Ok this place is amazing! We went on a Friday & came back the next Friday because it was just so delicious. Mari was our server & she was very attentive. The chicken tortilla soup was soooo good! Ambiance is very comfortable & you feel very welcomed, not at all crowded read more

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Enjoyed this place with my sister. First time experience. Great service. Chill vibe. Great menu options. Food was fresh and flavorful. Flautas: 10/10 fresh, flavorful, perfect size and filling was portioned well. Beans and rice: 10/10 very good... wish there would have been more beans Drink: 20/10 this is an attitude adjustment... it was definitely that... well made and on point read more

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Nice atmosphere but that's about it. Server got both my wife's and my food order completely wrong. I ordered the bean breakfast burrito that was supposed to have potato, beans, egg, and a protein of my choice with a side of my choice. I chose ham in the burrito with bacon on the side. What I received was s bean only burrito, no egg or potato and the bacon was inside the burrito not ham and i was given fruit on the side not bacon. My order also came out 10 minutes after my wife's food arrived. My wife ordered the street breakfast tacos with NO EGG. she was given street tacos with egg and a extra side of scrambled eggs. The place had only 4 tables including ours with people seated so it wasn't busy at all. read more

Great location ----in historic downtown! Really vibrant atmosphere with friendly service and extensive menu . Maybe a little too extensive as some if our food wasn't really that great. I opted for the fish wrapper ----fried tilapia with cabbage and other vegetables . Dish was really bland with an overpowering cabbage flavor . I did enjoy the salsa and chips however and my dinner mates seemed to enjoy the fajitas . All in all not my best tex-mex experienced . read more

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Good Mexican food. I loved the beans and rice! The chips and salsa were good too. For a Friday night in January, it was packed, so service was a bit on the slower side, but our server was nice; and it wasn't an issue because the food was good and we knew that it was busy. It's nice to have a Mexican food place in historic McKinney ! read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - Menu - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

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This is a to go coffee shop inside of a restaurant. We walked in and went all the way to the back to order. There really isn't much place to sit that isn't for the restaurant. It feels a bit awkward standing in the middle of a restaurant. The coffee was just average, nothing crazy amazing. It was nice to walk around the square with a coffee. If you are wanting to sit and be on a laptop, this is not the place. Everyone was friendly though I may try another coffee shop if I do come back to the square read more

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We went to El Mejor again last night. This has quickly become a favorite of mine! I had the Padrinito, which is a gin based drink and my husband had the El Mezcalero. Both drinks are perfectly blended and extremely delicious. The chips this time were stale, which is unusual for them. We asked for a fresh batch and it was equally as stale. I even thi k they may ha e changed their chips because they are the really thin chips. But the salsa has great flavor and was a little spicy. I had the Mazatlan Bowl with blackened salmon and it was wonderful. It was on a bed of grilled veggies, rice and beans. It had so much flavor that was so well blended. My husband had the brisket tacos, which were good, they had a good taste and lots of meat. I love this restaurant and the variety of the menu. It's not just tacos and enchiladas, but if you like that, they have it too and it's fabulous! You can't go wrong with this choice! read more

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This place is an almost hidden gem right off of the square in historic downtown McKinney. It's spacious and well appointed, featuring a full coffee bar in the back in addition to normal restaurant operations. On our visit, I selected the chile rellenos with chicken tinga and ground beef. This netted two fairly good sized peppers with a nice battered coating, stuffed with a LOT of well seasoned meat. Each was moderately spicy, leaving no doubt that you're eating peppers, but not too hot that you'll be reaching for the water. Accompanying sauces were delicious as well. I also chose the El Mezcalero cocktail, which was a delicious margarita adjacent drink featuring smoky mezcal. My wife's Attitude Adjustment cocktail struck a nice balance between savory and sweet with chamoy and mango puree. Table salsa strikes a good balance between smooth and chunky, and chips are crispy and fresh. Overall, this was a great meal and worthy of return visits! read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - El Mezcalero cocktail - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

the place has plenty of space so it was Saturday afternoon and we had seating right away! We ordered Baja Pollo and steak fajita! Food came in quickly . The Baja Pollo was definitely delicious and it was something special we haven't tried before. The steak fajita was okay not the best but average. Service was great, definitely will be back. read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - Baja Pollo - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

The food was absolutely horrible. Fajita meat was like leather. I had to cut it up I to small piece so I could at least swallow it. 3 other people ordered actual beef fajitas. Same experience. Service was nonexistent. Bartender was the only person waiting tables that night. They truly lacked staff at night when I dined. 2 beers and fajita salad with tip over $50. Need to step it up. There are other places to eat in downtown McKinney. read more

