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Enchanting

Cave Creek restaurant charms dinners with idyllic amd wildlife

Adobe walls surround Cave Creek’s most popular Mexican restaurant, shielding its patrons from the noise of more touristy destinations situated along the town’s main street. That’s a good thing, because El Encanto is literally a watering hole to both wildlife and the local population.

More than 40 years ago the spot was owned by Black Mountain Gas Company, which built its offices next to the natural aquifer. Two different restaurants followed, until Bill Nelson purchased the property in 1989 to open El Encanto.

The menu is based upon border favorites, but wanders farther into Mexico, highlighting seafood dishes from Guaymas and Veracruz. For example, the grilled sea bass ($14.95) is a moist fillet topped with either a Veracruz or ajo sauce. Seafood enchiladas ($10.25), shrimp ($14.95), and sea bass tacos ($10.45) also are available. Lunch prices are reasonable (i.e., the grilled sea bass is about $7), and include many of the same entrées served at dinner.

Appetizers run the usual gamut of quesadillas, nachos and espinaca con queso. The house specialty is Queso Guillermo, which allows you to make your own appetizer: a small skillet filled with melted cheese, green onions, chiles, and tomatoes, is paired with pico de gallo, corn tortillas and a choice of an extra ingredient. On this afternoon, we picked machomos, a serving of shredded beef that is deep fried. It looks similar to carne seca, but the flavor is altered by the fryer, making the rich, melted cheese the predominant taste. Luckily, we had also ordered a margarita on the rocks, which seemed to set our palates right.

The creamy flan ($4.25) at El Encanto is made from scratch, so we didn’t miss the telltale aftertaste of a commercial mix. Nor did we have to fight over the generous serving, which was big enough for two to enjoy.

The most important dining ingredient, however, is the ambiance. The restaurant’s naturalistic atmosphere provides an immediate escape for diners, who enjoy the antics of the pond’s ducks, turtles, swans, cranes and other native birds. Evenings are crowded, and can verge on being noisy, but there are several times during the week that the patio is quiet, relaxing and downright romantic. El Encanto remains a special spot, with a cool lagoon at its heart.

EL ENCANTO Mexican Cafe

6248 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek

(480) 488-1752

Open daily for lunch and dinner; entertainment Thursday, Friday and Saturday.