First off the food is good and very typical of a Mexican restaurant. This location is in desperate need of a remodel. It's very dated and dirty read more

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Authentic Mexican food! Good service and it's affordable. Best salsa and queso. Nice pictures

Food is really good and the prices aren't bad. Came in with a large group multiple times and had no complaints whatsoever.

The food here is super good and at a great price point. This is the 18. Chicken enchilada, taco and burrito. I think. I'm going to try and find a menu to post up on my next review. Obviously this is a place worth frequenting. Please excuse the picture doesn't do justice. read more

El Canelo IV - a plate of food and a fork - Mexican Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Pricing is pretty good for the amount of food you get. Food quality itself isn't top tier by any means but not bad. Definitely matches its price which is fair. Service was solid, very nice waiter. Overall would not be at the top of my list, but not a bad pick if I'm trying to get something relatively inexpensive for lunch. read more

The service was friendly, the price and the food were fine. I think the accolades end there, however. Stopped here with my family on the way back from a trip to New York. We were in the mood for Mexican, but Canelo largely failed to sate our desire. Aside from chips and salsa, nobody really got what they wanted. I ordered the Huevos Rancheros. I received scrambled eggs slathered in a tasteless but painfully spicy red sauce with a side of beans and rice. This was nothing like any huevos rancheros I've ever had and deeply disappointing. Another family member ordered the Fajita and Nacho Special. What she got was effectively just ballpark nachos with grilled peppers and onions sitting on top of them. My parents ordered Shrimp and Chicken Fajitas. They did not come out sizzling and fresh, and the tortilla shells didn't come out until well after we had all finished our meals. Unfortunately, everyone's meal was just disappointing and subverted all expectations. read more

Good Mexican fare. Pricing is a little high, but that's typical of the Harbor Creek area. Good portions. Large menu. Online presence would greatly be helped if they had a decent website. Updated it. Even if other Yelpers were to post updated menus. I've always done take out, but there are about 30 numbered combos to try. Like I said, it's difficult to find a menu. Overall, I could give this a 3.5 if it cleaned up the interior and used some of their funds to bring their business current to 2022. read more

The food is decent. Not the best, not the worst. I always have friendly service. The atmosphere and cleanliness is exactly the way it is in Mexico. Either you will like or hate it. My only complaint is the 3.75:/: charge for using a card. There are NO sign's telling you this until your standing at the register to check out! And, it's hand written on a small piece of paper. read more

This place went downhill. I supported it during covid and in return, I've been nickled and dimed on the bills... which, by the way, I stopped going there after they just write a number on your bill. There is no itemization and when you question your charges, they get irate with you because you want to know how they rip you off. If you order during lunch, they'll give you a dinner order.. so they can charge you more. Make note of what you order and how much it costs. Don't blindly trust your bill to be correct. Don't assume you get a free refill for your drinks. If they ask you if you would like something, ALWAYS ask if there's a charge. There's a charge to use a credit card. You make an order and get things missing, like guacomole. They know this beforehand and don't tell you. I haven't gone there in well over a year and won't go back. I hope it's changed. It's a real shame because I used to go there all of the time. read more

Ok I like it. It tastes good. It's not expensive. Typical Mexican restaurant 76 page menu with the same 11 things arranged differently. Cheap beers Decent margaritas Good basic beans n rice. The downfall is I've heard by people who are in the know that sanitation is a major issue. Does that stop me - Heck to the no- It's cheap good food. I prefer other options in Erie - Specifically Torerros but if you don't mind rolling the dice on the samonilla neither do I. read more

This review is more to address the discrepancy in ratings. My wife and I tried this restaurant years ago when we moved to Erie. People lauded it, and groups from work would take us there. The food is average at best, and there are definite problems with cleanliness, as we often found unclean plates, tables, bathrooms and hair in the food. We haven't eaten there in a few years. Note that most of the negative ratings are from people who are traveling from larger cities with a wider selection of real Mexican and Tex Mex food. Competition makes better restaurants. The native Erie palette also isn't too accommodating to authentic ethnic foods. We do have a few good ethnic restaraunts that rival those in the larger cities (Thai Eatery, for one) but not many. El Canelo is just not up to what you can find elsewhere. Sorry. read more

I've been to this particular El Canelo numerous times, so I'm not sure where the negative reviews are coming from. The food is more Tex Mex than true Mexican, so that's worth knowing coming in. The service is always fast and friendly with the food consistently fresh and delicious. I recommend the chili rellanos for a melty cheesy treat. The salsa and chips are addictive. read more

My husband's favorite place to eat. Prior to today, we have never had a problem here. We had a wonderful time today, as well... my husband just somehow thought he was getting one thing and got another. It was no mistake on their part and the food was great... just not what was expected. Lol! We love the Mexican Soda!! The servers are always friendly and the food is always hot and very good. Today the poor guy looked like he was the only employee, but it didn't slow him down. He ROCKED that lunch rush! This has always been a great location for us and by far my husband favorite! My biggest criticism is the layout. It just doesn't flow well and always seems cramped. We'll be back here. read more