Service is abysmal, we walked in mid afternoon when it wasn't busy and no one bothered to acknowledge us or say hi to sit down. So we had to sit ourselves and we still did not get any service! I felt it was very rude, so we left and definitely not coming back. If they don't want my money it's fine with me so I took it to Union Brear which the service was like night and day! read more

El Mejor is a cafe in the morning and a restaurant + cantina at night. Situated in downtown McKinney, it's a great spot to grab a morning coffee or pick me up bite as well as a good spot to grab lunch or dinner. We came here twice, once for the cafe and once for dinner. Both times were pretty good! For the morning treat, I got the matcha latte and a concha. The matcha was okay and my friend, who got a mocha, said that her's was okay as well. It wasn't the best we've had but it gave us enough energy to get through a big day as we were heading to Dallas. On another night, we ended up dining here with some friends. We all got our own entree. I got the Fajita tacos and it was filling but was, again, just okay. Overall, a pretty good spot to dine at but nothing too outstanding. read more

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Sorry, folks, take it from a Southern Californian, and avoid this place. I know it's convenient while you're roaming the shops in old town, but they're phoning it in here. We stopped in as we were driving back home to Frisco from Princeton. The drinks were not good, and the food was just OK. In this economy, you want your money's worth. The service was OK. The noise level was nuts, super loud. For the same price we could've headed to La Hacienda Ranch. There are plenty of good restaurants in old town. Go there. read more

Food was good, service was great!Having lived 30 years in San Diego, California. I have a pretty high standard concerning Mexican food being authentic. The food at El Mejor was more TexMex, but it was good. They had a lot of options. The location is great! I would recommend it. read more

First timer here, stopped by for their coffee flight. Stop is a bit off the McKinney square, tucked in a little corner. Spot is casual, not too loud. The coffee flight took about 15 mins to come out, priced at $20 you receive 4 decent sized coffee's to try, all Mexican themed which I love. They were all good except for the horchata iced coffee, did not taste like horchata at all. Service was a bit slow, overall 7/10. read more

Beware. Tonight we came in with a family of four. When we got our check it seemed high. It turned out they had already added a 20% gratuity and uncharged our 9 year old's kids meal (one taco rice and beans) to $11.50 for being 11 or older. He is not 11, and we were never asked. When we tried to have this corrected, we could not find an employee and were overcharged and had 20% added as a tip without authorization. We will not return. read more

The food and service were very good. The chicken flautas were nice and crispy filled with chicken and the sauces were tasty. The prices were very reasonable. Will visit again when in McKinney. read more

Good food, atmosphere and coffee options. Great chips and sauce. Great waitress, very attentive.

The food was delicious. Cooked to perfection. The staff was friendly and attentive. I had a quesadilla and chicken tortilla soup. I would definitely eat both again. The soup was flavorful. The quesadilla was cooked crisp and was great. The house margarita was tasty. read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - House margarita - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

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Started off rough but ended ok. We had a party of 11 people. They estimated us 20 min wait. There were open tables and booths. After almost an hour of waiting, I finally asked what was going on only for them to tell us they didn't have seats for us. Ok fine; but don't give an estimate of a 20 min wait when we had to wait well over an hour. After a conversation with someone who looked like a cross between a server/manager we were finally able to be sat at the open tables. Once we sat everything went smoothly. The food is alright. I had a taco salad with ground beef. We were visiting for a wedding. Most likely won't be back. read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - Taco Salad with Ground Beef - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

The Chips were stale and we sent them back then they warmed them up. Once they cooled yep still stale. The table next to us said the same thing and sent theirs back as well. The margaritas were also extremely mid and overpriced. I would say Hard Pass on this one for us in the future. Left and went to a better Mexican Restaurant... Cesar's on Eldorado... read more

Best matcha in mckinney in my opinion! The customer service in here is so great too. Definitely check this place out if you haven't yet. read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - Ceremonial grade iced matcha with almond milk and cold foam. Delicious! - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

WoW what a hidden GEM! As a comida mexicana conoseur I'm amazed at the flavors! I got JC's brisket tacos with charro beans and grilled Veggies, correct choice! Only place I've ever been to with Negra Modelo on tap! Big compliments to chef Juan Carlo and the staff!! We WILL be back!!! read more

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El Mejor is my home town favorite for Tex Mex. It sets in a lovely old building with dark wood, a mile high ceiling and comfy poofy booths and is just down the street from the downtown McKinney square. Before ordering, thin chips are served along with their delicious homemade salsa. The menu is typical Tex Mex but the Fajitas stand out. This time around we chose the Sample Platter to snack on which included flautas, cheesy nachos, empinadas and quesadillas with a bowl of queso sitting in a bowl that was made from a corn tortilla. Everything was delicious! You should really make the special trip to try these guys. I promise, you will love it! read more

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Incredible food and range of margaritas. Love the decor and chill atmosphere. We had great service and highly recommend!

