I would say the absolute best part about El Fenix is the fabulous service. Our waiter was excellent. We had our drinks refilled before we even asked, and the chips and salsa kept on comin'. The atmosphere is very nice as well. They did a great job decorating the inside. As for the food, I am not a good judge on Tex Mex because it pretty much all tastes the same to me. If you closed your eyes and ate refried beans at one place, could you tell them from the other Mexican place down the road? Not me folks. So all in all, it was good food. I give El Fenix a good solid 4 stars. read more

First time going to El Fenix, chose the McKinney location since it was fairly close to home. Wait was a bit long, but the food was definitely worth it. The original margarita was superb. Can't go wrong with the crazy nachos as an appetizer. I was split between the El Fenix dinner or the Fajitas Rancheros for Two, and ended up splitting the Fajitas (shrimp and steak). Overall the food was good, the margaritas were great, and the only thing I'd do different next time is make sure I planned for the possible wait. read more

The service and the food is always good here. The staff are all very nice. This weekend we had the new "peach sopapillas" which are really good and big enough to share!! I would definitely recommend this place! read more

El Fenix - Peach Sopapillas ... yummy!! - Mexican Near Me - Mckinney, Texas

Tried to place a curbside pickup order and they never answered the phone. Tried for 2 hours to get someone to answer. We decided to go elsewhere. read more

The service was good. The queso was sub-par, possible some canned queso or velveta. Nevertheless, we did eat it because alcohol. The Martinez margarita totally tasted like mixer, I ordered an extra shot and then it was just right. The Tex-mex enchiladas and beef tacos were good enough, I ate both of them up. Guac was ok but needed salt. Beans and rice were good but slightly over salted. I'm newish to the area and see El Fenix everywhere so wanted to try it out. Not impressed. read more

We've always had consistently great Mexican food at this El Fenix location. It's hard to beat the always crispy chips and flavorful hot sauce. Love the updated lunch menu that gives you better choices than the traditional lunch menu. read more

Party at El Fenix for my sisters birthday! So fun! The food was amazing.? The staff was great and so fun. I highly recommend El Fenix McKinney. read more

Stopped by here for dinner with my fiancee. Definitely an above-average mexican food place, & it's hard to find a good one up in Dallas compared to Houston where a hole-in-the-wall place is always close by. Chips were crispy but airy as well, had a great crunch and lightness to them. Salsa was awesome, not too hot with just the right amount of kick & flavor. Actually i was surprised, the el fenix salsa you buy at the store is much, much hotter. The restaurant version is far better. This particular time of year they had cheese enchiladas with Hatch Green Chile sauce, enchiladas were better than average with cheese that wasn't too stringy or soft & fresh green chile sauce. Beans & rice were average but good. No complaints & a few things above expectations. I will likely return. read more

My visit 8/23/2018 was good with one exception regarding service. I stopped in for a late lunch and was treated to great service.. at first. Unfortunately I was pretty much forgotten just a few minutes later. I cannot understand how service has been allowed to slip at El Fenix. It would be so easy to fix this with good management. I have been bitching about the dumbing down of El Fenix salsa for a long time. At some locations it seems that the salsa is little more than crushed tomatoes. I was happy to to find the salsa at the McKinney location to be spot on... historic! El Fenix McKinney deserves a 4.. The food is true to tradition and the service is good, with some room for improvement. read more

Great service sets this location apart from the other Mexican food fare here in McKinney. Mama's recipes, tasty Tex-Mex, never disappoints and the Hatch Chiles are spectacular this time of the year. read more

Good service and clean facility, the food was fine but not exceptional. I would say it is a typical Americanized Mexican restaurant. I will go back and see if the dinner menu changes my mind about a 4th star. read more

Omg! I haven't been to an El Fenix in about ten years. I've been missing out! To start the chips are light with air bubbles that I loved. Great salsa too. Both have great flavor. The margarita on the rocks was DElicious. It was clear with NO artificial anything so lime-e and good. Thank you KAYLA. We ordered brisket enchiladas. Super DelIcious! The ancho sauce was kind of tangy. With that tender smokey brisket it was AweSome!! I dont typically seek out beef but I would return for that. I tasted the tamale and a cheese enchilada. They were also tasty. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed our visit. read more

