Rafa's Cafe Mexicano

Best cozy spot for consistent Mexican and excellent margaritas! Their queso is amazing and the classic margarita is solid. Rafas was my favorite spot when I went to SMU. I loved coming back after 14 years! Can’t wait to come back again soon!

We had the salsa, queso, and chips (duh!) and every part was amazing!! Then I had the Tacos de Chipotle (pictured) and it was the best thing i’ve had in a while! flavors were beautiful, presentation was clean, service was warm, and the building itself was so charming. 100/10 would eat here again a million times over!

Rafa’s Cafe Mexicano is one of my favorite Tex-Mex spots in Dallas! The food is consistently delicious with generous portions and authentic flavor — from the sizzling fajitas to their tasty puff tacos and great chips & salsa. The staff is warm and welcoming, and the laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere makes it a perfect place for lunch or dinner. I also love that they’ve been serving up great Mexican food since 1975 — you can tell they know what they’re doing! Highly recommend stopping by for a meal here!

Rafa’s Café Mexicano delivered an outstanding experience. The food tasted incredibly fresh and flavorful, and the level of customer service and attention to detail were exceptional. Highly recommended.

Ok this place has great Mexican food but the decor is not somewhere my wife enjoys In fact she won’t go anymore. But when me and my friends go we have a non heart heathy good cheesy filling meal. If you want to get a big lunch then go for the Chimichanga. If you don’t know what this is think of the most unhealthy delicious mix of meat cheese fried tortilla and meat sauce !

We go here when we come to Dallas and it's always great food and great service! The queso and salsa are wonderful! Can't wait to come back again. If eat there all the time of i lived here

Love this place! This is a weekly go to with my coworkers. The food and margaritas are great and we love Joe! I Highly recommend!

This was an awesome experience. I wish I had taken pictures of the food. Authentic food, authentic ambience and an establishment that's been there for a long time. Just good basic Mexican food. Love the chips and salsa. Definitely will be back.

I really like all of the employees here. The food is back to being great! My favorite items are the puffy taco and carne asada. The pollo rafa is also great! Ambiance is great for lunch and casual dinners.

Beef tacos with rice and beans were very good. Sour cream chicken enchilada served on a screaming hot plate, but the enchilada itself was tepid at best.

Any Dallas local knows that Rafas is a timeless classic in the realm of authentic Tex-Mex cuisines. Simply put, Rafas offers delicious homemade Tex-Mex fare that never fails to satisfy. The restaurant embraces traditional style Tex-Mex without going over the top like some establishments tend to do. When it comes to the food, Rafas confidently delivers savory dishes that are simple and flavorful. Their staff is also very kind and courteous and many we have gotten to know because we frequent often. For a well-rounded Tex-Mex affair, Rafas is always a reliable choice. Whether you're seeking a taste of classic dishes or a comforting atmosphere, this restaurant has it all.

Standard straightforward Tex-Mex for white folks - what we all grew up on and loved when we didn't know what authentic Mexican food could be! Rafa's is a Park Cities institution, and has been here since 1975 - and it shows. The interior is dated, the menu is dated, the customers are loyal and God bless 'em. I admit to expectations when it comes to Mexican food - there's so much awesome authentic Mexican out there it's hard not to develop those. But as a native Texan, I know to check those expectations at the door because Tex-Mex is all about familiarity and comfort, memories and no surprises. Rafa's delivers on all those attributes, and has for 60 years. Back in the day, me and my husband lived for a few years in Corpus, and discovered the South Texas Puffy Taco - an ethereally crispy shell filled with savory and spicy filings. (When in San Antonio, go to Henry's for the best Puffy tacos in Texas - YW).! We tried Rafa's today because we did an online search for Puffy tacos and they are on the menu. These are not true STX puffy tacos, they are more puffy tostadas. Wayyy too much baked salad lettuce mix for my taste, but a solid comforting meal. 3 stars

It was our first first and probably our last, location was not busy but our service was off. Waiter looked upset to be waiting on us and hardly came by we had to ask the busboy for appetizers/order. Food was good though. I've never had Yelp give me a 20% coupon and it did for this location I showed it to waiter and he showed to manager or owner and came back and told us they so not honor which is okay I was ok without since we didn't expect it. But after the bad service the fact we couldn't use coupon just made the experience worse. My kids loved the food. Salsa was on point too and you could draw on the tables that was neat. *Parking is bad. We had to park across the street. I forgot to take pics of our entrees but portions were big.

