Kerbside pickup
Yes
El Chico Cafe in Abilene
Categories
Location on the map
Abilene, Taylor County, Texas, US
Service options
No-contact delivery
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Health and safety
Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Yes
Highlights
Great dessert
Yes
Popular for
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Offerings
Alcohol
Yes
Beer
Yes
Cocktails
Yes
Coffee
Yes
Comfort food
Yes
Happy-hour drinks
Yes
Happy-hour food
Yes
Kids' menu
Yes
Quick bite
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Spirits
Yes
Wine
Yes
Dining options
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Catering
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Seating
Yes
Amenities
Bar on site
Yes
Good for kids
Yes
High chairs
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Wi-Fi
Yes
Atmosphere
Casual
Yes
Cosy
Yes
Crowd
Family friendly
Yes
Groups
Yes
Tourists
Yes
Planning
Accepts reservations
Yes
Phone: +1 325-695-2875
Site: http://www.elchico.com/
Site: http://www.elchico.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:11AM–7PM
- Tuesday:11AM–7PM
- Wednesday:11AM–7PM
- Thursday:11AM–7PM
- Friday:11AM–7PM
- Saturday:11AM–7PM
- Sunday:12–5PM
El Chico Cafe in other cities:
Comments (199)
Terrible. Not a good experience at all. The food is way too over priced for the small portions served. The drinks had food particles swirling around the bottom of the cup and my food had a fly in it. My grandaughters food was not fresh, it looked like it was reheated and served again. The guacamole was brown because it was old. 10/10 would not recommend if you are looking for an authentic tex mex experience
Went to el chico for lunch today and a roach starting crawling on the wall and toward our table. We had to move tables and I quit eating. They apologized and gave us $9 off of our bill apologizing hoping we would come back. I think the meal shouldve been comped since we didnt want to eat anymore and had to move tables but the staff did their best not being the owner or in charge which is why I gave 2 stars. It was really gross and ruined our appetite or ever wanting to go back. I mean literally crawling on the walls trying to get on our table. Whats in the kitchen...............?
Love the avocado enchiladas! My wife and i really enjoyed the spiciness of them and added beef to them. We will most definitely return again and again!
Food and service was absolutely outstanding!! This was a fantastic and pleasant surprise, as we have not eaten at an El Chico in forever. Highly recommend!
It was a waste of money, waste of time to eat at this place. my friend order shrimp and steak Fijita, the fajita that they served only came with 4 thin strips of steak and 3 small pieces of shrimp. combined with the high price of almost $30. Taco salad wasnt good.
Wasnt very good for the price. Service Wasnt great. Lots of better Mexican food places in abilene.
Had an amazing experience. Our waitor Reggie was absolutely amazing!!! Great food and a great service
Food was good and service was great, but our water cups had thing floating around in them. They were promptly replaced with dirty glasses. The enchiladas were good and the beans had a lot of flavor but they need to polish up on their cleanliness.
Great service and food! Waitress was wonderful and kind
The service was really nice. Its also nice to see leadership on the floor working with the employees. The food was really good. This is a great place to sit down and enjoy a great meal.
Great food and customer service!
We had fajitas and they were ok but a little tough. Beans were good but the rice was very bad. Service was outstanding. Unfortunately the food was not good enough for me to ever come back.
I told the waitress 2 time I don’t eat jalapeño if anything had them leave them off.When another waitress brought my food it had jalapeños I told her I had told the waitress no peppers she said do you want me to take it back ? Me : yes an don’t just pick them off an bring it back .As she walked by the try stand holder she slammed the holder on it , now another person brings out my food an said I had them make you a new plate .Our waitress comes by before I get my food back an says is everything ok?I look up an say no she say they put peppers on your plate I said yes she replied they just get in a routine an don’t read the orders .The second plate the chicken enchiladas was horrible
🤮if I could give it no stars I would ! Took my husband there cause he never had it and I grew up on it in Louisiana but now I see why it closed now FOOD IS TRASH MADE MY STOMACH HURT FOR 3 DAYSS AND POOR QUALITY !!! WASTE OF $66 for my family Will NOT be returning
We went here twice already. Can’t complain about the food. It was great. The server is so nice and very engaged with the customer. Didn’t take long for the food to come out and it is hot and tasty. The serving is pretty decent size.*military discount
It was the first time eating there and was unfortunately disappointed. The bowl the chips came out in had dried cilantro and tomato on it .my granddaughter went to take a bite of her rice and found a good size chunk of glass in it . The male manager excuse was that when they open things sometimes it happens . And top it off the supposedly homemade tortillas were not cooked all the way they were still raw .My granddaughter got sick within a few hours after eating there. Never again will we eat there .
I had the beef burrito bowl and it was excellent. Great flavor as well as presentation. The service by the waitress was pitiful, tho. We ordered guacamole that was supposed to be made at the table prior to our meal and waitress told us she would get someone to do it. Next thing we know is that our food has been delivered and the guacamole was still missing. Cancelled it. Two at the table ordered $2.00 margaritas and they were delivered after The meal was delivered and only after we ask for them. When the bill came the margaritas were $2.99 on the check. I questioned the price and was told they were a little higher because it was the weekend. The sign at the front of the restaurant clearly stated that margaritas were $2.00 (no day/date specifics). I tried to explain that to her but couldn’t make her understand so I gave up. The manager did come over at one point and gave my party a card good for the guacamole the next time we’re there. We live in San Angelo so probably won’t be back to use it but the manager made the effort to make the problem right. Again, the food was great, the service by this particular waitress was poor.
