El Encanto DOS
1112 E Carefree Hwy, Phoenix, AZ, 85085
El Encanto DOS Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Phoenix for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Phoenix for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Phoenix for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1112 E Carefree Hwy
Phoenix, AZ, 85085 - Phone (623) 780-5948
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Mike V.
I've lived in the valley for 30 years, so I have had the opportunity to try many different Mexican restaurants. On Sunday evening, September, 6th, at around 5:00 pm, my wife and I decided to give El Encanto Dos a try. There was a healthy supply of cars in the parking lot which is always a good sign to us. Upon arriving, we were greeted with architecture and decorations that were lively and gave us the feeling we were in old Mexico. Our server was Mary, who was pleasant, helpful, and on top of things throughout our entire dining experience. As I watched other diner/server interactions in our section, pleasant, prompt and courteous service seemed to be the rule, rather than the exception. I was equally impressed with the general manager, Maria, who made regular rounds checking on customers and eliciting feedback, all while wearing a pleasant smile and helping to create a pleasant environment, and one in in which you genuinely felt the manager was actively involved and on top of things, rather than camped out in an office somewhere. On to the food; first we were brought complimentary chips which were warm and crispy. With the chips came green salsa, house sauce, and red chipotle sauce. These were the perfect compliment to the chips and none were too hot, although, the red chipotle sauce does have a nice kick to it. Next, my wife and I looked at the menu and after seeing several things we wanted, decided we'd share our food. First up was the appetizer, 2 shrimp tacos for $9.99 described on the menu as "Fresh shrimp inside two lightly fried corn tortillas, filled with lettuce, queso fresco, red onions, shredded carrots and crema fresca." These were delicious! Each taco was stuffed to the max with filling and El Encanto did not skimp on the shrimp! The first entree we ordered was the Plato Burro (from the menu) "A fresh flour tortilla filled with your choice of filling. Served with Mexican rice & refried beans. May be deep fried. Shredded chicken, Carnitas, refried beans or vegetables 10.99 Green chile beef or shredded beef 12.99 Carne or Pollo Asada 14.99. Add sauce 1.99 Sub whole wheat tortilla .99" We ordered ours with shredded beef, deep fried, covered with fundido sauce. The shredded beef had a wonderfully seasoned taste and the fundido sauce is out of this world! The only suggestion I would make, is if you order one deep fried, get the sauce on the side, so your deep fried shell remains crispy throughout the meal. For our second entree, we ordered the seafood enchiladas ( from the menu) "El Encanto's famous blend of shrimp and bay scallops fill two flour tortilla enchiladas. They are topped with green sauce and a dollop of fundido sauce. Served with black beans and rice. 14.99" There were a lot of shrimps and scallops in the enchiladas! Combined with the sauces, this dish was superb and well worth the price. My wife decided to try a frozen margarita and was offered a choice from one of many different flavors including regular, strawberry, banana, mango, prickly pear, etc. She went with the regular flavor of which I had a few sips. So nice to be able to drink a margarita in which the taste of a quality tequila is prevalent! A server told us the margaritas were addicting and she was right! The wife and I agreed that El Encanto Dos Margaritas would definitely be included in future visits. Finally, the rice and beans served with dinner at other Mexican restaurants have never been a favorite of my wife's, nor mine, and usually end up in a doggy bag to be tossed at a later date, The flavor and consistency of El Encanto's black beans, refried beans, and rice, are so good, we cleaned our plates. It wasn't until I went to write my review that I read some of the other comments about El Encanto Dos. I was extremely surprised because I couldn't find one negative thing about our experience...and I looked hard. If you've never tried El Encanto Dos, I'd encourage you to give it a chance, and decide for yourself if I just had a lucky experience, or if it's as good as I say! I know I'll definitely be back!
(5)Janice N.
We have given this place two opportunities within one month to get their act together. Sadly, I took out-of-town guests there tonight and was embarrassed beyond belief. The food is mediocre at best. The hostess rolled her eyes when I asked that we be seated on a different section of the patio. Are you kidding? The pork carnitas was inedible, overcooked and dry. The "award winning" Margaritas were just okay. I will give kudos to the side of guacamole. It was pretty tasty. The whole place needs a facelift...menu and decor. Even our server seemed like he was just plain tired.
(1)Ann B.
The food is not "super" authentic Mexican. I normally get the Pollo Fundido. I like it, but the drawback is service is almost always slow there. Some of the food I find pricey for what you get. My husband and I ordered take out last month and he ordered a cup of soup, $7.00, and no joke, it was no bigger than a condiment cup. I was annoyed enough that I wanted to call the restaurant and he just said let it go-he was hungry and luckily had ordered enchiladas. Previous time we had gone in and my friend ordered the fajitas, waitress asked if she wanted all the "normal" things with it, my friend said sure. Well when the bill came, they charged her $1.95 for sour cream, $1.50 for cheese, $2.00 for guacamole and $1.50 for pico de gallo. So when the waiter came back and we pointed it out, she said "well you said everything- so is this a problem?" My friend wont go back since that. I dont blame her. I have had them inconsistent on pricing before when Ive ordered. Its nearby our house and the margaritas are good and my husband likes their soup, so thats why we continue.
(3)Carrie S.
I like this place for their margaritas, chicken tacos and the pollo fundido. Sometimes the chicken in the pollo fundido is dry :( hit or miss. The tacos are yum and the outdoor patio is beautiful. Sometime there is live music which makes it special. I find the main dining room kinda cold. The service is usually pretty good - sometimes slow. Overall, I really enjoy coming here, it's close and the food is usually pretty good.
(4)Jim W.
Above average food, service great, clean, great patio. Will do again. Sergio's original paintings are awesome!
(4)Brandi C.
Beautiful atmosphere and great food! We shared the appetizer platter and everything was incredible. Offering 3 different salsas with chips... Brilliant. The margarita was delicious and strong. They really knocked it out of the park with the chocolate tamale though.
(5)Mark Z.
Typical Mexican restaurant. Nice building, so so food. On plus side service was quick. Probably better for drinks than good. Would not return.
(3)Jolly M.
Yuck. Extremely BLAND, yet SALTY food. A 7 year old ordered a cheese quesadilla that was presented to him open face and he replies out loud, "this looks like a nightmare"! I was laughing out loud, but at the same time it's NOT funny. I ordered the "5 shrimp" chef special with green rice and supposedly their award winning margarita in peach. It was peachless with a hint of peach color, but definitely not the flavor. The only thing this place has going for it is the exterior/landscaping. Sorry.
(1)Bev T.
Visited again today at lunch time. I should have known we would have crappy service when we were greeted at the door by a sign saying to seat ourselves as no hostess was on duty... Sorry for the inconvenience. I think there were only 2 servers working TOTAL. Horrible service and the flour tortillas were not fresh. They were very dry. I think this the last strike.
(1)Steven M.
The only Mexican food restaurant my girlfriend will let us go to. I have personally tried everything on the menu and you cannot go wrong; however the chicken fundido is the flagship item. A good tip is to call ahead and make reservation since they are packed nearly every night.
(4)Kathy W.
Had my Daughters graduation from NAU/Mothers day dinner. I hate black beans and my dish came with it. I can happily say I will eat thier beans any day! My seafood enchilada was packed. Most places would be skimpy. Service was fast as we had 12 guest. Our party had absolutley no complaints and we all left very happy.
(4)Sara H.
I hosted a business lunch and all my guests and I left half-eaten food. I eat in many Mexican eateries in Greater Phoenix, and i cannot recall anything as bad as this The chicken was hard, dry and tasteless, and one of my guests had pieces of undercooked chicken. Very disappointing.
(1)Brett B.
Not real sure what happened here, but the service has really gone downhill. The food is still good, but I'd drive the extra 10-minutes and go to Cave Creek.
(3)Heather P.
Tried "Dos" for the first time last night. The original in Cave Creek has been a tradition for years in my family. I was pleasantly surprised! We sat on the patio which was beautiful and had a great view. Service was fantastic and we ordered prickly pear margaritas and pollo fundido all around. Food was fast and great. Not one complaint from our party of six. If you don't want to deal with tourists, El Encanto Dos is every bit as fantastic as the first restaurant. We'll be back!
(5)Samantha P.
We are frequent visitors! Love the staff and the management (with one exception) and go at least weekly!! The food is great, and we love having servers who remember the little details. Thanks Tiffany, Natalie and Rikki!!
(5)Danielle F.
Sat in the patio area, very nice with the heaters. Started with bean dip, really good. Chips and 3 salsas were great. Cheese/ chicken enchiladas were really tasty. Tortilla soap was good. Service was a bit slow, more servers were needed.
(3)Roger H.
Weird that there are no reviews since last July on this place??? I have been here many times as it is 10 mins away from my house. I do like the location because you feel you are right out in the desert and the outdoor sitting is nice. Inside in the main dining section can be VERY noisy if it is busy. Lots of families and kids too sometimes. I just went on a Friday night and had a decent experience. They have live music some nights, which is nice but can just add to the noise level. The margaritas are very good. Free salsa and chips are good. Food can be a little hit or miss sometimes. I usually get the Pollo Fundido and it has ranged from really good to okay on several occasions. I think sometimes it is sitting under a heat lamp too long. I did notice on this visit that the portion sizes have shrunk and the prices have remained the same, so I guess management finally have moved the way of many chain restaurants to squeeze more profits. The food tends to be very salty. Wait staff can be hit or miss too. Friday night, the waitress was super busy and you could tell probably had too many tables but we got what we ordered in a fairly timely manner. Probably would give them 3.5 stars but that isn't an option on Yelp. Will continue to go back.
(3)Paul L.
I thought it was very good Mexican with nice chips and salsa. There carnitas was excellent with just the right amount of spiceness.
(4)J L.
average
(3)Hanner O.
3 stars for service, 4 stars for food & price. I've been here at least 5 times and it is always good. They have TVs in the bars, the actual restaurant is a little messy and the hostesses are less than inviting mostly. The place is a little off the beaten path to say the least. There is another one in downtown Cave Creek.
(3)Drew A.
We go here once every few months. Being where it is at, it is a 20 min ride for us to get there. I don't know how or why I talk myself into this place... my wife "likes" it - so maybe that is the reason. I have never had a horrible bad experience, but I have never had a WOW experience either. The pricing is more than your corner Mexican restaurant - the place is REALLY cool - so I would expect the food to be more/better. Just average - just A-OK - Just Satisfying. Good to go - just don't expect anything out of the ordinary.
(3)Lisa N.
So we thought we'd give it another shot - either we're a glutton for punishment or we are forgiving kind of folks.... Happily, I can report that this meal was wonderful! We sat in a booth in the bar area. Jessica was our server and she was the BEST server we've had ever in the years we've been coming to this place. The food was very fresh, tasty, hot and yummy. The XX was cold and the service was perfection. Yay El Encanto Dos for hiring qualified servers who actually want to be there! Good on ya!
(4)Supperman F.
Meet here after work once a week or so, good drinks, Good food too!
(4)Jen R.
I'm still stewing about the experience I had here last night. Bear with me on the length.... I'm THAT annoyed. El Encanto has been a hit or miss for many years as far as the food. Boyfriend and I stopped in last month and were pleasantly surprised.... except for the service. Our server, a 30s something woman (whereas the others looked reasonably young), is just one of those people who should not be waiting tables, both from lack of customer skills and memory and just obviously not wanting to be there. We were too tired to get annoyed though. We took my mom out for her birthday last night to El Encanto, and got the exact same server. Ugh. Now, I've been waiting tables since I was 16, ranging from fine dining snobbery in Scottsdale to a Dennys to the Roadrunner Saloon where biker fights break out weekly. In NONE of those would her service have been acceptable. 1) Her style is awkward, rude and abrupt - she interrupted us mid-sentence multiple times, kept hovering over the table while we were eating, etc. When I ordered a margarita, I had to repeat "on the rocks with salt" multiple times... what waitress can't remember a frickin' diet Coke, a margarita and a sangria?... and instead of asking me for my ID, she just stood there and stared at me (I rarely get carded, so it's not a habit to pull it out, and you still need to ASK, lady). I also mentioned it was my mom's birthday and she didn't wish her happy birthday, no candles on the dessert, nothing. 2) We somehow ended up being brought the pitcher of water and one water glass. What? There's three of us here, 2 of whom have alcohol... at least assume 2 glasses. We also had no silverware. 3) She VANISHED. Like, Harry Potter, Invisibility Cloak status vanished. Our drinks were brought by a manager, our food and silverware by a bus boy, the manager checked back on us, etc. We didn't interact with her again (except for her awkward hovering throughout dinner) until she came to whisk plates away and plop the check down.... 4) You don't freaking drop the check without asking for dessert - what, are you nuts? Do you not want your check and tip to go up?! That's server 101. "Hey, we want dessert." She brought a menu, not 20 seconds later swooped back to say "Did we see a dessert we want?" and then I made my fatal mistake: I asked for another minute. This minute turned into literally 10 minutes (we clocked it!) We finally order it, someone else plunks it down along with our check. 15. Dang. Minutes. After we're finished with our dessert. That's how long we waited, too hopefully, for her to come pick up the check. I was steaming to the point of wanting to dine n dash. Finally I take it to the hostess stand and tell the manager I need to pay but our waitress has been.... She finishes my sentence with "AWOL?" Gee, how did you know? If you know she's been AWOL and is a terrible server, why is she still serving? The manager merely ran my card, apologized with a robotic "I'm sorry about that", explained to me that one copy of the receipts was mine and the other theirs (who the hell doesn't know that?) and went back to the bar to talk to the bartender. No drink comps, no offer to make it right, nothing. This is the first time I've ever totally stiffed a waitress, but it was the worst service any of us had ever gotten, and hey, you work for your tip. This is the first time I've ever had an issue in a restaurant and not at least gotten a sincere apology and an attempt to rectify it. To think I paid $67 for 3 people (without tip!) to get treated like we didn't matter, is ridiculous. We will NOT be back, El Encanto, EVER.
