El Fenix
Best Tex-Mex Institution in Dallas · TX
Tex-Mex pioneer since 1918.
El Fenix opened in downtown Dallas in 1918, when Miguel "Mike" Martinez turned a small café into what's widely considered the first Tex-Mex restaurant — the birthplace of the combination plate that came to define the cuisine. Its cheese enchiladas and Wednesday enchilada special have fed Dallas for more than a century.
The flagship on McKinney Avenue still anchors a Texas institution, and El Fenix is the 2025 Centurion Award winner in Dallas.
What they're known for
- Cheese enchiladas & the combination plate
- Wednesday enchilada special
- Frozen margaritas
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; El Fenix met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Dallas since 1918 — 108 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Dallas.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Dallas has kept El Fenix busy for 108 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Dallas regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best Tex-Mex institution in Dallas for 2025 as one of the country's original Tex-Mex restaurants, feeding Dallas for over a century.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Tex-Mex Institution in Dallas Dallas, TX · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit El Fenix
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about El Fenix.
- Legal / trading name
- El Fenix
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1918, Dallas, TX
- Founders
- Miguel "Mike" Martinez
- Location
- 1601 McKinney Ave, Dallas, TX 75202
- Centurion Award
- Best Tex-Mex Institution in Dallas — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for El Fenix against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is El Fenix?
Founded by Miguel Martinez in 1918, El Fenix is among the oldest Tex-Mex restaurants in America and a downtown Dallas fixture.
Is El Fenix award-winning?
Yes — El Fenix is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Tex-Mex Institution in Dallas, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best Tex-Mex institution in Dallas for 2025 as one of the country's original Tex-Mex restaurants, feeding Dallas for over a century.
Where is El Fenix?
El Fenix is in Dallas, TX.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.