Came here for a late lunch. If you walk in from the street the hostess stand is all the way in the back. We were able to sit at a window seat to see the pond which had ducks, fish, and turtles swimming around. We were served complimentary chips and a trio of house made salsa's (one red spicy, one red mild, and a cool mild green). I had the roasted jalapeños relleno which was super fresh and delicious. My spouse had the pollo fundido which was good but the chicken was a little dry and super cheesy. Our server was JME and she was nice and efficient. read more

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This pains my heart.. Building- Very old, nestled within the stunning rocks in Cave Creek among many gorgeous Artistic pottery places. (Park in the back) Ambiance- old, yet charming. There is a "grotto or pond" of amazing turtles. Outdoor patio space and huge indoor space. Service- attentive & friendly Menu- tons of delicious options however flavor is incredibly lacking Price- over priced, by like a lot. (Filiberto's has more flavor and drinks lack alcohol Overall- IT'S FREAKING DIRTY! Just filthy disgusting. It's incredibly sticky from the menu to the seats. Just ewwwww HARD PASS read more

This place is huge!!!! We were seated very quickly for a Sunday afternoon. Our server was very patient with our large group and even memorized our order Now the reason for the 3-star review... I know that some places will use peanuts/nuts in their Mole. Having a serious allergy to these ingredients has forced me to always check the menu for warnings. This menu had warnings for all gluten and shellfish allergies and even vegetarian options! Unfortunately, they did not have a warning for peanuts/nuts on their Chicken Mole Enchiladas. I had an allergic reaction that became serious as time went on. Now, I know that most authentic Mole recipes use nuts as a thickening agent, but they will ALWAYS include this detail in the menu description. Some places will use pumpkin seeds or other substitutes for this and they will make this known. I should've asked to double-check, but I feel as if it should've been included either way. Either way, this restaurant was fantastic and I couldn't recommend it more. I just wanted to share my experience to prevent any severe medical emergencies from happening!! read more

Have been coming to this restaurant for over 20 years. Landmark restaurant in Cave Creek. Never fails to impress our guests. Great look and feel, wonderful service, delicious food. Highly recommend! read more

El Encanto - Bar - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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I don't get to come here much because I live in Manhattan, but whenever I come to Scottsdale on business, I always make a trip to Cave Creek just to come to this restaurant. I really love the food, and the vibe. I've been coming here for years, and it never disappoints. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend you give it a try and enjoy some turtle watching. read more

My wife and I decided to visit this restaurant, El Encanto Dos. And we were encantados :) It's about a 90 min. drive from our house, but well worth the drive to this beautiful place. It offers delicious food, outstanding customer service and management was spot on. A big shout out to Chandler, our waitress.She's really sweet, efficient and very knowledgeable about the menu. We're definitely going to return. Thanks, Mariano Reyes read more

El Encanto - Deep Fried Ice cream - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

El Encanto is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. The ambience simply can't be beat. There are ducks in the small pond, beautiful Mexican tile, fireplace... Just an awesome vibe. We had to wait, so we ordered guac and chips at the bar. Tasty guacamole! I learned from the waitress that they have just started to take reservations on Resy. So that's good news. Once we were seated, my husband and I enjoyed our tacos. He had the shrimp, I enjoyed the shredded beef. The meals also came with rice and beans. We enjoyed everything and the service was quick, even though they were very crowded. Our server was very friendly and efficient. Since I filled myself up on the delicious guacamole, I ended up taking some of my dinner home to enjoy the next day. They also serve chips with a flight of 3 salsas. My favorite was the avocado salsa. My husband liked the extra hot as well as the regular salsa. This would be a really fun place to take friends from out of town as it is in Carefree across from frontier town. read more

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We had the absolute best time here. Margaritas are incredible and service is on point. The ambiance is so relaxing you feel like your in Hawaii. This was my first time here but I hope to return soon. Randall was our server and he made us feel so welcome. Parking is super easy and the restrooms were very clean. read more

I don't know what happened to this restaurant. We come here about once a year when we are in the area and it has been our favorite for years. We went earlier this month and the food was very disappointing. The staff was great and the margaritas were on point as usual. My husband ordered the grilled fish tacos which I have had before and they were excellent. Not this time! They were so over seasoned that it was obvious that they were trying to cover up the fact that the fish wasn't fresh. I tried a bite and it was fishy. I had the shrimp tacos. The shrimp was fresh, but the tacos were bland. At least the chips and salsa were good. read more

