Drive-through
Yes
El Canelo in Buffalo
Categories
Location on the map
Buffalo, Erie County, New York, US
Service options
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Health and safety
Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Yes
Highlights
Fireplace
Yes
Popular for
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Offerings
Coffee
Yes
Happy-hour food
Yes
Kids' menu
Yes
Organic dishes
Yes
Quick bite
Yes
Salad bar
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Dining options
Dessert
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
High chairs
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Atmosphere
Casual
Yes
Cosy
Yes
Crowd
Groups
Yes
Phone: +1 716-822-1220
Site: http://elcanelohamburg.com/
Site: http://elcanelohamburg.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:11:30AM–8PM
- Tuesday:11:30AM–8PM
- Wednesday:11:30AM–8PM
- Thursday:11:30AM–8PM
- Friday:11:30AM–9PM
- Saturday:11:30AM–9PM
- Sunday:Closed
Comments (199)
Voted best Mexican restaurant but Im not quite sure why!! It was our first time there recommended by friends who raved about the place. The food was alright and the service was horrible. Waitress was very short with us, seemed like answering our menu questions was a hassle, never came back to ask how things were. Had a very hard time leaving a tip but we did. Heres a tip, if your going to waitress be courteous to your customers and do your job. We will most likely not go back.
Friendly staff, Great food. My favorite Mexican restaurant Ive had in the Western New York area.
My wife and I bring all of our friends here, the atmosphere and the emloyees are A1. The food....dont get me started. THE BEST AUTHENTIC mexican food around here 10/10 please support them and get some delicious food.
Having been limited to dining options due to restrictions , we decided we would try to dine in and we chose Latin cuisine.. the restaurant was not busy and we were seated immediately.. Our host came to our table but was not at all friendly and it felt like we were bothering her..in fact she was paying more attention to joking around with co-workers . I ordered a Carne Asada burrito, instead I received some dry jerky...(see photo).. overall very disappointing.. and not just the food but the poor customer service. I do NOT recommend this location..
Some of the best local Mexican food. If you cant find something on the menu you are not trying. Portions tend to be very large
Excellent. Had 2 Beef Enchilada & Spanish Rice . Also you get fresh nachos & salsa as you wait for meal.
I absolutely love this place the food was great everything was just wonderful specially the watermelon margarita!!! The staff was so friendly especially the server we had her name was Jenny.I will definitely be coming back real soon!!
Delicious food, great sauces. Good service. Best chili rellenios ever
El Canelo in Spanish means Cinnamon. In Mexican cooking this is an important ingredient, as are a number of other spices. The food I was served here was highly Americanized, with what appeared to be American cheese covering everything, and with barely any flavor.I realize that theres not much choice for Latin-American dining in the Buffalo area, but they could try a little harder.If anyone from the restaurant is reading this, maybe read Mexico: One Plate at a Time, by the legendary Rick Bayless.
Excellent Mexican restaurant! Great food, great prices, great service!
Ive been to El Canelo many times. It is always good. The service is consistantly professional and attentive. It is a popular place. So, if you go at peak times youre going to have to wait. My go to is the chicken fajitas. They are delicious. Im usually bringing leftovers home because they do serve a generous portion and I overdo it on the complimentary chips and salsa they bring you before your meal (which are also delicious and hard to stop eating). They also serve a variety of frozen and regular margaritas. The decor is very bright and festive. Ive been to a lot of Mexican restaurants and El Canelo is the one I keep coming back to.
Great food, fast service!! Will definitely go again very soon. Large selection also.
Authentic Mexican food. Its the prefect atmosphere with amazing dishes. Everything is great here!
One of my go-to’s. Very consistent and high quality. Very friendly staff. Good for takeout or dine in!
I ordered a vegetarian dish, the food literally looked and tasted like dog food. After 2 bites I stopped eating. Disgusting food. Very disappointed.
Great food. Best authentic Mexican around.
Delicious food, but I really wish they had more options for vegetarians. The only options they have is their pre-set Vegetarian Combos that seem like a mix of bean or cheese sides involving almost no fresh veggies, or a mushroom quesadilla or fajita. I dont even like mushrooms, but the mushroom fajita is very good.I would love to see some more vegetarian variety using ingredients such as meat-substitutes, corn, zucchini, potato, etc. Or even just entree-sized vegetarian versions of burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, chimichangas, tacos, nachos, flautas, etc that is in another flavor than Mushroom.
