Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    El Arroyo

    3.2 (563 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Tex-Mex, Bars
    Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    El Arroyo Photos

    Business Info

    EL ARROYO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Live music
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - El Arroyo

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Friday
    Chuck M.

    It was a Friday evening, it had been a long week, and we were in the mood for some outdoor dining. El Arroyo has one of the top rocking patios in the DFW area. We decided to head over to the ever popular El Arroyo. We were hoping to be able to find a parking spot in their packed parking lot. I say this kindly since El Arroyo is very popular and to plan accordingly. I'm an amputee and there are only two handicapped spaces. Arriving we were optimistic, and we were in luck. We didn't get a handicapped spot but one just as good on the end of a row allowing my lots of room to transfer to my mobility chair. We love El Arroyo's patio, and it was going full blast. The hostess tagged the perfect accessible table for us and had it cleaned and set! We settled in and were greeted with salsa and a basket of piping hot chips. There was an awesome vocalist singing America standards in the background. She was wonderful, I wish I had gotten her name. Ashley, our incredible server, greeted us and took our drink order. It was definitely margarita time. We love their margaritas! They're a must if you're dining at the restaurant. After looking at the menu, my wife and I decided to split an order of chicken fajitas for one. We've found out fajitas for one are perfect for the two of us. The order usually provides at least two fajitas for each of us. So that's what we ordered. This would be the first time we'd ordered fajitas at the restaurant. In a jiff, Ashley delivered our margaritas to the table. She apologized that the food may take a bit longer since it was Friday evening and the restaurant was slammed. We told her we were in no hurry and just wanted to relax. We sat back, munched on chips and salsa and enjoyed the live entertainment. After a reasonable wait, dinner was served! Our chicken fajita entree was delivered smoking and sizzling along with all the necessary sides. Oh my, the fajitas smelled so good. We knew by the smoky smell they were going to be incredible, and YES, they were. They were some of the best chicken fajitas we've ever had. The chicken had just the right amount of marinade on it, and it was grilled to perfection. The side, rice, refried beans, guac and pico, were perfectly prepared and seasoned. To the flour tortillas, they were some of the softest and most tender tortillas we've had. To top the evening's visit off, Ashley, even though she was super busy, took excellent care of us. Thank you, El Arroyo for a relaxing dining experience, superior customer service with a smile, and a pronominal order of chicken fajitas. We'll see you again soon.

    Chicken Tortilla Soup
    Qiana D.

    A great family restaurant that serves amazing Mexican cuisine. Due to the cold weather wanted some good tortilla soup and they did not disappoint. Full of delicious chicken, tomato, rice, avocado, shredded cheese and tortilla strips--Yum!

    Dos Especial Combo Plate
    Michelle M.

    Food Great for the price service was awesome. Ambiance was great, I sat outside for dinner

    Awesome Patio!
    Sheila L.

    It's been a minute since we've visited El Arroyo in Arlington due to my change of address and well, life. We will not be skipping them on our list again! We wanted a patio because the weather was perfect for drinks on a patio. EL Arroyo has the BEST patio in town- hands down!! Unlike most, it's covered!! You can sit on the patio of its storming, cold, or 100' If you are a patio person, it doesn't matter if it's 35', they have you covered (literally) with a fireplace and heaters. If it's a summer day, plenty of overhead fans and breezy. I think the entire town had the same idea- super packed! I'm picky with my margs. Some places make them tart and some too sweet. These went down smoothly! If you are into expensive tequila, (unlike myself) they do offer a "Gold Margarita" handmade with Don Julio 1942 Anejo and Grand Marnier for $32.99. We're pretty basic and skipped the Golden for the Ditch Margarita/Classic recipe! I've been a fan of the Shrimp Diablo for years. It was removed from the menu once, but everyone continued to request it and it's back to stay. If you're dieting, the Shrimp Diablo is perfect- bacon wrapped, jalapeño stuffed jumbo shrimp grilled over a bed of rice. I skipped the rice. It's perfect for watching carbs. They also have a brunch menu with breakfast tacos, Migas, Huevos Ranchero, Tamale Omlette (curious about this one) and several other omelettes offered. Our waitresse was so busy and still gave us ample attention. So glad we returned. Not leaving this time!! YUM!

