The
original El Encanto Restaurant and Cantina
was located in the center of Cave Creek. In
1989, Bill Nelson purchased a vacant
building, and with a love of Mexico and
Mexican food, opened the first El Encanto.
He brought a chef he'd known for twenty
years from Mexico. Using the finest,
freshest ingredients, they put together a
menu that people quickly called "the best
Mexican food in the Valley."
Also having a love of old, Mexican
architecture, Bill made many trips across
the border, bringing back ideas and
materials to incorporate into El Encanto.
The patio and restaurant's colors and style
aim to bring the look and feel of Mexico to
your dining experience.
El
Encanto became a favorite for its enchanting
setting and great food. The business grew
rapidly and eventually needed a more
developed and improved infrastructure. In
2003, Bill's daughter Christine, a lawyer
living in Washington, came back to join and
run the business. Christine developed new
operating systems to manage the increased
volume and built a management team to
implement them. They focus on improving
consistency and enhancing the level of
service. Christine and Chef, Hernandez
also developed a new menu, maintaining many
of the old favorites, while adding more
fresh seafood and several of Chef
Hernandez's specialties from his hometown
Mazatlan.
In 2005, the restaurant had grown to such a
success that Bill and Christine decided it
was time to expand. Bill made several of his
customary trips to Mexico. Christine and the
staff continued to work on improving service
and consistency, trying to create the
complete experience for each and every
guest. The second location, El Encanto Dos,
opened in January of 2006.
Thank you for joining us at El Encanto
today. We hope everything was perfect for
you and that you'll come to share our love
of Mexican food and culture.
Awards
2001 "#1 Choice for Mexican Food"
by Phoenix Magazine readers
The New Times voted El
Encanto's Margaritas "The Best in the
Valley"
2000 El Encanto was voted "Most
Romantic" by Channel 3's Good
Morning Arizona
2002 El Encanto was selected as the
"Best Place to Pop the Question"
by New Times
The
original El Encanto Restaurant and Cantina
was located in the center of Cave Creek. In
1989, Bill Nelson purchased a vacant
building, and with a love of Mexico and
Mexican food, opened the first El Encanto.
He brought a chef he'd known for twenty
years from Mexico. Using the finest,
freshest ingredients, they put together a
menu that people quickly called "the best
Mexican food in the Valley."
El
Encanto became a favorite for its enchanting
setting and great food. The business grew
rapidly and eventually needed a more
developed and improved infrastructure. In
2003, Bill's daughter Christine, a lawyer
living in Washington, came back to join and
run the business. Christine developed new
operating systems to manage the increased
volume and built a management team to
implement them. They focus on improving
consistency and enhancing the level of
service. Christine and Chef, Hernandez
also developed a new menu, maintaining many
of the old favorites, while adding more
fresh seafood and several of Chef
Hernandez's specialties from his hometown
Mazatlan.