Great food and quality service. Will definitely come back again.
I frequent this excellent restaurant at least three times a week for lunch. What great burritos and the jumbo margarita is perfect. I just love the family...folks there and it smells great and the atmosphere is so fun! Ive tried most of the similar restaurant s but this I the best.
Very tasty. Definitely some of the best Mexican in Buffalo. The atmosphere and service are exceptional. I have been to Mexico multiple times, and this place is definitely worth your time if you want something authentic.
Great food, festive environment and reasonably priced. Will absolutely visit again
Great place to eat Mexican food. I love fajitas and quesadillas. Meat is properly cooked. Ambience gives a glimpse of South American lifestyle. Food is reasonably cheap and you can get to try different imported beers from Mexico as well. Definitely a must try for Mexican food lovers. They have a variety of margaritas. My favorite is lime.
Quick service and polite staff.
Love the food, atmosphere, service and the mighty fruit drinks. Everything is good, to the point where we took additional meals home. And what do you know, they tasted better the second day. Fried Ice cream is marvelous.
Moved from Houston, TX. I know good Mexican food. I will eat here again
Great food, staff friendly, clean location, always has a ton of people in there, $$, Pepsi products offered, take out runs on average 20+ mins, wouldve given 5 stars but we came to eat a few weeks back and it was about 45 mins before close we were turned away.
Very very good tacos Al pastor. Great salsa and service. Love going here
Service wasnt the greatest. But the food was pretty awesome... And Im not a huge mexican food lover.
A great place for affordable authentic Mexican food! Super fast and friendly service. Will be back again for sure!
We had the dinner for two. Great value and great food. Update for June 2022: food is still fantastic. Staff is great. Its nice to be able to dine inside again. My go-to place for delicious food and the colorful seating makes my smile.
Food was very good and service was as well! Would definitely visit again 😊
Always great food! Never disappointed.
I dont understand what makes this place the best Mexican food in western New York. The enchiladas I had were very watery with a very odd sauce that seemed as if it was packaged, and it was just covered with lettuce tomato and sour cream. Not authentic at all. I ordered a side of cheese dip. They brought out some water cheese sauce that looks to be a topping of a dish. No taste to it either. Also wanted to try a tamale.... Worst mistake. They brought out this over cooked flavorless dough with little to no chicken in it and had the same packaged enchilada sauce with beef chunks on top... Again not authentic in any Mexican food I have made or had. Their chimichanga was quite literally 2 enchiladas but with flour. She ordered chicken, but no chicken in them. They did, however, have this strange cheese sauce with beef on it. I will say they have been the most palatable so far since here, but authentic I would not call it.
Best authentic Mexican food in the south towns.
For as busy as this location was, service was pretty good. Several of the staff work to serve each table. The food was hot, fresh and tasted delicious. When I am in the McKinley Mall area, I will visit El Canelos again!
Its really expensive for a Mexican restaurant and it wasnt really good I dont know how they got best Mexican food from channel 4 all friends must have called in you want good Mexican RANCHOS NIAGARA ST IS THE BEST AND PUT YOUR LEFTOVERS IN THE AIRFRYER YOU WONT BE SORRY!!!!!
I really enjoyed the food but our waitress wasn’t very Friendly or attentive. My boyfriend and I like the food a lot but not sure if we would eat here again after our experience tonight. Our entire experience was off and it started with the wait times (being told 50 mins to an hour and it went well over an hour). We are patient and polite people but definitely felt disappointed. The drinks came out quick, the food came out quick but he had to ask for a lot of things that should he common sense to a waitress. I have worked in food service along with customer service so I am realistic when it comes to my expectations.
BEST Mexican food in Buffalo Ny.Canelo takes flavor to a whole new level...... Me and the wife, once a month, minimum, HAVE to eat here.
Great and professional service, very family-friendly food is delicious
Very veg friendly and their horchata was gargantuan!
Went here for my wife’s birthday service and food was excellent!!!
The food here is always good and the prices are reasonable. Comfort food 😁
Fast friendly service food was of good quality as well as portion size. food and service were both like a fast but you didnt feel rushed. due to the pandemic, masks are to be worn except while seated.my favorite Mexican restaurant, will definitely go back.
Visiting Buffalo from out of town. The crew at Fords Stamping Plant recommended El Canelo. They were great! The staff was pleasant, the food was excellent, and the décor rocks. Had enough food for 2 meals!
