Mexicali Grill

Name: Mexicali Grill
[see below for address, phone and Web site]
Date & Time visited: Friday, November 28, 2008, 7:15 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Camarones burrito (me), Chile Colorado (Jen), 1800 Cadillac margarita (me), Mexicali Bullet margarita (Jen)

I'd been craving a camarones (shrimp) burrito since seeing one on an episode of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" so when Jen suggested having dinner at the Mercado before a movie at the AMC, I jumped at the chance. The camarones burrito was perfect -- lots of shrimp, very flavorful, wet but not too wet. It was served with Mexican rice, black beans sprinkled with queso fresco and fresh guacamole. Jen said her Chile Colorado was well-made, with a tasty sauce and plenty of meat. She forgot to ask for black beans but said the refried beans were all right.

Service: Fair. A bit of a wait for water refills and to get the check, but not bad.

Would we go back: Yes.

Mexicali Grill

Name: Mexicali Grill
Address: 3149 Mission College Blvd, Santa Clara, California 95054
Phone: (408) 588-9865
Web site: MexicaliGrill.com
Date & Time visited: Saturday, October 1, 2005, 9:00 PM
Guests: Jennifer and me
What we had: Chicken nachos (Jen), Mole Rojo (me)

Jen's chicken nachos were very good, with fresh chips and guacamole creating a nice mix of flavor; no one ingredient (chicken, salsa, cheese, etc.) overwhelmed the dish. My Mole Rojo was, quite simply, one of the best entrees I've ever had. The restaurant's menu says about this dish:

Imported ingredients direct from Oaxaca, Mexico. This truly authentic dish comes with two chicken enchiladas covered with our rich mole sauce made with 36 different ingredients. Topped with queso fresco, Crema Mexicana. Served with rice and black beans.

I'd never had Mole anything, though I'd heard about it. The sauce was complex and very tasty, and the chicken enchiladas provided enough substance to play backup without overpowering the sauce, which was of course the real star of the dish. I'm going to have to seek out other Mole dishes.

Service: Very good. This is another restaurant at the Mercado shopping center (near Tomatina) and the service was efficient without being pushy; we got to our movie in plenty of time.

Would we go back: Definitely, if to have that Mole again if nothing else. We've been there before for margaritas and nachos instead of a full meal before a movie and we'll likely do that again as well.