My family loves eating here. The food is really good and and Carlos is the best server/bartender in town! After eating there 1 Sunday he remembered our families orders and drink preferences. The atmosphere is to be expected for a tex-mex restaurant and it is always clean, even the bathrooms! Now, it can get a bit busy and there is one server whose section we will not sit in. I don't know his name but he always only has half the buttons on his shirt buttoned. The first time that we were served by him he completely forgot to place our order and we didn't find out until 30 minutes later when we checked on the status of our food.
(4)
Bob D.
Seems every time I go there, the service gets worse. The food is marginal at best. Just doesn't seem to work for me. The happy hour specials are actually expensive. I ordered a Jim beam and coke and it was more expensive than makers mark. The staff just doesn't seem to be in sync. I work too hard for my money to just give it away these days. I won't be returning there anytime soon...
(2)
Rachelle S.
The staff is very friendly but the food is average. I ordered the Monterey chicken and it was a bit over cooked. The veggies that came with it consisted of mainly potatoes, which was a bit too much of a carb overload with rice as part of the dish, too. The salsa was really yummy though.
(3)
I G.
Where else can you get happy hour prices of 16 oz of the most popular domestic beers for $1.99 or a good size margarita for 3.99? My wife's frozen Margarita was a little light on the tequila. Happy hour seems to be most of the time at El Chico... We went there for lunch and ordered the beef and spinach enchilada(s) which came with refried beans and rice. The beef enchiladas for 4.99 and spinach enchiladas for 5.99 was a steal. Food was good, not great, but the portions were large and price was amazing. To me the beans were better than the rice. Rice was the weakest thing on my plate. Enchiladas were good but very spicy. Even if you're not thrilled with the food it's tough to beat their happy hour drink prices. Probably will try again soon but not a place I would order an expensive dish.
(4)
Cody A.
First, we waited for a server to greet our table for about 8 minutes. But, the service was hardly the worse part. Food was gross... Decor was cheap. We ordered cheese enchiladas... Who can mess those up? They came out made with cheddar cheese- at a Mexican Restaurant? Also, fajitas were as equally disgusting. Never again will we eat here. Gross atmosphere, bad service and nasty food. Two stars only because the food came out correctly. Don't waste your money. You'll have better luck and satisfaction at Taco Bell.
(2)
John J.
Great fajitas here at a terrific Tex-Mex restaurant. El Chico's is a long-time family favorite. We love the beef and chicken fajitas, and at lunch they have a special all you can eat combo dish with three of my favorite menu items. And at a great deal also! The chips and salsa are also excellent.
(5)
Brandi W.
If you want to pay $5.00 for a bean burrito, this is your place. I repeat, a plain bean burrito (cheese cost extra) is almost $5.00! I'm sure the mark up on this item is 200%. My waiter couldn't understand how I wanted my plate, so he brought me everything I didn't want. Food was decent, but way overpriced. Kinda sad consider this is a family owned business. I left there wishing I had gone to a chain restaurant.
(2)
Nancy S.
We stopped on our way through town when I was craving Mexican. We had a short wait at 7:15 but not too long. Great Ultimate Margarita and Dos Equis draft. We shared the enchilada dinner with one each; beef, chicken and spinach. Very tasty food and good service from our server, Craig. Next time I would get the fresh made at your table guacamole. It looked terrific at the adjoining table. Chips were good and the salsa was too. All in all a great experience. I would definitely return.
(4)
Elizabeth W.
Great strawberry daiquiri- that was the highlight of the meal. Soft tacos were really little but overall okay. The taco salad does not come with dressing and is a huge portion. The chicken chimichanga is alright but the chicken seemed like it was frozen and processed before rolled in the tortilla and fried. It was overall a decent experience. Our server was very nice albeit a little slow. The place was clean and we were sat right away.
(3)
Lars D.
Had Dawn as a server, she was nice, attentive, and overall excellent. Food was high quality, well price and portioned, and above average for tex-mex outside of the Texas/Arizona/New Mexico area.
(5)
The T.
