Wonderful Dallas institution that never fails me! Everything on the menu is great and the service and feel is always fantastic! My go to's are the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas and the Fajitas! They have a great lunch special seven days and week and lots of different daily specials! Would recommend as a staple for Dallas Tex Mex! read more

El Fenix - Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

The food is good good and service is good. Please be careful when parking in the parking lot. You must make sure that you use (Scan) the QR code to get the free parking or the Platinum Enforcement folks will give you a parking ticket. Even though it says "FREE PARKING" for two hours. The staff in the restaurant says that you can validate your vehicle by a little sign that is posted on their wall. They told their customers for the first few weeks, but now they do not care. The ticket is $75 for the first 30 days. Then it goes to $95 Never had to do the QR Code before. May be a while before I eat here again. Might be a long time before I eat there again Two stars for not posting the sign where it can be seen!!! read more

It pains me to write this, but since the Forest Lane location re-opened it has not been good. Tonight was the final straw. We ordered 3 ala carte tacos, pint of guac, and 1/2 pint of salsa. Got tacos that were so soogy we had to eat them with a spoon and 1 small bag of chip remnants that we threw out. Ate there for a long time but will never go back read more

My Fitbit chirped 10,000 steps quite a while back and I'm still walking. So I opted to make a stop here in El Fenix for a cold and frosty pain killer. Sitting in the bar area with my beer and chips & salsa, being just a bit ignored by the staff. The chips were good, the salsa was more wet than I like because it's drippy. If they had a free wifi, I couldn't make it work. My experience at El Fenix was A-OK. read more

El Fenix - Front of El Fenix in Dallas - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

This a huge El Fenix location situated in the heart of downtown Dallas. Directly across from the Perot Meusem. Upon arrival my friend and I were immediately greeted and sat at our table. Our waiter was very attentive and helped us with food and drink options from the menu. Chips and salsa were awesome. I love the flakiness of the chips and the salsa is really mild. I can't handle hot salsa so it was perfect for me. Ordered the fish tacos that came with 3 tacos, rice and beans. I have to admit they were very saucy and wet. I think it is a mixture of the greesy fish with the creamy cole slaw that's piled onto the fish. Either way I still enjoyed them but I began picking out the fish to eat because it was too hard to pick up. Messy taco. Rice and beans were ok. Overall the ambiance is what you can expect from a Tex mex restaurant. Lots of colors and decorations. When you go to pay, pick up a praline on the way out. For less than $2 it's a great dessert. read more

El Fenix - Delicious Fish Tacos $9.99 - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

If you're looking for authentic Tex Mex or even Mexican flair then stop off here. We come often for the seasoned fajitas meat to cook at home. Love the taste of their meat. However parking is a bit of a chore. read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I ordered take out steak fajitas and they forgot my tortillas, the steak was so chewy I couldn't swallow a number of the pieces and the queso that was supposed to have meat, sour cream, and guacamole had none in it. I'd suggest going in person and avoiding the fajitas at this restaurant! read more

We really enjoyed coming here the last time we were in Dallas. But it feels like the quality is not the same. Plus they don't have any hot salsa or salsa verde. Lemon icebox pie still good. Beer is cold. Rest not that great. Service very good. read more

I'm not sure what you want in a Mexican restaurant but I want quick service and hot food and decent menu items and a place that's fun to bring the family. This place has it all. It even has two hour parking free downtown. Cmon. We went after visiting the Perot museum and enjoyed the fare. Had a wife kids menu and enjoyed the salad and lunch sized fajitas. Check out the pics. If you want top shelf drinks and artisan chef creations then go to the fancy part of town. read more

See all

My first time to El Fenix, was Great. Probably the best waiter I have ever had. He was so helpful, patient and we never had to ask for anything !! The chips were super fresh and the salsa was good too . I had the El Fenix dinner . It came with a crispy taco, enchiladas, tamales, rice and beans . I enjoyed every bite !! We were eating with friends and everyone enjoyed their meal. Ending up the evening we were told about their desserts. They all sounded good , but we went with the Lemon Ice box pie. Wow !! So good ! If you have been in business since 1918, you are doing something right. I see what it is , the great food !! Thank you , I'll be back. Go get Full read more

See all

Went with some girl friends to get margs and a mid afternoon snack. The waiter asked if we were gonna order anything more than margs and queso and when we said we were good for the time being he rolled his eyes and stormed off and proceeded to avoid us the rest of the time. Not sure if he was under the impression that we wouldn't tip since we didn't order a meal but that wasn't the case. read more

Food was delicious, server was very prompt and our order fine! It was lunchtime and it was busy. Will return again.

