Chela & Garnacha

Cute décor. Simple. Chairs may be uncomfortable for those of us w bigger booties. It’s like an outdoor chair from Bryant park. FYI. Tables are close together so eating here while crowded probably isn’t as nice and can get loud. I’d come late night like an hour or 2 before they close on weekends.
Didn’t love that the waitress took my fork and knife off my plate and put them on the table between courses. This is a nice enough place to give me new utensils and to know better. Don’t want table germs on my fork. She was very nice though.
Water served in a bottle for the table. But wish it was cold water. Esp on a 90 degree day. Asked for a cup of ice. Problem solved.
Drinks:
They have a lot of montauk brewery beers. Served in a can.
Margarita. Generous size. About $ 9. I don’t remember. But tasted a little like iced tea. Disappointing.
The food:
Lots of vegetarian options. Yay!
Intrincadas de Flor de Calabaza (3 per order) — must get this! So yummy. Perfectly fried crisp on the outside soft on the inside corn masa. Flavorful. Adobo sauce is a spicy and smells and tastes amazing. If I only ate this I would be happy.
Tacos:
They really fill up the soft tacos to be generous but it’s hard to pick up and eat. Taco shell gets soggy from all the food on top.
Shrimp. Fried cheese w good size shrimp inside. You get like 2 –3. It didn’t do it for me. Not bad but kind of bland.
Fish. Fish had no flavor. Salsa on top slightly spicy. Fresh ingredients on top like slaw and fresh tomatoes. Just ok. Wouldn’t order again.
Vegetarian tacos:
Husband said vegetable one was the best. Most flavor.
Mushroom and cactus tacos. Ok.
Mushroom had so much juice he splashed his shirt. FYI.

Wow. This place is a must try! The prices are great, service was awesome the food was amazing. We started with 2 classic margaritas and they were tasty! We had guacamole as an appetizer and it was probably some of the best I’ve ever had. I HATE cilantro, but the guac was good enough that it didn’t bother me at all. We then each had 3 tacos: El Pastor, Carne Asade and Bistec. All three were amazing. GET THE CRISPY CHEESE on at least one — to due for. Also, if you love avocado, you can add it for $ 1 and they basically give you half an avocado. The food had massive flavor, and was wonderfully satisfying. How have we never eaten here before?

Five stars for the best shrimp taco I’ve ever had in my life… I’ve had quite a bit of shrimp tacos. I also tried the fish taco and cactus taco — both delicious, the toppings are generous. The guacamole was pretty standard, nothing special… the shrimp taco — everything. One less star because they don’t serve horchata — excuse me? How can you serve tacos and not horchata? Go for the shrimp tacos or for the fact that you can add fried cheese to any taco!

The Spot is Ok nothing that blows my mind, the Guacamole was average (Small) portions! I had a few of there tacos, only 1 taco was worth eating *Camaron Adobado (Adobo shrimp, guacamole, wrapped w/​crispy cheese)* was actually really good Thanks AmY C…
I also had a Bistec en Pasilla Torta Sandwich
(Top round steak marinated in a drunken beer & a whole lot of toppings) it was Good but soO Salty!
Small intimate setting restaurant, with limited seating & Whack Margaritas w/​alot of Juice, definitely not worth it… Overall it’s a ok spot to bring a date & eat very salty food w/​Water Down Margaritas.
FYI: Good selection of tasty homemade Hotsauces w/​a nice kick!

I’m so happy my roommate showed me this place before leaving for SF. They have a great selection of tacos and I like their crispy cheese option as well. My dad used to have a poppin’ Mexican restaurant and I gotta say this is one of a handful of places in NYC that hasn’t left me disappointed. Last time I was here I also tried one of their spicy jalapeño margaritas and it was tasty. Good food, good people and good drinks. What more could you ask for?

I was super excited about this place since it had so many different tacos. Overall, this place has very flavorful, unique toppings with a kick. However the meats were dry and lacking in flavor and the quality of the meat was poor. I might come back, only because there were so many unique tacos on the menu.
Volcanes (carne asada) — this was the best dish, although it was a little pricey. The beef on this was very tender and juicy. It came on this crispy tortilla topped with fried cheese, salsa and avocado. It was so good!
Bistec en pasilla– the beef was dry, it did not really go with the toppings.
Adobo– the pork was also a little dry, it needed more sauce.
Camaron adobe adobado– It came with a big shrimp but the toppings actually overwhelmed the shrimp and you can’t really taste the shrimp.

Recently moved to the area — my gf was determined to find authentic Mexican cuisine. And Chela & Garancha delivered.
We got the chips and guacamole to start, which is a good deal at $ 8. Then got two tacos — al pastor and camaron abodabido. Bother were great. And my gf got the al pastor torts which was excellent as well.
Will definitely be coming back, only thing missing from this place is a liquor license. They serve beer and wine — and margaritas but they are not made with tequila.