Wow! We went for Mother's Day, Big Mistake! These new owners believe they have high end by the food and especially the margarita prices!!!!!!!!' We paid $17 for a margarita which was on the weak side. We are used to paying $12 for a specialty margaritas. And $18-$20 for entrees for a hole in the wall mexican food place is insane!!! Buyer beware!

Love Rafa's!!! It's our go to for dine in or carry out. Outstanding chicken enchiladas! Best Chicken tortilla soup in town! Loads of white meat chicken in a clear broth. Also the brisket street tacos, off menu, are some of the best I've ever tasted! Hot, fresh and served with love here at this family owned restaurant. I highly recommend Rafas!!!!

Rafa's is our old school Tex Mex go to! Best Chicken tortilla soup in town, if you like broth based and hearty white meat chicken soup. Chicken enchiladas rock! And off menu, the brisket street tacos are off the charts!!! Service is always spot on. This family owned restaurant takes pride in making every meal like it's for one of their own.

Enjoyed Sunday brunch with friends and all were happy and very full! Our food was hot, tasted fresh and it was very good--the portions were quite plentiful, too. I ordered puff chicken tacos and the chicken was succulent, juicy and well seasoned; I enjoyed every bite. The others in my group at breakfast dishes and by the time they finished their meal, all plates were clean! Their salsa isn't my favorite but it passes. Service was fast and friendly and the ambiance is very casual and relaxed. Rafa's is great for TexMex!

This place is really cool. Two totally separate feelings of this restaurant since there is a solid divide between the restaurant and the bar. I have never been seated in the restaurant part, but you have to pass through it to go to the restrooms. It's bright, quiet and very restauranty. The bar area is the opposite. Dark, colorful with all of the music artist portraits, loud and also cozy. Could easily spend a while here watching sports. We have always sat on the bar side. They have several tables and of course bar seating. The chips are those thin greasy type that are so good and the salsa is tasty and not too hot. The cheese enchiladas are always my go to and they are cooked perfect as in the cheese is just melty enough. Prices are pretty average for the area, and service has always been quick and friendly. Any time I have a cheese enchilada craving this will be my spot.

Best Mexican food in Dallas by far. Great margaritas and real Tex-Mex. The service is great too - ask for Abraham

Average greasy Mexican food Ordered breakfast tacos - almost tasteless. Service was good Ambiance was busy and crowded Would not recommend this restaurant

Came to Rafa's with a friend for dinner one evening after a friend of mine highly recommended their menu. Unfortunately my sentiments are not the same. Everyone was friendly and our server was nice but the food was just okay. Nothing to write home about. The vibe is very casual and no frills Tex-mex. Some workers were wearing masks, some were not and of course, patrons are not required to wear a mask either. The menu has your usual suspects: quesadillas, fajitas, enchiladas. I ordered the veggie enchiladas with queso sauce and my friend ordered the beef chimichanga. My enchiladas were just eh. The queso sauce was not very good at all. Tasted like low budget canned cheese. My friend was not impressed with his chimichanga either, he said it was just ground beef in a tortilla. Boring. The guacamole was pretty good but bestie makes a better guacamole than theirs so that was underwhelming as well. The skinny margarita, however was very tasty other than that, nothing much to write home about.

classic tex mex spot. so good every time and their chips are simply the best especially with the free salsa

The chimichanga with queso was very delicious and the portion was great. My wife's dish was a special and was tasty as well. I love the architecture of this place and the staff kept the chips rolling in which is a plus. Be warned that parking is challenging but if you are ever in that area definitely give this place a stop by! You won't be disappointed. FYI the yelp check in doesn't work!!!! Was told that it's been deactivated for some times? I don't know why?