    Sour cream chicken enchiladas
    Andrew G.

    My wife frequented El Arroyo growing up and was excited to introduce me to the Arlington staple. Even with the hype, I was a bit disappointed. The chips and salsa were good, about on par with other Mexican restaurants. Same with the enchiladas- good, but nothing crazy special. I would say the guac was the element that most missed the mark. Marketed as large, there were 5 scoops of bland guac on a large bed of lettuce. The staff was great though and attentive to our questions and requests. Cool environment with an awesome mural wall.

    Jalapeño margarita
    Kelli T.

    I was invited to a going away party on Saturday night and there was about 15 of us attending. The server assigned to our table was taking drink orders as we sat down. My jalapeño margarita was delicious and I was pleasantly surprised to see lots of fresh sliced peppers floating around. My shredded chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce and fresh jalapeños were yummy. Food runners helped the server to accommodate all of our meals.

    Taco Plate Lunch, Queso, Chips and Salsa
    Vivian L.

    Considering how El Arroyo is a household name and everyone and their dog in Arlington knows about them, this is my first time actually going to eat there after living in Texas for nearly 20 years lol. I went on a Monday afternoon so it wasn't crazy busy and my friend and I got our food fairly quickly. Our waitress and other wait staff were very courteous. The food was good. Nothing amaaaazing imo but it was good. The margaritas, though? They were phenomenal. I liked them. I got a frozen flavored margarita and then a regular on the rocks one and my friend got a jalapeño margarita on the rocks that was really good, too. Restaurant was clean and the bathroom was clean so overall it was a great experience.

    3% surcharge. Really?

    See all

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Sheyenne was awesome!!! Even with a super busy night she made sure we had everything we needed and made sure our order was right :)

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lex W.
    334
    352
    1670

    12 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jolene P.
    82
    52
    39

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Corinda P.
    135
    43
    115

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Aimee L.
    149
    15
    15

    6 years ago

    Was really good! Decently price for the quality of food. We all cleaned our plates and not just cause we had spent all day at six flags.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tasha O.
    1146
    48
    38

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    We were giving this another try. The Food was poor, the Service was worse. We won't be back. Don't waste your time.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 4 of 15

    Ask the Community - El Arroyo

    The Addy

    The Addy

    4.6
    (42 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    Let's just get into it…read more Our server took our order and when I asked for the catfish she asked if I wanted hush puppies or toast. But she did not disclose there will be a up charge... so not sure why she asked me options that weren't included in the combo I ordered. So I had that retinal charge on the check. They have auto gratuity on all checks. Food was good for fried food. My husband enjoyed his daiquiri but it was really sweet. The atmosphere was not what I expected pretty loud for such a small spot, but my husband enjoyed the music. So I would put this almost as a lounge category rather than a traditional sports bar. Overall I don't think the amount of food was appropriate for the price. Especially the fact that those mozzarella sticks were $10 and only included 4 thats $2.50 a piece. It just wasn't my vibe, but it wasn't bad overall

    I think I just found my honeycomb hideout spot. After leaving my chiropractor appointment in the…read moreHighlands, I felt like treating myself to a good dinner. None of the usuals sounded appetizing so I hopped on Yelp for suggestions. Luckily, The Addy popped up in my top 3 choices, the reviews looked great and the hot lemon pepper catfish grabbed my attention. Upon arrival, I saw that it was a cozy place, nestled between a few other businesses in a strip mall situation. The greeter was very polite and sat me quickly. I didn't take any photos inside because it felt intimate and I didn't want to film anyone without their consent. Anywho, I ordered the smash burger, fries and one hot lemon pepper catfish (not swai) fillet. Food was fantastic and the portion size was great. They do add 18% gratuity to every check no matter the size of your party. I enjoyed my solo experience and I'll be sure to swing back by next time I'm in the area.

    Photos
    Full bar and big screens
    Full bar and big screens
    Catfish , Fries, ranch wings , friend ribs
    Catfish , Fries, ranch wings , friend ribs
    The baddie with passion fruit

    See all

    The baddie with passion fruit

    El Arroyo - mexican - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...