Am I spoiled on Austin's cuisine? Did not enjoy this at all. The chips and salsa were the best part. My husband did like his tortilla soup. The service, however, was excellent. Three different people checked on us. I wouldn't eat here again. I'd walk a mile in flip flops and eat bread off the sidewalk first. The food was exceptionally bland and lacked any salt or seasoning. The rice was super dry. This is what I expect Tex mex to taste like in Oklahoma. Go to Taco Bell. Let me add, we were starving and would have eaten gas stations chicken salad, so I am finding it incredible that we couldn't eat this. read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - Tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

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During my visit to Texas, my son and I stopped in to this restaurant for a drink. Brian was our bartender, he made an excellent strawberry margarita. I'll be back to enjoy the good vibes. read more

Less than impressed. Can't tell much about the place from the outside with the blacked out windows. We didn't think it was too bad once we entered. There was no wait on a Saturday night around 5:30. We started with guacamole, which is made table side, and chicken nachos. Guacamole was good! The chicken nachos are individual chips laid out with toppings. I ordered a michelada. It was ridiculously large, almost a forty. It was wasteful. They should offer different sizes. I ordered a combo plate - beef taco, chicken enchilada with mole sauce, and cheese enchiladas with chili sauce. It came with two sides, which were rice and beans. Not sure if anything else is actually offered since no sides were listed in the menu. My friends ordered the steak tacos and the brisket tacos and they couldn't really taste a difference between the too. Even for "cheap" Mexican food it wasn't that great and doesn't seem worthy of 4 stars. The service does help though. Our waiter was professional. He handled an incorrect order in a timely manner. He served up the guacamole to our liking. read more

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Food and service is always good! Food is Tex-mex but above average for sure. Staff is amazing and attentive.

We came here just for drinks and appetizers after the arts in Bloom festival in downtown McKinney. There wasn't too many people so we were able to get a table immediately. I got the spicy pineapple. Margarita which was good definitely had a kick. We also got the table side guacamole, and the white queso. The white queso wasn't my favorite and the guacamole definitely needed some salt read more

We love coming here! Great food and great staff. The atmosphere is usually quiet when we go and the staff is super helpful. Had asked for tequila recommendations and the bartender was happy to talk with me about his favorites and other popular ones. read more

Went for a second time on a Friday night. Was a bit thrown off when it appeared that two managers doing nothing more than throwing orders told a host to clean our table. The host was so annoyed that he drenched the table with a spray bottle, getting the benches and floor wet, swiftly and angrily wiping the table. He walked away in a huff leaving the table glistening with standing spray ingredients. We stood looking at the table when one of the managers (obviously witnessing the hosts temper tantrum) walked over and asked what was wrong. We pointed to the table. He said "I'll fix it"...ran quickly for a towel and wiped the table like his job was on the line. The food: Seems like they changed their queso but it was good. It was a white queso ($9) and a large portion. I ordered the pick 3 meal that comes with beans and rice for $15. I chose tamale (disappointing! It had about a teaspoon of pork...I didn't eat it), cheese enchilada and beef enchilada. I really enjoyed the chili con carne sauce. The beef mixture in the enchilada was good. The weird part was that our food took a while to arrive (albeit the restaurant wasn't busy), the plate was too hot to touch, but the food was just over room temperature. This was unfortunate because my cheese enchilada was congealed. Good flavor, just lacked the pizzazz of stretchy cheese filling. My husband said that the chicken flauta was awesome. He also ordered the choose 3...but somehow his plate ended up coming with a salad?? The server was okay. Had to flag her down for a chips and salsa refill on her third time passing our table. I'm not a needy diner, but since we ordered queso, you'd think she'd keep an eye on that since she had only 1 other table. She did bring us waters with our margaritas without request which I appreciate. Only about 1/2 the servers seem to do that. read more

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On of my favorite spots in Downtown Mckinney! They have a bunch of options to choose from and they also have pan dulce. Definitely worth a visit read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - Mazapán Latte - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