We had not been here for several years because the last time we ate at this restaurant someone changed the tip amount so that when I got my monthly statement it was different from my receipt. So I boycotted them for several years. We returned to this place in October 2019 and the dishonesty still exists. Besides that, this place is doing just about everything wrong. The margaritas are weak and taste like chemicals. Yuck. I did not finish mine and I always finish at least one and sometimes two. The food was mediocre. Service was spotty. We got our food in a timely fashion but it was the wrong order so the wife ate someone else's food and took hers home for lunches. The fried taco is a big ball of grease and simply disgusting. I did not touch it let alone put it in my mouth. They charge extra for tortillas that appear not to be homemade. At a Mexican restaurant? Strange. The biggest gripe I have is that this place is just plain dishonest. When I checked in, up popped a Yelp coupon for 20% off which I did not expect. When I tried to use it at check out I was told that they do not accept their own coupon. I asked why. The first person just shook her head no. I was passed off to a second person who said he had no control over the matter and then said I had to print the coupon. I asked how it was possible to print from a phone and did he see me carrying a portable printer? No answer. By the way, the Yelp coupon says nothing about having to print it, so he was lying. The money was not the issue, the issue was not honoring their own coupon and then lying about it. I told them, fine, don't give me the 20% and I will write it in my review and never return. AND THEY DID NOT CARE ONE BIT. My question: how can a restaurant that disrespects its customers care about serving top quality food? It doesn't, and that's why you could not pay me to return to this restaurant.

Food was mehhh... it was so busy on a Saturday at 5 took too long to Get our food and my Margaret was water not impressed ! Had the Chile relleno and it only had near zero cheese inside . Very mehhh... chips and queso are good

Met up with some friends at this family-run Tex-Mex joint recently and knew I was in for a treat as soon as I walked through the door. The warm and vibrant colors, arched columns, and festive paintings and decor instantly transported me to a different world. The tortilla chips were warm and sturdy, and the salsa was phenomenal -- smoky, complex, with a genuine heat. Slightly overwhelmed by the endless menu, I pulled the trigger on the Enchiladas "Banderas," the chef's culinary interpretation of the Mexican flag with a Jack cheese enchilada (green), chicken enchilada with sour cream sauce (white), and beef enchilada with ranchera sauce (red). The latter was the most forgettable, though still tasty, but the other two were mouth-watering. The white one smothered in sour cream was luscious and paired beautifully with the onions and jalapenos on top, and the spicy and limey-ness of the tomatillo salsa cut through the sharp richness of the cheese. On top of the tasty and wonderfully presented dish, the service was great. Our waiter was nice enough to split our check 7 ways on a busy day. With tax and tip my meal cost around $15. Couldn't ask for much more for a casual Saturday lunch!

This was our first time trying Rafa's. The food and service were both above average. Our waitress had a great personality. The restaurant was small but that perfect.

Rafa's was bustling when we arrived (6pm dinner hour), but we were seated immediately. Initial contact from our waiter took well over 10 minutes; this is the only thing preventing 5 stars. Rafa's 7-Layer Dip is unlike any that I've ever tasted; with pinto beans and fried flour tortillas - it is a welcome departure from the norm. Kudos! Our Shrimp Quesadilla's were also extra tasty. Fat with shrimp and cheese, full of flavor - we'll want these again. Benito's Margarita is their best-selling drink, and it was very good. Not exceptional, but very tasty. Pay up front by the hostess, and walk away sated and happy.

Customer since 1992. Our favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant. We always ask for Jose our favorite server. Three of us came in on a busy Saturday night. Jose not available, we asked for first available. Theresa the manager was horrible to us . She spoke so rudely to me. She raised her voice at me when I asked why she sat 3 to 4 tables before us. We left and went to Mia's and had great customer service. We are back after the incident and happy that Teresa is not here to be mean to us. We love Chipotle chicken tacos and Jose.

