"People tend to forget about Mexicali when thinking about LA’s vast taco landscape. But that’s a mistake. Located in a sleepy part of Chinatown (right next to the 110 Freeway), this Baja taqueria serves a great vampiro taco loaded with smoky grilled asada. Wrapped in a thin, crunchy tortilla and filled with their signature garlic sauce, it’s the taco of our dreams and an indispensable weapon when dealing with actual vampires." - sylvio martins, brant cox, cathy park
"An underrated taco gem near Dodger Stadium, this enduring Chinatown-adjacent restaurant prepares some of Los Angeles’s smokiest carne asada, chicken, and shrimp served as tacos, quesadillas, and vampires. Every bite stays delicious, thanks to the plentiful options at the salsa bar. Try the signature Zuperman, which offers three meats, sandwiched between two tortillas with cheese." - Matthew Kang
"Despite the proliferation of great taco shops in Downtown these days, Mexicali still ranks among our favorites. The vampiro is a garlic-accented quesadilla that’s a thing of legend – particularly when topped with a fried egg – and the cachetada is a skinny, crispy tostada dressed with a chipotle aioli. Even the nachos, topped with chorizo, chicken, and carne asada, are excellent. There might be hotter taco names out there these days, but Mexicali is still one worth paying a visit to. Takeout and delivery available on most major apps." - brant cox, kat hong
"An underrated taco gem near Dodger Stadium, this enduring Chinatown-adjacent restaurant prepares some of LA’s smokiest carne asada, chicken, and shrimp served as tacos, quesadillas, and vampires. Every bite stays delicious, thanks to the plentiful options at the salsa bar." - Matthew Kang, Mona Holmes
"At the corner of First Street and Beaudry around 2009, Chef Esdras Ochoa’s Mexicali Taco & Co. was an instant hit, serving Mexicali-style carne asada grilled on the street to the late-night bar crowd." - Bill Esparza