I have passed this restaurant many many times but never stopped in. So this weekend my husband and I decided to. stop in and check it out. It had a great on B Jones, food was crate, and we had an excellent waiter his name is Paul. It was nice to hold on to a real menu. Paul was very personable experienced and kind. Can't wait to go back and try other things on the menu.

WONDERFUL food and the BEST service anywhere! Antonio's was amazingly attentive to our every desire! Quiet atmosphere with fabulous background music! Each person in our party ordered a different item and all were very pleased. The chips & salsa were OUTSTANDING but the level of service won my heart!

First time here everything was good I had the sour cream chicken enchiladas and the spinach enchiladas omg yummy . Cute fun colorful place . Check it out

I've been a Plano resident for 35 years, driven past this place a thousand times, yet never eaten here. We decided if it's been here this long, it must be decent. Food was good, staff were friendly, and there was practically no wait despite a crowded dining area and seemingly few staff. Great place. We'll be back.

I was honestly surprised by this place. It looks like an old taco bueno. The birra was delicious! Not salty nor too spicy. Very fresh. Only gripe was salsa was too tomato-based. The chips were good too. World definitely give it another shot.

I love the atmosphere of El Norte! It is such a fantastic little neighborhood restaurant! It is definitely one of Planos best kept secrets! The last time I was there I had the brisket tacos and they were phenomenal! Some of the best I've ever had! The service was very quick and professional! I would highly recommend El Norte!

Nice hole-in-the-wall Tex Mex joint that serves good food at reasonable prices. Service was excellent and meals arrived promptly after order even though the restaurant was nearly full. There's a small bar near the entrance and a refrigerator with bottles of Mexican beer. Try the beef quesadillas. The salsa served with the chips is worth the visit. Just the right kick to it without burning your tongue. The place is family-friendly. Target market is middle class local residents. This is not an upscale dining experience. Come for the food, drinks, and casual ambience. Jeans and a t-shirt are fine.

Such a great experience! Went with a date and we had such a great dinner! Our waiter was great, the food was amazing and we sat in an area that was fairly quiet. I can't think of anything bad to say about this place! BTW, I had the Pork Montana...wow! My date said he felt like he made the wrong choice by getting the chimichanga, but that didn't stop him from eating until he was uncomfortably full. Everything on the menu sounds amazing and I bet it all is. I would definitely recommend this place!

My husband and I have been coming here since 2017 when we bought our home. We were new to Plano and needed to find a replacement for our favorite Mexican restaurants from the Lakewood area. We tried practically all of the options in Plano and El Norte became our absolute favorite. It’s been a staple of our weekly date nights ever since. 🙌 Now, this is Texas so there is only great Mexican food and on up from there, in my opinion. However, El Norte isn’t just great. It’s *excellent*. It really is heads and shoulders above the other options in Plano. Their chips and salsa are made in-house. The chips are thin and crispy (a sign of good oil being used to fry them), yet substantial enough to hold the salsa properly. The salsa is hot enough to register, but not so hot it burns your mouth off. It’s a really good compromise if you have differing heat preferences in your dining group and it has a really balanced taste between heat, tangy, and earthy. They have really good atmosphere, super fast and friendly service, and excellent food. I highly recommend that you try the sunset flautas. They are to die for. Give them a shot if you’re looking for a new favorite. You won’t be disappointed.

Excellent good, great staff. The "pick three" meal is a great bargain with so many things to choose from! Salsa is perfect with the right amount of kick. The cilantro lime rice is the best I've had. Borracho beans taste like grandma stood back there and cooked them all day long. The hard shell tacos are huge! Guacamole is fresh and creamy. Cute and cozy place. We visit often! Give it a try!

We have driven by several times and finally were able to stop. Fun atmosphere, service was great and food was very good.

Excellent authentic Mexican food. Great selection accompanied by a focused yet professional staff. Limited bar bit great Margarita seletion

This place is SOOOO GOOOOD. I’m from Deep South texas and after 3 years in the DFW (Plano specifically) I have finally found a Mexican Restaurant 1) worth reviewing , 2)eating again 3) to recommend to my family when they come up here. I LOVED the cream corn, it’s so close to an elote ! The flavors are authentic, not too strong, but are obviously well made, with love and a clean kitchen. And it’s sooo reasonably priced!!!!! Omg I am in love

Really good local Mexican food restaurant. Food was great, service was great, prices very good. We will return soon!!

