El Canelo Mexican FOOD

Wait staff was friendly and efficient. Food was good. I had the burrito tejano which was very good and I love the rice. The food is directed toward an upstate palate. But you can add spice if you want. I appreciate not having to drive far to get decent Mexican food

I don't know how any 5 star ratings are given to this restaraunt unless they personally know the owner and are trying to boost ratings. This used to be a favorite location to get food but it has fallen to an extreme low. We went for a final try last week on a Saturday evening about 6pm. There was no wait staff on besides the incredibly slow bar tender. We were given stale chips with some of the worst salsa I've ever had 10 minutes after we arrived, bland with giant chunks of the ends of tomato's. It took forever for everything, drinks, silverware, to get our orders taken, the food to come out. When it finally arrived our order came out incomplete, missing one order completely. the food was mediocre and seems to get worse every visit. It took 50 minutes from when we arrived to get our food and I have no idea how since we were the only patrons besides two people who were already eating at the bar when we arrived. We will not be returning.

I've traveled all over Mexico, Texas, California, and New York in search of authentic Mexican food and for a predominantly Caucasian city like Oneida, this is the closest you'll ever get to authenticity. I've been here several times and had little to no complaints about anything. The music accurately reflects what Mexican families grew up listening to and the decorations depict that of a restaurant you would find near the border or in Mexico. I grew up eating mostly Mexican food and the cooks definitely know what they're doing. Any person of Hispanic descent would love this food. Americans of non Latin descent would have to develop a taste for this food or just like and enjoy eating it. This is my truthful and unbiased opinion. I am in no way related to or know any of the staff personally. My profession is being a cook, so I hope this I instills some validity to my comment. The truth is, when 95 % of the staff has an accent, it has never disappointed me even for restaurants of different cultures and cuisines. The specials are amazing and if you encounter a problem, tell the staff and they go above and beyond to fix it. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

After hearing about this restaurant for some time, my family and I decided to give it a try one day while in Oneida. I only wish that I had gone sooner! The queso is to die for and the rice is so good that it makes you wonder if there is magic in it. The prices are very reasonable and the food comes out so fast that you can't even finish the chips and salsa delicious, by the way that they bring. We loved it so much that my son and I now drive 30 minutes every week for our own "Mexican Monday" at El Canelo.

The two of us were greeted and seated promptly by our soon to be server. He was pleasant and polite, immediately bringing chips/salsa over and taking our drink order. Our entrees were brought very quickly and they were both delicious. The server kept our drinks refilled and was available when needed. Neither of us used the restroom facilities, but everything else was clean and comfortably lit. We will definitely be back.

If this is what this town thinks is authentic Mexican food, y'all need to get out more. The tacos were ground beef with no seasoning and barely filled. The nachos were so soggy I had to use a fork to eat them, with not a lot of flavoring. The chips were oily and the salsa was nothing more than stewed tomatoes a few diced onions. We had to add the hot sauce to make it ok. Service was very good and attentive.

Great spot in Oneida. If you're not sure where to get Mexican food then try here first. The margeritas are top notch. The beer selection is awesome and they serve it in cold glasses. The food here is excellent! Be adventurous and other things off of the combo menu you aren't sure about. Everything is tasty and you can't go wrong.

When we began eating, half the chips were soggy and old but we weren't looking to complain so we continued on with our meal. Then the refried beans were soggy and gross. The cherry on top was the hard shell tacos. The meat came straight out of the kitchen cold. Not just "room temperature" or lukewarm... freezing cold. The waitress couldn't care less either. We were also charged for two meals when I had my meal returned to the kitchen. Thank god we are driving back to civilization soon.

Seated quickly, welcomed quickly, and our order was taken at our leasure, no rush. Our food came out promptly. It was delicious! A few things were showing wear & tear, a broken booth, ceiling tiles....but the food was great and the price reasonable .

Had dinner at this restaurant on 2/8/2019. It is the filthiest restaurant I've ever visited. There was ONE employee in the front, and it appeared to be her first day on the job. We could see the kitchen staff through the pass through, and he was standing up, eating his dinner when we arrived. The restrooms were appallingly dirty. The food was horrid - I chose not to eat my "California Burrito" as the meat tasted spoiled and it was lukewarm, at best. I have to assume that the Health Department has not inspected this place, ever, because it would surely be shut down.