we stopped by Canela for a casual mexican dinner the other night. the interior is bright clean and cheerful albeit a little thrown-together looking. our server came with a pitcher of water and glasses, and we ordered. soon after, chips that were definitely homemade, topped with black beans & cotija cheese were brought to the table along with a trio of salsas. then our watermelon agua frescas, which were freshly prepared and delicious. our entrees came in a bit, and I really enjoyed the chicken enchiladas with green sauce, very flavorful. this came with a side dish of rice and beans that were pretty good. my husband wasn't as thrilled with the fish tacos as the filets were battered with the skin on, which made them tough. flavor wise they were good, with mango salsa. overall, we'd go again. nice people. read more

great service and great tacos! family owned spot with fresh and delicious food. I love the chicken taco platter!

Very, very good authentic Mexican food! This was our first time trying Canela (and I sure am glad we did!) as there are other Mexican restaurants a little closer that we usually frequent. I did not place the order or pick it up so I have no comments on the service or the atmosphere, but the food was outstanding! We ordered few chicken burritos (served with fries), an order of steak tacos, Horchata, and Cochinita Pibil. I didn't get to try the burritos but they were large and looked appetizing. The tacos were for us to split and were very good traditional style tacos served with onions, cilantro, and lime wedges. The Horchata was delicious and matches up with the best I've had from other restaurants. The star of the show was the Cochinita Pibil served with rice, beans, avocado, and cabbage. The braised pork shoulder was tender and flavorful, and the portion was huge! My first time ever ordering it and definitely won't be my last. I almost couldn't finish it all but I managed. I would definitely recommend it. I would like to eventually dine in here but was very happy with my first experience with Canela Mexican Cafe. I love Mexican food and am looking forward to dining in restaurant and trying more new (to me) items from their menu. read more

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A MUST TRY!!!! Visited here for the first time yesterday and food was out of this world!!! We decided to dine in and ordered the chimichangas. For a Saturday the dining area wasn't very busy however food came out fairly quick. This place is definitely family owned and decorated nicely. The food is authentic and feels like home. From the moment our server put our order in front of us I knew the food was going to be delicious and boy oh boy was it!!! Literally the BEST chimichanga I've ever eaten!!! It was stuffed with beans chicken & cheese. The in house salsas pair perfectly with the food too! My husband and I will definitely be coming back and most likely become regulars. If you're in S. Jersey I highly recommend coming here! read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Chimichanga (chicken) - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

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I got the Plato A La Mexicana for lunch and it was a very comforting and enjoyable meal. I love the different textures with the beans, the rice, the queso fresco, the chicken (albeit a little dry) and the slices of avocado. It came with FOUR tortillas (your choice of corn or flour) and it really paired well with this dish. I basically made chicken tacos with the tortillas and it was a perfect amount of food, maybe slightly a little too much food (but I'm not complaining!). The service was good and free chips/beans with salsas were provided. The tortilla chips tasted really fresh and crunchy which I love. The ambiance is nice and the store lights and the natural light really make the inside bright. We sat right by the window which made for a perfect shot of my plate! *BONUS: get the tamale which is less than $6 and is a BIG serving, you could probably eat 2 and make that a meal. It's soft and the meat inside is tender and delicious read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Plato a la Mexicana w/ chicken - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Fast, friendly service. The food was excellent and nice size portions. I will definitely be back.

Excellent food! We had the birria tacos, fish (Mahi Mahi) tacos and homemade guacamole and chips. The guacamole may have been the best I've ever had! read more

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Im from California-Live in Philly- I sometimes come over into Jersey to shop for some necessities. I was starving for lunch. Saw this place, had great reviews. Thought I would give a try. MAN-OH-MAN. Delicious. I know good Mexican food when I taste it. This was 100% legit. What we ordered: Ground beef, Carnitas, Chicken Tinga and Steak tacos. Chips & Quac. All delicious. The salsas were good too. And it was all to-go. Ate in my car in the parking lot! Definitely going to come back. read more

Sweet little spot! Food was awesome. We tried the birria tacos, chicken tinga tacos, Al pastor tacos, street corn, refried beans, and the chips & guac., which also had 3 varieties of salsa with them. Good amount of patrons during our visit as well. Great service too! Highly recommend! read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Birria Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Great tasting food chicken tacos were amazing, barria taco was good. Chicken tamale was good it had a smoke flavor very light.

