Came here for dinner with some coworkers. The service was excellent--friendly, attentive, and the highlight of our visit. I ordered the combination plate with a carne asada taco and a pork tamale. Both were bland, the chips didn't seem homemade, and the guacamole was just okay. The queso was the standout. I'm from California, so my expectations for Mexican food may be higher, but overall the service was great and the food didn't quite measure up. read more

MY RATING SYSTEM 5/4 = Exceeds expectations = NO 3 = Meets expectations = YES 2/1 = Does not meet expectations = NO For us probably would not go back again. Give it try no harm no foul. OVERALL POINTS RATING 0 - 5 1. AMBIANCE = 2 The environment is dark. They have colorful seating. Color streamers to hide industrial aspect. 2. FOOD/DRIINKS = 3 The food was ok. They missed my guacamole for my meal. Attention to detail. Nothing to write about on the beer. 3. SERVICE = 3 Waiter was attentive. English not primary language or so it seemed. 4. BATHROOM = 3 Clean. 5. PRICING = 2 It is difficult to give a higher number. The food was good but not worth the $48.00 tip, tax, food. 6. OBSERVATION The resteraunt is in a strip mall. The environment is not inviting. They give you a small basket of chips and small bowl of salsa. But do not follow up if you would like more. 7. POINTS 13 out of 25 25 points out expecting. 20 to 25 = Exceeds expectations. 10 to 19 = Meets expectations. 0 to 9 = Does not meet expections read more

Food was great, pickup order was made super quickly and everything was packaged well and hot! Loved it!

We went for happy hour. 2 stars for the friendly waiter, otherwise zero. Do they even have a happy hour?! No menu but the waiter said draft beer margaritas and nachos. No prices. The 2 Modelo draft beers and soggy cheeseless nachos came to $24. We couldn't get out of there fast enough. Well that was a disaster was all we could say as we walked to the car. We have enjoyed the Ann Arbor chelas, just stay away from this Dexter location. ESPECIALLY for happy hour or should I say sad hour?! read more

Going to categorize these largely as "white people" Mexican food. It's not quite as lame as "combination plate" Fiesta Ranchero 3 trash Mexican places, but it's definetly nothing to seek out if you want authentic. Prices are fair, but the burrito meat was paltry and the refried beans 100% came out of can. As someone who's a big fan of refried pinto beans, you can always taste the can brine/preservative when restaurants take this very lazy, disappointing route... Soaking dry pinto beans and cooking them with seasoned broth and *real* lard is so epically better than this canned BS. It's really a damn shame. Oh well, I won't be returning. read more

Chela's - Refried beans that have that canned refried bean taste - Mexican Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

Es muy bueno. I love, love all of the veg choices. The elote (Mexican street corn) was a thermally hot cob sweated by spices, cheese, and mayonnaise. The black beans were whole and gentle tasting, with a spritz of shredded white cheese. The cheese enchilada was gooey and topped with a sauce with a slight kick. The potato flauta (yes, potato!) had a perfectly crispy shell, lettuce, and a delicate white sauce. My tamale had a mushy corn filling with a wonderfully earth flavor and with piquant cheese inside. I wish we had this back in my metro Detroit hood. Enjoy it, Ann Arborites and Dexter denizens. read more

Open long hours, full bar, reasonably priced. Nice air conditioning (it is smoking hot). Thinly of hot (but not smoky-- air is clear here) this place has a hot sauce bar (collection). For the price, I was pleased the enchilada meal came with three, so I could sample one of each. Some of the decorations look like a cross between Tibetan prayer flags and Valentine's Day paper doilies. Competing music emanating from kitchen and main speakers: all authentic creating a busy atmosphere reminiscent of a souther city. Guacamole good, salsa boring, chips decent. Service very friendly and fast. Food predictable and satisfying. read more

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3.5 Good food, great drink & super service. Came here for $2 tacos on Tuesday. Lots of filling options both meats & vegetarian options. Not a fan of the salsa. Fresh chips were delicious. Refried beans were nothing special. Margarita was good, a bit too much ice. It was a quick stop. Glad we stopped. The other food looked and smelled great. Our tacos were really good. read more

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The best tacos in Ann Arbor and Dexter Ann Arbor location is the OG tho. I also recommend the loaded burrito. read more

It's always a pleasure to eat at Chela's. This is our first time at the Dexter location. The food and service is every bit as good as the original Ann Arbor location. Bonus, this location serves liquor (and beer) which makes for a more complete dinner experience. Also, this location is slightly more "upscale" than the original Ann Arbor location (but it's far from fancy.) read more

