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    El Fenix

    3.3 (669 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Tex-Mex
    Open 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order El Fenix Takeout or Delivery

    El Fenix Photos

    EL FENIX ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Fenix

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    Reviews With Photos

    Guy H.

    It's been a long past 7 or 8 years for El Finex. An ownership change from the 100 + year operation by the family to an entrepreneur nearly put them out of business. However,they slowly recovered in fits and starts and I'm happy to report this original location is holding its own with food quality and service Two of us had a nice Tex Mex dinner sans alcohol for $30. Hard to beat these days. If you're downtown for any reason,park free next door and grab a representative plate of Tex Mex originating in this spot over 100 years ago .

    Delish sopapillas...gone!
    Jamie D.

    A family favorite and anytime we are in Dallas we have to stop by! Food is delicious! Our FANTASTIC server, Mingo, made it that much better! He was attentive, kind and happy!!! We found out today he's worked here for 45 years! Come see MINGO! He will make your day!

    Rick S.

    El Fenix is a local institution in Dallas having origins stretching back over a century now. The founder, Miguel Martinez, also invented a tortilla machine that he sold to a fellow by the name of Herman Lay. Yup, it was that "Lay" of Frito-Lay fame. Anyhow, El Fenix continues to serve up its brand of food, claiming to be the originator of the Tex-Mex genre. The restaurant moved to its Uptown location in 1925 and has been serving food ever since. The menu is well known now and features the entrees you'd expect at any Tex-Mex venue. Our food came out fresh and hot and the service was excellent. There were no surprises, good or bad, and it was a pleasant experience. If you're looking for the latest ideas in fusion cuisine you're not going to get it here, but if you want a good solid meal with a great heritage, this is the place to be. Recommended.

    a black vase with a chain around it
    Matt B.

    I come here at all my Dallas visits. Love the ambiance love the people and the service. Food is always good and never disappoints.

    Stephanie C.

    This is definitely my favorite El Fenix location! The building, ambience, food, and drinks are spot-on. They also have a great happy hour 3-7pm. My only complaint is that the service was a bit slow and our waiter seemed to be tending to other tables and didn't stop by ours as much as I would hoped. We likely would've ordered another drink or two if he had. Overall, though, I will be back at this location for sure!

    Quesadilla and fajitas.
    Laura P.

    Better than expected! The restaurant is huge with a lot of seating for big groups. The waiters also try their best but the place seems under staffed. The food was tasty and came out piping hot. Lots of flavor and good portion sizes for the price.

    Lunch special - chicken tortilla soup & picadillo beef taco (choose 2 items off lunch menu for $9.99, 3 for $11.99)
    Christie N.

    You have to love this place for it's historic charm! They've been serving TexMex in Dallas for over 100 years! Said to be the first tex mex restaurant in Dallas. It's a large building with ample space for dining, patio, bar area & an upstairs party room with a downtown view. They've made some updates and of course have some to do- for example, getting the fresh tortilla making station back up and running and replacing some tattered blinds on the 2nd floor that you see from the main dining area. It was a tad warm inside for my preference. I could only imagine if it was full of people- I would have been miserable. (We went for late lunch during the week) You do pay to park but can validate it inside. We paid $12 for 2 hours and got our money back by validating using the QR code located inside the restaurant. Like any downtown area I've been, there are sketchy parts and people- there were people begging for money between the lot and building. Our service was excellent. Our waiter has worked there for over 40 years! He was very friendly, extremely attentive, shared his passion for the business & food and even upsold us on dessert (sopapillas). They have a good happy hour that I'd come back for when in the area. $5 margaritas with $4 queso, nachos & a few other things I can't remember. That's a deal!! I ordered off the lunch menu. They have several items that you can choose 2 for $9.99 or 3 for $11.99 and all are served with rice and beans. I had their "famous" chicken tortilla soup and a picadillo beef taco. The soup was good - plenty of chicken, rice, cheese, tortilla strips and a couple of chunks of avocado. It was good but a tad salty for my taste. The taco was average at best. Rice, beans, & queso were bland but edible. My Mom can't handle any spice so appreciated being able to eat all of her food without issue. Their salsa is very mild and good. Tortilla chips seem fresh and are crunchy and good. Lunch fajita portion is good. My parents each enjoyed a sopapilla with honey. They're made to order so there was about a 5 minute wait during a non-busy late lunch service which they were happy to wait for!

