I absolutely loved this place! Small and family owned. I came for lunch with a large group, and we all ordered a variety of menu items. I can wholeheartedly recommend the fajitas. I got chicken. The marinade was so flavorful. The tortillas seemed fresh made. I have never finished an order of fajitas in my life. I couldn't stop eating these. Service was great despite being short handed. New favorite place. read more

On Saturday, my wife and I went to El Chaparral Grill on the recommendation of a friend. The place was very clean. We were greeted as soon as we arrived and given a menu to look over. A reasonable amount of time after we ordered, our food was delivered by a very nice waitress. The food was generous in quality, piping hot and absolutely delicious. We had a very pleasant meal and an excellent experience. I definitely think you should check it out. I have already thanked our friends who recommended this place to us!! Thanks, Rick read more

Great food and service. Will definitely go back. Nice atmosphere. Seems to be on course for menu prices.

Went with the family for a late breakfast and it was perfect. The hospitality and the food were amazing. I mean chips and salsa for breakfast? My kids went crazy for it. The special I had that day was perfect. Whenever we go back to Denton I'll make sure to visit here again. read more

We stopped in around 10:30am on Sunday for the first time. We chose this spot for two reasons: 1) I'm running out of places I haven't tried, lol! 2) It stated 20% off your order with a yelp check in. There were no pictures of a menu, no website and a majority of the reviews were older, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. I was surprised by the size of the place, there were dozens of tables and the building was deeper than it appeared from the outside. There was a lot of color on the walls, the theme was hard to nail down as it seemed all over the place. After looking at the shockingly large menu, which was half diner inspired and half Tex-Mex, my guess is they were going for a Tex-Mex/Cowboy theme. There are several murals on the wall, including one of the Alamo. There are pretty Mexican paintings beneath a variety of bird houses, there is a giant Cowboys star, etc. You seat yourself. It would be really helpful if there was a sign at the front as we stood there for several minutes wondering if we could seat ourselves before anyone said anything. There were two people working and there was a Now Hiring sign in the window. After we found a clean table, a young gentleman asked for our drink order and came back shortly with a sweet tea, a Dr. Pepper and two menus. He ran off right away, but it was his second day and they had a steady crowd. A woman, who had been bustling around like she knows the place like the back of her hand, popped by and asked if we needed anything. I asked about the yelp check in, but was informed they don't honor that. I mentioned that it would be nice if that was updated and got an insincere apology. I get it, you didn't do it, but in a place like this, the owner clearly comes around, so maybe mention it to them? Since other reviews mention older check in offers being honored, removing the current offer is the only way to avoid confusion. There was a lot of menu to sort through, too much in my opinion. We gave up after the fourth page and settled on burgers. I thought $4.95 for a burger and fries was a pretty damn good deal and was only mildly annoyed about the 95 cent upcharge for cheese. To keep it simple, we decided to order two cheeseburgers and fries. While we waited for someone to come back and take our orders, we came across the pricing for the drinks and got some sticker shock- $2.75 for a soda? There was also some printer paper on the back page of the menu indicating prices had changed. I took this to be an explanation of price changes, but later when we got our bill, the handwritten prices didn't match my expectation, so I guess that was there so they didn't have to pay to have the menus reprinted? I tried to inquire about the price but the new guy didn't know and the lady never checked on us after that. When the food came, the melted square of what could have been Kraft singles on the burger felt like a rip off for the upgrade price. The burger itself tasted good, the bun had a nice toast, they didn't skimp on the side of mayo. I didn't use the tomatoes because they didn't seem as fresh as I like, but I liked the lettuce and my husband liked the pickle spear. The fries had an interesting cut, but they were cut different sizes and thicknesses. That being said, they were closer in consistency on the cook than I thought they would be. It was really obvious from the crowd, that they have a specific group of regulars. Maybe they aren't used to new people coming in who don't know the prices. Maybe they do a really good job of informing people of the costs and bring menus before getting drink orders normally, but had an off day because they are short handed. I don't know, but I left feeling kind of confused and nickel and dimed. I know reprinting menus costs money, but your customers deserve to know the prices when they make a decision. Should I really have to point that out? The food was pretty good, so I might wait until they get fully staffed and reprint their menus to do a comparison visit. read more

