This review is about the food (the staff seem like hard working and nice people): the standard for authentic, quality Mexican food in Ann Arbor is very low. My steak tacos had zero flavor, the beans are from a can, the rice was tasteless and the salsa is not real "salsa verde." Coming from Chicago with amazing Mexican food I have to say this was a huge let down (based on the reviews). read more

Whoa ! So walking past saw a little bit of a line streaming from this restaurant but we turned around and came back because of The amazing smell. Super cheap prices. Tacos are fresh and loaded with ingredients. Had the pastor and steak and will be back for more ! read more

Decent spot for Mexican food. Not the best; not the worst. Service is friendly and prompt, but not terribly attentive. I had a cheese quesadilla. It was good: the tortillas just crunchy, but not overdone and there was plenty of cheese. It is right next door to a brewery, so you can take your food to go. read more

This spot used to be a great place to get authentic Mexican food. Ive ordered the taco trio several times there and the quality is atrocious. They use a quarter of the meat any other places use and I came 10 minutes early and my order was already on the counter and was completely cold. Corn tortillas have the consistency of wet paper towel and what little meat is there is old, dry and bland. Had to have been sitting there for 15+ minutes. read more

Decent al pastor for Ann Arbor area. However lately, prices have gone up and the amount of meat in tacos has decreased by an obvious amount. Not a good move read more

Not sure what the hype is about. Nothing was seasoned at all. The good had no taste. In fact if you asked me to define the flavor I would say it tasted of paste. There were peas, corn, and carrots in the "Spanish rice", the queso was grainy, and the chips were stale. read more

A personal favorite of mine. Always make sure to go visit here when I'm in Ann Arbor

Very good Mexican food. Many selection on the menu from chicken to fish. You will be able to find something you like. read more

Chela's - Daily special. - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Veggie burrito was delicious (enough for two meals), prices were very reasonable and the staff was friendly, efficient and professional. read more

Chela's - Veggie burrito built the way I like!! Yummy! - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I was so pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. I'm almost afraid to write a glowing review and make the restaurant busier. LOL Anyways, the food was excellent! This is straight up really good quick street style Mexican food. The restaurant itself is really small and crowded. They have a lot of really exciting veggie options. I had the black beans and also the veggie taco with zucchini and they were both so good!I do have to say that the hot sauce was so weak. Not even as hot as the regular Tabasco sauce! Very mild actually. Guacamole was lemony and just right. Small portion of guac is extremely small. Chips are amazing!!!Definitely get them! read more

Yum! Ordered a delicious fish burrito bowl. The food came quickly and the servers were all very kind! Atmosphere is that of a family owned, inviting restaurant! read more

Best tacos in Ann Arbor. Friendly service and good prices. A favorite among my friends.

Worst delivery and customer service experience ever, and the food wasn't much better. Would not recommend.

My husband and I have been going to Chela's in Ann Arbor since 2012 and we love it so much. We are both gluten-free (for Celiac Disease) and vegetarian and they are excellent about allergies and being careful of cross-contamination. Even more, the food is delicious, creative, and consistent. By far the best tacos we've had, and we've had a lot of tacos :) We got married this June and Chela's was our wedding caterer. We had a wonderful experience having our wedding catered by Chela's! We worked with Enrique leading up to the wedding and the buffet service the day-of was excellent. They drove all the way from Ann Arbor to Lexington, Michigan for the wedding. Friendly, helpful staff, amazing food, and a great display. Awesome value and everyone raved about the tacos and service. read more

Loved this place! The food, service, and restaurant itself were exceptional. So glad to have tried this community staple. read more

Chela's - Al Pastor Taco - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Such a cute place! When you drive up to it it seems a little off-putting. It's in a plaza that's a little bit sketchy and the decorations make it seem like you're in a place that's trying too hard. BUT the staff is SO kind. And the tacos are unbelievable. The pricing and portions are more than fair, and the trek from campus here is so worth it. If you're going to get one thing here it better be the potato taco. And then the flan. Definitely the flan. The veggie taco and the pepper taco are okay, nothing too impressive. But I had to get back up to order seconds of the potato taco, and then order more for my roommates. And when it comes to the sauces, you want the orange creamy sauce. There's just no other way. read more

Chela's - Tacos tacos yum yum - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Chelas has gotten bigger, but their kitchen still doesn't miss a beat. Their food is fresh, flavorful, and authentic.I can't blame them for deciding to charge for sauces, but if you're going to charge per 2oz of sauce/crema, at least make sure they're close. I got a bunch like this today.. read more

Chela's - "2oz" containers with barely anything in them. - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

This place had a fast casual concept where you order at the counter. Stopped here for huevos rancheros and it was very good. The sauce was nice and spicy and not bland to please the least common denominator. The chips and pico were good, too. Food was ready very quickly and the people were very nice. I'm looking forward to returning to try their tacos and tamales. I wish they would add ceviche to their menu as it is one of my favorites. read more

Chela's - Huevos rancheros - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Authentic food and very quick service! The tacos were tremendous and you could tell that the tortillas are made fresh.

