Tacos de Pescado was absolutely foul. The dish was a weird combination of flavors that shall never be consumed by man. The hostesses were all rude. Servers were not helpful and seemed untrained. Chips were the only thing that was near edible. The chicken in the tacos looked like it was taken off of a rotisserie chicken. This is supposed to be the best Mexican from the area and we are from Chicago and this is probably the worst Mexican we've ever had. read more

El Encanto - Chicken taco - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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My family and I have been coming here for years and it never disappoints. Dylan who works at the bar area is always super helpful and friendly to talk to. The food always comes out quickly and freshly prepared. I would 100% recommend giving this place a shot. read more

I came here for dinner, but I think it would be especially pretty during the day. The ambiance is definitely what people come here for...and beans and rice, since that takes up like 50% of most plates here. I ordered the chicken tacos, but sadly really only liked the beans and rice! The rest, while a huge portion, was very bland for Mexican food. Similar comments came from the rest of the table. The kids quesadilla with chicken added includes a lot of random veggies/non-spicy peppers inside so it isn't the best for picky kids. Still tasty, but just a warning as veggies are not listed when you add chicken. Great service, fun salsa options, and a cool pond in the middle of everything. This restaurant is huge. read more

One thing I love about El Encanto is the ambiance. Absolutely a great place with a little lake, open air location to enjoy the great weather. El encanto does also bring our pretty solid food with good service. I wouldn't say it was the best Mexican food I've had but there were some good highlights like the mole enchiladas. Probably some of the best mole I've had in Arizona and the enchiladas were stuffed with Chicken or cheese. Good food for the area, great environment and even had live music being played in the restaurant. I enjoyed my experience there and is a good place to enjoy Mexican food while in Cave Creek read more

The ambiance was authentic, fun and playful. It was so much fun to watch the turtles, ducks and fish as we enjoyed our lunch. The food was fresh, great flavor, and the variety of plate sizes was enjoyed by the group. The service was friendly, efficient and went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. We are already planning our next visit! read more

El Encanto - View from table - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Love love love this place!!! Food, service and lovely scenery!! We have been coming here for 5 plus years!! read more

El Encanto - Table right up to the window where you see the fish and turtles!! - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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I have been here several times but came recently so my friend could check out the patio areas for a large dinner party he's looking to host in the spring. We went around 1pm on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't as busy as the original location (which we've waited an hour and half to be seated there before). I think there was miscommunication about who was taking our order because we were sat for a while and staff kept walking past us, but no one offered to help. We finally asked one of the servers for assistance and they got someone to help take our drink orders and bring out chips for the table. She was apologetic about the wait and attentive the rest of the time. I ordered the taquitos, which are technically an appetizer but it works great as an entree (especially after eating your weight in chips, salsa and queso). My friend got the fajitas and they came out sizzling and smelling delicious! The plate might have been a little hot because some of the meat was stuck to it but it was easy to pry up and there was a good meat to veggie ratio. Our other friend went for the pollo fundido (at the server's recommendation) and it was enjoyable but hefty! There was no skimping on the smothering of jalapeño cheese sauce. After our meal we went and walked through the patio area. It's a really nice place for dinner when the sun goes down. They have heaters, blankets and fire pits to keep you warm or nice cold drinks when it's warmer out. There is also a private outdoor venue space for things like wedding receptions. It is a really pretty property. It isn't as expansive with the same features as the original location, but if you want the same good food with a more relaxed atmosphere, this is a solid bet. read more

My family and I recently visited for the first time after moving from Minnesota to cave creek area which is definitely a big change for us. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting. We weren't familiar with the layout, so we asked the hostess, Alexis, for some help, and she went above and beyond. She was incredibly kind, patient, and took the time to walk us through everything with a smile. You don't get that kind of service often these days. The food was excellent, the service was spot on, and the overall atmosphere of the place made us feel right at home. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

Consistently good food in an interesting and unique setting. We visited for lunch and opted to sit outdoors in the patio surrounding the pond, and the heaters made it quite comfortable! I chose the Ahi Tuna Tacos and they did not disappoint! Fresh ingredients and nice flavors - and a perfect lunch sized (modest) portion! My husband whose the Carne Asada and raved about it. We did not have any drinks - it was 5 o'clock somewhere :-) but, we opted out this time. It was the start of a lovely afternoon in Cave Creek. We had not been to El Encanto for a while and we will return - soon! read more

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We have been to this restaurant multiple times and the service has slowly become worse on every visit. The wait staff appears to be given to many tables to actually pay attention to all their tables. Our daughter has some food allergies and we had to have the food sent back twice due to an allergen being placed on the food. The server failed to refill the drink to the point I had to go to the bar to get refills. The bartender refused to refill the sodas and only gave us water. read more

