Stopped here on a whim after the Perot. This was a great classic tex mex experience. I got the El Fenix dinner which could have been two meals. It was a great way to try a little bit of everything. Lowlight- crunchy taco Highlight- cheese enchilada and anything with their chili con carne. Our sever was very sweet and constantly refilling the chips. Everything came out super fast and is a great price. The inside is cute and fun to bring family visiting downtown. read more

El Fenix - El Fenix Dinner - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

AAAAA~MAZ~ING! Everything is stellar at this El Fenix! Yvette, the manager, greeted us in her usual happy way. We ordered the Puffed Tacos from our favorite waiter, Marco S. Yes, we have a favorite. We've been going to El Fenix for years and it's never diminished over time. The food (from the chips & salsa to the sopapilla and everything in between) has never, ever disappointed us. I give this restaurant a 5 star rating on every level. Thank you, El Fenix for the wonderful ambiance, the excellent service and the delicious food. Keep it up! read more

El Fenix - The Puffed Tacos are fresh and very flavorful. An extra ramekin of grated cheese makes it even delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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We were seated immediately when we walked in which was a great start. There was plenty of seating and the tables were clean. They offer free parking for two hours across the street with a quick QR code scan, which made visiting downtown much easier. El Fénix always delivers consistent food that is fresh and delicious. I ordered the enchilada platter with beans and rice and everything came out hot and flavorful. The chips and salsa were also really good. However, quite a few of the chips were tiny pieces that were broken chips. Our waitress was attentive throughout the meal and made sure we had everything we needed. Definitely a reliable spot when you are craving Tex Mex. read more

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We stumbled across this gem. The food was very good. We had the Maximilian Delight and the Fenix. The portions were good sized and flavorful. Our server Domingo was extremely attentive and friendly. We also enjoyed the music and the decor of the restaurant. read more

I've been dying to try this place, and I finally was able to. We love a good Tex Mex. We got the fajitas and the tamales with carne con chili. And oh my goodness was it so yummy. The rice is nice and fluffy the beans are flavored just perfect. And well the tamales and meat were perfection. The hubby loved the fajitas. The hubby wanted to try the chicken tortilla soup and it hit the spot The bag of chips and salsa were the icing on top. Can't wait to try this place again. read more

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A Dallas institution, serving up tex Mex, is there anyone in Dallas who hasn't eaten at an El Fenix? Yeah me ... well up to a few days ago but a few coworkers decided to take care of that character flaw so here we were. Thos location is huge inside. I gotta say i enjoyed the kitschy interior with the large open hall, high ceilings with murals painted all over. Its cool. This was a weekday during lunch but school was iut so the restaurant was filled with families probably in the area to visit the museum next door. Despite that seating was aplenty, available in all shapes and sizes. Our aerver was fantastic. He really took care of us, bringing refill of chips and salsa without being asked, checking on us and just being nice! We ordered off the lunch menu but overall their prices are reasonable, especially if you consider the location. Food was, well mine was pretty good. I've tried traditional tex-mex before and generally find it underseasoned. Here the food was flavorful and cooked well. My coworkers enjoyed their dishes as well. That said, when we got back to the office it became a topic of curious conversation that it was my first time eating there and I found people have had hit and miss experiences here, though they all seem to have a soft spot for this place. It is a local thing after all. read more

El Fenix - Beef enchilada with chili con carne - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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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 . read more

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If you're craving authentic, flavorful Tex-Mex, El Fenix in McKinney is IT! From the moment the chips and salsa hit the table, you know you're in for something special. The salsa is fresh with just the right kick, and the food? Absolutely incredible. The enchiladas are perfectly seasoned and covered in rich, savory sauce, the fajitas come out sizzling and tender, and the rice and beans are anything but an afterthought -- they're packed with flavor. Every bite tastes fresh and made with care. The portions are generous, the service is friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Whether it's a family dinner, date night, or lunch with friends, this location never disappoints. Highly recommend if you want consistently delicious Tex-Mex done right! read more

El Fenix - Steak nachos - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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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. read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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

