My boy recommended Chelas and we were happy to prove it out. It was the fourth of July weekend and I wanted to just drink and have a bite. I took in two Al Pastor, which was the pork tenderloin and pineapple, two fish and two Mushroom/garlic tacos. Each tasty taco was wonderfully packed with green tomato sauce, cilantro, lettuce and spicy sauce. What really struck us was how filling each taco was. Add this in summation to the prices, it's a steal. The hibiscus margaritas were refreshing and beautifully complemented the taco flavors. I'm looking forward to coming back again and trying the rest of the menu. read more

See all

Been here twice and it's always been an absolute pleasure. The food is delicious no matter what I try. There's a ton of vegetarian options which is super convenient. Service is amazing! Can't wait to come back and try something else on the menu. read more

Chela & Garnacha - Enchilada verdes - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

Our favorite Mexican place in Astoria by far. Highly recommended. We used to get delivery all the time but for some reason it's not on the delivery apps as much anymore, but check it out. It's really really good. read more

Love this place !!! The best tacos !!! And yes go ahead and add cheese and avocado to your tacos. Guacamole are excellent , sautéed jalapeños too. And my personal favorite intrincadas with zucchini flowers . Margaritas are great too . read more

This is an absolutely amazing taco joint. It's small and unassuming from the outside with small folded paper menus on the tables. It's small and crowded with minimal space between tables. The servers were very busy but very friendly and attentive. We ordered a beer and a house margarita which was very good and well prepared. We started with chios and green salsa. The chios were served warm and the salsa was so, so good. We also ordered 5 different tacos to split. The best tacos were the pescado (wild cod topped with Baja slaw, tomato, cilantro and lettuce) and the camaron adobado (adobo shrimp with crispy grilled cheese and guacamole). In all honesty the crispy grilled cheese MAKE these tacos amazing. I will return again if I'm ever in the area. read more

See all

The flavors are melting in my mouth!!! The music and ambiance is so chill. The service is awesome. I was surprised that they had several options of Micheladas. The fact that they had Cuban michis was truly unexpected. Maybe I need to go outside more but that's the first time I see it on a menu in NY. Their menu options are incredible as they have vegan/ vegetarian options too. Another delicious thing to mention is that they have buñuelos on the menu! This is a must try. Truly authentic. I had tacos and a torta and everything is seasoned well. The food was served hot. In Spanish review: La salsa pica Las tortillas las calientan bien La carne está sazonada al 100 La portion de la comida es buen provecho Las micheladas bien hechas La música y el ambiente está chingon El servicio es amable y rápido Me siento en casa y la mera verdad estoy tan feliz que encontré este restaurante mexicano. read more

My body and taste buds were craving Central America - and Chela Garnacha was perfect! I don't eat meat or fish- and ate their fabulous Nogales taco, vegetables taco and black bean soup. Plus a wonderful mushroom taco! A+! Service was wonderful and friendly! Enjoyed the sidewalk patio too read more

6.5 Value: 8 Outdoor seating Got Birria, Pescado, Asada. Really liked Pescado 9/10, Asada 7.5/10, Birria 5 read more

very delicious mexican food--i have ordered probably 15+ times in the past fee months (tried burritos, tortas, and tacos so far) and have never had an issue. love the shrimp tacos! read more

Chela and garnacha is a Mexican-American taco place that boasts authentic Mexican cuisine at affordable prices. Located in Astoria next to a plethora of restaurants, chela and garnacha is an institution worth stopping by. To start, I tried the hibiscus margarita which was sweet and tart with a sugar rim for $11. After that, I switched the a classic margarita which was good. We also got the chips with green and red salsa and the guacamole. The red salsa was by far the better salsas of the two ($8). So I recommend just getting that one. The green salsa was a tad bit spicier than the red with less Smokey flavoring. The guacamole was good but probably not worth $11. After reading lots of reviews, I opted to get the only taco with the delicious fried cheese already on the taco (and not the extra $1), the shrimp adobado. It was delicious with the perfect amount of heat and sauce. Overall, dinner was pretty good. They combine tables for bigger groups. Definitely worth coming in during their happy hour. read more

