A++++ I stumbled on this place toward the end of the afternoon and I'm glad I did. It's a cute little bistro in the industrial area of Saint Clemente around some other restaurants, including a Starbucks around the corner. The staff was super friendly when I walked in, need to use the restroom and the restrooms were super clean, and then I ordered a burrito the way I like it made made a couple of adjustments extra meat less cheese and I ordered the ribeye burrito and it was fantastic. Great amount of flavor. Didn't require any salsa or anything to help enhance it. Juicy and just well-made. Their chips were fresh out of the oven or at least tasted like it still warm. Very impressed. This little place. I'll definitely be coming back. Deserves five stars plus read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

We were in the Laguna beach area during optimal brunch time so a lot of breakfast-y restaurants were PACKED. Little unassuming Chelas was the perfect little spot for some brunch. They had a nice dog friendly ground level area so we could bring our pup. We ordered their chicken tortilla soup, 1/2 pint of guac, and burrho de alambre! 10/10 for everything. The chicken tortilla soup as hearty and toasty, perfect for the cooler weather. The guac was exactly my style, not too salty, not too tart, and demolished in no time. My husband really enjoyed his burrito from the speiclas menu as well! read more

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This was our first time here. We were in the area and yelped breakfast so we decided to try it. We had the chiliquitas, which was new to the menu. It was a winner ! We were warned that it might be spicy so she let us try the habanero sauce and it is very spicy but delicious. We asked for it on the side and dipped into it to eat with the green sauce already on it. She also gave us 3 other salsas to try. All delicious. We mixed a little tiny bit of habaneros salsa and it was perfect! I love the artwork too! Edgy! I look forward to coming back and trying the Chelas MVP Burrito. It was voted best of OC. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - Looking forward to trying the chilaquitas! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

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The food was good and the girl server was really nice but the short older guy at the cashier was a total jerk. When I got to the front to order he literally said "what do you want" - then when I asked for a water cup for my wife he rolled his eyes and handed me the plastic cup as if he'd just given me a free freaking meal. What's weird is he was pretty nice to other people which my wife noticed too. She wanted to leave but we stayed - their food is good. We won't be going back. Asada and El Ranchito are just as good and full of friendly people. read more

Got my hair cut today and after that difficult task was done I was hungry. Luckily nearby was Chelas. Been here before so it was an easy choice to slide on in. I have been jonesing for a good bean and cheese burrito for some time now. Over that time I have been very disappointed in the B&C burritos I have come upon. Some even from my trustworthy B&C places. This was my first B&C burrito from Chela's and was looking forward to their version. At the last minute, without warning, planning or any notice I ordered my bean and cheese burrito wet. I was feeling kinda wild! Also, I asked for some chips and salsa in the side. When it was rung up, the cost was quite high and it made me step back. So I did question the charge. I didn't realize that when I ordered chips and salsa the guy thought I meant another full order of large bag of chips and a pint of salsa, not the little bag and little cup you get with your order. A nice gal helped fix that and the order cost looked much more reasonable. Whew! Financial crisis averted. I sat down after getting my Diet Pepsi (won't hold it against them that they don't have Diet Coke). Soon after, I was brought a small bag of chips and some salsas. Get the chipotle and you will not be disappointed. Shortly after that my plate with a HUGE bean and cheese burrito with lots of sauce, cheese and a drizzle of sour cream. Check the pic out, it's a beauty. The taste did not disappoint. Great beans, ooey, gooey cheese inside and out. The wet sauce was great. I thought it would be a verde sauce, but it was red. Next time I will see if they have a verde version for me to try. Just a really great B&C wet burrito. Delicious. With the chips, I only ate half the massive burrito and am already looking forward to lunch tomorrow to eat the other half. I don't give out 5 stars to many places. They have to blow me away with food, service, consistency, on and on. Chelas is an order at the counter and they bring it to you kind of place. The people taking orders and bringing food are quite nice and always willing to see if you need anything. The food has been consistently very good. All wrapped up, it's one of my favorite places around. Great job. read more

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The chicken tacos were very fresh savory, juicy, cheesy flavorful, and delicious. Also, the beans and rice were super tasty, and the chips are super crunchy, crispy, and salty, and the pineapple cream soda was really sweet and refreshing, good service, nice atmosphere, and I had an excellent experience here today. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Hi I love chelas but the guy taking orders makes me not want to return he looks like he does not want to be there and is not friendly! Takes orders with attitude! read more

This place is by far the best Mexican in 50 miles from here. David was so nice and warm feeling for our needs to accommodate our taste and making us feel at home. Alambre tacos were unreal! Do not miss this place. read more

