When I first moved to BC we tried this place in 2005 because of its name. My mother is from Mexicali, BC and I thought it was a cute coincidence. The experience was NOT a good one. NOW HOWEVER It is different. New ownership -sister restaurant of Taqueria San Fransisco (amazing!) These people are fighting an uphill battle due to its previous owners. The food is amazing. Authentic -I'm 1st generation Mexican-American raised in So Cal. Im VERY picky about Mexican food. And the service is phenominal. Everyone is sweet and smiling and always makes you feel welcome. Try the tortas!!!
(5)
Amalia S.
New owners- this is now a second location of Taqueria San Francisco (on Capital). The food is amazing! The renovations have also made the space really beautiful and comfortable! Best Mexican food around!
(5)
Jordan B.
I frequent both Taqueria San Francisco and Mexicali (Taqueria owners new location) all the time when I'm on the west side of the state. Best Mexican food around and the atmosphere is awesome! The artistic detail in the tables and chairs is amazing and the furniture itself is actually from Mexico. Very friendly staff and always a good night out.
(5)
Terral A.
Newly renovated and under new ownership, I had to give this restaurant another try. The first thing that I noticed is that they knocked out walls and opened up the place. This made it feel a lot more comfortable. There is a small bar area with an assortment of beer and liquor. The food was awesome. The service was quick, and they accommodated a couple of requested changes to my order. This place is much better with the new changes. I will definitely be going back.
(4)
Swed S.
The best Mexican food, hands down. I've lived in SoCal and AZ and ate at hundreds of Mexican restaurants, but nothing comes close to Mexicali and it's sister joint down the street San Fransisco. The preparation shows their food is made with love. Lots of great vegetarian options. I highly recommend the cheese enchiladas with rice and beans.
(5)
Jeannie M.
The new owners, decor & menu brought a huge improvement. The food is fresh and delicious ( just like at Taqueria San Francisco, their first restaurant) the service is friendly and quick and the hand carved furniture from Michoacan is beautiful. Also there are several great vegetarian options available.
(5)
Robin C.
Wonderful visit tonight! Great tasting hot food served very quickly by an equally hot waitress!
(5)
Mary E.
Under new ownership (thank goodness!) Food is so much better now. Service was excellent, our waitress was a hoot. Friendly atmosphere. Will definitely be going back!
(5)
Rachel K.
Mediocre food. Really slow service. Our waitress seemed to be either brand new or just clueless. Interior shabby. The only saving grace was the friendly owner who gave our son a Spanish lesson.
(1)
Leslie O.
I've been visiting Battle Creek ever since I met my husband 8 years ago... he and his family have been telling me tales of Mexicali since that time! Finally, I was given the opportunity to try this place myself. I love Mexican food and I LOVE food that is so spicy that my mouth burns for days! I've been told the salsa (they call it hot sauce) at Mexicali is so hot that you may not have time to make it home before urgently needing to use the bathroom. I decided I'm up for that challenge, but to be safe, we ordered takeout. We shared a cheese quesadilla and 2 bags of chips... and, of course, LOTS of hot sauce. This is the first time I've ever had a quesadilla drowning in a puddle of salsa! I was told you get the opportunity to choose mild sauce instead, but that's not our style, so we opted to breath fire and suffer the consequences. Now you may notice that my review is based soley on the hot sauce... that's because we had so much of it drenched over our quesadilla, I couldn't really taste the food! At home, we tried to guess the ingredients of the hot sauce. Tomatoes, habanero peppers, chili peppers, onion, cilantro, garlic... cumin and brown sugar possibly??? My husband plans to ship a sample to California (where we live) so he can have it analyzed. But for now, we're told word on the street is that this recipe has been secured safely in the owner's head. We'll crack the code to this recipe! It may take us awhile, but we'll crack it!
(3)
David P.
If you like nachos try the Botano Nachos! It is a meal in itself or share it with a friend. Yummy!
(5)
Michael D.
My wife and ate there for the first time about a month ago. It is not a huge place, but it is great for lunch. The owner is Colombian, so the food has more of a Colombian spin on it. The service was great, and the owner finding out my wife was Columbian sat down and chatted with us for a good 15 minutes while we ate. Very friendly people, and the food was pretty good.
(4)
Adri B.
NO! Just one big, giant, loud: NO!!!!! If you want bad food, sloppy service, and to go home sick from the amount of grease on the food -go for it. Otherwise -#*&^# NO!!!
(1)
Liz T.
The owner was absolutely lovely and our server was very attentive but I don't think anything could have made up for the food. The 'salsa' we were served tasted like concentrated tomato soup, my margarita was a lime Jarritos soda with a shot of tequila added and the enchilada sauce was brown gravy. Perhaps I was there on a bad night but literally nothing that we ordered was remotely Mexican or for that matter tasty. The refried beans were alright...
(1)
Natalie S.
I spent a week in the Battle Creek area and ate at Mexicali twice! I could not stop eating the salsa and hot sauce that accompanied the warm chips before our meal; the flavor was uniquely wonderful and absolutely fresh. The food was served quickly and tasted like a authentic fiesta in my mouth. The food alone is enough to go back to Mexicali next time I am in Michigan, but what I truly enjoyed about my experience is the service that Evencio Sanchez and his staff provided. Evencio, the owner, acted like a friendly uncle to all of his customers and showed genuine concern for his staff's well-being. Each time I was there, I felt like I was partaking in meal alongside close friends and family. I would suggest anyone who is in the Battle Creek area check out MexiCali!