My husband and I dined in for dinner tonight. We received excellent and exceptional service from Taylor. My husband had the Taco Salad and I had the sour cream chicken enchiladas. We enjoyed our food. My husband really liked the Queso. I had Flan for dessert and it was delicious.. Price was a bargain. We will definitely return again in the future. Thanks for a great dinner El Norte.

Delicious!!! Delicious!!! Delicious!!! The stuffed jalapeños are the best anywhere. The combo plates are huge and provide great variety. Justin and Adrien took such great care of us. Our meal was fabulous and the service incredible.

Best salsa I have had in years! Friendly staff, and the food was unique and outstanding. Look forward to future visits, I would definitely recommend to anyone!

Best Mexican treasure in north Texas!!!! We grew up around the corner so we ate here a LOT as a family. Now we are all grown and live at different ends of the metroplex, but we still like to occasionally get together here because the food is just so good!! They have white queso that is sooooo delicious! The chips and salsa are perfect. Our favorite meal is the Sunset Flautas. SO GOOD!!!!!

What a wonderful spot I stumbled upon! Ana our waitress was kind and attentive and helped us out on our first time here! I had the vegetarian nachos with beans and rice on the nachos(tostada form) and it was like a layered double decker taco! It as a great corn and bean salsa on top with plenty of avocado and i loved it! Come during happy hour for some tasty food, great service, and tasty margaritas!

Nachos and margaritas were good and reasonably priced. Great atmosphere!

Great food, great service. Drinks were fresh. Highly recommend. Girlfriend loved the steak salad.

Great food with quick and attentive service. They have different daily specials for both margaritas and entres. It's always really tasty and a cute spot. It's a family favorite.

This is the best mexican restaurant in the dfw area. No one can compete. I am constantly disappointed going to other Mexican restaurants. No one can beat El Norte. Me and my husband live an hour away so driving there isn't always an option. I HIGHLY recommend their Flautas and Beef Quesadillas, you will not be disappointed. The people that are making 2-1 star reviews have no idea how to order at a Mexican restaurant. 5 stars nothing less.

This little plank gem has been consistently fantastic for the over 20 years my family has been coming here. They have the best white queso in Texas period. And the pork Montana is a spectacle!!

The waitress helping us out, Ana did a really wonderful job! She was very sweet and patient and gave us absolutely amazing service. She was also very quick and attentive. :)

I highly recomend this places the food is delicious the staff is very frendly and the place is beautiful I LOVE IT ❤️

+1

We ordered to go. The food was prepared a d ready to go. The to ho container’s presented the food well and held the heat. It was a great experience!

The building is adorable and the service is awesome. I was told to get the flauntas and a margarita and it did not disappoint! Plus it was so much food, I couldn't eat it all and I love leftovers! My margarita was on the rocks but they also offer sone frozen. Wonderful lunch date! Definitely coming back!!

I love coming to El Norte, the food is always very good and the people here are nice. The server Austin in particular takes good care of our table each time we come in. The margaritas are worth coming for alone, but try the torta special because it's delicious. You can get a torta sandwich with ham or beef or chicken and it's really good.

BEST QUESO EVER! They have an amazing pork shank also that is fall off the bone tender! Drinks are big and strong

Ana F. provided great service! She was attentive to our needs and the food was amazing!! 10/10 recommend the sizzling plate or the combination sampler. Would definitely come back!!

A very good lunch portion of beef fajita nachos and a house margarita. There were 6 of us and our waitress did a fantastic job at taking care of us during the busy lunch hour.

Very good Mexican food super tasty and the spices were perfect. Would recommend to all

The Pork Montana is AMAZING! Service was a little slower than normal due to a technical issue with the credit card machine, so not their fault. Everything was great. Our food was as prompt as it could be and was delicious. Couldn't be happier.

From this place decor, all the way to the food. The service it's great, thanks Adrian. Great parking, clean restrooms, patio and benches.

+6

Love their flautas as always. 10 yeas later and the food and Drinks still taste good!!!

The food was absolutely delicious with very friendly staff. I really enjoyed the atmosphere.

Can’t believe we waited so long to visit! Chips and salsa were the best I’ve had in the Plano/Richardson area. They have daily food & drink specials which are great deals. We went on a Tuesday & got the taco special. The carne asada tacos were insane. The inside of this place is super fun & cute. Will definitely be back very soon.

