TV Restaurants

Is Mexicali Taco & Co. Still Open? Mystery Diners Update (Los Angeles, CA)

Open reported

As of September 2026, Mexicali Taco & Co. is listed open on mexicalitaco.com, reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026; not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.

Primary source
mexicalitaco.com ·

Last verified

What the source shows: The business's own website carries an April 2026 last-modified date with current hours and an active ordering link, and a Google Places listing marks it operational.

  • Season / episode Season 6, Episode 1
  • Original air date
  • Address 702 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

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Note on this show: Described as staged/scripted by Wikipedia's article, citing a 2012 realityblurred.com report. Surface this note on every record.

What happened after Mystery Diners?

Mystery Diners (Food Network) sent undercover investigators into Mexicali Taco & Co., a Baja-style taco restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, after owners Esdras Ochoa and Javier Cabral began hearing that kitchen staff were serving customers dishes that weren't on the printed menu. Wikipedia's article on the series describes Mystery Diners as an operation run by host Charles Stiles that goes undercover at restaurants, at the owners' request, using hidden cameras and staged interactions to document suspected problems. According to Food Network's description of "Mexicali Blues" (aired April 7, 2014), investigators Brenda and Grant posed undercover to observe what the kitchen was actually cooking; the available episode description covers the setup of the investigation but does not detail what Stiles told the owners once the hidden cameras came down or what changes followed on camera. Wikipedia's article on the series, citing its sources, separately notes that the program carries a disclaimer that certain events were re-enacted for dramatic purposes and describes a television critic's assessment that some of the show's scenarios and outcomes can appear implausible or staged. A check of the restaurant's own website, mexicalitaco.com, on 2026-09-08 found a page carrying an April 17, 2026 server last-modified date, posted weekday and weekend hours, an active online-ordering link, and Chef Esdras Ochoa still listed as running the kitchen at the same North Figueroa Street address featured in 2014. A Google Places listing for the business separately lists its operating status as active.

Featured on Mystery Diners

Season / episode
Season 6, Episode 1
Original air date
Episode title
Mexicali Blues
What was featured
Owner suspected kitchen served customers food not on the menu
Role
Featured restaurant
Name on the broadcast
Mexicali Taco & Co.

Frequently asked questions

Is Mexicali Taco & Co. still open in 2026?

As of September 2026, Mexicali Taco & Co. is listed open on mexicalitaco.com, reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026; not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.

What happened to Mexicali Taco & Co. after Mystery Diners?

Mystery Diners (Food Network) sent undercover investigators into Mexicali Taco & Co., a Baja-style taco restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, after owners Esdras Ochoa and Javier Cabral began hearing that kitchen staff were serving customers dishes that weren't on the printed menu. As of September 2026, Mexicali Taco & Co. is listed open on mexicalitaco.com, reviewed by our team on September 7, 2026; not yet independently confirmed through direct contact.

Where is Mexicali Taco & Co. located?

702 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. That is the address on the record as of September 7, 2026.

What season and episode of Mystery Diners featured Mexicali Taco & Co.?

Season 6, Episode 1 of Mystery Diners, first aired April 7, 2014. The episode is titled “Mexicali Blues”.

Is Mexicali Taco & Co. still using the Mystery Diners menu or branding?

Mystery Diners (Food Network) sent undercover investigators into Mexicali Taco & Co., a Baja-style taco restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, after owners Esdras Ochoa and Javier Cabral began hearing that kitchen staff were serving customers dishes that weren't on the printed menu. Anything newer than our last check on September 7, 2026 may not be reflected here.

Every status on this site carries a confidence label and a date, and names the source it rests on. Read the Editorial & Corrections Policy for what each label means and how quickly we act on corrections. The questions above are generated from this record's own published fields — we never publish a question we cannot answer from the data.

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Visit info

Address
702 N. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Venue type
restaurant
Official website
mexicalitaco.com

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Record md-061 · last verified .