Very delicious food but very pricey! Beans and rice on point! And the salsa and chips was Perfect! However the queso tasted very cheap and watered down. Will for sure go there again ! Oeivithe most authentic Mexican food in Dallas

Slow, food is average, hostess was rude Tortilla soup was fine Queso was not good Everything here was really slow

TLDR: Mediocre, expensive, do not honor advertised Yelp deal. Stopped on the way home from Love Field for some welcome home TexMex. Outdoor seating takes up a few parking spaces & is nicely done. I got the enchiladas & wife got fish tacos. Chils & salsa were good. (helped with TexMex withdrawal symptoms) Enchiladas were OK. A bit bland and not real hot. One fish taco was good although the sauce was pretty heavily gooped on. One was hard as a rock. We renamed the dish Pescado Piedras.They brought out another on request. Still overcooked but edible. All in all the food was mediocre & prices were high. (typical of the area) To top it off the manager refused to honor the Yelp deal that made us choose Rafa's. (which is still active) Sent the server to relay the news and declined to stop by and explain or give more info. No apology. "We don't do that. It isn't ours. Yelp did it on their own." Whatever. We took care of our server and went on. There are much better options nearby for great TexMex and tons of better options in the area.

Love this Mexican restaurant! The food is delicious, service is prompt and servers are pleasant. Only negative is the limited amount of parking, but we perservere!

I was excited to have some time to grab lunch from one my bookmarked spots. I've read so many reviews and decided, I can't miss out on Mexican! Not too many customers during the late lunch hour, partially due to the rainy day. However, when the cashier seated me, it took her about 5 minutes to come bring me a water, salsa and chips. She told me my waiter would be with me soon. It took him another 5 minutes to come and take my sweet tea order. He was a bit more attentive after that. He did disappear on me towards the end but he was a pretty good waiter overall. I ordered the numero quince from the lunch menu (anytime before 5 p.m.). It's two beef burritos topped with queso and ranchero sauce. Plus, rice and beans for a little over $10. I wish they would've cooked the tortilla... buttered and grilled it or something. Its a plain flour tortilla. It's loaded with beef. Each of the sauces are simple. As well as the rice and beans. Overall, I felt like this place was just okay.

Love this place! Been going for many years, never been disappointed! Good food, tea and great bar drinks! Love how the bar is separated from the dining area. I wished they had a closed in dog patio area (due to the hot and cold months in Texas), no patio just a few tables out front by parking lot which is not great too close to the cars. Love that is local restaurant family owned. Seems well kept and cleaned too! https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g55673-d25102452-r870804086-Hemingway_Brunch-Coppell_Texas.html#

So far have been here twice and both times have ordered the specials they have at the entrance-not your regular menu items. First time, ordered the machacado, or machaca for those from El Paso. It was good but nothing special and definitely not the El Paso machaca from that food network show. I digress. Second time, ordered the brisket burritos. Meat was flavorful and the homemade salsa and guacamole were good. Was a little turned off by the Chile con Queso as it was right out of the can. Won't hold Rafa's against it though because I have yet to find a homemade Chile con Queso in Dallas!! I know I'll be going back to try the menu items because I feel this restaurant is different from the other flavorless Tex-Mex restaurants in Dallas. Maybe that'll make me change the rating on Rafa's. Parking is bad and service was really good! Then again, we've had the same waiter both times. And he hooked us up with homemade salsa that was some of the spiciest I've had. Can't go wrong with roasted pepper salsa!!

I posted a photo of my drink to get a 20% discount from Yelp but it wasn't honored- lame

STAY AWAY FROM RAFAS - FOOD POISONING!!! I got severe diarrhea after eating here and filed a complaint with the health department. Here are some their findings: *Food separation in reach-in cooler wrong, raw shelled eggs over ready-to-eat food *Lack of date marking *Food separation wrong in walk-in cooler cooler, Raw chicken over beef *Boxes of beef on floor of walk-in cooler Foods left uncovered in walk-in cooler *Fly trap over area where clean dishes stored *Sanitizer: 50 ppm Cl, Dish Machine *Dented cans observed with critical dents not separated out -Chicken Tinga: 145 F, Ground Beef: 151 F, Rice (from 11 am) 124 F, Beans: 169 F, Chile con Carne: 149 F, Queso 143 F Found issues with hot holding with 1 food item, food separation & cross contamination. So, what caused me to lose a day on my weekend to severe diarrhea? The raw eggs? The raw chicken? The fly trap? The dented cans? The cross-contamination? Who knows, all I know is that you won't want to experience the pain and suffering that I experienced. STAY AWAY FROM RAFAS!!!!!!

