okgourmet.com Home of Steve's Restaurant Reviews
A Condensed Guide to El Paso/Las Cruces
Updated Sep. 24, 2014
This is a partial guide to El Paso's best restaurants, since I certainly am not able to sample every
dish at every restaurant to find the "best." Many of my best meals have come from
tips given to me by friends and co-workers who have eaten at enough restaurants to give me good
leads. I also feel that it is appropriate to include suggestions from readers, and feel free to
send e-mails with your picks (I will use as many as I can).
Steve's recommendations are listed in the general order of preference, and reader's
suggestions are listed in the general order of popularity.
Note: See the El Paso Index
for links to the El Paso restaurants, and the
New Mexico Index
for restaurants in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. (The El Paso reviews are currently under
construction and readers can see a complete list of reviews at the old web site:
El Paso Index on Eskimo.com).
There is not a lot of Interior Style Mexican food in El Paso, but for the purpose
of this discussion it will include food from states other than Chihuahua.
New Mexican Style food is a regional food originating in New Mexico but which
can also be found in the western portion of El Paso County, Texas. It is the predominant type of
Mexican food found in Las Cruces and surrounding area.
New Mexican cuisine was served at the popular Griggs Restaurant in El Paso until it closed
in the early 2000's, but the food lives on through one of the former cooks who now operates
Peppe's Restaurant in Canutillo (not to be confused with Pepe's Chicken in El Paso). The Griggs
family also founded and operated La Posta in Mesilla and El Pinto in Albuquerque, all of which
typify southern New Mexico cuisine (although I think the two restaurants in New Mexico have been
largely modified for tourists' tastes, while Peppe's stays more true to the original recipes).
Oriental Cafe is the restaurant at which I eat most often, with very authentic Cantonese menu
and special dishes (this is a small family run restaurant that I know could not compete against some
of the larger and more famous restaurants on the west coast, but I think the home style food served
at Oriental Cafe may be better than at a lot of these more well known places).
A couple
of restaurants that I think would receive recognition in any city in the United States are Matsuharu
(for several of its Japanese dishes) and Mi Piaci (for upscale Italian food). Chut-ney is a south
Indian restaurant that is comparable to similar restaurants I have tried in Seattle, but
as with Oriental Cafe its real strength lies in its home cooking style food and consistency that
comes from the same cooks always being in the kitchen.
MEXICAN FOOD STYLES
The two main types of Mexican food found in El Paso are "El Paso" and "Chihuahua" style.
There is not always a clear distinction between the two, but I would describe them as follows:
About twenty years ago the "large" restaurants tended to be El Paso style while the small ones
(run by one or two people) tended to be Chihuahua style restaurants. Chihuahua style restaurants
also tended to be located south of Interstate 10. Now the geography of these restaurants is more
mixed, and many restaurants serve both styles of food. The distinction I use to classify these
restaurants is certainly not an exact science.
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
El Paso Style (usually a good place to get a combination plate)
L&J (the spiciest of this group of restaurants); Su Casa (only open for lunch);
Casa Jurado (on Doniphan);
Forti's (very good flavor and food style but not as consistent in quality as the others);
Amigos (the cook from the old La Hacienda is still cooking at Amigos, mainly at lunch)
L&J; Su Casa
Chihuahua Style-- Upscale (with a mixture of Mexican and
American or continental food)
Cafe Central (more eclectic menu); Aroma (more of a Mexican menu with many
dishes from the Interior)
Chihuahua Style-- Family Restaurants (serves more
traditional border style food)
Carnitas Querétaro; Julio's Cafe Corona; Barrigas
Julio's Cafe Corona; Carnitas Querétaro
(all except the UTEP location)
Chihuahua Style-- Inexpensive (including lunch only places)
El Jacalito; Los Jarrones; La Choza
El Jacalito
MEXICAN FOOD--INDIVIDUAL DISHES
If you are looking for the best versions of individual dishes, this is the list I have come up with
(along with suggestions by readers):
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Aguas Frescas
Flautas Tepalca Canutillo (the best, and the largest variety);
El Jacalito (horchata); La Malinche (horchata); JJ's (horchata)
La Pachanga 222 Texas
Bakeries
Bowie Bakery (default since La Ideal closed)
Caldillo
Lucy's; L&J
Caldo de Res
Jalisco Cafe; El Jacalito; Anita's
Carne Adovada
Amigos
Carne Asada
El Taco Tote
Chicken
Pepe's; El Taco Tote
Chicken Mole
Carnitas Querétaro; Barrigas; Los Jarrones; Casa Jurado
Chicken Tampiqueña
Ay Caramba!; Amigos
Chile con Queso
G&R Restaurant; Casa Jurado; La Choza
Chile Relleno
L&J, Amigos
Chile Rojo
El Ciro's
Chile Verde
El Jacalito
Enchiladas (Green)
L&J; Moe's; Sofia's San Elizario; Martha's
Enchiladas (Red)
Su Casa; Dominguez Restaurant; Forti's; L&J
Entomatadas
La Malinche
Fajitas
La Casita
Flautas
Julio's Cafe Corona; Barrigas;
Casa Jurado; El Meson de Oñate Socorro
Gorditas
Little Diner Canutillo; JJ's
Huevos Rancheros
H&H Coffee Shop
Machaca
Kiki's
Milanesa
Lucy's
Paella
Buena Vista Cafe (4172 N. Mesa-- Fri. only)
Riñones
Moe's
Salsa
Su Casa; L&J; Julio's Cafe Corona; La Choza
Seafood
Villa del Mar; Taco Fish;
La Isla Mariscos
Puerto Vallarta (1611 Montana)
Steak Tampiqueña
Forti's
Tacos (Ground Beef)
Su Casa
Tacos (Shredded Beef)
Sofia's San Elizario; Ay Caramba!
