MexiCali

I. Love. Mexicali.
Seriously, I love this place. It’s open from 11 am to about 4:30 pm on weekdays and I try my best to grab lunch here every day I can. The price to quality ratio is off the charts. $ 6 for a giant chicken burrito or $ 5 for a chicken mole bowl with a free drink? Killing it.
Let’s get into the nitty-​gritty though. Mexicali is a two-​person operation that offers a reasonable variety of pseudo-​Mexican options. You’ve got your usual burritos, fajitas, and taco bowls, with a random special of a day that’s usually some type of soup in a bowl (I’ll get back to that later). A chicken/​pork fajita with guac starts at $ 6, beef at $ 6.75. They offer whole wheat tortillas, hash browns as a rice replacement, and a yoghurt avocado sauce as options. On the vegetarian side, they’ve got a $ 4 spinach/​sweet potato burrito that’s surprisingly filling and the Cali which is really popular. They offer three sauces, the mild, medium, and hot, but they will give you the extra-​hot if you specifically ask.
The chicken is a little dry but the pork is super tender. The sour cream scoops are generous and the guacamole is nice and fresh. They do use preshredded cheese, but it’s no real knock against them since everyone does as well.
But the bowls… hnghhhh. They’ve been doing a special of the day which is always $ 5 and they throw in a free drink, which is chicken and rice pricing. Off the top of my head, they’ve had chicken chili moles, chicken rojo, chicken chili verde, chicken mole poblano, and just so much goodness. It’s flavorful, soft, and complex. Seriously, give it a shot.

Lots of options if you’re vegetarian or even vegan (tofu and bean). I LOVE sweet potato burritos with guac. Only $ 5. The hot and mild sauce is the perfect combo. My only quip with them is that because nothing is written down I’ve walked away to find that an extra (guac, peppers) that I paid extra for wasn’t included. I chalk it up to a lot going on at once so I’ve never gone back and complained but it is a letdown.

Good food, bad service. They don’t accommodate at all. No substitutions. No changes. To me, that’s annoying

I’ve only had one thing from MexiCali, The Mexi, and it’s phenominal. The Mexi is a mix of Carnitas, sweet potato, guacamole, rice, beans and salsa, which are a whole lot of words to say «delicious.» I’ve had this dish once as a burrito and twice as a burrito bowl, it’s excellent both ways. The pork is tender and well seasoned, the sweet potato and guacamole compliment each other really well, and the spicy salsa (they also have mild) tops everything off with a perfect level of heat.
I’m pretty sure everything at MexiCali is $ 6 or under, or at least not much more than that. So, it’s cheaper than Chipotle and Qdoba, and The Mexi is better than anything I’ve had at either of those places.
I’ll definitely be back.

Don’t write reviews often these days but this place deserves it. After trying lots of different burritos here, I have to say that the chicken chorizo burrito plus sour cream and guacamole is the best goddamn burrito I’ve ever had. Seriously never had such a fulfilling lunch anywhere, every bite of this rolled up ridiculousness is a solid punch in the taste buds from the burrito gods. The folks that run this cart are sweet and to the point, they always have some special ingredients to offer and the prices are more than fair. Support these guys so they can stay here forever!

This is probably the best place in the area to grab lunch, and you can find me there almost everyday. There may be a line, but that just tells you how good the food is.
The variety of burritos is great. There are tons of vegetarian options (with the Cali being my favorite), and you can’t go wrong no matter what you pick.
I like their brown rice and hot sauce with my burritos, and they have lots of choices so you can customize your burrito however you like.

I can’t believe I’ve take so long to write a review. This place is incredible. The food is always fresh, wonderful, and absolutely delicious. There’s plenty to choose from, even for vegetarians. If that weren’t enough, everything is very well priced ($ 5 to $ 6 for a big burrito) and the staff are a pleasure to talk to. Come back and keep coming back! This is my favorite place to get food around Penn.