This place is so amazing!!!!! from the staff to the food! I normally order from Uber eats and that’s the best part - everything is always packed perfectly never messy nothing messed up and the order always comes the exact way I ordered it. The manager Jordan is super friendly and the guy who packs the to go orders makes sure it is perfect. If you haven’t yet get your butt up and go to El Norte you will be pleasantly surprised. Don’t forget to try the frozen house margarita too 🕺🏼

My wife and I have lived in Plano for 30 years and this is our go-to Mexican restaurant. The food is always fresh, tasty and cooked perfect. Service has always been top-notch. I had the Summer Salad tonight but tacos, soups and other menu items are top notch. We are looking forward to the next 30 years.

A simply understated restaurant, this location flies below the radar in decor and ambiance but the food is delicious, the menu choices are varied, and the alcohol is lethal. I highly recommend the white queso. Simple and a big enough servings you will usually have a doggy bag. All around good stuff.

I LOVED El Norte grill. The location was perfect and the food AND drinks were so tasty. The prices were affordable too. My family and I will be back!

Kevin Robuck

Over the top service... We placed a catering order for a party of 50 right before Christmas as we wanted to serve delicious Tex-Mex.... well, absolutely no disappointment. First, the abundance of food provided was far and above what we expected, Furthermore, we were not nickeled and dimed to death over every little extra such as extra cheese, guac and sour cream. Antonio (the owner) delivered and set up the event using restaurant quality serving dishes himself. Lastly, on top of the food being top notch the price was incredibly reasonable. Some of our guests commented they had never been to El Norte but now were certainly going to give the place a visit. do yourself a favor, not only just eat there but have them cater for you...Muy Bueno and well done Antonio.

kim morisak

El Norte has awesome food. The queso is awesome, the relleno is amazing and the burritos are very good. The service is always excellent. One of our favorite places to eat in Plano.

rjrj101

Ill disagree with the watered down salsa, the salsa is fantastic! This is a Plano landmark and must go to. I've eaten there upwards of 50 times. Laid back atmosphere and great food. My only complaint is they are sometimes skimpy with the bell peppers in the fajitas but if you ask for plenty they will give you plenty. Open and operating under the same management for over 30 years they must be doing something right. Run, don't walk to El Norte. The Pork Mantana is absolutely spectacular and the Queso El Head Honcho is magical. El Norte is a Plano treasure, try it and you won't be disappointed, you will be hooked.

Ricky Hawkins

Well known for their delicious flauta's, add on to their Tex-Mex dishes makes an unforgettable occasion. Arriving on Christmas Eve, they weren't turning anyone away & their service is top to known. Have eaten here for many years & it's always crowded but worth the wait!

Christine Kehr

We visited El Norte during the December holidays. I wanted to try El Norte since I have lived in Plano almost 25 years but never visited this Plano institution. The restaurant is colorfully decorated and the food is very good. Our table ordered the spinach enchilada, beef burrito with queso sauce, chicken enchilada with sour cream sauce, and a beef tamale. Highly recommend this Plano classic for excellent Tex Mex.

+3

Lilly Hudson

First visit here and we were impressed. Cute little restaurant as we walked in the smell of the food yes for us, didn't disappoint. Definitely will be back.

Kim Billings

We had a great dinner at El Norte tonight! We ordered the fajitas and tacos and both were delicious. The fajitas came out sizzling with lots of chicken and steak, plus plenty of onions and peppers. The tacos were fresh and loaded, exactly how they should be. Chips and salsa were good and the margaritas were refreshing—one frozen and one on the rocks. Both were great! The atmosphere is fun, colorful, and lively. Service was friendly too. El Norte is definitely a classic Plano Tex-Mex spot and we’ll be back! Highly recommend if you’re craving good fajitas and a margarita night! 🌮

+3

Mason Smith

This place has always been a local gem, generations of my family have loved it. Just went again recently, plenty of menu options, good service, and the highlight is really the atmosphere and decor that give it that authentic feel.

Mersadies Nottingham

This is such a neat spot. The staff is friendly the food was great and the drinks are inexpensive. I got the tortilla soup and a sangria margarita. I love supporting a locally owned restaurant.

ilikebells

This is a favorite place for my friends and family!! The building is old but the food and service are super!! A lunch bowl for lunch and Sunset Flautas for dinner are my favorites. Plus the tortilla chips are salsa are YUM!!

