Chela's is so much more than it appears at first. The front is humble. When you enter, everything appears casual...so casual that we weren't sure what to do at first. Take a seat anywhere you like; we chose to sit at the bar. This is a well-equipped bar for such a casual setting: Dos Equis, Modelo, Bell's, and Sierra Rose hard cider. Waaaaay better than Chi-Chis (and any real Mexican restaurant I can think of, too). And, my wife ordered a margarita, and she loved it. Best of all, the price was very reasonable: $17 after tip for the margarita and a large Dos Equis. Food orders are placed at a separate counter, and they are ready quickly. A single fish taco is a good size, and only costs $4.75. The daily special is $10.29, and includes two tacos, rice, and beans, with a small up charge for the fish tacos. I feel like I've traveled back in time to the last century with these prices. The fish tacos are outstanding. The fish is freshly prepared, and not fried. You will want to get more than one to make it a meal, and the rice and beans in the combo are a nice complement. The rice could have used more seasoning, but this is easily corrected by mixing in some salsa. This is truly a wonderful find. read more

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When in Ann Arbor if you're looking for some decent mexican food this is the place for you! I typically go with a carne asada burrito and it's always amazing! Very fresh ingredients and the meat is always tender and delicious. They have adequate seating or take out is always very fast and they also have an option to order online. Looking forward to my next visit to Chela's! read more

The service here was excellent -- everyone was very kind, helpful, and welcoming. I also really appreciated that most of the menu is gluten-free, which makes it a great option for people with dietary restrictions. For me personally, the food was a little bland and could've used more salt, spice, or seasoning, but if you prefer milder flavors this might be a great fit for you. My friend absolutely loved his burrito and could only finish half because it was so filling. The guacamole was really good, though my chips were a little stale during this visit. I'd definitely come back and try something different next time because the overall experience and service were very positive. read more

Chela's - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Their chicken tacos were the best (they make it in a special chipotle sauce). The carne asada was dry and the fish taco was too fishy. Their salsas are really good. The mild is tasty and green, the red has good flavor and not too spicy, and the orange is the spiciest but also has good flavor. Employees are friendly and there are lots of seating options inside and outside. Their decor is very bright and pretty! read more

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Good tacos and a great patio area. We tried the nachos, fish, chicken, carne asada, and barbacoa tacos.

TLDR: This is peak casual Mexican comfort food. Strong recommendations for tamale and quesadillas. The staff were friendly and the restaurant dining room is small but cute. Outdoor seating looks nice but havent had opportunity to sit out there. Recommend calling in your pick up order instead of the website. They ding you on convenience fees if you go through the online process. read more

Good food. If you like soft tacos these are excellent. My favorite is the sausage. I enjoy the lunch special. The rice is perfect and the pickled carrot is a winner. read more

Nice, small restaurant. Service is very quick. You order at the counter and then go sit down and wait for your order. The queso and guacamole were both good. The tacos were excellent, the tilapia and barbacoa especially. They also offer three different sauces of varying spice levels, which were a nice complement to the tacos. read more

Chela's - Taco trio - one tilapia, one barbacoa, and one al pastor - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Reliable option for tasty, authentic tacos! Highly recommend ordering tacos a la carte and trying a few. They are well sized, not too small but not overly large. 2-4 tacos is probably a good amount on average, depending on how hungry you are. (I would minimally do 3 because I love food, 4 will really fill me up. My SIL who manages to actually savor eating slowly and stop when she's full - something I've yet to master - can handle 2 :)). Love the elote on the side as well. Recommend getting the larger size here! The small is maybe 2.5inches ish of a smaller corn cob so I'm assuming large is the full size. I haven't tried all the tacos yet so not sure on my favorites, but last night I got Carnitas, Campechana (which is generally a favorite of mine, Chela's version is very tasty), Al Pastor, and Barbacoa and all were delicious. Served up with well seasoned/marinated meats, on corn tortilla, with onion, cilantro, and lime. Salsas are great too and worth adding on - I tried the red hot one and the green salsa. Took a bite of my husband's Nacho Grande as well and that was good too! I still think tacos are really where it's at but good option for nachos if you're having a craving for that. Small lot on the corner of some pretty busy streets (Stadium and Maple) which could potentially make getting in and out for pickup a little trickier, but I didn't have any issues. read more

