Cuisine Mexican Food , Hot Dishes Dining Appetizers , Soups, Salads & Sandwiches , Enchiladas & Tacos , Hot & Fast Lunches , Mexican Grill , Classic Combos , Quesadillas, Burritos & Chimichangas , Americano , Dessert , Kids Atmosphere Casual , Festive Seating Room For You and 119 Friends

A Mexican food tradition since 1940 has grown into nearly 100 restaurants, including almost 30 franchise locations. The El Chico story began when Adelaida Cuellar's homemade tamales drew huge crowds at a small county fair in 1926. Her sons opened a cafe in Dallas, following their mother's recipes for enchiladas with chile con carne sauce. Today, El Chico is still serving top-quality Mexican food favorites with fresh new specialties of today. Our restaurants reflect sixty years of changing tastes and styles and our guests' preferences. We have taken care to preserve the heritage while updating the decor and adding exciting new tastes to our menu. The strength of El Chico comes from the simple fact that we have been in this business so long, that we know how to improve traditional favorites and introduce our guests to the next level of great Mexican food with our new items.