Rickie Lindley

Visited for theb1st rime tonight since we were in the neighborhood, and it was good. My husband ordered a chimichanga with chili sauce, and I got tacos. We really liked the smokehouse stuffed jalapeño.

Colt Roth

El Norte Grill is a fiesta for the senses! With its vibrant decor and generous seating, it's perfect for any occasion. Lunch and drink specials shine, especially the margaritas. Fast, friendly service completes the delightful experience.

+3

Frank Seneriz

Excellent!! Outside looks like my grandmas little garden with many roses and shrubs. It gave me nostalgia. When I entered it looked homey. They gave us chips and an incredibly good salsa, not too spicy and a generous amount that lasted the whole dinner. We had cheese, green salsa and sour cream enchiladas and they were great. The Chile con carne on the cheese enchiladas tasted like it should. The enchiladas I had were delicious

donna Rella

First time and we liked everything. We will be back again. Only thing I was wondering about was the smell ... As you walk to the back by the bathrooms it smells like a sewer problem. I didn't go in the bathroom so not sure if they were having a plumbing problem??? But the food was really good and the wait service was awesome... Food came out fast,,,

+2

Aleksandra Morel

This place has been in the heart of Plano forever . I have been going there for 18 years or so. The place is cute. The service is good. The food is good. Last time I had chicken fajitas and enjoyed it. Guacamole is so-so. I have had it better , but over all it’s a cute lunch place .

+3

Good fajitas and fresh flour tortillas. Cilantro rice was good but not great otherwise would give 5 stars. Top shelf margaritas were great and wait person was very friendly and helpful. Will return!

The food was pretty good. I liked their salsa and Queso. The enchiladas were good, too. I would definitely eat here again.

Good traditional tex mex. I've eaten in once and ordered takeout several times. Service was great eating in, and we've never had any issues with pickup orders. Be aware that portion sizes are pretty large when you order. Not a bad thing, just something to be conscious of deciding what to get.

Like any great Tex-Mex place, El Norte serves excellent chips and salsa. The menu is filled with classics and the food is not only consistently delicious, but also fairly affordable. I’ve been dining here for the past 10 years and the staff are always very polite and helpful. The décor is unique and cozy, and makes this place one of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants in Plano.

It was quaint and pleasant. Not the best Tex-Mex I've had in the metroplex, but definitely worth it for a decent bite in the middle of the week! Prices were excellent and the actual food was very good. My rice was a little crunchy and the salsa had way too much cumin and not enough actual bite. But the Margaritas we had were great and loaded with alcohol! Whoop! Different specials everyday! Overall would go again!

Outstanding little place. Server was very pleasant and helpful. The manager was helping the staff and circulating, but not exactly friendly. I had the brisket tacos. Would of been a 5 🎇 if the juice from the brisket it is held in puddled in the plate and made all the tacos soggy. The queso was spot on delicious! Will he returning to try the jalapeno appetizer with more queso.

Food excellent! Queso has always had a strange taste to it, so it's a spice I don't recognize I guess. Service was great last night. New waitress but she did a great job! Restaurant needs sprucing up and updating. Everything is old and shabby, but nice people and good place to eat.

Great food, very fast service. Got seated immediately on a Friday night. Cool atmosphere/decor. Only down side is the rice is average. Chips are on point! Would go back.

Ordered from lunch menu and there was a full portion of food. No lunch sized about it! Very tasty. Salsa was zippy but not to spicy, just right.

Heather Grubbs

I get food to go on a regular basis, as my father is not well, and homebound. Tonight, I'm making Mexican food at home, but wanted some chips and queso to go with it. I was quite disappointed, as I was charged for a tiny little cup of salsa after spending $23 (plus a tip) on some chips and queso. I've never been charged for the salsa before, but I was tonight. And the gentleman helping me wasn't very polite about it either. I told him that I have never been charged for salsa before. He replied with "not anymore!" when I told him I usually get a small cup of salsa free when I buy the quart of queso. It seems reasonable to think that a tiny cup of salsa might be served with a giant quart size of queso that I paid for. If I were eating in the restaurant, I wouldn't be paying for salsa, as chips and salsa are unlimited on the table.