The food was good. The place was nice and quiet and not too busy. They have nightly food and drink specials on a sign outside the entrance. When the waitress showed up with the menus we asked to be sure about the specials. She said you have to mention it or you wont get the price. So we mentioned it and asked about the drinks as well. She was unaware of the drink prices and left to go and look. Anyway at the end of it all, the check had to be returned twice for incorrect pricing. Dont say something is on sale if you are going to work hard to charge full price. Overall though it is fine and worth a visit.
3 stars for the service! Amazing service! But the 2 starts lost is for lack if flavor in the food.
Man awesome food and our waiter Reggie was awesome will be coming back
We came for girl’s night after our first choice was gonna be a long wait. I’m SO GLAD we chose El Chico’s! They got us in quickly and the food was so good! The customer service was even better! Lucy was the best, she always made sure we had plenty to drink and kept us stocked on chips! Definitely recommend!
The food was about one step up from a taco bell. Not the quality one would expect from a mall restaurant. A shame with restaurants hurting so badly due to covid, the food quality is not stepped up....
It was wonderful. I love authentic Mexican food. I have some friends Id like to treat there.
I had a very good experience at El Chico tonight. Our waitress Hayden was really nice, and kept on top of everything. She kept our drinks filled, removed empty dishes frequently, and our food came out nice and hot. There was good portions of food and it was very delicious. I definitely would be returning again. Thank you El Chico for a great experience.
Went there with me three year old grandbaby. Ordered the Mexican pizza for her and the old fashion tacos for me. The tacos are really good. The Mexican pizza is just small fried corn shells with meat and cheese. She didnt like them at all.
Mookie Thank you for being so helpful and patient! Hot stuff kills me and she took such good care. 🤩Food is always good at El Chico and the apple pie never fails to delight the taste buds!!!It was good 35 years ago in Lubbock and is still good.
Today, my family and I ate lunch at the El Chico Cafe in Abilene, TX. As we expected, the food was delicious—especially the fried chili rellenos—the best, I believe, that I have ever eaten. The main reason that I am writing is to comment on Tori, our server. Her warm smile made us feel at ease and very comfortable. She saw to our needs promptly and, despite the crowded restaurant, remained cool and capable. We thoroughly appreciated her.
I love the fact you can get free cheese dip with chips and salsa. Their enchiladas are so good. All their food is good. I love the guacamole, made fresh at your table. If you enjoy drinks with your dinner, try one of their margaritas.. Just go and enjoy a lovely meal and conversation. Awesome for business lunches.
Horrible! First time there and was really disappointed 😞....... their enchiladas were horrible we took one bite each and were done! So disgusting. Rosas Cafe or honestly McDonalds was better super sad heard it was good and it just wasnt.
You can tell by the service and quality of the food that the owner cares about his restaurant. It’s family owned and run. Our server, Mikayla, made excellent recommendations. You won’t be disappointed! My only regret is that they are here in Abilene, and I live in Odessa.
Decent food overall.Kind of exactly what you would expect...guacamole app was 2 smaller scoops of what appeared to prepackaged product, similar to what youd buy at Walmart. The fajitas were good.If I happened to be starving and already there in the mall, I would swing in but wouldnt go there just to eat.
We had a really wonderful experience, from the moments we were greeted to the time we left!Service was extremely pleasant and a lively personality Mackenzie made to sure check on us often, and was very kind!Honestly would have to say the wall of children’s art was the best part. It’s not often that you see a restaurant or a company making children feel special.Thank you for the experience! We will definitely come back.
Absolutely love this place. The staff is friendly. The restaurant is always clean. The food is great and comes out fairly quickly. They have pick up service which is awesome in this current climate. Whenever we go out to Abilene, we always try to stop in and grab something. The fajita nachos are great, so is the customizable burrito! There is definitely something for everyone!
Edit : 03/15/22 Was already kinda on the fence about this place but today was icing on the cake for never going back by choice. Went in at about 5:50 pm with my fiance. Were seated almost immediately and saw our host acknowledge out server. Waited.....waited....waited....yall we waited, quietly and patiently until 6:15 then just walked out. We were never greeted by ANYONE for drinks or nothing. Cant really miss us...Im the black pregnant chick and he is the white long haired guy with glasses. The servers kept passing by us, and who Im assuming was the shift leader kept walking by us (she had long wavy/curly hair). We left mostly cause at that point there would be no tip to the server. We went to Farolitos instead.
The food was just not good. I had a beef enchilada chicken enchilada cheese enchilada avocado enchilada The tortillas that they wrapped the enchiladas in was horrible and I do mean horrible will not return
The food was okay but not great. Asked for no tomatoes and/or lettuces...didnt come that way. Our waitress was great. But to be honest it was our first time there....was probably also our last.