Absolutely delicious. Great atmosphere, family friendly, casual, but could also be a good date night. Terrific food. read more

El Encanto - Taco dinner - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

We're new to the area and wanted some Mexican food, so we found El Encanto! At first, we weren't going to wait for a table, but the place seemed nice, so we put our name down. When we walked in, there was a guy playing guitar, the place was dim and nicely decorated, and we got seated by a pond with these gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows, total vibe. They promptly brought out chips and three different kinds of salsa, um, love that! Our waiter Arturo (turns out he was just training, never would have thought) took our orders quickly and suggested we try the guacamole while we looked at the menu. I'm so glad he did, best guac EVER! Our food came out fast and was just as delicious as the guac. I always get black beans (you know, because health is my passion, even after a basket of chips ), and honestly, these were the best black beans I've ever had too. Being a mom, I'm always a fan of a good kids menu, and this one did not disappoint. Plus, a scoop of cinnamon ice cream for just $2.99? Yes, please! I'm so glad we're less than 10 minutes from this place because I can see us coming here a lot! read more

Loveeee being able to see the ducks and turtles while eating. Had the shredded chicken burrito, smothered and filled with guac, sour cream etc. The chicken seemed a little dry but overall i enjoyed it and ate all my leftovers Service was great. Every interaction was really pleasant. read more

El Encanto - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

El encanto is one of my favorite places to stop at in Cave Creek. The food is always so good and the staff are so sweet. We love to sit outside even in the summer. It's worth the drive out there read more

My first time ever last month and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to experience an amazing atmosphere. The place was pleasing to the eye. You can sit inside or outside. I recommend sitting outside during sunset or when the sun is down so you have a view of the pond and ducks. The food was amazing and big in portions. Highly worth the value of what you're getting. The only downside was the service I received. It was a Monday and the service could have been a bit more attentive during a weekday. Overall I can see myself coming here again. So worth the drive due to the tasty dishes and wonderful view. read more

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It was Saturday night with no reservation and got in pretty quickly. Had a GREAT table with view of the inside pond. Our first time here so it was an unexpected surprise! Lovely. Food was great! The Charro beans were delicious! I could have had just that with a side salad. But had the app shrimp tacos and that was alot of food. Only thing is shrimp was diced up instead of whole shrimp but it was tasty and enough protein with the beans. My friend had chicken fajitas and it was loaded with chicken! She will prob get 2 additional meals with what she took home. Only thing on that is there were not much veggies and if you are a veggie eater that was a little disappointing. But it was tasty. And Chandler was attentive and friendly. We will def come back. read more

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We haven't eaten here for a year now. It's always good in the previous years but this year was exceptional. I don't know what they did but the food was really seasoned well and the steak was very tender. The beans even seemed better. Keep it up. The servers are super nice too. read more

I had never heard of this place and we were doing touristy time in Cave Creek with family visiting from out of town. I haven't eaten at too many spots in CC so I had to look up some options. El Encanto is rated fairly well on Google and for some reason only rated "ok- 3.5" on Yelp. Seemed worth a try. Heads up this place is busy on the weekend. Sunday was packed. They had football game playing in the bar area and waiting area. Our wait was about 35 minutes. Overall, loved it. The ambiance is really great. I enjoyed the big water feature with birds, koi fish, and ducks. We sat on the patio on a sunny day with great weather. The patio is shaded. Our server was friendly and attentive. Everything came out as ordered and all the dishes tasted great. I liked mine the best- the pollo fundido. It has a very rich and creamy sauce, basically on a chicken chimichanga. I thought the flavors were good, nothing was bland. And for some extra heat , the appetizer - jalapeño rellenos did the trick. The server warned us before ordering that sometimes the peppers are very spicy. We got a "hot" batch which was great for us. I had one margarita that was fine, nothing spectacular but not bad in any way. Beers on tap are good deal at $5.50/pint. Great little spot in Cave Creek for Mexican food. I would hands down go back, to sit on the patio and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere. read more

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This place is SO FREAKING LOUD!! Best Tex Mex in Cave Creek? You bet. But that does nothing to make up for the fact that THIS PLACE IS SO FREAKING LOUD!! WTH!? WHY!? It doesn't have to be like this. If you want a quality restaurant in the area that's quiet I recommend Sesame Inn. read more