I have given this five stars due to the fact every time I have come in here for lunch the service is speedy and the people are friendly they make sure our drinks are filled , any problems are fixed right away , and they do not rush you out of the restaurant or bring you the bill right away I personally hate that because then I feel rushed. Today I came in on sunday july 6 2014 for lunch and got the special la casa and thought it came with rice and beans and it only came with one or the other it had come with rice I like rice but I love beans they gladly fixed it by bringing me beans also for no fee!! I will definitely come back more often!! read more

El Canelo IV - The amazing chips and salsa you get as soon as you get seated!! - Mexican Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Don't come here. The food is nasty. I ordered the enchiladas supremos and got 4 enchiladas one chicken, been, beef, and cheese. The enchilada sauce was questionable I had to ask my boyfriend if he thought it was expired. The worst part is the ground beef they use tastes like cat food. It had no seasoning. When you walk into the restaurant the tables were dirty and had cellphones charging on them. I do not recommend this place, you'll have a better experience eating at Taco Bell across the street. read more

El Canelo IV - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

Horrific!! Absolutely nothing authentic about the food here! Beyond that, it just tasted gross. My plate was inedible and didn't even resemble the traditional dish I ordered. We are from Southern California so you can say I'm a bit of an authentic Mexican food connoisseur. Very disappointing! read more

Literally the worst Mexican food I have ever had. I ordered the relleno quesadilla with beef. When it came the bottom was soggy and it was filled with watery chicken. My husband ordered a tamale and an enchilada and what came was some tamale type thing with ground beef poured all over it. We went home and ordered a pizza. read more

El Canelo IV - Quesadilla relleno - Mexican Near Me - Erie, Pennsylvania

This is a good spot, not known for being very clean or nice, but food is real and authentic. Prices are great.

My family loves El-Canelo! The staff is friendly, the service is good, the prices are good and the food is tasty. Like most Mexican restaurants, they serve complementary chips & salsa. Their salsa is nice and thick, but not very spicy. The chips are kinda heavy and not very salty. The chips and salsa a perfect for people with sensitive taste buds. They have a wonderful queso. The best queso I ever had (yes, I've been to Texas). I encourage people to try the Chili con queso with Ground Beef. It is truly addicting. They also like to put Chorizo in their fajitas which adds excellent flavor. I have tried many of their dishes and have yet to find a bad one. Someone else noted that El Canelo is not authentic Mexican cuisine. I would consider the restaurant "Mexican Lite." The most authentically Mexican items in the restaurant are the people who work there. I don't like to hold it against a restaurant for NOT being "authentic." Imagine if we rated "authentic" Chinese Food restaurants and "authentic" Italian restaurants... I mean, we would probably choke on REAL Chinese Food. If you would like "authentic" Mexican cuisine, I suggest you get a TB shot, Hepatitis vaccinations, a plane trip ticket to Mexico and some Pepto.... And whatever you do, don't drink the water. Else, if you would like tasty and inexpensive Mexican inspired food then El Canelo is the place for you too. read more

We ordered chicken fajitas to go and unfortunately received fajitas with chicken, bits of beef and I think even pork in the to go container. I am not sure if this meant they used a dirty pan (that all of these things had been cooked in), gave us left overs from something else, or what else may have been the reasoning, but either way there was something wrong! Also, they were incredibly greasy and did not have a good flavor. Although I am willing to go to other locations, I will not go back to the Buffalo Rd. location ever again! read more

Great meal, great service. We are really glad we came. We were nearly dissuaded by the negative reviews, but decided to stop in for an early dinner anyways. The nachos were great, and our combo plate was good as well. We will be back! read more

Let me start by saying that I am a die hard El Canelo fan and eat quite often at the other two locations (Peach Street and West 12th) and have never had a problem. I had a bad experience in the past and had not eaten at this location in a few years. I foolishly allowed two coworkers to persuade me in going today. Once again, the food was mediocre and the service sucked. In the other locations, you get a generous amount of chips and salsa. They only brought one container of chips and even though it was empty very early, they did not bring over any other chips nor check to see if we needed anything else. I ordered the Lunch Special number 3 with a soft taco. Food presentation was comparable but taste definitely was not. The soft taco was crispy around one edge and the tortilla on the enchilada was soggy and tasted like it had been sitting in sauce for some time and not freshly prepared. In regards to our waiter, we did not see him after he brought out the food. He did not return to ask how things were nor did he fill up any empty glasses. There was no attention paid to our table. The women at the table behind us came after us, received excellent service, and received their bill about 15 minutes before us. And the waiter who presented us with the bill was not our waiter who had disappeared earlier (although the disappearing waiter rung us out as we were leaving.) I don't usually write reveiws but was so disgusted with the food and service that I felt that maybe you should address this location so it doesn't bring down the amazing job that the other two locations are doing. read more