Dining at the store in the mall of Abilene, Mary was my server. When I was asked if I wanted desert I replied that they no longer served what I wanted. She queried what that was and I replied the Chocolate Chimichaga. She actually went and asked the kitchen if they would prepare one, which they did. It was absolutely amazing and I appreciate the extra effort the staff went thru to do this for me. I recommend this item be placed back on the menu. Hats off!!
We enjoy a simple Sunday afternoon of chips and their Top Self Guacamole made at your table. The Mamas Favorite Mexican Apple Pie is another delicious treat to finish with. It is plenty to share and is served fresh and hot on a sizzling skillet with wonderful Mexican Brandy Butter sauce generously poured over the pie and ice cream top. The aroma absolutely fills the room and regardless of how full you already are, forces you to find more room for this sweet finish.
Friendly atmosphere and staff. Food was good
Very delicious food. Lucy was our waitress she was fantastic was on call with everything we didnt have to ask for nothing even the owner of the restaurant came out and talked to us we told him he had a five star restaurant and we will definitely be back. I will highly recommend El Chicos for anybody who wants to have a delicious and wonderful experience
Ive always loved El Chicos. The Mexican restaurant is one of the better in town and today we had a wonderful experience. Lisa is a cheerful waitress who stays on top of her game. The food was on point and I really enjoyed the atmosphere.Thank you!
Food was hot, drinks were cold. What else could you ask for?
The Ribeye plate that we had today was Top Notch. Everything was cooked to perfection. The vegetables were amazing.Perfect lunch for after a workout.
We enjoy our restaurant experience every time we eat at El Chico. Our server, Lucy was great even while training another. The food was authentic and excellent as always. Definitely one of our favs.
Robert was our waiter tonight & he was so good! Very personable, attentive & kept us laughing! Well be requesting him the next time we go back!! And the food was yummy, too!
The atmosphere was great and the food was on point will be back and reccomend it
My BFF & I went in to spend some time together over lunch. She had a taco plate & I had the Top Shelf Beef Fajita enchiladas. This is my most favorite dish at El Chico’s. Comes out steaming hot on the typical fajita plate, sizzling like fajitas do. You get two cheese enchiladas smothered in the sauce of your choice, over a bed of sautéed onions and bell peppers, topped with fajita beef. You can not go wrong with this dish. It’s absolutely delicious. Our server was Juanita, she’s been with El Chico’s a long time and she’s always a gem. Juanita is a busy, attentive server with a fantastic attitude. If every business had a few Juanita’s we wouldn’t have a customer service problem in the world. The manager was very sweet & attentive as well. He was working hard alongside his staff, clearing plates, refilling drinks, & making sure his customers were satisfied. He checked on our table more than once during our meal. The chips were fresh, queso is always free and the salsa has the perfect amount of heat. I love this place and I’m so glad to see it going strong after Covid. Keep up the good work guys.
A little disappointing, the service was so, so and to be a Mexican Restaurant they dont know how to make flour tortillas!
El Chico is always accommodating to our monthly group meeting. The room is a great space to gather and efficient for getting our needs met.Food and service are great as well.
Overall 3.5 stars. — Ive eaten here many times throughout the years and rarely have I had any issues.Customer Service: Juanita is a very good server. Ive had others but she has been the best with service, friendliness and attentiveness. Whenever there’s been an issue with the food, the manager takes care of the situation right then. - 5 starsFood: Ive tried different meals and I have my favorites. Since the corona, like most everyone else, they’ve gone to a changed up paper menu. They removed the Lunch Beef Enchiladas. Also, it’s like they changed their ingredients or where they get their products or something. I had ordered the El Caballero for years and now the food was different. The chicken enchilada/taco no longer had the flavorful shredded chicken. Instead it had cubed chicken with not much flavor and the flavor it did have, I didn’t like it. I noticed in the cheese and onion enchilada, it wasn’t shredded cheese with onions. It was a little shredded cheese with cheese sauce. Lastly was the spicy beef burrito. It was also different, the taste and texture reminded me of chili meat. I didn’t like it. I ate half my plate and decided that I would not order it again unless it changes. So, today I’m back and trying to decide what to eat that doesn’t involve the above foods. We got the usual, Top Shelf Guacamole which is always good. I ordered the Lunch Combo Fajitas and mom got 2 beef enchiladas (her usual). We topped everything off with the delicious Mexican Apple Pie with extra brandy butter. Even though I have had other desserts, this on is our favorite. - 2 starsPrice: Its averaged priced - 3 stars
Nice attentive staff... they hustle to get your food and drinks quickly. Food is pretty good.
We have are here fairly regularly and have always been satisfied. Not so with our last visit...... my husband preferred the beef fajita which hes had several times there. Server asked if he wanted the regular order or the half price order and he ordered the regular order. When it came out the portion size was maybe a third of the regular order that weve had there before. I didnt think anything thought maybe she had messed up and turned in for the half order instead. Just noticed when I was going through my receipts that no we paid for the regular order $16.28 and got a portion about a third of the size of what the regular order was the last time we had been there
Very nice waitress.the food was very good.
Service and people were great. The food was not. It tasted like frozen tv dinner food and was only lukewarm when brought to the table.
Fantastic food. Atmosphere is fun. Have loved for years sitting out in the courtyard dining. The courtyard is inside the mall so no matter the weather you can still feel like you are outside. Great place to people-watch while you chow down on some amazing a Mexican food.
