El Fenix Mexican Restaurants

If you are looking to eat Mexican food, El Finex is the place to go! It is cheap, fast, and absolutely delicious! The chips and salsa are seriously amazing. And you need to get the queso with meat, you won’t be let down. My favorite plate is the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas.

Cafeteria style Tex-​Mex perfect to take a large party to after a soccer game or whatever.
You get what you pay for, and this is the same concept here. It is cheap and good, but nothing worth writing home about.
The chips are unique though here and different, I recommend El Fenix.

This is a good place to eat but tonight I ate there and before i had chance to finish my grocamole they cleared it off the table before I could finish it. They did the same thing with my dinner. I had to tell them that I wasn’t finished with it. I thought that the waiter didn’t have any manner’s because he didn’t ask he just took. Very unprofessional.

When I come to Dallas I always stop here or the one on Oak Lawn at least once. It has the sort of Mexican food I got as a kid in the 1950s and 60s, and since El Chico (the other legacy Tex-​Mex of the era seems to be gone) it is the last taste of real North Texas Tex-​Me. It has never been hipster-​Ized) mango infused or felt like it was about to shower all their dishes with black olives a la California. I look at the other Dallas offerings and am not impresses. Honor your heritage, have lunch at El Fenix.

I have a problem every time i dine in or place an order to go. The place alone is always dirty with food all over the floor. Staff isn’t very attentive. On one occasion, i got a taco salad to go, got home and had no dressing, not even in my fridge. In the beginning, i didn’t think it was my salad because it looked like a small tostada. I even called and described the food item asking if that was how they served their taco salad and they said yes. It was very strange. Def. will not be returning to any El Fenix.

Good margs and chips and salsa, although otherwise pretty standard Mexican fair. Get a couple gran marnier margs and an app and you’ll be satisfied, otherwise there are better places out there.

First time at this el Felix and it is a big place. It is nice and clean and they have great salsa and chips. The salsa could be spicier but not everyone likes it like that. The brisket tacos are great

El Fenix Mexican Restaurant is a long standing Mexican restaurant chain in Dallas. There are multiple locations, and this review focuses on their NW Hwy/​Hillcrest location. The restaurant has been at this location for many years, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to excellence.
My Overall Rating — 2 Stars (Atmosphere, Service, Food)
Atmosphere — You’ll find El Fenix in a strip mall, but inside the restaurant has a great Mexican vibe. Tiled floors remind you of Mexico, the staff is appropriately dressed, and there are solid wood tables and chairs. The crowd is a very old crowd. You won’t find hipsters or people who like to see or be seen, instead the majority of patrons appear to be regulars who live in the area. Definitely not the Messero or Mi Cocina crowd. I go for the food so it’s no issue for me. 1 Star.
Service — While our server was friendly, the service itself was spotty. Our group unexpectedly grew from 5 to 7, but had a large round table that could accommodate. But it took several awkward moments for them to acknowledge us to put in the extra chairs. Also, one of our orders didn’t make it out because our server forgot to put it in. Good news is chips, salsa, & water were always refreshed as needed. ½ Star.
Food — You’ll find Mexican & Tex-​Mex classics here, so I’ll focus on the specialty items. I ordered a Tilapia Veracruz, which was grilled tilapia with Veracruz salsa. The positive is the tilapia portion was pretty big. But it lacked seasoning & flavor on its own. The Veracruz salsa helped provide a better balance, but I had to smother the tilapia in it and halfway through my fish I was out of salsa. Other misses included a bowl of Tortilla Soup that was missing chicken, and the rest of our party provided a collective «meh» when polled about their fish tacos, carne asada, & fajitas. Portions are big though, and prices are fair though, I just think there are much better options. ½ Star.
Will I Return? — No. This was my first visit to the El Fenix family and probably my last. I had always wondered what made them so popular and honestly I’m still wondering. They look to have very steady clients\customers who live in the area. But we do live in Texas, and there are MUCH better options in the DFW area alone. No Stars.
My Unilocal Rating Scale (Sum of all parts):
1 Star — Atmosphere — Is it a cool dive? Perhaps an upscale place? No matter the type, atmosphere plays a big part and I’ll give a star if I like it or thinks it has great charm.
1 Star — Service — You can have a great meal with bad service. But that’s also what can make a five star joint drop to four. It’s important to the dining experience that service is great and on point.
2 Stars — Food — I’ll award up to two stars for the food, since this is the main reason we dine out. Sometimes the extra star is given for value, but it’s really all about the food.
1 Star — Will I come back? — If I know for a fact I’ll return, I’ll give this a star. A place has to make an impression for me to return.
Each Category can be given up to 1 star except food (2 stars) because I consider all these categories important to the overall dining experience. I will sum them up to provide my final Unilocal score.

