This was one of the worst tasting meals I have had in recent memory. One word: Bland! The actual place is cute and it's really close to my home, but I will never come here again. I just can't imagine why anyone would serve the slop they come out with here. Do the cooks not TASTE what they are serving? There was no seasoning, everything was dry, and it was just... what's a good word for this crud? I know! Yucky!! Why the place seems busy whenever I pass by I will never know, but it may have something to do with the fact that it LOOKS cool and hip... They say the food is "Cali-Mex". I can only assume that people from California have no taste buds.
Review Source:We stopped here for lunch on a Saturday after finding out Zona Fresca was closed. We had to park on the street because the 8 parking spaces were full. They had two plastic covered menus that we had to share to choose from while being jostled by customers who knew what they wanted and went by. The music was so loud I could barely hear my lunch mates and we finally got to the register to order. Two 'The Whole Enchiladas" one pork, one steak and the Black Tiger Shrimp burrito, each under $10. The seating choices were sit inside and be deafened by really loud music or sit outside in the sun with no shade. The pork and steak enchiladas had an unusual, but not unpleasant, sweetness. The black beans needed help from the salsa bar to give them some oomph. The corn tortilla chips were a nice thick stone ground chip, slight greasy. The shrimp in the burrito were nice and tender, although you better like cabbage. The buritto had more cabbage than any other ingredient. At least I got my vitamin C at lunch. Ha.
I am on the fence if we will return.
A good casual affordable tex mex place. Enjoyed the veggie burritos, solid guac. Fun to sit outside at a pic-a-nic table and eat. Old gas station feel makes it interesting as well.
Visited a 2nd time this week. Service was a bit slow (it was lunchtime), not much parking but the fish tacos were solid.
I received a message from the owner in response to my review below, which tells me that he is engaged and cares about his business and his customers. That really matters; and I'm sure fans of this restaurant will keep supporting it. When it comes to the food and the atmosphere and the offerings, I guess it all comes down to personal preference. I'm sure there are many people who prefer The Whole Enchilada to the other similar restaurants in the area.
This restaurant blends in perfectly with all the rest of the quasi Tex-Mex that plague Fort Lauderdale. The only thing that makes this place stand out is the super sweet chile sauce for their signature dish. Their burritos are not as good as Zona Fresca's, Their tacos are generic... not as interesting as Jo-Jo's and not as easy to eat as Tijuana Flats'. Their beans are the blandest of the bunch. Their salsas are inferior to Moe's or Zona Fresca's. Their hot sauce is Cholula. They don't serve mixed drinks like Pinche Taqueria...I guess my point is that I don't think that The Whole Enchilada brings anything new or better or interesting to the already over represented tortilla & bean cuisine.
When I use to live in Ft Lauderdale, I would be at the Whole Enchilada a few times a week. Â Nothing beat the salads and tacos and fresh brewed iced tea. Â
Now on my return day trip to Ft Lauderdale, the only thing I could tell people was how excited I was to finally have some food from The Whole Enchilada.
Ordered my shrimp taco with avocado and cabbage with rice and beans and iced tea.
Tea is now some disgusting high version of nestea with the carbonation.
Shrimp in tacos were dried out, small and burnt. Â No flavor
Rice was also microwaved and dried out. Â Beans had no taste.
No personal care by the people working there.
We love this place! Service is what makes it. I ordered a burrito right after Critical Mass. The place was PACKED. (It's a very bike-friendly joint). Somehow, my request for +avocado was lost. I let them know and they hooked me up with tons of avocado. I asked, why don't you have chipotle? They said, but of course! And hooked me up with some. (YUM!) i love that they have Negra Modelo, excellent vegetarian options (the best in FtL tex-mex in my opinion) and great service.
BONUS: B-cycle members get 10% off at both locations and there is always a place to park my car AND lock my bike.
Also great, the abundance of fresh cilantro  & lemon slices & quality hot sauces PLUS the absence of loads of not hot, overly sweet or vinegary sauces.
The Whole Enchilada = former gas station turned into a Mexican fast food joint. Â Beautifully renovated, this place is very eye catching with lots of lacquered wood and rustic lighting. Â They offer a fresh salsa bar like many of their competitors in the neighborhood - salsa verde, roasted tomato salsa, pico de gallo etc. Â Ample parking makes it a nice and easy stop off of busy Federal Highway - no need to search for a spot during your lunch hour that flies by oh-so-quickly. Â After a glance at the menu, I opted for one of the salads - the Chili-Chicken salad. Â I added some grilled shrimp for an extra $1.29. Â At $9, this salad did not wow me. Â It was good, but sadly a bit soggy. Â It seems they washed the lettuce right before putting it on my plate. Â Normally I enjoy a good clean lettuce leaf, but shake some of the excess water off before serving it up - just a thought. Â They went heavy on the lettuce and very light on the tomato - there was just a hint of cojita cheese and avocado. Â I was hoping for the dressing to be a bit more flavorful, but I think some of this was lost in the wet lettuce. Â I was looking for a light salad in calories, but not on flavor so this missed the mark for me. Â However, my co-worker friend indulged in some guacamole and chips which I stole a bite of and it was good. Â Her burrito also looked good too with nice pieces of steak and fixins all neatly tucked together in a flour tortilla. Â Next time I hit up Whole Enchilada, I will go forego the salad and hit up a more hearty option.