(1)Arlin B.
El Encanto Dos is A~Ok if your in the area looking for a good place to eat. This is the little sister restaurant of the El Encanto in Cave Creek. There are subtle differences in their food between restaurants but this location is pretty good and it's easier for us to get to from the I17. We love the ambiance of this restaurant especially their patio. If given the option and weather permitting, I recommend dinning on their patio. They have a wonderful fire place on their patio and they have heaters for when it gets colder. On some weekend nights they have the most wonderful guitar player playing while you dine. It's cool to see some of the local's ride their horses to the restaurant and tie them to the post surrounding the parking lot. We always have good service but then again I'm not afraid to say something when their service is slow. They always acknowledge when they are slow and make amends to step up their service to ensure your dinning experience is exceptional. Their queso and spinach con queso are some what average, but their salsa and chips are good and a nice start to your dinner. Their taquitos are a bit dry, but then again I've never had a taquitos that wasn't dry, and comes with a wonderful chipotle salsa for dipping. You can't go wrong with their Seafood enchiladas, any of their enchiladas either pollo or steak smothered in their homemade Mole sauce, red or green chili sauces. Their fajitas are also good either steak or pollo. Their Pescado Enpapelado and carnitas poblano relleno are ok but don't plan to order them any time soon. This is a good place to go with the family and friends if your in the area.
(3)Shari B.
We recently moved to the mountains and this is the closest restaurant to our house. GOOD THING! Because it's the new favorite restaurant of ours! We've been greeted by the staff every time we go in; The service was exceptional - We ordered the Pollo Fundido and the Steak Fajitas, which were both amazing! The server never let our iced tea get past half empty; The Manager - on most occasions - is moving between the bar tables & restaurant tables making sure everyone is happy. Speaking of Happy...Happy hour here is GREAT - even though we don't drink! The specials are good - and the atmosphere is FUN. If you have room - try the dessert - chocolate chimi's = OMG it was home made ice cream - this day it was a fresh French vanilla - with mini-chocolate filled chimis! Delicious! This is our new "Cheers" - like seeing friends every time!
(5)Sandra L.
Worse Mexican food I have ever ate! I come from Ohio and had better food than this place! Had a chicken dish with no seasoning or veggies! Dried chicken with a dollop of creamy white sauce does not make a good dish. The manager even came by and stated he would not charge me for the extra sauce I requested to help give the dish some flavor! Also who serves a margarita in a water glass???? Never again, a waste of money!
(1)Ashley P.
My boyfriend and I moved to the area a few months ago and finally decided to try this place for Happy Hour on a Friday. Right after we sat down at a booth in the bar area, we received chips, three types of salsa, and carafe of ice water. After a few minutes, our waitress Rikki (based on our receipt) took our drink orders and then brought us menus. She gave a good impression by being very personable and seemed to have a fun personality. The menu wasn't very big, which is fine I guess, but there was not an option to order a combination meal such as 1 taco and 1 enchilada so I just got the two cheese enchiladas meal. A guy with a short ponytail delivered our food by saying "hello" like it was a question and then left (I overheard him say this to another table so I guess it's just his thing). I was ready for another beer (it's happy hour!) but I never saw Rikki again until she dropped off the check. While I was eating, a young boy came by and cleaned the windows on the door that was directly next to me, which in turn sprayed some glass cleaner ON my food. Before the spray, the enchis were decent and the rice was really good. My boyfriend ordered fries and rice with his tacos but only rice showed up and Rikki wasn't around to tell. As we ate, booths started filling up but there were two servers in the bar area so I see no reason for her never coming back. I did notice a couple of the other groups were known by name so perhaps because we are not regulars that we did not deserve as good of service. In the future we may try this place again, but not anytime soon.
(2)Chrysty C.
I've been here twice in the past 3 weeks. The first time was for a huge girl scout leader award dinner. We had our food catered and it was delicious. They gave us more than enough food and the service was fine--nothing special. I probably would have given it a 4-star rating. But last week we came here for a happy hour/good bye party and it was awful!!! When I came in a little late, I went straight to the bar for my drink. It's a good thing I did because the bartender was also our server and I later found out that he hadn't even served our table their drinks yet. So I received my drink before everyone else who had been there a lot earlier than I had. The bartender was extremely rude and unhappy. He seemed flustered the entire time. I'm not sure why we didn't have another server out there since there were about 20-30 of us. The restaurant was pretty empty besides us. This was a Thursday at about 5pm. I went to the bar to order my food since all my friends were complaining about how slow he was with ordering from the table. Luckily I think a manager came by and saw me waiting at the bar, so he took my order. I ordered the street tacos from the happy hour menu. Yuck. I didn't care for them at all. I just ate the carne asada off the taco. My margarita was okay, but I had to repeatedly go to the bathroom to wash my hands because the syrup must have been all over the glass making my hands sticky. The floor was also gross and sticky. My shoes were sticking as I walked. My biggest complaint however, was that they would not honor their happy hour prices for us. Their reasoning was because we had such a big group. I think that is ridiculous and unfair. I plan a lot of happy hours for my work, and I will never plan one for here again. They will be missing out on a lot of business. Oh well.... It's too bad because I have heard that they have really good food. I just don't think I'll be here again.
(3)Jack N.
Bad service? Try atrocious. The place looked jam packed. We ask for a table for two. We were told by the manager it would be 35 to 40 minute wait. No big deal we will have a drink at the bar and wait. The bartender was extremely rude. We order two drinks and as soon as she turns around to fetch them our pager goes off. Thinking it's a mistake because it's been about three minutes I go to check at the front. No mistake. We tab out grab our drinks and head to our seat. We were sat in the corner of a huge room next to a party of 50. Who goes out to dinner with 20 people? Seriously? The little Harry potter looking kid that sat us down literally said just a warning we are all very short tempered tonight. I look at my wife and tilted my head. I said I hope none of them have guns. Like biggie smalls said, "Yep, tote chrome for situations like this". Back to the review, Harry potter dropped his warning and flew off on his broom without leaving any menus. No worries we had brought our drinks and chips and salsa from the bar. Real vets here. Finally another guy drops more chips and three salsas off. He also flashed away before I could ask for menus. 15 minutes later a sweaty stressed female runs up about 15 feet from our table and gives me the one second finger. Seems how we were miming I mimed bring some menus please. She lipped back ok thank you. 10 minutes later she arrived with menus but no water. She then also flashed away before I could ask for some. I felt like I was at a horrible cirque de soleil at this point with awful salsa and iced down drinks. She finally comes back and takes our order. Apologizes for how shitty the service is and says she will bring water back. 10 minutes later she runs up and says oh waters right be right back. Dying of thirst I'm like a camel tapping into my reserve hump. Aka my wife's drink. We get waters and she takes our orders and literally 20 minutes later she appears and say you guys are going to be so upset. I forgot to put in your order and can't find your slip. I should have got up and left right then. But my wife didn't concur when I gave her the have you had enough look. Well of course it is all your fault. You took the order and have the task of delivering it to the kitchen you worthless fool I yelled at her. Just kidding, we regave her our order and she said the manager is in line waiting and it will be done first thing. 15 minutes later the manager brings it out, says it's hot and asks if would like anything else? Yes, we would like 1.5 hours of our life back, we would like our meal to be comped, and we would like an apology. Reality: I think that's all. We eat, pay our bill, after 10 minutes of waiting for our waitress. Then we cheersed our water cups and said never again. Ever. Oh the food you ask? Slightly better than Arribas. Don't say I didn't warn you.
(1)Zee J.
Horrible meal tonight!!! Food came cold, flowers on table dead, place not clean (food on floor), "crispy" fish taco soggy not edible...won't return and won't take all those 100 visiting relatives here either!! Ice water was good = 1 star!! (Didn't have a choice for zero stars!!)
(1)Kyle J.
I prefer this location over the original in cavecreek strictly on service and accessibility but if I must say I think their food is a bit better as well. My parents frequent this location on a weekly basis and occasionally I get to tag along and participate in the fun. Every lunch or dinner usually starts off with chips and salsa (3 types) and a large pitcher of frozen margaritas. El Encanto Dos has basically ruined margaritas for me, as its hard to find any as strong and as good tasting anywhere else. They just taste right!! But watch yourself, like I said, they are potent. I don't change up my selections very often because the Pollo Fundido is just too delicious to stray away from. I suggest it to everyone if they are unsure on what looks good to them or just want my opinion on something to get. It's a must try at El Encanto and I would suggest getting a half size portion just because it is so filling. The mild but tangy cream sauce will keep you coming back time and time again. As for service, My family and I threw a surprise 60th birthday for my dad here and all of the staff helped out and made it really special for him . They accommodated our 30 or so guests and had special menus out for our party. We couldn't have asked for a better set of staff to help us with a such a special event. And to top it off the service is like that all the time. They are always super helpful, recognize the regulars, and are very friendly at all times.
(5)Jason S.
The food is outstanding. I've had several different entrees and liked them all. I love the salsa trio to get my meal started as well. The main issue here is the service. Things tend to move slow and you often have to grab your servers attention. If you can handle that consistent issue the food is well worth it!
(4)Milan E.
Margaritas are the best anywhere! Love the staff, love the service! This is the first place we take out of town guests and they immediately feel right at home. Always our #1 choice!
(5)Shane W.
The atmosphere is what really makes this place. The waterfall out front, the cantina feel of the outside eating, the decorative tables and art on the walls all lends to the good feelings you get when you walk in. The food is great as well. The mole sauce is one of the best I've had. You will not go wrong if you're looking for great Mexican food.
(4)Kyle L.
Ok, here it goes. Came here with my wife for her birthday. Upon arrival, looks great, pond out front is a nice touch. Outdoor seating in the right weather looks like it could be really nice. Inside, its fine. Chips and salsa were delivered right away, and quite good to boot. Wife ordered chicken fajitas and I ordered beef fajitas. When they arrived, everything seemed OK, although both seemed overly greasy, and after a few bites, it was very greasy. The beef and the chicken had zero seasoning on them, they were both very bland. The sides they give to build the fajita are ok, but no sour cream? Seemed odd to have to pay for a side of sour cream when we were paying $18 per plate of fajitas. The house-made guac was very average. One last note about the beef - it was cooked to well done which made it quite tough. The portions were quite large. The service was good; offered informed suggestions and was prompt and polite. Overall, the experience was fun with the wifey. But the $18 fajitas left much to be desired. Havent decided if we will give this place another try.
(2)keith s.
Excellent Margaritas! Had fun here visiting my cousin, Food and salsa were good, guitarist and fire added to the fun!
(4)Stacy F.
While in the area, we stopped for a late lunch. We sat in the bar because that's where he always sat when he came here. We were there for about 5 minutes and ignored by the bartender who was talking with what appeared to be a waitress about her vacation to California. We decided to move to the dining room. As we approached the hostess station a gentleman said I hope you enjoyed your food, come again. I informed him that we had not eaten yet, as we were ignored in the bar and wanted a table in the dining room. He apologized, sat us at a table and offered us an appetizer on the house. Our waitress was right out and said any appetizer was on the house. I was impressed that it was already communicated to the waitress before she came to our table (good job!!). Our service for the rest of our meal was outstanding! The pollo fundido is amazing and very cheesy. My boyfriend had the enchiladas de pollo con mole. The sauce was so flavorful. I have never had mole before but one bite and I was hooked. I will definitely come back.
(4)Anne K.