Service was excellent at around 1600 on a Friday. This place is NOT cheap, despite what other reviews may say. $ 5/​taco is hefty, but the carne asada taco was worth every penny. I also got the pastor taco; not a huge fan, but it was good enough. The classic margaritas are homemade, strong, and not too sweet, so perfect for me. Didn’t sense much difference between the regular and spicy marg, but I like a LOT of spice. I also got the masa with shredded chicken. I didn’t finish it and didn’t take the leftovers. The chicken was bland and not tasty. I’d stick with the tacos, and judging from the table next to me, the tortas are also pretty awesome (they looked great).

Pretty good Shrimp Tacos, loved the grilled cheese topping. Space is not too large, makes for a good date spot. Got my food to go, wasn’t expecting to pay as much as I did. But it was good next time I have extra cash and want good tacos, I know a place.

Excellent Mexican food! This is unabashed Mexican food, not Tex-​Mex, not Californian (as they mention on the back of their menu)! Strong flavors, good ingredients, and cooks who know how to use fire.
I was here for book club, as part of a party of 12. Even though we basically took over the whole space, not once did the waitstaff flinch, and we got everything we asked for.
We started with the chips and guacamole while waiting for the rest of our party to show up, and the guacamole is full of avocado, as it should be. I ordered three tacos: the shrimp adobado with crispy cheese and avocado, the fish taco, and the nopales. I was a little disappointed because in my head, I’d been choosing between the nopales and the hongos, and I’d made up my mind to get the hongos but accidentally ordered the nopales, so when it showed up, I was confused until I realized what I’d done. The nopales were the weakest part of the meal, because I was expecting mushrooms, but also because the shrimp and fish tacos just blew me away. The shrimp tacos reminded me of the fried shrimp tacos you get from taco trucks in Los Angeles, that are fried with avocado within. This was not a fried tortilla, but the shrimp was perfectly cooked, and the crispy cheese was an excellent touch. The fish taco was well fried and so crunchy! This is probably the best fish taco I’ve ever had. Sigh.
The next time I go back, I will probably just triple down on fish/​shrimp tacos. I hear the meats are good too, but I don’t think I’ll have enough room for those until visit #4, which is when I expect I’ll probably have had enough seafood tacos and will want to try their meats…
Also, to note: they appear to not have a liquor license, so their margaritas and bloody marys aren’t made with liquor — it’s likely to be made with something that is classified as wine with regards to alcohol content. I still enjoyed my tamarindo margarita, but i’m not sure I would get it again. I’d rather just spend $ 2.50 and get a bottle of tamarindo Jarritos!

The shrimp taco with crispy cheese was the highlight of my meal. The pieces of shrimp were substantial and fresh; the casing of cheese added a nice flavor and bulked up the otherwise small taco; and the sauce on top was spicy and flavorful. I also tried the Adobo taco and the El Pastor taco. Both were very good, but the shrimp taco is the one that would keep me coming back.
If you decide to order the salsa on the side, ask the waitress to point out which one is the spiciest. Although I never shy away from spicy foods, this salsa made my eyes water, nose run, and tongue feel numb. If you’re sensitive to heat, skip this step (and be wary of the spice in other parts of your meal).
Service was prompt and pleasant. The interior was colorful and nicely decorated. Chela & Garnacha is a great spot for a casual date night in Astoria.

If you don’t like strong flavors, don’t eat here. The tacos aren’t bland. And they pile on the toppings.
I was shocked at each mouthful at the spiciness plus flavor of my shrimp taco (so good! Came recommended by the server) and vegetable taco (minus sour cream and plus cilantro)…
Friend said her steak and caramelized onions taco was surprisingly flavorful for something with such few ingredients — compared to the amount of ingredients in my two tacos that literally burst out the sides and I happily scooped up with a fork. She added avocados for a dollar and they gave her pretty much half an avocado. Your taco will be full, don’t you worry.
Loved the corn tortilla!!! So not dry, chewy just the right amount. Loved how they layered the tortillas so no bursting at the seams, just at the sides. I was so happy with each bite.
I thought the cheese quesadilla would be plain tortilla with melted cheese. No, it’s stuffed with stringy cheese with a wonderful concoction of spicy sauces on top. I LOVED it.
We would have ordered guac but my friend can’t eat cilantros so we couldn’t since they pre-​make it.
Next time, I’ll try the guac and the limeade and maybe if I’m adventurous the Mexican hot chocolate. Also, the volcano tacos come in a set of 3 and are $ 17 — their tortilla comes grilled and crispy, server said.
Oh, NEXT TIME shall come soon!!!