Recently saw that this placed was voted number one in Buffalo. Not even close and wouldnt even put it on a list. I was curious as I always look for good places to eat, and very familiar with good Mexican food. But this place has very poor food quality, and no authentic flavor or flavor. I wouldnt even waste my time.
Only call in orders, waited one hrs outside before order was filled
Food is amazing and authentic, cute decor. Plates were the biggest Ive ever seen.
Fantastic food. I had the Burrito Gordo and enjoyed it immensely. A little spice and great flavors.
Have never had a bad dish here, no matter the day or time over the years. Take out is a great option for anyone iffy about eating indoors still due to Covid-19. The staff is friendly and will explain any menu items you might have questions about. Love the new menu items they recently added!!!
We were a large group with a baby. Very accommodating
Some very legit Tex-Mex for reasonable price and extremely generous portions. Definitely not anything approximating authentic Mexican food, but it is some pretty decent tex-mex.
Cheap & good lunch specials!
Really enjoy this place especially the food and Margaritas. The only problem I have is the waiter, which is evidently either unorganized, or just overworked with tables
Not sure why I cant get a good meal there. Its either slop on a plate or burned/charred meat. Menu should be more easily understood. Ten me in plain English what Im getting.
This Mexican restaurant is very consistent with its quality. Will the menu surprise you or offer something you cant get anywhere else? I wouldnt say so, no. However, I go here with my family often and we are never disappointed. Good chips and salsa, quick service, and tasty meals every time. Clean dining room, too.
I dont know where these people are eating that are giving 5 star reviews, but I guess they dont get out much. My friend ordered 3 soft shell beef tacos, and was told they did not come with tomatoes. What taco doesnt come with tomatoes? I mean really? I ordered a tamale as a side, and what I got was a log of steamed masa with some kind of sauce with crumbled mystery meat. Im sorry, but a tamale is supposed to have the meat inside with masa on the outside all steamed in a nice little package. I guess the sauce was to hide the fact there was no filling, just a hunk of masa or maybe thats the lazy version of a tamale. The restaurant was busy that day, but the waitress was unfriendly and seemed to be put out when we asked her anything. She gave us short, curt answers as if to say dont bother me. Needless to say, we wont be returning. And to all you 5 star voters, you need to get out more and try a different Mexican restaurant with good Mexican food served with a smile. Heck, Mighty was even better than this.
Visited from out of town, our daughter took us here to eat.Abolutley the best Mexican food I have ever had.Portions are huge and price very reasonable.
Great food and staff! Brought my sister and brother-in-law who lived in Mexico for years here and they both loved it also. All of our lunches were delicious and served by a perfectly attentive server. The atmosphere is fun and the restaurant is clean. Highly recommend giving them a try and I will definitely come back soon. Great job. Thank you.
Omg... It was sooooo good.. will be going back for more
1st visit. Excellent, well made food with large portions. Fun, colorful layout of restaurant. Went for lunch on a Saturday, no wait times. Food took a bit longer to come to table, but it is expected with good, made to order dishes. Wouldve been 5 star, but service was lacking. Very slow and inattentive. Perhaps an off day. Will definitely be back.
Great food & Margritas!!
This is my favorite Mexican restaurant of all time. The food is great, there is complementary chips and salsa, and the service is always excellent. Also great prices. Always a great place to visit if you want Mexican, I’ve been going here for about 5 years now. Sadly I’m moving out of Buffalo, so I’ll miss El Canelo 🙁, it’s great!
Nice atmosphere , great portions for the price. Pleasant staff with fast service. Its hard to go wrong with El Canelo!
Service was a bit slow, but we really had no where to go and a pitcher of margaritas to occupy our time. Food was amazing. I was full but couldnt stop eating.
One of our favorite places for Mexican cuisine. Great food, awesome service and fair prices.
Food is awesome, staff great. Its always full I think. Interior looks nice with Mexico detilas. I had Enchiladas Supremas (I think so) and it was just great. I recommend this restaurant for whoever likes Mexican food. Not expensive at all. Could be little cleaner but I am not picky about it, still deserves more than 4 but just a bit less than 5 🌟.
This restaurant is the bomb. Nice, friendly staff who knows the menu well and isnt afraid to make recommendations. The restaurant is very clean and has a comfortable feel. Its a great place to eat with friends, family or date night. Its very affordable and has a wide variety of food to choose from.