Been looking for a good mexican restaurant since I moved to Arizona. Came here for lunch, and it wasn't busy at all for being noon. Got complimentary chips and salsa. The waiter helped us with ordering and even brought out some of the sauces for us to try. He recommended the enchiladas, so I order the chicken ones with green sauce. I was overall very impressed with them and so were my friends.
(4)Melissa M.
This place has great ambience and could be great.... Unfortunately, the service is terrible!! Such a disappointment!
(1)Nancy G.
We went there on a Monday afternoon. It was slightly crowded. We sat in the bar area. It took a while to be noticed. We placed our order which came in good time. The meal was terrible. I ordered pollo fundido and did not like it at all. The only thing I could taste was sour cream. I would not go back, I would sooner drive to Phoenix and get better food.
(1)Daren C.
We had a great meal here. I am not sure if it is new owners or what but the place was clean, the food was perfectly prepared and alot of it too. I had the sampler platter, the pollo fundito was one of the best i have had, filled with white meat, perfect spice to the sauce, the beans were good, the chips and salsa was really good. We will go back, and judging by the 100's of others there, so will they. Please try it and let us know.
(4)Gene H.
Love eating here, wait staff is great, atmosphere is lively especially when they have live music. Patio is also amazing to sit on this time of year. I often order something off the menu and they never have an issue with it. Also the margaritas are just amazing. Would eat here every day if I could.
(5)Lance N.
Had fun at the open Catina area, but that's about all. This was only our second time at El Encanto Dos, but it was not any better. Food is mediocre at best and over priced for Mexican food. Our server had no personality what so ever. It seems that more and more servers are from Boringtown. The service was extremely slow as well. With plenty of Mexican food restaurants to choose from, this one is STILL at the bottom of our list.
(2)John M.
Drove by this place on the way back from a meeting. Checked it out on Yelp decided to give it a try, and I was not disappointed. They give you 3 different salsas and chips the minute you're seated at the table. All are very good. Tried the Pollo Fundido, as so many on Yelp had recommended it. It lived up to the reviews. I will say this, though, it is not a light lunch by any means. Eat this baby at noon, and you'll be snoozing by 2 PM in your chair at the office. Many things in the menu looked tasty. Wish I were in the area more often so I could try the rest.
(5)Fred C.
Was here about a year ago, and the food was fair at best, thought we would give it another try....bad move! Went there on Sunday, May 5th. The parking lot was full for the "Cinco". What a disappointment! The food was bland...don't order anything with "So Called Steak" in it...so tough I couldn't eat it, and I have had better salsa out of a jar! In all fairness, the beer was cold! Really felt like we wasted $60.00.....
(1)Sean K.
Service is more on the rude side... We found a hair in our water and when we asked the waitress for new water and glasses the she acted upset and inconvenience and did not apologized. The establishment over all is dirty. The food was good, not good enough to come back.
(2)Christina S.
We were excited to try this place out, we love mexican and heard good things. Big let down. The food was average, but the service was terrible. My 2 year old couldn't sit and wait anymore, I ended lunch walking around outside with him because our food took so long. No drink or chip refills. Come on people! Skip this place and go to the original El Encanto instead.
(2)Mike B.
I just changed their menu it's a little more streamlined now. I had the plato burro with carnitas, chimichonga style. some of the best carnitas I've ever had!
(4)Karen R.
We loved the polio fundido. The outside patio was cute. Our waiter Rich was excellent! We will be back again when we start working out.
(4)Elizabeth A.
This is our local joint and a favorite place to visit for a tasty meal. The staff is friendly, and most of the time on the ball. Be prepared to wait on a Friday or Saturday night. The big hit, the Pollo Fundito, best in the North Phoenix area. Pork Carnitas are great to! Margarita fan, well this is the place. Get the frozen (they are more potent) and sit back on the patio. They grow fresh veggies right there on location. A staple restaurant for this family and worth the trip up to Desert Hills.
(4)Leisa W.
Wow, this place has mixed reviews. And you are about to see another one. Let's start with the first impression. I love the ambiance; the mexican tile and the porch and all of it just works for me. I was excited for what was to come! That excitement was dulled a bit by the LOOOOONNGG wait for service. I have only been there twice: once in the earlier evening hours on a weekday, and once on a Saturday around 2pm. Both times I was with a group of 6-8 people, so I was chatting and it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but if I had had a margarita in my hand it would have been much better. Once the margarita came, I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I had plowed almost through it before my food came (and I was taking tiny little sips). This is a great way to make customers order more drinks, but NOT a good way to keep them happy. I ordered the combo beef & chicken fajita quesadilla. I LOVED it. I dreamed about it later. I should explain; I'm kind of a mexican food wimp and I don't like super-spicy (and my experience in Phoenix was that lots of mexican food was super-spicy), but this was just flavorful. I know, it's a really gringo kind of meal, but I loved it. The chips and salsa and guacamole were great too. Now we have ambiance, food and drinks on the positive side and service on the negative. The thing is, the service problem kept recurring like a bad chorus in a song. Every time I thought, "This food is so good I've almost forgiven them," the server would disappear again. So, I just don't know how I feel about them. I guess, if I'm ever around there again, I might sit at the bar and have a margarita..or I would go when I wasn't very hungry, or I would order takeout. And if you feel oddly dissatisfied with this review, you'll know exactly how I feel about El Encanto Dos.
(3)Ebony W.
This place was recommended to me by one of my neighbors as the "go to " mexican place to eat with my family, so i decided to give it a try. The food was very tasty, I had the chicken burro. You get so much for the money which is a good thing in these economic times! The premade magaritas will make you smack yo mama. Mango is my absolute favorite. Give the other flavors a try, you may find your as well. One flaw that I found was the dirty menus, but all in all, a good place to take a hot date if you enjoy a romantic atmosphere with desert landscaping out in the sticks....Peace
(3)Jessica P.
Food is AWESOME. Ambiance, ok, but the tables needed to be cleaned. Service, terrible. It took forever to get our food, to get our bill, to get our cards back... I won't actively seek out this place until I do takeout for the food.
(3)Pity D.
I'm hooked on their steak quesadilla with green chili sauce like a ten dollar hooker to crack. It's that good. I have dreams about it. Damn good strawberry margaritas as well. And like Daren writes, the pollo fundido is pretty amazing. Also recommend the pollo chimi with green chili sauce and sour cream. Or red chili sauce... Both are great. Best Mexican I've found anywhere in the valley so far. Bring your appetite because the portions are huge. My only gripes are that the service at the inside bar almost always sucks and the cheapskate moron of an owner needs to fix the ridiculous urinal that's about 10' off the floor in the men's bathroom.
(4)Breann M.
I've been here a few times. I keep wanna to give them a shot but my experience the other night will be my last. I've gone back because I've never had a horrible experience until Friday night. The server was not very good. We had to ask on several occasions to bring us our drinks or silverware and napkins. We waited for our food for about 45 minutes. When we finally received or food it was cold and mushy. My tamlae tasted like i was eating bread not masa and my taco was mush. The salsa was very very bland. I had to add some salt to give it at least some kind of taste. I understand if the restaurant is busy but you still need to have good service and food good enough or at least warm enough to want to eat. I will not be eating here again and would rather drive into town to get Mexican food. Very disappointing. So much that we're still talking about how awful it was.
(1)Tracy L.
We live very close to "Dos" so we know the manager, most of the wait staff, and just about every item on the menu. On the weekends, Maria is the best manager if you have any issues or want to pay a compliment - she is great. Ask for Isla as a waitress if she's working - she's the best. Just about everything on the menu is worth getting except the red tamales (substitute the green corn tamale and you won't be disappointed) and the fish tacos can be a little light on the fish. If it's the chef's special night - go with the special... usually, it's really fantastic. The chicken enchiladas mole is really good if you like mole. It's all good - including the desserts. I highly recommend this restaurant if you want good mexican food in a laid back atmosphere - and if the weather is pristine, you'll want to sit outside!
(5)Steve L.
Foods good and the service sucks!
(2)Brian T.
Came here with a crew of 5 adults and 4 small children. This was early on a saturday evening and the restaurant was not crowded. We were told that we would have a 40 min wait!! I looked around and saw tons of open tables. They said that they did not have another server so they were limited to tables. I couldnt grasp that answer so I asked to see the manager. 5 min later we had a table. Was kinda amazed by that whole ordeal. The food was good and the beer was cold. Ambiance was ok but still couldnt get past the initial seating ordeal. Prices were slightly high considering we were in a "remote" area but not too bad.
(3)Laurie L.
We've had both dinner and lunch here and the food has always been very good. The atmosphere is very nice - fireplace, outdoor dining, Mexican tile. We've also had excellent waitresses every single time we've been there! We're looking forward to their farmer's market that should start in October!
(5)Twitch R.
I am a huge fan of Mexican food and this place rocks. Although it can be a bit noisy at times, the food is amazing. I especially love the fajitas and the sampler plate. I have to say after the sampler plate - there was little room left for the main course.
(5)Meryl W.
LOVE it....worth the drive...great outdoor patio...chips/salsa/margaritas fabulous!
(4)Wendy F.
Finally........I've been out here for several yrs now, and haven't found a place that I really like everything about. Well here it is. Service was excellent. Food was delicious. Atmosphere ---can't beat it. Will definitely be back.
(5)Richard S.
Seriously the best mexican food ever! I'm in love, I think!
(5)Rebecca S.
wow. i can see why this place needed a second location! i have a new favorite mexican restaurant and its name is el encanto dos! let's start with drinks. my prickly pear margarita was fantastic. his beer was cold, and reasonably priced to boot! the cute little carafe of water (with a lemon slice) on the table was a nice touch as well. it was that kind of attention to detail that impressed me. next was the chips and salsa. i didn't get the feeling that the chips were made in house (boo), but the salsa tasted like it was. it had a little spicy kick and the ingredients tasted very fresh. and now the food ... what a wow factor! the beef taquitos were our starter. they were crispy and the meat was plentiful. the avocado/tomatillo dipping sauce was super yummy! for the main event i had to take daren c. and pity d.'s advice on the fundido. when delivered, it did not disappoint ... a cheesy, white meat chicken delight. by far the best one i've ever had. he had the shredded beef tacos and said they were very good ... they must have been because he cleaned his plate before i could snag a bite. we both loved the rice and i was kicking myself saturday morning that i didn't bring it home with me for breakfast. our meal was timed perfectly. prices were just right. our server never pulled a disappearing act. our meal for 2 was $55 including a 20% tip. a perfect, reasonably priced restaurant to take out of town guests to that will impress without being pretentious. as we left i imagined having a relaxing meal on a cool fall evening on the el encanto dos patio ... i can't wait!
(5)Stef Y.
Hmm... Nonplussed. Mind draws a blank when I think of a positive, and grows tired of all the negative that begin to stir. So, the interior is somewhat attractive, but does not distinguish itself from other restaurants. I may not have ordered the piece de resistance here, but I did order something I thought would ignite "tasty" in my mouth, but didn't. Overcooked eggs, mutilated, also overdone chorizo. Chewed this stuff with a crying smile. Don't order off the Sunday brunch. One of those places not worth the drive.
(1)Jason B.
Flavorless salsa, but maybe it is the head cold. I had a bowl of Albongas soup which was actually pretty good. Still prefer a bowl accompanied by flour tortillas, chopped onion and cilantro. The taquitos were comparable to anything I could get in frozen section of grocery aisle. The guacamole that topped taquitos was poor. All in all not a great meal. Service and decor were great though.
(3)Monica p.
El Encanto (Cave Creek) and El Encanto Dos (Carefree Hwy) are not owned by the same folks as the original El Encanto restaurant located in Cave Creek and nor is the food nearly as good as. The food at El Encanto Dos is over rated! In the past month or so the portions have dwindled to the point that when I order the steak fajitas, I think of vegetable fajitas with a touch of tough steak. The flour tortillas are so hard and dry they might as well be made of cardboard. Not worth the drive!! An experience you can live without!!!
(1)Jessica W.
This place is great - the service is always top-notch and the food is consistently good. Love the pollo fundido!!! Great margaritas, too!
(4)Shanna N.
was a little disappointed in their menu.. nice decor, okay servers.. didnt try their margaritas but hear great things. food wasnt that great, i felt like i couldve had a better experience at taco bell
(3)Craig F.
It might just be that we didn't order the right stuff or that they have Americanized too much. My short impression is that the food was bland and pretty dull. My wife ordered the Tacitos and while these are usually bland by design, it's the dipping sauce that gives them life and the Avacado sauce was disappointing as an over whipped Avacado. My daughter at the age of two is an incredible fan of Mexican Rice and Beans and she wouldn't touch them here, she only ate the chips and salsa, which admittingly and disappointingly was the high-life of the mean. I had the most order Pollo Fundido, the chicken (while all white meat) was extremely bland, the only thing that saved this dish was the jalapeno cheese sauce on top. It actually had life and would make a great Con Queso dip in it's own rights. I would like to see the meat livened up with a little jalapeno and salsa. Show me the food I would see when visiting friends having a Fiesta, I know it's there, let it out and show your full potential as a Mexican resturant.