Chela's - Tacos A La Carte (pickup order) - Campechana, Carnitas, Barbacoa, Al Pastor... Elote (Small) and Salsas - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Had nacho grande and fish tacos. The food was great, the service fast and the place was very clean, will definitely come again!! Fish tacos had so much flavor no salsa was needed. read more

They were super friendly inside and they have rotating specials that sound like they are a good try, fish tacos were decent for flavor great for value and same with burrito- you can grab to go quick or eat inside, seems like a decent little authentic Mexican style restaurant. Can also grab for the brewery behind it which is way cool! read more

Chela's is a beloved fixture of Ann Arbor for affordable, delicious Mexican food in a casual environment. Chicken and birria tacos are reliably good, as are the beans, in any form. Catering trays are always a hit at student events and family parties alike. It's owned by a local family and I love knowing that the proceeds stay in the community. I made the mistake of ordering a rajas burrito bowl recently, and it was a train wreck. The peppers were raw, there was no cheese or guacamole (which I paid extra for), and it had pico de gallo (which I ordered without, and confirmed twice). It was lacking in flavor and fairly small. read more

Very good authentic Mexican food. Good service for my calling in takeout. There is a big, clean dining area.

A great casual place to get comfort food with friends or family! Tasty salsa and food, love the tacos and burritos. Great vegetarian options and service is super fast. read more

*I never write reviews but I feel like this is necessary* This place used to be really really good. We're talking best tacos in town but over the last few months the quality and portion sized have majorly gone downhill. Chicken is dry, my tacos don't have enough meet to fill either side when I take a bit of the ends, and the chips (this has always been the case for me) are still always stale. But without the good food to make up for it it really isn't worth it a read more

Chela's - Taco - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Ordered carry-out on a weekday. The tacos were good, and made to specifications (no cilantro, no onion). The tamales were good, and the strawberry tamale tasted like cornbread with strawberry jam. I ordered a tres leches cake, but the restaurant forgot to put it in the bag -- I didn't realize until I got home and didn't want to go back out. (Out of $6.) Being from Florida, this was a good option for Latin food. read more

Always delicious. Incredible owner and staff is always friendly and helpful. Fun to eat in but food travels well for pickup ! Had them cater my graduation party in 2019 and it was truly the best. I will never have anything but amazing things to say about this establishment ! read more

This has become my go-to taco place. Their tacos are solid and the salsas are delicious and free! The guacamole is also super flavorful. The corn was very average but the limeade made up for it! Overall fast and casual but very tasty. read more

Authentic, fast, friendly staff! This is my go to spot for campechanas and birria. Best Mexican food in all of Ann Arbor. read more

Chela's - Tacos campechanas and rice - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

We catered for my job, and let me say I was extremely disappointed. The food was so mid like nothing tasted "authentic" and nothing was seasoned. Unfortunately there is better out there. Won't be back personally. I wish I could've taken a picture of the food to show how bad the quality is. It did NOT match the photos online. read more

This is my favorite place for Mexican food in Ann Arbor!! I frequently come here for their tacos, quesadillas, and horchata. If coming with a group, we usually like to eat out in the patio in the back of the building. My favorite things to get here are the carnitas taco and the elote. The carnitas taco is consistently juicy and flavorful. You can choose whether to add sour cream and salsa to it. There are three levels of salsa you can choose from (mild, medium, hot). The elote comes in two sizes. The seasoning is consistently on point. Service is friendly and efficient. Will definitely be back! read more

Was craving Mexican food, and this came up on most reviewed places in Ann Arbor. Did not disappoint! Amazing tacos and quesadilla. Loved the sides such as the guac and habanero salsa. Friendly and quick service too. Highly recommend! read more

Chela's - Steak tacos and chicken quesadillas - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

My favorite Mexican restaurant in A2. The fish tacos special are my favorite. No a strong fish taste, service is always excellent. Definitely recommend read more

Chela's - Chicken Daily Special Taco & Tamale - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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My boyfriend and I come here at least once a week. We're obsessed with their queso--get the queso! I also love that they can make quesadillas easily gluten-free for me. Their sauces are excellent and elevate any taco you order. read more