The food was not as great as it used to be. The avocado enchiladas didnt have everything that they were supposed to in them. The cheese was almost nonexistent. They were also drowned in a tomatillo sauce that didnt go with the other flavors and was hot as fire. I love hot things so it was a shock to me that it was that hot. The black beans were flavorless. The only good thing was the margarita which was one of the best Ive ever had.
I drove all the way from Lubbock, Tx. just for their chips and salsa and their chimichangas!!!!
Smells good food looked good but the customer service was horrible. I will not be back. I did the even stay to eat. Their employees were very short with me and eyes were rolling everywhere.
I have enjoyed eating at this restaurant ever since I was a kid. Kayla and the rest of the staff are amazing. The food is always fresh and good. I love supporting this locally owned business.
We ate at El Chico’s in the Abilene Mall today and besides the food was really good, the service was excellent. Thank you Jessie. Very friendly and attentive. I also appreciated every employee smiled and spoke to us going in and coming out of the restaurant! It’s rare these days to have such a happy and friendly group of employees that enjoy their job and are not too busy or pre-occupied to treat their customers so well. Whoever the manager is here, excellent service and team members!
Took forever to get our food waitress never came back until someone was seated about 25 minutes later
Lucy was the best waitress Ive had. Her energetic personality was amazing to have even tho she was busy busy she still had a joke or two just to keep the good vibes coming.
The food was ok. Our server served us our food ok but then we never saw her again. Not once came over to ask us if we needed anything.
Food was great, much improved and the manager was very attentive and friendly. Made us feel very welcomed. Our server Barbara Was one of the best we have ever had, with the exception of Sophia, who is outstanding!!!! Good friendly service is always important in my book.
I cannot say enough about El Chico-Abilene! The older gentleman at the door is the mood setter and I hope management knows what a value of class he brings to the restaurant. The food is AMAZING and the staff is superb! The drinks are wonderful, all menus are recommended. Juanita makes my day every time that I visit, she is the best in Abilene! Hayden is also GREAT, always makes sure you are taken care of and gives you a good laugh. We ask for either one, each time we visit. The food is the BEST Mexican in town, hands down! I highly recommend signing up for their Tex-Mex Club! I am a frequent customer and always bring family and friends here, we are NEVER disappointed! Keep the amazing service, delicious food, tasty drinks coming, El Chico-Abilene!
Waitress was awesome... Love it when the person waiting my table has a since of humor. Food slow to come to table as always n not all that great. Chips hard n tasteless. The only reason the restaurant got two of its stars is BC of the wait staff.
Our favorite place on Tuesday. 1/2 price combo fajitas with all the fixings, $2 margaritas, and free queso! Ask for Juanita, shes awesome.
It was very good. It was our first time there and they gave us a free dessert and free top shelf queso with beef. Definitely will be coming back !!!
Despite the inconvenience of 7pm closing due to the mall, best Mexican food in the neighborhood. Little blonde firecracker of a manager (Nelly?) keeps the ship on an even keel
When we first walked in, the very first impression we got was that it was maybe some real authentic mexican food. Not the case at all. Kinda seemed like generic Mexican food you would get at a snack bar or something. The best thing was the price. The service was good. Huge let down as far as expecting some real mexican food. Will probably never go back
Robert was our server and he was awesome. They were short handed but you wouldn’t have been able to tell that because of the excellent customer service that Robert gave us.
I was very disappointed in the food. Kids ordered bean and cheese burritos and got beans slopped on a cold tortilla. And no cheese. Then I got charged 3.99 per burrito. The waitress Jessie however was great. No complaints with the servive.
Food is great and love the atmosphere. Waitress was really pleasant to our needs.
Other then missing part of our food. The place was clean.
This was the best place we had eaten at since the start of COVID in Abilene. The service was outstanding and the food was hot and good! The restuarant is very clean too! Go visit Ceasar Rangel and his crew. You wont be disappointed.
My daughter and I ate dinner here on Wednesday evening. We had never been there before. The food was ok...but I started feeling sick within an hour of eating there. Was sick all night and all day on Thursday. Still not feeling great. I wrote to El Chico corporate and got a form letter response from the company. They didnt bother asking what I ate or what time I was there. Food poisoning is a serious issue and I find it shocking that it was treated like a complaint about bad service or stale chips. Will not be returning to a restaraunt that shrugs its shoulders at one of its patrons becoming ill. Very sad.
The queso is amazing as always and the waitress kept it coming fresh but my enchiladas were cold and the rice was hard.
My familys favorite restaurant! My extended family gets together for lunch almost every Saturday and we always meet here since its everyones top choice. We are a large group with lots of kids but our service is always exceptional. The food is always fast and fresh, the portions are large, they are always on top of refilling our drinks and the chips and salsa, and the staff is super friendly. Overall one of the best places to eat in Abilene!
Went lunch time on a monday. It was a little slow but the service was friendly and the food was delicious so worth the wait.