Most delicious food ever!! When we got here, our table close to the water got stolen, which was sad because that was the main highlight for us, but oh well. Besides that, the staff was so incredibly friendly and helpful! Loved the food and the ambiance. Can't wait to come here again! read more

El Encanto - Chicken Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Great Mexican restaurant serving authentic Mexican food in a cool AZ setting. Ask to be seated next to the pond so you can watch the turtles. read more

El Encanto - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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I have been here a few times and I always love coming here because the restaurant is unique and old world style with a large pond in the center of the restaurant with an indoor/outdoor feel. They have great food and chips with a few different salsa flavors! The parking lot is a bit cramped and they do tend to get pretty busy during dinner time. read more

I barely even like Mexican food! But I LOVE El Encanto! We've been going there for a few years now even though it's over an hour drive from our home. Sitting on the lovely patio enjoying one of their amazing margaritas just can't be beat. The Pollo Fundido is my go to dish, I swap out the rice for black beans. Hubby always has the Green Chile Beef Burrito, Christmas style. We always ask for our favorite waiter, Gabe. And we bring all our visiting guests to El Encanto. Try it, you won't be disappointed. Oh, and ask for Gabe! read more

El Encanto - Prickly Pear Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Nice place for date night close to the Phoenix valley. However I'm not sure I'd drive to cave creek just to go there. Ambiance is nice but you better like loud Spanish guitar. Much much better than the fountain Hills location. I cannot stress that enough. The fountain hills location is so bad i almost didn't bother coming here. The reason I did is because everybody says how good this place is and that it's worlds different than fh, and admittedly it is. But it's still not all that great. That said, they messed up my order. after three times telling them "no beans", I got beans on my plate and the re~fire took forever. That said, their Spanish rice is weird tasting and I didn't eat it anyway. They comped that meal which was nice but my dates food was cold before mine came out the second time. My date had carne asada street tacos which oddly was filled with cabbage. Not much meat at all. My chicken enchiladas were ok. I appreciate the season on the chicken. Lastly, I still do not like ANY of their salsas. Places like this usually have hot tortilla chips so we were surprised that ours were cold. And apparently the bottom of the bag. Kind of a pricy place to have this many issues. read more

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

The best carne burrito hands down. The food also comes out fast. Worth the drive for me. read more

El Encanto - The best Carne Asada burrito hands down. - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

An interesting restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating around a pond with ducks and koi. The staff was friendly and helpful. Service was timely. They delivered chips and a selection of three tasty salsas along with water. Their fajitas are delicious and we will return! read more

We walked from a dirt parking lot out back into an oasis -- a roomy restaurant built around a large open-air pond where koi and turtles swam, ducks paddled and heron and geese sunbathed. A hostess led us to a table where an immaculately clear window separated us from the water. What a delightful surprise. We had no idea such a place existed in this Western town north of Phoenix. We were meeting "new" friends from the far north of Scottsdale and an "old" friend from Alabama--a first visit for all of us. As we chatted, our server waited patiently, retuning a second time before we placed our orders. We arrived 5 minutes after our friends, so the chips with 3 different small ramekins of salsa ranging from mild to extra spicy had already arrived on the table. Definitely tasty. We each ordered a different entree: a chili Colorado-type bowl, a taco salad with ahi, a chicken chimi with rice and beans, a queso enchilada with rice and beans and a sampler plate. Although the meat in the chimi tasted dry, perhaps overcooked, no other objections arose about the remainder of the plates. I personally ate every bite of my enchilada entree. Even the three glasses with margaritas didn't disappoint among those who sipped on them. read more

El Encanto - Sampler platter - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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I remember going here in the past and telling everyone I knew how good the food is. I'm not sure what happened here but the main attraction is for sure now the fish pond. I asked for a side of tortillas with my Pollo Asado Ranchero style and I swear the tortillas were not cooked. They were still white and curved stiff from the packaging they were pulled from. My dish consisted mostly of beans and rice. Trashy move for a 20+ dollar dish. Really though, what happened?? read more

Erica and Danny were awesome, Danny help me decide on my beef enchiladas with red and green sauce, delicious. This place is great for all, all ages. I love the pond, turtles, ducks, all the live plants and it was really cute to see glass line booth overlooking the pond. I WOULD RECOMMEND. read more

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Amazing surroundings but the food and service were outstanding! I will come here every time I venture to Arizona...so worth it!! read more

It was a fortunate Thursday--we found a parking spot with ease. We invited a couple visiting Phoenix for the first time, and together, we enjoyed both the delicious food and the charming ambiance. Arriving by 6 PM would have been ideal to fully appreciate the breathtaking natural scenery within the premises. We ordered vegetarian dishes, flavorful chicken, and perfectly grilled seafood they were well-rounded and satisfying dining experience. read more

