Does the monotony of college food ever give you the blues? Are you looking for a meal that’s not only delicious, but unique and affordable? Then do what many Gannon students do and break the boredom with a tasty meal at El Canelo Mexican Restaurant. Their authentic Mexican fare is sure to satisfy your craving for spicy, zesty food from south of the border.

This full-service Mexican restaurant has been serving the Erie community for more than 10 years. They prepare their food fresh every day, with delicious dishes including sizzling fajitas, quesadillas, burritos and smothered nachos. Even if you’re a picky eater, you are bound to find something that you enjoy in the large variety of food on their menu.

With three locations, El Canelo is an easy place to get to. Their locations at 4236 Peach St. and 2709 W. 12th St. are closest to Gannon’s campus, but 4459 Buffalo Rd. in Harborcreek Township is only about a 15-minute drive away. If you don’t have a car to travel to these locations, never fear! Just hop on any of the local Erie buses, dubbed the “e,” which is free with a Gannon student ID. There are stops in close vicinity to all three El Canelo localities.

As a patron and big fan of this restaurant, I am not only impressed with the quality of the food, but also the speedy service. There are some instances where I’ve waited in a drive-thru for a longer amount of time than it took for my cheesy, delicious meal to be delivered to my table fresh from the grill at El Canelo.

El Canelo accepts most major credit cards and is open Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. If you’d like to learn more about this restaurant, print coupons or view an online menu, you can check out their website.

Get a feel for other places students like to frequent in our Student Faves posts.