El Chaparral Grille - Burger with fries $4.95, plus 95 cents for cheese - American Near Me - Denton, Texas

This place is fantastic. My husband and I have been coming here regularly for a few years. Belinda is wonderful and makes you feel like family. They are closed on Mondays, and sometimes they host The Rotary Club's meetings there (and the dining room is closed to everyone else). When in doubt- if you call, she'll answer and you can ask if they're open. They close at 2PM. The food is always good and I've never had a disappointing visit. Belinda and her husband own the restaurant and as we all know- hiring people is next to impossible right now, so Belinda is the front of the house and her hubby is the back- sometimes it takes a few moments to be greeted, but she's not ignoring you, she's running her butt off. I've read all of the reviews for El Chapparral here on yelp and I'd like to address a few of the complaints from a regular customer's point of view. - Seat yourself and grab a menu on your way to your seat. It's a big menu and this will give you time to check it out. - Have your drink order ready when she gets to your table, it's not like you went in not knowing what you wanted to drink. - When she comes back with your drinks, try to be ready to order- otherwise there's no telling when she'll make it back again. If you're not ready, that's ok, she will come back eventually. -If you need a refill on your drink before your food is out, make eye contact and hold up your glass or mug- easy. - Food portions are plentiful, I feel as though she prices fairly. - Time to check out? Go to the cashier desk at the front, she'll see you and join you up there. You guys should really go and try it. I always get the breakfast tacos with sausage and hash browns. My husband always gets something different and the menu, as stated above is large, so lots to choose from. I don't ever use coupons there, so I can't really address that complaint. If 20% makes it where you can't eat out, maybe you shouldn't anyway. read more

My husband and I like trying new restaurants, so we decided to try El Chaparral for lunch one day. I was expecting authentic Mexican food, so I was a little surprised to find that it was more of an American and Tex-Mex restaurant. As a previous reviewer stated the outside does not reflect the inside. The inside is not a fancy restaurant, but it is much nicer than the outside appearance would lead you to believe. We were promptly greeted by the hostess/waitress. She was an exceptionally kind woman. I was looking forward to chequillas since another reviewer mentioned them. I haven't found them on a menu at any place in Denton. Unfortunately they did not have them. The prices were pretty average for a family restaurant at $7-$13 per plate. They do not offer free chips and salsa like most restaurants (it's $3.75 for them if I remember correctly). I ordered the nachos, chips and queso. The food was just as good as other local Tex-Mex restaurants, but it did not stand out as incredible. The hostess/waitress went out of her way to make sure everyone in the restaurant was taken care of and happy. She even took the time to bring her work to a table to work while chatting with an elderly man sitting by himself. He was obviously a regular who needed company. Although I would not necessarily seek this restaurant out for the food, I would definitely go back for the incredible amount of kindness that they offered to not only my family, but everyone in the restaurant. I will choose this restaurant before going to other local Tex-Mex restaurants in the local area. read more

Everything was good. Good food, good value. Only open for breakfast and lunch. Old school!!! Only issue was through the Yelp app it said I would get 20% off. They did not honor that coupon!!! read more

El Chaparral Grille - a menu on a table - American Near Me - Denton, Texas

Great lunch! Clean, safe and pleasant place to meet a friend and enjoy a delicious hot meal! This was my first time to eat here and it won't be my last! read more

