Our server was very quiet so it was hard to hear him, but the food was great. The chimichanga was well worth the price. The salsa was okay, but nothing to write home about. read more

Great food TEXAS size portions the ambiance was all over different types of art styles . Despite our waiter having multiple tables he had a second one to help in the in between times. Also the restaurant throws an interesting birthday show was awesome and worth it . read more

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We decided to give this place another try. We tried it a long while ago. It confirmed our conclusion that you should only go here if you want you're hearing destroyed Go ahead and go You'll see what I mean Oh and the management doesn't care. We asked. We saw at least 10 people walk out complaining about the outrageously loud music live band while we were waiting for our friends then when they got there we left. The last time we went we literally had to SCREAM at our waiter while he leaned down to hear us. I'm seriously not exaggerating. Oh and while we waited this time they had a sign by the register that said " Don't call us after you leave to complain about the food" Isn't that a weird sign to post? So I guess if you have a complaint about the food, you need to do it right there when you're paying. But seriously they wouldn't be able to hear you which is probably why people call them to complain. We will never go back read more

The food was great but half way through eating they had a band start performing and the volume was so loud that I couldn't even hear what anyone at the table was saying. We won't be going back again. They is no need to have the volume that loud. read more

Smells good the moment you pull up to the parking lot. Very interesting location with all the decorations but makes it very welcoming. Music the whole night was great, just a bit too loud to the point we couldn't hear the waiter. We received good customer service throughout the night. The birthday drums was very overwhelming and felt very unorganized. The food was delicious, especially the drinks. The rainbow Ritas were great! This place is definitely a good vibe read more

El Refu - Tex-Mex Near Me - Port Arthur, Texas

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The place is pretty don't get me wrong. It's too overpriced for me. The lunch menu prices are more a dinner price. The dinner price is for the rich. If you don't mind spending a lot of money on food this is the place for you. The Tex-Mex is in the bland side. If you enjoy 0 spice or can't handle any type of spice, this is the place for you. There is also an auto gratuity 6 people or more. Make sure to read the menu, it does tell you. The only thing that saved this experience was the staff. Unfortunately for me it's a no. read more

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Any pictures taken of the atmosphere do not give it justice. Anywhere you looked around the walls or ceilings were amazing. I ordered from the brunch menu, the chilaquiles with eggs. Though I want asked how I wanted the eggs, so when I received them they were fully cooked. The manager had passed by and I told her. She had a new order of sunny side up eggs sent my way. I told her I wasn't asked so I had assumed they would come runny because normally other places I order them, that's how they come. We also ordered the queso mixed with white and yellow, which was worth it. Restrooms were clean, but it would be nice if the stalls had toilet seat covers. read more

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Service was impeccable, Edgar went above and beyond to make our meal pleasant and was very attentive. Ambiance was very nice, amenable with music and even late, it is still full of customers and everyone smiling. read more

El Refu - No Name Platter , includes chicken and beef fajitas, chicken brochetas, stuffed jalapeños , and more. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Port Arthur, Texas

Food service, waiters everything was 10/10 the Ambiance was very cheerful they also have live music would definitely go again and I recommend it for dinner parties, food was chef's kiss such as the drinks!! Great Tex-Mex dishes read more

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I sat at the bar and had Maritza as my bartender, she did an outstanding job, food came out quick, drinks were very good, I ordered queso flameado as my appetizer, and ribeye tacos from the lunch menu, 10/10 on the food side, the environment is very chill you walk in and get the smell of fresh leather like a boot store, would definitely come back. read more

El Refu - Ribeye Tacos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Port Arthur, Texas

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They say their food is locally sourced but doubt that's the case with the shrimp, texture and taste indicate otherwise and not worth the money. Margaritas okay but more costly and not as good as several other locations in the area. read more

Omg..I have not had such authentic tex/mex in a while...not only was it flavorful, hot and spicy..but our server Liaan was amazing...The ambiance is also very interesting and well situated for the area and the menu...next time you are in Port Arthur...its a must stop..ask for Ceasar or Jonathan read more

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First time at the el refu and we will be returning back but maybe sit outside. My hubby and I sat at the bar section and could barely hear each other . The food was good and drinks so strong . The service was nice. It's definitely a vibe. read more

El Refu - Top shelf margarita and a beer rita. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Port Arthur, Texas

Ordered chicken fajitas, the meat was dry and the fajita vegetables were raw onions only. Our order came out extremely fast. The onions looked like they were tossed on the cast iron just before they came out with the food. The chicken was pre-cooked had not even touched the cast iron, no flavor, and cold. Looked nothing like a chicken breast. The refried beans and rice were cold as well. Our server tried to help, he took back the beans and rice to be reheated they tasted better and the rice was fluffy. No cheese, sour cream just some runny guacamole that didn't taste right. Flies everywhere sort of lost your appetite. Needless to say we will not return. Our server Enrique, was very kind and did try to help. This meal was $18.99 plus $2.99 for shredded cheese. Wasn't worth $2 bucks, never again. read more

The restaurant had beautiful decor and loved the atmosphere they had. The food was amazing and drinks were also good. I loved the live music they had even though it was a Thursday night. read more

Our server Ruby was wonderful We ordered the El Refu sampler, food was very good and so was the margarita!! read more

Service was really good! I loved the beautiful flowers they offered and the live music. The food came out fast and it was tasty.

