Forti’s Mexican Elder Restaurant

Reviews

• Jared G.

  star star star star star_border 12 June 2026

  Very big place with different levels of seating with lots of decor.  Have visited here several times over the years and it is always good.
  I decided to try something new and got the Pechuga California stuffed chicken breast.  WOW, very good!
  The drinks were strong and tasty.  They have a good selection of beers (I got the Pacifico).
  Definitely will be back next time we are in town!

• Vic F.

  star star star star star 12 June 2026

  FINDING THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH AT LAST
  
  Taking a walk around the area, you would not expect to find more than a mom and pop shop. However, once you reach the sign for Forti's Mexican Elder Restaurant, you see what looks like a palace on an estate. Walk closer and it becomes more real, like the first time you walked into Carlos & Mickeys and saw the rich culture unfold. Through wooden double doors, you enter and see dark tiles, wide open spaces sharing the sunlight, and fountains full of water. Look up and find anything from parrots to balconies to pieces of art. There is so much to take in and yet, you feel at home. All I know was that when I went there and saw everything, I felt like el jefe (the Boss). When I tried the food, I ate like a king. So please follow me and I will tell you more.
  
  The FOOD: PLATES WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD
  
  Chips & Salsa: A BOWL OF FIRE AND EARTH
  Housemade chips and salsa submerged with a sea of jalapenos. The chips are fresh, crispy, and clean-tasting without being too oily. I definitely appreciated that there were majority whole pieces that could deliver a surge of their rich salsa. The salsa had enough heat to stimulate appetite and were addicting to the last drop. Each scoop gave a generous helping of your daily recommended dose of jalapenos.
  
  Tampiquena Steak - Arrachera Style with Enchilada: TURNING YOUR TASTEBUDS ROYAL, NOTHING LESS FOR A KING
  After being blessed with heat and warmth, this plate was delivered piping hot. The aromas of grilled beefy steak, onions, and peppers were balanced out by the rich mole sauce covering the enchilada and the fresh, housemade tortillas. These aromas captured my senses, but the overall vivacious colors of the dish won my eyes and much more. The Arrachera Steak was a perfect medium rare, soft and chewy, and splashing with juices with each cut. The beefiness and fattiness of the steak complimented the texture and contrasted well with the earthy grilled vegetables. The fresh guacamole with tomatoes and jalapenos refreshed the tongue and was balanced by the bold cheese enchilada with rich mole sauce. Refried beans topped with cheese offered substance to the meal. The tortillas came hot to the point where I had trouble holding onto them! Each one was chewy and held everything together without ripping. You immediately are immersed in its corn aroma. This must be what heaven feels like. Overall, everything worked together and balanced each other out.
  
  The VERDICT: TRUST THE MEXICAN ELDERS (Check out their daily lunch specials! PIC INCLUDED)
  Trust the Mexican Elders and they will show you spectacular Mexican cuisine. From a little street in El Paso grew a hole in the wall for Mexican food and good times. Upon entering, your eyes are flooded with a rich history and culture, like a dream unfolded onto a Shakespearean set. The Tampiquena Steak - Arrachera Style with Enchilada is a perfect match of grilled, tender steak and vegetables with refreshing housemade guacamole and a rich, complex cheese enchilada. Each bite offered intense beefiness for meat lovers. The enchilada offered rich cheesiness with a bold, rich mole sauce. Housemade tortillas were piping hot with a fresh corn aroma. The housemade chips were whole and not broken, while the salsa did not skimp on the jalapenos and offered the perfect balance of heat and addiction. I will be back to relive the dream of culture, atmosphere, and good food; because even after today, I still do not believe that I had eaten in such a perfect place.

• Mary S.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 10 June 2026

  Terrible food. Very bland and served lukewarm. I would assume that El Paso would have decent Mexican food but this place serves terrible food. Rubbery, plastic taste to the food. Do not recommend, even if you are looking for Tex-Mex. You're better off ordering from Taco Bell than this place.

• Monica L.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 30 May 2026

  Went to celebrate my brothers birthday and will never be back. They served my 11 and 6 year old nieces pineapple juice with ALCOHOL in it. When we were seated there was a dead cockroach by the table. That should've been when we left but stayed and ordered anyways to which it took over an hour to be served and was not busy at all. Food was not worth the price at all. The waiter was rude and actually argued with my grandmother about what she ordered and double charged us 0/10 would not recommend

• Jay T.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 15 May 2026

  Soo this was one of the first places I came when moving to EP. It was good, excellent fajitas, maybe a little salty for me... but BIG margaritas and Coladas.... ambiance and decor...good service. I liked it. Over the last 3 years though, nah... I've been back 3-4 times and it's been disappointing. Service is nonexistent... you have to track down your server for refills on drinks, salsa, chips...the fajitas have been way over cooked or burned to the point of being hard. Drink sizes have shrunk but prices!? $7.75 for about a 8 -10 oz pina colada this week when I used to get a HUGE goblet for that almost $8. My menu was FILTHY. Refried beans and something else coated several pages ... and these are plasticoated Menus, they are MADE so you can clean them inbetween sittings ....  The table was wobbly and we moved and so was that table too... they need maintenance BADLY....So We ordered nachos with beef. Extra cheese, no jalapeños. With beans. We got some kind of like almost beef jerky, it was sooo dried out and stringy, on chips with melted white cheese. No beans, but a dollop of guac and sour cream on half... both of which my dining partner hates.  I ordered a small side of guacamole, to eat with the table tostadas, that never came. Most of the fajitas went uneaten, tooo tough and way over done. We added queso too but it has corn and potatoes ?? In it ... it was sooo watery it wasn't for chip dipping...just weird ... and I won't be back ... I used to recommend Forti's years ago but ... no more... sad to see the food and service decline so much ... the ambiance is still there ... maybe they can have an intervention an hire a real good kitchen And wait staff and revive the Business. We last went on a Saturday Night, they had live music. It was about 7:30 and us, 2 other couples and a family of about 6 is ALL there were in that huge place...