Canelos Mexican Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Canton

As weary traveler’s headed back home on a Sunday afternoon we found ourselves hungry and in the Canton NC area. Mexican food is my go to for occasions just like this one. So after a quick google search I saw Canelos Mexican Restaurant. I saw a mix of bad reviews as well as good ones but decided to give it a shot. Upon entering the establishment we were greeted by the hostess who didn’t get up from her seated position and told us to sit anywhere we like. As we made our way to a table by a window I couldn’t help but notice trash and food on the floor under the tables. One empty table appeared to have an entire order of french fries under it. Our table had a straw wrapper and a ketchup packet under it, which I had to kick out of the way. Not to get ahead of myself, but throughout our meal here we watched the hostess clean off the tables after other patrons would leave. She never picked up anything on the floor under the tables. They weren’t busy, she didn’t appear busy. There’s absolutely no excuse for this lack of cleanliness. Now back to us sitting down at our table. Chips and dip were brought to us. It was not the typical salsa you’d expect at a place like this. It looked gross and tasted not much better. It was basically refried beans, but heavily watered down. Now to their credit they have a salsa bar which we helped ourselves to. We sampled a few different offerings, and all of them tasted very watered down. We ordered our food, it arrived quickly and hot. I ordered a burrito and chile relleno. There’s no meat selection for the burrito, ground beef only. I opened my napkin with my silverware in it and discovered a hair in the napkin. I’ve ordered chile relleno’s numerous times at other places. When I cut into this one my plate was flooded with grease. We ate our meal and never complained to staff. The prices were higher than other Mexican places I’ve eaten at. When we went to the register to pay the card reader had dirty hand prints on it. Most of these issues could be corrected very easily. It’s like the staff doesn’t care and it must not bother the locals who eat there. I can’t recommend this place to anyone unfortunately. It’s just an experience that we’ll laugh about in the future when we continue to try new restaurants, we’ll say, this place can’t be as bad as that place we ate...

I often hear or see others comment on what is *authentic " Mexican cuisine. Unfortunately, I'm not an expert, so I can't say what is or isn't authentic, but when my family and I visit "Canelos" atop Canton Hill, I forget about authenticity. I simply enjoy the food placed before me

There are the "big daddies" out there when serving Mexican food is concerned, and we occasionally drive in the other direction when we choose to eat in Buncombe County. However, we find ourselves meandering into the county of my birth to eat an enjoyable meal, every single time.

But there was this one time when my order was crossed up somehow, and my wife switched meals with me to ease my frustration. I love shrimp, but that wasn't what I had ordered. Being from the Philippines, my wife has a natural love of seafood, even in a Mexican dish. As fate would have it, my wife couldn't finish her meal, and I had the opportunity to delve into the meal I passed up for what was "behind door number two". And would you believe it, I was amazed at the flavor of that shrimp. Never underestimate the flavors coming from "Canelos", a small unassuming Mexican restaurant overlooking the papermill town of Canton, North Carolina.

I give this a 4 out of 5 Stars because, since I am not the experienced Mexican food connoisseur, surely there's something they can improve on. Until then, I'm happy to keep returning for more good food.

I used the word unassuming earlier. According to its popularity by the locals, "Canelos" is anything but an unassuming Mexican restaurant. So may I suggest you plan a trip and enjoy a meal at my favorite Mexican eatery. I suggest you arrive kinda early, they do seem to get busy...

The salsa bar ~ something underrated and rare to find. This family-owned restaurant is extremely casual and borderline dive-bar vibe. To clarify, a three-star review isn't a bad rating. It's a mediocre rating. Things you should know: I. PARKING Easy and convenient. There's an obvious private parking lot out front. II. SERVICE Yes, the salsa bar is complimentary. We had to figure that out on our own, so let me spare you from wondering if it's your first time. We couldn't figure out if you pay your check at the table or go up to the register? The waitress didn't seem to find an urgency to come back and pick up our card, so we just went up to the register. That method works too if you're wondering about that also.. III. QUALITY We ordered Chipotle Fajitas and a Super Fajita Quesadilla. The portions were great ~ no complaints with QUANTITY. This is my personal preference, but I was disappointed in the cheese on the quesadilla. It was pure liquid (very melted queso?). It had no retention like other cheeses do and made the quesadilla very soggy & greasy and impossible to pick up. Some people like queso, and cool, this is for you... But I like my cheese to have some solidity so I can pick up my quesadilla like pizza. IV. CAPACITY Busy for a Sunday night....