Was not impressed any of the four times I visited two different locations doesn't remind me of authenticMexican food it seems they missed the ball read more

My husband and I absolutely love their food. I have been coming here since I was a kid. There food is always delicious, comes out in a timely matter, never have so much grease. My favorite is the taco salad and enchiladas. We also love the friendly staff and environment. They always make us feel so welcomed. read more

Im from SoCal and im mexican, grew up with authentic mexican food, and had it all my life from various restraunts taco stands etc. This place doesnt even deserve one star. Im not a basher of things but this is my honest opinion, it was trash. Worst mexican food with such low quality of food and service. I told my wife I wanted to get a yelp just so they can see this and maybe give a crap. It was so crap I was offended. Like I said the reason I even allow myself to be so stern about it is the fact I feel they put no effort into thier food that I will.never trade currency for it again. read more

So I love Mexican food it is probably my go too for everything. The look and the feel of this restaurant is pretty much how you would feel in Mexico.. example is not very clean and although they have a good staff with very nice people. I don't recommend getting anything with beef tho. As it taste like dog food so if I do go here I always get steak or chicken. Honestly tho it's good food besides that . read more

Gonna go ahead and give this a 0 rating we paid almost 90 for 4 people to eat and the portions were small. My little brother asked the waiter to get a refill and he had an attitude because he way "busy". We told him we weren't happy with the food (runny beans, small portions, we got more sour cream that's 1.25 than we did 4 dollar queso.) when we told him he said I thought I did great when we said no he said well I guess we have different options. No apology he was very rude!! Would not at all recommend. read more

Very unsanitary... the women's room also did NOT have soap. The floors were awfully sticky throughout the entire restaurant. My soda tastes flat, and when I asked for a new one... I was charged to two drinks (which they later fixed in my bill...) the food was very greasy and thrown together. My husband also had food poisoning. Avoid. You're almost better off eating at Lombardo's. read more

Yikes!! My combination plate looked like someone dumped a can of dog food on it!! Ugh! Not very authentic. Sorry, no thank you.

Incredibly fast service, with chips and salsa arriving even before your piping hot food. Great selection. Very tasty nachos fajitas, and my favorite is the pollo salad - the chicken seasoning is great. read more

This is the best food and service of all the Erie El-Canellos. The service and food presentation is lightning fast. Friendly atmosphere. The know us and what we like. The prices are so reasonable for all that you get. We look forward to coming to this location at least every month. read more

The food is only mediocre but what really ticks me off is the service. I came here twice already not on my own will, but with other friends. Every time the waiters always had trouble finding a seat for group of six people or more and once they had us seated, we always had to constantly remind him/her about taking our order. Food wise, I was expecting something a little more authentic but the dishes were only okay; sure they have more choices, but I had better at Chipotle.For the price I was expecting a little more. read more

Their beans and rice are amazing. That can be a meal all in itself. Some of the staff isn't very pleasant, but, heck you get that anywhere these days. Go enjoy yourself. read more

El Cañelo is a good local Mexican restaurant. The chips & salsa were fresh. My tacos were very good and full of food.

Love their food and staff is always friendly and helpful. The only thing they need to work on is updating the decor because it is old, worn out, and looks dirty in places. read more

I used to love this place for the speedy service and well flavored food... at least they still have the speedy service. I can't eat here anymore. If I want microwaved mexican I'll get it from the freezer isle and make it myself. (There is a reason the plate comes out hotter than the food) read more

The food here is alright, but the service is terrifying. Our waiter actually left in the middle of our time here to go outside and smoke with his friends, our food came out literally 1 minute after we ordered (did they even cook it????) and the place looked like it hadn't been repaired or cleaned in over a decade. Go to the one of 12th or peach instead! They are much better. read more

definitely the worst of the el canelo restaurants in the erie area (peach st is by far the best). the food is usually just mediocre and service has been varying between okay and not good - not getting chips is kind of a let down at this restaurant! also, the women's bathroom door doesn't seem to lock, which just makes me uneasy. this location IS huge though, so we've never had to wait for a table. read more

Good food, terrible service. No wonder no one goes there, every time I eat there it's empty save employees sitting around. Crappy atmosphere, terrible decorations and dirty. Also, terrible coupons. Save your time, go with ANY of the other branches! read more

Great food! I love the Special La Casa! The service is fairly speedy but the friendliness is a little hit or miss. I wouldn't recommend on a busy Saturday night because they never really seem to have enough servers and you can see how stressed out they are and service suffers. One of my favorite places for lunch though! The only thing keeping me from giving them 5 stars is for some reason it takes them FOREVER to bring you your check. It must be something management tells them to do because it literally happens every time I've been there. If you don't ask for it you could be sitting for 15+ minutes after you are done eating. read more