For quick and delicious Mexican (not Tex-Mex) food, check out Chela's. I visited recently for lunch and was not let down. Wanting to catch up with a friend during the week, we decided that a lunch date was in order. They suggested Chela's as it was convenient to work, and I gladly agreed. I'm not a picky eater, but I especially love trying new restaurants where the cuisine promises some spice. We arrived just before the lunch rush, placed our order, and took a seat while we waited for our food. Just a few minutes later our food was up, and the line was reaching the door -- the word must be out about this place already! I had gotten the lunch special with 2 beef tacos, which also came with a side of frijoles and rice. I think it cost around $8 and boy was it ever a bargain! Everything hit the spot, with food being perfectly cooked and seasoned, and the portion being just right to fill me up without that horrible "Oh jeez, I ate too many tortilla chips!" feeling that often comes after going to a delicious Mexican restaurant. Happy and satisfied, we left to take on the rest of our day. If you need the perfect pit stop for lunch, check out Chela's, and you may just find your new favorite place! read more

Chela's - Lunch special with two tacos. Hit the spot! - Mexican Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

I had 1 good taco out of the 4 that I got.... Firstly , this is how I received my order (in picture). Wrap the tacos individually in some foil to keep them warm and everything in place. The one good taco was shredded pork, it was warm and tender. The rest of the meat (chorizo & steak) were cold, tough, and very chewy. This was my first visit. I don't have much else to say other than I was obviously disappointed. Try harder! read more

Chela's - Chela's taco handling. - Mexican Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

Tasty food and speedy service! I'll be back! Lots of parking. Nice menu and lots of choices.

Are great Environment and great food ...family run business... love the margaritas. Try the street tacos

I have to do two separate sections for this review. First is the food and drinks. Everything was very good and reasonably priced. We had the street fries and a combination of tacos. They bring out chips and salsa to start and those were very good as well. All of the ingredients seemed fresh and high quality and everything we ate was well seasoned, and just the right spice level. Now for the service. I don't know if this was an off day or what, but the service was terrible. Our waiter was nice enough but drinks took a while to come out, and maybe that was because at least 3 members of the staff were tasting each drink as they were finished? We had to flag our waiter down to order additional drinks, to request the check a second time, and to remind him we'd asked for a to go box. We went the whole meal without being offered additional salsa or water refills. One of the times we flagged him down, we interrupted him from looking at Facebook on the bartenders phone while we'd been done with food and drinks and waiting for our bill for almost 10 minutes. Overall I think this restaurant could be great with a bit more oversight and some employee training. Those changes would've brought this to at least a 4 star review. read more

Went here today for the first and last time. Service was unattentive and slow, nothing appeared to be homemade, chips were clearly from a bag, salsa was flavorless, everything was just kind of bland, even the water was terrible (must be well water). read more

Opened just a month ago, this outpost is now Chela's third restaurant in the greater Ann Arbor area. We got to know Chela's more than 5 years ago at their original 4.5 star flagship on Maple Road in A-squared. It's original location always billed itself as the very best at authentic Mexican STREET food...with an emphasis on STREET. The Yelp community certainly agreed with hundreds of great reviews. This restaurant, billing itself as a Restaurant & Taqueria, has got to have 5 times the number of tables when compared to its first venue... and tonight, on a Saturday, every seat was filled. After munching on their chips with two different salsas and sipping on a house '...rita', my wife went for the Chicken Enchilada plate while I opted for the Chicken Fajitas. The Fajitas were exceptional with sautéed onions and peppers a plenty to compliment the the perfectly cooked chicken. The wifester's Enchiladas were equally enjoyable. Despite the hustle and bustle on this busy Saturday night, our server Anna gave us outstanding service throughout our casual dining experience. Tonight, Chela's earned four bright shiny stars. read more

Chela's - A big winner...Chela's Fajitas. - Mexican Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

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If the Chela's on South Maple in Ann Arbor is decorated as not-a-Taco-Bell, this one decorated as not-a-Chili's. Booths, chairs, some flair tacked up on the wall, etc. The bar is very TV-centric; I was having a quick meal on my own and would normally have taken the bar, but wasn't ready for quite that much sports announcer. I took a 2-top instead. I had my Chela's regular of 3 fish tacos and a Mexican Coke --- but was a little disappointed. While the fish at South Maple is nicely savory, the fish here varied between mouth-puckeringly salty and bland. It's almost as if the salt had clumped when it was sprinkled on the fish. Prettier in some ways, but a big step down from my Chela's expectations. read more

Chela's - Fish taco trio. - Mexican Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