3.75 stars. A great place to get lunch on campus, and worth the wait if you’re craving solid burritos and a solid price. Here are the basics:
1) Order a burrito
2) Make sure it was one with sweet potato
3) Ask for hot sauce in it
4) Devour
The burritos they make are packed, and their specialties are often filled with delicious rice, cheese, beans, meat, guac, and sweet potatoes. I recommend the Mexi or the Cali (unsurprisingly). And that said, the meat itself could be more flavorful; I’ve had the chicken and the carnitas and they feel underspiced in my opinion. However when you combine it with everything else, particularly the creamier components (the Guac and sweet potato are on point), you sort of let it slide and just enjoy.
One thing I love is that they grill your burrito after it’s formed, giving the tortilla a nice crisp and allowing it to be served hot on delivery. And for only $ 5 – 6 for a huge burrito, you’ll walk away with cash in your wallet but without room in your stomach.

The fact that there is always a line of people waiting to order at the MexiCali food truck despite there being a Chipotle two blocks away demonstrates how good the food here is. My friend recently brought me here for the first time and I’ve sworn off Chipotle ever since.
For $ 5 – 7, you can choose from a plethora of chicken /​beef /​pork fajita platters, classic and specialty burritos, quesadillas, and sides. The ingredients the owners use are flavorful and very fresh, and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried so far. The burritos are large and toasted on the grill so the tortilla wrap get a nice bit of toasted crispness. The delicious platters come with guacamole, salsa, peppers, beans and rice. It’s a very filling meal for such an affordable student price!

SO delicious, and so filling! I guess you should expect that from a food truck, but the price you pay for a huge meal is unbeatable.
I love the owners, both of whom are extremely polite and are patient when you’re choosing something.
The burritos are HUGE – much bigger than Chipotle’s, and much more hearty. True, you can’t really pick your ingredients, but you can add-​on. You can even substitute your rice & beans for hash browns, and they offer brown rice and whole wheat tortillas for a healthier option.
The vegetarian options are what strike me the most; I have tried both the red pepper burrito for $ 4 and the tofu verde burrito for $ 5, and I don’t even miss the meat when I eat them. The meat burritos range from $ 5-​$ 6, so they are also very affordable, and I’m sure delicious as well.
If I’m ever craving a burrito, I’m coming here over any other mexican food truck or Chipotle! The bowls are a little meager compared to the freshness of Chipotle’s offerings, so definitely stick with the quesadillas and burritos, as the owners heat the tortillas to perfection. Actually, all of their food seems to lack fresh tomatoes, corn, and lettuce, but if you’re looking for a nice warm comforting burrito, you shouldn’t care that much about fresh vegetables anyway.

A food truck that provides Mexican food at a great value!
They have a really creative menu and lots of different options. You can choose from a quesadilla to a burrito or a soft taco. You can also get a burrito platter, no tortilla.
I tried the vegetarian soft tacos which were made with mashed sweet potatoes and tofu. For $ 5, I got 2 soft tacos and a side of rice. You also get the option of mild, medium, or hot sauces on your burritos and tacos. I chose the medium but I thought it was barely spicy. Next time I’m definitely trying the hot sauce to get the extra kick. I thought the tacos were good, but they weren’t anything amazing. They lacked flavor and were kind of bland. But the rice was a nice addition to the meal! I’m definitely coming here to satisfy my Mexican food cravings since it’s so conveniently located by campus. It’s an easy pickup and go!

Definitely one other best food trucks on campus run by the nicest couple. My favorite is the pork verde burrito. Only $ 5. Can’t beat it!
Bring cash though

This food truck represents a culinary peak of excellence on Penn’s campus. The flavor of each burrito is very well balanced, and the price is never too steep.
The true genius of this truck lies in the specialty burrito menu. While typical chicken burritos here are good, the papas y pollo or the mexi burrito can not be ignored. You may not know what to expect from sweet potatoes in a burrito, but trust me that you will not be disappointed. I give MexiCali 5 grilled pork burritos out of 5.
;^)

Have been going to MexiCali ever since it was a store, not a food truck. Overall, great value and great quality burritos.
My go-​to is the Pollo Y Papas burrito which is a great chicken/​sweet potato combo burrito. You can choose what level of spiciness you want in the sauce which is nice. I think the sweet potato option is great — you don’t often come across places that put sweet potato in their burritos, but it’s absolutely delicious. They also have a variety of vegetarian options .
I also like that they have jarritos — always down for that!

