This family-owned and operated restaurant is delightful. We stopped here before a bit of wine tasting in Temecula. Our server, Daniel, was welcoming and knowledgeable about the menu. While reviewing the menu we were served fresh chips and a delicious salsa. We had to ask for more! We decided on two breakfast dishes, a delicious and beautifully presented Huevos Rancheros and a traditional yummy 2 egg breakfast with hash browns and bacon. The Mexican music and decor rounded out our satisfying experience. Well done! Keep it up! read more

As the name would lead you to believe, the carnitas plate was excellent and served with home made corn tortillas. Also tried the Machete which was like a soft slightly thicker burrito-sized tortilla but folded like a taco. It was unique and very good. I would definitely get it again! Chips and salsa were also great. Salsa wasn't too spicy but the server was able to get us a small bowl of the much hotter taco salsa that was real good. Service was great - the staff is super friendly. There is not a ton of seating so on a Saturday night it can get busy especially with larger parties - 5 or more. read more

Best Carnitas taco I've ever had. Get the mixto carnitas. This place is going to be legendary Temecula, you need to eat here.

we're from out of town just passing through we were craving carnitas and found this place through google and OMG it was amazing food and service was perfect. We would recommend and definitely come and eat here again. Thank you again for the hospitality!! read more

This was delicious. The quesabirria was delicious. The consommé was rich and delicious. We started with chicherones and guacamole. So good. Our waiter was attentive. Highly recommend this place and have bookmarked it in case I'm back in the area. read more

Came here based in the reviews and I have to preface with I'm allergic to onions. If you love onions, this place is for you. Every dish I looked at had onions. I even mentioned this to the very inattentive waitress and she offered no help and no recommendations. I finally settled on the El Canario plate and again mentioned the onion allergy. I was delivered a plate of carnitas covered in pickled onions. I just gave up at this point and picked around it as best I could. The carnitas in my opinion were just okay and nothing to write home about. Beans and rice that came with the plate weren't memorable. read more

Temecula needed a place like this! Delicious carnitas, we will definitely be back. Excellent service as well read more

El Canario Carnitas - Little piggy family platter - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

We went here a little close to closing time but the food and service was still amazing. They were out of suadero since it was getting close to the end of the night, it was understanding so not a big deal. I had the trompo and some tacos, everything was very good. It is some of the most authentic Mexican food in the Murrieta/Temecula area. Having been to Guadalajara and to Tlaquepaque. The food takes me back, the ambiance is low key and chill. Very family run place, I like it. I know the food here originates from Michoacán but we haven't been there yet. 10/10 would recommend. read more

The restaurant reminds me of the 90's, employees are very attentive to their clientele and seems clean. Place was crowded and a lot of locals. The carnitas were pricey but were really l good. I wished they offered option to only purchase carnitas not all the condiments and tortillas. read more

I ordered the green chilaquiles and my husband the red ones. They were both good, nice portions.

Wonderful service and food! Best carnitas in town. I will be back with my family over and over again. It's that good.

We have been here 3x in 3 weeks since we discovered this gem. The food is great and they are 3 for 3 on excellent customer service. The establishment is clean and the decor is very Mexico! We will be regulars here. read more

El Canario Carnitas - Chorizo burrito/guac/menudo. Fantastic! - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

I had the Torta Ahogada, very very good, good size. I got an order of each meat rolled tacos for the kids. They all loved them. Wife had menudo and she said it was pretty good along with the horchata. We will definitely be back. Location is close to my house but off the beaten path so I hope they get enough traffic over their way. Can't wait to try the other Torta and probably get that family pack sometime. read more

Damn. That's some good Mexican food! The Birria was excellent and so were the tacos. Seriously the best Mexican food my sister and I have had in a long time. The workers are nice and helpful. The restaurant is tucked away in a nice area. Clean environment. read more

El Canario Carnitas - Birria! Already ate the big chunks of meat! - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

Delicious Mexican food, friendly staff and nice ambiance. The owners are super friendly and welcoming. Our waiter Alex was very attentive. read more

El Canario Carnitas - This place is on point! By far the best carnitas I've had in a while. Stop by and enjoy authentic Mexican food. - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

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Solid Mexican spot in Temecula where it appears the variety of choices is plentiful. Good hot chips and homemade salsa. And the carnitas are on point. I would go again tho there are many others to check. Good vibe and service too. read more

One of the best carnitas tacos I've ever had. Came between meals so the service and order was fast.

El Canario is the BEST Mexican food in SOCAL. Service is absolutely perfect. Polite, pleasant, intelligent. Best part is the FOOD! Authentic, utterly delicious. Wonderful. Best Mexican I've had in YEARS. The place is small, simple, clean and enjoyable. This is the place if you want the good stuff! read more

We decided to try this restaurant after seeing positive review on Murrieta Talk. The place is small and the employees are friendly. Everything appeared to be clean. The food was mostly a hit. My son in law had the chiliquillas and thought it was great. My daughter and I ordered the 2 taco combo. We both got carnitas taco. Mine was good but hers was super fatty. Refried beans were very good. I gave a 4 out of 5 just because it was good but not great where I can't wait to go back. read more

Delicious authentic Mexican food, love the enchiladas & empanadas, service was good, nice, quiet place for lunch, not crowded.