Chela & Garnacha - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

Came here during lunch time on the weekend, and it was a 5/5 experience. We tried the chips and red salsa, carne asada tacos, tinga tacos, a pescado taco, and classic margaritas. The steak and chicken tacos were incredible and full of flavor! Could have skipped on the fish taco - it left a bit to be desired as it didn't have that much flavor compared to the other tacos. The red salsa was really good with a very slight kick, and there was enough served for all the chips. Lastly, the margaritas tasted fresh and high quality. They do happy hour all day until around dinner time too - $7 for a classic margarita, hard to beat for this quality! The service was quick and efficient, like you would expect for a restaurant in the area. The interior of the restaurant was clean and comfortable, with a trendy vibe that works perfectly alongside their tacos and margs! read more

The shrimp taco is fantastic. Lots of plump and juicy shrimp. The volcanes was good too. Portions are large - two people can barely finish 1 order of volcanes and 2 shrimp tacos. Service is very warm and friendly. read more

LOVE the tacos here! The fried cheese on the shrimp and veggie tacos puts them over the top. Great flavors and sauces and filling, not skimpy on the toppings. I love the guac on the veggie taco too. The tacos are so tasty, even though I moved to Brooklyn, I still come here any chance I get for the taco fix read more

Chela & Garnacha - Shrimp taco, veggie and mushroom tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

My favourite taco place in Astoria. The tinga taco with added avocado and melted cheese is omg amazing. The food even travels well with delivery. So good! read more

the food was so good and the people working there were so nice. the worker there suggested a meal that was awesome. if you are in the area do come here read more

Excellent tacos and drinks . Love the vegetarian taco , but all are great ! Highly recommend

Came here on a double date with my fiance and our two friends. Absolutely enjoyed the tacos. We actually went a while back during Lent where I was unable to eat meat on Fridays. I know a taco place on a no meat day lol. But it actually worked out well. I ordered the fish taco and th shrimp taco. Both were bomb and loved the flavor of it. The restaurant itself it pretty small. Not many seats and we actually had to wait to get seated. The wait was short so we didnt mind. Service was good. Would come back to enjoy more tacos! read more

Amazing mexican place in Astoria! It was my first time trying Vulcanes and the 3 of us went crazy for those. Really good the beef ones. Flautas were also good and tasty, especially the potato flautas. I will for sure go back! read more

See all

Overall loved the service and food. Would definitely get the veg taco again, they were delicious! Spivey margarita were good also. The guacamole was a little on the bland side, missing some spices and tomatoes and more cilantro. Would I go back? Yes, to try other things on the menu. =) read more

Chela & Garnacha - Left: fish taco & Right: Veg Taco Pescado Taco & Vegetables Taco Yummmm - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

See all

Amazing food and service. My hubby and I had bean soup, guacamole with nachos, and shrimp, fish and carne asada tacos. All delicious and very very tasty. Home made margarita is one of the best I've ever tasted. I highly recommend this cute casual place. read more

Delicious x100! My friend took me here for dinner for taco Tuesday (no taco special during taco Tuesday) but it was SO good. Possibly the best I've ever had. Their volcanoes was so good!! It's fried cheese crust and on top they put things you would on a taco. This is a must get. Service was prompt and the servers were all great. This is one place I will 100% come back to and bring my other friends with! read more

Ordered some delivery recently, and when my order came promptly to my door, the delivery guy gave me another helping of food on top of my own (I guess maybe they got the order wrong?) free of charge! So a lot of food was eaten on that day... Onto the food, I had a fish, carne asada and al pastor taco, with a side of chips and guac. For the extras that I got for free, some carnitas tacos and a small bowl of chili. The tacos were delicious, especially the al pastor and fish (I would always recommend these for tacos!). I think the chips had a slight hint of lime to them, or some other flavor, and paired well with the guac. Some great food that I'd recommend to anyone in the area, and it didn't hurt that I got something for free on the side :) read more

Can we please talk about this spot? Anytime I find myself in Astoria, I definitely go to this place. It's a small spot but they have seriously flavored and amazing food. Everytime we come, the food ALWAYS tastes great, its not a hit or miss at all, which is important to note. Can we also talk bout their guac with chips? You can taste the freshness. Their guac is my absolute favorite even though I love their tacos too, nothing beats the guac and chips. In the summer, they have a small table and place two chairs outside for the couple that has a dog but still wants to go there (thank you for that! we were able to go with our 3 lbs yorkie). All in all, one of my all time favorite places to go to. Quick service and great food, very flavorful. read more

