Amigos Walls decorated with antique musical instruments in the upstairs dining room add flair to this unique Mexican café. Try the chile relleno in Spanish sauce. The adobo undertones will soothe your soul. For lighter fair, the serrano-infused beef salpicon is a must. Full bar.
2000 Montana
Ave. 915.533.0155. $
Anita’s Restaurant This tiny hole-in-the wall is located in the heart of central El Paso and has been serving up fresh, homemade Mexican food for 19 years. Open for breakfast and lunch, this eatery offers a spicy version of juevos rancheros - over-easy eggs and all. Refried beans are made with vegetable oil instead of lard, but are tasty (and healthier) than you’d expect. Plates of enchiladas and tacos round out the traditional menu. Bar.
704 N. PiedrasSt. 915.566.1645. $
Ay Cocula The tostadas and salcitas, fresh and flavorful, are made on the premises. The shrimp cocktail is made Mexican-style, where the tender shrimp, fresh lime, onion, jalapeños, cilantro and avocado swim in a tomato sauce so good that you’ll want to drink it! Beer only.
1435 N. Lee Trevino, 915.593.3117. $$
www.aycocula.com
Barrigas The green chicken enchiladas, stuffed with chicken breast and covered in a fresh green chile sauce, are delicious. The Yuca pibil (cocinita pibil)—pork loin is cooked to tenderness in an achiote sauce and served with marinated sweet onions and chopped fresh cilantro. Full bar.
1317 George Dieter Drive, 915.594.1800 and
664 Sunland Park Drive, 915.845.1627. $$
www.barrigasrestaurant.com
Café Mayapán Open only for lunch, or the occasional political function, this spot combines a restaurant with a non-profit group that trains former garment workers in the culinary arts. The outcome is really good, local Mexican food served in an interesting setting that includes a stage for performances, mariachis or speeches. Traditional chili rellenos come lightly fried and stuffed with asadero cheese and the Tlalpeño soup’s broth surrounds fresh avocado chunks and crunchy vegetables with spicy, yet well-balanced flavors. No Bar.
2000 Texas Ave., 915.351.1070. $
Casa Jurado If you give this restaurant only one chance, start with tortilla soup. For the main course, order the chicken enchiladas smothered in mole sauce, and finish with flan. The mole sauce is so delicious; it’s sold as a take-out item. Besides the amazing food, you will experience some of the friendliest service in town. Even when the place is packed, you can expect a friendly voice on the phone or a smiling face bringing your entrée
while navigating a sea of tables filled with hungry diners. Full bar.
4772 Doniphan, 915.833.1152;
226 Cincinnati, 915.532.6429. $$
La Choza Menudazo y Tamalotes This festive dining spot serves up loads of good, solid food from Northern Mexico. Chips and crispy taco shells are fried in-house and send an enticing “come-hither” aroma throughout the dining area. Traditional cheese enchiladas are made with chopped, fresh onion and sided with oh-so-fattening, but oh-so-good refried beans and rice. The salsa is a perfect blend of chiles, garlic and onion and the horchata is refreshing. Parking is limited, so go early. No bar.
1155 N. Zaragosa Rd. 915.872.4186. $
Doña Lupe A small neighborhood café in the Five Points area serves breakfast and lunch only and packs them in cooking authentic Mexican food favorites and contemporary dishes that taste as good as homemade. The salpicon (shredded cold brisket salad) is prepared with mixed salad greens, fresh jalapeños, cucumber, onion and avocado and is tossed with a seasoned olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. Beer only.
2929 Pershing Drive, 915.566.9833. $$
El Nopal Chunky wood tables decorated with brightly striped serapes welcome diners to this bright and airy café located across the street from Zaragosa Park. Home-style Mexican food is king here and the constant stream of customers proves that there’s no better place for cheese enchiladas topped with a rich, ancho-based red sauce or a steaming bowl of extra-spicy menudo. The salsa is made fresh daily with lots of roasted green chiles that blend perfectly with the handmade tortilla chips. Friendly service and extra large glasses of ice tea add to the restaurant’s charm, as does the family atmosphere. A table for ten invites family and friends alike to sit down and spend time together and that’s really what El Nopal is all about. Its atmosphere sets the stage for the good old-fashioned cooking that eases away the day’s tension’s and soothes
the soul better than any chicken soup. No bar.
1155 Zaragosa, 915.858.1968. $$
Forti’s Mexican Elder Situated inside a lovely hacienda-style building and decorated with bright flowers and Mexican tile, Forti’s has remained a local favorite for decades. The homemade chips and roasted chile salsa get your taste buds ready for the decadent chile relleno stuffed with Asadero cheese and coated in a lightly fried egg batter. Enchiladas come filled with chicken, beef or cheese and a choice of red or green sauce.
Both sauces are good, but the red sauce has
an added richness unlike any other. Full bar.
321 Chelsea St., 915.772.0066. $$
H&H Car Wash and Coffee Shop You’d never guess that this tiny diner and its sister car wash in Downtown is a 2001 James Beard Award winner until you taste the best breakfast burritos, chiles rellenos and enchiladas this side of the border. Two Texas governors have eaten here along with many local celebrities and plenty of regular folks, as well. This is truly an El Paso tradition. No bar.
