We went for lunch. They had a special on enchiladas. They were great the beans and rice were just ok. They must have had someone out because the service was not up to their usual high level and the server seemed to be everywhere. read more

I'm from Florida and it's very hard to get good Mexican food because most of the times it's Spanish rice or Cuban influenced good but not real Mexican food. It's like once I went on a Cruise ship and had Japanese food but it had a touch of filipino taste I know because my girlfriend at the time is Filipino and she is the one who pointed it out. One thing that El Fenix suppressed me is the refried berms are not caned and made fresh and my waitress is awesome this is why I give 5 stars read more

Dined here for lunch with a friend. After checking out the lunch menu which really has no plant based options I ordered a burrito with "no meat or cheese" which took the waiter by surprise. He wanted to make sure he understood which initially he didn't so I repeated it. I appreciate his effort to understand what I wanted. So I was optimistic that I could actually order something that was plant based..... Then came out our orders which my friend was quite happy with, however mine was smothered in queso. Our waiter quickly realized after he set it down that wasn't what I wanted and offered to take it back. However I told him "no, don't worry about it" as I know the second I send that food back it'll likely go right into the trash thus wasting food. So at that moment I found eating the dish was probably the least harmful action. The dish itself was alright, nothing special. Inside the burrito was some beans, onions, veggies. Obviously being plant based trying to get past the huge river of queso was a bit difficult but hey. The chips and salsa were great though, just needed more salsa. The service itself seemed a bit slow as they really were not busy on a Friday during lunch. I can't really say I'll be back. Usually it's not terribly difficult to find plant based options at a mexican restaurant, however it is here. read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas

On par with most Mexican restaurants. Prices are standard and the food is good. There's nothing wrong with el fenix but it's a chain and performs as such. Not bad but not amazing. read more

El Fenix - Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas

I used to eat at El Fenix when I lived in Dallas over 35 years ago. My husband and I ate at this location tonight and it was just as good as I remember. We had great service from start to finish. The margaritas and food was sooo good. My husband was amazed at how our server was able to remember all the orders for every table without writing anything down and, as far as we could tell, didn't mess up one order. I think, if I have any complaints, it was that the puffy taco shell was tough and hard to chew. If that was the only thing that was wrong, it wasn't much. I hope everyone has as good an experience as us. read more

Rarely do I ever give a restaurant 1 star (in fact not sure I ever have), but today we had the worst takeout experience ever. First off, they completely botched the order. My taco salad had zero meat on it so someone probably forgot that step. They also sent us two cases of avocado slices instead of the guacamole sides we ordered. Both the avocado slices and the guacamole that came on the taco salad and fajita chicken salad were black. Given the guacamole was clearly old, we ended up not eating any of the food because it was all likely old. Such a disappointment. Will not be visiting or ordering from here again. read more

El Fenix - No meat on the taco salad and dark guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas

best fajitas in town, and the same with the queso. WHy MUST I have to use so many characters?

I would rate 0 star if I could. We originally had a party of 18. But 2 more came late after we sat down and the staff was not accommodating. We ended up leaving because they would not add another small table. What a waste of time! And poor management. They lost on big party and money. read more

Cute place to eat and jog proportions of chips. Unlimited I think. I will definitely visit again. Delicious margarita read more

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my company is based here in Irving so I always make it a point when I come to company headquarters to visit El Fenix the margaritas I had , the top shelf and they were excellent a little pricey at $13 a piece but I had a buzz when I was done I had two of them I had the fiesta burrito with fajita steak topped with chili and it was excellent and of course the salsa and the chips are top notch The sides were rice and refried beans scratch made I read I always make it a point to stop you when I'm in town and they never fail to please I highly recommend El Fenix go there read more

The place used to be good and clean 1. The place it's dirty underneath the booth there's food and dirty face masks that gross the 2. The food was cold my tortilla soup cas cold it was nasty 3. My coffe well I didn't ask for cold coffe yes the coffe was cold to... 4. The ladies restroom omg there disgusting smells like poop and the toilets where pee on trash everywhere no paper towels read more

The service was great and the food tasted really good. It was really clean and sat us right away. I'm excited to come back here.