The food was fabulous and once a hostess showed up to seat us-no hostess at the stand and no one acknowledged us for 4mins then 3minutes later a hostess finally sat us-and a waitress was informed she had a table-5mins later- the rest of the evening was great. Our waitress was so nice and attentive and the food was great. We are hoping they had an off night and look forward to returning to see if that is the case.
(3)
Wes L.
Nothing fancy but excellent food and great service. Has become my favorite Tex/Mex restaurant in Knoxville. Favorite order? Chicken Chimichanga with rice and black beans with a side of queso.
(5)
Aria W.
My all time, hands down, favorite Mexican restaurant! Anything you order will be scrumptious.
(5)
Melissa S.
The food was great and the service was as well. Our waiter was fast, efficient, and very helpful. I would definitely go back again.
(5)
Lindsey M.
I used to live in Johnson City and people everywhere were crying when they lost the El Chicos. Thank God there is one in Knoxville. This is the best Tex-Mex place around. Forget the cheap crappy Mexican places that say they are authentic. This place isn't the cheapest but you get what you pay for. Definitely recommend the fajitas. You can't go wrong with any of them. The chips and salsa are primo and (thank you Jesus) someone in Knoxville finally knows how to produce a decent guacamole! The service can be hit or miss at times (some waiters are awesome, some are clueless) but the food is good enough to warrant 5 stars.
(5)
Emily G.
My boyfriend and I go here regularly. I am a vegetarian and this place has quite a few options for me. They will also make anything you want if you just ask. The salsa is better than most places and the queso is pretty darn good too. The food is consistently good. The service is hit or miss, but they have a couple great waiters. I would say the atmosphere is nicer than your average Mexican restaurant. Good beverage list and 2-for-1 drafts at happy hour (around dinner time).
(4)
Lauren W.
There's one reason El Chico was on my list of places to try: the guacamole. A friend of mine told me that they make it fresh, right at your table. A rarity in East Tennessee. How's a guac lover supposed to pass that up?? That being said, the guac IS very good. You can choose all the fixings you want: onions, green peppers, tomatoes, lemon juice, and the avocados were perfectly ripe. Based on the guacamole alone, this place would be four stars. However, my main dish, the burrito bowl, wasn't my favorite. I wish there had been more variety in the ingredients used. I should have tried their old-fashioned tacos instead...it's hard to mess up tacos. Also, there's something to be said for atmosphere, which I felt this place really lacked. Even though the guacamole was awesome, it wasn't enough to keep me coming back.
(2)
Tanner Tanning R.
Love the food but took one star off for inconsistent service. Sometimes its great and other times very uncaring. We eat here once or twice a month and have tried almost everything on the menu (my favorite app, entree and dessert are listed as quick tip) Last night our server was good. She had a very large table seated simultaneously to ours and she took extra steps to ensure we weren't forgotten. (Although the girl who took our entree order literally said "what do you want" with no smile and no inflection in her voice and slumped away without acknowledging our empty glasses). Our actual server came back shortly after to confirm our order, fill our drinks and offered a friendly smile. The rest of the meal was perfect. We recently took my mom and grandma who were visiting from out of town to El Chico and they just loved it. Grandma couldn't get enough of the Top Shelf White Queso. Both have commented how great the food was at El Chico after returning home. When the other side of our family visited from California they went crazy for the Top Shelf Guacamole. You know the guac is good when Californians say it's good.
(4)
Tiffany B.
Okay, I am bumping it up to a 4. They really do have great tasting meat and I CRAVE their cheese and onion enchiladas. It is on the expensive side compared to the 'real' Mexican places, but they run alot of good specials like 2 for 1 fajitas and enchilada wednesdays.
(4)
Justin T.
We went in for lunch and were quickly greeted and seated. The chips and salsa were awesome! A bit spicy and sweet and it was hard to save room for the entrees. We had tacos and rellenos (chicken and beef respectively) which were delicious; they were seasoned just right. The beans were in a flavorful liquid and tasted wonderful (tomatoes, onions, and peppers were in the mix - also in the rice).
(4)
Raster M.
Premier Tex-Mex. Folks in Knoxville don't know how they lucky they are.. I'm from Oklahoma (and lived in Texas), where El Chico originates. I'd do anything to get one of these in Maryland. Enchiladas are superb..