You know exactly what you're getting into here when you walk in to a host stand full of semi-rural AZ homecoming queens and everybody in there is white as a sheet! I looove their spicy salsa and the duck pond. Mexican sampler is my favorite so far. Their tamale is so strong--sweet corn like cornbread mmmm. read more

As my previous reviews stated, I'm not much for Mexican cuisine. However, we chose the place based on an online review of Cave Creek. This restaurant is by far a true authentic restaurant and is not underwhelming at all. Coming here is no miss. The pond in the center is interesting and teeming with life. Fascinating. We will definitely be back. read more

We have visited this establishment on several occasions and have noticed a decline in the quality of the food. The flavors are bland, and the salsas lack any noticeable heat. Even their hottest salsa would likely be considered mild at most other restaurants. On the positive side, our waitress was fantastic. She has provided excellent service on multiple occasions and has helped to make up for the shortcomings of the food. We hope that the owners of this establishment will take our concerns seriously. There are several other Mexican restaurants in the North Scottsdale area that we used to love, but we stopped going to them because of food quality and their reviews have declined over the past few years. We believe that this establishment has the potential to be great, but it needs to improve the quality of its food. We do not want to see it decline and eventually close down. read more

This place is lovely! There's the pond which is cool. The bar isn't the best service wise. The food was great though once you get in cause there's almost always a wait. And the servers are really nice and helpful. We enjoyed our time here. read more

We were in the mood for Mexican food and happened to be shopping in the Cave Creek area so we decided to have some lunch at El Encanto. This place surprisingly has a very nice ambience with ducks and turtles in a little pond area. Service and food was good but honestly I have had better. Our table ordered the fried fish tacos, the taco dinner and the beef fajitas. Their salsa trio with chips is very tasty. Their chips are served with a verde green sauce,mild salsa and hot salsa. The hot salsa is not too spicy and very good. My overall rating is a 3 1/2 based on ambience and service. read more

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It's not fancy or gourmet. If your looking for a traditional American style Mexican Restaraunt, you can count on this.

The exchange with the manager kind of set the tone. Now I know some restaurants are requiring masks so understand I was prepared. Even though state mandates are lifted ...some require it some don't. At check in, we weren't told to put one on but to be seated the manager asked us to put it on ... I said "darn it, I was hoping to add you to the IG page of restaurants that lifted the mask necessity" his response "good to know that's out there, I will look for it and not visits any of those restaurants" Eewww ... dude? Read your audience. I ordered a simple thing like two chicken tacos, the shells were so greasy they were disgusting. You could taste the oil. It was drenched in oil. I asked for no pico because I cannot eat tomatoes and or onions, there were so many tomatoes and onions that it overtook the taco. We say with dirty dishes for two straight hours. The manager looked at our table multiple times and ignored it. I used to like this place. It was awful tonight read more

Overall, good Mexican food I love the shrimp tacos Dylan behind the bar is awesome. Eat their once a week never had anything bad.

El Encanto is definitely better than the 2nd location. It's a gorgeous place with pretty amazing service. If you go during the day ask to be seated next to the duck pond! Now, the food... ehh. It could be better and I've definitely had worse. It is consistently the same though so that's helpful! It's a popular attraction and can be busy so I'd get reservations. read more

El Encanto - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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We did enjoy the ambiance sitting outside next to the water. Lots of different birds and waterfowl around looking for crumbs, so much so that I was a bit worried about it affecting the overall sanitary conditions for eating. Noticed a lot of bird poop around the tables. I ordered the chicken fajitas and was not impressed, chicken was tough and overcooked. The waitress asked if I wanted sour cream, I said sure. She didn't warn me it was going to cost $3 extra. I can't stand it when restaurants are sneaky about additional charges. Expensive dinner for a mediocre experience. read more

Ambiance is enchanting. It encircles a pond with ducks and maybe a couple of swans. The flooring is very uneven so don't wear heels. The food is delicious! We had an appetizer that included shaved beef that is quick fried and crunchy. So good. I had fish tacos. Yum. Another friend in our party had the burro. Said it was excellent. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because one our windows needed to be replaced. It was so foggy we couldn't see through it very well. Otherwise everything was great. read more

Service was good. Salsa was delicious. Food was just ok. My beef tacos were a bit dry. Rice was fluffy and tasty. Beans were so covered with cheese that they were hard to taste. We sat inside with a view of the pond. They outside tables looked dirty. But with birds and turtles ( 1 had escaped while we were there ), it would be impossible to keep very clean. Silverware didn't seem very clean. It made me a little uncomfortable. This is a very popular and busy restaurant. read more

El Encanto - Chips, mild, medium, hot salsa. - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

