Guacamole-topped tacos. | Asadero Tres Pablos The capital of Baja California, Mexicali, is a perennial hot spot for carne asada, Mexican beer, a local style of Chinese cuisine and street food, and consistently ranks among the most popular destinations for traveling gourmands. Its residents, referred to as Cachanillas after a local perennial shrub, maintain strong ties with Calexico, their sister city north of the border — and that bond with American culture reflects in the local cuisine. “Years ago, Mexicali was Chinese food, tacos, lots of American fast food, chicken wings, hamburgers, but in the last decade the city’s offerings have evolved,” says chef Santos Chauvira of northern Mexican gastropub, La Meche, that pays homage to Chauvira’s mother and grandmother. Still, the tacos are to die for. With a carne asada tradition from Sonora that employs mesquite-grilled steak and sturdy flour tortillas designed to support a colorful mosaic of salsas, Chicali-style tacos de carne asada make this arid desert city Baja California’s steak capital. Mornings are for tacos de guisado filled with hearty northern stews or stands dishing tacos de borrego and cabeza de res. For lunch, comidas corridas chinas, which are sets of Chinese food dishes that are a marriage of Cantonese and local Mexican flavors for a sweet, sour, and spicy punch. Cantonese rice, imitation shark fin soup, Mongolian chicken, and a version of char siu pork are eaten with a sauce made at the table by diners — a mix of ketchup, Chinese hot mustard, and soy sauce. Deep-fried chiles güeros cooled by ice-cold Tecates add local character.  There are plenty of breweries, pubs, and sports bars serving Mexican beer and chabelas (Clamato beertails), a must in this parched land. And recently, a collective of Mexicali originals are highlighting local products, making Mexicali a Baja California cuisine destination. Here are the 23 best restaurants to try right now in the city that captured the sun. New this round: Asadero Acatlan de Juarez, Tacos Marlyn, Tacos de Guisado Doña Tere, La Conga, Fauna, Mango, Solara, Tutuli, Merendero, Tacos Rafa, Tacos Brothers, Sara’s, Laguna Azul, and Clamatos Mi General join the map in the most recent update, while Los Mazatlecos, Acueducto Grill and Bar, El Nuevo Tecolote, Tacos Yubby, Tacos Jorge, Mochomos Fusión Sonorense, Restaurante Palacio Hunan, Tacos Alex, Trigo Salvaje, and Avia leave the map. ...read more read less