Great experience at a restaurant (chain) I have not visited in over 20 years. Frankly I just went for the nostalgia. Salsa and chips are great, but salsa slightly sweeter and chunkier than I recall. I ordered tamale dinner that was served quickly and hot! I love when my food is served fresh out of the oven. The service was impeccable and the restrooms clean . I will definitely return when I visit Knoxville . Loved! read more

We've gone to El Chico for nearly 30 years and it always hits the spot. This location in Knoxville is consistent and really tasty. The food and drinks are solid but our favorite part is visiting Enrique who has worked here longer than I remember. We are not regulars but he somehow remembers our orders and always has the best attitude. I had The Juarez and my wife got the Tacos Excelente (steak) and both were terrific! read more

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We came in late- got seated immediately asked if it were too late they said absolutely not have a seat- we ordered as fast as we could because we didn't want to be "those people" who came before closing Had the top shelf guacamole Steak tacos And the chimi combo- everything was delicious!! The service was super fast, super nice and attentive. The restaurant was clean and a dark chill vibe- we don't live around here but if we did we would come back ! Happy with our decision coming here! read more

If you are a fan of Tex-Mex, this place is the best in town! Originating in Texas, I was so happy to find this in Knoxville! As a native Texan, we are very picky about our Mexican restaurants. The fact that El Chico carries chili con carne, yellow queso, sopapillas, and certainly not the least, relish; makes this place truly a gem for Tex-Mex lovers. They have a really cool elevated section in the middle of the restaurant with a very inviting bar area as well. One thing I love most about this restaurant are the servers, they are very knowledgeable and usually remember the order by heart! (Ask for Sherry or Enrique) You're welcome lol! read more

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We celebrated a graduation lunch here with over 20 people, and had a great time. They set up a room for us, which was ideal. The menu is large and has great pricing. My favorite dishes were the Mexican fried rice and the chicken enchiladas. The fried rice is a unique dish and has a ton of flavor. Service was terrific also. They handled our large group with ease. read more

My hubby & I grew up on El Chico & was thrilled to find one in TN. It was not only like coming home but so much better. The food was so yummy, the waitress was friendly & so on top of it. The owner was so welcoming & a joy to talk with. This will be a must stop on our way through every time. This is what Mexican or more accurately TexMex is supposed to taste like. Give it a try! read more

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First time eating here and came in a big group, although, it was busy, it didn't take long to be seated. The service was amazing and didn't feel rushed either. Large menu selection of food, desserts and drinks. There's separate menu for drinks so ask the waiter/waitress if there's isn't one on the table. Definitely recommend if you're in the area or craving good Mexican food! El Chico - Knox, TN read more

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Thank you YELP for guiding me to this restaurant! I knew I was in love when the chips and salsa came to our table and the salsa was hot and spicy! The chicken quesadilla was amazing as was the chimi! The beans were also top notch and I was thinking this place was an authentic Mexican restaurant and was shocked to discover it is a chain ! The service was also lighting fast , honestly maybe 3 minutes from ordering to eating. Doubt I'll ever visit this location again by I will definitely keep my eye out for this place... looks like they are mainly in the Midwest unfortunately. Highly recommended! read more

El Chico - Quesadillas - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Food was just Blahhh!! Even the appearance of the food looked bland. I was so disappointed, it used to be a very good Mexican restaurant.

This is our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. The food is excellent with homemade tortilla chips and excellent salsa. My wife and I both had chicken fajitas and were wowed with charcoal grilled chicken and delicious homemade picadillo. Service was very good as well. We cannot wait to try other dishes on the menu. read more

Ariona our server/bartender did.an outstanding job taking care of us. She recommended the steak fajitas and they were great!!! Thank you!! read more

El Chico - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Excellent fresh food and great service! There was no wait and we didn't feel rushed. We always have great service and the food is always freshly made! read more

I've been coming here my whole life. Chips, salsa, guac, and queso are truly the best in Knoxville. Food is good. Anything with Fajita Chicken, you will enjoy. Good drinks. Reasonably priced. ALWAYS excellent service. This is tex mex that rocks! read more

I had the. El Caballero Spicy beef burrito with chili con queso, chicken enchilada with sour cream sauce, cheese and onion enchilada with chili con carne and a crispy chicken taco. With rice and refried beans - highly recommended! read more

Delicious food. We had the "fajitas for two" special. Large portions of meat and fixings plus beans and rice. Tara was our server and is fantastic! Ask for her if you come in. She was helpful and attentive, making sure our drinks were refilled and our food was just how we wanted. read more