Where else are you going to get actual cactus! Without the needles! Came here for brunch but prices were a little high (All brunch items were $16 each) My cactus dish (nopal con huevo y queso) with eggs was very one-note. Cactus wasn't bad. Tasted like aloe tbh. Her dish was ok (enfrijoladas de pollo) Decor is great. Colors are very evocative of Mexico. Food wasn't bad, but I don't think taste and portion were justified by the check Note: Brunch menu is inflated but their regular menu is decently priced. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Response to Comment 11/5/2017: http://weheartastoria.com/2015/02/chela-garnacha-now-has-brunch/ Was not "always $13." That^ was the menu we had. Used to be $16.. Glad you reduced the brunch price to $13 though. Cheers. read more

See all

Omg I love this place so much, went to check it out because I saw the story in a magazine, fall in love with when I read it and I'm very happy I went there, had a veggie quesadilla and my friend had a bunch of tacos, everything is delicious the portions are big and so tasty. I'm a big fun of Mexican food and so glad I found this gem, a better happy hour will make me very happy! Highly recommend read more

While I'm not a connoisseur of Mexican cuisine, just vaguely familiar.... I think Chela & Garnacha serves some delicious and quality stuff. The service was nice, the staff is friendly albeit stretched a little thin when the place got packed the night we visited. The value is ermm....subjective, but overall I think the place is worth being considered if you are in the area. We ordered Intricadas de pollo, Volcanes and Flautas de Frijol and tried Buñuelo with guava for dessert. Las intricadas are made of masas (corn cakes) as base then topped off with guac, protein, chipotle adobado sauce and sour cream. They tasted just as good as they looked, the moisture of the toppings balanced the shredded chicken and the masa. Volcanes were delicious, I mean, how can you go wrong with charred corn tortillas and melted cheese plus anything that you add on to it? The avocado slices on top were pretty to look at and adds a cream texture. I wasn't too impressed overall with the buñuelo. To be fair, it is a simple fried flour thin dough dessert that isn't going to blow anyone's mind out. More of a comfort food, to cure that sweet tooth type of thing. I was hoping for the basic sugar and cinammon dusted ones but they were only offering the guava and nutella ones, so I picked the guava. My disappointment crept in when I realized that the $6 dessert came with one single medium plate size buñuelo. Ouch. I can agree with other reviewers that this place isn't cheap. I wouldn't want to condemn it to being overpriced just because we have been used to having certain ethnic cuisines usually available for us for the low-low price and we refused to accept and pay for a more quality and on occasion more refined versions of them. (I have seen people not batting their eyes when paying $20+ for Coq Au Vin at french bistros. It is actually quite easy and cheap to make this stew in bulk, mind you) Also, Astoria's rent is getting ridiculous. But damn, $6 for a single buñuelo? Go easy okey?.... By the way, if I'm forking out $10+ for 3 perfectly,crunchy golden bean flautas and the tacos are at least $4.5 and more each, then I would appreciate a bit nicer chairs to dine in. Surely, give Chela & Garnacha a try. 3.75 stars read more

Chela & Garnacha - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

See all

Really enjoyed the food at this place. Very good Mexican food in the area. Have eaten multiple times and enjoyed myself every time.

I remember long time ago we ordered for delivery from this place, it was delicious but I don't know why I completely forget about it but good thing my friends invited us here & while checking on yelp I saw my picture and it reminded me that I actually tried it. We went for dinner and got a table right away. If I think about eating tacos it sounds like ohh Its tacos, whats new, meat with soft or crunchy tacos and some with avocado, right? This place make it way better than any other taco spot I've been too before. Everything in the menu is delicious and perfect! For drinks I got the freshly squeezed limeade $3- its sweet and sour. Very refreshing! My friends got the hibiscus margarita- different and really good. For appetizer we got two types, chip and guac $11 and ceviche acapulco- this is the best ceviche ever. A little spicy and sour with chips on the side. I got 3 types of tacos, al pastor- pork tenderloin marinated topped with sliced of pineappe. Pascado- wild cod topped with baja slaw and tomato. Camaron adobo- adobo shrimp, guac and grilled cheese. All 3 is very tasty and delicious but my favorite is the camaron adobo. It melts in your mouth! The price is more expensive than other taco places but you got what you've pay for. Good service & great food! I can't wait to go back very soon. My new favorite place!! read more