I tried Chela's for the first time and was SO happy to finally find a good taco! I did the taco trio with barbacoa, carnitas and Al pastor. The service was great too - quick and friendly check out for my pick-up order, and an employee recommended some salsas to go with my tacos. I cant wait to go back! read more

Stopped in here with some friends for dinner one night. We only had an hour, but it was plenty of time for all of us to get our food and enjoy it. I ordered the pastor torta. It was a little messy, but overall really good. The meat had a great flavor and the bread was really good. They have a few different sauces on the counter, I would definitely recommend the hot sauce. It adds a good kick to the pastor meat and takes the torta to a new level. Some of my friends recommended the egg and chorizo torta, the tamales, and the horchata. I haven't tried those, but I will definitely be back to try them! The service is also really good and they are willing to answer any questions you may have about the menu! read more

this is a tough one because Chela's food can be great. however, the number of times they have gotten our online order wrong when we've used their app is significant. the screw ups range from the wrong meat to adding cheese when specifically excluded. the former case we can manage. in the latter case, we have food allergies, so it's a problem. and you can't exactly unwrap a.burrito before you leave, although that seems necessary if we god back. read more

I expected to have some authentic Mexican food. This place definitely has the tradition but does not have the flavor. Bland

A real gem not too far off of campus. The prices are very fair and you can have a satisfying, flavorful meal for around $8! The meat isn't the most tender but the flavors are still there and makes it delicious. Tacos are one of my favorite foods and it's not as good as some of the places in NY but for the flavor and price you won't find much better options. Also, service has always been 10/10 for me. It was my first time at this location, as I usually go to the one in downtown AA but the worker was so nice! My friends and I placed to go orders but saw that they had an outdoors seating area and asked if we could enjoy our meal there instead. The staff was friendly and allowed us to stay. read more

What is not to like about Chelas? Friendly, unpretentious, awesome meats, authentic style and good salsa. Yeah that hits my Mexican needs right there. I love the combo with two tacos, rice and beans, salsa, veggies and a pop for 5.50. Hard to pass up one of the awesome tortas though. The tamales are good but a third pick here for me. My husband likes the chicken here but if you know me you know I skip it. I am a devotee of the chorizo, barbacoa (yum) and al pastor. The carne asada can be hit or miss. Hard to complain much as I only got a bad bit the once. I will also agree with Liz H that the corn tortillas just have a little something special. The beans here are really quite good too. I love that I do not need to hike out to Detroit as often anymore. Tacos aplenty in A2/Ypsi! read more

Just moved to town and wanted to find my local go-to for Mexican. Think this might be the place! Solid taqueria, good sauces, and liked the drinks too. Tried a bunch of things - the chipotle chicken tacos, al pastor tacos, tilapia quesadilla, and pineapple tamales. Horchata was yum! And good value for all of it as well. Will be coming back! read more

Being from Southern California, I have high expectations when it comes to Mexican food but more particularly... TACOS. I did the Al Pastor, Barbacoa, Campechana (basically a combo of a carne asada & chorizo), carne asada, & chipotle chicken tacos. I had intended to have just 3 tacos for myself and then save 2 for my girlfriend who I was picking up from the airport later that evening, but I ended up inhaling all 5 for myself. Out of the 5 I enjoyed the Barbacoa the most as it was the juiciest and most tender. I wished the carne asada had been chopped up more finely instead of being served as steak strips. Overall, not bad but not the best or most authentic I've ever had. For salsas, the salsa verde a bit watery/runny for my liking. Also kind of bland and not much spice to it. Salsa roja had a unique creaminess to it which was enjoyable. Definitely felt some heat when I smothered my tacos in it. Their salsa roja would be my go to. Anyways, this will be the last of my Ann Arbor reviews for now. 'Til next time, Ann Arbor! You were quite the charming town to visit for the week. Hope to be back again soon! read more

Oh my goodness is this place good! Cheap, busy, casual, and worth a stop for good, authentic tacos. Friend and I tried their Restaurant Week 2 for $15. Chips and salsa, drinks and fish tacos. I think the gal that helped us was new and couldn't think properly with the lunch rush, but the food was great. Nice outdoor seating in the back was a nice surprise. Green salsa was good and refreshing. Spicy salsa was hot but not burn your face off. Horchata was tasty and I couldn't believe the prices! I can't wait to take my husband and dad here. They will love it. read more

Chela's hands down has the best authentic Mexican food in Ann Arbor, and for a California girl in the mid-west, it is sometimes the only cure for homesickness. The owner, Adrian, is very friendly to his customers and takes great pride in the food he serves. He tries to make everything as healthy as he can with high quality ingredients, and all excess fat and filler ingredients left out. I highly suggest the daily special with two barbacoa tacos; only $7.50 for rice, black beans, a drink, and two tacos with cilantro and onions. They have sour cream and spicy and mild sauce on the side, but it is worth it to buy chips and guac. The flan and rice pudding equally as good. If you want good Mexican food in Ann Arbor, Chela's is the place to go, as both their food and atmosphere are unparalleled. read more

