Mexicali has the best Chinese food in Mexico, a legacy of the Cantonese workers who came in the early twentieth century to dig the irrigation canals of the Mexicali Valley. There are estimated to be more Chinese restaurants per capita here than in any other Mexican city — many concentrated in La Chinesca downtown, with the most respected institutions like Restaurante 19 having operated for decades.
Beyond Chinese, the city's food scene reflects its border-region character: carne asada and tacos al pastor are excellent, the seafood comes up from San Felipe and the Gulf of California, and the Mexicali Valley's enormous agricultural output means produce is fresh year-round. Local specialties include chiles güeros stuffed with shrimp and the desert-style barbecue called borrego al estilo Mexicali.