessings and best wishes to all and thank you for being there all these years!

The food tasted like a fast food mexican place. Very overpriced. The salsa was like pace at walmart. This place has gone down to what I remember. I won't be back.

Food, atmosphere and service was top tier. Had a wonderful lunch. Our ice tea glasses never went below half full. Israel was our server and was very friendly and attentive. Food was tasty and came out super quickly! Pretty busy crowd for a midweek day. Will be returning!

5 stars for service. Our lady was attentive and very accommodating. The reason for a 2 star is management. The issue is we are witnessing a transition of ownership from original ownership to the next generation. The two ladies who are taking over do not have a shared vision, and that is concerning for the future of Mexicali. The original owners were focused on family and quality. In my opinion, the second generation is focused on money. I have been coming to this restaurant for 40 years. I hope they reflect on their past and use that to plan on their future.

Way over priced! Small glass Margarita drinks are $13 and made with rot got tequila. Got a chicken tostada with no sour cream or guacamole for over $17 No wonder the place was completely empty. Server was nice. Only reason why it's two instead of one star. This will be the last time we go there.

Stumbled upon Mexicali on Bakersfield stop. Bill was our honest server. Said fried chicken was best in town but took 30 minutes. True but worth it! We'll done, crispy & fresh! Salad was abundant and fresh. Margarita flavorful and sufficient. Husbands albondigas soup was great. His chili verde was so so. Guacamole looked cute in the tortilla bowl but was watery and flavorless. We liked the vibe and the cleanliness but would choose more carefully next time.

After paying my bill and on the way out, I questioned the manager about the $23 price for a small 1/2 cup serving of guacamole. I wasn't asking for a comp or a discount. This woman (who apparently is the current owner) jumps into the conversation with remarks like: "it is what it is", "I pay $100 for a crate", "I don't care what you think," then adding in the "I don't care if you ever came back" statement. I'm granting her wish as I won't be. If she treats a regular customer this way I can't imagine how she treats her team. I knew the sisters who started this business decades ago would have never have treated anyone, regardless of how many years they were a customer, the way I was spoken to tonight. Too many choices to be treated this way. Buh bye now.

The food was almost as delicious as the service was excellent. Jessica was gracious, beautiful, and attentive.

Mexicali is a Bakersfield staple. The food is decent. The service is decent. The margaritas are excellent! It's a good place to go with large groups I really like their hard shell tacos, because they are simple and tasty. If you want simple Mexican food in an old school setting, this is the place.

I love Mexicali as a kid we would go to the Nile's location which is now Rusty's pizza..I went to the west location on prom night and then when I was 20 in 1988 I worked at the west location for 5 years.. best years of my life! We were always packed and the food is still just as delicious! I miss Ester and all the sisters.. Rachel and lily.. didn't know Ruth too well.

I have been coming here since my childhood and will never miss going here everytime I come back to bako. Love the red salsa, cheese crisps, and cheese enchiladas! Love you, Mexicali, thank you for all the great memories!

The burritos are packed with meat and the margaritas are to die for. Love this local spot. Also, if you get the chance order the flour chips, they're an off-menu item but well worth the trouble of asking for.

I was in Bakersfield on a connecting train, and only had half an hour to get food for my 3 year old, my wife and I, and so I sprinted to the nearest place. Out of breath and in a hurry, I quickly explained that I needed my food fast in order to make the train. Yvonne was the server I spoke with, and she offered me ideas of what could be done quickly. surprising even me, the food was ready in a matter of minutes, hot and fresh. I only wish I had tipped more, but hopefully I can make up for it with this absolutely glowing review. We all loved the food we got, two beef burritos and a quesadilla!

We go here for the atmosphere and great margaritas! The food is ok. The service is good The prices are now ridiculous I hope they can hold on to clients even though their food is mediocre and prices have gone up. it's all about the drinks and atmosphere in the Bar that keeps them going in my opinion and I've been coming here for over twenty years!

The food was excellent, and the service was just as good. I had a quiet booth in the corner, it was very relaxing. The prices on all the menus here on Yelp are very outdated. I paid $22 for the #9 2 enchilada plate with chicken. The food was very good, but I think it's a bit overpriced. If I'm ever visiting Bakersfield I will definitely come back again.

Service was great, but do not order the fajitas, worst in Bakersfield. Chicken fajita was just OK but the steak fajitas are like shoe leather and tasteless. Also, $30 for two regular margaritas... a bit much.

One of my all time favorite Bakersfield spots - I was raised on their tortilla chips, salsa, quesadillas and pizzadillas and have a new soft spot for the shrimp nachos that you can get in the bar. I also love their chile verde pork (in a burrito or plain with tortillas), and cheese enchiladas. Totally crave-able!

Our family has been coming to Mexicali for generations and it is truly a favorite. The food is fresh and so yummy. I wouldn't say it's the most authentic Mexican food, but nonetheless it is delicious. We love to sit in the bar area which is always cutely decorated for the time of year and a great intimate setting. The regular dining room is also great to sit in as well. Our favorite servers are Jackie and Diana in the bar area as they are truly the best and so attentive. I don't personally drink, but everyone I talk to says they have the best margaritas in town! We will continue to return.

I want this place to be what it once was but it isn't. The service is really laid back and if you aren't a regular, you will not like this bar area. Food is whatever, nothing to crave. I've came twice in the last 2 years and I don't know why. The 3rd time I tried, I sat for 20 mins without any knowledge I existed. Had to walk out. I support local but at this particular moment in time I cannot recommend this to friends & family.

I was hesitant about going to Mexicali but when we walked in, it felt a little bit like Mexico. The staff was friendly and the service was great. The Pollo Margaritas and Margaritas made with Don Julio and Grand Marnier was very good. The margaritas was by far the strongest I've had at any Mexican restaurant. The menu on the other hand seemed very Americanized, I was looking for street tacos with protiens like tripas, lengua, cabaza, etc.... but it isn't as authentic as I would like. Still very good.

Had dinner here with a group of friends planning to have a great time but left with one of the worst experiences in Bakersfield. There were 10 of us and none were satisfied. One of us didn't get a meal until everyone was ready to leave, orders were wrong, mixed drinks were terrible and the service was the worst. I ordered a quesadilla that looked and tasted terrible. Other meals looked like they came from a can. We complained and the waiter stated we were obligated to leave an 18% gratuity. Overall, I do not recommend.

My husband brought me to Mexicali in 1971. Love the food and staff so much we are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary there tonight.

Great family restaurant, it's been a family favorite for many years. I'm meeting my friends tomorrow for lunch.