Clean, great service, great tex-mex...since 1918 I read! We were downtown and driving by I had to stop and try. As advertised this is the real deal! read more

El Fenix - Sm guac.. $3.79 - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Tex Mex... It's a thing. Where I'm from we don't have Tex Mex, but I have hear tell of it. We have white-washed Mexican from half a century ago, and from what I can tell we are talking about similar things. It's important to keep in mind that this type of food is just as valid and culturally necessary as authentic Mexican food. I hate pretentious food opinions, and I enjoyed experiencing another version of this type of Mexican American cuisine. I have nothing bad to say. The chips and salsa were amazing and I don't are that the salsa could have been grocery store bottled. The margaritas did the job and the price was right. Hell, the price of it all was right to be honest. It was interesting to get mini tamales with chili con carne in them. The puffy taco was unusual, and I enjoyed it's novelty. Rice and beans were what you'd expect. Our server was a gracious host, and made our experience a joy. Oh, and the bathroom was very clean. Highly recommended! read more

El Fenix - Puffy beef taco - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

Lousy service. Burnt food. Highway robbery in parking lot . If you don't pre-register for parking they put a $95 ticket on your windshield. My boss and I will not be eating here again. As lifetime Dallas residents we never been so disappointed and aggravated. Avoid this place. read more

Came in really close to closing time, they didn't turn us away, and instead the food came out hot and really quick. Got everything I ordered and even dessert, it went down quick since it was delicious. Even had time to pay before the actual closing time without feeling rushed. read more

My first time visiting El Fenix, the food was very good! The lunch special is solid for the price was wonderful, not to mention the chips taste homemade and have the perfect amount of crunch. Service was great, and the food came out quickly. The bathrooms were clean, but kind of busted up and the hand sanitizer was empty. read more

I am rating 1 star for several reasons: 1. Took 30+ for a server to offer us water or a drink. Our chips and salsa came out faster than our water 2. Took another 30 minutes for a server to take our order 3. We ended up having someone join our party so we asked to switch to a bigger table, an hour later our food had not come. We brought it tot he attention of not 1, but 2 Manager's, and still we sat waiting. 4. When the food finally arrived, all that I can say is mediocre. I really wish I would've spent my time elsewhere. read more

This downtown location is the premier location. As often as I have dined here over the past four months, the food has always been excellent- a great representation of what El Fenix is- TexMex. Service at the bar is good too. While the regular salsa is good, ask for the spicy salsa. You can only get it here. read more

El Fenix - This is a game changer. I have always believed TexMex should just be pick 1, 2, 3, 4, served with Rice and Beans. - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

El Fenix is a great Tex Mex joint... it's no wonder there are so many locations throughout the metroplex. I got the brisket enchiladas which were delicious (you can never go wrong with brisket). The chips and salsa are also delicious. If you're visiting Dallas you have to give El Fenix a try. read more

El Fenix used to be good. Now that they have gone corporate and changed all of the original recipes it completely sucks. Such a shame because I grew up on this food. Mr. Martinez would be so sad. read more