(2)Nancy S.
When we first went here about a year ago, the food was good, decent portions, ok service. Over the next few months, it all went downhill. The restaurant got dirty, as mentioned by other reviewers, the waitstaff got a bad attitude, and the food was no longer very good....small portions, burnt or undercooked. So we haven't been back in about 4 months and will not go back again.
(1)Colleen M.
Very consistent and great food... Close to home too so we frequent this place a lot. It's not that the food is amazing but it's pretty authentic Mexican American and we like it. Really love their salsa trio that comes with complimentary chips (especially the green variety). Tasty margaritas and I love the Flan if I have any room left... We like to sit in the bar area. Pretty fast service in there. When it's not too hot the patio is fun to hang out on with friends. A pitcher of margaritas, chips, salsa and some yummy guacamole makes for a fun happy hour with friends too!
(5)Nicole C.
This is the second time I am leaving this restaurant before ordering. The service is terrible. Wait staff is very snotty and when we told the manager we were leaving because they could not accommodate an elderly customer they charged us for the two iced teas and a soda ... Terrible service. And then we had to wait to pay.
(1)Corina B.
Horrible food, great service but very disappointed in the food definitely not true authentic Mexican food. More Americanized then I'd like. Tried it for the second time perhaps it's what I ate the last time. I will not return to eat here.
(1)Eric B.
Love the beef fajitas ! Great service and great ambience. This is a wonderful place to bring the family too and it's priced perfectly!
(4)Caitlin R.
Great food and awesome service! Love the atmosphere... Would highly recommend the spinach queso dip they offer and the pollo fundido for an entree is fantastic! The chips and salsa are tasty... Also, in the winter, sitting outside is so fun!! Love the outside bar with super friendly bartenders! My favorite server is Natalie, she's always upbeat, happy and does a great job!
(5)Ellen N.
Went back with a friend of mine (not my choice) from out of town who LOVED Encanto when she lived here. I tried convincing her to go elsewhere because the place is so awful now. Well, our drinks were horrible to start off with. A piña colada that was riddled with ice chunks, no flavor, and half of the glass was filled with whipped cream. Ordering the pollo fundido, I got what I expected. A dry, flavorless chicken filling wrapped in a greasy tortilla. The fundido sauce WAS good, however it was cold, and just not worth the jacked up price they charge. Never. Ever. Again. Even if an out of town friend wants to go. I'll take my business down the road to Plaza Bonita instead.
(1)Brandon K.
I don't understand the reviews. Don't most people know this is American Mexican and not authentic Mexican ? If you want authentic go to la parilla suiza. It's a completely different food. If you want great Mexican food this a great place. Service was great. Queso dip was a little watery but the flavor was awesome. The pollo fundidos were also good. You will like this place. Great chips and salsa. Perfect margaritas. And normal quality mex American food. I would really ignore the other reviews. When someone only posts 3 horrible reviews and that's it, it should tell you something.
(4)Ray S.
Been eating here since they opened Dos. In fact, to get there, we drive right by El Encanto in Cave Creek. We like Dos better! Very efficient wait staff (we always eat in the bar). I love their chicken burros doused in mild salsa. That mild salsa is made up of nearly 20 different items and has never let us down. Our chips are always great! Love the place and the staff, Just wish El Encanto was as good to save us the miles!
(5)Laurie H.
Overpriced and snotty waitress! Skip the Dos and go to the original El Encanto in Cave Creek!
(1)Joseph S.
Great food. One of our favorite places for Mexican food. We usually drive 30 mins out of our way to eat here. :)
(5)Jeff M.
Chips and salsas were very good. Albondigos soup was fantastic with tasty meatballs. Seafood Enchiladas very good but a little salty. This is one of the better Mexican places. I can only guess that the negative reviewers have no clue on good Mexican.
(4)Curtiss M.
Came here on Cinco de Mayo, so they were very busy. Service was good & the staff was friendly. Expected some sort of drink specials but there was only 1 marg which had jalapeño in it, so opted out of that. House margs made w/ cheap Sauza tequila were $7. Ouch! I had a beef taco salad which was very good w/ tasty strips of steak. My wife had a cup of albondiga soup. It's only resemblance to authentic albondigas was that it had meatballs in it. It was more like canned soup. Overall, our dinner was not very satisfying.
(3)S H.
Love it. The prices are decent, staff is friendly, if mistakes are made all is corrected in a friendly and timely manner. To go orders are handled well, and the food is still hot by the time I complete the 6+ mile drive home. The pollo fundido is my favorite dish.
(4)Jesse M.
Defently do not recommend this place.... The waiter admitted that they pre-cook there carne asada two days prior to serving it to their customers!!! Warm it up and serve it!! Just not right!!!!
(1)Cheryl C.
Great food, and our family of eight tried a number of different items and no one was dissatisfied. The pollo Fundito was a big hit by a few people in the party. Our server Wendy was terrific! She was attentive, friendly, and ready with descriptions and recommendations. The skinny margaritas were yummy with a nice bit of tang. We also sampled a few desserts. The winner was the Flan,but only by a small margin over the three other desserts tried. I would recommend you stop in and try the food if you are near Cave Creek. In another month or so sitting on the patio for your meal will be fabulous.
(5)Ken K.
Okay perhaps it's only 4 stars but I have to counteract people who give it 1 for silly reasons. Not authentic Mexican? Perhaps not standard but Mexico is a big place. Had vegi enchiladas and my wife had vegi fajitas. Delicious, fresh, crunchy vegetables. Nicely flavored, not too spicy. I may ask for some jalapeños sliced next time, I like spicy. Hesitated because of yelp but the place is always packed. There is a reason. Give it a try.
(5)Jennifer B.
I am obsessed with this place their food is amazing! You couldn't order anything on the menus and not like it! The food and drinks are great the service is mostly good! Understanding they are crazy busy helps! The parking isn't ideal but it's okay! But I definitely RECOMMEND! It's amazing food try the sampler!
(5)Catherine F.
Food is delicious and margaritas are fabulous! Love the midori margaritas! Chimichanga is a favorite!
(4)John S.
Terrible rude waitress. Never said Happy Easter. It's like we were a huge inconvenience for being there. The one on Cave Creek Rd is managed 10x better. The food was satisfactory not the best I've ever had.
(1)Sandi T.
Very disappointed that our favorite Mexican restaurant completely disappointed us on Cinco Di Mayo. We went there completely out of our way only to find no celebration. We came from Georgia where all the restaurants give away T-shirts and celebrate with all kind if fun things. Our drinks were in plastic and service was slow. We will find a different restaurant next year, actually we aren't sure this will be on our list again,
(2)Barbara S.
Went in last night everything was great, we always order the south of the border sampler which has a little bit of everything and plenty to take home...pollo fundido, tostadas, mini chimis, taquitos and beans...yum yum wish they had this at the other one on cave creek but they took it off the menu years ago and changed it up to things we don.t like....miss the turtles in the pond!!
(5)David H.
Horrible!!! My food was cold and so were the chips. I have been here twice thinking that everybody has a bad day, but the second time was just as bad as the first.
(1)Kandace F.
Good food. Decent prices. Service is always good and reliable and it is close to home. The pollo fundido is amazing. Not the best for traditional Mexican food and the Chimi is disappointing but they are good on other dishes and great for group meals.
(4)Karen L.
The food here was just fine, average American Mexican food. The frozen margaritas also were fine, although they were from a machine. The service, however, was subpar. Our waitress was so so rude. She never introduced herself, never said hello, and never smiled. She came over twice and just basically said "what do you want to order" without any pleasantries at all. Later she swept by and asked how is your food, very perfunctorily and didn't wait for an answer. She just acted like we were inconveniencing her. She grabbed check a minute after she brought it back and was annoyed that it hadn't been signed yet. Then she began cleaning the bar and turned out the lights out while we - and another table - were still there.
(2)Nichole S.
While I hate writing terrible reviews I feel like this experience was necessary. My parents and I sat at a booth in the bar area, which was not crowded at all and received no service within the first 10 minutes of being there. While watching the waitress Emily giggle and drink her soda in the corner we decided to move to the bar in hopes that the bartender could provide better service. Cheryl, the bartender was amazing and went above and beyond to provide excellent service while making casual conversation which I think is great! I wish my experience started with Cheryl because it would be a 5 star review between her service, drinks, and the food.
(2)Nicole P.
I love their new menu items (new a year or so ago). I highly recommend their veggie enchiladas, even my chicken loving husband loves them. This place has improved quite a bit over the years. Fast, friendly and helpful 5 star service. Good good and great drinks. Perfect chips and a variety of decent salsa. All right in my neighborhood!
(4)Chris B.
I hate giving bad reviews, but this place is not good. The roasted jalapeño rellenos were terrible. The Pollo Fundido is supposedly one of the more popular dishes, but was very bland. The trio of salsas and chips they provide were ok, but nothing special. The wait staff were friendly and attentive.
(2)Jenn W.
Came here because we heard it was where the locals came and thought it might be a hidden gem - alas, it was not. It didn't have to coolness of the original El Encanto and the setting was not as interesting. It took quite a while for our waitress to come to our table, we had to ask for refills, and the food was lackluster. Green chile had no taste/heat - my son (17 months) accidentally got a bite of green sauce and never batted an eye. We will stick with the original El Encanto at least the vibe is better there.
(2)F Trey O.
Dead spices, limp chips, unimaginative salsa. Tacos are tasteless, enchiladas are small. This restaurant caters to snow birds who think this is Mexican tradition. Taco meat? It's not real Mexican flavored, it tastes as though they are trying to stretch spices for cost savings. Drinks are unoriginal. Margaritas are......NOT. Ask for a swirl, margarita blended with sangria and prepare for a dumbfounded look. Cleanliness lacks! Prepare for menus doused in stale salsa. Tables crusty with dried......whatever from the last patrons. Both restaurants are the same. After giving this group almost two years of patronage, nothing changes. One day I hope it's food will match its decor. Tourists trap.
(1)Maree T.
The food was great ! Must try the fundito and the flan is the best I think I have tried ... Wendy our waitress made our dinner special ... She took extra care of me and my family (there was 8 total). She had a many great suggestions and kept a big smile through it all :)
(5)Art M.
Wow! What a disappointment for this once great place. Food was still acceptable but no football, just really loud, ear splitting music. So loud the customers complaints must not have been heard because it just kept on cranking. The adjacent table left mad.....we left with a headache.
(2)Nikki K.
Good atmosphere with good food. Not quite the same ambience as the original El Encanto but always a good experience. I love their Pollo Fundido dish and their Prickly Pear margaritas.
(5)Jennifer W.
Not a good experience. We usually come on the weekends now and then for a nice wine and lunch experience. This time, both were bad. First, they quit carrying the Falling Star Sauvignon Blanc, and had no other Sauvignon Blanc to offer. The waiter took forever to get me any wine at all. I have asked a few times in the past months for them to carry the Falling Star again, but no avail. My chicken torta was dry and horrible. It literally had no flavor, I had to ask for mayonaise!! I have had some amazing tortas in my life and I was expecting something fabulous. Service was so very slow, we were so disappointed. I love the building, the huge patio, the chance to buy fresh produce, and the food used to be very good, but I probably won't be back again. With high prices, I expect amazing food and a good drink selection. Table salsas were very good though.
(1)R-unit K.
Food was fantastic. Great Salsa!. The ambiance is a bit off as well as the service but I would go back for the food!!!!
(4)Valerie M.
Amazing! We had appetizers that were out of this world. The Jalapeño Relleno was to die for. When the Manager found out this was our first time, she offered us a complementary dessert. Very nice & yummy too.
(5)Scott P.
Love it!
(4)Alyssa C.
Such great food! They even had a man playing music and singing for everyone. Great atmosphere. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Tracie C.
Always a favorite. Late lunch on a Sunday. Sat in the bar since it was an in between time and had great service and quick lunch. Tostada for me, carnitas burro for him. And of course a small pitcher of margarita's, frozen since it's such a hot day. I always appreciate a lunch menu for small portions than dinner.
(4)Julie W.
I've been here countless times and I order the pollo fundido every time! Its so rich and delicious I can't order anything else. I like how I can order a full or half plate of it. Great service and love the atmosphere. Live music on most weekends too.. Inside and outside seating.
(5)Azam A.
