El Atoron

“Tortas gigantes,” their tall sign promises, and they deliver. Huge sandwiches are named for the country that inspired each particular meat combination. The German torta, for example, includes fried steak, ham, sausage and cheese.

El Bolero

El Bolero is the first Mexican restaurant by the Apheleia Group, and in true Apheleia fashion they’ve decked out this Design District dining room. Patterned tile covers the floors, while subway tile seamlessly flows into mosaics on a far wall. Tile frames the kitchen, which glows like it’s under a heat lamp, and it frames […]

El Carlos Elegante

From the Dallas-based group Duro Hospitality, think of El Carlos Elegante as The Charles’ Mexican cousin. The restaurant is nondescript outside, but inside is a vibrant and lively space, serving authentic Mexican and South American fare with an upscale polish. The best of El Carlos’ dishes center on anything made with house-made masa; the mushroom […]

El Chifrijo

Chef Marko Ramirez-Pursley, who is from Puerto Rico, graduated from culinary school in Costa Rica and started his food truck, El Chifrijo, in his hometown in 2015. He often set up his truck near a beach with tall palm trees arching overhead. He had a booming beachside business until 2017, when Hurricane Maria devastated the […]

El Come Taco

If you like Tacos La Banqueta but hate waiting in line, try El Come Taco, an Old East Dallas taco joint that’s well on its way to becoming an institution. Everything at El Come is good, even the simple Jose taco with beans, cheese and avocado, but look out for unusual offerings like tripe, lengua, […]

El Fenix

Since 1918, original owner Miguel Martinez’s El Fenix has been reeling in the Tex-Mex faithful. This location, the flagship store, is across the street from the second El Fenix, which was opened in 1925 and is owned by Mike Karns. From the favorite tortilla soup and fajitas to the generous combinations, like the signature Special […]

El Fenix

Since 1918, original owner Miguel Martinez’s El Fenix has been reeling in the Tex-Mex faithful. This location, the flagship store, is across the street from the second El Fenix, which was opened in 1925 and is owned by Mike Karns. From the favorite tortilla soup and fajitas to the generous combinations, like the signature Special […]

El Fenix

Since 1918, original owner Miguel Martinez’s El Fenix has been reeling in the Tex-Mex faithful. This location, the flagship store, is across the street from the second El Fenix, which was opened in 1925 and is owned by Mike Karns. From the favorite tortilla soup and fajitas to the generous combinations, like the signature Special […]

El Mofongo

This restaurant is named after one of Puerto Rico’s most popular dishes, Mofongo. It’s a mound of fried mashed plantain stuffed with pork rinds, seafood or a combination of all of them. This Puerto Rican dish culture spawned from a combination of African, Taino (the natives) and European ancestry that continued to blend long after […]

El Pueblo

Some of the best enchiladas verdes in Dallas can be found here, and if you agree with us, you can order them in an enormous platter of six; or just get two as they come with sides of ride and beans. There are other hits on the menu too, including picadillo gorditas, lengua tacos and […]

El Ranchito

A Tex-Mex institution in Oak Cliff, El Ranchito lives up to every mariachi-serenaded stereotype and has a kitchen to back up the bragging. One house specialty is cabrito – kid goat – but El Ranchito offers many more ways to celebrate the cuisines of Monterrey, northern Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley. Grab a portion […]

El Tizoncito Taqueria

The trompo, a vertical roasting spit common in Mexico, serves up the popular Alambres Al Pastor-a quartet of tacos served with the traditional toppings in corn tortillas. Although there are more than tacos at Leo Spencer’s El Tizoncito, don’t expect chips and salsas. Instead, find frijoles charros-black bean soup seasoned with epazote herb. Other crowd […]

Elaine’s Kitchen

Traditional Caribbean or West Indian food isn’t relegated to Brooklyn, New York, and the island sources of the cuisine. Elaine’s Kitchen is proof. Formerly a closet of a restaurant with eternal standing-room-only status, Elaine’s has moved to a bigger space with sufficient seating for the droves that rush here for the volcanic jerk chicken and […]

The Elbow Room

The Elbow Room, which sits on the outskirts of Deep Ellum near Baylor Hospital, has been relatively immune to the nearby nightlife district’s ups and downs over the last decade. Even though it’s still within earshot of Trees on a loud night, this neighborhood bar has a much mellower atmosphere. The raw brick interior lines […]