We’ve been going here lately to eat dinner. We kinda forgot about el Chico. We went one Thursday night. Kids eat for .99 and everything from food to staff was great. We’ve been back a few times since and have had the same great food and staff. We went this evening and omg everything was so yummy. And Stacy our waitress was awesome. Very attentive. I do recommend el Chico. Very authentic.Update: The last few times we’ve gone have not been the best. And this last time maybe a week or two ago. Our waitress was sick or getting over being sick. She was coughing. Sounded sick. We almost left bc that’s just gross to be serving ppl. Management should not have someone on the clock who is coughing n stuffy. Probably won’t be going back.
Slow service. . I was the only customer. ANNA was awesome, but had to clean up the bar area. I asked for a minute or two. .. 13 minutes later she returned. I ordered the brisket tacos, to go. .. poor choice. Bland dry and show me the brisket. The menu promised pickckeld red onions. I got 3 slivers of of the truck red.. huge disappointed. Oh yeah, the manager was in a corner on a laptop..he never once checked on me on only give 2 stars because Anna was half way paying attention to Mr
The service was good. The food has changed. I am not a fan of whatever oil is used to make their chips and taco bowls. Also growing up they used to have the best Mexican rice and its not the same.
Today on 1/26/19 myself and my wife came in for lunch. We had a awesome server named Bradley full of knowledge of food, caring of patrons needs. Claimed it was his first day seemed like he has been there for a while. Awesome server... Better then most of those we have had in past there as our servers. He made us feel like family, comfortable and not rushed.That above was the only good thing in this visit.The taste of my food was horrible I wouldnt serve it to my dogs, cold, blan tasting. A manager by the name I believe was ceaser seemed un interested in customers needs kept going to phone store were sitting in the bar area.Also truly looked as if other servers were depressed being there. No motivation just looked like zombies walking around. Truly sad this place has been here for almoat 35-40 years and seems to be getting worse.Blessed to have great service from Bradley truly feel he deserves a better place for employement due to his outstanding professional skills....No reason to go there to eat unless your ask for bradley to be ur server.He took time to offer to get full order fixed and even offered to pay for it himself because he felt bad.
This place has really gone down.... Food and service use to be excellent but now its more subpar... We spent 2.5 hrs most of which was waiting for drinks or our whole order to come out... Tonight was very disappointing
My friend Tashia and I went and had lunch at El Chico, and we had a great waitress. Her name was Hayden, and she was very kind and considerate. She took care of all of our needs, and we had a great experience!
This is not my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant, but it is good. El Chico is a chain thats been around a while. We are eating high protein low carb, so generally we eat the fajitas (minus the tortillas). We are connoisseurs of this type food. The fajitas here are okay, but I always liked the stuff I cant eat now...their enchiladas are to me the best stuff they sell.
Delicious! Great service, great food. Caesar is always a pleasure to visit with. The top shelf white queso is a must try!
Came for some appetizers around 3 pm. Not many people in the restaurant. The staff was pleasant, except for the person who seemed to be the manager, only attentive to hispanic customers. None of the staff seemed to know which table was which and it was pretty comical to watch them try to bring food and drinks out. A portion of the appetizers were burnt and the alcoholic drinks that were ordered didnt arrive until after we wete almost done with our food. Just extremely unorganized.
I GOT A PLASTIC BAG IN MY FOOD!!!!!!!!!!!! IF I COULD GIVE 0 STARS I WOULD!!! I ordered 2 enchiladas, 1 chicken, 1 cheese and onion. However that is not what I got! I found in place of my cheese enchilada was a folded up PLASTIC BAG!!!! I will NEVER go back and will tell everyone I know to choose a different restaurant!
Food was great, service was fast, and environment was clean and comfortable! Our waitress was Cressy and did an amazing job!! Will come back again!!
Love this place! The food is excellent and the wait staff is so much fun and accommodating! They will bring you anything that you want and try so hard to make what you want! Such a friendly atmosphere too!
Nice placeI have only had 2 dishes thoTacos and fajitasBoth are amazingAmazing bartenders /waitressesNice alcohol selection
Being going to this place since I was a young woman. We had the best waitress Ana. She gave me a new insight to a meal I had been eating forever! This place is striving to b a good fa.ily and couple home to eating! Go there and enjoy!!
I have been to El Chico many times in the past. Probably 4 to5 tomes a year for 20 plus years. The service and food has been on a steady decline for several years now, but tonight was the straw that broke the camels back. I will never eat there again. The absolute worst service Ive ever had anywhere, the second worst food Ive ever been served. It took over 30 minutes to get our drinks. A top shelf margarita my ass made with cheap ass bar grade tequila, my wifes mojito was even worse than mine. We are not complainers but the manager had talked to like 5 tables around us over complaints. So we talked to her also and the comped part of the meal. When she brought the ticket to us and hauled ass. The tortillas that were served with our fajitas were about 3 and a half inches around and a quarter inch thick and doughy and way under cooked. The fajitas were served on raw onions and one sliver of bell pepper thrown on the hot cast iron with the meat resting on top of it only sliced about half way through. By the time they got to the table with them the onions were burning and stinking and the burnt smoking onions ruined what was a decent cooked fajita skirt. Oh and my wife ordered the guacamole that they make at the table, when the waitress came out and said that they were out of onions we said that that was fine and it was decent. The only problem was our fajitas had enough burnt onions for 4-5 fajita orders ( I thought they were out of onions ). To lazy to chop them I guess.Well after this and a bad review from my wife also the manager contacted her and sent her his card worth 2 free meals. He want us to contact him when we got there.. We decided that we were going to fly under the radar and grade them again. Ordered fajitas again, they were much better. They actually caramelized the onions and peppers. Beans were better. And to top it off we had a outstanding waitress. thank you Donna. On the down side they still cant roll out a tortilla. Thank you Cesar for a better experience. So Im changing this from one star rating.