Went in right before the dinner rush and got the el Durango dinner, the meal was classic and very good. Food came quick and was a good portion. Chips and salsa were great. read more

Wonderful kind greeting at the door. Waitress was quick to get with us and she kept my iced tea glass full. Their chips and salsa are some of the best in Texas, Arozona and California. I don't know about other states. I don't know what Glenn's issue was with the queso. Maybe he like his queso thick like butter. Both ours and the table next to us was the perfect consistency queso. My wife got a fajita salad and I got flautas. Maybe those folks whining about enchiladas should try something else. I don't like enchiladas so I don't get them. These flaita are fantastic. And the pico, oh man, yummy. Last, for those who don't love El Fenix, maybe it isn't El Fenix. Maybe it's you. read more

Mediocre Early Saturday night dinner. Host stand with pleasant greeting but English skills not sufficient to understand my request for a table along the wall. Brought to a table in the middle of an empty dining room. Crumbs on the table, pointed to another table and was brought there. Crumbs on that table but, okay. While I waited for 7-8 minutes for someone to come over to take a drink order, witnessed 2 tables pay up and tables re-sat without any wipe or cleaning. One table's water glass rings were wiped off with a server's open palm as she placed new silverware down. Witnessed another server sneeze loudly into his fist and hand wiped on the back of his pants as he approached a table. Prior to server initially greeting me, a basket of chips dropped on the table with no eye contact or response to my 'hello'. Salsa was crushed tomatoes with cumin sprinkled in. More Minneapolis than Dallas. My server Camilla was lovely and took good care of me , I had a house marg which was unremarkable followed my a Spicy Marg which was really excellent. I fished my jalapeños out of my drink to add to my quesadillas as there were dry with absolutely no flavor. I had been looking forward to trying this place for a couple of weeks and left sad, needing to find a go-to Tex-Mex place since I am new in town. I tipped 100% and chalked up the night as a learning experience. Owners: review public health guidelines and spend some time training staff. I didn't see any sign of a supervisor or manager on the floor during my visit. read more

I can't believe I'm about to say this but wow was I disappointed. I recently moved back to Texas and couldn't wait to have one of my staples "El Fenix". The chips and hot sauce are always point on, that didn't disappoint me but my service and food were cold. Gabriel seemed to be in weeds today. He was friendly and it seemed like he was trying, Definitely not much of a conversationalist. How do Charro beans and tamales get cold? Plus, the beer did not appear to be cleaned. I think I was in a dead spot of the restaurant because multiple servers asked if I have been taken car of? I'm not going to give up on El Fenix maybe it was just an off day? It happens read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas

On Friday evening, I placed an on-line, to-go order for $40 dinner for 2. When I arrived home, to my horror, I unpacked half of my order. I had planned a special evening with my date, after a difficult week, with some of the food she likes the most. And thanks to the incompetence of El Fenix, my special evening was a failure. They omitted HER dinner, HER appetizer and my margarita. I only received one-half of a $40 order, which makes EL FENIX a VERY BAD VALUE. Not to mention ALL the irritation and humiliation of coming home with an incomplete order. Of course the 'manager' offered to reimburse my meal (I haven't seen that yet on my account). But restaurants are sooo short-sighted when they think that returning $40 makes everything alright... and returning $40 can repair the damage of a lost 'special' evening. Returning the money for some service they screwed up is the expected minimum! But returning my money in no way addresses the humiliation that El Fenix caused me. LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of restaurants that DON"T screw up a to-go order. I don't need El Fenix to ruin another dinner date for me. I'd advise you against taking the same risk. read more

Very close to where we live so that makes it nice when we want Tex Mex food. Their chicken tortilla soup is soooo good ! Hits the spot on a cold day with a crunchy beef Taco alacart. The chips and hot sauce are divine. Service is really good when you get use to what section to sit in. Should I have said that ? Anyways we love the food and atmosphere very much. Prices are reasonable as well. Try it ! read more

Went here for lunch the other day for the first time had the sampler everything was very tasty on the plate would visit again read more

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If you want Taco Bell quality food this is the place for you. There is no talking with the staff, they barely know any English. It is a nice building but has horrible food. Definitely would not recommend it to anyone. read more

the food is absolutely gross. I should have checked reviews before coming here . My bf and I ordered enchiladas bc our waitress said it was the fastest thing to make and very good. I hadn't even realized our waitress didn't ask us choice of sauce or type of beans . My bf ordered a steak enchilada and was asked if he wanted "chile" so he thought it was red/green being that it was a Texmex restaurant ... no it was chili(hot dog chili) out of a can on his enchiladas .. gross and what the heck. I ordered chicken enchiladas and was asked if I wanted sour cream . Chicken was dry and like it was chicken from a week prior , and instead of sour cream it looks like the enchiladas were covered with some type of water down cheese . The best thing was my lemonade , even though it was just minute maid. Yeah only reason for two stars is our waitress was very sweet . read more