(5)
Lisa S.
We eat Mexican all the time. This was one of the worst we've had in a long while. Def would NOT recommend. Food was very plain and service was mediocre.
(1)
Mike R.
Friendly and fast service, very reasonably priced. But neither the quality or quantity of food were anything special. Chicken breast I ordered was dry.
(2)
Tim C.
Good tex-mex. good salsa. quick service. good pricing. if you like green (salsa verde) salsa's like it's made in west/south texas, ask. it is off the menu but they will whip it up in the kitchen pretty quickly if they have the peppers. hot and good! decent draft's on tap if you want a beer as well.
(4)
Caitlin L.
I may have given El Chico an extra star if my dining experience wasn't the most awkward experience I've ever had at a restaurant. The restaurant reminded me of an On The Border with all the festive Mexican decor. Our server was nice, clueless, but nice. We were greeted with chips and salsa, pretty good salsa I must say! When we went to order, they had a special for an app. ( salad, soup, or queso), an entree, and dessert for $9.99. Myself and the other two people I was with decided to do the combo. When I ordered I asked for the salad with the avocado ranch dressing (which was just a green tinted ranch), a bean taco, and a cheese enchilada. I asked if the beans were veggie, the girl informed me they were not and neither was the rice. I then decided to do the other combo option and get veggie fajitas with only the tortillas and stuff that comes on the side, no beans or rice. I got my meal and after they returned it once, chicken fajitas, I asked for a separate plate to put my fajitas together on. The manager brought me my plate and then commented on how I didn't have the little side items. I told her I wanted the sour cream, guac., and pico but no beans or rice because I'm vegetarian. The manager tells me they're vegetarian and the server comes up behind her and they begin arguing in front of us about who said it was veggie and who said it wasn't. Finally, I interrupted them and just asked for my side items. Don't argue in front of the customer, I mean really! When I finally got my fajitas and everything it came with it was quite good, as was the dessert. If you're a meat eater I'm sure you can go here and have a good experience, but I don't think they get too many veggies around there.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch 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 : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
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.
Brandi H.
My family loves eating here. The food is really good and and Carlos is the best server/bartender in town! After eating there 1 Sunday he remembered our families orders and drink preferences. The atmosphere is to be expected for a tex-mex restaurant and it is always clean, even the bathrooms! Now, it can get a bit busy and there is one server whose section we will not sit in. I don't know his name but he always only has half the buttons on his shirt buttoned. The first time that we were served by him he completely forgot to place our order and we didn't find out until 30 minutes later when we checked on the status of our food.
(4)Bob D.
Seems every time I go there, the service gets worse. The food is marginal at best. Just doesn't seem to work for me. The happy hour specials are actually expensive. I ordered a Jim beam and coke and it was more expensive than makers mark. The staff just doesn't seem to be in sync. I work too hard for my money to just give it away these days. I won't be returning there anytime soon...
(2)Rachelle S.
The staff is very friendly but the food is average. I ordered the Monterey chicken and it was a bit over cooked. The veggies that came with it consisted of mainly potatoes, which was a bit too much of a carb overload with rice as part of the dish, too. The salsa was really yummy though.
(3)I G.
Where else can you get happy hour prices of 16 oz of the most popular domestic beers for $1.99 or a good size margarita for 3.99? My wife's frozen Margarita was a little light on the tequila. Happy hour seems to be most of the time at El Chico... We went there for lunch and ordered the beef and spinach enchilada(s) which came with refried beans and rice. The beef enchiladas for 4.99 and spinach enchiladas for 5.99 was a steal. Food was good, not great, but the portions were large and price was amazing. To me the beans were better than the rice. Rice was the weakest thing on my plate. Enchiladas were good but very spicy. Even if you're not thrilled with the food it's tough to beat their happy hour drink prices. Probably will try again soon but not a place I would order an expensive dish.
(4)Cody A.
