El Fenix

Food was good not amazing. Got in and out for lunch quickly so works if you are in a hurry. Would probably come again just not real authentic Tex-​mex

Just driving through on my way to my hotel. I’m in the Dallas area and love Tex-​Mex. I saw the sign and thought «El Fenix this is gonna be awesome!»
Anyway, no hostess was around to be seated and the cashier was in no hurry to help. No big deal but this was an omen. Fernando, my waiter was very friendly and prompt. The chips were average and I thought the salsa tasted worse than Pace store bought.
I ordered a chicken chimichanga with the tomatillo sauce option. The food was delivered in a reasonable amount of time and it was warm on a hot plate — which maybe explains the wilted greens beneath the guacamole. So, I will describe the following:
— Shredded Chicken = salty
— Chimi tortilla = not crispy at all, felt like it was soggy
— rice/​cheese = not to bad but still salty
— guac & sour cream = average with wilted green garnishing
All in all = disappointing
Pro’s: nice waiters, very clean, comfortable atmosphere, & location
Cons: bad food, the chips & salsa are a bad start, lack of hostess, & use of cashier to check out
This place could be absolutely awesome under the right management but I can’t recommend it to anyone at this point.

Not sure what happen tonight, but the staff wasn’t on their ‘A’ game.
Everyone was friendly, place was clean… It seem like we had to ask for everything from menus, napkins, a straw … we’re ready to order, can we have the check please.
Maybe they were short handed. The staff and managers were friendly as usual.
I’ll need to go back and update review.

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!

This is my uncle’s family’s favorite restaurant, and they took me here while I was passing through town. We ordered delicious margaritas, and shared an order of cheese dip and guacamole, both good, though slightly different from the Alabama Mexican restaurants I am used to. I REALLY enjoyed my Tomatillo-​Covered Chicken Enchiladas which came with rice, sour cream, and a little more guac.
Also, one more note about the interior: it was surprisingly nice and very spacious inside! We were seated at a large table in a front room with great lighting.

First of All I just want to state that I’am in customer service industry and I know how to give the upmost customer service no matter if they are poor or not. I have no idea why people wrote positive things about this place. To start off when we walked up to the front, the customer service was not there it was awkward and not friendly they just looked at us like they didn’t want to be there and I was thinking to myself okay let’s give them another chance to redeem themselves. The waiter was passive aggressive she looked like she hated her job. The chips and Guac was okay. And I orders a salad that stated on the menu it was mixed green which was not at all it look like cheap iceberg lettuce that was not fresh !!! Eww Gross! The chicken was overly salted so pretty much I felt like I was eating salt. My daughters mac&cheese was pre packaged and not warm it was flavorless my daughter did not touch it. Rice and beans looked like a day old and it’s been setting in a heated stove. Crunchy rice? This place is trash they are prob in debt and they buy cheap produce and product. I’m sorry I may see harsh but correction is good if you want a business to succeed. I wasted 40 there for nothing. I hope you take this as constructive criticism.

Clean, bright airy dining room lends to an authentic court yard décor… Food is served hot, tastes fresh and delicious. Promptly served by friendly knowledgeable staff. The chips and salsa were crisp and tasty, not too spicy, but not tomato bland or watery either. I had shrimp tacos with black beans and fried rice. the shrimp were cooked correctly, the taco shells were soft and hot, the filling of Spanish slaw enhanced the flavor and balanced the dish perfectly, everyone around me is definitely enjoying their food. The only negative I see is the seating put me close to the open kitchen portal, which detracted from the music with the hustle and noises from a busy kitchen. Overall Great experience. Try it.

Im solely reviewing on comparison to other Mexican restaurants. Food was good, cute interior, good service but i personally recommend souther recipes in Irving, way better flavor and better sauce and chips

had food catered for a work event and it wasn’t bad at all. enjoyed the enchiladas, rice, beans and chips/​dip. think it was better than when I have eaten in the restaurant.

This has been my go to fast casual lunch spot the past several years. Food is good for a chain restaurant and served quickly. Lunch specials are reasonable and salsa is great. My only complaint is some lunch items come with «sport nachos» instead of beans and rice so watch what you order if you are hungry because these «nachos» are a joke and should be taken off the menu. I wish I had a picture of these pathetic chips drizzled with queso. They are sad and lifeless. I accidentally ordered tacos that came with this terrible side and left hungry for the first time ever.

Not the best food and watered down diet coke instead of regular coke… Meh

Not too impressed with the food here at all, the beans are all cooked in pork fat (HUGE TURNOFF) and the «brisket» tastes more like pot roast… the drinks were ok but to be honest it’s kind of hard to mess up a margarita. I probably won’t be back, I’ll go to OTB if I want commercial Tex Mex…

Extremely disappointed! Dirty! Food was horrible. Restrooms are disqusting! AVOID this place!!!

Based on the reviews I wasn’t really expecting much coming here and I was actually surprised at how good our meal was.
The chips and salsa were a good start. The chips crunchy and not oily. The salsa was decent, not at all watered down.
My sister and I shared the veggie fajitas. The waiter did a great job listening to us and executed all our odd needs (my sister is gluten-​free and we are both vegetarian). The fajitas were pretty hearty and I was filled after 2.
The service was prompt. It was quick, easy tex-​mex.

Review for lunch only.
I had the Mexican Cobb salad which was pretty good. The jalapeño 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

It’s ok nothing spectacular. Seems mediocre.

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 entrée 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.

El Fenix is a Tex Mex institution in the Metroplex. They’ve been doing it right for over 90 years. I developed a love for this place when I worked downtown and would hit the Wednesday Enchilada special for lunch. After a long abscence since going there I hit it up the last time I went to vist my folks and I have to say the rest of the menu holds up well to the enchies, but they’re my favorite. Their chips and salsa are also an experience. The salsa is flavorful and not that hot, and the chips are light and crispy, unlike other tortilla chips.
We had a really good server who handled atable with a toddler very well. He was conscientious enough to make sure the hot plates were well out of reach of my grabby-​handed son. Would definitely go back when I’m back in town.

If you’re looking for Tex-​Mex in the area you might want to think about On The Border. Even though they’re always busy they have the personnel to make sure everything is fine more than just once or twice. That’s the biggest flaw about this place. If you don’t get here before 12 there’s a good chance you’re not going to get good service. When you’re in a time crunch you really ought to try somewhere else.
Service aside, El Fenix actually has some tasty grub. Better than OTB. They start you off with complimentary chips and salsa which is miles ahead of what you get at the other place. The menu is extensive and the entrees on the lunch menu are pretty reasonably priced. The food is fresh and it comes with the typical sides you think of when you think Tex-​Mex. I usually get the Special Mexican Dinner as it includes a cheese enchilada, two tamales, a meat taco and a soft cheese taco. Good stuff! This place used to be a Don Pablo’s (remember those?) so there’s a very authentic feel on the inside. If it we’re for the service I would definitely come here way more often. Time to step up your game, El Fenix!

We were hungry and I saw a big sign for this restaurant and decided to have lunch there, parking lot seemed full so I thought they probably got pretty good Mexican food.
Staff were nice but felt like we were getting rushed.
We ordered the beef chimichanga and chicken crêpe, worst Mexican food we ever had, they looked very nasty! We didn’t finish them and got lots left.
I will never go back to that place just because for the food.