El Chico - What's left of fajitas for two! - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Apple pie is the best along with service Thanks for great experience !!! Always a relaxing atmosphere with smiles all around read more

Fantastic lunch spot. Offering tasty cocktails and reasonably priced lunch specials. Hubby and I both enjoyed the chicken enchiladas ("tres" and "seis"), washed down by a Mexican Martini and House Margarita. Bartender was a little tardy with drinks, but Oh so worth the wait! Our meals were delicious and served piping hot. I'd definitely return when there's a hankering for Mexican food. Oh, and don't forget to donate to a worthy cause - Fight against Cancer, sponsored by the American Cancer Society - just scan the QR code at your table that's adorned by the wonderful men wearing PINK! read more

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We have been going to El Chico's for years now we have never got anything bad everything is so good There chips and salsa is very good burritos tacos desserts anything you order is very very good. Our waitress Sherry is the best she is so nice and friendly and we always have a good time when we go there. There is always a crowd of people when you go there !! read more

Great Mexican spot Owner is awesome. The nachos and all the dips were great. Will definitely visit again

This is the best restaurant on this exit. It is a Hardee's so your expectations can't be that high but their service was better than the chicken place nextdoor. read more

El Chico - Chips - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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We were looking for a quick bite on New Years and ended up at El Chico. It's exactly what you expect from a Mexican restaurant. I wasn't blown away by the place, but the service was great and the food was decent. They did forget part of my order, but it was quickly fixed. I did expect a bigger menu with some more options. I had a couple tacos, and my husband had tamales. Solid meal. Would probably be a fun place for a margarita on a Friday night. read more

The facility is BIG, and feels authentic. Our server was attentive and efficient, but we didn't receive our cocktails until our food arrived. However, they were big too! My Margarita came in a standard 16 oz. drinking glass, and was very good. I had one of their lunch specials (a taco, enchilada and rice), which is plenty of food at a great price. I thought everything on my plate was fairly bland, without a lot of taste. It was filling though. Although, I would return here, I don't think I would make a special effort. read more

El Chico - a plate of mexican rice and vegetables - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Being from Arizona it's hard to please us with Mexican food but this place is a diamond in the rough. Watch the game here and enjoy good food. The best beef tamale I've ever had and my wife who is very picky loved her enchiladas read more

the service and atmosphere were great, but the food and pricing was absolutely horrendous. the arroz con pollo I got was of lower quality than a high school lunch, the chicken tasted as if it had been canned, and the queso was extremely unappetizing. the bowl itself was also $16.50, absolutely insane pricing for a meal likened unto a tv dinner. the waitress was nice, and very helpful when ordering. too bad the food was horrible. read more

Walked in and immediately was seated. Pretty busy little spot! The salsa was very thin but got the right kick to it- I really like the thin, warm chips. Salsa is good!! Ordered a cheese dip- yummmmm. Has jalapeno peppers in it. Very good flavor. Ordered the chicken chimichanga a la carte- they didnt have a lunch chicken chimichanga so I had to get the dinner one. Awesome flavor!! Has onions, chopped chicken, jalapenos and cheesy cheese!!! You get to order choice of cheese- very good!! Will be back!! read more

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Starting off with the host he was very sweet and got me and my sister sat very quickly. But are server was even sweeter very quick and nice. The menu has a lot of food options, The chips and queso were very good the salsa was good with a bit of a kick of spice. I got the steak fajitas and my sister got the grilled chicken tacos both were amazing and again our server was the best. Our servers name was Enrique. read more

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I am from out of town came in they sat me at bar ,large Mexican bartender finally got my drink order then disappeared. I found my own menu. Looked it over and he later came and took it Then proceeded to talk football and fist bump a customer across the way I said to myself forget it. This guy would not make a pimple on a waiter butt so I paid for drink and went across street to monterrey mex read more

The food is wonderful here and has been around for a long time! I always liked sitting in the raised middle that looks like it should be a fountain! The decorations were the best! I think there used to be a fountain up there! Service is always good, even when they're busy! read more

Good stuff. Came here with fam and portions, quality and service was all above average. Several Mex options in the area and this is one of the better ones. Good, fresh chips and margs. Worth a stop in and we will make a return visit. read more

Fantastic service by Enrico. Really enjoyed the fish tacos and excellent margarita! Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

