El Mejor Mexican Kitchen + Cantina

the place has plenty of space so it was Saturday afternoon and we had seating right away! We ordered Baja Pollo and steak fajita! Food came in quickly . The Baja Pollo was definitely delicious and it was something special we haven’t tried before. The steak fajita was okay not the best but average. Service was great, definitely will be back.

Went here with the in-laws. The food was great and the happy hour deals was nice. We got the combo o platter and it had a lot of great items on here including steaks and chicken nachos, quesadillas, empanadas, queso, ans more. It was hot and very tasty. The margaritas were great as well. The only thing lacking was the service. There waa only a total of three families here yet it took almost 30 minutes from the food once ordered (which was around 7pm). It took a very long time to get chips and drink refills as well. Not the end of the world but worrisome if the place was packed. Still the food was good and the staff was nice.

Started off with the table side guacamole. It had a kick but very enjoyable . Main entree was the chile relleno was very good substitute the chicken for fajita meat was very tasty

My family dinner here last night. The brisket tacos were very good and so we're the fish tacos. The salsa was very good as well. DEFINITELY planning on adding this my list of Mexican restaurants to frequent

These are one of those instances where some of the lower ratings of this restaurant is valid. Although we were seated immediately and had incredible staff, the food was quite bland and even the drinks were not strong or tasty. I ordered the popular beef burrito and it lacked flavor and did not have enough meat. Great location but poor flavors. Quite disappointing as the menu sounded very promising!

Where do I start?? First I would like to say is our waitress was very sweet and amazing. I wish I could have said that about the food. So I ordered the enchiladas and crispy taco. Food was cold which I’m confused because the place might have had like 4 other couples. As soon as I took a bite of the beef enchilada I thought of wolf chili in the can. They chicken enchilada was ok, but like I said when it’s cold the taste 👅 isn’t flavorful. Inside is beautiful with friendly staff, but i probably would never go back. I really tried to like it!! Hope the owner sees this and makes corrections

Excellent food and service. If you're into mezcal, they have a tasty drink, el Mezcalero I recommend. Their Grande burrito was stuffed so full of delicious carne asada. Give this place a try for sure.

Staff extremely friendly while we watched Thunder play NBA Final game 5. Food exceptional.

the place has plenty of space so it was Saturday afternoon and we had seating right away! We ordered Baja Pollo and steak fajita! Food came in quickly . The Baja Pollo was definitely delicious and it was something special we haven't tried before. The steak fajita was okay not the best but average. Service was great, definitely will be back.

We went to El Mejor again last night. This has quickly become a favorite of mine! I had the Padrinito, which is a gin based drink and my husband had the El Mezcalero. Both drinks are perfectly blended and extremely delicious. The chips this time were stale, which is unusual for them. We asked for a fresh batch and it was equally as stale. I even thi k they may ha e changed their chips because they are the really thin chips. But the salsa has great flavor and was a little spicy. I had the Mazatlan Bowl with blackened salmon and it was wonderful. It was on a bed of grilled veggies, rice and beans. It had so much flavor that was so well blended. My husband had the brisket tacos, which were good, they had a good taste and lots of meat. I love this restaurant and the variety of the menu. It's not just tacos and enchiladas, but if you like that, they have it too and it's fabulous! You can't go wrong with this choice!

Sorry, folks, take it from a Southern Californian, and avoid this place. I know it's convenient while you're roaming the shops in old town, but they're phoning it in here. We stopped in as we were driving back home to Frisco from Princeton. The drinks were not good, and the food was just OK. In this economy, you want your money's worth. The service was OK. The noise level was nuts, super loud. For the same price we could've headed to La Hacienda Ranch. There are plenty of good restaurants in old town. Go there.

This place is an almost hidden gem right off of the square in historic downtown McKinney. It's spacious and well appointed, featuring a full coffee bar in the back in addition to normal restaurant operations. On our visit, I selected the chile rellenos with chicken tinga and ground beef. This netted two fairly good sized peppers with a nice battered coating, stuffed with a LOT of well seasoned meat. Each was moderately spicy, leaving no doubt that you're eating peppers, but not too hot that you'll be reaching for the water. Accompanying sauces were delicious as well. I also chose the El Mezcalero cocktail, which was a delicious margarita adjacent drink featuring smoky mezcal. My wife's Attitude Adjustment cocktail struck a nice balance between savory and sweet with chamoy and mango puree. Table salsa strikes a good balance between smooth and chunky, and chips are crispy and fresh. Overall, this was a great meal and worthy of return visits!