Over the years my go-tos here have stayed consistent: tacos or, if I'm feeling particularly indulgent, a chicken or steak quesadilla. But today I ventured from my usual and tried the Cuban Torta and wowowowow. I've got a new fave here, for sure! The torta, for the unfamiliar, is basically a sandwich. All their tortas come with lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, guacamole, and queso fresco and your choice of meat or vegetable. However the Cuban is it's own menu item and includes all that as well as chicken, ham, and pineapple. And, while it's a little on the messy side (I had to start the sandwich with a fork) it's HUGE for the price (I'm seriously still SO SO stuffed right now and I ate an hour ago) and so delicious. The chicken is moist and flavorful, the ham lends a nice salty smokiness, and the pineapple a touch of charred sweetness. I took one bite of this and swore out loud. It was that good. Can't wait till I can get it again. But first I have to digest the first one! read more

Food is consistently delicious and amazing. The Barbacoa is out of this world. By far the best Mexican in Ann Arbor read more

Prompt service with three guys assembling the orders, which makes it a great place for take out. Large patio but rathy sunny during the lunch hour. The awning helps but can't keep out all the rays. The tacos and tomales were not bad. I have been craving chorizo and they had a version with carne. The chicken stuffing was moist in the tomale. The food felt a bit generic and could use an extra dose of love and seasoning. The lunch special also came with rice and beans and a drink. read more

Chela's - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

One door to enter and the other for the exit. Arrows and directions and spacing stickers on the floors. Salsa requests at the tables by the to go orders and the soda cooler. The Tamale is mostly cornmeal and very little chicken, it still tastes good, but would be better with more chicken inside of it. Their hot salsa has a high rounds-house kick to it, still burns where the it briefly touched my lip after a bite. The fish taco and the chipotle tacos were both tasty. The tilapia isn't breaded and the slaw is a nice accompaniment. The chipotle chicken isn't spicy but still flavorful. They use a blend of dark and light meat for chipotle chicken. Food is good here, we definitely be back for more. They have one in downtown on 5th Avenue too. Their good about social distancing here for sure. read more

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Living within walking distance if Chela's is DANGEROUS! Really great prices and delicious food! My go to is the torta al pastor always so delicious and satisfying. I've gotten the rice and beans and they're a little lacking flavor wise so I usually skip those but I've never been let down by their tortas or tacos!! I always go HAM on the spicy salsa too!! A true treasure in Ann Arbor! Despite how busy it gets the customer service is great and they've really adapted well to social distancing! Always excited to treat myself to Chela's! read more

Chela's - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

First time at chelas and loved it. I'm from San Diego so my bar for good Mexican food is really high and Chela's truly impressed me. Highly recommend the barbacoa and queso. Didn't love the chicken tamale or salsas, and wish tortilla chips were hot and saltier, but overall experience was great, and nice service. read more

Chela's - Queso was unreal - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

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You know the feeling -- it's time for a tasty meal, and nothing but Mexican food will do! That's exactly the situation that I found myself in yesterday at lunchtime. I was meeting a friend, and -- trying to be diplomatic -- I suggested a couple of restaurants. A brief hallelujah chorus broke out when they also chose Chela's out of the ones that I had suggested. We arrived a little before the lunch rush and parked in the small lot in front. The restaurant recently expanded and there are quite a few more tables inside, as well as a nice-sized patio out back. We both went for the lunch special, carne asada tacos on a flour tortilla, and grabbed a drink at the soda fountain while we briefly waited. Once our food arrived, it was worth the short wait. Juicy carne asada in a soft flour tortilla, fresh salsas on top, and perfectly seasoned frijoles and rice made for the perfect noonday meal. When you get that feeling -- you know which one I'm talking about -- Head to Chela's to get your fix! read more

