Chela’s Restaurant & Taqueria

​By Aimee Bingham Osinski anbingham@gmail.com
 
After seeing the owner of Chela’s, Adrian Iraola, questioned about why he left Mexico in a viral video,  I repeatedly heard how great the food and service is and I wanted to try it out myself,  not as another reporter,  looking for a quote, just as a random person there for lunch. 
The people ahead of me, had 20 people and didn't call ahead.  I spent years waiting tables when my oldest children were young and a twenty top is bound to make everything slower  while the kitchen and waitstaff try to keep up. I thought for sure we would sit around waiting for a server and for our food.  Much to my surprise,  I was seated immediately and received my drink quickly. I also received chips and two types of salsa quickly.
I considered the lunch buffet as an option so I could try as many different things as possible.  But I saw the 20 top ahead of me had the same idea and I figured it would be out of everything.  I chose a beef taco and chicken tamale plate with beans and rice. I've never really had authentic Mexican food.  I grew up on ChiChi's and Taco Bell. I don't think I've ever had a tamale before, but I figured it would be fun to try something new.
The kitchen must have been prepared for a rush on the buffet.  I watched as it was replenished regularly.  I didn't see anyone standing around waiting for more food. The staff was very kind. Adrian,  the owner,  stopped by my table twice to make sure we were doing okay. When I wasn't exactly sure how to dig into the tamale, he didn't laugh about it, though he did smile and tell me to unroll and not eat the corn husk. I appreciated that he was gentle with my ignorance.  My taco was void of the usual toppings. No lettuce,  no tomato and no cheese. The seasoning was so good, there was no need. It was the best taco I've ever had.  The tamale was equally as delicious.  My mom ordered a taco salad with chicken and ranch dressing.  She never used the ranch. The chicken was seasoned so well,  it didn't need it. My mom was impressed.  She said, "normally a taco salad is all lettuce, but this one has so much stuff in it." It had black beans,  chicken and corn, as well as lettuce and other salad toppings. 
Another person came by and checked on us while we waited for our food,  which was a shockingly short wait given the number of people in the restaurant. 
All in all, I know why everyone raves about Chela’s.  The food is delicious and the service is great.  I'll be back for more as soon as possible.  I'm certainly glad Adrian decided to come to the United States and follow his dreams to open Chela’s.  If you've never tried it, I encourage you to come enjoy the Dexter treasure.  Chela’s is located at 7065 Dexter Ann Arbor Road. To check out the menu and hours,  go to their website at www.chelas.co/index.html.

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