First timer here, stopped by for their coffee flight. Stop is a bit off the McKinney square, tucked in a little corner. Spot is casual, not too loud. The coffee flight took about 15 mins to come out, priced at $20 you receive 4 decent sized coffee's to try, all Mexican themed which I love. They were all good except for the horchata iced coffee, did not taste like horchata at all. Service was a bit slow, overall 7/10.

El Mejor is a cafe in the morning and a restaurant + cantina at night. Situated in downtown McKinney, it's a great spot to grab a morning coffee or pick me up bite as well as a good spot to grab lunch or dinner. We came here twice, once for the cafe and once for dinner. Both times were pretty good! For the morning treat, I got the matcha latte and a concha. The matcha was okay and my friend, who got a mocha, said that her's was okay as well. It wasn't the best we've had but it gave us enough energy to get through a big day as we were heading to Dallas. On another night, we ended up dining here with some friends. We all got our own entree. I got the Fajita tacos and it was filling but was, again, just okay. Overall, a pretty good spot to dine at but nothing too outstanding.

The Chips were stale and we sent them back then they warmed them up. Once they cooled yep still stale. The table next to us said the same thing and sent theirs back as well. The margaritas were also extremely mid and overpriced. I would say Hard Pass on this one for us in the future. Left and went to a better Mexican Restaurant... Cesar's on Eldorado...

Incredible food and range of margaritas. Love the decor and chill atmosphere. We had great service and highly recommend!

Best matcha in mckinney in my opinion! The customer service in here is so great too. Definitely check this place out if you haven't yet.

The food was delicious. Cooked to perfection. The staff was friendly and attentive. I had a quesadilla and chicken tortilla soup. I would definitely eat both again. The soup was flavorful. The quesadilla was cooked crisp and was great. The house margarita was tasty.

During my visit to Texas, my son and I stopped in to this restaurant for a drink. Brian was our bartender, he made an excellent strawberry margarita. I'll be back to enjoy the good vibes.

Started off rough but ended ok. We had a party of 11 people. They estimated us 20 min wait. There were open tables and booths. After almost an hour of waiting, I finally asked what was going on only for them to tell us they didn't have seats for us. Ok fine; but don't give an estimate of a 20 min wait when we had to wait well over an hour. After a conversation with someone who looked like a cross between a server/manager we were finally able to be sat at the open tables. Once we sat everything went smoothly. The food is alright. I had a taco salad with ground beef. We were visiting for a wedding. Most likely won't be back.

We love coming here! Great food and great staff. The atmosphere is usually quiet when we go and the staff is super helpful. Had asked for tequila recommendations and the bartender was happy to talk with me about his favorites and other popular ones.

Less than impressed. Can't tell much about the place from the outside with the blacked out windows. We didn't think it was too bad once we entered. There was no wait on a Saturday night around 5:30. We started with guacamole, which is made table side, and chicken nachos. Guacamole was good! The chicken nachos are individual chips laid out with toppings. I ordered a michelada. It was ridiculously large, almost a forty. It was wasteful. They should offer different sizes. I ordered a combo plate - beef taco, chicken enchilada with mole sauce, and cheese enchiladas with chili sauce. It came with two sides, which were rice and beans. Not sure if anything else is actually offered since no sides were listed in the menu. My friends ordered the steak tacos and the brisket tacos and they couldn't really taste a difference between the too. Even for "cheap" Mexican food it wasn't that great and doesn't seem worthy of 4 stars. The service does help though. Our waiter was professional. He handled an incorrect order in a timely manner. He served up the guacamole to our liking.

Excellent food, drinks and service. The staff truly appreciate the business and are kind and efficient. I never have to wait on a table for more than a couple of minutes and it's quiet enough to have a conversation. I love this place!