First, we waited for a server to greet our table for about 8 minutes. But, the service was hardly the worse part. Food was gross... Decor was cheap. We ordered cheese enchiladas... Who can mess those up? They came out made with cheddar cheese- at a Mexican Restaurant? Also, fajitas were as equally disgusting. Never again will we eat here. Gross atmosphere, bad service and nasty food. Two stars only because the food came out correctly. Don't waste your money. You'll have better luck and satisfaction at Taco Bell.
(2)John J.
Great fajitas here at a terrific Tex-Mex restaurant. El Chico's is a long-time family favorite. We love the beef and chicken fajitas, and at lunch they have a special all you can eat combo dish with three of my favorite menu items. And at a great deal also! The chips and salsa are also excellent.
(5)Brandi W.
If you want to pay $5.00 for a bean burrito, this is your place. I repeat, a plain bean burrito (cheese cost extra) is almost $5.00! I'm sure the mark up on this item is 200%. My waiter couldn't understand how I wanted my plate, so he brought me everything I didn't want. Food was decent, but way overpriced. Kinda sad consider this is a family owned business. I left there wishing I had gone to a chain restaurant.
(2)Nancy S.
We stopped on our way through town when I was craving Mexican. We had a short wait at 7:15 but not too long. Great Ultimate Margarita and Dos Equis draft. We shared the enchilada dinner with one each; beef, chicken and spinach. Very tasty food and good service from our server, Craig. Next time I would get the fresh made at your table guacamole. It looked terrific at the adjoining table. Chips were good and the salsa was too. All in all a great experience. I would definitely return.
(4)Elizabeth W.
Great strawberry daiquiri- that was the highlight of the meal. Soft tacos were really little but overall okay. The taco salad does not come with dressing and is a huge portion. The chicken chimichanga is alright but the chicken seemed like it was frozen and processed before rolled in the tortilla and fried. It was overall a decent experience. Our server was very nice albeit a little slow. The place was clean and we were sat right away.
(3)Lars D.
Had Dawn as a server, she was nice, attentive, and overall excellent. Food was high quality, well price and portioned, and above average for tex-mex outside of the Texas/Arizona/New Mexico area.
(5)The T.
The food was fabulous and once a hostess showed up to seat us-no hostess at the stand and no one acknowledged us for 4mins then 3minutes later a hostess finally sat us-and a waitress was informed she had a table-5mins later- the rest of the evening was great. Our waitress was so nice and attentive and the food was great. We are hoping they had an off night and look forward to returning to see if that is the case.
(3)Wes L.
Nothing fancy but excellent food and great service. Has become my favorite Tex/Mex restaurant in Knoxville. Favorite order? Chicken Chimichanga with rice and black beans with a side of queso.
(5)Aria W.
My all time, hands down, favorite Mexican restaurant! Anything you order will be scrumptious.
(5)Melissa S.
The food was great and the service was as well. Our waiter was fast, efficient, and very helpful. I would definitely go back again.
(5)Lindsey M.
I used to live in Johnson City and people everywhere were crying when they lost the El Chicos. Thank God there is one in Knoxville. This is the best Tex-Mex place around. Forget the cheap crappy Mexican places that say they are authentic. This place isn't the cheapest but you get what you pay for. Definitely recommend the fajitas. You can't go wrong with any of them. The chips and salsa are primo and (thank you Jesus) someone in Knoxville finally knows how to produce a decent guacamole! The service can be hit or miss at times (some waiters are awesome, some are clueless) but the food is good enough to warrant 5 stars.
(5)Emily G.
My boyfriend and I go here regularly. I am a vegetarian and this place has quite a few options for me. They will also make anything you want if you just ask. The salsa is better than most places and the queso is pretty darn good too. The food is consistently good. The service is hit or miss, but they have a couple great waiters. I would say the atmosphere is nicer than your average Mexican restaurant. Good beverage list and 2-for-1 drafts at happy hour (around dinner time).
(4)Lauren W.
There's one reason El Chico was on my list of places to try: the guacamole. A friend of mine told me that they make it fresh, right at your table. A rarity in East Tennessee. How's a guac lover supposed to pass that up?? That being said, the guac IS very good. You can choose all the fixings you want: onions, green peppers, tomatoes, lemon juice, and the avocados were perfectly ripe. Based on the guacamole alone, this place would be four stars. However, my main dish, the burrito bowl, wasn't my favorite. I wish there had been more variety in the ingredients used. I should have tried their old-fashioned tacos instead...it's hard to mess up tacos. Also, there's something to be said for atmosphere, which I felt this place really lacked. Even though the guacamole was awesome, it wasn't enough to keep me coming back.
