Mexicali Fresh.

Ok, let’s be clear this type of food at Mexicali fresh is not quite Mexican, It’s a mash up of Southern California and Mexico .
In saying that its good for that taco or burrito fix you are after .
Too tired to cook and just not sure what I actually wanted to eat I settled for the Mango Chicken Salad and for $ 13 it’s ok value .
This is where it goes a bit tits up, in making my salad the server seemed to forget the ingredients and when I asked about the corn chips on top I was told «oh no, we only do that if you eat in «I’m sorry what? Um I still paid for the salad and I had them on previous visits so how is takeaway any different? A few extra Corn chips are not going to break the bank so put them in. Also what am I going to eat in the car on the way home ?
There used to be some really good staff here, but they seemed to have moved on. Which is sad because just as much as you go somewhere for the food if you have good service isn’t that what will make you return ?
I don’t know if I’ll be back.

The first time I dined at Mexicali Fresh, was three weeks ago. This was a celebration for my 3 year old daughter. The reason may seem a small thing for many, yet in our family it was fantastic news.
My daughter has been given the all clear of having any serious allergies to foods and other allergens. For her 6 year old brother, dining out is fraught with risk of anaphylaxis to many foods so we don’t eat out.
Waking up, it was just my daughter and me. We ordered a mince soft taco and a chicken soft taco. No salsa, no tomato and no dairy. I thought I would take it easy since this was to be our very first foray into the world of dine in. She devoured the mince taco and was sated. She also slurped her way through a fresh up juice pack. Upon completion of what she had deemed as a feast, she declared, «Ooh daddy, I love this place.»
There are no playgrounds or toys for the kids, so there was nothing to distract
my busy 3 year old. I didn’t eat
as I wanted to give her my full attention just in case she did start to have and allergic reaction. She was fine. Hooray!
In the restaurant there is an arcade game. As a child of the 80’s and teen of the 90’s this had the inescapable allure for me as iPads do for the children of today. I have to admit that I was secretly pleased when my daughter spotted it and went straight to it. We had a few games and she eventually decided that she’d had enough. As a young’un I used to hang out all day at the Video Game Arcades.
All in all, an enjoyable experience. I have since been back and had the Macho Burrito and the Chicken quesadilla. If you’re hungry, the Mucho Burrito is a good meal. If you’re after more a light lunch, with melted cheese, go the quesadilla.
Hats off to the team at Mexicali Fresh. I’ll be going back again… and again.

Finally got around to trying dining here, and it was worth the wait. We liked the brightly coloured and welcoming décor.
On this visit we both had Burritos, I liked being able to select what additional ingredients to add or leave out.
Shame the shift staff did not seem that enthusiastic.
Looking forward to my next visit.

We were so excited to hear that Mexicali Fresh was coming to Pukekohe since there is nothing like it in Franklin, which has always had a dearth of good, reasonably-​priced, healthy food outlets. (Pukekohe is a prosperous town. Many people live out in that locale because they want to live out of the awful traffic-​choked rat race that is Auckland. People in Pukekohe have money to spend, but they are forced to leave town to spend it). Now at least we have a reason to stay! And I have to pinch myself: Mexican food in Pukekohe actually seems almost too good to be true!
Our family visited Mexicali Fresh for lunch on its first week of opening. Things were looking good. The staff were lovely, especially the guy behind the counter who had a great rapport with the customers — he was warm, friendly, positive, upbeat and had a sense of humour — such a refreshing change from the often surly and disinterested staff in other establishments. This guy looked pleased to see us! Wow! If he is the owner, keep it up Sir, you’re a star! If he is an employee, give him a pay rise quickly because someone else will snap him up!
The place was clean, the food was all good. You place your order at the counter and they cook it for you. We then sat down and they then brought it to our table though I don’t know if this is the norm. The décor is interesting and pleasant. We loved it.
The only small complaint was that there seemed to be quite a few staff but there were uncleared tables. This is not a good look. There should always be a person whose sole job is to efficiently clear and wipe tables and keep the restaurant looking ship-​shape, pristine and welcoming. Still, it was early days and sometimes waitstaff need to get into the swing of things.
Our meal came to about $ 50 for four people. This was probably on the low side of what you should expect to pay though, since not all of us had drinks. Good value, tasty and very pleasant. We will be back!
(UPDATE: the amazing guy seems to have moved on — we have been here a couple of times since and sadly he was nowhere to be seen. The service was ok but not exceptional and the staff really only mediocre).