No frills restaurant with outstanding Mexican fare. Order at the counter and they'll bring the food to your table. Grab napkins and plastic ware on the way to your table along with individual salsa cups out of the refrigerator (there's a limit per order). Chips and full size salsa do not come with food, so order separately. The guacamole is fresh with a healthy dose of tomatoes and just the right amount of lime juice and onion. Over the years we've tried most, if not all, of the types of tacos and they're all delicious. Favorites are al pastor, campechano, and carnitas. Carnitas quesadilla is a great choice too. The staff is always friendly and helpful, so if you have a question, ask away. They remodeled during the pandemic and the dining room is more inviting, albeit a little cool in winter. This might sound weird, but the bathroom is awesome. The tile work and decorations look fabulous. So, nothing bad to report. Glowing review. :) read more

Chela's - Al pastor tacos - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

This place is hands down the best Mexican food I have had in Michigan! I went during lunch time and it was super busy! However, they got my food to me so fast and the staff was super friendly and talkative despite the chaos! Every bit takes me back home to California! Would recommend again and again! read more

My daughter was familiar with this place, but had never been, so we decided to give it a shot. It's not much to look at but the food is authentic and unique. A great range of protein options give you an opportunity to creat a lot of unique flavors. They have most of the basics: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc. I had the tacos - they were good, but not great. I honestly found them to be a little bland. We also had some chips and guacamole and the guacamole was quite good. read more

Chela's - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

DELICIOUS. All I can say is delicious. Very authentic food with tons of flavor. I don't usually love corn shells (I'm more of a flour shell person) but if all corn shells were to taste like this, then I would get them all the time. The guacamole is so good. You can tell they actually use fresh ingredients. It's not like a guacamole sauce...it's actual guacamole. If you are looking for good Mexican food in A2 this is it. There is also plenty of parking and seating inside. Staff is extremely friendly! read more

Food didn't have any flavor. Esquite was super sour only thing you could taste was te lime. Service was ok Family Ambiance read more

Very good Mexican fast food. I always get the loaded burrito Al Pastor. It has all the flavors and textures I feel are needed for this particular item. Their hot sauce is also quite hot (and very good) so be careful. Every time we eat a meal from Chelas everyone is quite pleased with their choice so you can't go wrong. For the last year or so we have been ordering online and either taking the meals home or eating them outside on the restaurant's patio when the temps and humidity aren't too bad. The only disappointment here are the corn chips. They seem to be straight out of the bag and are not worth eating. We usually just dump them in the trash. With so many excellent food choices you would think that they could come up with a better corn chip. Oh well, this one issue is not a reason to skip this place. Just plan to provide your own chips if eating at home. read more

I went for lunch today. I was greeted by the sweetest girl. She was helpful and had a smile. The food came out fast. The salsa is self serve so I got how much I wanted. Not the best salsa in the world, but good. I had 3 tacos. Steak, el Pastor and Barilla. They were delicious. The cheese dip was good, but I think it needed a spicy kick of something. When I was done everyone said thank you and asked me to come back. I will! Loved it . read more

Solid local Mexican food stop with both online ordering and in-house seating. Prices are comparable to chipotle or qdoba, yet food is fresh and homemade. I ordered the daily special which included 2 tacos, a side of rice and beans, and a drink. For the tacos, I ordered one with chicken and the other with barbacoa. Both tacos were juicy and had good flavor. My only complaint is that I paid extra for guacamole on the tacos, and hardly received any on both of them. The rice and beans were tasty and a great addition to the tacos. To drink, I ordered their house-made limeade which was refreshing. Overall, I enjoyed my meal and will definitely return. read more

Chela's - Daily special - 2 tacos with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Ann Arbor, Michigan

Chela's is a great authentic Mexican restaurant! I got their Daily Special with one Al Pastor and one Chipotle Chicken Taco. They got my order wrong initially, but they were super quick to fix the issue. Their staff is friendly, the restaurant is clean, and best of all, they have a spacious outdoor seating area behind the restaurant! The tacos were definitely the star of the meal. The al pastor tacos were juicy and flavorful, with just the right amount of onions and cilantro. The chicken tacos were good, but paled in comparison to the al pastor tacos, which were much more flavorful and clearly marinated in a host of spices. The medium salsa was pretty mild, and great for adding a bit more juicy brightness to the tacos. I'll definitely be coming back to Chela's for a cheap but quality meal, and I can't wait for the one on South Fifth to reopen! read more

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