A must-stop if you are in Cave Creek and in need of good Mexican fare in an idyllic environment. Sitting in El Encanto it is easy to feel separated from the world outside. The lagoon dominates the space, where your seating choices can be made between the outdoor patio setting, while inside you are still privy to the view of the pond. Tables right by the windows allow great views of the wildlife. Ducks paddle among numerous turtles swimming around, when they are not vying for a spot on the rocks along the windows near your table. Large Koi fish amble about the pond as well as smaller fish. It all makes for a great setting to enjoy time with your friends or your favorite person. Menu choices are numerous, ensuring you are sure to find something to your liking. On this visit I chose the Enchiladas de Pollo con Mole, served with rice and black beans. The mole sauce is on point and the entire portion is quite generous. You will find this with most of the offerings. Linda enjoyed the pork Chile verde as well. Of course, the drink selection is generous as well. Margaritas are plentiful, available with a wide variety of tequilas to choose from. You are sure to find something to whet your whistle. In addition, the wine list is quite impressive. I will have to dip into that well next time we are there, if I can resist that margarita urge! Service is prompt, friendly and available with suggestions and to answer any questions. You are checked in on but service is never intrusive. We were originally seated along the wall but upon seeing a table open up right by the window with a view of the pond our request was promptly attended to without a problem. Management and our server were both great. El Encanto is absolutely a spot you should consider any time you are in the area. Always a solid choice. read more

El Encanto - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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Food was awesome and it was a great vibe overall. Will definitely be coming back when in the area! read more

El Encanto - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

Decor is unique and interesting. Has an engaging yet zen ambiance. Moreso authentic cuisine vs. Tex-Mex, And tasty. The aroma, when entering the restaurant, drew me deeper inward. No way could i leave without at least a sampling. And was I was quite pleased, as were fellow friends. Friends ate chicken with mole and raved about it being nearly as good as their abuela serves. read more

Tried this place on the recommendation of a friend... really cool setup on the main drag in Cave Creek (this whole area is a great spot to spend the day). We decided to eat "outside" which is really a unique courtyard type of area with a large pond/pool in the middle. It's open air so if you don't like birds flying around and occasionally "brushing" your head as they fly by, you may want to opt for inside. We went the pollo fundido and tamales on the recommendation of our server. The fundido was good and the jalepeno cheese sauce really offers a nice contract to the sweetness of the chicken and peppers on the inside. The red beef tamale was ok... a little dry and lacked flavor with too much masa through the bottom half of the tamale. The green chili corn tamale was really tasty and definitely the better of the two. I added rice and beans to the tamales and later found out that it was $7 to add (yikes!!!) so that was a little annoying. I asked for a side of sour cream and it was never brought which was a bummer. Really needed something the balance the dish out. The chips and salsa was probably the star of the meal... really great crispy tortilla chips with 3 different salsas. A mild, and avocado tomatillo, and a hot version. The hot has a nice smoky flavor but it's definitely spicy. The mild has almost no spice so we added a little of the spicy to it and it was a game changer (pro tip for sure!). Overall, it was pretty much what we expected and I would go back but I think the current rating is pretty accurate. read more

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Friendly service, fresh food. Seasoned well, nice portion sizes and refreshing margaritas. Beautiful patio and scenery.

We're always down to try something new even if that means a drive. We decided on El Encanto because Mexican food sounded amazing. It's quite the drive from where we live to here and we're starving when we finally arrived. The parking lot comes up on you quick once you come around the curve in the street so pay attention. We were instantly pretty confused on where to enter the building. We parked in back and saw a small sign that said pick up orders, but didn't notice a sign directing to a separate entrance so we went in and luckily ended up at a hostess station. We were greeted pretty quick and asked if we wanted inside or outside. We opted for inside as its 110 outside. The layout from what I could see was a bit wonky, but since the wait was pretty long we chose to sit in the bar area. After a few moments the very busy bartender greeted us and took our drink order. A lot of people soon started arriving with many heading to the patio. My husband went out and said there is actually a great patio with a pond and all. Maybe next time on a cooler day we'll check that out ha ha. We soon chose our orders and snacked on some chips and salsa. We asked for hotter salsa as the basic was not spicy at all and a bit watery. Chips were crisp and tasty. Salsa was ok, but definitely had better. The hot salsa had a little kick, but even I could tolerate it and I'm a wimp. Even though our server/bartender was quite busy at the bar he was attentive, we had our food quick and drinks always full. I ordered the chili Verde bowl and added rice and beans. So much food. I should've probably not added the side as I couldn't finish them, but the chili Verde was awesome. My husband had fajitas . He said his were also good, but we were both bummed our dishes only came with two tortillas. My daughter chose carne asada tacos and my very picky son taquitos and rice. He really loved them. Tacos were devoured as well. All in all great visit for our first time. My biggest issue was really the confusion on how to enter and layout of the restaurant, but nothing to stop from enjoying ourselves. I only got one pic unfortunately as it was dark in the bar, but everyone left happy and full read more

El Encanto - Plato De Chile Verde - Mexican Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona