Restaurants
Mexicali has over 50 restaurants, cafes, and fast food joints which offer a wide variety of cuisines, from international dishes to local viands, from fine dining to affordable food. The city’s significant Chinese population has also heavily influenced the local cuisine such that Chinese dishes are just as traditional as the typical Mexican tacos. Beer, produced by several small breweries in the area, is another staple part of the Mexicali dining experience.
Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill, the world’s largest casual dining restaurant chain, currently operates in Mexicali. It is a family-oriented restaurant which serves soup, salads, grilled steaks, hamburgers, and shrimp fritters. It also has a kids’ menu and a children’s playground.
Chalet restaurant offers a cozy ambiance; ideal for business meetings, family dinners, and special events. It features live piano music during breakfast and lunch while a troubadour guitarist plays during dinner time. Chalet is famous for its perfectly cooked steaks and fish.
El Dragon is one of the most renowned Chinese restaurants in Mexico. Their specialties include the Cantonese roast duck and beef ribs in clove sauce. Other famous dishes are the Kung Pao chicken, noodle soup, and chop suey.
El Rincon de Panchito or Panchito’s Corner also serves Chinese cuisines and is popular among the locals. Some of the recommended dishes are the Chun Kun rolls and chicken in pineapple bittersweet sauce.
The Mezzosole Restaurant located in Lucerna Hotel features specialties from the northern region of Italy. It recreates the charms of a small Italian town with its interior decorations; ideal for family gatherings and romantic dinners.
Cheaper food are available in food stalls and smaller eateries around the market and in Madero and Reforma. The Centro Civico also has several restaurants like Sanborn’s, La Parroquia which serves Mexican dishes, and Cafe Petunias which offers sandwiches, juices, and lunch and is popular among office workers and shoppers. There are also franchises of popular international fast food chains like Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Jack in the Box, and Pizza Hut.