El Canelo Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Elwood

This may be the most popular restaurant in the area. On a Tuesday night we had a fifteen minute wait for a table. The seating is not very organized. They don't take names, you just stand near the host stand and wait and hope. The hostess seems to have too many jobs. She seats people, takes phone orders, cleans tables, and is the cashier.

Chips and salsa is good. Salsa comes with bowls for everyone so double dip away!

Had another wait at the table, because there is no organization as to how people are seated. Actually watched other people (seated after us) order and get drinks before anyone talked to us. But the waitress was very kind.

After we ordered we had to ask for napkins and silverware.

Husband ordered chili rellenos. He LOVES cheese and said it had too much cheese. I ordered Pollo loco and it did not come with a guacamole salad but otherwise it was fine. The food is similar to most Mexican restaurants in areas that are lacking in Mexicans.

For the area it's great. For overall,...

Gave this restaurant a trial run by going for lunch there with my boss. She ordered the Nachos Grande, which ended up being way more than she could put down, even as a half order. It has a combo, beef on one side and shredded chicken on the other. She was pleased with the meal, but felt it could have had a bit more cheese on it. My meal was the chicken burrito fajita. Fajita fixings already rolled into a tortilla, melted cheese on top, sides of rice and beans. This was off the lunch menu and I brought 2/3 of it home in a to-go box! The prices were great, the atmosphere comfortable. There's even outdoor seating on a front, covered patio. Little bit of a language barrier for non-Spanish speaking customers, but it gets figured out. I speak some Spanish, so we did fine. The place stayed busy the whole time we were there, everyone seemed satisfied. I will definitely return, not...

I'm terribly disappointed in what I ordered. I ordered a chicken chalupa and it looks like a chicken tostada. It fell apart when I tried to pick it up like you're supposed to when you come to eating a chalupa. I wanted a chalupa not a tostada. It didn't even taste like a chalupa. I wasted $14 and some change because I'm going to throw them in the trash I'll order through ubereats

Somebody was telling me that it was a great restaurant. Maybe for Elwood area it is a great restaurant but to me it's like all the rest that I travel across the country and see and eat at. They take their idea of what they think the food is and make it that way.

The cashiers wasn't very friendly but she wasn't angry either so she was just there. I do have to say the iced tea was great. I'll be nice and give them a two-star. The last picture is what a chalupa...