Nothing special about this restaurant. At best mediocre quality food and service. They claim to have their own veggie garden but my salad reflect opposite. Not worth a special trip to try out this restaurant.
(2)Chrysty C.
I've been here twice in the past 3 weeks. The first time was for a huge girl scout leader award dinner. We had our food catered and it was delicious. They gave us more than enough food and the service was fine--nothing special. I probably would have given it a 4-star rating. But last week we came here for a happy hour/good bye party and it was awful!!! When I came in a little late, I went straight to the bar for my drink. It's a good thing I did because the bartender was also our server and I later found out that he hadn't even served our table their drinks yet. So I received my drink before everyone else who had been there a lot earlier than I had. The bartender was extremely rude and unhappy. He seemed flustered the entire time. I'm not sure why we didn't have another server out there since there were about 20-30 of us. The restaurant was pretty empty besides us. This was a Thursday at about 5pm. I went to the bar to order my food since all my friends were complaining about how slow he was with ordering from the table. Luckily I think a manager came by and saw me waiting at the bar, so he took my order. I ordered the street tacos from the happy hour menu. Yuck. I didn't care for them at all. I just ate the carne asada off the taco. My margarita was okay, but I had to repeatedly go to the bathroom to wash my hands because the syrup must have been all over the glass making my hands sticky. The floor was also gross and sticky. My shoes were sticking as I walked. My biggest complaint however, was that they would not honor their happy hour prices for us. Their reasoning was because we had such a big group. I think that is ridiculous and unfair. I plan a lot of happy hours for my work, and I will never plan one for here again. They will be missing out on a lot of business. Oh well.... It's too bad because I have heard that they have really good food. I just don't think I'll be here again.
(3)Sandra L.
Worse Mexican food I have ever ate! I come from Ohio and had better food than this place! Had a chicken dish with no seasoning or veggies! Dried chicken with a dollop of creamy white sauce does not make a good dish. The manager even came by and stated he would not charge me for the extra sauce I requested to help give the dish some flavor! Also who serves a margarita in a water glass???? Never again, a waste of money!
(1)Anne K.
Been looking for a good mexican restaurant since I moved to Arizona. Came here for lunch, and it wasn't busy at all for being noon. Got complimentary chips and salsa. The waiter helped us with ordering and even brought out some of the sauces for us to try. He recommended the enchiladas, so I order the chicken ones with green sauce. I was overall very impressed with them and so were my friends.
(4)Melissa M.
This place has great ambience and could be great.... Unfortunately, the service is terrible!! Such a disappointment!
(1)Nancy G.
We went there on a Monday afternoon. It was slightly crowded. We sat in the bar area. It took a while to be noticed. We placed our order which came in good time. The meal was terrible. I ordered pollo fundido and did not like it at all. The only thing I could taste was sour cream. I would not go back, I would sooner drive to Phoenix and get better food.
(1)Jack N.
Bad service? Try atrocious. The place looked jam packed. We ask for a table for two. We were told by the manager it would be 35 to 40 minute wait. No big deal we will have a drink at the bar and wait. The bartender was extremely rude. We order two drinks and as soon as she turns around to fetch them our pager goes off. Thinking it's a mistake because it's been about three minutes I go to check at the front. No mistake. We tab out grab our drinks and head to our seat. We were sat in the corner of a huge room next to a party of 50. Who goes out to dinner with 20 people? Seriously? The little Harry potter looking kid that sat us down literally said just a warning we are all very short tempered tonight. I look at my wife and tilted my head. I said I hope none of them have guns. Like biggie smalls said, "Yep, tote chrome for situations like this". Back to the review, Harry potter dropped his warning and flew off on his broom without leaving any menus. No worries we had brought our drinks and chips and salsa from the bar. Real vets here. Finally another guy drops more chips and three salsas off. He also flashed away before I could ask for menus. 15 minutes later a sweaty stressed female runs up about 15 feet from our table and gives me the one second finger. Seems how we were miming I mimed bring some menus please. She lipped back ok thank you. 10 minutes later she arrived with menus but no water. She then also flashed away before I could ask for some. I felt like I was at a horrible cirque de soleil at this point with awful salsa and iced down drinks. She finally comes back and takes our order. Apologizes for how shitty the service is and says she will bring water back. 10 minutes later she runs up and says oh waters right be right back. Dying of thirst I'm like a camel tapping into my reserve hump. Aka my wife's drink. We get waters and she takes our orders and literally 20 minutes later she appears and say you guys are going to be so upset. I forgot to put in your order and can't find your slip. I should have got up and left right then. But my wife didn't concur when I gave her the have you had enough look. Well of course it is all your fault. You took the order and have the task of delivering it to the kitchen you worthless fool I yelled at her. Just kidding, we regave her our order and she said the manager is in line waiting and it will be done first thing. 15 minutes later the manager brings it out, says it's hot and asks if would like anything else? Yes, we would like 1.5 hours of our life back, we would like our meal to be comped, and we would like an apology. Reality: I think that's all. We eat, pay our bill, after 10 minutes of waiting for our waitress. Then we cheersed our water cups and said never again. Ever. Oh the food you ask? Slightly better than Arribas. Don't say I didn't warn you.
(1)Zee J.
Horrible meal tonight!!! Food came cold, flowers on table dead, place not clean (food on floor), "crispy" fish taco soggy not edible...won't return and won't take all those 100 visiting relatives here either!! Ice water was good = 1 star!! (Didn't have a choice for zero stars!!)
(1)Kyle J.
I prefer this location over the original in cavecreek strictly on service and accessibility but if I must say I think their food is a bit better as well. My parents frequent this location on a weekly basis and occasionally I get to tag along and participate in the fun. Every lunch or dinner usually starts off with chips and salsa (3 types) and a large pitcher of frozen margaritas. El Encanto Dos has basically ruined margaritas for me, as its hard to find any as strong and as good tasting anywhere else. They just taste right!! But watch yourself, like I said, they are potent. I don't change up my selections very often because the Pollo Fundido is just too delicious to stray away from. I suggest it to everyone if they are unsure on what looks good to them or just want my opinion on something to get. It's a must try at El Encanto and I would suggest getting a half size portion just because it is so filling. The mild but tangy cream sauce will keep you coming back time and time again. As for service, My family and I threw a surprise 60th birthday for my dad here and all of the staff helped out and made it really special for him . They accommodated our 30 or so guests and had special menus out for our party. We couldn't have asked for a better set of staff to help us with a such a special event. And to top it off the service is like that all the time. They are always super helpful, recognize the regulars, and are very friendly at all times.
(5)Jason S.
The food is outstanding. I've had several different entrees and liked them all. I love the salsa trio to get my meal started as well. The main issue here is the service. Things tend to move slow and you often have to grab your servers attention. If you can handle that consistent issue the food is well worth it!
(4)Milan E.
Margaritas are the best anywhere! Love the staff, love the service! This is the first place we take out of town guests and they immediately feel right at home. Always our #1 choice!
(5)Shane W.
The atmosphere is what really makes this place. The waterfall out front, the cantina feel of the outside eating, the decorative tables and art on the walls all lends to the good feelings you get when you walk in. The food is great as well. The mole sauce is one of the best I've had. You will not go wrong if you're looking for great Mexican food.
(4)Kyle L.
Ok, here it goes. Came here with my wife for her birthday. Upon arrival, looks great, pond out front is a nice touch. Outdoor seating in the right weather looks like it could be really nice. Inside, its fine. Chips and salsa were delivered right away, and quite good to boot. Wife ordered chicken fajitas and I ordered beef fajitas. When they arrived, everything seemed OK, although both seemed overly greasy, and after a few bites, it was very greasy. The beef and the chicken had zero seasoning on them, they were both very bland. The sides they give to build the fajita are ok, but no sour cream? Seemed odd to have to pay for a side of sour cream when we were paying $18 per plate of fajitas. The house-made guac was very average. One last note about the beef - it was cooked to well done which made it quite tough. The portions were quite large. The service was good; offered informed suggestions and was prompt and polite. Overall, the experience was fun with the wifey. But the $18 fajitas left much to be desired. Havent decided if we will give this place another try.
(2)Daren C.
We had a great meal here. I am not sure if it is new owners or what but the place was clean, the food was perfectly prepared and alot of it too. I had the sampler platter, the pollo fundito was one of the best i have had, filled with white meat, perfect spice to the sauce, the beans were good, the chips and salsa was really good. We will go back, and judging by the 100's of others there, so will they. Please try it and let us know.
(4)Gene H.
Love eating here, wait staff is great, atmosphere is lively especially when they have live music. Patio is also amazing to sit on this time of year. I often order something off the menu and they never have an issue with it. Also the margaritas are just amazing. Would eat here every day if I could.
(5)Lance N.
Had fun at the open Catina area, but that's about all. This was only our second time at El Encanto Dos, but it was not any better. Food is mediocre at best and over priced for Mexican food. Our server had no personality what so ever. It seems that more and more servers are from Boringtown. The service was extremely slow as well. With plenty of Mexican food restaurants to choose from, this one is STILL at the bottom of our list.
(2)John M.
Drove by this place on the way back from a meeting. Checked it out on Yelp decided to give it a try, and I was not disappointed. They give you 3 different salsas and chips the minute you're seated at the table. All are very good. Tried the Pollo Fundido, as so many on Yelp had recommended it. It lived up to the reviews. I will say this, though, it is not a light lunch by any means. Eat this baby at noon, and you'll be snoozing by 2 PM in your chair at the office. Many things in the menu looked tasty. Wish I were in the area more often so I could try the rest.
(5)Fred C.
Was here about a year ago, and the food was fair at best, thought we would give it another try....bad move! Went there on Sunday, May 5th. The parking lot was full for the "Cinco". What a disappointment! The food was bland...don't order anything with "So Called Steak" in it...so tough I couldn't eat it, and I have had better salsa out of a jar! In all fairness, the beer was cold! Really felt like we wasted $60.00.....
(1)Sean K.
Service is more on the rude side... We found a hair in our water and when we asked the waitress for new water and glasses the she acted upset and inconvenience and did not apologized. The establishment over all is dirty. The food was good, not good enough to come back.
(2)Christina S.
We were excited to try this place out, we love mexican and heard good things. Big let down. The food was average, but the service was terrible. My 2 year old couldn't sit and wait anymore, I ended lunch walking around outside with him because our food took so long. No drink or chip refills. Come on people! Skip this place and go to the original El Encanto instead.
(2)Mike B.
I just changed their menu it's a little more streamlined now. I had the plato burro with carnitas, chimichonga style. some of the best carnitas I've ever had!
(4)Leisa W.
Wow, this place has mixed reviews. And you are about to see another one. Let's start with the first impression. I love the ambiance; the mexican tile and the porch and all of it just works for me. I was excited for what was to come! That excitement was dulled a bit by the LOOOOONNGG wait for service. I have only been there twice: once in the earlier evening hours on a weekday, and once on a Saturday around 2pm. Both times I was with a group of 6-8 people, so I was chatting and it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but if I had had a margarita in my hand it would have been much better. Once the margarita came, I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, I had plowed almost through it before my food came (and I was taking tiny little sips). This is a great way to make customers order more drinks, but NOT a good way to keep them happy. I ordered the combo beef & chicken fajita quesadilla. I LOVED it. I dreamed about it later. I should explain; I'm kind of a mexican food wimp and I don't like super-spicy (and my experience in Phoenix was that lots of mexican food was super-spicy), but this was just flavorful. I know, it's a really gringo kind of meal, but I loved it. The chips and salsa and guacamole were great too. Now we have ambiance, food and drinks on the positive side and service on the negative. The thing is, the service problem kept recurring like a bad chorus in a song. Every time I thought, "This food is so good I've almost forgiven them," the server would disappear again. So, I just don't know how I feel about them. I guess, if I'm ever around there again, I might sit at the bar and have a margarita..or I would go when I wasn't very hungry, or I would order takeout. And if you feel oddly dissatisfied with this review, you'll know exactly how I feel about El Encanto Dos.
(3)Ebony W.
This place was recommended to me by one of my neighbors as the "go to " mexican place to eat with my family, so i decided to give it a try. The food was very tasty, I had the chicken burro. You get so much for the money which is a good thing in these economic times! The premade magaritas will make you smack yo mama. Mango is my absolute favorite. Give the other flavors a try, you may find your as well. One flaw that I found was the dirty menus, but all in all, a good place to take a hot date if you enjoy a romantic atmosphere with desert landscaping out in the sticks....Peace
(3)Jessica P.
Food is AWESOME. Ambiance, ok, but the tables needed to be cleaned. Service, terrible. It took forever to get our food, to get our bill, to get our cards back... I won't actively seek out this place until I do takeout for the food.
(3)Pity D.