    Great food, excellent service! Music was also bomb! I highly recommend! Carlos was our server and he was very helpful and great!

    Chips
    Bobby W.

    Seriously El Fenix. You changed your chips???!!! The chips and salsa were the main reason we ate there. So disappointed. Bring the original back.

    Cheese enchilada and puffy taco. Tasty! Classic.
    Tanya W.

    Since the 70's nothing has changed. And I'm so happy about that! Craving the salty chili sauce on the cheese enchilada! Thanks for always being a go to when I'm in downtown D!

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    4 months ago

    Great atmosphere. Prices are reasonable and food is good. Classics cover the menu. Right by Victory Park.

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    5 months ago

    I normally love El Fenix, but something seemed off about this one. It didn't feel very clean inside, but the food was decent.

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    2 months ago

    This has been a lifelong staple growing up in Dallas. It's solid Tex mex with great chips and salsa.

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    1 year ago

    Great place for some good Tex mix and delicious chips and salsa! Amazing service and super great atmosphere.

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    1 year ago

    Amazing food ambience and service. If you are in the area, this is a must go place if you want excellent Mexican food!

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    Page 1 of 17

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    Las Palmas - Guacamole

    Las Palmas

    4.3(932 reviews)
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    My go-to spot if I can get a reservation. This place is always so popular, and for good reason. I…read morewent with my girlfriend on a Thursday evening and we were sat quickly after arriving. The goose in the garden drink is our favorite, however not on the menu any more. Isai and Kenia were helping us out all night and they were amazing! Accommodating, prompt, and great personalities! We love to leave friends with our servers, and it isn't hard to do with a staff such as that. Chips and salsa are always fresh, flavorful, and the perfect amount of spicy. We also had the chicken flautas, and they hit the spot! The Mexican candy shots are the best I've had. We can't wait for our next visit!

    Service was excellent. Super attentive and knowledgeable. The place was beautiful, my only…read morecomplaint was that it was super loud for a Thursday evening. Could barely hear the person next to me because we were seated next to a party of 10+ people. It may have been best to reserve that area just for them and have us seated elsewhere but no biggie. I was celebrating my birthday here since I've heard great things about the food choices. I ordered shrimp tacos, my family got fajitas and it was pretty decent. Towards the end of dinner, our server was super attentive and brought out a shareable dessert. I believe it was a churro cheesecake which was delicious.

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    Mia's Tex-Mex Restaurant - Felipe's Dinner 3 kinds of salsa's

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    4.1(1k reviews)
    2.1 mi
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    Great location off Lemmon Ave. the service was fast friendly and super polite. The food was hot…read moreand fresh and was a large portion. The prices were reasonable and they do have to go containers. I would recommend this location

    This joint is quintessential Tex-Mex. Kitsch on the walls and a menu full of stuff that includes…read morethe same 3-4 ingredients. Cold, spicy salsa. Even colder bottled beer. The service here was great on my visit. The atmosphere, albeit a little crowded, was comfy. As I do with my first visit at any Tex-Mex joint, I order the combo plate. I was very pleased with it here. The taco was crunchy with nicely seasoned (non-greasy) ground beef and lettuce and cheese served on the side (I told them no tomatoes). The tamale had a wonderful brisket-like filling, although there was a little too much masa for me. The cheese enchilada was filled with actual cheese, which is a good (if not rare) thing these days. The chili con carne topping was wonderful, as was the rice -- which is among the most perfectly cooked that I have ever experienced in a Tex-Mex joint. The refried beans were run-of-the mill. I must say that the enchilada tortillas are firmer than most. Not necessarily bad, but they definitely don't par-fry these things before rolling. I tend to judge Tex-Mex joints by their salsa. If it's served warm, I take points off the board. This stuff is served ice-cold and has a wonderful bite. Bottom line: If I lived here, I'd be a regular. Excellent Tex-Mex.

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