Outstanding local Mexican restaurant. Real Mexican cuisine, not Tex Mex. Generous portions. Excellent prices. The margaritas are really tasty and they don't hold back on alcohol. Not fancy, but worth trying out. We'll return for another meal. I'll bet you will too. read more

I love this place. Best shrimp cocktail. The salsa is delicious and their beans are also outstanding.

Best authentic Mexican food in North Texas we have found. Super friendly staff and kid friendly. The location doesn't do it justice.

Yum!!! We tried it for the first time and we will be back! Good authentic Mexican food, no frills. My margarita was good and the prices on food and drinks were very reasonable. My shrimp tostada was the best I've had, maybe ever! Only suggestion, would be for them to add sopapillas. read more

Went here for the first time. Nice little gem. Food was very good. Will definitely come back.

Hubby and I went here for dinner tonight. I wanted to try this place based on all the reviews. I always judge a TexMex place by their chips and salsa. A basic staple but very important one. The chips were very good. Nice size and thickness with the right amount of salt and crunch. The salsa was good but a little sweet. They could have a bigger vessel for the chips. We ran out a couple of times and had to wait for refills. We also ordered chili con queso. The queso was just like what you get at football game nachos. I happen to like that type no not a problem for me. For dinner we shared a large combination fajitas. That plate was huge! Everything was seasoned well however the rice and beans lacked flavor. It also doesn't come with sour cream or shredded cheese. The service was a little slow at times but always with a smile. The food was quick and hot. Several customers entered while we were there. Several of them ordered the shrimp cocktail. Sorry I don't know the correct name. It too was huge. We want to come back and try that. Our biggest surprise came when the check arrived! All that food with drinks for only $30! Definitely worth it! They also serve breakfast. Will be back! read more

If you want to be happy, very happy with your meal then try this place. It is real food and the ambiente is authentic. Kick it up a notch by ordering the whole fried snapper or mojarra, both are yummy. Even the chickens are happy that they are served here instead of some phony tex-mex place! And hey, you're eating with the peeps. (every pun intended) read more

Went there late Sunday afternoon for food and drinks after a day of mountain biking. Great authentic Mexican food! Their salsa is awesome too! read more

This was our first time eating here and we loved it !!!! Very authentic. The menu is written in mostly in Spanish but that didn't deter us. I just used my iPhone translate app to help me. The employees were friendly and the service was great. We had the taco plate with carne asada tacos and barbacoa tacos. Next time we may try their signature grilled chicken. read more

We've been here twice and always get the tacos. Authentic and not greasy. Cute atmosphere. Really good prices! Definitely recommend if you're looking for a local, mom and pop restaurant with authentic food. read more

Fantastic food. Unfortunately, they were out of the menudo I came for, but I settled on the shrimp salad and shrimp soup and it was really good. Also, the food being brought to other people looked great as well. Nice, friendly, clean atmosphere! read more

Food is very very good, prices are really reasonable. Will be coming back for sure. The seasoning on the food is way better then any Mexican place in McKinney, also it's a small local cook to order sure. read more

El Pollo Alegre - Mexican Near Me - McKinney, Texas

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Been here several times to dine-in and food to go. Pretty steady during week (dinner hours) so that's a good time to dine-in. Weekend mornings is super busy so I will usually take a to-go order. They do serve menudo on weekends which is probably why they stay busy. I've had the menudo, tacos, torta, and breakfast. All delicious and very authentic tasting. Micheladas are excellent and they're dressed workout asking. Super clean as well which is awesome. Great spot! Small but awesome nonetheless. read more

Don't be put off by the outside appearance, or the inside appearance for that matter. It's the food that counts most and the hospitable service is a close second. I've been here a handful of times and am always happily transported to my my childhood. It's like being back in grandma's kitchen! Don't be timid to try new things here. It's all good! My favorite is the menudo, served on weekends only. Buen provecho! read more