This restaurant was beautiful! The atmosphere was so cool. They have a big pond with ducks, koi and turtles. A huge area to hold weddings and such a beautiful patio. The food was excellent. I had the chile relleno con pollo. It was delicious. My husband had the fish tacos. It would be a great restaurant for a romantic evening but it's also a wonderful place to go with kids. Our toddler had so much fun. I can't believe we haven't heard more hype about this place! read more

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This is the coolest restaurant, we sat outside by the lake, we felt like we were on vacation. Amazing atmosphere, great service and the food was delicious. We went for lunch but I definitely want to go back for dinner. read more

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Really enjoyed our visit. The fish tacos were delicious. Our server was great, very friendly and attentive.

I've heard wonderful things about El Encanto and believed the comments based on the volume of diners every time I drove by. I finally decided to wait the wait time and walk in. The service was good and the meals were promptly served. I had the combo with a red tamale...the tamale was dry and not to my liking. The others at the table had other disappointing meals with the exception of the carne asada. Out of six meals ordered only one met the approval of the diner. Our decision is to move on and try to find a better place for Mexican food. read more

Service was Excellent!!! Food and drinks were great and we loved the pond with the Koi and Ducks. We had a party of 6 adults and we all had a great time! Highly recommend this place! Went on a Monday around 6 PM and they seated us right away! read more

Been here before as our go-to Mexican restaurant after a day of retail in Cave Creek. We know it for it's ambiance and history. But, as time tends to do, the passage of time has created changes in restaurant management or at least management styles and adaptation to changing demographics has made this place 'different'. Came in for dinner to find the wait to be an hour plus. No worries, most good restaurants are crowded, expected and worth the wait. I just could not get over the three greeters at the check-in counter . . . none of them ever make contact with the customers. All three stay buried in looking down at and operating their tablets. I get it; the technology for restaurants has evolved. But to have to stand right in front of all the greeters and have to finally speak with an 'ahem' or clear your throat to have one of them acknowledge you standing in front of them (again no eye contact), request a table, have them quote the wait time, have them ask you for your mobile number, then ask for your name all without looking up at you is . . . well . . . 'different' than what perhaps many customers would like to expect the experience to be. I know things change and I know I must learn to evolve with the advent of technology, but when at the end of this initial interaction I said "thank you (for uploading us onto the waitlist)" the "no problem" response seems, well, I don't know, just not right, not warm, not mutually appreciative. It seems there was nothing wrong with the older training of saying "you're welcome" versus training employees to say "no problem" and is more appropriate. Although I was happy to know that uploading us into their waitlist app on their tablet was not a "problem" for them. An hour later, upon receiving the text a table is available and having the same three never look up (although the person that came out to escort us to a table I did notice eye contact was made) just makes for a less than good host/hostess interaction. Don't get me wrong, I am glad when I said "thank you" for loading my mobile number and name into a tablet was "no problem" for the host/hostess, the what I call traditional "you're welcome" still seems to make for a better if not more desired experience. The food? Chips are light, not salty and their three salsa / sauce offering of green (avocado based), hot and mild is always good, although they are stingy with the chips and salsa. Their beef fajitas are tasty, albeit the beef is too gamey for use in fajitas. Would be best used in a dish that you expect to have to use a knife and fork to cut with versus having to bite through as is the case with their fajitas. The server was attentive. I guess the initial two interactions with the host/hostess perhaps set the tone to noticing how El Encanto may now no longer be our go-to Mexican restaurant when in Cave Creek. read more

What a cute place. It has fun, lively vibes. The pond is nice. The food was well prepared. Our server was bogged down by too many tables so we didn't receive the best service. He kept forgetting stuff we requested and he wasn't able to visit our table to check up on us very much. Other than the lack of service, I don't have any other complaints. read more

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We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at El Encanto Cantina. The patio dining was great and the food was delicious. read more

El Encanto - Patio dining - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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Had a great time here for dinner on a Friday. Had a great seat next to the pond. Super picturesque. One of the most unique ambiance places I've been too. Service was fast and friendly. Had water, chips and salsa immediately after being seated. Generous portion of chips with 3 different flavors of salsa. Complimentary. Our dinner order came up fast. Portions are HUMUNGUS. Next time we'll be splitting an order. Folks at our table ordered enchiladas, burritos, and fish tacos. Everyone enjoyed their food. Took home the equivalent of a whole meal worth of leftovers. Definitely would come again. read more

El Encanto - View of pond from our table. - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Food was meh! Service was good but it was late in the afternoon so they may have been coming off a busy lunch rush. read more

Been several years since I've been in, as before , Great Service, great drinks, ie; Jennifer and Dylan, atmosphere.