The service was good you order it at the counter, the ambiance was very nice but small place. The food was ok I would not be coming back here for the tacos or even the burritos. First of all for the price and the littlest amount of food that they put on my plate I have ordered a Rib eye Taco (as pictured) and I would say that for $15.99 it is very expensive for one small taco and probably just 1 1/2 thin sliced of rib eye cut in little cubes and loaded it with creme sauce,queso fresco,some little cuts of lettuce in there and pickled onions which was ridiculous, not mentioning 6 pieces of tortilla chips on the side ‍ I could tell the same with the other order we have gotten except for one of the order which was the gringa tacos my daughter like it but it was lacking of any flavors and no sauce, it was dry! The wet burrito sauce wasn't that good. They did have the americano bacon taco which my husband liked and was very unusual as it contained scramble eggs and bacon & Colby jack cheese inside, then we had the crispy asada taco which was ok but dry and no sauce given. We did all love the Asada Fries! It was the best of the whole order! No one can go wrong with fries ! I am glad that we did like some of then but Will not be back for the price and for the ridiculous amount of food they would put inside those tacos! They just load it with lettuce and cheese, We probably did not order the right food because obviously the reviews below are great! But for our first time here it was just a bad experience for us. read more

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Met there yesterday with a group of girlfriends, we love the fact that everything is made fresh to order nice inside and outside patio seating. I would prefer that they would take my order at the table than to have to stand up and order it, but the food was delicious the burrito That I got was awesome. We will go back. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

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It's the Chela's salad with chicken added. So good. I also like the verse salsa and the chipotle salsa. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - Chicken salad - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

My sister loves this place and I went for the first time with her yesterday. I always want to leave a review when I get that old school amazing customer service. Arturo made our day! He was so kind and genuine - even if the food was mid it's the kinda service you'd have to go back for! Luckily, the food was great and it is a cute little spot. But Arturo was so amazing we were driving away and literally parked and went back to get his name because this level of service is so rare nowadays it deserves recognition! read more

Great food and great service !!!! I can't wait to try other things on the menu ... looking forward to the next time!!!!

This has been my neighborhood go to for years now. There have been many things with pick up that have gone wrong and I have never posted. But today when picking up and checking the food items and then having a very salty, angry employee behind the counter give me a nasty "bye!l because I checked to see if food was there and then said "thank you!" Turns things for me. I opened my to go and beans were watered, diluted, no cheese on top. watery flavorless salsa and not what this place used to be. So disappointing. I hope the owners will read this and know how much I love your restaurant and want to support it, but your staff and to go orders can be very sloppy, quality incredibly hit or miss. read more

Ok this is my 2nd visit. And I came back because the 2 cheese enchiladas plate is AHMAZING!!!! Chela's is the ONLY Mexican restaurant Uve been to that doesn't use the typical red sauce on top. They use an absolute delicious fresh topping of Mexican cheese, cream, tomatoes, and lettuce. it is so refreshing!!! I've been twice and I plan to go back again real soon! Well done, Chelas!!! read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - 1st time trying a Jarrito. Such a light & refreshing drink. And when poured into a glass w ice it turns so light & bubbly!! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

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The food was amazing. A great selection of different kinds of Mexican cuisine. This is not a fancy place but if you want fantastic tasting food, the drop on by. They serve beer here and Pepsi product to drink. Watch out for their habenero sauce, it's the real deal! The cashier/server was very friendly and gave us good recommendations. The absence is simple, in a strip mall setting. read more

1st visit, very impressed. Great service, very good food. Had the alambre tacos and the hot (habanero) salsa made it a very good combination. Next time I'm in the area, I'm returning to Chela's! read more

Taco Tuesday! 5.50 for 2 crispy tacos. 2 salsas and small bag chips. Everything fresh and delicious. You can order online (website) Ribeye burrito is awesome. Beans too. Happy hour and Thursday specials too. Fresh and tasty. Come try. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - 2 taco Tuesday-Carnitas Papas are delicious. Comes with chips 2 salsas. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

This is our standby for Mexican closest to us. The one in Talega has great food, service is basic. There's usually enough room to sit, but sitting outside isn't great when there are cars parking right next to the tables. read more

Best fish tacos I've found in South OC. Full size tacos with delicious perfectly cooked fish. Plenty of cabbage and great salsa. Friendly service in a nice clean local vibe location... two restaurants in San Clemente, one on Pico, & one on Estrella. If you love fish tacos this place is a must try read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - Best fish tacos - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

We have ordered pick up from here many times and I love it every single time. The crispy chicken tacos, fresh salsas, guac, and the burritos are our absolute favorites! We always say it's truly some of the best Mexican food we have had. The staff is really nice, the service is great, and the food is so yummy! We will continue to give them our business! read more

We ordered Chile Verde wet burrito, el macho burrito, and 1925 don ole "wet" burrito and the guy repeated what we ordered on the phone and we confirmed that. When we picked up the orders, we are missing salsa, messed up the 1925 wer burrito and they refused to correct the order. The owner/manager was very rude and dismissive. Not coming back to this place again. read more

I ordered two kids meals, which were bean burritos there was more tortilla than bean and cheese filling. The chilaquiles were good, but then I also ordered carne asafa fries and they were sad! More cheese than anything else. For the price it was definitely not worth it! We will not be coming back again. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - "Carbs asada fries" - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

The burrito was enormous, The Caritas Nachos were generously filled with beans and meat, there was cheese, acacado, sourcream and delicious homemade made Nachos chips. read more

Service upon opening first couple times was not good, not my spot for tacos but I dig the wet chili verde burrito fat and tasty! Seems the talega location is run better so far imo read more