As a born and raised Dentonite, I make an effort to try all the local restaurants and think I've covered most of the food in the city by now. El Chapparal had slipped through the cracks, though, and had been on my to eat list for a while. When I saw fellow trusted Yelpers give it 4 stars in multiple reviews, I made it a priority and finally got to go this past Sunday morning. First off, the sign outside DOES NOT reflect the inside at all. Part of the reason that I'd passed it up for so long was because the curb appeal was a little sketchy. The sign is very generic but makes it look like it's just going to be a hole in the wall or a meat market or something (I assumed donut shop style seating). Not at all! The dining room was very spacious, clean, and rockin' a tex-mex/southwestern/cowboy motif. The place is obviously family owned and operated, and we were greeted by warm smiles when we walked in. There were maybe 2 other tables there when we arrived just after noon, which was a little surprising and always leaves a little room for concern. I feel like this place has a lot of potential but just hasn't really been discovered by the public yet. The owner told us they hold a lot of banquets and private groups (rotary clubs, etc.), so I'm sure that's where a lot of their business comes from. The food was pretty good. Nothing spectacular, but nothing bad. The waitress (the owner) did mix up some of our plates and delivered each person's meal at a different time, but it wasn't that big of a deal. Ha- I did start eating, though, before we realized the plates had been switched... and she just picked it up and moved it in front of my friend and manhandled his toast over to him from my plate. Fortunately we're close, so we didn't skip a beat in devouring our breakfast. :) Our table had an assortment of food, from the classic American breakfast combo (bacon, eggs, toast, hashbrowns, grits) to lunch enchiladas. The flavor was good, although not too spicy and a little bland on the Mexican dishes. The salsa seems fresh but was a little overdone on the pepper. It all came out hot had generous portions. All-in-all, pretty good...especially for under $8 a plate! Happy to find another family business in Denton worth eating. I'll be back! read more

Good food at good prices. One of Denton's few good breakfast places open weekday mornings, they are open for breakfast and lunch every day and dinner Thursday-Saturday nights. Get there before the after-church crowd on Sunday for breakfast. They are located on the corner of Walnut & Cedar. Catty-corners SW from Courthouse Square. There is a picture on their website: http://www.dentonfirst.com/cdps/cdprint.cfm?nid=1414 read more

I went to this place when my parents were in town because it seems to be the only restaurant in Denton that serves breakfast on a weekday (besides the places that just serve breakfast tacos). Their breakfast is good, but not very spicy. The beans are unimpressive. If you are looking for breakfast, this is a good choice. Likewise if you prefer your Mexican food with little spice. But if you like it spicy, you'll probably be happier with something else. read more

Very cold in the building nice server food was good but drown in greece loads of seating and they don't run out of ice don't they will run out of coke their cause they use so much ice lol read more

El Chaparral Grille - American Near Me - Denton, Texas

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I had never been here before. A friend of mine took me there for breakfast. The menu was abundant and they serve the full menu all day. Which is a plus as I don't always want breakfast. Today I did. Upon enter the place it is more than what I would have expected based on the outside. It was very clean including the restrooms. Staff was really nice and we were greeted immediately upon entering. We chose a table and the owners wife came out and greeted my friend by first name as he is in their often. We ordered and everything came out pretty quick. We both had omelets and they were good. Not really thrilled with the Kraft cheese product they put on it versus regular cheese, and no Salsa! NO SALSA this is Texas! By the time they came back I was pretty much done. Not a big deal. Overall the place was okay. Not as good as Old West Cafe on Dallas Drive. I gave it 4 stars because the food seemed fresh, used real eggs, pleasing environment, family oriented and family owned and run! If your over by the civic center or downtown stop in and give them a try! read more

I always like trying these little restraunts that would for the most part go unoticed. Le Chaparral Grille is small and has a nice n cozy feel to it. The server we had was very nice and the chef came out and brought us our food. I had the ham and cheese omelette with hash browns and an English muffin. The omelette was good and so was the English mufffin, the has Hashbrowns were also surprising good. I also tried the chips and salsa which were unfortunately bland, and managed to get a bite of some refried beans which also tasted pretty plain. However, the food is decently priced, the staff is good, and theres lots of seating. read more

El Chaparral Grille - Ham & Cheese Omelette with Hash Browns & a Buttered English Muffin - American Near Me - Denton, Texas

