Probably one of my favorite mexican food places. And there are a ton is this area due to the high hispanic population. Celia is usually on site and family working there as well. My wife and her family have been coming to Celia's for decades. I live the beans, they have the perfect flavor for me. The rice is also perfect. My wife doesn't like rice from anywhere since her late mother was a legendary old school lady from Mexico. Chile Colorado is awesome, steak ranchero is killer, pretty much anything here is homemade and delicious. You can't go wrong at Celia's!! read more

Celia's Restaurant - Great chile colorado...., beans and rice are the best as well! - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

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Bad food and bad service. I used to go there a lot, until the service went down hill. Have not been there in years

As a Hispanic, To experience for low quality food. Although a lot of Americans love the quality. read more

Celia's restaurant in El Centro has been around since 1994. I love to stop here on my drive from Phoenix to California. The food is always authentic, the staff is friendly and the restaurant is clean. The guacamole is a 10 out of 10. It's made from scratch and the absolute best appetizer. The chips and salsa are absolutely heaven. I enjoyed the Huevos Rancheros, the spices were absolutely wonderful. We also had a bean tostada, the tortilla was cooked to perfection. I would suggest calling to make sure they're open. They do close during the summer for a full week. I highly suggest stopping here to split your trip up. You will not be disappointed. Food the entire family will enjoy. read more

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The special quesadillas are the main attraction. My family had been going to Celia's when it was originally La Hacienda. Never a bad meal there. read more

I liked the simple Sonoran style Mexican food - I had a shredded beef taco and burrito. (In my mind burritos should be small enough to fit in one hand and not crammed with rice and beans and potatoes and shredded lettuce and everything else!) Taco could have been crispier, if I had remembered to order it that way. Salsa was great, guacamole was perfect. Staff was friendly and attentive. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Machaca burrito, beef taco. - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

The best restaurant in el Centro, the staff are amazing and the food is authentic as you would expect,

Food was good service great I would recommend n return 2 this place food was well me been Hispanic n having had a few good Mexican meal I give it a 10 read more

Celia's is our favorite restaurant in the valley. The food is consistently very good, I've tried several items & haven't been disappointed yet. The service is friendly & prompt they really want you to enjoy your meal. read more

Great ambiance and wonderful food; excellent service. Nice beer options, too! Hard to find someplace as good as this! read more

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Delicious authentic food! I ordered the combo #2; Taco, Enchilada, Tostada and rice and beans. So good! Great service too!

Since 1994. I know why! Husband and I were driving through on our way to Arizona. Warm welcome, polite staff. All the customers knew each other. Owner gives warm hugs to her regulars. Food was really good, salsa was perfect! The staff was very accommodating. Old pictures on the wall, full of memories. Unsure when I will be back but I will definitely remember this experience. My chilaquiles and husband's "special" quesadilla were good! He asked for two! Loved to see great customer service, kindness. read more

Celia's Restaurant - a pink table and blue walls - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

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The food has been consistently good over the years. The issue is the pricing. WOW! It looks like a 50% increase over the past 3-4 years.

Disappointing. Food is overpriced, servings too small, good but very expensive drinks. Servers seem kind of lost. Was hoping for much better. read more

The service was alright, we were a big group so I understand that part. The place sorta small but it's still spacious enough. Unfortunately I wasn't pleased with the food. Too bland, too little, no salsa except the ones that they offer with the chips. read more

I went to Celia's today with a friend because he highly recommended them. He was definitely NOT wrong. Celia's provides an authentic Mexican flavor with just the right amount of individuality. Don't miss out on this gem in El Centro! Upon my friends request, I ordered a "special quesadilla". That's what he called it, and that's how he ordered it. I didn't see it on the menu (although it may have been there). Anyway, it was so incredible! It's basically a unique flour tortilla blend with has cheese inside and is deep fried. Deep fried anything is usually pretty rewarding, even if it takes years off our lives. I'm honestly just glad I don't live in El Centro, because I'd eat enough of these to see an early grave! The Combination 2 was also very good. The tostada was my favorite, then taco, followed by the enchilada. The beans were also very flavorful. Don't miss out on this gem in El Centro, have your next meal at Celia's! read more