I'm hooked on their steak quesadilla with green chili sauce like a ten dollar hooker to crack. It's that good. I have dreams about it. Damn good strawberry margaritas as well. And like Daren writes, the pollo fundido is pretty amazing. Also recommend the pollo chimi with green chili sauce and sour cream. Or red chili sauce... Both are great. Best Mexican I've found anywhere in the valley so far. Bring your appetite because the portions are huge. My only gripes are that the service at the inside bar almost always sucks and the cheapskate moron of an owner needs to fix the ridiculous urinal that's about 10' off the floor in the men's bathroom.
(4)Karen R.
We loved the polio fundido. The outside patio was cute. Our waiter Rich was excellent! We will be back again when we start working out.
(4)Elizabeth A.
This is our local joint and a favorite place to visit for a tasty meal. The staff is friendly, and most of the time on the ball. Be prepared to wait on a Friday or Saturday night. The big hit, the Pollo Fundito, best in the North Phoenix area. Pork Carnitas are great to! Margarita fan, well this is the place. Get the frozen (they are more potent) and sit back on the patio. They grow fresh veggies right there on location. A staple restaurant for this family and worth the trip up to Desert Hills.
(4)Breann M.
I've been here a few times. I keep wanna to give them a shot but my experience the other night will be my last. I've gone back because I've never had a horrible experience until Friday night. The server was not very good. We had to ask on several occasions to bring us our drinks or silverware and napkins. We waited for our food for about 45 minutes. When we finally received or food it was cold and mushy. My tamlae tasted like i was eating bread not masa and my taco was mush. The salsa was very very bland. I had to add some salt to give it at least some kind of taste. I understand if the restaurant is busy but you still need to have good service and food good enough or at least warm enough to want to eat. I will not be eating here again and would rather drive into town to get Mexican food. Very disappointing. So much that we're still talking about how awful it was.
(1)Tracy L.
We live very close to "Dos" so we know the manager, most of the wait staff, and just about every item on the menu. On the weekends, Maria is the best manager if you have any issues or want to pay a compliment - she is great. Ask for Isla as a waitress if she's working - she's the best. Just about everything on the menu is worth getting except the red tamales (substitute the green corn tamale and you won't be disappointed) and the fish tacos can be a little light on the fish. If it's the chef's special night - go with the special... usually, it's really fantastic. The chicken enchiladas mole is really good if you like mole. It's all good - including the desserts. I highly recommend this restaurant if you want good mexican food in a laid back atmosphere - and if the weather is pristine, you'll want to sit outside!
(5)Steve L.
Foods good and the service sucks!
(2)Brian T.
Came here with a crew of 5 adults and 4 small children. This was early on a saturday evening and the restaurant was not crowded. We were told that we would have a 40 min wait!! I looked around and saw tons of open tables. They said that they did not have another server so they were limited to tables. I couldnt grasp that answer so I asked to see the manager. 5 min later we had a table. Was kinda amazed by that whole ordeal. The food was good and the beer was cold. Ambiance was ok but still couldnt get past the initial seating ordeal. Prices were slightly high considering we were in a "remote" area but not too bad.
(3)Laurie L.
We've had both dinner and lunch here and the food has always been very good. The atmosphere is very nice - fireplace, outdoor dining, Mexican tile. We've also had excellent waitresses every single time we've been there! We're looking forward to their farmer's market that should start in October!
(5)Twitch R.
I am a huge fan of Mexican food and this place rocks. Although it can be a bit noisy at times, the food is amazing. I especially love the fajitas and the sampler plate. I have to say after the sampler plate - there was little room left for the main course.
(5)Meryl W.
LOVE it....worth the drive...great outdoor patio...chips/salsa/margaritas fabulous!
(4)Wendy F.
Finally........I've been out here for several yrs now, and haven't found a place that I really like everything about. Well here it is. Service was excellent. Food was delicious. Atmosphere ---can't beat it. Will definitely be back.
(5)Richard S.
Seriously the best mexican food ever! I'm in love, I think!
(5)Rebecca S.
wow. i can see why this place needed a second location! i have a new favorite mexican restaurant and its name is el encanto dos! let's start with drinks. my prickly pear margarita was fantastic. his beer was cold, and reasonably priced to boot! the cute little carafe of water (with a lemon slice) on the table was a nice touch as well. it was that kind of attention to detail that impressed me. next was the chips and salsa. i didn't get the feeling that the chips were made in house (boo), but the salsa tasted like it was. it had a little spicy kick and the ingredients tasted very fresh. and now the food ... what a wow factor! the beef taquitos were our starter. they were crispy and the meat was plentiful. the avocado/tomatillo dipping sauce was super yummy! for the main event i had to take daren c. and pity d.'s advice on the fundido. when delivered, it did not disappoint ... a cheesy, white meat chicken delight. by far the best one i've ever had. he had the shredded beef tacos and said they were very good ... they must have been because he cleaned his plate before i could snag a bite. we both loved the rice and i was kicking myself saturday morning that i didn't bring it home with me for breakfast. our meal was timed perfectly. prices were just right. our server never pulled a disappearing act. our meal for 2 was $55 including a 20% tip. a perfect, reasonably priced restaurant to take out of town guests to that will impress without being pretentious. as we left i imagined having a relaxing meal on a cool fall evening on the el encanto dos patio ... i can't wait!
(5)Stef Y.
Hmm... Nonplussed. Mind draws a blank when I think of a positive, and grows tired of all the negative that begin to stir. So, the interior is somewhat attractive, but does not distinguish itself from other restaurants. I may not have ordered the piece de resistance here, but I did order something I thought would ignite "tasty" in my mouth, but didn't. Overcooked eggs, mutilated, also overdone chorizo. Chewed this stuff with a crying smile. Don't order off the Sunday brunch. One of those places not worth the drive.
(1)Jason B.
Flavorless salsa, but maybe it is the head cold. I had a bowl of Albongas soup which was actually pretty good. Still prefer a bowl accompanied by flour tortillas, chopped onion and cilantro. The taquitos were comparable to anything I could get in frozen section of grocery aisle. The guacamole that topped taquitos was poor. All in all not a great meal. Service and decor were great though.
(3)Monica p.
El Encanto (Cave Creek) and El Encanto Dos (Carefree Hwy) are not owned by the same folks as the original El Encanto restaurant located in Cave Creek and nor is the food nearly as good as. The food at El Encanto Dos is over rated! In the past month or so the portions have dwindled to the point that when I order the steak fajitas, I think of vegetable fajitas with a touch of tough steak. The flour tortillas are so hard and dry they might as well be made of cardboard. Not worth the drive!! An experience you can live without!!!
(1)Jessica W.
This place is great - the service is always top-notch and the food is consistently good. Love the pollo fundido!!! Great margaritas, too!
(4)Shanna N.
was a little disappointed in their menu.. nice decor, okay servers.. didnt try their margaritas but hear great things. food wasnt that great, i felt like i couldve had a better experience at taco bell
(3)Craig F.
It might just be that we didn't order the right stuff or that they have Americanized too much. My short impression is that the food was bland and pretty dull. My wife ordered the Tacitos and while these are usually bland by design, it's the dipping sauce that gives them life and the Avacado sauce was disappointing as an over whipped Avacado. My daughter at the age of two is an incredible fan of Mexican Rice and Beans and she wouldn't touch them here, she only ate the chips and salsa, which admittingly and disappointingly was the high-life of the mean. I had the most order Pollo Fundido, the chicken (while all white meat) was extremely bland, the only thing that saved this dish was the jalapeno cheese sauce on top. It actually had life and would make a great Con Queso dip in it's own rights. I would like to see the meat livened up with a little jalapeno and salsa. Show me the food I would see when visiting friends having a Fiesta, I know it's there, let it out and show your full potential as a Mexican resturant.
(2)Nancy S.
When we first went here about a year ago, the food was good, decent portions, ok service. Over the next few months, it all went downhill. The restaurant got dirty, as mentioned by other reviewers, the waitstaff got a bad attitude, and the food was no longer very good....small portions, burnt or undercooked. So we haven't been back in about 4 months and will not go back again.
(1)Colleen M.
Very consistent and great food... Close to home too so we frequent this place a lot. It's not that the food is amazing but it's pretty authentic Mexican American and we like it. Really love their salsa trio that comes with complimentary chips (especially the green variety). Tasty margaritas and I love the Flan if I have any room left... We like to sit in the bar area. Pretty fast service in there. When it's not too hot the patio is fun to hang out on with friends. A pitcher of margaritas, chips, salsa and some yummy guacamole makes for a fun happy hour with friends too!
(5)Mike V.
I've lived in the valley for 30 years, so I have had the opportunity to try many different Mexican restaurants. On Sunday evening, September, 6th, at around 5:00 pm, my wife and I decided to give El Encanto Dos a try. There was a healthy supply of cars in the parking lot which is always a good sign to us. Upon arriving, we were greeted with architecture and decorations that were lively and gave us the feeling we were in old Mexico. Our server was Mary, who was pleasant, helpful, and on top of things throughout our entire dining experience. As I watched other diner/server interactions in our section, pleasant, prompt and courteous service seemed to be the rule, rather than the exception. I was equally impressed with the general manager, Maria, who made regular rounds checking on customers and eliciting feedback, all while wearing a pleasant smile and helping to create a pleasant environment, and one in in which you genuinely felt the manager was actively involved and on top of things, rather than camped out in an office somewhere. On to the food; first we were brought complimentary chips which were warm and crispy. With the chips came green salsa, house sauce, and red chipotle sauce. These were the perfect compliment to the chips and none were too hot, although, the red chipotle sauce does have a nice kick to it. Next, my wife and I looked at the menu and after seeing several things we wanted, decided we'd share our food. First up was the appetizer, 2 shrimp tacos for $9.99 described on the menu as "Fresh shrimp inside two lightly fried corn tortillas, filled with lettuce, queso fresco, red onions, shredded carrots and crema fresca." These were delicious! Each taco was stuffed to the max with filling and El Encanto did not skimp on the shrimp! The first entree we ordered was the Plato Burro (from the menu) "A fresh flour tortilla filled with your choice of filling. Served with Mexican rice & refried beans. May be deep fried. Shredded chicken, Carnitas, refried beans or vegetables 10.99 Green chile beef or shredded beef 12.99 Carne or Pollo Asada 14.99. Add sauce 1.99 Sub whole wheat tortilla .99" We ordered ours with shredded beef, deep fried, covered with fundido sauce. The shredded beef had a wonderfully seasoned taste and the fundido sauce is out of this world! The only suggestion I would make, is if you order one deep fried, get the sauce on the side, so your deep fried shell remains crispy throughout the meal. For our second entree, we ordered the seafood enchiladas ( from the menu) "El Encanto's famous blend of shrimp and bay scallops fill two flour tortilla enchiladas. They are topped with green sauce and a dollop of fundido sauce. Served with black beans and rice. 14.99" There were a lot of shrimps and scallops in the enchiladas! Combined with the sauces, this dish was superb and well worth the price. My wife decided to try a frozen margarita and was offered a choice from one of many different flavors including regular, strawberry, banana, mango, prickly pear, etc. She went with the regular flavor of which I had a few sips. So nice to be able to drink a margarita in which the taste of a quality tequila is prevalent! A server told us the margaritas were addicting and she was right! The wife and I agreed that El Encanto Dos Margaritas would definitely be included in future visits. Finally, the rice and beans served with dinner at other Mexican restaurants have never been a favorite of my wife's, nor mine, and usually end up in a doggy bag to be tossed at a later date, The flavor and consistency of El Encanto's black beans, refried beans, and rice, are so good, we cleaned our plates. It wasn't until I went to write my review that I read some of the other comments about El Encanto Dos. I was extremely surprised because I couldn't find one negative thing about our experience...and I looked hard. If you've never tried El Encanto Dos, I'd encourage you to give it a chance, and decide for yourself if I just had a lucky experience, or if it's as good as I say! I know I'll definitely be back!
(5)Nicole C.
This is the second time I am leaving this restaurant before ordering. The service is terrible. Wait staff is very snotty and when we told the manager we were leaving because they could not accommodate an elderly customer they charged us for the two iced teas and a soda ... Terrible service. And then we had to wait to pay.
(1)Ellen N.
Went back with a friend of mine (not my choice) from out of town who LOVED Encanto when she lived here. I tried convincing her to go elsewhere because the place is so awful now. Well, our drinks were horrible to start off with. A piña colada that was riddled with ice chunks, no flavor, and half of the glass was filled with whipped cream. Ordering the pollo fundido, I got what I expected. A dry, flavorless chicken filling wrapped in a greasy tortilla. The fundido sauce WAS good, however it was cold, and just not worth the jacked up price they charge. Never. Ever. Again. Even if an out of town friend wants to go. I'll take my business down the road to Plaza Bonita instead.
