Red Onion Mexican Restaurant: the best fajitas in Oklahoma City
by Levi | November 30, 2007 | 8 Comments
(votes: 10, average: 3.6) 
Loading ...The Red Onion Mexican Restaurant is located at 5936 NW 23rd St. in Oklahoma City (map). They are open every day for lunch and dinner. Call them at 405.495.1817.
Editor’s Note: We’ve had a bit of a fajita challenge going on here lately. Casa Perico and Poblano Grill have both been written up as leading the fajita landscape of OKC. Now Levi brings us a new contender, The Red Onion. What do you think? Who has the best fajitas in OKC? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Sometimes you just want pie. You know how it is…you get a craving for a good piece of pie, then you remember nobody serves fresh-made, flaky-crusted, still warm from the oven pies. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a place for great pie yet (if you know of one let me know), but I have found the best place in Oklahoma City to satisfy your fajita craving.
The Red Onion is a classic mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant. It’s located in a quaint, bright yellow building (that was probably a fast food “restaurant” once upon a glorious time) on the south side of 23rd street. You would miss it if you were not looking for it.
As you go in, it is ambiguous as to whether you should seat yourself or wait to be seated, though most regulars just come in and pick their favorite spot. You never have to wait for a table, but I hope to change that, because everyone needs to hear about the fajitas. It has that old, fast-food-place-converted-to-a-Mexican-restaurant smell, but no worries, because you will be glad you came.
You know how it usually goes. You order fajitas at “Mili’s” or “Ed’s Tescondido“, and one day you get hot, sizzling, loud, angry, juicy, tender slices of meat with slightly softened, bold onions and peppers. These are the kind of fajitas that everyone watches on their travels to your table. But then the next week you go, you don’t even hear the fajitas coming! The onions are limp on the plate, the meat is tough and dry, and the only sound we hear are customers groaning in disappointment.
Not so at Red Onion, where every time I have ordered fajitas over the last two years, I have consistently gotten the juiciest, tenderest, most flavorfulest beef and chicken anyone could ask for. And at $12.99, you can share them with your spouse (or dog…not that I do).
If you aren’t too into going to a restaurant for just one item, I would rethink it in this case. Sure they have other food that is delicious, standard Mexican fare, but you don’t need any of that. Get the fajitas, else you won’t be able to hear the sound of your stomach grumbling over the sizzle and scream of skillets in the air.
Go say hello to Jesús Cortés and his friends at Oklahoma City’s premier fajita house, The Red Onion. And yes, the fajitas come with … red onions … mmm …
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So far, 8 people have responded to this article. Won't you join in?December 4th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
I’ve been to Red Onion a few times. Not bad. I just wish they wouldn’t water down the cheese sauce. What is it with everyone diluting the queso in this town?
April 6th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
There is a typo on this page. It says “Ed’s Tescondido” but it is supposed to say “Ted’s Escondido” ….Pretty uh…big mistake haha.
April 6th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
They do have great fajitas. I can’t confirm if they are the best in town because I haven’t tried them anywhere else…I go to the Red Onion strictly for their fajitas.
April 6th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Jessi, thanks for the note, but I think the author (Levi) actually intended the misspelling of Ted’s. I think since it’s such a familiar name, he was just making a playful switch there for no real reason. Sorry for the confusion.
May 13th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Try Don’s Alley in Del City for pies!
June 12th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I absolutely love them - they have to be my favorite…I’ve been to every mexican restaurant and their food has flavor unlike most. As far as Ted’s…their fajitas don’t sizzle anymore and they’ve lost their luster as its happened more than once. Red Onions’ Cheese sauce is fantastic - very buttery and delicious - the relish is fresh and not canned. I’d go more often if they were closer to me…
October 30th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Sorry to go against the grain here….but the fajitas were “ok”, not great. I know people like to hate on Ted’s, but authentic or not, they use a much better quality meat than every other mexican joint in town (or, at least, the dozen or so I’ve been to). No exceptions for Red Onion. Their meat is tasty, but it’s just not the same kind of quality. The salsa was delicious, cheese sauce also uniquely good, but that’s pretty much where the flavor ended on my trip there. The rice was kind of boring, beans mediocre, and the veggie fajitas were completely devoid of flavor. Not to say the Red Onion doesn’t have its charms, but I expected better after seeing this review giving them the “best fajitas in town” title and aside from the “free stuff”, got the same ol’ standard fare.
November 4th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
My wife and I ate here on 10/30/08 and the Chicken fajitas were great. I loved the salas and even the cheese sauce. the orig review for the restaraunt described the cheese sace as “buttery” and couldn’t have been more spot on. One thing that I didn’t expect was that they had the most incredible dessert.. the oreo mud pie!!! this was worth the drive all by its self. Oreo, ice cream, caramel and fudge perfection.
Please tell us what you think.