Celia's Restaurant - Combination 2 (enchilada, taco, and tostada w/rice and beans) - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

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first time visit. Moved from other state. I was looking for authentic Mexican restaurants.Good food and cost of performance is great. Love special Quesadilla is my favorite. read more

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Passing through El Centro on way to San Diego craving a good breakfast. Celia's hit the spot. Nice selection of breakfast entrees. Hubby had the huevos rancheros, which he said was come back good. I had one chile relleno with a side of rice. Nicely breaded with just right amount of cheese and sauce. Definitely will come back for the food, attentive service and cute atmosphere. read more

Friday April 26th, 2024 Stopped in to Celia's to grab a to go order after work, approximately 4pm. I ordered 3 carne asada burritos with guacamole and chips with salsa. I unwrapped a burrito, it was very small, mostly all tortilla, very little meat and the guacamole was next to nonexistent! I opened the bag of chips and they were stale. Celia's food has been on the decline for many years now. I don't eat there often as such; I thought I would give it another try, that was a mistake. Sadly, I will never return there again. read more

Wonderful food served by cheerful wait staff with the owner (Celia) & her son lovingly greeting patrons as they pay & leave in the evening.

It was delicious. We go early on the busiest days. We always get their guacamole and chips with salsa before the meal. You're served quickly, and I just like this place when there's not a full house much better. It's also a good place to run into old friends like we did this evening. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Guacamole and chips with salsa as our appetizer. So good - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

I've been to Celia's a handful of times over the years mainly for the wonderous creation known as the special quesadilla. Aka a fried quesadilla which exemplifies the greatness of carby goodness and cheese all in one bite. The menu offers a good spread of options including tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc and is pretty accomodating for vegetarians *aka me* I recently tried the chile relleno and it was decent, but not amazing. I can confidently say the enchiladas are better. Drop in if you're in the area and want to experience a true El Centro institution. Definitely try the special quesadilla if you haven't had it before! *You pay at the front register once you're done eating!* read more

Celia's Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

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My husband always brags about the food from where he was raised. Since his childhood restaurant closed down in Holtville, we were recommended to Celia's. It was everything I envisioned it to be! read more

Celia's Restaurant - the front of the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

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Very good food and nice staff. The prices are on the high side and it is a dive, but very tasty food and big portions. Get there before the senior crowd, as they settle in for a good bit and it can get crowded. read more

Nothings better than Mexican food from the Imperial Valley and nothing beats Celias. Tacos, Tacos, Tacos and everything else. Their salsa, guacamole and fresh tortillas = A+ read more

Great food consistently over the last 20 plus years! I love this place! Service is outstanding! read more

Portions are just ok, but the food is the best Mexican in the area along with Virginias.

My wife Rosa and I have been going to this place for years and have always loved it! Consistently good service!

Celia's has the best Mexican food. I've lived in San Diego for 40 years but as a child I lived in EC and there are no places in San Diego with food as good as Celia's. read more

great service and great food ! We love the Tacos dorados and refried beans. Their special quesadilla is awesome!

So we learned that when in El Centro you can find decent Mexican restaurants everywhere. So under a recommendation from the top Mexican restaurant on Yelp who was closed for Black Friday we went to Celia's. Simply Awesome. Very fast kitchen as we ordered and waited no more than 10 minutes and we were served.Truly a stand out and we'll deserved what reputation has an excellent choice in El Centro. We will definitely eat here when we're back in town. read more

Celia's Restaurant - #1 combo plate. Beef taco, tostada, chile relleno & enchilada with amazing sauce. Can't go wrong with this combo. - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

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Best food , best service in town. We missed Oscars smiling face. Love the special quesadilla