Chela's - Lunch special with a chicken tamale and a barbacoa taco (a must have) - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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This might be my worst experience at a well-reviewed restaurant. My GF and I got chicken quesadillas as well as chicken, carnitas, and fish tacos. The quesadillas were fine. Plenty of quesa. The chicken tacos turned out to be fish (whoops, messed up our order), and the fish tacos were kind of dry, flavorless. The carnitas tacos tasted more like beef. It was so dry that I actually stopped eating halfway because I thought I might choke. Everything was served with carrots for some reason. The food is very cheap, so 2 stars for cheapness. The service is fine and the ambiance has all the charm of a Mcdonald's play pen. read more

Chela's - This is the actual number of chips they gave me. Why bother? This is just a chip garnish. - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Oh my!!! I ordered 3 fish tacos which ended up being WAY too much food for just me, the tacos are delicious and very generously sized for the price. Paid a little over $10 with tip, first time here and I loved every bite of these!! The cooks were really quick with my takeout, only waited maybe 3-5 minutes. This is in a convenient location and even during rush hour it was easy to get in and out, I will definitely be back!! read more

Chela's - Fish Taco's!!!! These are huge!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

I'm getting take out here more and more. They've gotten through their opening success problems with service which is now super fast (and they're answering the phone)! Great horchata - not on the menu but always available. Yay. I'm a fan. read more

Aww such a warm, friendly mom-n-pop shop! They were so accommodating to my friend's service dog, and the owner even brought out some rice and meat in a bowl for the dog! To be honest, I wanted some of that, too! But he gobbled it up and didn't save me any. The tacos are really good, the homemade hot sauce should be bottled and sold, and the homemade tea is also da bomb :) There's an outdoor patio too, woohoo! read more

By far the best authentic Mexican food in town. I come here at least three times a week for the lunch. The chipotle chicken taco and al pastor tacos are incredible. Pretty much everything there is incredible. Haha. I recommend this place every chance I get :) read more

Great flavor, great ingredients, and well made authentic Mexican food. I absolutely love this place and am glad I found it.

So after visiting there for many times, I think 3.5 stars is more appropriate... Don't get me wrong, still love this place, but now that I'm seasoned at visiting here, I like to point out some areas of improvement for them. 1. beef(carne asada) - too dry and tough. I had this several times now and every time I had it, it's always dry. 2. Barbacoa - in taco, it's good, but in burrito, it's very salty. Not sure if it's because other items that goes into burrito, but i wasn't able to finish the burrito because it was too salty. Otherwise, everything is good. The service is excellent, the owners are really nice the food is good. Its get busy quickly so be mindful when you get there... it might be empty, but the place can fill up quickly. They have taken lot of business away from Taco King, but both are equally good in their own right. read more

For Mexican food in Ann Arbor this place is an easy 5. Since the owner is from Mexico City I am grading him based on my experience in Mexico. Yes the food is that authentic, the food could be more authentic but the owner told people were not interested in menudo or pozole soups. He also told me that his customers demanded burritos which is more from northern Mexico than central Mexico. When coming here stick to what they know how to do, taco pastor, taco carne asada, they also have a taco that mixes carne asada and chorizo very good as well. There two salsa are fresh and homeade, one is a mild verde the other is a spicy rojo. I have tried their torta's and quesadilla's with Carne Asade both were amazing. The burrito was ok because of the meat, but they add corn, green beans, and rice clearly that is the owner trying to please the mid-western customers. The horchata is creamy and delicious, nicely spiced as well. I would more recommend take out as opposed to eating in, but they do have a couple of tables and decent bathroom. The only problem is they do not have a lot of child seats so keep that in mind. In addition, I will write a separate review for their stone school location, but I wanted to let people know here it does make a difference which one you go to the maple location is much better! read more

Amazing locally owned place. The only thing I didn't love was the dessert tamales, but the kids did.

I absolutely love this place! I may add, this was my first time visiting Ann Arbon, and I was very excited to see a pretty good Mexican restaurant in this little city. The tortillas tasted like they were hand-made, but I am not 100% sure of that. It still deserves 5 stars because their hot sauce is on point! read more

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Yes yes yes! Its legit. I decided to take my daughter to the public library and spotted this small building right next door. I took a chance and im super glad i did. First off, i live in pittsfield and the only decent mexican food ive been able to find is in detroit. But im not trying to drive that far all the time. First time ordering i got 3 tacos al pastor and 1 horchata. And i picked up the medium and hot salsa. It was all great. The horchata wasnt watered down, the tacos had good flavor, weren't dry and thank god the hot salsa was actually hot. Yes i expect my salsa to have both flavor and be spicy. It was well worth my money. Im excited to go back and try the rest of the menu. I also hope they continue to keep the integrity of their food. read more