701 E. Yandell, 915.533.1144. $
Julio’s Café Corona A tradition in Mexican cuisine since 1944, Julio’s serves home-style cooking in a customary Mexican setting. The jalapeño soup, served with chicken, avocado, onion, tomato, cilantro and chile chipotle, has a unique and fresh flavor. Other popular menu items include salpicon, puntas de filet al Albañil, Julio’s quail and red mole. For dessert, don’t miss the cajeta crepes served warm with the option to have them flamed tableside with tequila or brandy. Full bar.
8050 Gateway East, 915.591.7676. $$
www.julioscafecorona.com
Kiki’s Restaurant & Bar Kiki’s beef machaca just may be nature’s perfect food. Layers of shredded, lean meat, scrambled eggs mixed with peppers and onions topped with melted, asadero cheese. Add a few spoonfuls of the made-fresh daily salsa for extra spiciness or just roll up the concoction in a warm flour tortilla. Chili rellenos with crispy coating are flavorful and loaded with cheese, while the cheese and onion enchiladas are perfectly framed with either a red or green sauce. Iced tea is served by the pitcher, so patrons never run dry and the wait staff will deliver salsa and chips through out the meal. The service is some of the best in town - friendly and responsive. If guests are lucky, the owner will make her rounds through the dining room visiting with each table. Beer and wine.
2719 N. Piedras, 915.565.6713. $$
See the Review
www.kikismexicanrestaurant.com
La Malinche This downtown eatery serves up some of the best Machaca burritos around and when topped with their addictively hot salsa – there’s not a better hangover cure to be found. Freshly made flour tortillas are right off the griddle and basics – such as cheese enchiladas are consistently good. Large portions and fresh iced tea make for a hearty meal for just a few dollars. It’s a great value with friendly service to boot. No bar. Locations throughout El Paso.
301 Texas Ave., 915.544.8785. $
L&J Café Set in a sprawling hacienda-type building overlooking a cemetery, its not surprising that L&J’s is rumored to be haunted. But since ghosts don’t eat much, diners can. Huge plates of cheese and onion enchiladas, artery-clogging refried beans and Spanish rice satisfy even the hungriest of tattooed bikers. Don’t worry, though, you can work off the calories with a game of pool. Full bar.
3622 E. Missouri, 915.566.8418. $
La Pachanga For breakfast try the fresh fruit salad with chile y limon and then come back for lunch and try any of the tortas on the menu. Liquados and aqua frescas compliment most meals perfectly. Open for breakfast and lunch.
222 Texas Ave. 915.544.4454. $
Leo’s Mexican Food With several locations throughout El Paso, this establishment offers up traditional Mexican dishes with excellent table service and affordable meals. Most recently, the Downtown locations added a bar, music stage, big-screen TVs and late night hours Thurs. thru Sat. Try the chile con queso with anything and enjoy complimentary sopapillas for dessert. Full bar.
315 E Mills Ave. 915.544.1001. $
Little Diner Off the beaten path in Canutillo, this Mexican food restaurant has been listed on “best of” lists in Texas Monthly, Texas Highways and Gourmet Magazines. Try the gorditas, tamales and fresh, homemade flour and corn tortillas. Little Diner prepares all the traditional favorites and prepares them well. The chicken flautas are always perfectly crisp, and stuffed with a substantial portion of seasoned chicken. Beer only.
7209 Seventh St., Canutillo, Texas, 915.877.2176. $
www.gorditas.com
Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey’s Not only is it one of the most beautiful Mexican restaurants in town, with its old Mexico village setting, but the food is consistently good as well. The tacos al pastor are tender slices of pork, marinated in adobado sauce, served with corn tortillas, guacamole and pico de gallo. Another favorite, the green enchiladas, done their way, are smothered in chile con queso. The menu is extensive, offering all the traditional favorites. The bar serves three sizes of margaritas. Full bar.
1310 Magruder, 915.778.3323. $$
Los Colorines Amanda is lovely and so is her entire staff, but even more lovely is the menu. Open for breakfast and lunch, the tables are full of Downtown execs looking for a quick bite from noon to 1:30 p.m. Arrive after 1:30 p.m. for a table and be ready to eat well. Be sure to try the Los Colorines house burger, served with bacon, ham, cheese and a thin, salty patty.
201 E. Main Dr. inside the Chase Building. 915.544.5565. $
Lucy’s Restaurant If you haven’t tried Machaca, it is recommended you try it here. Melted cheese with diced onions and tomatoes (known as queso in these parts) served over a burrito of shredded beef, with onions and diced jalapenos and scrambled eggs. Be prepared to roll out of the place after consuming this dish. Try just about anything else on the menu and you’ll be happy. Open for breakfast and lunch.
4119 N. Mesa St. 915.544.3922. $
San Isidro Mission Café Residing inside a former mission, the adobe walls and curtained windows give this place a cozy feel. Homemade chicken sopa has a rich broth, lots of white meat and chunks of carrots, onions and celery grown right in the area. The chile rellenos are fried crisp and the cheese and onion enchiladas come rolled in hot, fresh flour tortillas. No alcohol.
6135 Westside Dr, 915.877.7082. $
Real Burrit-O Fresh handmade tortillas always make a difference! Choose from over 15 different burritos, breakfast, lunch or dinner. The relleno especial (chile relleno, avocado and onion) and a Mexican apple soda, make for a great lunch. All burritos come with beans (refried or fat-free black beans). No alcohol.
4172 N. Mesa, Suite B, 915.543.9470. $
