Mexicali Blue

Stopped on the way home from a wedding, I live in CT and will probably take the drive down to eat once a month.
Had the veggie burrito and some chips and guac. The best I’ve had in a very long time.

Gotten takeout here twice now. It’s so fresh and clean tasting. I like that you can get a «naked burrito» which is basically a burrito without the tortilla, it’s just dumped into a bowl. Great sauces. Little low on meat serving size so I now ask for extra. Very friendly and well priced.

I got the Grilled Catfish and Mango Taco. It was surprisingly very fresh and light and it was really good. One of my friends said this place was really bad, but someone else convinced me to go and I’m glad that I did. My friend got a burrito which was also really delicious. When I was done with my taco I couldn’t help but go after his food. Pretty good since New Paltz doesn’t have good food in general.

Recently got 4 burritos for take out — more rice and beans than meat. The shrimp one was undercooked — actually it was raw — so uncool because we were starving and now could not eat what we had brought home after waiting 40 minutes AND driving 20 minutes to get there. Called and was told we could bring the shrimp one back and get a new one… Not a real satisfactory compensation, in my opinion, for the amount of inconvenience we suffered.

Great food, great hot sauce, nice people. Not a five because the burritos are sometimes inconsistent. Always good, but sometimes better than others.

Popped in for a quick taco. No taco on the menu for less than $ 6.50. And that’s for ONE taco. Shrimp taco was cooked in front of me — had cabbage and raspberry sauce and three shrimp. It was tasty, but nothing to write home about. Prices are high, but I think we’re now paying for name recognition from Bourdain since the photos of his visit scroll through on a digital photo frame hanging in the tiny ‘dining area’. There are better Mexican food spots.

Very overpriced for Mexican food. Ordered a veggie burrito — $ 9. Because of the price tag, I expected it to be nice and large, overflowing with grilled veggies. It’s medium sized at best (I’ve made bigger in my own kitchen) and it’s 85% rice. I tore it open to see if maybe they forgot the guac, sour cream, cheese, etc. There is a miniscule amount. Completely lost when eaten in burrito form, and they’re my favorite part!

I was so excited to stop by Mexicali Blue while I was in New Paltz for the weekend. They did not disappoint. The tuna taco was delicious and filling, the portions are very generous. I love that they have so many different types of fish tacos — most places just have a «fish taco» and that’s it. My boyfriend said the catfish taco was good, and we split the salmon taco which was also very good.

Years ago, in a land not so far away, there was a tiny little taco shop.
They had big support from a big name. A photo on the wall to prove that a man some revere as a real God of his craft.
I too was a fool, I too thought this place could never be struck from its high blue tortilla loving appeal.
But oh how wrong I was. The man remains, in dusty form, but I assure you in Polaroid form only. The man they call Anthony bordain would surely never be okay with them bragging about his presence any longer.
A sure dark cloud has arisen above their strawberry hot sauce beauty.
This is by far the worst place I’ve been in two years. We stopped in on our way out of town, couldn’t decide so we bought a few (okay 5 or 6) tacos
We waited our 10 to 15 minutes, then we waited some more, filling our thimbles full of varying flavor-​spiked Frank’s hot sauce.
The excitement still building, somehow unsuspecting of what should have been obvious upon walking in.
This place is surely riding in the coat tails of what it once was, before doc and his time machine visited 2015.
Every single taco was disgusting.
Every single taco, was thrown in the trash– a waste of 35 bux
Do NOT go here.
Everything tastes like the warn out, unclean grill, first dried together in a hot drawer underneath. These college kids must have taken over the reins and destroyed what it once was.
Mexicali gave me the blues for sure, their blue tacos only made me red in the face, sorta pissed I just wasted 20 minutes, and my dinner money. I drove my girl home and we got tacos from a guy who knows what the hell yes doing for a fraction of the price.
Do not go here unless you want the chewiest dirty tasting pork belly you never knew existed (take it off the menu if you don’t know how to use it)
Or if you want «short rib» that’s more like a dry flank steak from 3 weeks ago.
Don’t go if you want anything that doesn’t take like ash. From the tortilla to the lacking toppings all we tasted was a literal filth flavor. The shrimp was the easiest to bare, but in no way was it edible, we took one bite of each, tossing the rest in the trash.
The catfish was dry and chewy
Pork-​belly nothing but cement like lard
Shrimp was a complete disaster
Short rib god awful
Need I go on? No?
I pray this place gets shut down, these people don’t deserve to keep that job. I’ve never had worse in the area.
This place used to have a sort of NYC Hole in the wall charm, grumpy & stingy
Staff included, but I’d even change my view on Anthony Bourdain if he came back and stood by his earlier opinions. If I were him I’d take the trip just to rip my picture off the wall and sue them for deformation of character
Worst meals of my life– this was a big one we couldn’t even get through.
Go anywhere else! I just fact checked and he never stated this was best on east coast! He says it’s good though so he better get back there and rip the place apart after trying a damn taco
This place is proof you can tell someone poop tastes good and they’ll tell others with a smile how much they enjoyed it

