Calexico Cart

I had high hopes for this cart after some of the good reviews. Unfortunately I came away underwhelmed.
I ordered a pollo asado burrito. The burrito was a good size and definitely filled me up. The taste fell a little flat. It was mostly bland and none of the ingredients really stood out. You can find a better burrito at Chipotle or at other hole in the walls around the city.
The service was quick and my food was ready in a very short period of time. If you work in Flatiron and are just looking for a quick lunch, this is a decent option.

The fucking best chicken quesadilla ever. The crack sauce made me hooked like a fiend in Harlem train station. Love it 10 thumbs up

Yum! This food cars is about the same price as Chipotle but even fresher and I love the crack sauce. Hubby and I tried a couple of the tacos and burritos. Hearty, healthy, and relatively quick for fresh made food.

Calexico is hot hot HOT! The lines can get pretty ridiculous but hey, who wouldn’t wait a bit for some great mexican food.
Their flavors are bold and make you want to keep eating without second thought. As a person who usually never finishes moderate portions of food I found myself devouring one of their bowls (and no it wasn’t because I was just ectra hungry that day).
Service is quick so long lines go down pretty quickly so why not wait even if there’s a long line?
Overall a really great truck. I work a block from where they’d station and I’d smell that mouthwatering Calexico smell while they prepare the meat for the day and I knew it would be a goooood lunch break. Good job guys and keep it up!

This cart has gained a lot of hype but for me, its a hit or miss kinda place
It gets really busy during lunch hour, and the staff get very frazzled, tense and unfriendly
I ordered the bowl and after a long wait, my order was finally called, and it was a burrito! Had to tell her its wrong, the girl who takes the money is really in over her head, so she tends to be rude, she made a mistake with three other people before me too. She just snatched the burrito back, without looking at me, said ok ok, and then 10 min later gave me the bowl… a bit abrupt and distincly the worst customer service I’ve ever seen
If you ask for a little more crack sauce or any tweaks, you get a stare back, till you just trail off… meh…the flavor is same as a Chipotle or other chains, nothing special, and the rice in my bowl was very undercooked, had to toss it, this after a 20 min wait, sadly, not going back

I think I don’t like the places where the most of people like. lol I don’t know why but it was a rainy day and there was no line at this cart! So we decided to try their burrito and tacos, but it was not quiet surprise to me. Very similar to other Mexican cart or chain restaurants. I think it is because I love vegetables more than carbs or meat so their food itself is too much for me. If you love meat, you will love it though so go and check out this cart!

As good as it gets for street food in the city!
— Well portioned for lunch, Calexico will fill you up without putting your belly in a coma.
— The crack sauce is slathered hard! No need to ask for extra, they know you want lots of it.
— Prices are fair considering how fresh the food is! This is not mediocre greasy street grub and so you dare not need to scoff at a $ 9 burrito bowl. Come on guys, tacos are only $ 3 – 4 bucks! I don’t know how much they are at Chipotle, but this isn’t Chipotle. If you don’t want to pay a little extra for premium ingredients then well just go to Chipotle.
— A variety of bottled hot sauces are out in the open for you to add extra spice as you please… convenient to-​go condiment cups are placed out as well if you aren’t sure right then and there that your taste buds are up for the challenge.
— Service is fast (as can possibly be when busy) and friendly.
— Location is key, and more importantly stunning. How lucky for you that Madison Square Park is right across the street, and it has plenty of seating options with tables, benches and lawns.
Basically, its fresh and authentic tasting Mexicali fare for a reasonable price, in a prime location. Yum yum.

It’s pretty overrated and small portion for $ 9. I could go to somewhere else in east village and get alot more food that is also alot more authentic mexican.
But its right in the heart of offices, so its always busy. Line moved faster than it looks but really not that great. I wouldn’t come back.
The person taking order is pretty nice. I asked the guy who was packing up my food if the sauce was on it already and he just grumbled. Cool story bro.