We came here just for drinks and appetizers after the arts in Bloom festival in downtown McKinney. There wasn't too many people so we were able to get a table immediately. I got the spicy pineapple. Margarita which was good definitely had a kick. We also got the table side guacamole, and the white queso. The white queso wasn't my favorite and the guacamole definitely needed some salt

Worst customer service ever! We walked in after doing some wine testing in downtown McKinney wanting to put some food on our stomachs. The sign outside with the specials caught our attention and I said that we should try the brisket tacos. I went in 45min to closing and asked if I could place a to go order. I was walked to the register to place ky order. I said I wanted the brisket taco special on the sign outside. The server told me there was no brisket special but he has regular brisket tacos. I asked him if it came with the avocado, jalapeño relish, sautéed onions and everything else listed on the special outside. He told me no that it's just brisket on corn and that there was no special and I would have to pay extra for all of that. I asked him several times to go outside and check and when he did he came back and said someone wrote the wrong things and that's not how it comes. I then asked for a manager because I wanted what was shown on the sign outside. He didn't get the manager instead he said he would add on everything. When the food came out I opened the box to make sure it was correct and instead nothing was on my tacos. I went back to the server and told him and he said because it doesn't come that way and they could not give me all of those additional items. I could not believe how poor the service was. When you make a mistake it should be honored to the customer. I live in the area and I will be sure to tell friends and family not to patron this establishment! Then the tacos were terrible! The brisket was incredibly dry and I choked while eating them. I will say I did order chicken empanadas as appetizers and those were delicious. Some of the best I've ever had and it came with queso for dipping. But how the server was it's not enough to make me come back. Posting a picture of their sign as well!!!

Great atmosphere. Food was excellent. Hidden Gem off the square. Highly recommend this place.

On of my favorite spots in Downtown Mckinney! They have a bunch of options to choose from and they also have pan dulce. Definitely worth a visit

Am I spoiled on Austin's cuisine? Did not enjoy this at all. The chips and salsa were the best part. My husband did like his tortilla soup. The service, however, was excellent. Three different people checked on us. I wouldn't eat here again. I'd walk a mile in flip flops and eat bread off the sidewalk first. The food was exceptionally bland and lacked any salt or seasoning. The rice was super dry. This is what I expect Tex mex to taste like in Oklahoma. Go to Taco Bell. Let me add, we were starving and would have eaten gas stations chicken salad, so I am finding it incredible that we couldn't eat this.

El Mejor is my home town favorite for Tex Mex. It sets in a lovely old building with dark wood, a mile high ceiling and comfy poofy booths and is just down the street from the downtown McKinney square. Before ordering, thin chips are served along with their delicious homemade salsa. The menu is typical Tex Mex but the Fajitas stand out. This time around we chose the Sample Platter to snack on which included flautas, cheesy nachos, empinadas and quesadillas with a bowl of queso sitting in a bowl that was made from a corn tortilla. Everything was delicious! You should really make the special trip to try these guys. I promise, you will love it!

Nice atmosphere and location. Bad food. Salsa tasted like just a can of tomatoes. Carnitas tacos were dry and unflavorful. Just a really bad experience. You can get better Mexican food at friggin' Chile's.

Went here for lunch a few weeks ago! Had the spinach quesadillas and they were crispy and yummy. It's a very nice place inside and bigger than I expected. Service was decent! I would go back and try some different things and their coffee bar!!

WoW what a hidden GEM! As a comida mexicana conoseur I'm amazed at the flavors! I got JC's brisket tacos with charro beans and grilled Veggies, correct choice! Only place I've ever been to with Negra Modelo on tap! Big compliments to chef Juan Carlo and the staff!! We WILL be back!!!

Went for a second time on a Friday night. Was a bit thrown off when it appeared that two managers doing nothing more than throwing orders told a host to clean our table. The host was so annoyed that he drenched the table with a spray bottle, getting the benches and floor wet, swiftly and angrily wiping the table. He walked away in a huff leaving the table glistening with standing spray ingredients. We stood looking at the table when one of the managers (obviously witnessing the hosts temper tantrum) walked over and asked what was wrong. We pointed to the table. He said "I'll fix it"...ran quickly for a towel and wiped the table like his job was on the line. The food: Seems like they changed their queso but it was good. It was a white queso ($9) and a large portion. I ordered the pick 3 meal that comes with beans and rice for $15. I chose tamale (disappointing! It had about a teaspoon of pork...I didn't eat it), cheese enchilada and beef enchilada. I really enjoyed the chili con carne sauce. The beef mixture in the enchilada was good. The weird part was that our food took a while to arrive (albeit the restaurant wasn't busy), the plate was too hot to touch, but the food was just over room temperature. This was unfortunate because my cheese enchilada was congealed. Good flavor, just lacked the pizzazz of stretchy cheese filling. My husband said that the chicken flauta was awesome. He also ordered the choose 3...but somehow his plate ended up coming with a salad?? The server was okay. Had to flag her down for a chips and salsa refill on her third time passing our table. I'm not a needy diner, but since we ordered queso, you'd think she'd keep an eye on that since she had only 1 other table. She did bring us waters with our margaritas without request which I appreciate. Only about 1/2 the servers seem to do that.