Worst customer service ever! We walked in after doing some wine testing in downtown McKinney wanting to put some food on our stomachs. The sign outside with the specials caught our attention and I said that we should try the brisket tacos. I went in 45min to closing and asked if I could place a to go order. I was walked to the register to place ky order. I said I wanted the brisket taco special on the sign outside. The server told me there was no brisket special but he has regular brisket tacos. I asked him if it came with the avocado, jalapeño relish, sautéed onions and everything else listed on the special outside. He told me no that it's just brisket on corn and that there was no special and I would have to pay extra for all of that. I asked him several times to go outside and check and when he did he came back and said someone wrote the wrong things and that's not how it comes. I then asked for a manager because I wanted what was shown on the sign outside. He didn't get the manager instead he said he would add on everything. When the food came out I opened the box to make sure it was correct and instead nothing was on my tacos. I went back to the server and told him and he said because it doesn't come that way and they could not give me all of those additional items. I could not believe how poor the service was. When you make a mistake it should be honored to the customer. I live in the area and I will be sure to tell friends and family not to patron this establishment! Then the tacos were terrible! The brisket was incredibly dry and I choked while eating them. I will say I did order chicken empanadas as appetizers and those were delicious. Some of the best I've ever had and it came with queso for dipping. But how the server was it's not enough to make me come back. Posting a picture of their sign as well!!! read more

El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina - Specials that they will not make for you!!! - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

Excellent food, drinks and service. The staff truly appreciate the business and are kind and efficient. I never have to wait on a table for more than a couple of minutes and it's quiet enough to have a conversation. I love this place! read more

Great atmosphere. Food was excellent. Hidden Gem off the square. Highly recommend this place.

New restaurant, new owners, amazingggg food! After moving to McKinney in June, we have struggled to find a favorite Mexican restaurant compared to our favs in Dallas...but we hit the jackpot here! Food - Salsa is freshly homemade....yes, fresh! - Guacamole is made fresh to order with simply avocados and topped with diced pico and onion...NO add-ins like sour cream or other mixers to make it last longer! - White queso is YUM and not store bought Tostitos level (so if you like canned queso, this will rock your world). - Flautas are handmade...I repeat, handmade! Most places serve them bought frozen from wholesalers. I only know of one other restaurant in DFW that makes delicious handmade flautas...and now I know of two! My favorite. - Refried beans: Creamy and flavorful as expected! - Rice: Rich flavor that is fun to mix with refried beans. - Stuffed chimichanga dessert: I originally wanted a sopapilla, but they talked me into this famous dessert of theirs instead and it was SO GOOD! - The tres leches was legit as well if you are used to ordering it elsewhere. I would order everything again! Drinks - The top shelf ritas are so smooth. They are made with fresh lime juice instead of margarita mix and worth the price. You get to choose the tequila and can get them half off (or more) by hitting up happy hour! - The house ritas are good too, and they have a huge menu of other types of cocktails. Parking - Even though it's in downtown McKinney, there is a parking lot immediately to the west of the restaurant so you do not have to walk far. Staff - Extremely friendly and the owner is usually there - very appreciative of customers. I'm excited to have a new favorite go-to Mexican restaurant for any day of the week. Highly recommend! read more

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We have known about El Mejor for quite some time but have never found the hours all that convenient. We were in town for the Wine Festival and decided against the fair-like food deciding instead to try El Mejor. It was not crowded at all and the service was wonderful. I had a spicy margarita and it was very spicy! Just the way it should be ... not too sweet. The chips were hot and thin and crispy. They definitely tasted homemade. We had guacamole to start and my husband also had empanadas. The portions were a nice size and the guacamole was fresh and flavorful. I did not try the empanadas but they were large and according to my husband very good. I chose a la carte since that was one of the few options for a vegetarian. The spinach enchiladas and bean tostados were my choice and they were both great. Overall we were very happy and will go again. Four stars because I had hoped for a homemade hot sauce or hot salsa and very few veggie options for us non-meat eaters. read more

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This place hits on all cylinders! Let's talk about the service, friendly, engaging and prompt. It is not uncommon to see the owner cheerfully checking in to see how things are. Food, is delicious and fresh. I've been here multiple times and I'm always impressed how fast the food comes out...and the quality and quantity is great. Lastly, think local! This is a gem, it's in our own backyard.. go support this local business you won't be disappointed! read more

The service was good and our server was very nice but the food was very bland. It didn't taste like they used much of any seasoning. read more