This place is just amazing. If you leave hungry then something is wrong. Fresh made tortilla Chips and salsa is served while you wait for your meal.The staff are great and the food is beyond delicious!!!If you have a large appetite, I suggest El trio..a combo of 3 burritos, pork, chicken and beef served with amazing refried beans and rice along with lettuce and tomato.
Great food and amazing service. Came here for a friends birthday so he got a drink- when the server IDd him he noticed and said happy birthday and at the end of our meal the server brought out dessert free of charge. Very cool thing to do. Food is always good too and good portion for the price!
Although I wouldnt consider El Canelo to be authentic, sometimes thats not a bad thing. The food here is very delicious with extremely large portion sizes. The menu options are also inexpensive, especially when compared to similar restaurants in the area, so its very easy to get your moneys worth. Although the food comes out quickly, immediately upon being seated you are given chips and salsa, both of which seemed very fresh. The servers were always willing to give refills as well. While Im not a fan of the flashy decorations either, El Canelo is a great place to get a quick bite to eat.
1st time here. Margarita was a bottle mix with well tequila....less than average. Chips and salsa were good. Main dishes....tasteless. $50 dinner that was nothing more than average.Wait staff NEVER smiled......no one looked like they wanted to be there.Overall, not a great experience and will not return.
The new taco el pastor is delicious 😋
The service and the food was excellent, and there prices are good.
Get EL Trio if youre really hungry and looking for some variety. Every bite is fantastic. I Frequent El Canelo a few times a year and it has never disappointed. Plan to wait for up to 30mins Fri and Saturdays during peak hours, new waiting vibrating badges help alleviate having to sit in small waiting area in those moments and youre able to sit in the comfort of your vehicle as you wait as long as not too far from restaurant.
Food or service were not as good as usualDisapointed
I love this place!! I order the same thing everytime- chicken chimichangas, and coronas.. love the fresh salsa, and chips as well.. definitely recommend!!
We have been here many times and it has always been great. Until today.The rice was so dry and crunchy like it been sitting out on a counter all day. The tacos were dry and barely any filling in them. One taco had just a small scoop of dry bland meat and nothing else in it. Im sure Ill be back but it wont be anytime soon.
The food here is amazing. Great prices,portions, awesome family owned! Extremely authentic!! We keep coming back...they are opened Sundays and have lunch prices until 3 pm everyday. I encourage all who love Mexican food to go here!!!
First off, Id like to say that this used to be one of my go to places....until my last couple visits. Majorly disappointed the last three times.Wait staff has changed, and not for the better. What I think was my last visit here....my friend and I ordered nachos, which we had gotten several times. One beef and one chicken.The beef was odd....and for some reason had carrots in it, as if it had been for something else. My chicken, I believe had been meant for enchiladas....my chicken had peppers and onions in it....which I had never received before ordering this. Cheese was also odd and liquidy on both dishes
My family and I have gone to so many Mexican places to eat and none of then compare to El Canelo. Anything on the menu from the drinks, food, or dessert; are all good. The service is good too, and the food is always hot (temperature). We love this place and keep going back. This is a family friendly place and there are bathrooms.
This is my favorite Mexican place. Probably my favorite overall in fact. I have ate here hundreds of times over the years and have never had a bad experience. They are consistently great. Exceptional food. Excellent service. Best margaritas in WNY. Best Mexican food in wny. You can tell the owner takes great pride in this business.
Tasty food. When I first wrote this up I was super tired and that was all I could think of. But I did want to say the atmosphere was festive and nice and my girlfriend and I would definatly be visiting again. The california burrito was tasty but I especially liked the nacho supremos, I believe they were called. Very good food.
Very good Mexican food, good service but prices have gone up. I guess that sould be expected when your trying to survive a pandemic..
The food was awesome like it always is, wait staff is very friendly, courteous and very efficient. One if the best Mexican restaurants around and I have been to many up and down the East Coast. Keep up the Great work....
We have visited this restaurant on several occasions. On each of those occasions the food and service was good. Last night, this was not the case. The food was just subpar. The chicken was very dry with no flavor in all the chicken dishes, and the refried beans were hard and lumpy. The staff seemed to be disorganized resulting in the service being very slow. Not sure if this was just an off night, but it will be awhile before we return, if at all. Too bad, because we finally thought we found a consistent Mexican restaurant in the the Southtowns,. Looks like we will be heading back to the Northtowns again for our mexican fix.