Chips were good. Tacos were ok, nothing special. Counter guy was unfriendly and looked like he really didn't want to be there. Should have just gone to Starbucks like I originally intended. Oh well. read more

First time being here. Ordered Chicken Burrito Bowl while wife ordered chicken taco and a steak taco. Ambience was pleasant. Small quick order dine in/take-out place Service was pleasant though upon pickup I could tell that what of the patrons had asked for something and that the proprietor and cashier said something under their breath that I somewhat caught the Spanish. Not classy imo about their patrons but pleasant interaction for our interaction. The food was subpar. They flavored their tacos with too much onion and the burrito bowl was over oily and doused with melted cheese. Flavor was not there. First time maybe last time. read more

This place is sooo good. Also, the staff there are so nice and professional. I love the level of authentic mexican food. I bought their package of carnitas and carne asada and the meal was so good. The chips and salsa are also so high quality. We are so lucky to finally have something like this in San Clemente. Great job Chelas!!! read more

We've been coming to the location ever since you've opened. Never once have we had bad service. Your employees are some of the best. Cooks too! We were so surprised to see Angel working for you. We know him from his other job too. Always has such a friendly smile and his customer service is truly the best. Not only with us but everyone else he comes across. We are so happy to see him more often at our favorite Mexican food hangout. Best happy hour menu in town too. read more

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Brand new restaurant with excellent food. my wife had a fish burrito and I had the ribeye burrito. Both were excellent. Sat on their lovely balcony. The only issue I have is that their Yelp web listing indicates that they are open from 8:00 AM. i had a hankering for a breakfast burrito and stopped by at 9:55 AM this morining, just as the staff was arriving for their scheduled 10:00 AM opening. No food was ready. Please update your Yelp hours. read more

Service: 2/10: I had asked the person in the front what comes with the rib eye tacos and the guy had said "whatever is on it is on it" so at that point maybe I should have left. Food: 3/10: food was extremely bland and lacked flavor, the food looked great but the flavor and quality of meat was very poor. Wish I could get a refund but at this point I wouldn't dine here again. Ambiance: 4/10: seating was okay and decor. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

The food is fresh and tastes wonderful, and the service is amazing. We loved the fish burritos, along with the homemade chips and salsa.

Burritos here are basically meatless and just filled with beans and lettuce. Also soggy and not a lot of flavor. I would definitely not order their burritos again. read more

Ok this place is really good. It's better suited for takeout as it's not a traditional sit down with different colored chairs and sombreros nailed to the walls. But the tacos were incredible, the burritos are gigantic, and the salsa was fantastic. Staff was very helpful too as we walked into this restaurant not knowing anything about it. Great place. read more

Chelas is a smaller, clean, casual restaurant. You order out the counter and take your number stand to your table and they bring your order to your table. The also have a few tables outside with umbrellas and some of the tables are also shaded by the building from the afternoon sun. Compared to a taco shop the food is healthier and has better quality ingredients, but then less authentic than a taco shop. For example, my friend had a grilled ribeye burrito which looked good and he liked. My other friend raved about his crispy chicken tacos. My burrito was good too, it had chicken, brown rice, cabbage, etc. They have a few different salsas to choose from that they bring to your table based on your order/request. I'd return if my friends suggested meeting there again, but I probably wouldn't return on my own as I prefer the hole in the wall taco shop type of places for Mexican food. My wife calls me a taco./burrito snob in full disclosure. Great service too read more

Our last two visits to the Pico location in San Clemente, our food was so salty it was inedible. so disappointing as Chelas has been a family favorite. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen is what every small, independent Mexican spot dreams of becoming--a hub of chaos and loyalty, where the line at the counter is constant, and the food flies out faster than you can decide what to order. Forget gimmicks or shortcuts--this place is all about fresh, high-quality ingredients and dishes that taste like someone actually cared. The burritos are big, unapologetically stuffed, and balanced just right. The tacos? They don't miss. Everything on the menu feels deliberate, curated, and crafted with the kind of effort you don't see in most grab-and-go places. My personal obsessions? The steak burrito and the grilled chicken salad, simple in concept but executed with precision. Chelas isn't just a restaurant--it's a local institution in the making. If you're looking for honest, fresh, and damn good Mexican food, this place should be at the top of your list. Leave the frills at the door and dig in. read more

Great family run business that serves great Mexican food. They have great Tuesday and Thursday specials for tacos that can't be beat. Happy hour menu on Monday-Wednesday-Friday is also great. Almost every time I have gone during lunch or dinner, they are busy. Staff is friendly. Place is nice and has seating outside so you can enjoy the outside. You can order via clover app ahead to skip the lines. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - La Calle Tacos, Chips and La Famosa salsa. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

I've ordered from here a few times and hadn't had an issue. Today, I got their carnitas taco combo and received moldy radish on the side and it was very obviously moldy, so if this got past them, I'm worried what else has been served that has gone bad. read more

Chelas Mexican Kitchen - Moldy radish - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - San Clemente, California

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For me this is absolutely the best taco Tuesday deal anywhere. The crispy carnitas tacos are the best I've ever had. Keep up the great service and super tasty food read more