Worth a trip upstate for the sauces, and the amazing burritos. :D

Seriously overpriced for mediocre at best mexican food. Paid 15 dollars for 2 standard sized tacos. Coming from NYC I’m used to over paying for food but this a stretch even by city standards.
Considering the exceptional prices you’d expect amazing tacos, but no. You get dry steak and meh catfish. To add insult to injury the waitress refused to give me a complimentary glass of tap water. Wtf?

Picked up food to go mid trip. Had the tuna and salmon tacos. Both were excellent. Tuna was seared and very. Flavorful with guac and a wasabi sauce. Grab a fork as it is a bit messy. The salmon was fresh and light for the hot summer day I got them on. Probably some of the best tacos I have had. FYI they are very large in size! Two tacos here equal 3 tacos elsewhere.

Best tacos, burritos, and chips (DON’T forget the many sauces) ever! Served by the most friendly, fun, and effocient staff. I never miss a chamce to stop by this cute little take-​out place.
Oh and two ghost pepper brownies to go please.

The ONLY good thing about this place is the tuna taco. It’s fantastic. We ordered that, mango catfish, steak, chicken, and short rib tacos. None of them justify their prices. Dry & flavorless. $ 6 a taco? No thanks.
Service sucks. The host was eating her food while she was taking our order? Okay?
A lot of people flock here because they believe Anthony Bourdain endorsed it. Here’s the link where he actually denies that:

Food is great, love the sauces. The staff is very friendly. The music that is played might make you want to slash your own wrist. Prices are a little steep for tacos etc but you know it’s fresh.

Super tiny for a restaurant that is not strictly take-​out only, but really cute. Lots of homemade flavored hot sauces — our favorite was the coconut. Glad we ordered the fresh salsa & corn chips. Loved the short rib taco special!

Two tacos for over $ 13.
When I walked up, I expected them to be «double tacos» or something, but nope. The catfish and pork belly taco were fine, but overloaded with cabbage and tomato, respectively.
The tacos were fine, but for the pricing is unbelievable. New York City’s best tacos range from $ 3 – 4. For a hole in the wall to charge over $ 6 for a taco is surprising. For a decent meal, you’re looking at $ 18 – 24 for a non-​restaurant.

Let‘s see, your restaurant is incredibly cramped and charges more than $ 10 for a burritto, no thanks. We turned right around & saved ourselves from this place.
If they were situated in midtown Manhattan or SOHO, perhaps they could justify what they are trying to pull off. What was equally off-​putting, when we stepped in to gaze at that crazy priced menu, no one from their staff bothered to greet us. For similar style cuisine, you are far better off going to Bacchus if you want table service and full liquor or Taco Shack for something more casual w/​o alcohol.

I guess it’s time to throw my opinion into the controversy pot. I’ve eaten here several times over the years. And it’s fine. They’re pretty good and the staff is great. I never thought that the food was good enough to justify the check, but assumed that if Anthony Bordain comes and says you’re the best, you get to inflate your prices. Oh but wait…
Still think it’s a good taco place, but FYI, taking an off the record comment that a celebrity chef/​critic makes after drinking a six pack and running with it is kinda tacky.
BTW, Diego’s Taqueria just opened in Kingston, and they are currently my favorite tacos in the HV. And that’s 100% on the record ;)

Whoever thought to put wasabi on a fish taco is totally genius!
I ate here years ago and it goes down as one of my most favorite fish tacos!