Love the restaurant! It is really nice. Staff is great. Music is really too loud. I try to go there at different times to stay away from the loud music. read more

Excellent food and service! This is definitely a big city restaurant in a smaller town. read more

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The food is horrible. This is not just from myself, It's from multiple people aswell. The only thing they have going for them is the drinks which are overprice and the live entertainment. read more

Confusing and unimpressive. I would say first off: This place is built for large groups. Do not go here unless you have at least 5 people to your party. The couple's/single's dining experience is very overwhelming and not very good. The reason I say this is because they have approximately 3 different groups of people checking on your table at any given time, in addition to the very loud/boisterous environment. They have the wait staff, managers, AND dedicated drink refill runners dropping by your table at all times, and it makes it impossible to enjoy your time here when someone's always asking you questions. Another reason: They like setting everything on fire. Don't get me wrong, it was very fun (albiet unexpected) when a bunch of the staff started beating on drums and running around with fireworks-affixed bulls, which they really seemed to have fun running around with. They also set someone's sombrero on fire for their birthday. All of this was great, but it did plague the restaurant with the smell of gunpowder for the rest of our meal. It was certainly something else to be eating in the worst part of July 4th. The food was okay. I was not very impressed with the prices, and like how other reviewers noted, you have to pay a fee just to use a credit card to pay your bill. Absolutely ridiculous, and I'm knocking off a star (previously 3) just because I remembered that. The overpriced food was moderately tasty, if a little bland, and the portion sizes left a lot to be desired. Their quesadillas app was probably the best thing we had, but its menu listing was poorly written because it seems to have implied that we would be getting a lot more quesadilla for $16. Most of the plates, at a glance, will look Huge and overwhelming when you first get them at your table, but you'll be quickly disappointed when you realize that it only looks big due to the 1/2 lb of leafy lettuce that garnishes everything and makes your guacamole impossible to handle. I'm sure anybody who passes by thought the same thing; the incredulous gawking of somebody who Really put a tourist trap restaurant in the middle of Port Arthur, yet here it is. Defiantly, it sprawls with its gaudy decor that wants to fool you into thinking "Wow, this place must have history" with all its knick knacks and stonework. However, the bill feels like I'm being sacked with the owner's poor choices. We remember what used to be here and miss it. Overall, I really would give this place about 3 stars, but you get 2 because of the prices and charged me to pay. PS: clean your bathrooms. read more

It was a nice environment. The food was OK. The funniest thing all night was the service every time somebody said it was her birthday. They would come over beeping on the drum and say happy birthday. read more

Great food. Quick service. Reasonable prices especially at lunch. Cool decor. Only negative experience has been during happy hour at the bar so I would stick to the tables. read more

Looking at the reviews I can see why people are divided on this place. However, the unfavorable reviews are unhappy with the style of the place and not so much the quality. The food quality is very good and the staff works very hard to provide good service. I've been four times and each time the food was excellent. They also have some very unique menu items you won't find elsewhere (you must try the molcajete!). I will concede that it's a few dollars more than the place down the street slinging beans and cheese and calling it "Mexican". It is also a very vibrant environment. You'll hear them sing happy birthday (loudly) a few times during your visit. I recommend going in and expecting to have a good time. This is one of the few quality restaurants in Port Arthur and has saved me the drive to Beaumont four times now. read more

Everything was really good! This is a very unique place compared to the others down the street. There's plenty of Tex Mex but if you want authentic Mexican food this is the place. read more

This place is an absolute joke. How people enjoy it is beyond me. I've given it 3 chances and it somehow managed to get worse and worse. This 3rd time really blew my mind. So not only did it take our server hmm idk 30 mins to come over to even greet us or take our order it then took about 45 mins to get our drinks.. we finally got our drinks and boom 2 seconds later food was there. Literally took as long for us to get our drinks as it did to get our food. That takes some true talent. Then after finally getting our food and drinks, idk probably saw the server come over at the end to see if we needed to go boxes lol. Still haven't even gotten to the worst part, we asked to speak to a manager 2 times before one finally decided she would come over, but by the time she came over we already were about to leave, I'm telling you this place is ridiculous. But here's the worst part, we were given a water when we got our drinks but it looked murky and dirty so we just decided not to drink it. As we were talking someone as the table noticed something at the bottom of the cup, picked it up and THERE WAS A SCREW INSIDE OF THE WATER!!! Like an actual SCREW! That's when the manager finally came over after having the screw in the water she finally decided "Oh ok maybe I should talk to the table." It's actually was hilarious. Then the owner came to the table, he seriously is a clown. He just apologizes for the "accident" then I said "What if someone would've choked? How would that accident affect you then?" His response, "That's what we have insurance for." Lmaoooo sir you should not own any type of restaurant, what if someone had an allergic reaction to something because your useless servers didn't have the knowledge to explain certain ingredients in a meal or even know what a certain meal consists of? I guess insurance will just cover their hospital bill or worse their death. Worst place ever will never be returning, not worth the risk. read more

Good food, cool place, cool atmosphere. They were very overwhelmed by the rush. I they appeared to be very understaffed. It took forever to order or receive anything. I am hopeful that they make the necessary adjustments. read more

We arrived at 3:00 p.m. today. We had to request a waiter and had to ask him for water! We ordered pina coladas and they were soupy not frozen and too sweet. Then we had to flag down the hostess to get the waiter so we could pay our bill! The prices were way too high as well and the chips were hard as rocks! We won't be back! Plus it was so loud you couldn't even talk. read more

Terrible!! My husband got sick from drinking the coke and a friend also got sick from drinking the Dr. Pepper. I later called them and was told they don't serve brand name drinks - they have Mexican sodas. Their tea and diet coke were also terrible. The waitstaff couldn't speak any English which made it a horrible situation to order. read more

the decor and appearance of the establishment is fun and inviting. the food is average: neither terrible or outstanding its fairly middle of the road. staff are helpful and polite there is a 2$ service charge to have the privilege of being able to pay your bill which I find completely unacceptable. Overall decent but not worth a second meal at. read more