Not my favorite Tex-Mex, but OK. I'll go if the gang is going. They will put in a soup and salad bar when some equipment arrives. Meeting room is available. They have moved. The new address is 324 E McKinney St, Denton, TX. Same phone. read more

Finally tried El Chaparral Grille today. Service was good. Customers seem to be mostly regulars and fewer than we expected. Tostadas were good. Miggas were not quite what we expected (served over chips). Overall good experience with okay food. read more

The breakfast was awesome! My father in law just moved into town and wanted to find out where the locals eat. Well, we found it. Everything we ordered was fresh and just how we ordered it. Service was great and very friendly. We will return. read more

The food is great as well as the service. Prices are not expensive at all and you get a lot of food. This place is so clean too.

This is a great locally owned Mexican restaurant. All their food is consistently good including breakfast. The breakfast steak and eggs or chequillas are great choices. The service is outstanding, friendly and attentive. The owner walked over to each table during the meal to make sure everyone was happy. If you like Mexican food and are in Denton, this is a great choice. They accept all major credit cards. Food-4 stars, Service-4 stars, Mexican Restaurant ambiance-3 stars, Value-4 stars. read more

Definitely worth it if you purchased a yelp deal. I think we got the 20 for 10 special. Only been there for breakfast and after going the first time... we did end up going back, so that says something. The steak and eggs was great both times we went. read more

Good food at reasonable prices. Yelp offered a $20 for $10 deal which was cool. Service was good and friendly. We had chops and eggs that also came with potatoes and refried beans and chorizo that came with refried beans and hashbrowns we also had a French toast for desert. See pictures we posted. Not a bad little spot. We will come back. Mexican name with a cowboy feel. read more

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I'm sorry....we walked out after 40 minutes of waiting patiently for our food. Everyone around us was being served...even those that arrived after we did. We ordered breakfast since they claim they serve it until 2pm. 40 minutes later they asked if they could substitute hash browns instead of potatoes.... 40 minutes after we ordered. read more

I am going to start this with, I have never left a review before and my experience here compelled me to do so, for the first time in my 42 years. I happened upon some resteraunt.com gift certificates. When deciding where to go using the certificates, I wanted to try somewhere that we had never been. After looking over a few different places, I settled on the El Chapparal off McKinney, in Denton. After reading all the fine print, certificate in hand, we headed to the resteraunt only to discover they are open only for breakfast and lunch, despite what the advertising on the windows said. We tried again, this time to find it closed on Mondays. The next time we tried we did finally make it inside. We were seated immediately and started looking at the menu. When the waitress came to take our order, she informed us that they didn't have everything to make that particular item that we wanted . We chose something else. Thinking it was a fluke, the next person choosing something different was also told they didn't have the ingredients to make that item. This happened three times, three different things. We finally did get our food. The food wasn't great and it wasn't bad. The food and drinks were overpriced. Our plates piled up on the table and our drinks went without being refilled for quite sometime. During our meal, we noticed someone coming in the door. We noticed because the waitress, whom I believe may also be the owner, told that person, from across the room, that they were closed. The other person asked what time they closed and was told 2 o clock. It wasn't even 2 yet. That person left. As if our experience at that point wasn't bad enough, as we finished our meal, I asked the waitress if we could order a burger to go. She informed me that they wouldn't do to go orders on that certificate. I need to clarify that it stated no where on the certficate that to go orders were not allowed. Even still, it is still money in their pocket no matter how it's ordered or where it is eaten, right? Taken aback by that, and the rudeness of the waitress, we determined then we wouldn't go back. The food isn't that great, the service sucks! The people are rude and make you feel like you are asking too much when requesting something. Their menu is only on a day to day availability apparently. What's more is the certicates are designed to bring a business some business. It seems to me they didn't want the business. read more

I like El Chaparral, for the most part. The last couple of times that I have attempted to eat there, I wasn't allowed to go in becuase of a meeting they were having that was not open to the public. :-( read more