Much better this time. We came in early for dinner. Gabriel served a party of 10 and did great. Food is average

Went there with family that lives locally, and it was really good. Salsa was yummy, chips were fresh and tortilla chicken soup was delish. Would go again.

I love this place. I get the Carne asada plate and make little tacos. Always bomb. Chips are very good here, salsa is ok.

Their chips are the BEST! Food is usually really good. On this particular visit however, the torilla soup was WAY too salty.

Being my first time in Texas, I asked locals for a good place to eat. Brooklyn and another girl said the El Fenix was fun for fajitas.
It was Easter so only seeing 4 – 5 tables with people was not a red flag. I ordered the chicken tortilla soup and the combo shrimp and beef fajitas. The waiter came by and asked if I wanted the soup before or with the meal so I left it up to him and they came out about two minutes apart. After bringing the food, I did not see my server again despite trying to get his attention.
As for the food, the first reason I was trying flag down my waiter was my soup. The main issue was it didn’t have any chicken. Not a shred, cube, nada! The one thing I love about this particular soup is when it is hot, the crunch of tortillas contrasted against the cool avocado in the broth are amazing. In this case the Fenix didn’t have any fire with a lukewarm broth. Strike two.
In my humble (or not so) opinion fajitas are tough to screw up. The only issue is now days most places skimp on the toppings. Fenix is the same as Chili’s in portion for the sides, leaving you wanting more than a spoonful of pico de gallo, a about an ounce of cheese, dollops of guacamole, and sour cream. Where they apparently have no clue is giving one, yes only one single slice of green pepper. What is the point? In addition, there was one small bite size piece of tomato to compliment the pepper. In hindsight, were they just an attempt at garnish? As for the rest, it was a mound of ¾ cooked onions about 6 shrimp and 6 small slices of beef. On the plus side, they gave five taco sized tortillas.
By the time my waiter came back, I had already decided to cut my losses and asked for the check. When paying at the register, I expressed my lack of appreciation for the meal. The cashier actually cared! She told me you have to order chicken with the chicken tortilla soup because they have it two ways and my waiter should have informed me of the alternate version. I still can’t figure out when I ask for chicken tortilla soup, why I have to ask for chicken? She said the fajitas were not the norm and apologized. She removed the soup from the bill and did a good job with a bad situation. I appreciate how she treated me as a customer. It was good enough that I would consider a second chance.

I would say it’s a 3.5 star… No where near the best tex-​mex in town but it’s not the worst I’ve had either

I’ve been to this place multiple times, and I do have to say, it’s one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the Metroplex. All of their restaurant locations are virtually the same in atmosphere, customer service, and quality of food. Their chips and salsa are great. They have a nice snap and crunch to them and the salsa does have that «blah» taste to it. I always get their fajitas, it’s unexplainably good but I’ve had their other entrees. If you’re over 21, the drinks are good too. An awesome place to go with family and friends and could recommend it any more. I would say it’s compatible to El Norte (Plano location) in taste.

Very disapointing, my family did not finish the meal not a way I like to spend Fifty dollars. Will not ever eat their again. The food was not fresh

I’ve eaten at some trashy Mexican joints, but this place wasn’t good trashy. It was just over priced, low-​grade food for oblivious old people who don’t know better.
I sent back my margarita, and my carne asada contained… a tendon, haha.

Great chips and salsa. Chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite dishes and what I usually get. They are excellent at el Fenix. The chicken tortilla soup is also pretty good.
The service was very attentive but also let my husband and I enjoy our time together.
Margaritas are decent both frozen and on the rocks.

I’ve been going to El Fenix almost my whole life. It defines the classic Tex-​Mex experience, with the booths, the gaudy artwork, the family photos, and please pay the cashier at the exit. I’d resisted going back for several years, but sometimes you just NEED classic dishes. Imagine my surprise that they’ve updated the menu!
You can get guacamole made «your way» with up to three toppings, things like roasted corn and bacon. We resisted for now, but it’s on the wishlist.
Had the Lunch Fajitas. Very reasonable portion, no rice, and decent meat quality. I drank two jumbo fountain servings of Sprite, which I also hadn’t done in several years. This place makes me feel like a kid!
At checkout, I’m glad I didn’t resist the candy and the peppermints.
El Fenix remains solid. I’m so pleased.

Good enchiladas.
Below average street tacos.
Amazing chips.
Good salsa.
Friendly service.
It is not likely that you will be wow’d by an El Fenix experience but you will get consistent food and good service at a pretty good price. All of their locations are a little different in lay out but the same in feel. This location is the same as the others.