El Chico Café
Fresh approach to fine Mexican food
Serving Knoxville Since 1988...
Cinco de Mayo
Join us to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, May 1st thru May 5th!
We'll have plenty of specials!
Food will be served from 11am - 11pm, bar will be open until 3:00am
All five days there will be raffled prizes and extra outdoor seating with a beer bath and margarita station.
Cinco de Mayo Specials:(Usual happy hour specials will not be offered)
Rodeo - 2 burritos one with sour cream sauce one with cheese sauce and rice and beans. $7.99
Fiesta nachos - Nachos with taco beef, cheese, chili con carne, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeños, sour cream and guacamole. $8.99
Old fashioned fajitas - Beef, chicken, or combo, with rice and beans. $9.99
Beer Specials:
- $ 2.50 Corona and Corona light
- $ 2.50 Modelo especial and Negra Modelo
- $ 3.00 domestic draft 16.oz
- $ 5.00 domestic draft 32.oz
- $ 4.00 imported draft 16.oz
- $ 6.00 imported draft 32.oz
- $ 2.99 domestic bottles
- $ 3.99 imported bottles
Margarita Specials
- $ 7.49 1862 'Rita - 1800 Resposado, Cointreau and our own margarita mix layered with midori and hiram walker pomegranate.
- $ 6.99 1800 Ultimate margarita 16oz.- 1800 Reposado, Cointreau and our own margarita mix,frozen or on the rocks.
- $12.49 1800 Ultimate Garter 32oz
- $27.99 1800 Ultimate Pitcher
Download flyer for more information
About us
The story begins over seventy years ago, in 1926, when Adelaida Cuellar's homemade tamales drew crowds at a county fair outside Dallas, Texas. Adelaida and Macario Cuellar immigrated to this country from Mexico in the early years of this century. Like so many people who have come here, they were looking for a better life. And for that better life, they were willing to work very hard. The Cuellars had a little farm in Kaufman County where there was plenty of hard work for all, but not very much money. So Adelaida Cuellar decided she was going to open a little stand at the Kaufman County Fair in that year, selling chili and tamales. You have to understand, Señora Cuellar made the best chili in the world and very good tamales.
Anyhow, the people who came to the fair ate them like they were going out of style. But the truth of the matter is, they were coming into style. The fair came to an end, but the demand for Mama Cuellar's cooking did not. With the help of her twelve children, her crowd-pleasing recipes and unlimited patience, she opened a small cafe. In 1940, five of her sons moved Mama's kitchen to Oak Lawn in Dallas, Texas. They named the restaurant El Chico, and it quickly became a Dallas tradition. It wasn't long before the brothers built restaurants throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area and eventually, the entire state. Today, there are close to a hundred El Chico restaurants in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana and throughout the South. Twenty-seven El Chico Restaurants are owned and operated by franchisees.
Our restaurants reflect sixty years of changing tastes and styles and our guests' preferences. We have taken care to preserve the heritage while updating the decor and adding exciting new tastes to our menu. The strength of El Chico comes from the simple fact that we have been in this business so long, that we know how to improve traditional favorites and introduce our guests to the next level of great Mexican food with our new items. The Top Shelf line of products is our signature, which covers everything from enchiladas to quesadillas to margaritas. This is our way of delivering quality food and large portions at a value that is unsurpassed. Our menu items are prepared fresh daily and made by hand. We even feature daily blackboard specials to ensure that we provide our guests with a wide variety of choices for every palate. You can even select from a selection of premium imported tequilas to make your margarita just right.
We are different from other Mexican restaurants because we have consistent management and our employees are committed to work and our guests. We have fun with our guests, whether they're regular guests or new guests, to make them part of our family. We always make sure they have the best visit every time they walk through the doors. If a new guest comes in every employee is notified so we can make sure they get everything they need, the manager greets them and gives the new guest a cup of queso on the house and tells them a little about our restaurant so they know where we come from. We satisfy the guest's needs because at El Chico, we are "Happy to do it."
We do catering! Let us cater your fiesta!
We now take reservations for banquet parties! If you have any big get together, make reservations to come to us, or let us cater your party!
Happy Hour
Dining room and patio: Happy Hour 3-7.
Bar: (at the bar top) happy Hour 3-close. 7 days a week.
COME ENJOY OUR HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS!
- $ 1.99 - 16 oz. Domestic draft
- $ 2.99 - 23oz. Domestic draft
- $ 2.49 - 16oz. Dos Equis draft
- $ 3.49 - 23oz. Dos Equis draft
- $ 2.25 - all domestic bottles
- 2 for 1 well drinks (3-10pm only)
- 1/2 price appetizers (bar top only)
WE HAVE DRAFT BEER!
- Miller Lite
- Dos Equis
- Dos Equis amber
- Yuengling
- Budlight
- Michelob ultra
Weekly Specials
- Sunday - Kids eat for $ .99 per adult entrée. (one child per adult.); all day $ 2.50 Corona and Corona Lite
- Monday - Small fiesta layer dip $ .99; Fajitas chicken, steak, or combo $ 9.99; $ 1.00 domestic draft all day.
- Tuesday - Ladies get half-off margaritas for $ 2.50
- Wednesday - Enchilada day. 2 for $ 5.59 or 3 for $ 6.59
- Thursday - Quesadilla day. $ 6.99 chicken or steak; Ladies get half-off margaritas for $ 2.50; Kids eat for $ .99 per adult entrée. (one child per adult.)
- Friday - Happy Hour
- Saturday - Happy Hour