Horrible service, barely came around to check on us, very slow service, there was a wait and we requested a booth and then when they let us know we are ready to be seated they seat us at a table and not a booth, food wasnt that great and it was a million degrees in there ! I used to love this place
My Favorite Mexican restaurant in the Western New York area. The food is served fast, the salads are fresh. The service is friendly and helpful. My Favorite plate is the trio. a Large serving of food that not only taste great but enough leftovers for lunch the next day. I even buy the salsa to take home whenI am in the mood.
Excellent as usual, never disappointed. Even though there was a bit of a wait to be seated (honestly every restaurant was crowded since people started shopping for Christmas already), the food came out fast and piping hot. Staff was friendly and accommodating especially with our twin toddlers who devoured their food and ours!
Ate here for the first time last week, should have gone sooner. Food is very good, service is too. Tables fill up fast, so get there early. If they sold the salsa by the 55 gallon drum, I would buy it!
My favorite place to eat Mexican food but I absolutely hate trying to get a hold of them to order takeout.
I would have loved to taste the food here, but I wasnt able to even after a group of 10 of us traveled over an hour to meet and have dinner there. According to the website theyre supposed to be open until 8:00 pm on Sundays. We arrived a few minutes past 7:00 (along w/ other patrons trying to get in also) only to find a handwritten note on the door saying, Closed today. Well, no bueno El Canelo! Very disappointing.
Great food and service. Will frequent this restaurant.
Service was fast. Prices are reasonable.Food was delicious and plentiful.The tamale was spot on! Lost a point for not having any beans besides refried beans.
Always been the best even since Dingens.
Amazing food. Service can be slow but the food makes it worth it. Servings are massive so dont worry about the prices when you get there. You will definitely take home half of your entree.
Never being one to seek out Mexican food, I asked a friend for a recommendation. El Canelo is AMAZING! Ive eaten at other places and this is hands down the best in WNY.
Good food, huge portions. We always leave with leftovers. Friendly staff with authentic atmosphere. Not like chain Mexican restaurants. Its always busy so we are not the only ones who enjoy coming.
Went here on a Sunday afternoon. Took forever to be seated. Had a coupon on my phone to use, which when I went to pay, was told they do not take electronic coupons. Seriously? What year is this? The coupon had a redemption code that could have been typed into the register. Will never go here again.
Very good Mexican food. If you have room for desert, try the deep fried ice cream.
Phenominal, helpful, friendly staff all around and great food. The staff went above and beyond with being friendly and helpful as we had a frustrated toddler who was fond of throwing things. The server was extremely attentive and responsive. The portions were great especially the chorizo queso dip. Good prices too. Well be back!
The food is always amazing here, Ive tried almost everything on the menu but the enchiladas are definitely my favorite! The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is fun, my boys love coming here to eat (unlimited chips and salsa while you wait for your food!!)
El Canelo is our spot!Growing up out West, good Mexican Restaurants are easy to find. Not so much in WNY.It’s taste, flavor, and feel remind me of what I was accustomed to growing up.They have a friendly staff, the food it great, and the prices are affordable.El Canelo is always at the top of our Restaurant rotation.
Excellent selections and large portions for good prices. Very clean and friendly. Highly recommend!
Good food, drinks and service. Chicken was a little bland. Cheese sauce was good and margaritas were good.
My husband and I patron El Canelo often, whether dine in or takeout. It has NEVER disappointed! The staff is beyond friendly and so accommodating!! You will not and cannot find better Mexican in a 100 mile radius! Saying this place is exceptional is an understatement!I want the staff to know we always love visiting you and look forward to next time!I apologise for not posting a picture but it wouldnt do the place justice! You will have to come find out for yourselves! 🇲🇽🌯😋
Amazing food! Best Mexican restaurant in Buffalo! Consistently delicious food, quick & friendly service. Been eating here for over 10 years, not once a disappointment.
Weve often gone here and everythings been great,this time was not so. Yes it was busy, but it took forever to get our food. Also the entree I always get was way spicier than usual.
Great food but service was a bit slow...good but slow..Id definitely go back
We really enjoy this small well-run restaurant. We usually order the special dinner for two. Good traditional fare. Love the Chili Rekenos. Even the refried beans are wonderful. Creamy and flavorful. Does Equis and Pacifico on tap and many bottle selections are available. Originally located on Dingens St., we have watched them grow and become a great place for Mexican fare. We are frequent customers!