Sitting here, staring at this abysmal meal wondering if I should've just walked out of the establishment never to return and saved myself from yet another disappointment in the hellscape that is 2024. I've ordered from Canela on numerous occasions and have sampled quite a few things on their menu. The pozole is absolutely delicious and not always on the menu at other places. It's a substantial portion and makes for great leftovers. The zincronda is another fave, as is the conchinita pibil, and their lovely assortment of agua frescas & cafe de olla. For food they (normally) would get grade A from me. However, like the trajectory of Wentz's legacy with the Eagles, the quality at Canela has edged closer and closer to the "why even bother" territory. I've previously had a snafu when ordering with them where they forgot to include an item I'd purchased. Since said item was the one item my kid will consume enthusiastically, I made the trek down 38 to retrieve it after I called to make them aware. Arriving to claim my item, letting them no I was the patron that called ahead about my missing beans, they employees still asked to see my receipt. Ok cool, no biggie because this girl came prepared. This still didn't dissuade me from continuing to patronize Canela. I do love that pozole. Today though, to-DAY (!) is the pièce de résistance because the foolishness that took place would be laughable if it didn't cost a Benjamin. Placed the order online at close to 7p arrived around 7:45p. I've been sick, so I sent my humans in to get the dinner (you know life skills and all). Only to have whomever was working come out to my car to ask me who I was here for. Uhhh....sir, did those two very competent children that said they were picking up and gave my name not tell you or did you think it was for fake? Ok, ok, ok maybe he thought to himself "self, these kids are playing," but he knew to walk directly to my car and ask me the same question. He then tells me that they DON'T have my order ready and they need more time -- the almost hour wasn't enough. There was one party of two inside when I arrived. Yea, it's Saturday night, but this is SJ and we all know everyone is down the shore. Not only was my order not ready, but they had given the ENTIRE $110 order away, to someone else. Weird, right, not like I have a common name and it was an easy mistake. It's 8p now and I have no choice but to wait because CPS will take my kids away if they miss a meal (kidding!). We wait, for another 35 min. Finally, get the order and it's $110, no discount for the inconvenience, no here's a dessert/drinks/guac on the house for misplacing your order, not even a "we are incredibly sorry for this silly lil mistake of ours" faux apology. Nada, zip, zero, zilch, nothing in the way of customer service to turn a crappy situation into a positive experience. It doesn't end there, get home and the food is tepid, and dry, and burnt. The beans had a burnt taste like they came from the bottom of the pot. The chicken. Dry. The chorizo. Dry. The rice. Cold. I live less than 10 min from Canela and while the laws of thermodynamics support the food cooling, it shouldn't be cold. An off day? Perhaps. But fooling me thrice won't happen and I can't say I'll venture to order from them again in the near future. I understand off days, but as a customer, an acknowledgment of a screw up is the barest of minimum. Instead, I felt like I was the inconvenience for necessitating a remake -- especially when I can hear them talking about me from behind the counter. Now, I'm just sad. Sad and hungry. I think I'll eat some saltines and call it a night. read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Canela Chicken Special-- bonus addition: burnt beans - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Food was bussin, authentic, Delicious hot and fresh. Had the Birria and fish tacos with the plantains. If you are hungry stop here! read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Our empty plates, stuffed and could not finish every last bit. - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Yummy. I order the street tacos and they were great! Service was nice and the restaurant clean. We'll be back! read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Street Tacos, Grilled Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

I had no idea this restaurant was even here! If you drive by it every day you might miss it. Situated in a little strip mall near the route 38 circle, this hidden gem served me such beautiful food that it was hard bringing myself to dig in. The food was incredibly fresh and tasted fantastic. Service was attentive and super friendly. The prices are SO reasonable! I can't wait to go back, and I suggest everyone who likes authentic Mexican food to give them a try. read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Flautas de Queso - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

