Mexicali Taco & Co.

"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

"Although its a little off of the main drag, Mexicali is absolutely in our regular lunch rotation (as it is for pretty much anyone that works in the area). Clean, delicious, authentic mexican food; some of the best we've had in LA. For meat eaters, we'd recommend the Vampiro tacos. Forget about it." - Rubric

"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

"This former street stand-turned-restaurant by owner Esdras Ochoa is one of LA’s most reliable spots in a casual dining room. Mexicali still turns out incredible tortillas, carne asada, vampiros, and more done in the Mexicali style." - Mona Holmes

"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." - Kat Hong, Nikko Duren, Sylvio Martins, Brant Cox