Loved that it's true Mexican food. Not TexMex. I would have given it a 5 because my meal was perfect but the chips were a little stale. I will definitely be going back. read more

Yummy traditional Mexican food. I really didn't want to share information about this because it will get too crowded. Small dining area. Awesome service. Fantastic selection on the menu. Food was superb! Portions were just right for the price, but we still had leftovers. Small area for parking in front of restaurant. There is more parking on the street nearby. We're definitely coming back! read more

I keep wanting these hole in the wall Mexican food places to be hidden gems but they aren't. I ordered chicken fajitas and they were extremely bland. This is a place with Chicken in its name. I had to pay for chips and salsa ($3.50), where do you do that? All but one of our party of 5 said they had a lack luster experience. I had to flag down a waitress multiple times for simple things like drink refills. I want to support local businesses, but they need to step up too. read more

Great Mexican food great that is open late, has music and prices are very reasonable. I suggest trying the Chile Relleno, it was wonderful.

Quant little place, good food, decent service, affordable prices. Limited parking space but it's probably enough since this is a fairly small place. read more

Love this place, best Mexican food in McKinney! Their daily specials are great and the prices are so reasonable. The quality of food is amazing and authentic. The service is so helpful! read more

Here lately I have written a couple of scathing reviews on places that had good reviews but I try to call them like I see them! I like to go where the locals eat, instead of chains which tend to be just bad xerox copies! I was met at the door with a friendly face asking here or to go? (I saw why later!) I looked at the menu and decided to stay because transporting food on my Harley would be a challenge here! I settled on the Rib eye med rare with shrimp! (not a wise choice) but I wanted beef in a Mexican chicken place! Now with that said I should explain, growing up Mexican my mother could turn the finest cuts into inedible shoe leather, cut it up into strips in a salsa and make it delicious again but it still wasn't a simple steak! This steak was cooked a little on the rare side, perfectly like I wanted, since you can't uncook a steak the shrimp had a perfect grill taste not rubbery with just a moderate fat strip on the steak that most butchers would trim off. Sides were Mexican rice and steamed vegetables. Now I have to say this isn't the Salt Grass or a $50 steak at Del Frisco but this was less than $30 with a tea and beer! They did so good next time I'll try the chicken!! read more

Foods amazing and at a great price! Go during lunch time for the specials! My favorite is the taco plate and ceviche

Delicious mixed fajitas. The beef is so tender it melts in your mouth! The service is very friendly and attentive. I would highly recommend and will definitely be back. read more

We stumbled onto this little restaurant several months ago and we are certainly glad we did. The food is very, very good- hot and fresh and tasty. The service is very good as well. They are friendly as can be being so busy, and they make sure you have what you need to enjoy your meal. Granted it is a true Mexican restaurant with Mexican music playing sometimes on the music system, but that's not a problem since your attention is focused on the heavenly platter in front of you. We highly recommend this this place, it's the place to go for absolutely the best enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, guacamole, and beans; I could go on and on. You won't be disappointed. read more

This place is amazing! So much flavor and variety of tastes! The mariscado ( a fish fajita plate) is unbelievably tasty! Come for breakfast too! Juevos rancheros is a must for breakfast!! read more