This is the place! The food was better than expectation. More importantly the service was Michelin star! The most attentive staff I've had in memory. The place across the street is new and shiny but they turned us away with 1:30 left before they close. This place not only stayed open for our party but treated us like royalty.

Second trip to Rafa's did not disappoint!! They still get 5 from me!!!! The whole beans are amazingly delicious! I had the same thing as I did the first time except added beans! Those grilled/roasted veggies are to die for!!! Great food, great service!!! Neat place!

The rudest manager Will never go back to this restaurant Unfriendly and actually mean female at front entrance Ownership changed Not a "be back" for mr

Terrible afternoon at this restaurant. Waiter seemed angry that I only wanted water as my beverage.We waited for a very long time before he returned to take our order. The restaurant was not busy. The food had a odd taste . Maybe old. When we asked for the check we were only brought the bill to tip and sign, no itemized receipt. The sleepy waiter add his tip already when we finally received the itemized bill. Keep your greasy food and you will never rip me off again. Shame on you!!

I have wanted to come by here for a long time since it's always busy when I eat sushi next door. Finally have it a try. Service was good, but I would just give the food a very average review. Their salsa is a little watery for my liking but tasted fine. I got the mixed fajitas and the beef and shrimp both weren't dry, but had very very little flavor. The vegetables that came with it were mainly onions and tomatoes. I could do without the tomatoes and need some peppers!! Would prefer some Poblano peppers also! Rice and beans again average. Nothing here was bad, but in DFW there are Mexican restaurants on almost every corner. I would try others. Especially with Lupe's finally coming into town.

This place was highly recommended by quite a few friends and family. We decided to check it out after landing at DAL since its close proximity and is a bit further than we like to travel for a meal otherwise. The chips and salsa was FANTASTIC. We split a cheese enchilada with ranchero sauce. The refried and black beans here are VEGETARIAN!! woot woot :D Refried beans had great flavor and were not bland. The ranchero sauce was unique in a pleasant way. I wish there was more cheese filling inside considering there was nothing else in it. Reason why I gave it a 3 stars despite enjoying my meal: server charged us for a veggie enchilada and charged an additional $2 for a substitution when all we did was order cheese enchiladas. He also did not give us an opportunity to question him about the charge. Our particular server was not the friendliest. Overall it was decent food. I would definitely visit if I were in the area, but would definitely not make a special trip to come here.

The house quest is the best and I love the puffy taco. A little noises sometimes. Great margarita

We went for dinner and a break from eating barbecue for three days. The food was very good. I had chicken enchiladas. Others in our group had chicken Milanese, beef Milanese and a hearty beef salad. All of the entrees were well-cooked, tasty and flavorful. The red salsa that comes with the chips is deliciously spicy. As other reviewers have mentioned, parking is a major hassle. The service seemed rushed, even though they did not need to turn our table. I hope they will advise their staff to relax a bit and let diners enjoy their meals.

Decent food and chicken seems to be a better option over the beef. The steak entree I ordered; not sure what part of the cow the beef came from, but impossible to figure out the cut. It was tenderized to point of tasting like ground beef. Decent portions and fair prices. Service is decent, depending on who you get and how busy they are during the time. I was a bit upset that they refused to accept the Yelp check-in offer. They told me that they didn't renew the agreement, so not sure why it's still on the app? Overall a decent option, but parking can be a challenge on most nights.

we started going there until recently our entire family got sick from their foods. it happened just two weeks ago. i felt their handling food was not cleaning, saw how their employees picked up things from floor and still handed to customers. after the meal, within 12 hours, everyone in the family with severe diarrhea, stomach aches, got sick. we are not going back there ever again. also, the front cashier young lady is always rude to us. the wait staff are great.