Wandering around looking for a brunch restaurant, my friend and I stumbled upon a Calexico stand and with a love for street food, we quickly changed our plans.
I ordered the Chipotle Pork and Baja Fish taco. Chipotle Pork was good, but came second to the Baja Fish. The crack sauce is sure to have me addicted. I personally like flour tortillas better than corn, but both tacos were flavorful and juicy — so they were not too dry.

So glad this is here. I’m a big fan of the Greenpoint staple. Having this a cart makes for an easy choice at lunch.
There can be a wait, but that is the case with every place during the lunch rush.

Ok, so my mom’s from Mexico, we used to live in Mexico as a kid, and I’m from Texas and also lived in California for a while, and probably one of the few people that have eaten at this cart that’s been to Calexico (yes, it’s a town on the California-​Mexico border) as well as it’s sister town, Mexicali, in Mexico, so I think I can judge taco stands. And what I can say, is that these are some authentic tacos… not the absolute best (if you want that go to Los Tacos No 1 in Chelsea Market), but nonetheless these are very good. My one knock on them would be them serving burritos… I know people love them and if there’s a demand, why not serve them, but no true self-​respecting Mexican taco stand would serve that American-​made invention that is a burrito.

I’m a big fan of Chipotle — but when I want really good Mexican food for lunch (and I have the time) I head over to the Flatiron Calexico cart.
The past times I’ve been, I’ve had to wait in line for a few minutes to order and then at least 15 minutes to actually get my food. But I went today and I waited less than 10 minutes to order and get my food (I’m blaming the NYC slush puddles for keeping everyone inside for lunch though, so this was probably a fluke).
I love the carne asada (steak) burrito, but today I tried the pollo asado (grilled chicken) rolled quesadilla. SO delicious. And it comes with the crack sauce, which is great because I love this stuff! They also have cholula hot sauce packets as the accompanying heat for your food and you can never go wrong with this.

Please for the love of Mexican food, DO NOT eat at Calexico. DO NOT order their grilled chicken burrito and do not, I repeat, do NOT grab a fistful of their Cholula packets. Okay, okay. Just don’t come here during lunch hours because that’s when I [sometimes] do.
I only say «sometimes» because if I ate here Monday through Fridays I would end up looking like «Diabeto» from Family Guy (If you don’t get the reference then please do yourself a favor and Google it).*
* Okay, okay — I’ll cut it with the sarcasm. I loved everything about my food from here. I just don’t like waiting on lines… it’s also really cold out there right now, lol.
I’ve been a Calexico fan since the early 2000s when I worked at an independent record label in Soho, had a much more forgiving metabolism and worked very close to their first NYC cart on Wooster street near the Soho Apple store.
Fast forward to like10 years later — I now work by Park/​Madison and am about a hop, skip and a jump away from their cart on Broadway near Madison Square Park.
This cart is cash only, but they’re also conveniently located by a bank with ATM machines galore! Last time I ate here I ordered a grilled chicken burrito.
The chicken (and everything else) was freshly grilled and super flavorful… it was grilled to order and not just removed cold out of a small plastic box (*glares at other subpar Mexican spots in the neighborhood — NOT Chipotle though… although Calexico is lightyears better!) and rolled up into a warm flour tortilla which was slightly toasted on the bottom. SO FREAKIN’ GOOD.
My co-​worker got a burrito bowl and both of our meals were a nice generous portion and each of our meals were only $ 8. Trust me, we both got a bang for our buck. Calexico is easily my officially go-​to Flatiron Mexican food destination. Fresh delicious food, awesome portions, full-​on flavors and nicey priced for what you get. 5 stars all the way!