Mmmmm tasty tasty!! They usually run deals and have coupons on their website, or sent to you if you are a club member. (Which is free to sign up!!) The month of February they're having $1 margs!!! Woop woop!! Their chips and salsa is one of a kind and endless and FREEEEE! Worth a stop for the $1 margs this month! (You have to ask for the $1 margaritas!) You're welcome. read more

Reliable food quality, solid drinks. We enjoyed the Irving location. It was relatively quiet on a weeknight. Service was attentive but not intrusive. read more

Dear El Fenix, I have been eating at your restaurant since the early 80's. The last 3 experiences have all been the same, so I will not continue eating at your location in Irving. I ordered enchiladas and a cup of queso con carne. This is actually the first time I had experienced queso with the same consistency as water. It was absolutely shameful. The enchiladas had no flavor at all!! This is most peculiar to me mainly because this is what you guys are supposedly famous for. Please do me a favor and either STOP trying to stretch your ingredients out, or just close your business. There is no glory in serving subpar food. Sincerely, D. S. apointed read more

No silverware.... Got it ourselves. Charged for Avocado since I couldn't eat their guacamole due to the cilantro. Fajitas were slightly warm....not hot. The quezo was very thick. Service was lousy... he seemed like he didn't want to be there either. I won't be back! read more

Tonight I took my little sister to this location. She ordered the chicken chulupa and a lemonade and I ordered cheese and chicken enchilada with rice and beans. We didn't know the tostada and the chulupa was basically the same thing. Big disappointment and my sister left majority of her food on the plate and did not really enjoy it at all. My enchilada were not good at all. I'm not sure if it was an off night because I have been to this location before and enjoyed the food but I didn't like the enchiladas at all. I did enjoy my Sangria. The service is always friendly but I wasted $30 on a meal neither of us enjoyed. Maybe I will try this location again another time but tonight I was very disappointed in the food. read more

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Came here to celebrate a friends baby shower. We didnt make reservations but they didnt mind the party of 5 suppose to be 7 . We set up decorations and was there for about 3 hours. Martin the waiter was really nice and didnt seem annoyed by us (people were coming lame). Didnt give 5 stars cause the food was Mediocre. I order Chalupa and it really looked like a tostado, I thought I got wrong order. It also tastes like something I can get at Taco Cabana, or Taco Bell. My friend said his dish was "alright" too. read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas

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I picked up food twice here on a business trip. I came back after the first time because I felt I could trust the food to be tasteful and safe. I walked in and the GM Juan greeted me. Overall, I am very happy with my food and hope to come back on my next business trip. A+ read more

El Fenix - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas

Stopped in for dinner craving traditional tex mex. A little too cheap and slapped together. Not crowded, but they still don't take the time to heat up the enchiladas. Roll 'em, plate 'em, spoon on sauce, plops of rice and beans and they're on your table. Not feeling the love, they're just going through the motions. Sadly, so many better tex mex places throughout Texas. read more

I invited a group of about 18 friends and coworkers to get together here on Sunday, 2/26. Our food was excellent-freshly prepared, and served hot. Everyone's dish was delicious. The service was outstanding! Our primary server was Jaden (sp), and the manager or assistant manager also helped, and made sure everything was OK. Our server kept checking on us. They were so professional and extremely attentive. I can't say enough about the job they did! In recent times, I've noticed a decline in service at many restaurants, but not with this place. This was our first time dining here; I picked it because it was in a central location for all of us. The restaurant was exceptionally clean as well. I am looking forward to returning and making this a regular place to dine. Kudos to the servers, and the management staff! Thank you for making our experience so pleasurable. read more

I was raised on El Fenix. Sadly; the good food I was raised on exists in only a former facsimile of itself. I'm not exactly sure what has transpired behind the scenes here at this Dallas institution that's been in business for over 90 years, but the words "compromise" and "downgrade" come to mind. The chips and salsa appear to be the same as they always have. A distinctive yellow corn chip with a somewhat heavy grease flavor to it. Their chips nicely complement their watered down mild salsa. I stick to the basic enchilada dinner. However; I found my entree to be practically inedible. The rice is the same as it was before; it's the only saving grace on the plate. The beans are uninspired and taste generic. The enchiladas themselves tasted overly salty. I barely ate the equivalent of four bites before I threw in the towel. I skipped dessert entirely because the last time I was there, I remember the dish I have ordered for the last decade was compromised. I had been ordering the Lemon Ice Box pie as the ideal sweet ending to the heavy Tex Mex, but to my dismay; El Fenix has stopped serving real whipped cream with their desserts in favor of whipped topping. Such an absolute disappointment. Even though I have dined at El Fenix for all my life; I doubt I will be back anytime soon. All these changes they are making are taking them in the wrong direction, and it's just not worth the money anymore. Sadly; it's not a good value because the food has become that terrible. read more