Review Source:I am addicted to the shrimp tacos! And even better, my mother, a very picky vegetarian, loves the veggie options here! Great place for variety to please both the meat and non-meat lovers! Â They cater too! I used them for an office catering which was promptly delivered onsite and it was nice to have an affordable alternative to the everyday sandwich tray.
Review Source:Love The Whole Enchilada! Â Cali Mex at its best. They have Shrimp Tacos and Fish Tacos, both amazing. They serve with them avocado crema, corn tortilla's and cabbage. No where else in Fort Lauderdale makes them like this. Wish they had more locations since I work in Laudy and live in Miami, it would be nice to have one closer to home.
Review Source:Not sure why every one seems to be down on this location but loving the other. Â I've eaten at both locations a number of times and always get exactly what I'm looking for...delicious, quick and affordable Cali-Mex. Â Additionally, I think the new location is a unique and fun place to grab lunch on a busy work day!
Five Stars!
Ughh....simply terrible,  They did a great job renovating this former service station into a cool restaurant, but the food is terrible.  I ordered the chicken fajitas, and it took over 20 minutes for them to "call my name" that is was ready.  I dealt with the long wait  since I assumed it was being freshly prepared.  Not only was it not freshly prepared, the peppers, onions, and chicken was cold !!!  I have no idea what they were doing to prepare this for 20 minutes !  Besides the cold chicken, it came with a little dollop or sour cream and some wilted lettuce and tomatoes.  The three corn tortillas were tiny and stuck to one other so they all tore into two pieces.  The food had NO taste at all. Bland, boring, and overpriced. I will NEVER stop here again, even though it is walking distance from my house.  What a shame....the place looks so inviting and cool from the outside.
Review Source:The whole enchilada is listed as Tex Mex on Yelp, I am assuming because the categories are limited... not sure.
If you have actually had a meal there you would know that the dishes are more California Style and it's fresh mex done well! Having lived in Fort lauderdale and frequented their location in Oakland Park for several years I was stoked about this  fort lauderdale location because of convenience, I couldn't be happier to have them closer to home.
I've been to almost every mexican restaurant from las Las Olas to Commercial and this one just ticks all the boxes for me. Â The consistency between the two locations is seamless from the menu items, and friendly staff to the design (especially when the garage doors are open at this one) and cleanliness. This place is always an affordable treat.
My flavorites are the One Fish and the chili lime salad with tofu, they also have a home-made jalapeno hot sauce its brown in an unlabeled bottle next to the salsa...seriously can't get enough of this stuff....its just the right kind of hot. The food tastes exactly the same as the other location! Â I'm always impressed when the food and service is alike from location to location. Which can be difficult when menu items are cooked fresh to order like they are here. But they nail it.
They really pulled it off. I'm saying well done!
Over-priced Tex-Mex that is mediocre at best. Â The food was so bland. Â It's the first time I've ever had salsa that didn't taste like anything. Â Totally flavorless. Â
The staff was friendly (hence, the second star), but my order was totally screwed up. Â I ordered the crispy taco platter with ground beef. Â I received two tacos, one hardshell, one soft. Â One with ground beef, the other with chicken. Â The soft-shell was soggy and gummy. Â My husband ordered a burrito and didn't care for his meal either. Â He stopped halfway through and said he'd rather eat at home.
It seems you can't turn around in Fort Lauderdale without bumping into a Tex-Mex fast food restaurant with a minimum of 7 just between 17th street and Oakland Park Boulevard and except for a different name most are the same with the same menu items.
The Whole Enchilada, at this location, use to be a garage and they were very smart in their innovation but the rest rooms are still outside! Â It looks like there would be a pile up if it was busy as you give your order and name to the cashier and serve yourself to beverage and plastic ware. Some tables have napkin holders others don't. There are high tables, regular height tables and the tables outside are picnic tables. Your food is delivered to you.
I had a Fahitah Burrito ($8.19) which was wrapped in a very doughy wheat tortilla and a diet coke ($1.75) The burrito was filled with black beans (you have a choice in what kind of tortilla, beans and chicken, beef or shrimp) green peppers with chips on the side. Like the rest of the restaurants it has a salsa bar. While filling their is nothing exceptional in the dish.
Allen had an enchilada ($8.49) with beans and rice on the side. He very much liked the surroundings including the tables.
Every member of staff was welcoming, smiling and enthusiastic.
Nothing wrong with The Whole Enchilada but nothing to make it stand out from all the other Tex-Mex franchises in the city.
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