(1)Corina B.
Horrible food, great service but very disappointed in the food definitely not true authentic Mexican food. More Americanized then I'd like. Tried it for the second time perhaps it's what I ate the last time. I will not return to eat here.
(1)Eric B.
Love the beef fajitas ! Great service and great ambience. This is a wonderful place to bring the family too and it's priced perfectly!
(4)Cheryl C.
Great food, and our family of eight tried a number of different items and no one was dissatisfied. The pollo Fundito was a big hit by a few people in the party. Our server Wendy was terrific! She was attentive, friendly, and ready with descriptions and recommendations. The skinny margaritas were yummy with a nice bit of tang. We also sampled a few desserts. The winner was the Flan,but only by a small margin over the three other desserts tried. I would recommend you stop in and try the food if you are near Cave Creek. In another month or so sitting on the patio for your meal will be fabulous.
(5)Caitlin R.
Great food and awesome service! Love the atmosphere... Would highly recommend the spinach queso dip they offer and the pollo fundido for an entree is fantastic! The chips and salsa are tasty... Also, in the winter, sitting outside is so fun!! Love the outside bar with super friendly bartenders! My favorite server is Natalie, she's always upbeat, happy and does a great job!
(5)Brandon K.
I don't understand the reviews. Don't most people know this is American Mexican and not authentic Mexican ? If you want authentic go to la parilla suiza. It's a completely different food. If you want great Mexican food this a great place. Service was great. Queso dip was a little watery but the flavor was awesome. The pollo fundidos were also good. You will like this place. Great chips and salsa. Perfect margaritas. And normal quality mex American food. I would really ignore the other reviews. When someone only posts 3 horrible reviews and that's it, it should tell you something.
(4)Laurie H.
Overpriced and snotty waitress! Skip the Dos and go to the original El Encanto in Cave Creek!
(1)Karen L.
The food here was just fine, average American Mexican food. The frozen margaritas also were fine, although they were from a machine. The service, however, was subpar. Our waitress was so so rude. She never introduced herself, never said hello, and never smiled. She came over twice and just basically said "what do you want to order" without any pleasantries at all. Later she swept by and asked how is your food, very perfunctorily and didn't wait for an answer. She just acted like we were inconveniencing her. She grabbed check a minute after she brought it back and was annoyed that it hadn't been signed yet. Then she began cleaning the bar and turned out the lights out while we - and another table - were still there.
(2)Nicole P.
I love their new menu items (new a year or so ago). I highly recommend their veggie enchiladas, even my chicken loving husband loves them. This place has improved quite a bit over the years. Fast, friendly and helpful 5 star service. Good good and great drinks. Perfect chips and a variety of decent salsa. All right in my neighborhood!
(4)Chris B.
I hate giving bad reviews, but this place is not good. The roasted jalapeño rellenos were terrible. The Pollo Fundido is supposedly one of the more popular dishes, but was very bland. The trio of salsas and chips they provide were ok, but nothing special. The wait staff were friendly and attentive.
(2)F Trey O.
Dead spices, limp chips, unimaginative salsa. Tacos are tasteless, enchiladas are small. This restaurant caters to snow birds who think this is Mexican tradition. Taco meat? It's not real Mexican flavored, it tastes as though they are trying to stretch spices for cost savings. Drinks are unoriginal. Margaritas are......NOT. Ask for a swirl, margarita blended with sangria and prepare for a dumbfounded look. Cleanliness lacks! Prepare for menus doused in stale salsa. Tables crusty with dried......whatever from the last patrons. Both restaurants are the same. After giving this group almost two years of patronage, nothing changes. One day I hope it's food will match its decor. Tourists trap.
(1)Maree T.
The food was great ! Must try the fundito and the flan is the best I think I have tried ... Wendy our waitress made our dinner special ... She took extra care of me and my family (there was 8 total). She had a many great suggestions and kept a big smile through it all :)
(5)Nikki K.
Good atmosphere with good food. Not quite the same ambience as the original El Encanto but always a good experience. I love their Pollo Fundido dish and their Prickly Pear margaritas.
(5)R-unit K.
Food was fantastic. Great Salsa!. The ambiance is a bit off as well as the service but I would go back for the food!!!!
(4)Valerie M.
Amazing! We had appetizers that were out of this world. The Jalapeño Relleno was to die for. When the Manager found out this was our first time, she offered us a complementary dessert. Very nice & yummy too.
(5)Ray S.
Been eating here since they opened Dos. In fact, to get there, we drive right by El Encanto in Cave Creek. We like Dos better! Very efficient wait staff (we always eat in the bar). I love their chicken burros doused in mild salsa. That mild salsa is made up of nearly 20 different items and has never let us down. Our chips are always great! Love the place and the staff, Just wish El Encanto was as good to save us the miles!
(5)Joseph S.
Great food. One of our favorite places for Mexican food. We usually drive 30 mins out of our way to eat here. :)
(5)Jeff M.
Chips and salsas were very good. Albondigos soup was fantastic with tasty meatballs. Seafood Enchiladas very good but a little salty. This is one of the better Mexican places. I can only guess that the negative reviewers have no clue on good Mexican.
(4)Curtiss M.
Came here on Cinco de Mayo, so they were very busy. Service was good & the staff was friendly. Expected some sort of drink specials but there was only 1 marg which had jalapeño in it, so opted out of that. House margs made w/ cheap Sauza tequila were $7. Ouch! I had a beef taco salad which was very good w/ tasty strips of steak. My wife had a cup of albondiga soup. It's only resemblance to authentic albondigas was that it had meatballs in it. It was more like canned soup. Overall, our dinner was not very satisfying.
(3)S H.
Love it. The prices are decent, staff is friendly, if mistakes are made all is corrected in a friendly and timely manner. To go orders are handled well, and the food is still hot by the time I complete the 6+ mile drive home. The pollo fundido is my favorite dish.
(4)Jesse M.
Defently do not recommend this place.... The waiter admitted that they pre-cook there carne asada two days prior to serving it to their customers!!! Warm it up and serve it!! Just not right!!!!
(1)Ken K.
Okay perhaps it's only 4 stars but I have to counteract people who give it 1 for silly reasons. Not authentic Mexican? Perhaps not standard but Mexico is a big place. Had vegi enchiladas and my wife had vegi fajitas. Delicious, fresh, crunchy vegetables. Nicely flavored, not too spicy. I may ask for some jalapeños sliced next time, I like spicy. Hesitated because of yelp but the place is always packed. There is a reason. Give it a try.
(5)Jennifer B.
I am obsessed with this place their food is amazing! You couldn't order anything on the menus and not like it! The food and drinks are great the service is mostly good! Understanding they are crazy busy helps! The parking isn't ideal but it's okay! But I definitely RECOMMEND! It's amazing food try the sampler!
(5)Catherine F.
Food is delicious and margaritas are fabulous! Love the midori margaritas! Chimichanga is a favorite!
(4)John S.
Terrible rude waitress. Never said Happy Easter. It's like we were a huge inconvenience for being there. The one on Cave Creek Rd is managed 10x better. The food was satisfactory not the best I've ever had.
(1)Sandi T.
Very disappointed that our favorite Mexican restaurant completely disappointed us on Cinco Di Mayo. We went there completely out of our way only to find no celebration. We came from Georgia where all the restaurants give away T-shirts and celebrate with all kind if fun things. Our drinks were in plastic and service was slow. We will find a different restaurant next year, actually we aren't sure this will be on our list again,
(2)Barbara S.
Went in last night everything was great, we always order the south of the border sampler which has a little bit of everything and plenty to take home...pollo fundido, tostadas, mini chimis, taquitos and beans...yum yum wish they had this at the other one on cave creek but they took it off the menu years ago and changed it up to things we don.t like....miss the turtles in the pond!!
(5)David H.
Horrible!!! My food was cold and so were the chips. I have been here twice thinking that everybody has a bad day, but the second time was just as bad as the first.
(1)Kandace F.
Good food. Decent prices. Service is always good and reliable and it is close to home. The pollo fundido is amazing. Not the best for traditional Mexican food and the Chimi is disappointing but they are good on other dishes and great for group meals.
(4)Nichole S.
While I hate writing terrible reviews I feel like this experience was necessary. My parents and I sat at a booth in the bar area, which was not crowded at all and received no service within the first 10 minutes of being there. While watching the waitress Emily giggle and drink her soda in the corner we decided to move to the bar in hopes that the bartender could provide better service. Cheryl, the bartender was amazing and went above and beyond to provide excellent service while making casual conversation which I think is great! I wish my experience started with Cheryl because it would be a 5 star review between her service, drinks, and the food.
(2)Jenn W.
Came here because we heard it was where the locals came and thought it might be a hidden gem - alas, it was not. It didn't have to coolness of the original El Encanto and the setting was not as interesting. It took quite a while for our waitress to come to our table, we had to ask for refills, and the food was lackluster. Green chile had no taste/heat - my son (17 months) accidentally got a bite of green sauce and never batted an eye. We will stick with the original El Encanto at least the vibe is better there.
(2)Art M.
Wow! What a disappointment for this once great place. Food was still acceptable but no football, just really loud, ear splitting music. So loud the customers complaints must not have been heard because it just kept on cranking. The adjacent table left mad.....we left with a headache.
(2)Jennifer W.
Not a good experience. We usually come on the weekends now and then for a nice wine and lunch experience. This time, both were bad. First, they quit carrying the Falling Star Sauvignon Blanc, and had no other Sauvignon Blanc to offer. The waiter took forever to get me any wine at all. I have asked a few times in the past months for them to carry the Falling Star again, but no avail. My chicken torta was dry and horrible. It literally had no flavor, I had to ask for mayonaise!! I have had some amazing tortas in my life and I was expecting something fabulous. Service was so very slow, we were so disappointed. I love the building, the huge patio, the chance to buy fresh produce, and the food used to be very good, but I probably won't be back again. With high prices, I expect amazing food and a good drink selection. Table salsas were very good though.
(1)Scott P.
Love it!
(4)Alyssa C.
Such great food! They even had a man playing music and singing for everyone. Great atmosphere. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Tracie C.
Always a favorite. Late lunch on a Sunday. Sat in the bar since it was an in between time and had great service and quick lunch. Tostada for me, carnitas burro for him. And of course a small pitcher of margarita's, frozen since it's such a hot day. I always appreciate a lunch menu for small portions than dinner.
(4)Julie W.
I've been here countless times and I order the pollo fundido every time! Its so rich and delicious I can't order anything else. I like how I can order a full or half plate of it. Great service and love the atmosphere. Live music on most weekends too.. Inside and outside seating.
(5)Azam A.
Nothing special about this restaurant. At best mediocre quality food and service. They claim to have their own veggie garden but my salad reflect opposite. Not worth a special trip to try out this restaurant.
(2)Janice N.
We have given this place two opportunities within one month to get their act together. Sadly, I took out-of-town guests there tonight and was embarrassed beyond belief. The food is mediocre at best. The hostess rolled her eyes when I asked that we be seated on a different section of the patio. Are you kidding? The pork carnitas was inedible, overcooked and dry. The "award winning" Margaritas were just okay. I will give kudos to the side of guacamole. It was pretty tasty. The whole place needs a facelift...menu and decor. Even our server seemed like he was just plain tired.
(1)Steven M.
The only Mexican food restaurant my girlfriend will let us go to. I have personally tried everything on the menu and you cannot go wrong; however the chicken fundido is the flagship item. A good tip is to call ahead and make reservation since they are packed nearly every night.
(4)Kathy W.
Had my Daughters graduation from NAU/Mothers day dinner. I hate black beans and my dish came with it. I can happily say I will eat thier beans any day! My seafood enchilada was packed. Most places would be skimpy. Service was fast as we had 12 guest. Our party had absolutley no complaints and we all left very happy.
(4)Ann B.
The food is not "super" authentic Mexican. I normally get the Pollo Fundido. I like it, but the drawback is service is almost always slow there. Some of the food I find pricey for what you get. My husband and I ordered take out last month and he ordered a cup of soup, $7.00, and no joke, it was no bigger than a condiment cup. I was annoyed enough that I wanted to call the restaurant and he just said let it go-he was hungry and luckily had ordered enchiladas. Previous time we had gone in and my friend ordered the fajitas, waitress asked if she wanted all the "normal" things with it, my friend said sure. Well when the bill came, they charged her $1.95 for sour cream, $1.50 for cheese, $2.00 for guacamole and $1.50 for pico de gallo. So when the waiter came back and we pointed it out, she said "well you said everything- so is this a problem?" My friend wont go back since that. I dont blame her. I have had them inconsistent on pricing before when Ive ordered. Its nearby our house and the margaritas are good and my husband likes their soup, so thats why we continue.