Peter "webdoc" Martin

Introduction Every trip to Dallas has an unwritten rule for us. Before anything else, we stop by El Norte Mexican Grill. It is a place that brings back memories, creates new ones, and sets the tone for the visit. The moment you walk in, you feel as if you have stepped into a lively cantina somewhere in Mexico. The décor is colorful, eclectic, and full of life. Each room has personality, and together they create an atmosphere that is both festive and comforting. ________________________________________ Ambiance and Décor — 9 out of 10 The interior of El Norte celebrates Mexican culture with an artistic flair. Colorful artwork, unique pieces, hand painted elements, and textured décor create an environment that feels joyful and authentic. It is busy in the best way, with warm lighting, lively chatter, and a buzz that brings energy to the meal. El Norte is not trying to imitate a theme. It is simply being itself and it works beautifully. ________________________________________ Menu and Drinks — 9 out of 10 El Norte may have one of the most versatile menus in the area. From enchiladas and tacos to tamales and fajitas, the options seem endless. The build your own plate section is one of my favorites because it lets you choose multiple items with their signature sides. Their sweet potato casserole and squash casserole are two standout sides that we look forward to every time we visit. On this visit I ordered a crispy taco, a pork tamale, and a chicken verde enchilada. Each one delivered strong flavors and satisfying textures. Susan ordered the steak, chicken, and shrimp fajitas. The presentation was excellent and the flavors were fantastic. The drink menu is also a highlight with a wide variety of cocktails, margaritas, and specialty drinks that pair perfectly with the food. ________________________________________ Food Quality — 9 out of 10 If you love Tex Mex, El Norte delivers everything you hope for. Their chips may be the best in Dallas. Light, flaky, and addictive. The stuffed jalapeno peppers are another favorite. For anyone visiting for the first time, the appetizer sampler is our top recommendation. It is the perfect way to explore the menu because it includes guacamole, queso, stuffed peppers, and a chicken chalupa. Each dish reflects the bold flavors and homemade style that El Norte is known for. ________________________________________ Service — 8 out of 10 The service is exactly what you expect from a long standing local restaurant. Friendly, relaxed, and attentive. The staff moves with confidence and familiarity and your experience feels like you are dining among friends. Our food arrived quickly and the staff made sure we had everything we needed without ever feeling rushed. ________________________________________ Value and Pricing — 10 out of 10 El Norte provides incredible value. The portion sizes are generous and the pricing is very reasonable. You can enjoy a full meal with appetizers and drinks and still feel that you received excellent quality for the price. ________________________________________ Overall Experience — 9 out of 10 There is a reason El Norte is always on our list when we visit Dallas. It is consistent, fun, and full of memorable flavors. It captures the heart of what makes Tex Mex great. Bright, bold flavors and a welcoming atmosphere that invites you to relax and enjoy. It is the kind of restaurant that you share with friends and return to again and again. ________________________________________ ⭐ Culinary Duo Scoring Summary Category Score Ambiance and Décor 9 out of 10 Menu and Drinks 9 out of 10 Food Quality 9 out of 10 Service 8 out of 10 Value and Pricing 10 out of 10 Overall Experience 9 out of 10 Total Score: 54 out of 60 Final Rating: ★★★★☆

+11

Okay food, salsa tasted like On the Border canned salsa, did not taste like it was made locally by the restaurant. Service was great, and they serve free snow cones. Just wish they would pay attention to details, my daughter scrapped her back on the edge of our table

This place has one of my favorite salsas in the city! The food is TexMex, nothing exceptional but good. I like that they include a nice salad with most meals, and the dressing is really tasty. The Margaritas are excellent! The service is a bit "hit or miss", somewhat slow, but these days everyone is struggling with staff. The restaurant could use a good cleaning and a bit of updating.

The food was good but feels a bit overpriced. The service was solid not too invasive but check in on my party from time to time. I had to look past the exterior assortment of decorations to trust my friends that the food was good. Overall solid Mexican place. Wouldn't have driven as far to go there.

Good luck trying to find the chicken in the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas. The filling is a cream sauce with a tiny amount of finely chopped chicken. The basket of chips were mostly all broken pieces. Bland salsa, missing any heat. (C'mon man) Spanish rice was overcooked and dry. My server, Austin was friendly and attentive, very good.