I don't know what happened... The margaritas are very barely with tequila. We ordered brisket nachos and They were tiny!! No meat mixed in between. Barely any cheese. See pictures. For $9 I would expect a bit more. I had beans on side and they were so salty, it tasted like I was eating salt! Couldn't finish it. The margaritas so called best in Dallas are weak. I know they used to be at a regular tequila pour. Now it's sipping water. Horrible. Honestly ... We came here once a month. Oh and the best... The obviously New waiters took our food away without asking. We were still eating !!! We just asked for the check! Who does that!? Not cool. I will NEVER EVER come here again!! read more

El Fenix - Nachos on front. Its so tiny for $9... - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas

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Had a late lunch here on Thursday, 7/22/21, and I will say I was pleasantly surprised (parking lot not too full - but it was almost 2:00). The food was very good, served quickly, nice and hot (very important to me - I would rather wait for it too cool down than get food that needs sent back). Was greeted at the front door and seated promptly, as I said it was a late lunch. The server was new, but incredibly friendly, and checked on me frequently - not too much. I believe her name was Lizbeth, she double checked my order as she was new and in less than 10 minutes I had my meal. Chips were nice and fresh, salsa was good - but that is a preference thing. I ordered the lunch special of 3 Enchiladas, two chix and one beef, and they were really good. All in all a very pleasant dining experience on my way to the airport. And I will DEFINITELY stop again when visiting. Very good value for the money. read more

El Fenix was tasty! The chips to start were great! Light and crispy. The salsa was good too (not spicy at all). I had the Monterrey chicken platter and skinny margarita. There reason for four stars and not five is: The chicken platter was very good, and cooked well, but I thought it could use a little more flavor. I added salsa and salt to it. The margarita was fine but tasted very sugary and like there wasn't much alcohol in it. Overall, I would recommend. Wednesday's are $5 cheese enchilada night! read more

Such good tex mex!!! The service was a little slow but servers are always really friendly and helpful (and keep the chips & salsa coming). My parents are native Texans and they say El Fenix is the best place in Texas and I agree so not sure what's up with the low ratings. The ambiance of the restaurant is really neat too, it's such a cool spot to eat at after flying into DFW :) definitely one of my favorite family traditions! Will be back every flight! read more

El Fenix - Interior - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas

The staff at this location is wonderful and so helpful and knowledgeable. Food was fast delicious can't say enough good things about this location Try the Cheese Enchilada Plate read more

As a lifelong ElFenix fan, I have to say this was one of the most disappointing of links in the chain. The Max is my go to dinner. Both enchiladas were smaller than I was served last month in Casa Linda. The Puffed Taco was barely warm and the shell was chewy. The waiter forgot part of the order. I don't believe in wasting food but the famous salsa came in soufflé cups that were so small I had to break the chips in half to scoop out a thimble full. Please! Let's give this one a redo. I read more

I am a longtime El Fenix customer, almost 50 years. I love their salsa, enchiladas, everything about the food. After they closed the closest location to us, we had to change to the Irving location. Sadly, after numerous visits, we have been forced to take the xtra drive and go to Arlington. Each visit to the Irving store left us more disappointed than the previous visit. Service is poor, food quality is lacking, two of the biggest issues that matter the most. We apparently got spoiled at other locations over the years. Servers always came out within minutes of being seated, chips and salsa in hand. Food was served within minutes of ordering. Not at the Irving location. On our last and final visit there, we literally waited 10 minutes for the server, we ordered bar drinks. Then another 10 to bring chips and salsa along with our drinks. 20 minutes total wait time to order! And then another 10 minutes for our order to come. Note, it was 8:30p on a weekday, and there were perhaps five tables. During the time we waited, another couple came in, we're seated, ordered, ate, and left! Clearly it was our wait person, but that should not happen. After this visit, we were committed not to dine here again. We have been to the Arlington several times in the past, and never had a bad experience. I can only hope the "Irving store issue" does not pass to Arlington. Oh, and as for the link previously posted in response to another complaint review, we used that link and got no response. That was as worthless as the store. read more

Review for lunch only. I had the Mexican Cobb salad which was pretty good. The jalapeno ranch dressing added a nice kick as did the extra jalapenos I ordered. I would have preferred larger chicken chunks in my salad instead of the usual little cubes. Service was fine with frequent visits to ensure that I was doing OK and read more

One star would not even be my rating if I had the option . They were not attentive waited for service. Shrimp was bland chicken was ok. read more

El Fenix - Sizzling fajita shrimp and chicken - Mexican Near Me - Irving, Texas