Horrible....Bland and tasteless. I take that back. There was a taste of chlorine in the food. Credit to the city Municipal Water Supply. Soggy tortillas, burnt eggs, undercooked tamales, and not at all Authentic. I may be spoiled when it come to Mexican cuisine coming from Tucson, but its not that hard to make a tostada.....
Best Mexican restaurant. Period. Quality food, quality drinks, great staff. Cant wait for covid to break so we can go back again.
The chicken was dry as hell and way over cooked. The refried beans were also very dry. The beans literally stuck to my spoon when holding the spoon upside down. The chips were the best thing here. Definitely an off night!
The service was good but the food not so much. The food was very bland tasting and visually unappealing.
Descent the need to answer their phone its always a busy signal they took it off the hook which is really inconvenient.
****check your bill before leaving****I hardly ever leave reviews but this experience was so horrible. I had enchilada lunch special $6.25 they tried charging $7.25. Husband had nacho lunch special $7.99 they tried charging $8.99. Then there was an additional charge $2.35 on the bill. I asked about it and she said my mistake my mistake then edited the correct amounts for the meals but left the $2.35 charge. Asked about it and now we are on the 3rd print out of the bill... then got another one, so our 4th check and finally I thought that is was all fixed and then she added $1.25 charge and said we had sour cream, but we didnt. She also tried charging us for a drink we didnt have. Anyway I feel like they totally tried to rip us off, doesnt seem like an honest mistake and Ill never go back. La Toleca here I come!
Great, elegant, unique, and tasty Mexican food in town. Fast service with touch of perfection, rare and tasty soda drinks. Its really one of kind place😉
We have been eating here since we moved back to buffalo 2 years ago. its our favorite place for family night and date night. Our love for this restaurant grew when my family went out and our almost 2 year old was not happy..my family was sorry to the waiter and explaind she was recently diagnosed with cancer and had been through alot the last few weeks and I (her mother) was not out with them because i was home waiting on medicine to be delivered (they would bring me take out) the staff was so nice and were not offended at all by my childs misbehaving and to my familys surprise they were not charged a dime for our food. Im sorry i missed this nice gesture but it means alot to our family and your kindness didnt go unnoticed! Thank you so very much!
Been there a couple times. Food is always so good.
Had to wait for 35 minutes. Place was busy for a Tuesday. Food great
Dinner and service were great. Booths were very close to each other so all people in our booth were sitting smashed up to the table, on both sides of the booth. Not very comfortable seating.
Excellent food and service! This is my favorite Mexican Restaurant in Western NY. I highly recommend this place and hope you give it a try!
One of our favorite Mexican places. Authentic food and good service. Food always comes on a hot plate and everything on the menu is excellent and authentic.
This place ROCKS the real Mexican cuisine. Not perfect but, what is. I learned to like Mexican food when I moved to New Mexico which used to be the heart of Mexican [which is really local native/Spanish combination and is beyond the average and in fact well above the normal [FOR BACK EAST OP PLACES] OR buy a ticket to New Mecico
I love the food and good food
Amazing authentic Mexican food and margaritas !!
We have gone to this restaurant many times never had a problem with any kind of rats or anything like people are saying the food was delicious and the customer service was awesome we enjoyed ourselves
We visited in a group of 6 in early june.The food was exceptional!! The service was horrible.
Awesome! Amazing food, fast service, and great prices. LOVE this place. You wont be disappointed.
My favorite Mexican place ever! A family owned restaurant too, and they always remember their regulars. Their grande platos are just how they sound. Huge. Big enough to share
Seated quicklyfor mothers day, service was slow. I asked for water several times go with the margarita. Had to locate my own napkins and beg for help just to get the check. The tamales were the worst I have ever had. I would go to Mighty Taco before returning.
Man it has been forever since I had real Mexican food. Really good and great portions. Not fast but it shouldnt be for real food.
We had a party of 15 and they were very accommodating. It was a lot going on with 15 people all at once but we all left happy and full. Thank you so much. We will be back again.
My fiancé & I went her for the first time. Cute little restaurant. My food came out cold, probably because it was waiting for his to be done cooking. Serve was terrible. I had high expectations because of the ratings but definitely disappointed.
I get take out from El Canelo 2x a month and its always so good! Big portions for a small price. They also have really good margaritas&combo meals
Shrimp Chimichanga was good but no where near as good as La Galleria in Niagara Falls. Service was very good.