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Nice little strip mall Mexican joint. Not too fancy but it's cozy and is just right for a somewhat quiet and unpretentious dinner. It has an authentic feel, is very clean, and the staff is all very polite. My wife and I came here on Saturday night (3/30) at about 9:00pm and were the only people sitting. There were 4-5 tables in total. Two grub hub guys came in during the 40 minutes or so that we were there, but aside from that it felt like regular dining out. The horchata was delicious, and the 8 steak street tacos (with onion and cilantro) we ordered were all very good. They are served with wedges of lime and a few slices of cucumber. They also give a small basket of complimentary chips and three different types of sauces. Two are red and one is green, all a little spicy and delicious. The bathroom was very clean and the dining area was clean with a few nice little decorations on the walls. We'll be back when over in Cherry Hill again. read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Street tacos with steak and O/C (onion and cilantro) . $4.each. - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

First time at Canela today and they did not disappoint at all! Ordered to go two sets of street tacos (Al pastor, birria, and steak) with flour tortillas and corn tortillas, a steak burrito, and churros. Everything was fresh and delicious! The burrito came with fries and the tacos came with fresh limes and cucumbers. They included napkins, cutlery, extra sauces, and complimentary chips and salsa at no extra charge. This will be my new regular spot for tacos and more! I can't wait to try more items on the menu. read more

Wanted to try a new place for Mexican and stumbled across Canela! The decor inside is so festive and bright. We had chips and salsa to start( salsa was fresh in taste) and got the Mangonada drink! Let me tell you... this was so good! It comes with a candy straw ( chamoy&tajin) We got Birria tacos and chicken chimichangas that comes with rice(and beans- we did not get). Service was quick and friendly. Can't wait to come back! read more

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One man show here! Don't expect fast service. Nothing fancy here but the trade off is great food. I had the chicken enchiladas Mexican special. Perfect size and delicious! read more

I liked everything about our experience here and look forward to having a meal at Canela again. It's casual and unpretentious but pretty. Service was good and we liked the nachos we ordered. Will write more about our next trip. read more

There's really no comparison... I would skip the chain restaurants and come here! I ordered the birria tacos and the fish tacos based on someone else's review and it did not disappoint! This will be my only go to Mexican from now on! Everything's fresh and tasty even the chips that are given are way better than the other spot. read more

This is a super casual place. The food is AMAZING. Everything is freshly prepared from scratch. The service is also excellent. Highly recommend for casual dine in or takeout. read more

OH MY G! All of you looking for a REAL AUTHENTIC Mexican restaurant with SUPERB service! Go to Canela Mexican Cafe!!!! NOW! The food IS by far the best you'll ever have living in New Jersey! We ordered the corn on the cob (elote), the tamal Oaxaca, the chicken mole enchiladas, and the tacos de al pastor! The horchata is Ann's by far the best I've ever had and this holds a ton of weight coming from a Hispanic background, originally from California and traveled in Mexico. The BEST horchata! The service was super fast and our server was extremely accommodating! The whole atmosphere was welcoming and I have to add this because it's super rare, the bathroom and high chair was EXTREMELY clean. The only flaw I would give them is there is no diaper changing station in the bathroom! Canela Mexicana Café is a must go!!!!! read more

Canela Mexican Cafe - Tamal Oaxaqueo - Mexican Near Me - Cherry Hill, New Jersey

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Absolutely rude customer service from the guy with the glasses in the back who locked the door in my face when I just needed to ask a question. It was past opening time btw! read more

Delicious! The guacamole was on point. Everything we ordered was excellent and quick. Delicious tacos,

A nice little out of the way restaurant. A few tables but I always order to go. Delicious Mexican food.

Chicken chimichanga didn't have much chicken. PLENTY of beans but hardly any chicken. Rice was very dry and should have refried beans on the side also. Should probably go to the Mexican Food Factory and order a chicken chimichanga to see what they should look like and taste. read more

Food is outstanding better than any other restaurant I've tried. The service is awesome. Very kind people. Try it out!

Wonderful little spot... clean, great food. once You have home made soft corn tortillas... you won't eat flower again... lol... happy times.

This place has very excellent authentic Mexican. My son loves the birra tacos and can't stop raving about them. If drinks are you thing try their Horchata or Mango Fresca. Usually order the street tacos as chicken tinga or grilled. Branched out into the Torta but found it to buttery/greasy. Definitely will return soon read more