Dec 26th, 2018 UPDATE. Had another dinner at Chela's as the kids are back from college and no one felt like cooking. Sat in the bar area and received prompt and attentive service from John (the big guy behind the bar) and the wait staff. They are now using an electronic system for entering orders and the food came very quickly. As usual for Chela's the food was great and the prices are very reasonable. Update. Last night was the fourth time to Chela's Dexter. Arrived after the dinner rush. As expected they have ironed out the start up wrinkles. Sat in the bar area with friends and son who is home on break. Service was fast and attentive. Had the taco trio - solid quality Chela's..... read more

Chela's - Mexican Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

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Not to be confused with Chelas in Ann Arbor. This review is for Chelas in Dexter. The service at Chelas Dexter is terrible. They don't refill your water, they literally walk past you not looking at you. Heard the manager complaining how long we were taking eating, when the restaurant was mostly empty! We had to flag down the host to ask him for a water refill, he went and told the manager, the manager wouldn't give a full glass of water. We really did not feel welcome at all! The restaurant is half empty most of the time, probably due to their inattentive service. The manager and the staff are mostly chatting with each other loudly, not paying attention to the customers. They used to have a chile relleno, but they got rid of it. Their enchilada sauce tastes like they got it out of a tomato sauce can. The tinga tasted off. Their tortilla chips are just dry and bad. The beef in the carne asada for the tacos is good enough. A taco is mostly a double tortilla, not that much meat in it. The chicken inside the enchiladas is good enough. So, the food is not great, and the service is terrible. Not sure what else to say. NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH CHELA'S ANN ARBOR. THIS REVIEW IS FOR CHELAS DEXTER. read more

This is the real deal. The fajitas are amazing. Chile rellenos - yum. Plus excellent margaritas and more. Best Mexican food in the Ann Arbor/Dexter area. read more

Real Mexican Food. Fantastic flavors without everything being smothered in cheese and grease. Simple effective environment and quick service. I'll stop in again if we're in the area. read more

CONFUSED. I was waiting in the pick up line for my food. Nobody came to me and kept on trying to call, no response. I walk inside to pick it up (no problem at all don't mind) I wait in the front WHILE I make eye contact with a one of your workers (middle aged man) at the bar. He is clearly not doing much and could at least greet me. NOPE. Instead he yells in the kitchen for one of the younger teenage employees to greet me. THE KID WAS CLEARLY BUSY and I see them carrying 3 to-go bags (not to forget to mention they were panting probably from running back and forth). Come on man don't make the kids do everything This employee clearly had enough time to sing and watch TV. Why couldn't he answer the phone when I called?!?!?!?!!?! BUT I love coming to chelas food is great and definitely recommend. Love the staff, well the ones that actually greet me:) read more

The food, bar service and wait staff are all very good. I get so tired of Tex-mex all the time, but Chelas is real Mexican. We go almost every week. read more

Our favorite place for Mexican cuisine. Fresh flavors, great choices, good-sized servings and excellent staff. Whether you eat inside or take out you will be happy with your meal. read more

We visited Chelios for dinner a few weeks ago, and unfortunately did not have a good experience. We ordered their mole dinner which was on the limited menu (startup/staffing) with avocado and crema, but what arrived was neither hot nor good and missing both the avocado and crema. The chips were marginal and the salsa was watery and bland. My wife ordered a margarita, and even after a remake of the drink it wasn't good. We spoke with the manager, and they were having numerous problems due to the startup and staffing and had a brand new bartender and kitchen staff. They also had an HVAC vent that was blowing cold air on the dinners waiting for the staff to deliver them to the table, which may explain why the food wasn't hot if it sat waiting for the waitstaff. The owner was on-site and committed to resolve the issues, but bottom line it just wasn't very good. We will wait a month or two and definitely try them again. I honestly believe they were going through new opening pains, and I hope to write a much better review after they are fully up and running. read more

This is a continuation of their other 2 locations in Ann Arbor, but with booze and more options..... The tamale's are like eating clouds from heaven. The guacamole is bursting with flavor like the avocado won the lottery. Dexter is a better place for Chela's. And for the 1-2 star reviewers??? Go to Taco Bell because you don't know what good food tastes like. read more

Very disappointing! Calling the food authentic is not an excuse for bad food! I can't imagine Mexicans liking the food either. My daughter and I spend several weeks every year in Mexico exploring the territory, enjoying the food as well as drinks, deserts. Not that we are experts or that the food needs to be exactly as it is in Mexico. But, it would help if it was at least close or Americanized. I like to give local & new places our patronage and chance. We have been 3 times. The food is inconsistent, flavorless and meat is dry dry dry. Salsa taste like tomato soup. Service is lacking. But, I expect that for a new place. We live in dexter. But, will either drive to other Mexican fair in the area or make Mexican style food at home. Let's hope this place can get it together. read more