See all

I'm not going to lie, I was extremely excited to try this place out. I struggled with parking, walked in the heat, upon arrival I was greeted. I was told I could sit wherever. Going to my seat, by the window, o noticed a dead cockroach on the table. I just stood up and walked out. I'm sure there were no cockroaches on the food, but the fact that there was on on the table made me cringe. For that reason and that reason alone, I probably won't be coming back. ----reply to Jodi, If you did a deep clean there wouldn't be a dead cockroach on the table my dude. Sorry I didn't want to eat a restaurant with dead bugs. Doesn't sit well in my stomach. That's gross. And the fact you are defending it is even worse. read more

The food here is GOOD. Try the birria if you can. Limited seating but so worth it. Would recommend.

My personal favorite taco spot in NYC. They never disappoint. It's definitely a low key spot that deserves more attention than what it gets. Customer service is great and so is the food. They're very generous with their portion sizes. It's always on my mind when I'm in a mood for tacos. read more

See all

Tacos espectalare! The food never disappoints here. Yummy margaritas and michelada's as well! Casual vibes

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Overall atmosphere was great! Everyone there was either laughing or smiling. 10/10 for the Volcanes, carne asada tacos and Nutella fritters. Happy hour special was 8 for margaritas. Can't remember the rest. read more

Chela & Garnacha - Volcanes - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

My friend and I were roaming around the neighborhood, hungry, looking for something good to eat. We stumbled upon this place, and just our luck! I personally loved it and want to come back to try more food. We did a simple dinner. We got chips with both red and green salsa, corn soup, and shredded chicken intrincadas. The chips were crispy, fresh, and warm. I'm so glad we got both salsas. The red one was smoky and spicy. The green one had great flavor. We both loved the corn soup. It's simple, yet definitely hit the spot. And it was nice that it came with extra chips since there was still a lot of salsa left. The intrincadas were fabulous. Although they were tiny, they were layered with guacamole, I think mashed potatoes (but it's not mentioned on the menu), chicken, sour cream, and a red sauce. I especially loved this dish because it wasn't messy to eat. Looking forward to trying more! read more

Chela & Garnacha - Mexican Near Me - Astoria, New York

Shrimp tacos are the best tacos I've ever had. Absolutely amazing, everything on the menu is great!

Really amazing Mexican food that some go for a full on. Solid 4.5 if it was an option though. Seriously slammin'!

Delicious is an understatement. The food here was knock your socks off good. DaYUMMMMM! The charred spring onions are a perfect starter, fresh and bright. The quesadillas which remind me of an empanada are fantastic. I loved all the different filling varieties. The cheese and squash blossom one was my favorite though. Just a dose of sweet from the squash mixed with salty and creamy cheese. Wowza! The tacos are all so well seasoned and melt in your mouth. Definitely get an order of the al pastor with pineapple and the shrimp that's wrapped in cheese. And the margaritas are big, don't mess around style. I loved that they have both regular and spicy varieties to suit everyone's tastes. I can't wait to go back and try even more things! read more

I was very impressed with my first Chela & Garnacha experience. The inside is casual and decently spacious. Although it was decently packed for a Thursday night, we were seated right away. Their menu is pretty sizable and my eyes led directly to the guac and chips which is always pricey (due to the poor crop recently I suppose?) but worth it. I really enjoyed the nice pack of heat in the guac and they provided just the right amount of chips as well. As for tacos, we split a bunch from the menu but as I was instructed to do from my plus one, *life hack* get the fried cheese on each one. Essentially, the crispy fried cheese goes under the tortilla which is pure GENIUS because how many times have you had a taco and all the filings fell out? One too many times I would like to think. But this... this is a wonderful invention. It holds everything nicely in the tortilla and also adds a different texture to the bite. Try it on one taco and believe me, you'll order all the rest like it. I recommend the Al Pastor, Adobo, Camaron and Carne Asada. Margs were decent as were prices (oh I forgot to mention - cheese is extra) and I will definitely be back sometime soon. read more

Delicious food especially shrimp taco. It has yummmmy cheese jjju high Gigi hii Yelp is dumb

Authentic food with new ingredients, delicious and balanced flavors and very yummy margaritas!!