New York Magazine

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Home > Restaurants > Calexico

All Reader Reviews of...

Calexico

88 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, NY, 11217
at Prospect Pl.
718-399-2630

Avg. Rating

6
Food: 5
Service: 7
Décor: 5
"Mixed Reviews"

Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10.

50% would go back.

 Write your own review

Calexico 5th Avenue Brooklyn Rocks

By foodporna on 5/17/2011

  • Overall Rating: 8
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 9
  • Décor: 6
  • Yes, I would go back!

This little place has the best breakfast in the Slope - BAR NONE. Generous omelettes and amazing Huevos Rancheros. The wait staff is friendly and remembers what we had last time. The plates are plentiful and we never walk away hungry. The delivery service is quick. The nachos and flautas are really good. This is not for people who are hooked on tourist style tex mex. This is a little Mexican diner serving authentic blue collar Mexican food. We eat here or order at least twice a week.

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
10 out of 18 people found this review helpful.

Great breakfast, good take-out

By prospecter on 5/17/2011

  • Overall Rating: 7
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 8
  • Décor: 6
  • Yes, I would go back!

The "A" rating by the city should relieve anyone of fear of the old review by "theslopeisdope" which is not a fair assessment of this local hangout. You can have a great breakfast here for two for UNDER $10, including constant refills of coffee. This is old school, no doubt about it. It is run by Spanish natives with no foodie pretensions. Having eaten all over the state of Texas at many mom and pop tex-mex restaurants, I would rate Calexico as a great local find. This is Mexican inspired dishes that are affordable. If you want to spend $40 a person for a pile of carbs with imported ingredients plus $ for booze, then go elsewhere. Take-out is fast and equally affordable.

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
10 out of 22 people found this review helpful.

Wrong restaurant photos!!

By sstrebel on 7/6/2010

  • Overall Rating: 5
  • Food: 5
  • Service: 5
  • Décor: 5
  • No, I would not go back!

The photos above are not of this restaurant. They are of Calexico Carne Asada in Carroll Gardens. Please fix this.

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
16 out of 34 people found this review helpful.

Not "legit" Mexican, just "crappy" Mexican

By theslopeisdope on 3/6/2008

  • Overall Rating: 3
  • Food: 2
  • Service: 5
  • Décor: 4
  • No, I would not go back!

Restaurants that look like Calexico fall into two categories "Diamond in the rough" or "Deservedly pathetic". Clearly the latter in this case. Chips and salsa aren't free and come with jarred/canned salsa verde. No self-respecting Mexican restaurant would dare serve salsa they didn't make themselves. Enchiladas Suizas were a bland, gunny mess filled with hacked roast chicken that tasted more than a few days old. I was quite surprised and happy to see that they had Bohemia beer so I ordered a bottle only to find that it had chunks of solid matter floating in the bottle. One could clearly fault the brewer and not the restaurant, but given everything else about Calexico I feel pretty confident saying they just don't sell, or store properly, that much beer.

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
30 out of 62 people found this review helpful.

Add Comment

You will be prompted to sign in with your NYMag or
Facebook account.

  awful average excellent
In determining overall rating, food and service are given more weight.
Rate
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Food
Service
Décor
Would you go back?

Some Hints:

  • The best reviews give a clear sense of why you liked or disliked a restaurant, bar, or store. And that means details. Mention specifics dishes, type of crowd, pros and cons...
  • If it's helpful to compare one place to another, go for it.
  • Come up with clever, funny, pithy subject lines, and write in the first person.
  • Don't forget to read the user rating guidelines and rules.
CloseUpdating your review
By
| Not you?
Advertising
Advertising