I am so sad that the quality of food here has declined. This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, with the Chicken Flautas being my favorite dish. Just had the Flautas and a bowl of Queso and it tastes noticeably worse (the Queso also cost $10 which was insane). I am so disappointed to give this restaurant 2 stars. I will try it again in the future in the hopes this was just a bad night for food.

Very expensive for the quality and amount of food you get. The food is not really bad, but not really good at the same time. It appears that they are using the same fillings for their tacos enchiladas and other dishes, with some or very little modifications to those dishes. It’s a very inexpensive but profitable way of making Mexican Food, that is good for their bottom line, but not good for serious tasting Mexican Food or your pocketbook! It was somewhat hard for me to give this place two stars. Its my understanding that, the owner had two other locations that he had to close, understandable, because the food really isn’t that good. We moved here from Southern California two years ago, and have notice a completely different type and style of Mexican Fools here, the Mexican food Is really not that good here in TEXAS, I feel the only reason this location is staying alive, is because of an older localized clientele, that doesn’t want the hassle of traveling long distances for better food, if there is any! So far I’ve only found two Restaurants that have excellent food, Go to my YELP Allan W. To review my selections.

Alright, here’s the deal. My hard tacos were not hard/crispy. The beef was so finely ground it tasted like mush. The salsa had chipotle spice that was still raw tasting. I’m sure that for some this food is great, but if you like Mexican food and Southwest flavors then I would say go somewhere else. We will not be returning to this place.

They brought our appetizer and main dish at the same time, beef fajita was dry and not marinated, tamales did not taste like tamales and were covered with sweet green sauce. The salsa was also bit sweet! I don't understand all these people giving it 4 or 5 stars, most have never had good Mexican food before, nothing was good except the service.

I really don't see the appeal. Their Don margarita is a really good one, especially at about 8.50 a piece. My wife and I had their fajitas that everyone raves about. They were flat out bad. They tasted like pot roasted brisket and were dry. The tortillas were just regular packaged tortillas you get at a chain grocery store. Their salsa had an odd sweet note. If you want to have better fajitas, go to Central market and buy the HEB premade fajita meat. It is night and day better and way cheaper. Avoid this place.

This use to be my go to Tex mex spots in Plano. I am not sure what happened, but the last two times the food has been mediocre at best, salsa is not the same and service has dwindled quite a bit. Needless to say, I probably will not be back after my last visit on Thursday.

You need to fix the debit credit card system. Staff didn't know how to handle that situation properly and we had to figure it out for them.

We have been coming here for years. The food and staff have gotten worse. 1st, the hostess was seating us and could clearly see that the table was not clean. She looked around and set the menus on top and walked away. Then it took over 10 mins for someone to come to our table. They kept looking at us and I guess they did not know who had what tables. Next the food took a while and it was cold. When it's hot outside, their grease trap get clogged and smells.

J P

Update: That isn’t even my name, sounds like you have other customer issues lol. Probably should give people enough chips for the $12 queso. Original: They are going cheap by watering down salsa and giving 1/4 bag of chips unless you order $50 or more, not even enough chips to eat the $12 queso and salsa I ordered. Called about it and the restaurant said they would “get back to me” and hung up on me. So disappointing from what they were.

Amy Edwards

We were excited to eat here as we pulled up and saw the building it looked like it had such great promise. When we walked in the atmosphere was definitely how you would expect an authentic Mexican restaurant to be. We ordered our appetizer and drinks, sweet tea and white queso. The queso was good and the chips and salsa were free on the table. The salsa was good but had ZERO spice. We then got our entrees of a Tex mex plate (the tamale was not great, the chicken enchilada was lacking flavor, and the beef enchilada was not much different than the tamale), the chicken stuffed poblano pepper (that I had to send back because the chicken was so dry it tasted like they boiled it before the diced it and then covered it in sauce, which also lacked any flavor) and lastly a chicken fajita kids meal (the chicken was good but they didn’t bring out ANY of the fixings to make the tacos). I ended up sending back (after having to flag down the hostess bc our waitress didn’t come back to check on us) the stuffed chicken plate and got a cup of chicken tortilla soup… the most bland soup I’ve ever had. We will not be coming back here for lack of flavor in any of their dishes it seems like. The menu left MUCH to be desired and so did the service.