(5)
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Address :595 Columbia Ave W
Battle Creek, MI, 49015
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Ana N.
When I first moved to BC we tried this place in 2005 because of its name. My mother is from Mexicali, BC and I thought it was a cute coincidence. The experience was NOT a good one. NOW HOWEVER It is different. New ownership -sister restaurant of Taqueria San Fransisco (amazing!) These people are fighting an uphill battle due to its previous owners. The food is amazing. Authentic -I'm 1st generation Mexican-American raised in So Cal. Im VERY picky about Mexican food. And the service is phenominal. Everyone is sweet and smiling and always makes you feel welcome. Try the tortas!!!
(5)Amalia S.
New owners- this is now a second location of Taqueria San Francisco (on Capital). The food is amazing! The renovations have also made the space really beautiful and comfortable! Best Mexican food around!
(5)Jordan B.
I frequent both Taqueria San Francisco and Mexicali (Taqueria owners new location) all the time when I'm on the west side of the state. Best Mexican food around and the atmosphere is awesome! The artistic detail in the tables and chairs is amazing and the furniture itself is actually from Mexico. Very friendly staff and always a good night out.
(5)Terral A.
Newly renovated and under new ownership, I had to give this restaurant another try. The first thing that I noticed is that they knocked out walls and opened up the place. This made it feel a lot more comfortable. There is a small bar area with an assortment of beer and liquor. The food was awesome. The service was quick, and they accommodated a couple of requested changes to my order. This place is much better with the new changes. I will definitely be going back.
(4)Swed S.
The best Mexican food, hands down. I've lived in SoCal and AZ and ate at hundreds of Mexican restaurants, but nothing comes close to Mexicali and it's sister joint down the street San Fransisco. The preparation shows their food is made with love. Lots of great vegetarian options. I highly recommend the cheese enchiladas with rice and beans.
(5)Jeannie M.
The new owners, decor & menu brought a huge improvement. The food is fresh and delicious ( just like at Taqueria San Francisco, their first restaurant) the service is friendly and quick and the hand carved furniture from Michoacan is beautiful. Also there are several great vegetarian options available.
(5)Robin C.
Wonderful visit tonight! Great tasting hot food served very quickly by an equally hot waitress!
(5)Mary E.
Under new ownership (thank goodness!) Food is so much better now. Service was excellent, our waitress was a hoot. Friendly atmosphere. Will definitely be going back!
(5)Rachel K.
Mediocre food. Really slow service. Our waitress seemed to be either brand new or just clueless. Interior shabby. The only saving grace was the friendly owner who gave our son a Spanish lesson.
(1)Leslie O.
I've been visiting Battle Creek ever since I met my husband 8 years ago... he and his family have been telling me tales of Mexicali since that time! Finally, I was given the opportunity to try this place myself. I love Mexican food and I LOVE food that is so spicy that my mouth burns for days! I've been told the salsa (they call it hot sauce) at Mexicali is so hot that you may not have time to make it home before urgently needing to use the bathroom. I decided I'm up for that challenge, but to be safe, we ordered takeout. We shared a cheese quesadilla and 2 bags of chips... and, of course, LOTS of hot sauce. This is the first time I've ever had a quesadilla drowning in a puddle of salsa! I was told you get the opportunity to choose mild sauce instead, but that's not our style, so we opted to breath fire and suffer the consequences. Now you may notice that my review is based soley on the hot sauce... that's because we had so much of it drenched over our quesadilla, I couldn't really taste the food! At home, we tried to guess the ingredients of the hot sauce. Tomatoes, habanero peppers, chili peppers, onion, cilantro, garlic... cumin and brown sugar possibly??? My husband plans to ship a sample to California (where we live) so he can have it analyzed. But for now, we're told word on the street is that this recipe has been secured safely in the owner's head. We'll crack the code to this recipe! It may take us awhile, but we'll crack it!
(3)David P.
If you like nachos try the Botano Nachos! It is a meal in itself or share it with a friend. Yummy!
(5)Michael D.
My wife and ate there for the first time about a month ago. It is not a huge place, but it is great for lunch. The owner is Colombian, so the food has more of a Colombian spin on it. The service was great, and the owner finding out my wife was Columbian sat down and chatted with us for a good 15 minutes while we ate. Very friendly people, and the food was pretty good.
(4)Adri B.
NO! Just one big, giant, loud: NO!!!!! If you want bad food, sloppy service, and to go home sick from the amount of grease on the food -go for it. Otherwise -#*&^# NO!!!
(1)Liz T.
The owner was absolutely lovely and our server was very attentive but I don't think anything could have made up for the food. The 'salsa' we were served tasted like concentrated tomato soup, my margarita was a lime Jarritos soda with a shot of tequila added and the enchilada sauce was brown gravy. Perhaps I was there on a bad night but literally nothing that we ordered was remotely Mexican or for that matter tasty. The refried beans were alright...
(1)Natalie S.
I spent a week in the Battle Creek area and ate at Mexicali twice! I could not stop eating the salsa and hot sauce that accompanied the warm chips before our meal; the flavor was uniquely wonderful and absolutely fresh. The food was served quickly and tasted like a authentic fiesta in my mouth. The food alone is enough to go back to Mexicali next time I am in Michigan, but what I truly enjoyed about my experience is the service that Evencio Sanchez and his staff provided. Evencio, the owner, acted like a friendly uncle to all of his customers and showed genuine concern for his staff's well-being. Each time I was there, I felt like I was partaking in meal alongside close friends and family. I would suggest anyone who is in the Battle Creek area check out MexiCali!
(5)