Food was fresh, inexpensive and quick. The set up looked very clean, and the service was on point

Since my first review, I’ve come here a lot and have had much better experiences. Also, I’ve learned a few tricks.
Note: Unilocal has the location incorrectly labelled — the cart is in front of Madison Sq Park, in Flatiron (not Union Square). It moves around a little but it’s usually in the triangle of 25^th St and Broadway/​5^th Avenue.
Try to go after 1pm, the line is much shorter. In my opinion, the crack sauce is nothing special. It tastes like bland chipotle mayo. I prefer eating the hot sauce they provide if I want any more spice.
You can look up the menu online so you know what you want. They used to have the option to call in your order, cutting all the waiting time… but that seems to have disappeared now. I did that 2 – 3 times but now, there’s no longer a phone number to be found. Odd. The menu has several new additions on it too, and they all look really good.
Portions are still good. I do believe the chicken is better than the pork. They have a chicken and bacon taco too now, that I definitely have to try. I’ve tried a bunch of their tacos now, and they are better than the burritos with more ingredients and flavor profiles. The ground beef taco is really delicious but I still favor the chicken one the most. I think the black bean option is new, and it’s delicious. But Taco Truck’s version is much better. (sorry, Calexico).
The quesadillas don’t look good to me though. They’re too much tortilla and cheese and very heavy.
Now, this is the only place I go if I want Mexican good, unless it’s freezing or raining, (the downside of being an outdoor cart.) In those cases I go to Tres Carnes but I way prefer Calexico for more authentic and yummy Mexican good.

great food, excellent service. long waits during lunch hour because of how popular it is. i always order the «pollo asada,» (chicken quesadilla) that comes rolled and with a side of «crack» sauce, aka the best quesadilla companion ever. try not to get addicted!
note: from 12 – 1:30 there will be a line of people down the block attempting to get some lunch.

What are you waiting for. Head down here now! I usually head over to the Flatiron Calexico cart as it’s in my neighborhood work area. Usually you’ll find a line but if you go a bit early before the lunch hour you’ll definitely get your lunch quickly.
I’m a fan of the grilled chicken quesadilla’s. A must try. Perfectly grilled chicken with cheese and and tortilla grilled on a flat top. Nice crispy crunch with the soft tortilla.
You must have it with crack sauce though. A nice dipping sauce that has a nice spicey kick.
I’ll definitely be back.

It’s tough to miss this place, and I’m glad I stopped by.
I had the carne asada burrito, and the meat is super juicy and tasty, which is probably the best part about it. The cheese has a good distribution, and the flavor is awesome overall.
Comparing this to SF standards, here are the differences:
–rice: the rice here tastes more like rice-​a-​roni than homemade rice, but i really don’t mind that.
–guac and sour cream: good SF burritos are flooded with this. it’d be great if these burritos had more of them too.
–size: this would be called a baby burrito back out west, but hey this is NY.
All in all a good affordable lunch spot and a really friendly guy at the cart!

oh.em.gee. This cart is literally what dreams are made of. I think I squeed my pants when I heard after Madison Square Eats last year that they were going to be a PERMANENT fixture in the area (too bad I don’t work closer). I have never had a dish here that was a disappointment.
First: no matter what you order, get the crack sauce. I’ve tried recreating it on my own and I still haven’t figured it out. If I could bathe in this, I would. It’s like a creamy Sriracha sauce. It’s basically awesomesauce. Don’t fight it.
Second: The quesadillas are filling, delicious, and just the right amount of cheesey on the inside and crispy on the outside. Also, it’s easily a meal for 2, if you can stop yourself from devouring it on the spot. I’ve only ever been successful in saving half my quesadilla once. I think moving forward I will just always order 2 — one for right now, and one for a little bit later.
Also, they can always be relied up on to serve your food quickly and efficiently no matter how long the line is. And they are straight up friendly folks. What’s not to love?

I finally got to try Calexico Cart at Madison Square Eats because I got here before 12PM! We got the Carne Asada quesadilla and Carne Asada Burrito for brunch and they are plenty. The grilled steak is tender and juicy and I love they gave you all these awesome no-​name sauces that make your food so much better.
I think I could eat this every weekend!