This place hits on all cylinders! Let's talk about the service, friendly, engaging and prompt. It is not uncommon to see the owner cheerfully checking in to see how things are. Food, is delicious and fresh. I've been here multiple times and I'm always impressed how fast the food comes out...and the quality and quantity is great. Lastly, think local! This is a gem, it's in our own backyard.. go support this local business you won't be disappointed!

Came in on a Monday night, and couldn't believe we were one of two couples in the whole place. Food was excellent (I had the chicken flautas) and the drinks were tasty. Abraham was behind the bar, and he was an excellent host. Great visit and really fun conversation. Give it a try!

The service was good and our server was very nice but the food was very bland. It didn't taste like they used much of any seasoning.

This place is also a coffee shop!! I loved this Horchata Latte! So good can't wait to come back and try their other drinks!

New restaurant, new owners, amazingggg food! After moving to McKinney in June, we have struggled to find a favorite Mexican restaurant compared to our favs in Dallas...but we hit the jackpot here! Food - Salsa is freshly homemade....yes, fresh! - Guacamole is made fresh to order with simply avocados and topped with diced pico and onion...NO add-ins like sour cream or other mixers to make it last longer! - White queso is YUM and not store bought Tostitos level (so if you like canned queso, this will rock your world). - Flautas are handmade...I repeat, handmade! Most places serve them bought frozen from wholesalers. I only know of one other restaurant in DFW that makes delicious handmade flautas...and now I know of two! My favorite. - Refried beans: Creamy and flavorful as expected! - Rice: Rich flavor that is fun to mix with refried beans. - Stuffed chimichanga dessert: I originally wanted a sopapilla, but they talked me into this famous dessert of theirs instead and it was SO GOOD! - The tres leches was legit as well if you are used to ordering it elsewhere. I would order everything again! Drinks - The top shelf ritas are so smooth. They are made with fresh lime juice instead of margarita mix and worth the price. You get to choose the tequila and can get them half off (or more) by hitting up happy hour! - The house ritas are good too, and they have a huge menu of other types of cocktails. Parking - Even though it's in downtown McKinney, there is a parking lot immediately to the west of the restaurant so you do not have to walk far. Staff - Extremely friendly and the owner is usually there - very appreciative of customers. I'm excited to have a new favorite go-to Mexican restaurant for any day of the week. Highly recommend!

We have known about El Mejor for quite some time but have never found the hours all that convenient. We were in town for the Wine Festival and decided against the fair-like food deciding instead to try El Mejor. It was not crowded at all and the service was wonderful. I had a spicy margarita and it was very spicy! Just the way it should be ... not too sweet. The chips were hot and thin and crispy. They definitely tasted homemade. We had guacamole to start and my husband also had empanadas. The portions were a nice size and the guacamole was fresh and flavorful. I did not try the empanadas but they were large and according to my husband very good. I chose a la carte since that was one of the few options for a vegetarian. The spinach enchiladas and bean tostados were my choice and they were both great. Overall we were very happy and will go again. Four stars because I had hoped for a homemade hot sauce or hot salsa and very few veggie options for us non-meat eaters.