Good food great prices. Will definitely return to try more! Service was also fast and friendly. It was my sons 12 th birthday and he got a free dessert which was delicious. read more

This food is GOOD. Wish I'd gotten pictures, but was too busy inhaling the food. The salsas that come with the chips are fantastic, the guacamole is incredible, elote is excellent, and our mains were great too. I got a taco al pastor and chorizo taco, and a pork tamale. The tamale was one of the best I've ever had, so moist and flavorful, not dry or bland as others I've had in the past. The tacos were also great, but the tamale was what impressed me most. My husband got a campechano quesadilla that was very tasty, and he proclaimed our daughter's plain cheese quesadilla to even be extra good. I wasn't the biggest fan of my refried beans and rice, but I was so full from everything else that it was inconsequential. All in all, excellent, and I highly recommend this place. My husband and I were exclaiming how good it was to each other the entire meal. read more

The food was delicious but the salsa was AWFUL. Chips and salsa are one of my favorite Mexican foods but I took one bite of the salsa and decided that was enough. My meal was great though. I had the Chela'a combo and got a chipotle chicken taco and pork tamal. The bean dip was amazing as well. read more

We arrived for an early dinner and they weren't very busy at all. We were promptly seated and given chips and salsa. There was a bit of a hubbub with our drink order but it got straightened out OK. We ordered our food and began to wait. We were offered another round of chips and salsa and waited for a bit longer than we would have liked but the wait was worth it. The food was delicious!! The taco salad was packed full of flavorful barbacoa, guac, pico de gallo and black beans. I chose the Chipotle ranch. It had just enough kick and was quite yummy. My husband's wet burrito was really good too. He really enjoyed his side of guac with it (an upcharge) and would order it again. The kids meals were decent. The taco came with your choice of meat and cheese along with fries. We enjoyed our meals. The decor was fun and fresh. We will return knowing we may need to wait a bit for our food but that the wait will be worth it. read more

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This is very good food/drink and great value. The stop mall location is not great, but nice enough inside with good friendly service. But it's the food that will bring you back ., read more

As a vegetarian and celiac (must be gluten free) and who is deeply missing solid Mexican food, Chela's is a goddess send. Their stuff is clearly labeled, their staff is super friendly, and their food is delicious. Pre pandemic, they have unlimited Aqua Fresca machines, and their fruit tamales are different and tasty. During COVID, they have been great with safety and curbside ordering. Always enjoy their awesome lunch time combo as well. read more

I love coming here with my husband for delicious Mexican street food. The food here is authentic and satisfies a craving for so many Mexican favorites. The wet burrito is a great choice. The chicken enchiladas are flavorful with the verde sauce. We love to have a couple drinks here as well. Service has been good everytime we've visited! read more

I visited Chela's for the first time last week. My Mother and I had a very pleasant and tasty lunch on Thursday. We both enjoyed the chicken tacos along with refried beans and rice. Everything was fresh and flavorful. Our server was attentive and explained the menu to us. It was a really nice treat! I returned the next night with my husband so he could try the tamales. They are his favorite dish and he has high standards. He was not disappointed! They had the perfect meat to masa ratio and were perfectly seasoned. I tried the chicken fajitas and liked them very much. Everything was hot and freshly prepared. Impressed with the waitstaff as well, who were pleasant and seating customers as quickly as possible. Very well run establishment. Finally, Dexter has an authentic Mexican restaurant of its very own! read more

Fantastic authentic Mexican food that is really good!! Also reasonably priced! Way better than food I've had at trendy Ann Arbor restaurants that costs double! Drinks are great, inside is nice. Don't let the strip mall fool you. Glad I found it! read more

We happened upon this place while visiting , super friendly staff very helpful with menu. Super fast food preparation ,clean outside cute area to eat in. Felt very clean and safe there so glad to have found this gem! read more

Unfortunately, the only Mexican food spot in Dexter. The service has always been friendly and nice but other than that, there's not much else to say. I've tried dining in multiple times and the food is much better than doing a carry-out order, but still very underwhelming. read more

Food is excellent! They catered our graduation. Very professional, delivered the food and helped set up the trays. And the food was a big hit! At the Dexter restaurant very polite staff, and fast attentive service. The menu is authentic Mexican cuisine. A must try is the Chela's fries and a Margarita. read more