Situated in the California desert about half an hour east of Palm Springs, Indio, California is famous to outsiders as the home of the iconic Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals.
But anyone who spends time in the city also comes to know Indio for its vibrant Mexican culture, which is perhaps best experienced in its many acclaimed Mexican restaurants.
Ask many locals about their favorite of those spots and there’s a good chance they will struggle to choose but eventually settle on El Mexicali Café II, which has been serving up classic Mexican dishes along with a sense that customers are part of the large family that has kept the restaurant humming for nearly 20 years.
Now, El Mexicali Café II is making national news after being named one of USA TODAY’s 2026 Restaurants of the Year, the publication’s annual list of its top places to eat in America.
“We were excited, of course, to be part of this,” said owner Laura Sandez. “It boosts the business and our economy here and is showcasing us.”
What makes El Mexicali Café II stand out
Let’s get this out of the way: El Mexicali Café II doesn’t look like much from the outside.
It’s located at one end of a typically-nondescript SoCal strip mall and could be easy to miss amid the cacophony of cars whizzing by on busy Monroe Street.
But venture in and you’ll be greeted by a spacious and inviting dining room along with a large well-stocked bar. The walls, meanwhile, are painted with floral designs and adorned with a mix of colorful paintings of Mexican mariachi performers, intricate window-like wall decor, pottery and plants — Sandez says the goal was a “rustic hacienda vibe.”
That appealing space provides a comfortable setting for enjoying a margarita (or two) and what is the real focus here: flavorful renditions of classic Mexican specialties brought from the border town of Mexicali, 100 miles south of Indio.
The town, which gives the restaurant its name, is where Laura’s mother — Carmen Murguia — started her family before moving to Delano, California, to open her first restaurant (they would later move to the Coachella Valley). The house specialties include the Especial Del Mexicali — grilled skirt steak with sauteed cactus — and the famous shrimp-stuffed yellow peppers.
“It’s traditional,” Sandez said of her restaurant’s cuisine.
Sandez says that sets El Mexicali Café II apart from the trendier restaurants that she says are taking what she calls a more gourmet, even fancy, modern approach to Mexican food.
“We haven’t changed anything because why change something that was working since 1981?” she said.
That’s the year Carmen opened her first Coachella Valley restaurant called, yes, El Mexicali Café, near downtown Indio, about a mile-and-a-half from its newer sibling.
Today, both restaurants are owned by Sandez (who recently took over the original from her retiring sister) and offer the same menu, although the first serves it in a much smaller and more bare bones space (the family also opened a third restaurant serving the same fare called Carmen’s in nearby Palm Desert about two years ago).
Sandez said she has been working in her mother’s restaurants for as long as she can remember and says those experiences have been instrumental to keeping the restaurant alive. Now, she has both her own children and grandchildren working at her restaurants and envisions that they will someday take them over.
“What makes it strong is the family,” she said.
What to order at El Mexicali Cafe II
Chiles Gueritos Rellenos de Camarón: These yellow peppers stuffed with shrimp might just be the most beloved appetizer in the whole Coachella Valley. They come served with a lemon slice and mayo, while Sandez says those who want to experience the full classic flavor should also add a dash of the soy sauce placed on every table (a nod to Mexicali’s history as a home to many Chinese immigrants) into the mix before popping one in your mouth. We wholeheartedly agree.
Costillas de Puerco con Nopales: Fitting for a restaurant in the middle of the desert, cactus is a fixture at El Mexicali II. While many first-timers will opt for the beef and cactus that make up the Especial De Mexicali, we are partial to this dish of perfectly-tender chunks of pork short rib simmered in a rich cactus-filled red sauce.
A drink: Any Mexican restaurant worth its, uh, salt needs a good marg. Thankfully, El Mexicali Cafe II has several. You can’t go wrong with the classic Mexicali’s margarita, which contains a splash of OJ. But we’re partial to the unique kick and flavor combination that comes from the Spicy Pepino version — pepino is Spanish for cucumber. Beer lovers, meanwhile, won’t want to pass up a Tamarindo chavela (a popular Mexican concoction combining beer and a tomato-based drink called Clamato with tangy Tajin on the rim).
Details: El Mexicali Cafe II, 43-430 Monroe St., Suite A, Indio, Calif.; 760-342-2333; elmexicalicafe2.com
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Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Indio Mexican restaurant named one of the best in the US
Reporting by Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