El Major did not disappoint! We are an out of state family visiting Texas to watch our oldest daughter play collegiate softball. She was able to spend some time with us after her last game and we needed to find a place to eat fast. Of course, Yelp was our go to for local eateries...which is how we found this gem. We arrived with the expectation to have to wait since they were visibly busy. We were greeted and seated immediately, which for a table of 6 was impressive. We were even "warned" that it may start to get a little loud because they had a DJ setting up for entertainment, an absolute treat for a fun Friday dinner. Our waiter, Chivo, was fantastic. He was very attentive, made sure our drinks, salsa, and chips remained full. He even worked with me with surprising my daughter for her birthday. It is not common to find a great place to eat with a superior staff. You can tell the staff really enjoyed their job which helped with the overall atmosphere of the establishment. The DJ played a great mix of upbeat and kid friendly music that catered to the crowd...you could even notice patrons bobbing their heads to the beat. Food was delish, they had lots of options to choose from. We are "asada" snobs and their asada was exactly as we expected, seasoned and cooked perfectly. Presentation and portion sizes were perfect. The chicken was great as well as the dessert, we had the tres leches cake. Now to talk location, parking was a bit tough to find but we were lucky enough to find something across the street. El Mejor is located within a historical district and there are tons of shops and dining. You can walk the strip to visit the other shops, very cute location. Wish we had more time to enjoy the area. Highly recommend El Mejor, you won't be disappointed.

The service was good and the hostess and waiter were super nice. The food, however, was horrible. I ordered a chicken dish and the chicken was so rubbery and tough, I could not even chew it. The charro beans had a weird taste and the chips were greasy and stale. We love downtown McKinney and had high hopes for this place, but will not be returning.

House margs we're on happy hour so we can't complain for $6. I ordered the fish taco wrapper or something (it was recommended) and it arrived at the table smelling super fishy. Not like "oh I'm eating fish" fishy but more like "should i trust this fish" fishy. I bit the bullet and tried a piece of the dish and was really bummed I spent $16 on this plate to say the least. My husband got one of the platters and said the tamale wasnt great, nor the enchilada, but he said the flauta wasn't bad and the chicken tinga he'd order again.

This place has some of the best enchiladas and margaritas in Mckinney. The restaurant is always clean and the atmosphere is fun. Emelio has been our waiter several times and he is always so friendly with great service!

we were seated immediately after being told there was an hour and a half wait at another restaurant. The food was fresh and delicious. The waiter understood I did not want any cilantro on my food (yes, it tastes like soap). Good margaritas, too.

We tried this place for the first time on a family dinner night (10 of us). Food was excellent and even though they were short staffed this night, we never knew it. We arrived at 6:00 on a Friday night and were immediately seated. Good feedback on the quesadillas, chicken and enchiladas, the chimichangas and also the apple spice dessert. We'll be back

Last night was my second and last time here. First time, several staff remained in front of my booth to converse. Last night, with no others in main dining area, the staff gathered to talk loud and clean around me. The music then got LOUD. I couldn't wait to get out. The margaritas were sub-par both times, and my cheese enchiladas had a cheese sauce rather than gravy. My waiter, who was a bit flaky, did not bother to ask what sauce I wanted. The chips were way too salty, and a simple queso was $10! I will not be back. Too many other better Mexican food restaurants in the area.

We've eaten here about 6xs in the last 8 weeks lol yes !!!!!! It's that good! We usually get the botanatas platter and the pick 2 plate and share it all that way we get a little of everything and it's all been great the chicken quesadillas are so good they baste the tortillas w butter to get it a bit crisp and the chicken is tender sometimes they put diced tomatoes in them which I don't like so I always tell them no tomatoes now lol the beef fajitas were tender and very flavorful. If ur a true Texan u know we base our rating of a Mexican restaurant according to its chips and salsa and wow they get a 10 on that too we usually use 4 bowls of salsa it's so flavorful and not spicy where ur tongue is numb lol you really have to try this place u will be glad u did. My only little issue I have w them is they charge 1.50 for a very little container of jalapeños which is a bit ridiculous but over all it's awesome!!!!!

Cute little place. Has an awesome ambiance. The staff is beyond welcoming. They were super friendly and super quick with greeting, bringing drinks, etc. The drinks were awesome! We got a pina colada and the beach. The food was a bit disappointing. The supreme queso Was really heavy on the cilantro. All the food came out cold. We had to ask the waitress to take it back to the kitchen to microwave it. The pollo Baja was extremely hard- could barely chew through it. The beef in the taco was not seasoned well. The enchilada was good- it was shredded chicken. Not the best food experience, but I would come back to give it another shot based on the awesome staff.