Finally, I got the Tex-Mex fix that I had been craving for weeks. Since the closing of the Addison location last year, my need for those favorite warm, wafer thin, slightly salty & oily chips had not been satisfied. When a friend offered to take me for a belated birthday lunch and asked where I'd like to go, the decision was easy. El Fenix downtown! This location on McKinney opened in 1965 after the closing of the original just across the street in 1960, which opened in 1918. I have enjoyed this downtown spot many times over the years, but it had been sometime since the last visit. We opted to sit at the bar in pretty comfy chairs. This area is always very quiet, unlike the main cavernous dining room which gets pretty loud with the crowds on the weekend. Promptly greeted by Jose' who took our drink orders: one Inca Gold margarita and one large Miller Lite draft please. The margarita exceeded my expectations; a perfect golden color indicating a nice pour of Grand Marnier, adding this to my list of the Best TS Margaritas in town! Simply delicious! Those perfect chips and chunky tasty salsa arrived quickly; it goes without saying, as I've said many times before, these snacks are my favorite anywhere. Yes, I would travel down south anytime to enjoy these, until EF opens another location in Addison, which from what I've read, is a possibility. We ordered the $1 small guacamole, the special this month with the restaurant celebrating its 100th anniversary. Yes, as you can tell by the pic, it was very small, about 3 spoons of this chunky but creamy dish, w/finely diced onions, cilantro, a hint of jalapeno, and quite a good addition to above mentioned chips & salsa. With a squeeze of lime, it was most enjoyable. We munched on the starters for a while, enjoying our libations and catching up on the news of the week. Jose was busy but checked in on us regularly refreshing my friend's beer. I wisely only had one slightly strong margarita, but would have loved to enjoy another. Time for the main event: one soft cheese taco w/chopped tomatoes on top and one puffed beef taco. My healthy eating friend ordered the Santa Fe Salad w/grilled chicken, avocado, two cheeses, charro beans, etc. My entrée was as usual scrumptious, lots of the creamy queso on the tortilla, and a large serving of the picadillo beef inside the puffed taco shell with fresh cold crisp lettuce, diced tomatoes and grated cheese on top. I believe the pic speaks to this very well. As hungry as I was, I couldn't finish the meal and wish I had the leftovers as I type this review. I didn't get a to-go box as I've found that Tex-Mex doesn't travel well. My dining companion said his salad was very good, further confirmed by a cleaned plate, nary a morsel remaining. Very reasonable pricing: my two tacos were $6.28, Santa Fe Salad $9.49, TS Margarita $7.59, Large Draft Beer $4.29; also couldn't resist taking home a pint of that great salsa to-go (from the kitchen, not the jarred version sold up front at the register) w/chips $4.69. In comparison to other Tex-Mex spots, this was a great deal ! Service by Jose was friendly, efficient and attentive. Could not have been better! Jose', KUDOS to a job very well done ! This Dallas institution continues to serve its customers well, accounting for the constant crowds and lines at the door. We will always keep this special spot in our rotation when deciding to venture outside our Northern burb bubble! read more

See all

You know for a chain restaurant my expectations were a low and I was thinking it was gonna be some bland streamlined food but it was actually really really delicious I had to stop after every bite just to savor the flavor read more

Food is solid. The original margarita is terrible. Store bought margarita mix. The queso is pretty average too read more

El Fenix - A terrible marg - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

This is our go-to when we have tickets to the Mavs game! We try and get there around 5:30pm for a 7:30pm game, and always have plenty of time before the game starts. Last time, we got here at 4pm so we could wait for Dirk bobbleheads, and we were in and out in 45 min! Parking is free for 2 hours and have never had problems finding a spot. They have so many tables and booths that we never have to wait for a table for 2. The waiter got our drinks in about 2 min and we immediately ordered because we already knew what we want. FYI, if you want to do the same & want a smaller portion, I suggest coming before 4pm because they serve lunch until 4 pm. We didn't have to wait long at all for our food and it was delicious! I got the chicken tacos and my boyfriend got the beef tacos (with an extra taco). The one thing I hate is that they charge extra for extra cheese. I love their cheese, but I often debate whether or not to order extra because I don't want to add an extra $0.40/small cup. We had to wait a little longer for our waiter to come back to give us our check. No big deal, but just had to say it since it was pretty much empty the entire time we were in there. Pretty cheap overall for good Mexican food. Definitely will come back though! read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

See all

Just really really bad. We stopped in around 8:30pm on our way to our hotel for the night. They were one of the only Mexican restaurants that was open until 10 so we decided to give it try. Big mistake. The chips tasted like they just came from bag, the queso was nasty, our meals were bad. We should have trusted the reviews and not gone here. read more

