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El Fenix

3.5 (239 reviews)
ModerateMexican, Tex-Mex
Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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Business Info

EL FENIX ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - El Fenix

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Queso, no chips no beer!
Carmen P.

We absolutely love El Fenix!! This evening we decided to go back, the only difference was I had requested a good server... the Restaurant was a little busy, but were seated right away. No one came by for several minutes; so when the server finally came by, we said can we go ahead and order.. he took our order- drinks, queso, and dinner. After we placed our order, we sat there waiting. Meanwhile, they set another table of about six people right beside us. They brought us our drinks and eventually the queso ... but no chips. We flagged down someone walking by to request a beer and some chips. Goodness their queso is really good. Then, 20-25 min later, we watched that 6 top receive their food even though they sat down long after we ordered our food. We told the server we just wanted our check that we no longer wanted to wait for the meal. He mumbled something, pointed at the kitchen; then said OK and walked away. We also asked for a manager who quickly came over; we told her what had taken place and that we just asked for our check to pay for what we already had and we wanted to leave, we were tired of sitting there waiting for our food; just not worth waiting any longer. So we left! We will definitely be back. It's really a great restaurant with flavorful and authentic & fresh food! It would have been nice for Manager to check on customers; this could've been avoided. The only picture from this evening is the "queso no chips and no beer" picture.

Combination lunch plate
Leonard L.

Came here for lunch meeting. The food tasted good. The atmosphere was very authentic Texas-Mexican. The service could have been better. We wished the server would have written down our order so he would not have made mistakes. He did fix our order. Anyway, we would come back again.

Cheese enchiladas with chili sauce. Rice and beans
Lequitta L.

We go to El Fenix every Wednesday night for enchilada special. It is delicious. We have a server that we ask for name Beto. He is awesome. Since we go every week, he has learned what we always ask for. He brings us our drinks and chips and our tortillas with butter that we asked for without even asking. We love this. He also knows our order because it's always the same, and that we like a to go box. This makes everything very efficient and fast. We can literally get in and out in 30 minutes. The restaurant itself is decorated ' Mexican style' as I would call it. Its very authentic and feel you're definitely having authentic Mexican food.

Lauren H.

This is always a random craving for me. I love coming in to eat chips and salsa with queso and I always get my tortilla soup... minus the tortilla strips. It's comfort food at its finest and I always leave feeling like I could pop! Service is always so good and the servers are very polite. Never have to wait long if there is a wait. Typically around lunch time is when I go so it can get pretty busy. Came here for dinner tonight and not many people were there. The guacamole portion size on the queso combo was very very generous. My husband doesn't care for the food here but is sweet enough to go with my when I have the El Fenix itch! Be sure to sign up for their rewards program. You get a free guacamole and queso combo each year!

Main Menu Cover
Paul H.