Maybe I had a rare meh experience, but I just don’t get it. Yes, MexiCali is cheaper than Chipotle, but my burrito plate was still $ 6 and about the same size as Chipotle burrito bowls but with fewer ingredients. I enjoy choosing my own ingredients, and I was surprised to see that MexiCali pre-​created set burritos on their menu. One time I went the husband (?) was also there, and he strictly told everyone they couldn’t substitute any part of the order — had to get it as is. Not even chicken for pork.
And the line at MexiCali is scarily long most of the time… While she doesn’t need to cook ingredients on the spot most of the time, I’ve been in line at Hemo’s or New York Gyro next door, and I notice that people at MexiCali spend just as much time in line as me even though Hemo’s is admittedly slow and NY Gyro generally has a much longer line.
I actually really like MexiCali’s dirty rice, but the chicken and carnitas both seemed pretty bland and tasted like it had been slow-​cooked in a soup or something. In general, besides the rice I felt that everything else was only all right. Seems to be overhyped in my opinion though.

I am in my first year of the Wharton MBA and am looking to pinch pennies wherever possible. Hence my new obsession with food trucks/​carts.
MexiCali is located on the corner of 38^th and Walnut opposite Huntsman Hall. At around noon, the line is long. However, the line moves relatively quickly and I appreciate that the wait time from the actual order placement to the receipt of food is actually pretty fast (about five minutes once you place an order).
For $ 6, I got the Cali: marinated tofu, spinach and guacamole. Very filling burrito for the money. Cans of soda are just 75 cents.
While this isn’t the best burrito I’ve ever had (Anna’s in Boston shall forever hold that glory), I’m willing to say this is better than Chipotle. Definitely looking forward to trying the carnitas.

In my spontaneous Philly food truck tour today, I wanted to find a hidden gem that not many people were talking about.
Judging by the amount of reviews here, I believe I’ve found it.
My guacamole burrito was wonderful! Perfect flavor, and nice and fresh to boot. I can’t say that enough.
I would have finished it off if I hadn’t sampled another truck first. But these burritos for $ 5 will fill you up no problem.
Definitely a hidden gem.

I’m happy to see I’m not the only one around these parts that has discovered the wonder that is Mexicali. Honestly, it’s a wonder that people haven’t opted to come here to satisfy their burrito cravings rather than Chipotle, especially seeing how it’s a block closer to the heart of campus.
The major selling point for Mexicali is the value. For $ 5 or 6, you’re getting a huge burrito with all the fixings. None of that paying $ 2 extra for guacamole nonsense. And I can’t understate how the size of these things. For female friends of mine, they almost always have to save the other half of their burrito for a second meal. The menu is also extensive and even more customizable, from vegetarian options to various add-​ins.
On top of it all, the husband-​wife team that run the food cart are incredibly nice and dependable. You will be hard pressed to find better people with better food around campus.

I love this place. I must say I was so sad when it’s brick and mortar location on 49^th closed. I thought it was over for my delicious spinach burritos. However, after doing a search and basically becoming a fiend and jonesing for a burrito I Unilocaled and saw that the food truck was still around. YAY!!! So I went and got my spinach burrito extra spicy no cheese and loved every bite. Typically I eat half now half later but I was so pressed I had to eat it all hahah, and I was stuffed beyond capacity.
Note– take away the cheese and your vegetarian burrito becomes vegan! Woohoo!
I’m not sure why they closed, I can’t believe that it was due to lack of customers bc the place was always packed and the truck seemed to be the same. Check them out they rock!

The Mexicali food truck is back. It’s back, people. Oh, do you prefer the abundant burrito chains in West Philly? I’m sorry… do you even have taste buds?
This place has a seriously creative menu. I’m a vegan and I can appreciate the incredibly long list of veg-​friendly options (just hold the cheese to make them vegan). Today, on their grand re-​opening day, I tried the new «Tofu Verde» burrito for $ 5. Everything on it is quality. From the deliciously fresh and soft tortilla, to the chewy marinated tofu, to the cilantro and onion, to the slow cooked wonderfully spiced beans. I inhaled it although the initial plan was to save half for later. My bad. But so worth it.
I also highly recommend anything with sweet potatoes or guacamole. The vegetarian tacos are wonderfully spicy, packed with tofu and sweet potatoes and a great deal at $ 5.