Spending time in TX with family. Looking for some Mexican food and MAN DID WE FIND IT!! Wow! Downtown McKinney on the square. CUTEST restaurant and our Server Ashley was AWESOME!!!! Ask for her! The chicken tacos (I know not something crazy) were GREAT!! The chicken was sooooo tender and great quality. The guacamole was so fresh. My son got nachos and he loved them. The Skinny Margarita was so refreshing! Try one!!

Excellent quality Tex-mex for downtown McKinney! I recommend giving this place a try if you're looking for food with flavor! The staff is friendly, know the menu and work well to make this a great dining experience. We have this now as a new "go to" for our family!

The manager is what made the 5 star review. The first margarita was not good, so my wife got a beer, no big deal, it happends. The manager, Nacho, brought her another margarita turned the visit around. We will be going back.

Excellent little Mexican place on a side street of the Market Square. Service was friendly and attentive with everyone keeping to the mask mandate. The complimentary chips and salsa were light and crunchy and the salsa with a little spice but not too much kick. We tried the tortilla soup with a side of mini quesadillas. The soup was rich, with roasted corn and plenty of chicken and the quesadillas light and crunchy with a nice balance of cheese and chicken. The Chicken chimichangas were lightly fried, stuffed with lots of chicken, peppers and cheese and topped by not drenched with queso. All was delicious. A special shout out also to the refried beans, which had a slight taste of smoky bacon. Excellent!! Definitely worth a try.

I was highly disappointed with my lunch visit to El Mejor. For starters the restaurant was not even half full, but we were told to sit and wait by the manager for 45 minutes, and eventually were told to get our own table, rather than being directed to one. The manager and waitresses only wore their masks a fraction of the time, and never once while taking our order or dropping things off at our table. The manager would also frequently yell across the restaurant to a waitress rather than walking up to her or waiting for her to come to him. With the length of time and price we paid for food, I was expecting it to be the best Mexican food I have ever eaten. It absolutely was not, and barely rivaled Taco Bell in terms of quality and was certainly surpassed by Taco Bell in quantity. For nine dollars we received a bowl of queso that was roughly 4 ounces, and each of our $10+ entrees came with incredibly small portions. My fiancé received maybe 12 nachos of standard size, while my tacos were barely 4 inch across tortillas. The meat was incredibly stringy, and both my fiancé and I got horrible stomach pains shortly after leaving the restaurant. The only positive I can give my experience is that the nine dollar drop of queso we received was of fantastic quality, far superior to anything I've had elsewhere.

Went in here randomly with my husband and sister for a couple of drinks and had a blast. We were greeted immediately by management and had amazing service. We ordered an old fashioned, Paloma and margaritas every drink that came out was great! To top it off very welcoming environment and live music. We really enjoyed the ambiance and were able to wind down after a busy week. Loved our experience here!

Great service! Great atmosphere! Great food & the margaritas are the best! Definitely will be going back!

Found this a couple weeks ago, food is good, 2 stalls in girls room, told hostess she said yea..it's an on going problem. Went today for lunch. The bartender was the ONLY one there. She was handling the whole restaurant. Other than cooking the food. Our friend went to the bathroom and she came out and told them again the toilet doesn't flush. FIX THE DAMN TOILET already!! It makes me wonder if they don't do repairs how's the kitchen look and what else don't they fix.

I've passed by this place a few times and have always wanted to try it. It's so hidden, so if you're not looking for it you'll pass it up. My husband and I went to dinner the other night and had just a great experience. It was a Thursday night, they weren't very busy. Our waitress, Ashley, was amazing. She was very helpful with recommendations and was very knowledgeable of both the drink and food menu. We got the guava margarita and the pina colada, and both were so delicious! The chips and salsa were very good. We both ordered enchilada dishes and they did not disappoint. We also got the cheesecake chimichangas and the flan which were both tasty as well. The menu has plenty options. The portions are large and the presentation is nice. I really enjoyed their food compared to some other Mexican restaurants. It was a tad fancier and had better flavoring. The service was fantastic, the place is beautiful inside, much bigger than what it looks like from the outside. Restrooms were clean. Overall the experience was great! We'll definitely be back! I want to go for lunch as well.