My wife and I have visited this El Fenix location 10 or so times and, for the most part, each time the service and food has been consistently good. Last evening, we took our daughter and grandchildren with us and again, the food was consistently good. The service, however, was great! Our server, Cerilio (I think was his name), was "on it!" like Donkey Kong!! Cerilio waited several other tables besides ours and he did exceptionally well, even despite our table being somewhat needy throughout the mealtime. And, were it not for some relatively minor food shortcomings I would have rated this visit five stars. Where our meal fell a bit short, was where it usually and "consistently" does, i. e., presentation and quantity. Were it not for these two factors this rating would have been five stars and this El Fenix location would be clobbering it. Most may say I am nitpicking but here are the issues I usually have with our dining experience at this El Fenix: - Crispy Beef Taco plated alongside some other meal element (in the case of my El Jefe, it was the rice) and what occurs is the bottom side of the taco becomes soggy, making it difficult to eat. But, as evidenced by the single taco ordered by our granddaughter, were the taco to be placed as upright as possible, against a small amount of lettuce, the taco would haves much better chance of remaining crispy on BOTH sides! - Enchiladas not containing enough ingredients. To me, it seems the enchiladas should have at least 50% more filling. This is especially the case with the ones filled with cheese and onions! - Large Guacamole Appetizer not containing enough avocado. There should be an OBVIOUS difference in the amount of product between the "Bowl" and "Cup" sizes and the Bowl and "Side" sizes, and simply there is a minute difference, but not enough to warrant the relative price differences. - Meals containing Fajita Beef not containing enough meat. My wife almost always orders a meal where the Star of the plate should be the fajita meat. At least that's our belief, since the names of the meals usually begin with the word "Fajita." But, almost always it is our opinions that there could and should be more meat! That's pretty much it as far as how, for me, the rating would easily go from four to five stars. As for other aspects of dining at this El Fenix, the bathrooms are normally clean and well stocked, with the only issue noted being the toilet in the men's restroom, which is sometimes clogged and is not firmly seated to the floor flange. It is likely in need of a new wax seal, is wobbly, and likely will begin stinking soon. The dining room is normally clean and the staff are 99% of the time friendly and eager to make the dining experience a good one. The frozen drinks are always well-made and the iced water and other soft drinks are fresh, tasty and completely lacking of any off-putting, moldy, slime in the ice machine smells. If you're looking for some pretty darn good Tex-Mex food, you really need look no further than El Fenix, for great Taste, good Service, good Quality, and great Value! Check out the current and legible Menu Pics I've posted up! Eat well. Be well. Cheers!

Cheese Enchilada Plate
Walter W.

The original El Fenix owned by the famous Martinez family is a shell of itself. When they sold out in 2008 change was immediate. The unique tortilla chips made on Harry Hines Blvd were discontinued. The hot sauce is a poor rendition. I've been a loyal customer since 1961 and must confess that I have become an infrequent diner. That being said today's enchilada dinner and tamales were very good. Another positive is the retention of the restaurant and it's contents adds to the feeling of home.( Nostalgia) Photos on the walls show the Martinez Brothers and famous Dallas Cowboys Roger Staubach- Bob Lilly! Being the oldest chain of Mexican restaurants in the US ( founded 1918 in Dallas) says much about the foundation of its food, culture, history,and beloved customers. Compared to other chains it still stands tall. If you like Tex - Mex eat here.

Margaritas!!
Chelsea A.

The chicken fajita nachos were mid! Very demure! It gives for margaritas and a shot of tequila! Especially before a night out with friends at Dark Hour Haunted House near by! Check it out for - fun night!

Brisket Burrito

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21 days ago

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12 days ago

Chips were not fresh. Food warm and not hot. Margarita great. Service was quick and friendly.

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5 months ago

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1 year ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

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11 months ago

Thank you excellent food and service. Special thanks to our server, Marilyn, who did a great job.

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11 months ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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7 years ago

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Sofia M.

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1 year ago

I love their food. It reminds me of the Tex-Mex I enjoyed in the fifties. The lemon pie is great. Highly recommended.

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3 years ago

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Sofia M.

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11 months ago

best Tex Mex around great service as always loved the new margarita the server said it was delicious and it hit the mark

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3 years ago

The chips and salsa at El Fenix is authentic and delicious. Srisanga delivered impeccable service! Our drink glasses never ran dry.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

Taste like Taco Bell & overpriced.... I ordered the 2 chalupa plate & it was 2 hard shell tacos with like 2 pounds of lettuce on it

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Mena's Tex-Mex Grill Cantina - Table side guacamole

Mena's Tex-Mex Grill Cantina

(576 reviews)

$$

We are regulars here at Mena's, for 15 years Let me just…read moresay we have NEVER had cold food, it's always piping hot. And the margaritas are strong and well priced, we have eaten at other mexican food establishments and they charge $18 for sweet lime-aid. We usually ask for Eric since he's our favorite! Table-side guacamole is a Yum, as anything with brisket. The beef fajitas are the most tender we have ever tasted. If you like spicy salsa, ask for the Verde salsa. Menas you make our tastebuds dance!!!