El Chico - tables and chairs in a restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Five stars for the food and atmosphere. Zero stars for our server. I was so excited to see an El Chico. We don't have one in Oxford MS or anywhere nearby. It was a little busy so we asked to sit at the bar since there were only two others sitting there. Our bartender Hannah, we later learned was her name, was none too concerned about two new customers. I ordered a margarita and told her I didn't want a pre-made one and that I wanted Cuervo. She began giving me prices almost like she thought I could only afford the house one. We had to ask for chips and salsa. Apparently this is not an automatic thing if you sit at the bar. She said she doesn't assume someone is going to eat at the bar and I guess you don't get them if you aren't eating. What should have been a clue to Hannah though, was that we had menus and were actively looking at them. Another patron joined us and then two more young men about ten minutes later. My husband and I must have not been "cute"enough because the two guys at the end of the bar were asked if they wanted something to eat before us. The manager came out and scolded Hannah for allowing seven people to sit at the bar, as six is the limit. The two guys offered to move to a table since they were the last seated. They proceeded to the table and Hannah followed them and took their order. As the manager passed by, I asked him if he could take our order since Hannah was not interested. He said it was not a problem and our food was delivered promptly. You can't beat their chicken enchiladas. As Hannah returned to the bar from the table she asked if we had decided on anything. Mind you this is at least 25 minutes in. We told her the manager took our order. She said "well I have no idea where he rung it up". Another customer mentioned that there had been ten people at the bar earlier and "he" didn't say anything. "He gets in a mood sometimes" said Hannah. A sixth patron sat down at the bar. "The manager is going to kick you out" said Hannah thinking he was the seventh. Inappropriate! Sometimes these reviews just write themselves and like a good book, unfold before your eyes. Hannah begin saying that two people didn't show up and someone had to wash dishes but didn't want to and no one wanted to expedite. Also we learned from Hannah, speaking with another customer, that if the other manager was there he wouldn't have said anything about the number of people at the bar because they need all the customers they can get because they are about to close. Wow! Another customer ordered crown. "I'm out of crown. Tell my manager who doesn't buy the right alcohol." When you go out to eat you don't need to hear about the "back of the house" issues from the server. I don't think Hannah likes her job. She definitely didn't get rewarded for a job well done. No tip for Hannah. read more

Great food and service. Salsa is the best and we have ate here for years and never had any problems.

There was a long wait to get a table so that told me the food was probably going to be good. Once we got in it didn't disappoint. Our server, Daniel, was excellent and the food/drinks came out super quick. The old fashioned chicken tacos were so good and my check was only $16 with a tall beer. Would definitely go back. Very clean, not greasy Mexican food. read more

We recently had my sons graduation party and decided to order El Chico catering, it was PERFECT! Everything was brought to us, set up, and delicious. We will be using them again in the future for sure! Highly recommend the fajita bar. It comes with all the things plus chips & salsa, cheese dip, and guacamole. Girish also went out of his way to work with us to make sure we had exactly what we were looking for. read more

Mexican Apple Pie El Chico Café Mexican Restaurant has the best Mexican dessert that this world has ever seen. On Thursday kids eat free, with a n adult entrée purchase, the kid's meal can't cost over $4.69 per child. If you like homemade apple pie, then you going to adore El Chico's Mexican apple pie. This amazing Mexican dessert is made with real Mexican brandy butter sauce and served with cinnamon ice cream. My two son's Diamond and Rain loves eating at El Chico Mexican Café every Thursday after school. read more

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I really like the drink selections they have here! I tried this place for the first time the other night and ordered some drink that had pineapple, ginger, and piña colada mix. It was delicious! The food was okay. I ordered the blanco enchiladas and they were tasty, just not as good as enchiladas I've had from other places. The prices here are about the same as everywhere else so I have no complaints. The service was friendly and we didn't wait long for our food considering we visited on a busy Saturday night. I would definitely come here again, but I wouldn't consider it to be at the top of my list for best Mexican food in the Knoxville area. read more

El Chico - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Chips, salsa and queso are great. Wife had good beef tacos and I had good chicken burrito. My only complaint, I hate the taste of onions and ordered my food without onions. I ordered side of rice and beans. The beans came loaded in onions. I was able to pick out most of them from the beans, but would have been good for waiter to pickup on the "no onions" and perhaps offer refried beans or black beans instead. read more

El Chico's was absolutely amazing. Got seated when we walked in. Alison was extremely attentive, polite, professional and quick. El Graupo margarita was fantastic, burrito bowl with carnitas -EXCELLENT!!. We highly recommend... Thank you for a wonderful meal. Merry Christmas! read more

This place isn't closed. Uncertain as to why it was reported as such. This is one of my favorite restaurants in Knoxville. Service is typically on point, the food is tasty, and it's in a good location. read more

Food is pretty good. Very American Mexican. Definitely not authentic. The one thing they did that was annoying was putting fruit in my Modelo Especial beer. Why ruin a good beer. Waitress didn't ask. Very annoying!!! read more