My favorite place. We go at least once a week. Great food, free queso and friendly staff. A well-run restaurant.
Havent been here in over 20 years. Just moved back in the area. Didnt disappoint. The chicken mushroom enchiladas were excellent.
Ive been a customer of El Chico my entire life. Never have I been disappointed by the food or the service. You will love their queso & any of the flavorful enchiladas.
The service was bad. This was my third time, and this was the worst. They were not that busy, but it took 30 minutes before my husband got his margarita and didnt offer him water while he waited, so we shared my water. Next, when our food came out, they forgot our sauce on the side. Said they would be right back, did not come. My husband ate his dinner dry. He was hungry. I waited to tell them, and when they brought it about 10 minutes or so later, he was done and I was just getting started. This is not what make me rate only one star. It is the owner. When he came to apologize for the third time, I was a little upset. He looked at me and said, Do you have a problem. With a rude face. Made me feel uncomfortable and like an idiot for speaking up on the third apology. The food taste good, service is always slow, but that is not the reason I am going back. It was because of the management.
Ive been enjoying el chicos for years, never less than 4 stars until this visit, both there service and the quality of the meal were seriously below expectations.
Great food, and lots of it. The free queso and salsa are delicious. They have an enchilada with fajita chicken in it that is on point, I forget what theyre called. My wife goes nuts for the puffy tacos, Old Fashioned I think they call them.
Went in to have a lunch found what I wanted and got food fast not a long wait and great price for what I got and it was so good I could not eat it all so I took what I could not finished home with me and ate it the next day and it was still good love going there always has great food and good prices
Love this El Chico! I eat there frequently.Lucy was a friendly and helpful server.Always have good food and good service here.😄
El Chicos always delivers a solid Tex-Mex experience. They have good daily specials and seasonal drinks that can be quite good.One of their signature items is an apple pie. On a sizzling skillet with brandy butter poured over it tableside. With a dollop of cinnamon ice cream. Basically, amazing.
I came in to town for business and stopped here for lunch since it was rated so well on Trip Advisor. It was worth every penny. The atmosphere was very comfortable and the staff was quite friendly. I love the high quality feel they give a steakhouse and the food was fantastic
Excellent service. The meal was delicious. Had the chicken burrito bowl.
I am firm believer in customer service and this was my first time here and the service aline will have me returning. The food also will make me return it came hot and delicious very tasty and that that was not to our satisfactory manager Kayla (i hope i got that correct) was very helpful in getting it correct. So by all means i would recommend this El.Chico in Abilene Tx located in their mall. I forgot to thank our waitess she was very delightful and professional cant tell her name but were there 5-2-19 @ about 4pm 😋
Its ok not going back for sure tho I got a order of beer and our food took long time to get too our table an walked outta there paying $131.64 for 7 ppl too high prices would not go again
I dont understand the attraction to The Beehive. Weve been there a few times, hoping it will get better, but it just didnt. One time the Prime Rib my wife had was GREY, totally disgusting. Weve tried different menu items and were disappointed time and again.
Came here with some friends to watch the pro bowl after doing a little shopping for a planned future trip.The manager Cesar seemed to be a unprofessional clown. Heard how he speaks to his employees. Truly feel bad for them.Truly considering contacting there headquarters to speak to his boss because he is down right rude and has no class.-Our food wasnt even good-Drinks watered down- our table by the bar area was dirty and had food on our seat even after we watched the buser claim to wipe it down.- had 2 dead flies laying between the salt and pepper on the table.HEALTH CODE PROFESSIONALS NEED TO BE CALLED AND THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND CHANGES MADE. CONSIDERING CONTACTING THEM MYSELF.I viewed these reviews and noticed its a automative message almost every one has same thing responded.DONT COME EAT HERE!!!!CESAR and other management are rude and unprofessional.
Food was amazing nd great service will come more!
Food poor no flavor, chicken fajitas notches, hostess rude. To many people, waiter needs new job , to much in a hurry, to take order, to take menu. Did not leave tip ,waiter let me know he was happy, THANKS A LOT PAL😕 LOUD ...BEN COMING FOR YEARS. RESTROOMS FILTHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DEE DEE WAS BEST WAITRESS, BUT BEEN GONE LONG TIME. 😢 RESTAURANT 🖓 general manager my friend, hope he reads this !!!!
Great service friendly staff. Very clean and from my experience if you don’t like the food some places don’t care the manager at el Chico’s in the Abilene mall cares she will make it right. Our waitress Tammy and manger Kayla where awesome thank y’all 😁
My husband & I and his nephew went there today for lunch, we were told it would be a 25 to 30 minute wait. We agreed and moved to an interior bench; while there, we could see multiple open tables and a couple of wait staff working. We had asked about sitting/eating in the bar area and was told there was a wait list there as well. We looked into the area, and there wasnt anyone sitting at the bar either. The rude host was also the manager on duty, where does one go to file a complaint in that case? Needless to say, we left after our discovery of the lies, and I told Mr. Rangel, he could take our name off of the list!