This was my second time visiting Mena's Grill, but my first time dining in and sitting at the bar…read more Customer service was excellent -- truly a 5 out of 5. The bartender was attentive, kind, and professional. The atmosphere felt welcoming, and you can tell they have loyal regulars, which always speaks well of a restaurant. The staff overall seemed consistent and friendly. Now for the food. I ordered the queso to start. The flavor was good, but it wasn't hot -- more lukewarm than fresh-out-the-kitchen warm. For my entrée, I had the skirt steak with beans, pico de gallo, enchilada, and rice. The flavors were solid, but again, the plate came out lukewarm. For a Tex-Mex spot, temperature really matters. I don't need it piping hot, but I do expect my food to feel freshly made and properly heated when it arrives. That was my only disappointment. I've ordered carryout before without issue, and because the service and vibe are strong, I will definitely be back to give it another try. I just hope next time the food comes out hot and fresh. Overall: great service, good flavors, strong local energy -- just room for improvement on food temperature.

Salsa Tex Mex

Salsa Tex Mex

(476 reviews)

$$

I haven't been to Salsa Tex Mex in at least 5 years. My girlfriend happened to run into someone and…read morestrike up a conversation about food and this person let her know that Salsa had hired away the GM of a Gloria's and made improvements in their food, service, and "everything." What I can say is that Salsa now has salsa, chips and black bean dip just like Gloria's; yes, that iconic, tasteless black bean dip that could stand to have some salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, Mexican oregano and onion added - you know... adobo! Ambiance - basically a dirty school cafeteria. The floors have been stripped to concrete and the noise level is at a steady 80+ decibels. The chairs, tables and vinyl tablecloths ache for a good scrubbing. Speaking of noise - one of the margarita machines was as loud as a lawn mower. Why? Well when a random server saw me staring at the machine and asked me if everything was ok, I said, "you know, I think if the side panel were put back on, that margarita machine would be much quieter." He looks at me and says, "yes, but then it would overheat again because it is too close to the other margarita machine. It was quiet when we had it on the other side of the bar, but the manager wants them together." Then he laughs and walks off. Speaking of laughs, our server was a riot. We ordered a hamburger for our four year old. When ordered, I asked the server to bring mayonesa (mayonnaise) and not ketchup. She says, "ok, we don't have the mayonesa so you can have ketchup so that's ok." I asked if she had any other salsas like a salsa macha. She said they have a habanero and a molcajete salsa and brought them to us. The habanero was fruity and not at all spicy. The molcajete had actually gone bad. It tasted rancid and smelled. I told the server and she said, " oh no. Ok." Then she walked off and didn't take the bowl and no doubt didn't tell anyone. I ordered the Churrasco and my girlfriend the Rene. When our food arrived, the kids hamburger was placed on the table with a warning about the plate being very hot. Who puts a kid meal on a plate that is hot?!?! Also who puts a ramekin of chimichuri sauce on top of the steak? FWIW, the chimichuri was not even close to being chimichuri. On the upside I stopped a bus boy and asked for mayo and amazingly, he brought some. The server came back and said, "oh, you got mayonnaise!" Then I asked (in Spanish) why she told me she didn't have mayo. She babbled incomprehensibly in a mix of English and Spanish that was a mix of lies and half truths. Who lies about mayo for a kid? Our meals were unremarkable and tasted like Sysco foods TV dinners. The only thing that I can tell has been improved is the prices - in Salsa's favor. Salsa Tex Mex - do better. Hire staff that actually cares about your restaurant and customers. Train your wait staff. Improve your recipes, source higher quality ingredients, and simplify your menu. Fix your equipment and ambiance. 2 stars because at least the water glasses were clean, the margaritas were strong, we didn't have to wait long to check out.

The food here is good, but all things considered especially for the demographic there is better…read more Like literally across the street. I'll be back, just not frequently.

El Fenix - mexican - Updated May 2026

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