Had a good dine in experience here first time. Had good waiter service, chips and salsa served was good, drink was nice and the cheese enchiladas were very tasty. Location was great for the Perot Museum too. read more

El Fenix - Cheese Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

First time visiting Dallas so eating here was a must! Very good food and super cheap! 3.50 margaritas during happy hour and get an order of the queso! read more

See all

Never had Tex Med before ! Queso chips were average tbh but the chimichanga was amazing ! I really liked the more meaty and cheesy taste of it! Very different take then what I'm used to in LA! read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Dallas' original location is something everyone should experience; but sadly the food is just ok. This location is enormous. Located right next door to the Perot Museum, it makes for a good day to spend som time at the museum and then come here for a lunch and/or margarita. But like I said, expect average and you won't be disappointed! read more

Rough start but management helped. Service was more than lacking but the food was good. Ended ok after we complained. read more

Good food but deplorable service and the restaurant was like 100 degrees last Sunday. The service was so bad that we just stopped caring and started laughing. Can't wait for this POS location to be bulldozed. read more

This is the best El Fenix in town! We come here mainly before Stars Games but tonight we are here for a family gathering! The food is very good and the staff tries really hard to get you seated and fed in time for a game. The sopapillas are ahmazing! The margaritas are great too! I would recommend this place for dining anytime. Tip: if you have a large party, they don't have reservations or call ahead seating so get here early! And all of your part must be here before you get seated. read more

Sat at the bar. Awful service. Margarita was terrible. 2 people at the bar next to me walked out on their tabs because the service was so bad. Food wasn't very good either. Would not recommend. read more

Finger food servings. Service is good but for the price and servings. RIDICULOUS Chicken Fajitas read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I decided to bring my family here for a late lunch after spending the morning and early afternoon at the Perot Museum across the street. As it seems, many other patrons also have the same idea. Being a party of 5 we had to wait in fairly long line. We were only there for about 15 minutes before being seated. This was appropriate for how busy the place was. The food was pretty good overall. I enjoyed my meal and so did the others at our table. The guacamole and queso combo I did find to be a good value considering the amount we got for the price. The entrees we had were well portioned and the food was yummy. I did find it to be rather salty though. My wife said the same thing about her meal, but we are folks who rarely use salt in our diets so we tend to be a bit sensitive to it. Our server was great. I wish I could remember his name but wow did he rise to the occasion and delivery fantastic customer service. It's rare to have great service with elegance outside of a gourmet type establishment. Here, our server wowed us. Overall solid experience. Run of the mill Mexican food selection but served in an establishment in a nice area, with great ambiance and quality service. I recommend trying it out. read more

Delighted to hear you had a fantastic experience! The Enchilada Plate was a delectable delight, and the outstanding service added to the overall enjoyment. A must-try for anyone seeking a fresh and flavorful dining experience. read more

I would give 5 stars for our initial server. That said restaurant had plenty of tables but they sat us in an awkward empty room in the back. Then about 100 college kids showed up for a formal. Not thier fault but it killed the service and was awkward like we were chaperones. They shouldn't have sat people in the middle of a reserved room. Oh and the food is generic tv dinner Tex Mex. Other than that it was a good experience! read more

Didn't expect much from a chain Tex Mex place but I ordered take out via phone. The website wasn't working for us to place our order. I ordered the chimichanga with shredded chicken, tomatillo sauce and NO sour cream. For dessert I got the sopapillas with honey. My side of Pico de gallo and guacamole had a large glob of sour cream causing me to not be able to eat that. I was very saddened by that being that I discovered it was much needed after biting into the chimichanga. The shredded chicken seemed old because it was very dry despite the sauce. The tortilla was very mushy as well, not even sure it was fried in the first place. The size of the sopapillas were huge and had I known that I would've only gotten one being that they weren't that great. They had way too much cinnamon and sugar and were flat. Traditional sopapillas are supposed to be light and fluffy. Overall, I just wouldn't recommend here if you're wanting great food. read more

Chaos at the entrance. Many groups seated before us. In fact, my family left after being frustrated with the process with the seating process. This is despite us going out of our way to visit this El Fenix and enjoying their food in the past. read more