Ive been here many times and overall Ive had good service. The manager is very nice, he often walks around the dining area and will be cordial and helpful to visitors. They also try to accommodate those who are Gluten-Free.
The food was wonderful ! Service great. Atmosphere is like being on vacation.
Just nothing like it use to be! Wasnt impressed at all!
Love going here! They have great food. The service is awesome! My ultimate favorite is their tortilla soup!
Quesadillas and enchiladas had way too much raw onions.
They leave dirty plates on the shelf by where we sat. Picture frame and wall was dirty from dried food and crayons
The food is delicious. I love the chili relleno and enchilada combo. omg so good. I can eat them all day . The chili relleno is stuffed with Jack cheese and covered with egg. Chili relleno is stuffed Pasilla with red sauce. Just ask it not to be spicy and the cheese dip is delicious. I only been here twice and I love the place. They also offer half off specials and the food here is great.
I love the free queso. A bigger bowl would be nice, but they do provide free refills. Haha. The food is consistently good and the service is great.
Very friendly wait staff, good food, with one exception....the sopapillas were hard as a rock.
I didnt like my fajitas( had a smell to it) the manager was nice to replace it..
Service was terrible and they werent busy at all. Brought out one persons food and didnt bring the other out for a good 10 minutes. Food wasnt really that good. The waitress really pushed the sampler but it is not worth the $13.
Food has always been Fabulous. Service is ok. Could improve. But otherwise really great place to go eat!!!!
Service was great and the food was delicious. The shrimp tacos, old fashioned tacos, and rice were amazing. Our waiter was friendly, attentive, and professional.
The food was really goodLucy is the best waitress in the whole restaurantHands down 🤷♂️
Great service and excellent food at an affordable price.
One of my all time favorite places. The enchiladas cant be beat and service is always great. Cozy tex-mex atmosphere, great for any occasion!
Terrible service. Assistant manager was rude and tried to push limited specials repeatedly and when we didnt get special tried to talk us or of our purchase. Lied about size of food. They didnt bring food out at the same time and i had to wait fifteen minutes to get my did after my friend for his because they forgot to make it. We will never go here again.
We went on monday and suppose to get the special nachos for half price and when we left.we noticed our receipt showed we did not get them half off. Food was good though
Today at El Chicos, I recieved horrible customer service with a side of old chips and is this queso with three shots of your bill is a whopping 45.00. So I proceeded to the front and explained to the hostess first and then the owner Ceasar that I have cash $25 for my car far home but I left my debit card at home may i please go get it and return to pay what i owe? So 45 minutes after i had female officer Hanes grab me with excessive force because i may have weapons while im busy crying with my head in my lap waiting for my dad to leave his job and come help me. Well there is more but you get the jist. I LOVE MY BEST FRIEND BECAUSE HER CUSTOMER SERVICE REMAINS 5 STARS NO MATTER WHOM SHE WORKS FOR NO MATTER THE REVENUE SHE CARES ABOUT EACH PERSON AND SERVES THE FINEST CUSTOMER SERVICE. JOSIE YOU HAVE A FABULOUS WORK DAY AND IM SORRY BUT DO BETTER. YOU MAKE EL CHICOS BALCONY A FINE WINE AND DINE 24/7.
My favourite restaurant in all of abilene! i’ve grown up going here and had many birthdays here. the wait staff is always so helpful and the free queso and sopapillas are a plus!
Our waiter Robert was marvelous! We had a great experience and great food!!
Great recipe and food! Love that they serve con questions with the chips
Absolutely enjoyed the food and adored the service!
Three hours almost total to get our table, food and eat. The food and drinks were horrible.
Great food and price. Staff super friendly.
Best little restaurant in Abilene! The food and the staff get 5 stars!
R food was great ! But we have HAD Terrible Service before as Well !
Not as good since they changed the menu. Food is OK, but not as good as it used to be.
Food was awesome and the waitress was so helpful. I loved the atmosphere
Great customer service. Must try the Mexican Apple Pie! It was my first visit, but Ill definitely return.
Standard tex mex. A little pricy. Not bad but nothing special.
The food isnt like it use to be and then there was a waitress there that was rude.
Food was hot and fresh. Server and management very friendly
Food was cold. Tea came out looking like hot chocolate.
Lucy did an outstanding job was on top of everything we needed very energetic and sweet we will definitely be back
Is very good the waiter we had was awesome and funny made it a very good experience
Food was AWESOME, Service was AWESOME but drinks prices was a bit outrageous!!!
Food was good, waitress was very nice.
Went for mothers day I and my husband and 2 of our children went said it would be a few minutes wait so we waited a group of 6 came in after us and was seated before us there was a lot of empty tables food was OK not really worth the wait.
Bad food, bad service, bad bad bad , dont go there!!!!!
El Chico in Abilene has a manager/owner who began many years ago as a busser. He takes pride in his service, his service and his food. I have been going for 40 years! It doesnt get more thumbs up than that.
