El Chico — Restaurant in Knoxville

We live in Lexington, KY and a few years back our El Chico’s unfortunately closed. We miss it greatly. This is where we frequented with friends after many of our kids baseball games and celebrations or just a friendly family meal. Usually 2-3 times per week. We knew the managers and servers by name and they knew us. They were like family. The food was always great!! Best queso hands down. Lexington has not experienced the same since. So, when we are traveling down I-75 we always make a stop to either dine in or get our favorite queso/salsa/chip combination to take home to our kids who are now college graduates but keeping those great memories alive for them and us:) They ALWAYS ask, “ Stop at El Chico?” Yesterday, we were driving back from NC after attending a wedding and we stopped but they had closed at 4pm and this must have been closer to 4:30. Someone at the door said,” Well I cannot let you in but this guy may be able to.” As he smiled. He asked what was going on and I explained how we were traveling through and it was a long shot since they were closed and I would understand if my request could not be fulfilled. Just wanted to see about getting queso/ salsa and chips. I would take the bottom of the pan or a drop or two just to take home:) The back story is that my oldest son graduated law school on a Friday and the following Monday had a medical emergency warranting a 911 call. I was a few feet away to resuscitate him. He is fine now but things changed in an instant and life has a clearer perspective for all of us. He was requesting the queso… When Girish Desai listened to my request or plea, he immediately said, “come in, I will take care of it.” I told him only if there was something leftover. He said ,” No worries, I can warm some up.” I really didn’t want to cause a delay in their closing so I was feeling bad. He comes back out and I hand him my credit card and he says ,”No.” I told him that I absolutely insist! He still said,” No, this is for your son from me.” I burst into tears and he extended the most caring hug! I wasn’t sure if I could walk out because I was so emotional. We still didn’t tell my son until we arrived home. When I showed him the El Chico bag he put up with the biggest smile ever but when I told him about the blessing he received he beamed and was also emotional. I told my entire family,” There are still such good people in this world! Always make sure to show kindness even when you are not sure if the recipient is in need or wanting it. We are just walking through this world together and we should help one another along the way.” People write reviews and some can be hateful or negative. Remember to show grace … that grace will come back to you in ways that are unimaginable!! Thank you El Chico and Girish Desai -Operating Partner for blessing my family with kindness and queso:)! Come back to Lexington!!! I miss my Chicken Monterey 💙 Much love from the...

Waited 20 minutes for a server for drinks until we got up & had to find one. It still took 15 more minutes before one came. Hostess seemed to have an attitude because she was asked to serve us drinks. Finally, our appetizers came, later our waiter Enrique, who provided excellent service.

Finally, our meals arrived, and 2 of us did not like our meals. One was the tortilla soup. The bowl had all the fixings (looked like a salad), and the soup came in a little metal creamer pitcher that you had to pour in your bowl. My coworker ate half of it & pushed the rest aside. It was a soup at all.

I ordered the California quesadilla, with tomato, cheese & basil. I ended up getting a veggie wrap with avocado, lettuce, tomato & cilantro. It was very bland. I didn't bother to send it back because I feared it would take too long for my food to come back.

The manager apologized for our experience and gave our party complimentary deserts, which we appreciated & we're delicious, but it was sad to have this type of service, regardless of whether it was busy. It's better to let the customers know than seat them & forget them.

Aside from that, the chips & salsa were great. The queso had ground beef & tasted like sausage & gravy.

The following day, the hotel we stayed at catered dinner for a huge group of volunteers, including us, and it was lasagna. We were very skeptical, but it ended up tasting very good.

Overall, we traveled 10 hours on a charted bus and were hungry, so it was disappointing that we had this experience, after a very long day, all to provide voluntary healthcare to the community for 12 hours the next two days.

This event happens every year, and we attend every year, but this was the first time back since covid, we'll be back next year, and this place is near major hotels, I hope they step it up & stick with traditional Mexican foods, there was so much of it that was just weird. Just...

(2019) They've got basically one dish that can be altered for Vegans, and only three dishes suitable for lacto-ovo vegetarians. The service was fast, and the waitstaff was friendly and helpful. Our food was mediocre, as mine (the Vegan enchiladas) was decent, while my husband's (nasty ribs and salty fries) was almost inedible. He ended up throwing up within minutes of finishing.

2022 Update: Every time we've gone since the above time, they mess up my order, and sometimes, my husband's.

Mine is simple: Three spinach and mushroom enchiladas, red sauce, rice and beans on the side, no cheese, no sour cream.

My birthday two years ago (2020), the first time, I was brought something I didn't order (quesedillas), sent back, then it was what I ordered, except drenched in queso. Third time, by the time he was done eating, mine finally came out right, and I just took it home, to go.

Yesterday (April 30, '22), I ordered the same thing. The waitress got it right, but the kitchen forgot the mushrooms, and for his, a grande tortilla bowl, he wanted steak instead of ground beef, and they ended up putting on both, so he couldn't pick the steak out so he could take the rest home, because the ground beef was mixed into it. And the waitress brought him a large bowl of queso, when he specified he only wanted a small cup. And our drinks weren't refilled.

Their wait and kitchen staff need retrained or fired. I don't want anyone fired, but ffs, there are like three places for Vegans to dine out with Omnis, and this one just can't get our orders right. We can't be the only ones this has happened to.

Update for 2023. We went twice this year, and both times my order...