Not ever being in McKinney and all the great things that were said about this city the El Fenix was not a great experience. We first arrived and the host did not even smile he acted like he hated his job, then came our server who was rushing so much that she didn't even take our order until 15 mins of us arriving not even our drinks, she had so many tables we were just a blur to her but to the rescue was either a person who cleaned the tables or a backup which she was amazing!!! The food had looked like it was sitting there waiting to be picked up, worst customer experience ever will stick to the one in Oak Cliff! read more

First place we had been here and service was GREAT. I've been to other El Fenix restaurants and the service was not great, but gave this one a try and it was exceptional. Thank you to our server, and the manager. read more

Just got back from their Enchilada Wednesday deal! 5.99 any enchilada plate. Excellent service and perfect amount of food! Really do enjoy their food and have only tried this location. Such a great deal. We got there at 5:15 and waited 15 min. Really became very busy after we sat down... wait time I heard when leaving, was 20 min. read more

I absolutely love El Fenix. It is easily my favorite Mexican restaurant in town. The sour cream beef enchiladas would be my last meal if I were condemned They also have my favorite hot sauce in town and if you order take out they give you free chips and salsa. read more

Don't waste your time or money. The rice is hard and crunchy. The nachos are swimming in grease. The cheese enchiladas are just gross. Everything was microwaved. The server admitted to high turn over in management and kitchen staff. He says it's not fresh it's been sitting a while. He says maybe if it hadn't been sitting so long it might not be so bad. He tells us earlier in the day it might be fresher and better. Wow!!!!! read more

Now we know where the lunch lady from grade school went to open cans after Michelle Obama had her fired. Seriously, Taco Cabana is way better. The best part was the chips and they were straight out of a bag. read more

The host Devin was OUTSTANDING. Promptly escorted us to our table and was soooo nice! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting to try a Mexican restaurant in McKinney! Best service I have received in a long time! read more

My husband & I have eaten here multiple times. The food & service is always great! Highly recommend!

The quintessential place for a cheese enchilada with chili con carne. Love their chips and salsa here. This place IS Tex-mex to me and I'm a native Dallasite. Who rates a Mexican food restaurant based on the frozen chicken nuggets they order off the kids menu for the Jr diner at their table?!? Be fair! El Fenix has always rocked and always will. That's why they've been around for almost 100 years! They were making tex-mex before the chicken nugget was invented! read more

I had a wonderful server Indira . The Manger stop by to check on me to see how everything was going . I love el Fenix

Either they're understaffed the cook or waitress was having a bad day or what because first off the waitress said they don't have a drink menus and all i wanted to start was a margarita. Almost 10 minutes later she came back to say they were out of margaritas on a Saturday night but I could get a frozen one? And then when I finally got one on the rocks it wasn't in a margarita cup it was in a glass that was smaller than my water cup which I asked for no ice and got ice and didn't get it until the after my drink came which I had to wait 20 minutes for. I looked over at one of her tables and the man had a margarita glass with a beer next to it. Wtf??? Then husband and I ordered a fajita plate for 2 and didn't think anything of it until we heard someone else table show up with a plate that was clearly fresh and sizzling fajita plate (not our waiter) needless tI say our friend ordered a simple soda and waitress had checked on us 3 times before she noticed her drink had been done and needed to be refilled. This girl must have had 5 tables and we were clearly last priority. Our steak fajita was tough and luckily we didn't get charged for the margarita that tasted like only triple sec and maybe had 4 sips because it was filled all with ice to the brim in a small glass and I couldn't finish it it was the worst I've ever had. read more

This restaurant is just a great environment for families, friends, and kids. It's very clean and the service is wonderful. I didn't have to wait a long time for my food as well. I will definitely be going here again! read more

We are so thrilled that the McKinney re-opened after being closed for several months due to Covid. We love the traditional food at this restaurant that we've been enjoying for over 20 years! Our recent lunch was no exception with a fabulous new server named Indira~she was so attentive and got our order out quickly and with accuracy. We enjoyed a yummy lunch on a cold day, couldn't ask for more! read more

The margs are top notch!! Leslie the manager was awesome!! They also followed covid rules! :)