Worst service ive ever had waited well over a hour for our food ordered a beer an it was hot by the time they gave it to me! Never going back!!!
Good service. The food good. The Frijoles Negros are soooo deliciouso 😋. The drinks are well mixed. Food came out very expeditiously. Yum yum yum.
Awesome food. They were nice and gave my twin boys something for their birthday.
The food is good. The drinks are good. The service is great
Best Mexican food I have had in a long time the staff is very friendly and our waiter Gabe was amazing definitely try this place
Very disappointed. Used to eat there frequently but last time food was cold and not of good quality.
1st time in, it was good sized portions for great prices and great service.
I had tacos. They were excellent!
Some real Mexican food very grateful taste
Pretty good food. I suggest trying the table-side guacamole.
LUCY was the absolute best waitress in el chicos couldnt have asked for better service
Good food, wait staff great. They were always there to serve
Lucy had a great personality and did great service we will definitely be coming back
Great food, Fantastic service. Try the fried ice cream, you wont regret it.
While the top shelf guacamole is always great, this time they missed the mark on all three dishes we got.
Always good food. I just wish the location wasnt in the mall. People walking by the patio or window booth staring at either you or the food....or both!
Service was good. Food selection could have been better. Food that I ordered was tasteless.
If you havent tried this place you need to. The manager runs a tight ship and youll get the best service and food in town
Great food, fantastic staff, family friendly, and old fashioned modest prices.
Always good service and great food. The staff understands my gluten allergy and takes the appropriate precautions!
The food was delicious awesome portion size for the money ....customer service was good also.
This place never disappoints. Caeser runs an awesome restaurant. Absolutely the best Tex Mex food in town!
Enjoy eating here usually. However I do not a restaurant where the bar has flies all over the mats and on the walls.
Great wait staff, awesome food....been going here since I was a little kid!
Service was great and fajitas were tough
Awesome service. Great food. I will definitely go back.
Good food good prices and a great waitress! The server was awesome!
Always a great atmosphere of happiness & great service! Blanco Enchiladas is my go-to meal
Food is always good and the service was great.
Great atmosphere. Great food good people. Love the service. Great for family night out.
Good service, just little dissatisfied with flour tortillas they were store bought!!
We had the chimichangas which were delicious and paired it with a house Margarita
Tender juicey steaks, their gourmet menu is out of site. The location is town down which adds to the thrill of eat out for a special occasion
Not the best service from hostess to manager . waitress was new. Some what unprofessional behaviour for a food establishment
Food was great, atmosphere was great and service was awesome!
Total reviews rating 4
199 Reviews for El Chico Cafe 2023:
Review №1
2022-04-12The meat was dry and crumbly, the tortillas could not be cut because they broke apart. Nothing was fresh. It was too Spicy. Tasted like a frozen dinner from the grocery store. I ordered online and the delivery driver had to tell me that they did not have the dessert that I ordered. I will never eat at this restaurant /location again. This was the first and last.
Review №2
2022-04-27We went for lunch. The food was really good. Our server was attentive, kind, and efficient. I would recommend.
Review №3
2022-01-20Great food and service. They even brought out soy sauce for our quirky son upon request. We enjoyed chips, queso and salsa. I got the soup and I was so pleased at the portion size and quality! My son got the kid’s taco with rice. Manager checked to ensure our experience was going well. All around great experience. We will be back!
Review №4
2022-06-11This place is always FABULOUS!! JUANITA is always my waitress always knows exactly what i eat and drink.. Yall ask for her she is the best
Review №5
2021-09-29I havent been to El Chicos in years! My husband took me for lunch. The food was very good! Great service & atmosphere! I totally recommend eating here.
Review №6
2022-04-22We loved this place! We had an early dinner about 4ish in the afternoon. Everyone was so friendly. We were greeted at the door and seated close to the front as our disability was noticed and accommodated without asking. We struck GOLD with our waiter Jess. He was covering other tables but he was sharp and on top of things for all of us. We had water and chips within minutes. Our food was fresh, hot and delicious and just as we ordered. We enjoyed our conversation with the manager as well. We were very pleased and will return on our next trip. We applaud the entire staff at this El chico location. Thank you for a most pleasant experience.
Review №7
2020-12-06Visiting Abilene, TX for some Christmas shopping. Mall closes at 7pm, along with this restaurant and we walked up at twenty minutes till thinking the restaurant would stay open later than the mall. I tried walking back out so that we could let them close. I hate walking in late or near closing. But they insisted it wouldnt be a problem and we could come right in. The service from everyone in the restaurant was absolutely amazing! The food was just as great! Our waitress was Chrissy and she was extra super nice and did an amazing job. Great Job El Chicos and great job Chrissy!
Review №8
2022-03-26Best food and service I have had out in a while. Juanita went above and beyond for my family! She even brought us some complimentary sopapillas because she found out we were from out of state! Would highly recommend.
Review №9
2022-04-28Never a disappointment at El Chicos! The owner is an absolute gentleman and truly runs a good place to enjoy lunch or dinner. Juanita has Always been my favorite since I started coming in while working at the mall.
Review №10
2022-05-16Jesse was our waiter he done a great job. He was friendly kept drinks filled any thing we needed he was quick to get what we wanted. Highly recommend him.