What a great little place! While waiting for the Franconia Brewing tour to begin last Saturday, my brother-in-law and I stumbled up this cute little building. It only has about 10 or 12 small tables and is smaller than a DQ. Steven had a giant breakfast burrito with chorizo and eggs and I had a couple of breakfast tacos with potato and egg. They were cheap, fresh, packed with goodies and yummy as was the salsa they served with them. After the awesome tour at Franconia (plug plug!), I coerced about 10 of us to go back for lunch. We got the menu which has many choices and several photos of the dishes! Fajitas, street tacos, burritos, a seafood section, 5 soups, desserts and more. I had a campechana, which was basically a shrimp and octopus cocktail served in a parfait glass with saltines (I was thinking Goode Seafood Co from Houston but alas it was different). It was delicious and had no hint of fishiness. The octopus was surprisingly tender; I was expecting it to be a little chewy. I also got to sample a street taco (my name not theirs). It was al pastor served con todo (with onions, cilantro and a wedge of lime). The pork was extremely tender and well seasoned. I also had enchiladas suizas (stuffed with cubed grilled chicken breast covered in white cheese and topped with tomatillo sauce). I thought the dish needed a bit more tomatillo sauce and when I asked for it, the brought me a good sized bowl no charge. It was tangy and delectiable;it did not go to waste! The rice and beans were basic but good. Friends got various taco plates and all looked good. aside form the salsa they served in bowls (with chips), they had 2 other salsas in squit bottles (sort of like El Paisano!). One was a green chile salsa and the other a red salsa made from dried red chilies (many seeds included), water, salt and a little cumino. They were both yummy and had a decent amount of fire. We also noticed on the menu that a 2nd location in Lewisville exists. I'm eager to check it out since I live in Denton. The service was very good, the staff was friendly and the place was clean. The staff came around with pitchers to refill glasses often; including my horchata (a drink made from sweetened rice milk and cinnamon)! As cliché as it may sound; I'll be back! read more

The taco plate with Chicken on the lunch menu is absolutely out of this world. The in house hot sauces are great as well, both the red and the green. It's a bit of a dive but it doesn't take much away from the place because the service has always been good and the food top notch. Unless you want high end pricey Mexican food from somewhere on the square, this is the place to be. Affordable and absolutely delicious. read more

Food = excellent. Service = perfect. Price = excellent. Thank you!~ One of my new fav's. Quaint little spot, casual and just really good.

Great place to grab a quick lunch at an affordable price. I had the agua de Limon, small vuele a la vida cocktail and a ceviche tostada. My friend had agua de horchata and the taco platter. Both were really good and cheaper than most tex Mex restaurants. It was empty at around 2 on a Thursday but I hear it can get busy, especially on the weekends. read more

The food here is amazing! Definitely my husband an I's favorite place to eat. The food is delicious, it's REAL Mexican food! The staff is wonderful and the best thing about this place is their prices! I love this place! 5 star quality food, service and prices! read more

Terrible margaritas. Food is just okay. I love a tiny local restaurant but a decent margarita would have made a world of difference. I could have over looked the bad drinks if the food was outstanding but it wasn't. Overall not a great place to dine. read more

Great food amazing Mexican and seafood is awesome!!!!!! Price is reasonable! Great service! We absolutely love this restaurant.

First time but won't be the last time when we want authentic Mexican. Service was great, food tasty.

I highly recommend this place. Born and raised in San Diego good Mexican food in my opinion is not to be found in Dallas except this place. Small and noisy but feels like I'm in Porto Nuevo or Ensenada having a bite! read more

Most authentic Mexican food we have had since we have been in the Dallas area. We will definitely come back again and again. Carne asada is deliciousness!!! read more

Chips were stale, food was bland, Margarita was not strong, to sweet. Waitress never smiled, just an awful experience. Wife and I won't be back. read more

Past three times my order has been wrong. Sad but not fond on returning. Maybe if I order it backwards they could get it right. (To go orders) read more

Visited for the first time on Saturday, 1-7-2017, and it will not be our last visit....the food was delicious!! We had the taco plates and a fish tostado, all of which were fresh & yummy! The prices were very, very reasonable. GREAT little hole-in-the-wall authentic mexican restaurant! read more

This is great food. This is my normal hangout place on sunday for menudo. Service is great and everything I have tried I've liked. This a great little spot with great prices. If you want real Mexican food this is the spot. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. read more

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant of all time, anywhere. The food is delicious and fresh, the service is friendly and fast, and the ambiance is authentic and fun. Give this place a try the next time you're craving Mexican and I guarantee you'll be a repeat customer. A big plus is the fact that it's owned by a local family and they are great people that certainly deserve your business! I could go for some huevos rancheros right now..it's about that time! read more