The margaritas are so good flavor! Service from the girl server tonight was amazing. Also the busser attentive and helpful. All guys make a good team work. Good experience. Also the 3 different atmospheres make it very interesting place. Buen servicio!

Only had their drinks which were pretty good. Gonna have to go back for the food. Service was good and such a nice home style vibe in an unlikely location.

Good food? Yes. Some borderline great. Atmosphere? Great. Service? Spot on. Cheese enchilada with Chili Con Carne bordered on great. Fried Taco? Not so much. I don't know what I was thinking, lol. Wife's various tostadas good. Nothing about them memorable but, are tostadas ever memorable? Daughters Chicken Enchilada w/sour cream good. Queso good but it ain't gonna make you forget Chuy's. Good top shelf mrgrta. Looking forward to going back, ordering differently, and giving Rafa's the 5* it looks like it deserves upon entering. BTW, the coolest bar art in Dallas, hands down. I can only imagine weekend evenings in there

$16.50 for the Rafas plate???? That's two enchiladas, rice, beans and a hard shell taco. Rafa wants to charge me $16.50 for THAT??? No way I'm coming back here. With tip I'm looking at $30. For LINCH That's absurd. Oh, and now he forces you to valet! I hate valet and I hate being price gouged. Never again and I'll be sure to warn all my friends in the

Came here for lunch last weekend after reading about them in D Magazine. Their assessment is spot on... it may not have the sceney buzz of Mi Cocina or some of the other uptown favorites, but it is THE spot for fresh, cheesy Tex-Mex goodness. The exterior is unassuming - it is facing Lovers, so hard to have curb appeal - but the inside is perfectly authentic. Parking was surprisingly easy, given the location and time of day. The service was awesome: unassuming, friendly, and prompt. And the Tex-Mex is what people expect out of a visit to Dallas. The cocktails and sangria were a great start. Then, we had the carnolas and carne asada, and both steaks were beautifully seasoned and flavorful. Literally the kind of meal that made passerby's say, "What is THAT? I'll have to get that it, it looks amazing!" My favorite are those papas enquesadas, which is apparently Spanish for flattened fried potato smothered in enough melted cheese to clog your arteries before dessert.

I miss the old days where EVERYTHING was delightful, perfect @ Rafa's. The prices are out of control ($29 for 2 tacos and a small queso) and there is no customer service anymore. For the 2nd time in a review, the "lady" behind the counter had no personality, no salutation, no "thank you", no interaction at all with me, the customer (same lady both times). I understand Raphael has sold the restaurant; gosh I hope the quality that he insisted on doesn't go away. So far, I'm not happy, especially with the service. One good thing that remains constant, the food is still exceptional!

Their salsa is great and the chips were light & crispy. I ordered the beef fajitas and they did not disappoint. The meat was perfectly cooked tender, but I wasn't very impressed with the refried beans. The service is great. The restaurant is in a shopping strip and parking is limited. I will definitely come back.

I cannot even believe how I am writing this - the service we got from Jose, our waiter was as usual - GREAT! Unfortunately - the drunk lady in white zip up in table behind us was another story. She tried to start conversations with us and we really did not want to engage - my friend just lost her husband to covid; I just lost my son 2 weeks ago. This drunk woman started mocking me asking Jose/Joe for an item in Spanish - she was making racial comments of me asking in Spanish - this continued when I was asking for Joe to help us with this drunk. The 'creme de la creme' is the NASTY tattooed Teresa (mgr) who instead of coming over to our table to ask what the issue was decided to join the the cursing of us and continuing the comments of the drunk client. Terrible - we asked to speak to Rafa - we were told he does not own it and that three 'white guys' own it and they only speak to the nasty Teresa. The staff was obviously afraid of correcting Teresa and did not want to speak up.

for the price of the food and drinks, i feel like they could have put more effort into the food. the drinks are way overpriced. the chips were cold. there was a paper tablecloth, extremely cheap for such a high priced place. the staff was friendly but that's really the only positive.