The absolute BEST tacos in Astoria/​Long Island City. LOVE ordering from here. If you are small like me but love food 2 tacos are enough and will cost you the max $ 10.00 which is NOT bad for what youre getting.
The place always seems to be empty during mid-​day but I shit you not, you will NEVER be disappointed. :)

Cute little spot on 36^th Ave with great vegetarian meals! I gave up meat for lent and this is a great place to find filling affordable vegetarian options.
My girls and I do an annual Galentine’s… Due to the frigid weather our normal 10 girls plus group turned to 5. When we arrived we ordered guacamole and chips. The guac was pretty good it had pieces of jalapeño and a good amount of garlic and lime flavor. I was so hungry I ate most of it and the girls had to order another. The guac was also only $ 8 which was a good price for the amount it brought.
As the main dish, I ordered zucchini flower quesadillas. The dish came with three folded quesadillas that looked like empanadas. It had the perfect amount of spice drizzled with sour cream to help balance the heat. The price was also good at $ 8.95. I felt like I ate so much and spent only $ 12 altogether after splitting the guac and chips prices with the gals. They all enjoyed the unique take on the tacos with the fried cheese and also were filled to the brim.
We wanted to try the Mexican hot chocolate for dessert but were left with no room. The only thing that took away from the experience was how cold it was in the restaurant. I cannot blame them much because there was a below 20 degree wind chill outside. Perhaps returning when it is not so crazy cold out would provide for a more pleasant time. Lots more I want to try! A great find!

Fun and cheap Mexican food that definitely has a family touch to it. The tacos are priced a la carte, but even one is a tasty enough treat worth stopping by for. The tortas (sandwiches) are where the real money is though.
I got the steak torta and it was absolutely delicious. If you’re into spicy food be sure to ask for some of their hot sauces on the side. They can get quite hot. The beer list is also pretty unique, a lot of bottled Mexican beers. Not a place I would take a date, but a good hangout spot for sure.

Chela & Garnacha naturally drew me in due to its great reviews, but they won’t have me as a customer again. There is no doubt a wealth of options when it comes to tacos, however, they take an authentic style of preparing tacos, and use very non-​traditional ingredients in them.
I had 3 tacos of different sorts, the first one was the pescado, which was bland and tasteless. The cod was flavorless, and there was barely any seasoning, which in contrast to the remaining 2 tacos was drastic. The pork and chicken tacos were something of nightmares. First off, pork should never be combined with tumeric, and it gave this awfully foul and non-​traditional taste to the pork. The chicken had great flavor but was entirely too spicy for a normal taco, and to think they tried to give me «spicy sauce» to top it with.
All in all, this place has the makings of a traditional taco joint, without the actually ability to cook mexican food in a traditional manner.

We walked in on a Saturday around 7:30. We got the last 2top tables easily but the restaurant was busy. I don’t know Astoria at all but this place gave me a good food impression of the area. You can order the margarita in only two ways-​classic and spicy. I tried both and if you love margaritas with a spice kick to it, you’ll like the spicy one. They were $ 8 – 9 which is very nice compared to Manhattan drinks. Sadly they aren’t that strong however.
I loved their fresh guacamole. It had the perfect pinch of salt in the guac and chips. It’s a pretty decent size for $ 8.
The pescado taco was awesome! The fried wild cod is so crispy and fresh and really goes well with the fresh lime and baja slaw. The fish is big and the other ingredients in the taco are given a lot so it’s hard to wrap up the taco for a good bite.
I loved the Al Pastor taco even more! This taco includes marinated pork tenderloin and two thick slices of fresh pineapple. I added cheese to this for 50cents and it was the smartest things to do. The cheese is cooked crispy and rly brings the sharp taste to the taco and blends in perfectly with the sweet pineapple. This one as well was so big and hard to wrap.
The tacos are about avg $ 5 and it’s awesome. It’s a really cute place and pretty popular. Our servers were very friendly and checked back on us multiple times even though it was so busy at one point. I wish they also had sangria but I recommend chela and Granacha.

Yum! I am giving 5 stars for the quality of the food, service, and prices. The margaritas are strong in my experience so be careful! We had the Intrincadas de pollo appetizer, which was fabulous. The adobo sauce on top is awesome. The chips and guacamole were good. I had the carne asada taco and camarone taco. Both were wonderful and full of flavor. The atmosphere is good (kinda similar to a Bare Burger), but it’s not a romantic place that I would go for a first date. It is a good spot for eating with friends or enjoying taco Tuesday.

Love the tacos here! The shrimp and grilled fish ones are my favorite. Sometimes I add the crispy cheese if I am really hungry.
Definitely start with an order of guacamole. It’s flavorful and made fresh with freshly fried tortilla chips that are served warm.
The location is really cute and the service is always good. The hot sauces are also really good!
Great prices and wonderful staff. My go-​to taco spot.

Wait wait wait I’ve literally eaten here and ordered delivery at least 10 times now and haven’t written a review. Let me start out by saying THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!! They opened a few months ago and it has quickly become my go to place when I don’t feel like cooking (or I’m being lazy).
Now, I like to pride myself on my Mexican food knowledge considering I am from San Diego but this place blows my expectations out of the water. Their pescado taco is out of this world. I always order it grilled not fried and add crispy cheese and avocado. The fish is always perfectly cooked and the crispy cheese is a MUST. I don’t know how they cook the cheese like that but I must learn and put it on everything I eat.
My other favorite is their al pastor taco. It has so much flavor and the pineapple is a perfectly sweet addition to this Mexican classic. Order crispy cheese on this as well you won’t regret it.
Honorable mention for the guacamole. Zesty lime-​y and not super chunky or overly smooth. Justttttt right. I take my hat off to you Chela & Garnacha, this is the way Mexican food should taste. Fresh and delicious