If someone were to ask me a couple of months ago where I would go for Mexican cuisine, I would have said Chipotle. Reflecting back on my answer, it is quite sad response I gave as I live in New York City filled with thousands of amazing and diverse restaurants. Although Chipotle is great for a quick meal, I've never tasted quality Mexican food like I did when I visited Calexico. I would rate Calexico as being one of the best Mexican restaurants in NYC.
What is it?
Calexico is a Mexican restaurant and has many locations throughout New York City (Park Slope, Upper East Side, Greenpoint, Red Hook, SoHo Cart, and the Barclays Center) as well as two others in Detroit and Bahrain. I visited the Park Slope location on 5th avenue and fell in love with the small, but uniquely decorated and inclusive space and friendly staff. There has never been a time where I haven't had to wait for a table. This goes to show that many people, not just myself find the cuisine and atmosphere of the restaurant favorable enough that we would be willing to wait up to an hour for a table.
The Menu
The menu at each location varies, but that of the Park Slope joint has several distinct sections: Starters, Burritos + Bowls, Salads, Rolled Quesadillas, Salads, Tacos, Enchiladas, Fajitas, Sides, and Kids. The starters section consists of food such as Carne Fries and Nachos. The burritos + bowls has selections such as Pollo Asado, Bean, and Baja Fish. There are also unique salad options such as the Union Street Salad and the Tostada Salad. The rolled quesadillas are amazing with my favorite being the Cheese and Pollo Asado. The taco section includes options such as Gringo and Chipotle Pork to name a few. The two types of enchiladas offered are the Chicken and Vegetable and the two types of fajitas offered are Chicken, Steak, or Shrimp and the Surf & Turf. There are many side options available with Chile-Cilantro Fries, and House Made Tortilla Chips being two of them. As the Park Slope location appears to be extremely kid friendly as there are usually many children dining with their families, a kids menu is a must and is appropriate with Chicken Fingers, Mac 'N' Cheese, and a Cheese Quesadilla.
Review
When I dined at Calexico I ordered the Pollo Asado Burrito which is described as having "marinated grilled chicken, sour cream, and pico de gallo." I was blown away by the size and amount of flavor that bursted in my mouth with each bite. It was refreshing to eat a chicken burrito in which the chicken had not been dry which tends to happen when I order the same or a similar item elsewhere. My sister ordered the Baja Fish burrito which is described as having "beer battered fish, spicy slaw, mango salsa, chipotle 'crack' sauce." My sister had been thoroughly impressed with her decision and said that "I like how crispy it is and how the mango sauce works well with the rest of the flavors in the burrito."
Final Thoughts
I think that if you live in the New York City area or in Detroit or Bahrain that Calexico is a must try restaurant. The high quality cuisine combined with the energetic atmosphere calls for a great time. I would highly recommend trying Calexico for a fairly priced, but delicious meal.