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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Tex-Mex Institution in Dallas Dallas, TX · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit El Fenix
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for El Fenix (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.