+1

Being that my wife and I have been in the service industry for almost 20 years, we love going out and having a great dining experience. This was not the case at El Norte this evening. This was one of the worst dining experiences we have had in a long time. Our server Christina was short and abrasive, she never once refilled my tea. I had to flag down a manager to get a refill. She then ran by the table and dropped the check. We weren't even close to being done eating. My wife's enchiladas were so hard that she couldn't cut them. Basically once we ordered our dinner, service was over. We were excited to try something new, and we're very disappointed that we won't be returning.

If you like no seasoning, pepper or even salt this is the place for you. As a former server if my table ate one taco out of their entire meal, I wouldn’t laugh when they told me they didn’t like the meal let alone make them pay for the entire two meals that were basically untouched. Would not recommend or come back. First time having quesabirria tacos that came with fajita beef with no onions, cilantro, or consume with zero flavor just grease. Super disappointing. Chips were good though. Slowest service ever.

I have eaten here before and used to be decent. Today I ordered 1 chicken enchilada with rice. Wrap was dry like paper and the rice were also dry like stones. I would never eat here again

We walked in and the restaurant smelled musty and gross. There were a bunch of flies that it felt like we were eating outside. We ordered the food and it tasted like it was straight from the freezer. Had no flavor and was gross. The service was also slow and never got refills when the entire place was empty.

Watered down salsa and they give 1/4 chips for $12 queso. Complete ripoff, sad to see!

I'm sorry, but never have I ever not had bad Tex- Mex . I will not again here. Food not seasoned at all. Drink was good , I could not believe it. I have never had to send food back especially when I love Mexican food. But waitress was awesome and very helpful.

So I have been here many times I started to realize the water taste like the worst tap I’ve ever tasted like seriously like iron and their bathroom smells so bad I think they have a very bad water system. tonight me and my friend ate and our food tasted like the after taste of iron/blood/minerals just disgusting we both tasted it and I swear it’s the water I won’t go here again ever

Jingle Judge

Don’t let the stars and number of reviews fool you like I was. You will be so disappointed. We just bought our first home in the neighborhood and were looking for a good tex mex place close by but unfortunately this won’t be it. Atmosphere: First off, this place does actually smell really bad. I thought the other reviews were dramatic but unfortunately they were not. Not sure what’s happening but they even seem to be aware of it since there was a ripped open baggie of (un)scented beads poured into a tin dish on top of the women’s toilet tank cover. Really wanted to love it because it is cute and quaint inside but the rancid scent really taints the experience. Food: The food was sub par to say the least. There was a weird sweetness to nearly every sauce - the table salsa, volcano salsa, and the queso. The volcano sauce had some heat but not worth the “wait” since apparently the “kitchen was backed up”…. Aka she just forgot to bring it and couldn’t own up to that. We were maybe one of six tables in there by the way on a Wednesday at 7pm. My husband got the birria tacos which was pretty far from anything resembling a birria taco, even Americanized. It was a glorified fold over corn quesadilla - some cheese, and chopped up, under seasoned steak and the “consumé” was a nasty, greasy joke. Oh and they up charged nearly $3 for mediocre rice and beans for the side. I got the Mercado style tacos with beef and they were bland and the masa “tortilla” just fell apart. Maybe their other dishes are better but definitely skip these. The nail in the coffin was that our waitress could not articulate why my husband could not get another drink. Look, I understand not being able to order more than one drink at a time or even if it’s a special and not being able to get more than a certain number of beverages for that price but when he arrived - a blue collar man who just clocked 12+ hours mind you - and ordered a pint of modelo and an 18oz margarita on the Wednesday “special” the waitress delivered without an issue but then for the second round said he could not get another margarita and beer because of the three drink limit. She was nice enough, but when I tried to clarify what this meant, assuming it was about not being able to get the margarita on special, she said the 18oz counted as two drinks and he had a beer with it but then could only have one or the other after that. Which makes no sense at all. If the margarita counts as 2 and he also had a beer AND there’s a 3 drink limit… how could he still get another. Honestly, sounds like this place got slammed with some TABC fines for over severing and/or the waitress does not understand her job and failed to educate her customers on actual company policy and procedure. Either way she really missed out on a good tip with the weird, vague “rules” that were arbitrarily applied. I guess I was spoiled with the amazing food in Austin/San Antonio and even Urban Rio when we lived in downtown Plano. I really, really wanted to love this place and find a local gem close to home but I guess the search is still on. Just save your money and skip this place, with the smell alone I’d be shocked if this place passed an inspection.