Greater not very talkative food was ok not as good as I remember before covid
Attentive service, good portions, pretty good quality aswell. Make sure u ask for a chicken taco instead of beef if thats what you want though because they wont ask what type of meat you want
Good food and good prices. The only bad thing I have to say is that I requested like 2 things that were not available at that moment. So I had to settle for my third dinner option. :(
The only time I have been disappointed was when they were closed the day after Christmas. But I totally understand. We try to go there once a month. Best Mexican food in Buffalo
Excellent Mexican food along with the environment. The service is always prompt and the tables are clean. I would recommend going here if you are looking for food that is not the normal American style food.
Street tacos were amazing. Service was fast and friendly.
Soooo yummy! Tastes more authentic than most places and DEFINITELY BETTER than the typical chain Mexican restaurants. Try it! Youll love it!
Excellent authentic Mexican dishes. ALWAYS prepared well and served fairly fast. Family ownedbusiness - cooks, servers, etc. all family members. Frequent this establishment often!!
Great food. Made me happy walking into the place, felt like I was in Mexico! 😊
The service was pretty bad at our table, other tables servers seemed attentive and friendly tho. Huge portions of flavorful food for a great price. Please open another one in the north towns!
Best Mexican food in Buffalo ny. They are so good I absolutely love their food.
I eat here almost every day for lunch. Great service and food, always good portions, although I hardly eat in. Still much better than any mexican fast food.
Best service and food. One of the few better Mexican places :)
One of the better Mexican restaurants in the Buffalo area. Very large portions!
Love this restaurant great food. Great staff. So kind. Food is great. Great vegetarian options. Highly recomend!!!!
The food is always good here, and the prices are fair. The only downside...the servers as a group are as unfriendly as Ive ever encountered at any restaurant.
Fast service. Great food, served, hot at Good price.
Awesome food , over the top mex decor
Unfortunately very slow the past two times weve gone to eat there. Good food but waiting 45 mins plus for Mexican style food kills it for me.
We usually like El Canelo but it seems like it takes longer and longer to get our food. Today it took almost an hour. Thats too long for a typical Mexican food restaurant.
I lived in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas for a number of years, literally minutes from the border. I experienced true Mexican cuisine. My wife, originally from Buffalo, lived in Brownsville for 20+ years. She KNOWS Mexican cuisine. In case you need further proof, read on. After we relocated back to WNY as caregivers for her parents, my wife started competing in home cooking contests at the EC Fair. After winning the Placek contest in 2007, she appeared on the Martha Stewart show. Being of Polish heritage, she already excelled in traditional Polish cooking, but what about Mexican?After she was selected as the Buffalo News Cook of the Month for her Polish cooking, she instead prepared chicken enchiladas verde with the salsa made from her own crop of tomatillos. The food editor was blown away and has remained in contact with her ever since.So when we say Mexican food is authentic, you can believe it. There are precious few authentic Mexican restaurants in this area. El Canelo is one of them. How can you tell? Heres a hint: The name of the place doesnt include the word Mighty.Another hint is the refried beans. If theyre very creamy and taste like fresh beans, they are. If they look and taste like recycled refried beans from a can, they are and dont eat there if youre interested in authentic Mexican.Its really that simple.
Love this place!! Food is awalys excellent always hot and your food comes out in no time at all. Very fast and very good
Great Mexican food some times it is way to busy with not enough staff to serve everyone. But besides that the food is great and always will love it
Very busy on a Wed night. Half an hour wait. But the delicious food is worth it.
Best place for authentic, reasonable, Mexican food in the Southtowns. Food is always hot and fast, service staff is friendly as well.
My new favorite is little grilled chicken stripes with chorizo.Pollo fundido
Excellent food here if you like authentic mexican. The inside decor is beautiful and service is quick!
Ive been visiting this location for several years and I absolutely love the food.
I arrived at 8:20, forty minutes before closing at 9:00 p.m., and was turned away. Not the first time, but the last time I will ever try.
The food is good.... love the ambiance.... service could be slow at times. But otherwise is has been a good experience for us.
Lunch menu was fantastic. Price was very reasonable.
Outstanding food and service!
Great food. Reasonable prices. Have been going for years. Never had a bad experience. Highly recommend.
Great, freshly made, authentic Mexican. Come here with my family frequently. They never disappoint. And I go home with lunch for the next day.
The food here is the best Ive ever had!
Great food and atmosphere. Workers are very friendly and nice!
Excellent food!