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While staying downtown Dallas I was craving Mexican food. So I went to El Fenix because I passed by them on my way back to the hotel from my final appointment. The interior of the restaurant was very nice and told you the story of who they were and the family history. It really set the tone for a good authentic meal and I felt very welcome. I ordered the Carne Asada skirt steak dinner. I ordered it medium rare but when I got my steak, it was not grilled. It seems almost as if the steak was steamed. It did have some marinated flavors to it so I'm guessing that they had it marinated with some lime juice and some extra seasonings, possibly even salt and therefore the lime started to pre-cooked the steak before it even hit the grill. As you can imagine skirt steak is very thin and it has to be flash cooked on a very hot grill, so therefore, you could maintain the sear and still have the pink color in the inside. With the marinating to the steak beforehand, it didn't really have any pink to it at all as they bought it to the temp. It was tender and juicy. I cannot complain about that and the sides were delicious, so I ate every bite. I would definitely eat there again, but I would order something else on the menu for sure. read more

Stopped here after going to the aquarium & had a lovely experience. Had the El Jefe Plate & partner had the street tacos, both were tasty. Server was friendly and we got our food quickly after ordering. The decor really pulls you into the experience. read more

This restaurant populated on a t lop list. Portions are huge! The Our Famous Tortilla Our Famous Tortilla Soup - Smallwas great. The small should be a large. Margaritas were huge as well. We did see the lemon pie for desert but the staff said the churros were better. read more

My go to in downtown for many years. Always excellent service by seasoned staff. Your usual Tex-Mex menu items but always consistent. Old Hispanic style decor. read more

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! read more

El Fenix - Delish sopapillas...gone! - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Chips and salsa are good Restaurant was clean, staff could be more friendlier especially when greeting you in and sitting you read more

As a longtime patron of El Fenix (50 years) I've always loved their consistency. Until this week. We went to the McKinney location, to discover the company has changed their chips! This is a huge deal for any El Fenix customer. No other Tex Mex restaurant makes chips as perfectly as El Fenix did. The thin, crispy white corn chips were a perfect compliment to their classic salsa. I told my family out of state, they were stunned. None of them believed me, lol. I told them when the salsa changes, we will know it's the end times. It's the end of an era for El Fenix. I only hope their corporate office gets inundated with complaints to the point it makes them change back to their classic chips. read more

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! read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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. read more

El Fenix - Quesadilla and fajitas. - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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! read more

El Fenix - Lunch special - chicken tortilla soup & picadillo beef taco (choose 2 items off lunch menu for $9.99, 3 for $11.99) - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Here's the thing... El Fenix is, at the time of posting this, a hundred and seven years old. It should be a cultural landmark at this point. It's one of the handful of Dallas-based restaurants that has a Wikipedia page. It's legendary for a reason. You can feel the history when you step inside. It also doesn't hurt that the food is good too. Why are you still reading this? Go check out this irreplaceable institution of Dallas for yourself, and order something to eat while you're there! read more

Went specifically to buy chips and was highly disappointed that they taste awful!! WHY WOULD YOU CHANGE THE RECIPE??? So disappointed!!

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

My complaint is not about the restaurant itself or its food, service, etc. It's how validated parking is taken care of, or, more accurately, how it isn't. I have been receiving threatening letters about a $97 charge for parking on May 13. Somehow the validation did not go through. I have called the restaurant and given information several times to demonstrate that I should have been shown to have validated parking. All I get is promises and statements that the parking people are slow about clearing things up. It is now July and I am getting threatening letters from a lawyer in Colorado. I am so angry at El Fenix people and the stupid parking people who will not clear this out! Makes me want to eat anywhere but El Fenix! Grrrrr. Beware!!!!!! read more

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

El Fenix - Chips - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

El Fenix in Downtown Dallas was the perfect host for our UTSW STARS Biology camp group of 45 participants. Coordinating a party that size is no small feat, but the experience was seamless from start to finish. A special thank-you to general manager Paola Ruiz, who was accommodating, warm, and genuinely helpful every step of the way -- she made a large, lively group feel completely taken care of. The food was excellent and the service was attentive and prompt. Every one of our students and staff left satisfied and impressed. We couldn't have asked for a better experience and would gladly return. ¡Gracias, El Fenix! read more

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

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

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Service was terrible. Our waiter did not want to serve our family that happen to be black. He even complained to other waitstaff about having to wait on our family. He did not realize he could be heard and understood. I am extremely disappointed in this establishment read more

The food has been consistently good since we started eating at the original in the 70's. The taste does not vary much. We love it. Our waiter was efficient, but not very friendly. We knew exactly what we wanted so conversation was not necessary. The dining room shows the length of time it has been open, and the decor is delightfully upscale Mexican, without the touristy "fru-fru. Thank you for being dependablely good. read more