So Cecelias has recently reopened for takeout only and the service is not the same. We visited recently and we were seated outside for dining and it was super hot with no shade. I noticed several employees seated closely together at the bar eating. We sat outside for quite awhile probably 20 minutes while our waiter seemingly forgot about us. Apparently he was taking care o 2 customers who arrived after us who ordered out. Don't get here to dine unless you have a lot of time and sunscreen to sit outside in 90 degree heat. It's not worth the wait. Covid destroyed this restaurant's soul. read more

I stopped here while visiting family. My coworker told me if I stopped in El Centro I HAD to try a special quesadilla, so that's exactly what I did. The hostess was quick to get us seated with menus even tho we only ordered to go. Everyone was attentive and the food came out fast. The tacos could've used a bit more meat, but other than that the food was great! I'll be on a mission to find a similar quesadilla or a recipe to make my own since I'm told they aren't available outside the area. It's the perfect food to munch on after a night out of drinking or to satisfy the kids for lunch. read more

I decided to give this place a try instead of going back to Jaliscos in the next plaza over. It was about lunch time and there was a decent sized crowd inside. I was seated right away and given the menu. I was a little surprised at how simple the menu was for a Mexican restaurant. One side of the menu had breakfast items and the other had the usual tacos, burritos, and enchiladas. Though the menu says labels the entrees as dinner plates, you can still order it lunch. The prices are very reasonable for what you get. I ordered the chile colorado dinner plate and it was $6.99. I was a little disappointed with the chile colorado. It was a bit too salty for my taste. The entree came with rice and refried beans and those balanced out the saltiness. I also got two flour tortillas which were fluffy and so yummy when they were hot. However, once they cooled, they became hard and unsatisfying. The food came out fast. I got my entree less than 5 minutes after I placed my order. I agree with other yelpers that the chips and salsa were great. The chips are thicker than most others and have a good crunch to them. The salsa was just right in terms of spiciness. I noticed a lot of people were ordering taco plates so I may have to come back and try it next time I'm around. Or even the special quesadilla. When I went, I noticed that more than half the customers there were mostly white (no offense!), which to me isn't a really good sign to me. Maybe I just went on an off day. Being from the LA area, I've had better than this, so only 3 stars from me for now. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Chile colorado - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

First time trying this place I was impressed when I walked in on how clean the restaurant was. We ordered the Carne Asada burrito and they are know for their signature quesadilla it comes out like a pizza pocket filled with cheese and you can add meat. The food was ok nothing to run out for, salsa was bland but the quesadilla was good. Their prices are a little high for what you get. I gave them two stars because of how clean the establishment. read more

Friendly packed place but food is just not worth it at all. She never asked what kind of taco I wanted. They have burgers on the menu, that should have been my first sign that it was bad Mexican, if any place says American-mexican food you do not want to stop there. Each extra portion of measurable "Cup" of chips costs you .$0.50. Salsa with chips is runny and dark red. One star for the chicken tostada. It was a 4 star tostada but the food experience in total was just worth a star. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Yes, she was throwing up from the huevo rancheros soup. - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

The best consistently delicious Mexican food to be found! They have a terrific staff and very prompt service always. There are plenty of very clean, spaciously placed seating arrangements inside and ample parking In the front. We always make a point of stopping in El Centro so we can have lunch or dinner there! Well worth the detour off Highway 8! read more

This is my favorite place to go to when I'm in the valley. I Always have a great experience and the staff treat you like family. I love everything I've ever ordered here. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Special quesadilla with beans - Mexican Near Me - El Centro, California

I tried this place out recently with my dad. I had honestly never heard of it, nor had I noticed it before. But I am so glad we came here for breakfast! I ordered the chilaquiles and my dad ordered the chile verde burrito and asked if it could be made extra spicy and boy did they deliver. My dad had a hard time eating it due to how spicy they made it but he was so happy they did! My chilaquiles were great as well, decent size place for a decent price. The service was good and the food came out quick. Place was pretty quiet at the time we went which was nice. The only reason i'm knocking out a star, which honestly its not that big of a deal but I have to mention it, is that the place is pretty out dated look wise. Not a deal breaker, just had to put it out there. Will be coming back for sure! read more