As usual with El Fenix, their margaritas are the best in Texas. The tortilla soup is amazing and the chips and salsa are to die for. I wish the restaurant was a little cleaner but the staff is kind and very helpful. I would recommend this Tex Mex place above all others. read more

Went in for the Wednesday special 5.99 enchiladas. The food was good for the price. The service was spot on at every turn. Overall value was excellent, so we will be returning. read more

This is my family's all time favorite Mexican restaurant. I've been going there for a looong time, and it's always where my mom wants to go. Today I had a nacho appetizer, a top shelf margarita, and two entrees to go. The server and manager both checked in on me multiple times, and I was well taken care of. I will always be back to El Fenix. read more

The food is always great here! We dined in today and really appreciated the cleanliness of the restaurant and availability of hand sanitizer. Our server was the real star of the show today. She was on top of everything and didn't miss a beat. She was also super sweet and went above and beyond what I would expect from a server. Great job El Fenix and Champaign! read more

Good Tex-Mex with fresh ingredients. Lots of menu choices. They make sure table guests are distanced and workers are wearing masks.

Great customer service. Friendly staff, kept me and my daughter safe following COVID safety measures. Food great a always

My daughter and I have been here a few times and have always had good food. Tonight, our waiter was Reuben. His service was exceptional. He was very attentive and friendly. Thanks Reuben! read more

Great food! GREAT service!!! One of our servers has only been here 3 days and he did a wonderful job! His trainer was friendly, personable, and excited! both of them took wonderful care of us and we enjoyed their service!!! read more

El Fenix has always been our favorite. I've eaten their my whole life and eaten at the McKinney location since they opened. Something has gone very wrong lately and I'm writing this review in hopes that they fix it. We were there Thanksgiving weekend and there were dirty tables everywhere (even though there was a long wait), we ordered margaritas (which I've always said El Fenix has the best margaritas). The margaritas were so bad we couldn't drink them. The waiter took them to have them remade than a woman who I think was the manager came back and said that's the way they came (do they not have a bartender making them?) and asked if we wanted something else. I ordered a glass of cabernet and she said did I have a second choice so I said merlot and she said uh...something else? Basically I think they were out of alcohol. After going through a list we figured out what they had (bottled beer) and ordered that and she came back with a beer for my husband and a half glass of Cabernet that she found and didn't charge me for. The food was fine but took awhile. My son and his friends went before Christmas and had slow service, never received their queso and his enchiladas that he ordered no onions were full of onions. We decided to give them another shot after Christmas even after both of these experiences (we want them to be good). We ordered our meals and an appetizer and asked for corn tortillas. We got the appetizer but had to finally ask again for the tortillas and our server acted like we had never ordered them before. The meals took so long to come out (enchilada dinners) that we finished our appetizer and were on our second basket of chips. I remember when the meals came out before you hardly started eating chips. The food wasn't even very hot when we got it. Hopefully they can fix their problems but if not I guess we'll drop them from our list or go to Richardson. read more

There are two things that will turn away customers. Shitty food or shitty service. I've experienced both at this particular location. The plano locati9n is my favorite. They are consistantly wonderful all around. Hell, even the Lewisville location has Mckinney beat and of course Dallas is fabulous. I won't come back to this location until there is a new manager and cook. read more

The wait for a to-go order was 30 minuets and they got it wrong. The hostess was so friendly and working so hard. She was playing hostess, the only cashier (on Wednesday evening) and had to clean each table before she could seat anyone. The cash out line and the wait to be seated lines were sooooooo long all while the Manager walked around and talked to customers in the dining area. ‍ read more

Food is subpar and expensive. Not worth the price. Inside smells like an old rag and tables were sticky. Sides were stale and they don't give a lot of the actual main item you ordered. Our server was nice and had a lot of personality, but could not be stopped. He wouldnt come and stand next to us when we're asking him a question and will continue to walk around other tables so were kind of had to yell at him.. read more

Worst Mexican food i have ever had, no flavor, and bad service that doesn't listen at all to what you ask for

Not impressed by this place at all. While the service was prompt, the food seemed canned or precooked, and the place wasn't clean. I honestly wondered when the health department last visited. With so many options for Mexican/Tex-Mex food in the area, I wouldn't recommend this place, and I won't be returning. read more