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

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

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! read more

El Fenix - Cheese enchilada and puffy taco. Tasty! Classic. - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

After a long day of enjoying a beautiful day in Dallas I came here with some friends. We were seated quickly however I forgot to ask about getting my parking validated - they will validate your parking for 2 hours so you don't have to pay for parking - however do it before you get seated! The restaurant was clean and the waiter was on top of things. He apparently missed when I asked to have my beer "fully dressed" but was kind enough to bring me limes to put in my beer. So I usually wouldn't get a salad but this Saldana was not only good BUT I'd order it again! I got the beans on the side and I had enough that I was able to take 1/2 of it home. The chips and salsa were delicious, the queso was good and the guacamole was fresh. I just wish I had remembered to tell them no pico but with a chip I was able to scoop it out. Overall a great meal and great experience. read more

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Just had some great dishes from El Fénix. The "El Jefe" plate was great as it allowed me to have 4 enchiladas that were all prepared differently. I ordered the Brisket Burrito which was even better than the enchiladas. Great portions for cheap! I unfortunately did not dine inside and had it delivered so I can only comment on the foods presentation, taste, and value. Food looked exactly like it did in the pictures online and tasted even better. The food arrived quickly and was still hot. I'd definitely order from here again and would like to eat at the establishment to get a feel of the restaurants vibe. read more

Exactly what you would expect from a famous north Tex mex spot; food was respectfully bland but filling, served chips and salsa before the meal. Service was eh but it was Sunday lunch crowd. Ambiance was loud, reminds you of those early nineties family dining establishments but lovely classic Mexican / Spanish infused decor. Go because it is iconic not because it hitting a culinary high note read more

Came here on a Sunday in the afternoon and really enjoyed my experience for the most part. The food was great! My date and I settled on the combo fajitas for two that came with chicken and steak. We got flour tortillas as well, which were great and they gave you enough to take some home with you. The portion size was impressive, especially for what you were paying. They also had great deals all round from food to drinks. There were plenty of opportunities to make the most of your buck here, which is something I'm always fond of and looking for when I'm out. The staff here was great and always made time to make sure you were doing well on everything during your meal. The ambience was nice as well. My only complaint is where they sat us and the noise level all around, which in part, had to do with where they sat us. They pretty much picked the closest booth to the entrance for what was clearly a date, and while I am a fan of booths, being so close to the entrance for a date isn't exactly ideal. I will say it was busy though, but I know they still had better places they could've sat us. Also, they sat us next to a big family dinner table with kids, and the noise from being so close to them made the date difficult at times. Overall though, I definitely recommend this restaurant if you're in the Casa Linda area! read more

El Fenix - Main Restaurant Area - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Foods good. Beer is good. Happy hour is good. Prices are good. But our server Victor hates his job & made us feel unwelcomed. If I'm ever back in the area, I'll probably eat here again. But won't sit in Victors section. A little rude. I won't say his service was TERRIBLE. Just mean and trying to rush you out the door. read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas

If you live in DFW, I get that it can be easy to take El Fenix for granted. It's your basic tex-mex, been around forever, there are lots of options out there. But if you live east of the Mississippi or north of Dallas, as Lyle Lovett would say, there are still lots of places that are Mexican in name, but pale to even the most basic tex-mex in the heart of Texas. As Texans relocated to Tennessee, good tex-mex is gonna be one of the things to miss most about Texas, and while El Fenix doesn't rise to the bar of my beloved Maudie's in Austin, It's really pretty dang good. The salsa and chips are excellent, I need lots more than those tiny bowls of salsa initially provided. Puffy tacos are very crispy, and make a perfect tex-mex salad course. Cheese enchiladas covered in chile con carne, with rice and refried beans, yes please. This original #1 location has the classic vibes; it's a pleasant hacienda for drinks and dinner. Service is fast and efficient, the place runs like the well oiled (greased?) machine it is. Y'all locals are welcome to be more picky, but it's 5 stars for me. read more

Bictor was an amazing server, he was patient, attentive, and funny. My burrito was amazing I would 100% order this same exact thing again next time i go ! I loved how lively the atmosphere was and the music. read more

El Fenix - Seasoned Chicken Fiesta Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Dallas, Texas