Womderful, true Mexican ebtrees and sides. Family-run business in strip mall with huge following. Worth the wait if there is one. Id skip Cinco do Mayo...go a different day, or wait a long time.
Love it here. Favorite Mexican restaurant to go to. Food is always good quality and tastes amazing.
Good food and good people.
Great food! Nice service! Central location! My boyfriends favorite place to eat!
Food was fantastic. Had the Buritto Gordo. Food quantity was good. Service was very good as well. The fried ice cream was a perfect end to the meal.Going back for sure.
My favorite Mexican restaurant fast friendly service and the food is delicious. I especially love their salsa.
Great authentic Mexican place! Was incredibly busy and the food took a little while to come out, but worth the wait!
The most delicious and authentic Mexican food in the area. Huge portions and a great value. You must dine here.
Really good food and plenty choices and nice portions. Service is quick and on point.
Took one bite of the refried beans and knew my lunch was going to be delicious! Probably some of the best mexican food Ive ever had!
Awesome food! Service was awesome, might have been the best of any restaurant Ive been to. Clean bathroom.
The decor is awesome! Ive only been there twice, but the staff seems decent as does the food.
I had the Tacos Carne Asada. Amazing. Terrific service. Great value. Would definitely recommend!
Good food and great atmosphere. The refried beans are a little runny and flat. Good vegetarian and some vegan options.
This restaurant is one of my most favorite to go to the price and food is absolutely the best
Best Mexican food ive ever had!
Just went for the first time.. yummy x10 Ive had Mexican food from California to NY that food was amazing great staff great sevice we will be back for sure
Total reviews rating 4.5
199 Reviews for El Canelo 2023:
Review №1
2022-03-27Great Restaurant! The entire menu is super large as in it was at least 3x the size of an average menu at a restaurant. It has all authentic Mexican items on it. You can get complimentary chips and salsa to eat while you wait for your meal. The food was very delicious and filling. The staff were friendly too. The atmosphere is also great with awesome decor and great themed music! Overall great!!
Review №2
2022-02-22The fajitas here are top notch. And the ground beef tostada was equally as delicious.Authentic as well as on the cheaper side of dining out!Could be a wait as the place is both popular and small. But this food is worth the wait!!!
Review №3
2022-04-09The best margarita outside of Mexico and the food is purely mama Mexican food. Try the fajitas beef with spicy sausage your belly will thank you .
Review №4
2022-07-01Very friendly staff, large menu and great food. Would definitely try again.
Review №5
2022-05-22Really great and flavourful food. Menu is huge. Its busy so you may have to wait for a table but its definitely worth it. Ordered El Trio (shown in photo)
Review №6
2022-06-22Today was my first time ordering from here. Placing an order was easy. Picking up the food went smoothly. The reason for the two stars lies in the fact that the food wasn’t very tasty or likable. I order combination dinner #5 for my sister and I. The enchiladas was meh because it only had refined beans in them. The Spanish rice was also meh because it had no flavor. I think for right now I’m just going to stick with La Tolteca because La Tolteca includes more than just beans in their enchiladas and the sauce up top of La Tolteca’s enchiladas are delicious. But enough about La Tolteca, El Canelo’s food as a vegetarian wasn’t for my sister and I but it could be for you!
Review №7
2022-04-16Mexican perfection! Authentic, delicious, huge portions, $ fairly priced with attentive & friendly staff. This will be our new go to 😍
Review №8
2022-02-27Really good authentic Mexican food. Large portions and worth the price. Spice level was perfect if you dont like hot. They do provide hotter sauce if you prefer. Well be going back again for sure
Review №9
2022-01-27I went there last night. I LOVE the decor and the music. Looks like the chairs and tables from LaTolteca that closed on Southwestern. The food was very good, with good prices, but the waitress we had was horrible. She was either having a bad night or shouldnt be working as a waitress. She was very abrupt, not friendly at all, rushed us to decide, practically grabbed the menus out of our hands, slammed our water glasses down on the table, had zero personality or people skills. The restaurant was busy, but she needs a little hospitality training. We were there on 1/26/2022 at around 7:30 pm, and sat at a table along the left wall of the restaurant, behind the cashiers station. Please talk with her, because Id like to come back, but will not put up with service like that again. I will just get up and leave.
Review №10
2022-04-25Was craving Mexican food the other day so took my teen daughter for lunch. Very fast service, food was good & price wasnt to bad. I will be back for sure as the menu is HUGE & want to try something else! I recommend!