(3)Carrie S.
I like this place for their margaritas, chicken tacos and the pollo fundido. Sometimes the chicken in the pollo fundido is dry :( hit or miss. The tacos are yum and the outdoor patio is beautiful. Sometime there is live music which makes it special. I find the main dining room kinda cold. The service is usually pretty good - sometimes slow. Overall, I really enjoy coming here, it's close and the food is usually pretty good.
(4)Jim W.
Above average food, service great, clean, great patio. Will do again. Sergio's original paintings are awesome!
(4)Brandi C.
Beautiful atmosphere and great food! We shared the appetizer platter and everything was incredible. Offering 3 different salsas with chips... Brilliant. The margarita was delicious and strong. They really knocked it out of the park with the chocolate tamale though.
(5)Mark Z.
Typical Mexican restaurant. Nice building, so so food. On plus side service was quick. Probably better for drinks than good. Would not return.
(3)Jolly M.
Yuck. Extremely BLAND, yet SALTY food. A 7 year old ordered a cheese quesadilla that was presented to him open face and he replies out loud, "this looks like a nightmare"! I was laughing out loud, but at the same time it's NOT funny. I ordered the "5 shrimp" chef special with green rice and supposedly their award winning margarita in peach. It was peachless with a hint of peach color, but definitely not the flavor. The only thing this place has going for it is the exterior/landscaping. Sorry.
(1)Bev T.
Visited again today at lunch time. I should have known we would have crappy service when we were greeted at the door by a sign saying to seat ourselves as no hostess was on duty... Sorry for the inconvenience. I think there were only 2 servers working TOTAL. Horrible service and the flour tortillas were not fresh. They were very dry. I think this the last strike.
(1)Sara H.
I hosted a business lunch and all my guests and I left half-eaten food. I eat in many Mexican eateries in Greater Phoenix, and i cannot recall anything as bad as this The chicken was hard, dry and tasteless, and one of my guests had pieces of undercooked chicken. Very disappointing.
(1)Brett B.
Not real sure what happened here, but the service has really gone downhill. The food is still good, but I'd drive the extra 10-minutes and go to Cave Creek.
(3)Heather P.
Tried "Dos" for the first time last night. The original in Cave Creek has been a tradition for years in my family. I was pleasantly surprised! We sat on the patio which was beautiful and had a great view. Service was fantastic and we ordered prickly pear margaritas and pollo fundido all around. Food was fast and great. Not one complaint from our party of six. If you don't want to deal with tourists, El Encanto Dos is every bit as fantastic as the first restaurant. We'll be back!
(5)Samantha P.
We are frequent visitors! Love the staff and the management (with one exception) and go at least weekly!! The food is great, and we love having servers who remember the little details. Thanks Tiffany, Natalie and Rikki!!
(5)Danielle F.
Sat in the patio area, very nice with the heaters. Started with bean dip, really good. Chips and 3 salsas were great. Cheese/ chicken enchiladas were really tasty. Tortilla soap was good. Service was a bit slow, more servers were needed.
(3)Roger H.
Weird that there are no reviews since last July on this place??? I have been here many times as it is 10 mins away from my house. I do like the location because you feel you are right out in the desert and the outdoor sitting is nice. Inside in the main dining section can be VERY noisy if it is busy. Lots of families and kids too sometimes. I just went on a Friday night and had a decent experience. They have live music some nights, which is nice but can just add to the noise level. The margaritas are very good. Free salsa and chips are good. Food can be a little hit or miss sometimes. I usually get the Pollo Fundido and it has ranged from really good to okay on several occasions. I think sometimes it is sitting under a heat lamp too long. I did notice on this visit that the portion sizes have shrunk and the prices have remained the same, so I guess management finally have moved the way of many chain restaurants to squeeze more profits. The food tends to be very salty. Wait staff can be hit or miss too. Friday night, the waitress was super busy and you could tell probably had too many tables but we got what we ordered in a fairly timely manner. Probably would give them 3.5 stars but that isn't an option on Yelp. Will continue to go back.
(3)Paul L.
I thought it was very good Mexican with nice chips and salsa. There carnitas was excellent with just the right amount of spiceness.
(4)J L.
average
(3)Jen R.
I'm still stewing about the experience I had here last night. Bear with me on the length.... I'm THAT annoyed. El Encanto has been a hit or miss for many years as far as the food. Boyfriend and I stopped in last month and were pleasantly surprised.... except for the service. Our server, a 30s something woman (whereas the others looked reasonably young), is just one of those people who should not be waiting tables, both from lack of customer skills and memory and just obviously not wanting to be there. We were too tired to get annoyed though. We took my mom out for her birthday last night to El Encanto, and got the exact same server. Ugh. Now, I've been waiting tables since I was 16, ranging from fine dining snobbery in Scottsdale to a Dennys to the Roadrunner Saloon where biker fights break out weekly. In NONE of those would her service have been acceptable. 1) Her style is awkward, rude and abrupt - she interrupted us mid-sentence multiple times, kept hovering over the table while we were eating, etc. When I ordered a margarita, I had to repeat "on the rocks with salt" multiple times... what waitress can't remember a frickin' diet Coke, a margarita and a sangria?... and instead of asking me for my ID, she just stood there and stared at me (I rarely get carded, so it's not a habit to pull it out, and you still need to ASK, lady). I also mentioned it was my mom's birthday and she didn't wish her happy birthday, no candles on the dessert, nothing. 2) We somehow ended up being brought the pitcher of water and one water glass. What? There's three of us here, 2 of whom have alcohol... at least assume 2 glasses. We also had no silverware. 3) She VANISHED. Like, Harry Potter, Invisibility Cloak status vanished. Our drinks were brought by a manager, our food and silverware by a bus boy, the manager checked back on us, etc. We didn't interact with her again (except for her awkward hovering throughout dinner) until she came to whisk plates away and plop the check down.... 4) You don't freaking drop the check without asking for dessert - what, are you nuts? Do you not want your check and tip to go up?! That's server 101. "Hey, we want dessert." She brought a menu, not 20 seconds later swooped back to say "Did we see a dessert we want?" and then I made my fatal mistake: I asked for another minute. This minute turned into literally 10 minutes (we clocked it!) We finally order it, someone else plunks it down along with our check. 15. Dang. Minutes. After we're finished with our dessert. That's how long we waited, too hopefully, for her to come pick up the check. I was steaming to the point of wanting to dine n dash. Finally I take it to the hostess stand and tell the manager I need to pay but our waitress has been.... She finishes my sentence with "AWOL?" Gee, how did you know? If you know she's been AWOL and is a terrible server, why is she still serving? The manager merely ran my card, apologized with a robotic "I'm sorry about that", explained to me that one copy of the receipts was mine and the other theirs (who the hell doesn't know that?) and went back to the bar to talk to the bartender. No drink comps, no offer to make it right, nothing. This is the first time I've ever totally stiffed a waitress, but it was the worst service any of us had ever gotten, and hey, you work for your tip. This is the first time I've ever had an issue in a restaurant and not at least gotten a sincere apology and an attempt to rectify it. To think I paid $67 for 3 people (without tip!) to get treated like we didn't matter, is ridiculous. We will NOT be back, El Encanto, EVER.
(1)Hanner O.
3 stars for service, 4 stars for food & price. I've been here at least 5 times and it is always good. They have TVs in the bars, the actual restaurant is a little messy and the hostesses are less than inviting mostly. The place is a little off the beaten path to say the least. There is another one in downtown Cave Creek.
(3)Drew A.
We go here once every few months. Being where it is at, it is a 20 min ride for us to get there. I don't know how or why I talk myself into this place... my wife "likes" it - so maybe that is the reason. I have never had a horrible bad experience, but I have never had a WOW experience either. The pricing is more than your corner Mexican restaurant - the place is REALLY cool - so I would expect the food to be more/better. Just average - just A-OK - Just Satisfying. Good to go - just don't expect anything out of the ordinary.
(3)Lisa N.
So we thought we'd give it another shot - either we're a glutton for punishment or we are forgiving kind of folks.... Happily, I can report that this meal was wonderful! We sat in a booth in the bar area. Jessica was our server and she was the BEST server we've had ever in the years we've been coming to this place. The food was very fresh, tasty, hot and yummy. The XX was cold and the service was perfection. Yay El Encanto Dos for hiring qualified servers who actually want to be there! Good on ya!
(4)Supperman F.
Meet here after work once a week or so, good drinks, Good food too!
(4)Arlin B.
El Encanto Dos is A~Ok if your in the area looking for a good place to eat. This is the little sister restaurant of the El Encanto in Cave Creek. There are subtle differences in their food between restaurants but this location is pretty good and it's easier for us to get to from the I17. We love the ambiance of this restaurant especially their patio. If given the option and weather permitting, I recommend dinning on their patio. They have a wonderful fire place on their patio and they have heaters for when it gets colder. On some weekend nights they have the most wonderful guitar player playing while you dine. It's cool to see some of the local's ride their horses to the restaurant and tie them to the post surrounding the parking lot. We always have good service but then again I'm not afraid to say something when their service is slow. They always acknowledge when they are slow and make amends to step up their service to ensure your dinning experience is exceptional. Their queso and spinach con queso are some what average, but their salsa and chips are good and a nice start to your dinner. Their taquitos are a bit dry, but then again I've never had a taquitos that wasn't dry, and comes with a wonderful chipotle salsa for dipping. You can't go wrong with their Seafood enchiladas, any of their enchiladas either pollo or steak smothered in their homemade Mole sauce, red or green chili sauces. Their fajitas are also good either steak or pollo. Their Pescado Enpapelado and carnitas poblano relleno are ok but don't plan to order them any time soon. This is a good place to go with the family and friends if your in the area.
(3)Shari B.
We recently moved to the mountains and this is the closest restaurant to our house. GOOD THING! Because it's the new favorite restaurant of ours! We've been greeted by the staff every time we go in; The service was exceptional - We ordered the Pollo Fundido and the Steak Fajitas, which were both amazing! The server never let our iced tea get past half empty; The Manager - on most occasions - is moving between the bar tables & restaurant tables making sure everyone is happy. Speaking of Happy...Happy hour here is GREAT - even though we don't drink! The specials are good - and the atmosphere is FUN. If you have room - try the dessert - chocolate chimi's = OMG it was home made ice cream - this day it was a fresh French vanilla - with mini-chocolate filled chimis! Delicious! This is our new "Cheers" - like seeing friends every time!
(5)Ashley P.
My boyfriend and I moved to the area a few months ago and finally decided to try this place for Happy Hour on a Friday. Right after we sat down at a booth in the bar area, we received chips, three types of salsa, and carafe of ice water. After a few minutes, our waitress Rikki (based on our receipt) took our drink orders and then brought us menus. She gave a good impression by being very personable and seemed to have a fun personality. The menu wasn't very big, which is fine I guess, but there was not an option to order a combination meal such as 1 taco and 1 enchilada so I just got the two cheese enchiladas meal. A guy with a short ponytail delivered our food by saying "hello" like it was a question and then left (I overheard him say this to another table so I guess it's just his thing). I was ready for another beer (it's happy hour!) but I never saw Rikki again until she dropped off the check. While I was eating, a young boy came by and cleaned the windows on the door that was directly next to me, which in turn sprayed some glass cleaner ON my food. Before the spray, the enchis were decent and the rice was really good. My boyfriend ordered fries and rice with his tacos but only rice showed up and Rikki wasn't around to tell. As we ate, booths started filling up but there were two servers in the bar area so I see no reason for her never coming back. I did notice a couple of the other groups were known by name so perhaps because we are not regulars that we did not deserve as good of service. In the future we may try this place again, but not anytime soon.
(2)keith s.
Excellent Margaritas! Had fun here visiting my cousin, Food and salsa were good, guitarist and fire added to the fun!
(4)Stacy F.
While in the area, we stopped for a late lunch. We sat in the bar because that's where he always sat when he came here. We were there for about 5 minutes and ignored by the bartender who was talking with what appeared to be a waitress about her vacation to California. We decided to move to the dining room. As we approached the hostess station a gentleman said I hope you enjoyed your food, come again. I informed him that we had not eaten yet, as we were ignored in the bar and wanted a table in the dining room. He apologized, sat us at a table and offered us an appetizer on the house. Our waitress was right out and said any appetizer was on the house. I was impressed that it was already communicated to the waitress before she came to our table (good job!!). Our service for the rest of our meal was outstanding! The pollo fundido is amazing and very cheesy. My boyfriend had the enchiladas de pollo con mole. The sauce was so flavorful. I have never had mole before but one bite and I was hooked. I will definitely come back.
(4)