Love this place. We went here after a hike in the cave creek area. We sat at the cool old bar and had great service. The margaritas were very tasty and just what a person needs after a hike. We had beef and chicken enchiladas with rice and beans, and they were so good. The free chips and salsa are very good. read more

The service was great! We had fajitas and the carne asada and cheese enchilada plate. The food was amazing as well as the atmosphere. We sat outside, they had space heaters for the cold weather out. The ducks and turtles were so cute! read more

El Encanto - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

The atmosphere was 5 star. The food was bland and overpriced. I got chicken fajitas and they were very bland including all the vegetables and you only get a tiny bit of guacamole and pico....no cheese. Margaritas were small. There are way better Mexican restaurants out there but I get the draw here for its history and atmosphere. Service was friendly and good. read more

Hostess tried to seat us in a back overflow section. It was not that busy. The area we wanted to sit in had three open tables but were told that those are for reservations!! Well it's 2pm and we are here now. I wanted to leave but mom wanted to stay. Sat at the bar and had wonderful service from Dillon. Our food iwas out in 10 minutes and it was good.Dillon was awesome. I used to love coming here but I do t appreciate their preferential seating. read more

Umm food hasn't been good for us the three times we have been there. Always packed & busy, maybe tourists hit this spot, as a local we don't go here . Teresa C read more

I don't give five stars just because the food was good. Five stars tells you I was absolutely blown away! Let's just jump to the food: I've absolutely never had food this authentic AND delicious. So often, the sauces are bitter and harsh - this is NOT the case at El Encanto. I was genuinely surprised at how delicious the entire meal was. The tamales were tender & flavorful - amazing! How often do we get dry, hard-to-eat tamales elsewhere? Not here. Do not miss out on the ambiance - lovely décor & entertainment areas. We ate outside (yes, in 105 degree temperatures) - fans & misters were perfect. read more

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Such a cute little place up in cave creek! The food and service was good. I was disappointed with the Mexican shrimp cocktail as there not many shrimps for the price in my opinion however it was still good. The chips and salsas were good too. We will be back when in the area. read more

Don't go here if you think you can eat here with your furry friends on the outdoor patio. They don't allow it. This is the only place that I know if that does not allow your dog to eat with its owner on the patio. Drove all the way from California to eat here. Ended up eating at a better Mexican Restaurant further south. read more

We followed recommendations and came to this lovely open air restaurant with its beautiful little lake, waterfowl and turtles, beautiful palms and foliage all creating an oasis in the desert. Menu has lots of options for Mexican dishes. The flavors are good. The portions are generous. The jalapeño cream sauce was delicious! Our server was helpful and attentive. read more

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We migrated from California a few months ago. Biggest fear was not finding a good authentic Mexican restaurant after being told that none can be found in the valley of the sun. Wrong, today we found El Ecanto in Cave Creek. WOW, ambiance, service and especially WOW on the food. Absolutely fell in love with this place. Recommend; stuffed jalapeno rellenos, chilli rellenos, pollo fundito , & three salsas all uniquely delicious. Ended with fried ice cream , pre made but still delicious. Thank you El Ecanto for having our fears resolved. Will be our once a week spot. read more

We came in for my 53rd birthday and we dropped the ball by not making a reservation. There was an hour wait to get a table I get it. Flash forward an hour we were seated outside on the patio and it was closing time so we ordered quickly. I ordered the carne asada taco combination it came with refried beans and rice considering i had to ask for silverware twice by the time I began to eat the beans and rice were cold the tacos were still warm since they were wrapped in foil and honestly they weren't too bad the meat was slightly overcooked but since I had filled up on the chips and salsa it didn't really matter. My boyfriends meal is where the dinner definitely fell short the beef tamale was super dry to the point of not being edible at all I mentioned it to the server and she stated that she'd pass the feedback on to the chef. What you pay for here is the ambiance and the drinks I can honestly say that my birthday dinner was a bit of a bummer I should've just gone to Filliberto"s and saved the time and gas that it took to get here i was super disappointed. read more

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