The food is amazing, the service was great, Leslie was very friendly and helpful with everything we needed. I will recommend this restaurant to everyone I know. read more

Delicious food, great service, chill ambiance. The tortillas are handmade and the carne and carnitas are soft and juicy. Can't beat the machete though the tacos and tortas are delicious as well. read more

Real Authentic Mexican Food. I've been in the Temecula area for 6 years now and im always disappointed with the so called Mexican food. This place reminded me of a Home Cooked Meal at a family member's house. The friendly staff took good care of us and made us feel welcomed. For sure will be going back soon read more

El Canario Carnitas - Huarache Half Carnitas / Half Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

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Excellent food, tasty salsa with fresh hot chips. They have spicier sauces on request. Service was very friendly and attentive. Will definitely be returning! read more

Fantastic food and service. Family owned. Very authentic tasting. We had the patitas, carnitas plate, sopes, torta, and chicharron. All of them were great. Highly recommend read more

Looks like they just opened. Food is pretty good. I think the value is a bit off for me though. $16.00 for a carne asada burrito is pretty steep. It was big but mainly filled with beans which for that money should be filled with meat. This is across the street from work so I will be back occasionally for Lunch but it's too expensive to justify coming all the time. read more

El Canario Carnitas - Carne Asada Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

A little out of the way, but what a find! Delicious food, great service, lovely ambiance!

The Mexican food was authentically prepared. My husband and I shared the carne asada plate. It included tasty and generous portions of rice, beans, guacamole, carne asada, tortillas, and nopales! The servers were friendly and prompt with waiting on us. Eat there! You'll be pleasantly surprised! read more

great customer service, cute inside, and one of the best mexican (authentic) restaurants i've been to! they know what they're doing here. we will definitely stop by, again. read more

El Canario Carnitas - asada sopes, rice and beans. the beans and rice are amazing! they're authentic and so fresh! - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

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One of the best restaurants I've been to in awhile. I loved the decor and the "Barro" dishes. The people were so friendly and welcoming. They were very attentive. Before we left the young gentleman thanked us for stopping in and wished us well. I will definitely go back and highly recommend this great place. A hidden gem. read more

El Canario Carnitas - El Canaria Carnitas - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

If you love Carnitas this is the place. Enjoy! The beer was cold , the food was spicy. read more

Had breakfast here and it did not disappoint! The salsa is delicious. We ordered pozole and the carnitas chilaquiles. Both dishes were ahhhmazing. The coffee hit the spot. We are happy to have found an authentic Mexican restaurant in Temecula! read more

The food is the most authentic Mexican food in town! The carnitas and patita de puerco are on point! We crave them all the time. My only concern is that they still don't have the waiters/waitress trained, or at least on a structured schedule (although they are all very nice). Having said that, bring your appetite and pack your patience. Overall, best Mexican food in town! read more

We found this little gem hidden away... The service was spot on very helpful with the menu. They had a taco special. They were amazing one of the better chips and salsa I've ever had. The chips were so fresh and warm ordered a beer and it was ice cold Definitely would recommend this and will be back. read more

It was last Sunday(2/02/25) afternoon, my friend and I both ordered Plato de Birria. The beef was just fine. The beans were a little salty but the rice was awfully salty, oh yes. The rice texture was ok and the beans were runny. It's disappointing not to find tortillas that are made in-house ( having advertised that this place is authentic). I ordered horchata which was a washed down of evaporated milk and sugar ( in a small glass, it's not worth $5). The flan was ordinary, mild flavor, lots of egg whites. The best was the tortilla chips - fresh, excellent quality and the salsa was delicious and freshly made. Overall, I definitely do not consider this place offering an authentic Mexican food. I am very disappointed having driven all the way from Los Angeles only to taste an ordinary food served at any Mexican restaurants after taking my time to carefully choose where we will dine. The servers were nice. read more

Rice wasn't all that great but everything else AMAZING!!! I had the verde carnitas "chefs kiss"

So thankful to have found this amazing authentic gem !! We moved to Temecula 7 years ago from Pomona where you had authentic Mexican food on every corner. This place is hands down the best Mexican food in Temecula! Their carnitas are to die for as well as their asada. I love the environment and decorations it's very welcoming and the staff is amazing so courteous and respectful! Highly recommend! read more

My friends and I had the best service we've ever had at a restaurant here. If you're looking for a nice place to bring your family and friends this is the place to go for sure! The whole experience from service to the whole staff, was amazing. They literally made sure we did not run out of chips and salsa or drinks the entire time. The whole time they asked us if we needed anything and were very attentive to us. The food was amazing some of the best sopes I've had, and also the potato tacos. My friends and I will definitely come back and bring our families. read more

El Canario Carnitas - Mexican Near Me - Temecula, California

This place for me is the best in the Temecula area. Have to wait a while as its all made fresh . The Salsa is equally excellent, Its me and my wifes go to for Mexican food . The only criticism I have is that on one occasion the food was served on a cold plate and consequently the food got cold quickly before I had finished it. Please serve on a warm plate read more

AMAZING FOOD! We were looking for a place to eat on our way to Pechanga. We wanted something close to the freeway. I went to yelp to find a place and the reviews were outstanding. I loved the review in which one person stated he didn't want to share how good this place was because he didn't want the secret out about this amazing new restaurant fearing it will be so crowded all the time. He was spot on. It was by far the best authentic Mexican food we have ever had! We shared the Chile verde with rice and beans. It was beyond good. It tasted better than homemade. The flavor was unforgettable! The food was served hot, the beans and rice were also so delicious! We also ordered chips and guacamole. Mmmmmmm! The guacamole was so creamy and fresh. The chips were light and crispy with just the right amount of salt. The salsa was perfect. The waiter said he had a spicer one if that one wasnt to our liking. The restaurant is nicely decorated. The server was outstanding and so friendly. One review complained there was no air conditioning. Yes, they do have air conditioning. You must come here and try the food. You will be so glad you did!!! We will come here every time we are out this way!!!! read more