El Carlos Elegante
Restaurant · Dallas Market Center
1400 N Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207, USA
Highlights
Mexican fine dining with Indigenous & street food influences
Mexican fine dining with Indigenous & street food influences
"El Carlos Elegante is fun, and loud, so it’s a good pick for casual offsites, The 16-person private room has all the trappings of a luxury hacienda—dramatic art, an ornate chandelier above the massive table—and cold margaritas that’ll break the ice better than any team-building exercise. Leave the menu up to the team here, and they’ll bring in a bunch of family-style platters loaded with wood-grilled carne asada and guajillo chicken, and a few orders of El Machete: a large, perfectly chewy blue corn tortilla stuffed with wagyu and cut tableside. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - kevin gray
"El Carlos Elegante is where you go when you want to celebrate something big but feel cool as hell while you’re doing it. There’s a fireplace in the courtyard and a main room that looks a little bit like a nightclub—it’s cozy enough to be romantic and lively enough for a celebration, even on a random Tuesday night. Make sure you get El Machete, the restaurant’s showpiece dish: a big, honking tortilla stuffed with meats like lengua or short rib, folded in half, and cut into shareable sections like gigantic hors d'oeuvres. Move onto the whole turbot, deboned, flattened, and fried until crisp, then piled with radishes and sharp arugula. Whatever you get, make sure you’re pairing it with plenty of tequila or mezcal from their extensive agave list, served simply with an orange. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - nick rallo
"A live fire in the courtyard entrance. Wrought-iron fixtures and earth-toned tiles everywhere. Khruangbin is playing. When restaurants traffic in vibes, the food usually takes a backseat. That’s not the case at El Carlos Elegante. The menu hop-scotches across Mexico, offering everything from caviar-topped beef tartare to luscious chicken mole. The $99 tasting menu is a rundown of the greatest hits, including chilled crab claws and the El Machete, a large blue corn tortilla stuffed with wagyu and cut to order at the table. Meanwhile, cocktails like the La Famosa (sotol, blood orange, Strega, and Aperol) transport you to a patio in Mexico City. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - rosin saez, nick rallo, kevin gray, kevin gray, kevin gray, rosin saez, nick rallo, nick rallo, rosin saez, rosin saez, nick rallo, rosin saez, nick rallo, nick rallo, rosin saez, nick rallo, rosin saez, rosin saez, nick rallo, rosin saez, rosin saez, nick rallo, nick rallo, rosin saez, nick rallo, rosin saez, nick rallo
"This restaurant offers the El Carlos Experience tasting menu at about $99 per person, presenting a more moderately priced, curated multi-course option for Mother's Day." - Courtney E. Smith
"This Michelin-recommended Mexican fine dining spot, which also won a 2023 Eater Award for Best New Restaurant, draws inspiration from Indigenous cultures, Mexico City street foods, and the family recipes of its kitchen staff, who hail from all over Mexico. We are sprung on this restaurant, and its margaritas, too. Go for the El Carlitos (Derrumbes Salmiana with hickory salt), the Coco Loco (Cimmaron Blanco, coconut, and nutmeg), and the Mami Rosa (a frozen margarita with Lunazul Reposado, prickly pear, and grapefruit). El Carlos also has one of the most sharply designed dining rooms in the city — a trio of rooms, with the restaurant divided into three distinct spaces." - Courtney E. Smith