(2)Tanner Tanning R.
Love the food but took one star off for inconsistent service. Sometimes its great and other times very uncaring. We eat here once or twice a month and have tried almost everything on the menu (my favorite app, entree and dessert are listed as quick tip) Last night our server was good. She had a very large table seated simultaneously to ours and she took extra steps to ensure we weren't forgotten. (Although the girl who took our entree order literally said "what do you want" with no smile and no inflection in her voice and slumped away without acknowledging our empty glasses). Our actual server came back shortly after to confirm our order, fill our drinks and offered a friendly smile. The rest of the meal was perfect. We recently took my mom and grandma who were visiting from out of town to El Chico and they just loved it. Grandma couldn't get enough of the Top Shelf White Queso. Both have commented how great the food was at El Chico after returning home. When the other side of our family visited from California they went crazy for the Top Shelf Guacamole. You know the guac is good when Californians say it's good.
(4)Tiffany B.
Okay, I am bumping it up to a 4. They really do have great tasting meat and I CRAVE their cheese and onion enchiladas. It is on the expensive side compared to the 'real' Mexican places, but they run alot of good specials like 2 for 1 fajitas and enchilada wednesdays.
(4)Justin T.
We went in for lunch and were quickly greeted and seated. The chips and salsa were awesome! A bit spicy and sweet and it was hard to save room for the entrees. We had tacos and rellenos (chicken and beef respectively) which were delicious; they were seasoned just right. The beans were in a flavorful liquid and tasted wonderful (tomatoes, onions, and peppers were in the mix - also in the rice).
(4)Raster M.
Premier Tex-Mex. Folks in Knoxville don't know how they lucky they are.. I'm from Oklahoma (and lived in Texas), where El Chico originates. I'd do anything to get one of these in Maryland. Enchiladas are superb..
(5)Lisa S.
We eat Mexican all the time. This was one of the worst we've had in a long while. Def would NOT recommend. Food was very plain and service was mediocre.
(1)Mike R.
Friendly and fast service, very reasonably priced. But neither the quality or quantity of food were anything special. Chicken breast I ordered was dry.
(2)Tim C.
Good tex-mex. good salsa. quick service. good pricing. if you like green (salsa verde) salsa's like it's made in west/south texas, ask. it is off the menu but they will whip it up in the kitchen pretty quickly if they have the peppers. hot and good! decent draft's on tap if you want a beer as well.
(4)Caitlin L.
I may have given El Chico an extra star if my dining experience wasn't the most awkward experience I've ever had at a restaurant. The restaurant reminded me of an On The Border with all the festive Mexican decor. Our server was nice, clueless, but nice. We were greeted with chips and salsa, pretty good salsa I must say! When we went to order, they had a special for an app. ( salad, soup, or queso), an entree, and dessert for $9.99. Myself and the other two people I was with decided to do the combo. When I ordered I asked for the salad with the avocado ranch dressing (which was just a green tinted ranch), a bean taco, and a cheese enchilada. I asked if the beans were veggie, the girl informed me they were not and neither was the rice. I then decided to do the other combo option and get veggie fajitas with only the tortillas and stuff that comes on the side, no beans or rice. I got my meal and after they returned it once, chicken fajitas, I asked for a separate plate to put my fajitas together on. The manager brought me my plate and then commented on how I didn't have the little side items. I told her I wanted the sour cream, guac., and pico but no beans or rice because I'm vegetarian. The manager tells me they're vegetarian and the server comes up behind her and they begin arguing in front of us about who said it was veggie and who said it wasn't. Finally, I interrupted them and just asked for my side items. Don't argue in front of the customer, I mean really! When I finally got my fajitas and everything it came with it was quite good, as was the dessert. If you're a meat eater I'm sure you can go here and have a good experience, but I don't think they get too many veggies around there.
(2)