Mexica Fé
Desert kitchen and coffee bar: "welcome to your daily ritual"
About Mexica Fé
Mexica Fé is a terracotta-fronted house in Mexicali's Segunda Sección, on Álvaro Obregón between C and D streets, with a patio of sarape-covered tables in the shade of a mesquite tree. It calls itself a "desert kitchen and coffee bar": Mexican cooking with Asian touches, with the concept and menu by chef Ilean Padilla and a sister restaurant, Caldos Mexas. That is why it works equally well as a café and as a breakfast spot: it opens at 7 AM seven days a week and serves red and green chilaquiles, flautas borrachas, broths and pan dulce, plus a real coffee bar —latte, moccachino, the house Mocha Mexa, lavender matcha and café de olla— and desserts such as rice pudding and smoked tiramisu. It ranks among the city's best-rated cafés (#25 of 1,078 per RestaurantGuru), it is pet friendly, has WiFi and outdoor seating, and reviewers agree nobody rushes you if you stay for hours working or chatting.
The experience
☕ Menu
🍳 Breakfast (from 7 AM)
One of the most ordered dishes; ask for extra salsa if you like them saucy.
The other half of the eternal debate. Served with beans.
Mexica Fé's signature dish.
Mexican sweet bread to go with your morning coffee.
☕ Coffee bar
The house mocha, recommended by the restaurant itself.
Highly praised in reviews: "the best lavender matcha I have tried".
Hot or iced; the vanilla one is a house suggestion.
A coffee-bar classic.
🌵 Desert kitchen
Inherited from Caldos Mexas, its sister restaurant.
Chef Ilean Padilla's signature: desert ingredients meet Asian seasoning.
🍮 Desserts
The dessert reviewers mention the most.
A house classic.
Tips for your visit
What to know before you go
Opens at 7 AM every day
One of the few in the area that opens early every single day, Sundays included, and stays open until 9 PM.
Ask for a patio table
The mesquite-shaded patio with sarape-covered tables is what sets it apart. In Mexicali summer, go early or at sunset.
Chilaquiles divide opinion
They are among the most ordered dishes, but some reviews call them dry: ask for extra salsa if you like them saucy.
Nobody rushes you
Several reviews agree you can stay for hours working or chatting; there is WiFi.
Dogs welcome
It is pet friendly and the patio helps.
⭐ What visitors say
“A place to enjoy alone or with company, very pleasant; you can sit outside or inside. Great variety of hot and cold coffee, the food is delicious and you can stay for hours without anyone rushing you. 10/10.”
— Lupita Medina (Google) · Google
“Excellent service. The smoked tiramisu is delicious. The best lavender matcha I have ever tried. I will definitely be back.”
— Marcia Alejandra Magaña (Google) · Google
“A unique dining experience blending Mexican and Asian flavors; surprising seasoning and combinations. A completely different place to go with family or friends.”
— Verónica Aguilar (Google) · Google
“The staff is very kind, but my chilaquiles came out extremely dry: they should add much more salsa. The latte was fine.”
— Sandra Pereda (Google) · Google
❓ Frequently asked questions
What are Mexica Fé's hours?
Is it a café or a restaurant?
What should I order?
How much does it cost?
Hours
Location
Av. Álvaro Obregón 1150, Segunda Sección, 21100
Between C and D streets, Segunda Sección, steps from the Centro Cívico
Mexicali, B.C.