Tacos al Carbon
Santa Cecilia; Andele Mesilla, NM; El Taconazo
Tacos al Pastor
Santa Cecilia
Tacos de Barbacoa
Los Jarrones
Tacos de Bisteca
El Taco Tote
Tamales
Lupita's Canutillo (take-out only)
Tortilla Soup
Amigos (the best in town, but not available all the time);
Greenery Restaurant and Market, Azulejos
Tortillas (Corn)
Jalisco Cafe
Tortillas (Flour)
Kiki's
NEW MEXICAN STYLE FOOD
While in my estimation the El Paso region has developed a style of Mexican food that is truly
indigenous, the same can almost be said of the variation of New Mexican cuisine found in Las
Cruces and Southern New Mexico. Still classified as New Mexican cuisine, there are some
differences in dishes and ingredients from the food that developed in Northern New Mexico.
Southern New Mexican cuisine, though, shares a fondness for spicy chiles with its northern cousin
that is largely absent from El Paso cooking.
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Doña Ana Co., NM
Chope's La Mesa (especially the chile relleno and green enchilada);
Nellie's Las Cruces (especially the stuffed sopapilla and red enchilada);
Los Mariachis Las Cruces (especially the stuffed sopapilla and red enchilada)
Memorial Medical Center Las Cruces (green enchiladas served Fri. only)
El Paso Co., TX
Peppe's Canutillo (The menu from Griggs Restaurant is served here)
AMERICAN
For American food I usually think of Luby's Cafeteria or Cracker Barrel, neither of which I
really recommend as one of my top picks. Listed below, though, are some suggestions for
specific items that are noteworthy.
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Chicken
Billy Crews Santa Teresa, NM (by far the best chicken I have had in the El Paso area);
Elmer's (good for fried chicken, but I regularly get better fried chicken when I am in
Oklahoma)
Track One (Wings)
Hamburgers
Toro Burger Bar (gourmet burgers, and I think they are the best in the El Paso area);
Charcoaler (charcoal broiled hamburgers with barbecue sauce-- drive through service
only); Rosco's (I'm putting this in third place because I have read comments on Urbanspoon
that it is not as good as it once was, but I would probably pick it over Charcoaler)
Frisco Burger Inn
Sandwiches
Now that International Bakery & Deli has reopened (about a block from its old location) this
would be the first place I would go for sandwiches. One thing I liked about the old location (and I
don't know if it's true for the new location) is that you get great side dishes with the sandwiches.
House of Pizza (Pastrami)
Seafood
I do not think any of the American style seafood restaurants are really outstanding, but I might
think about trying the fish at one of the upscale or fine dining restaurants such as Ripe, Cafe
Central, Billy Crews, etc. Also, probably the best fish I have had in El Paso has been at
Matsuharu Japanese Restaurant.
Catfish Basket 4950 Hondo Pass (Catfish);
TugBoat 5501 Dyer (Fish and Chips)
BARBECUE
The barbecue in El Paso is really nothing special compared to Austin or Oklahoma City (two
other cities in which I have lived), but it is still quite good compared to many parts of
the country. Be aware, though, that Famous Dave's is a chain and does not serve Texas
style barbecue (in case you are wanting to try Texas style BBQ while in El Paso). Johnny's
Pit Barbecue on Doniphan is good, but I have had problems with a MSG reaction after eating
there.
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Ribs
State Line had excellent beef and pork ribs when I tried them (but I keep hearing reports
that it is no longer as good as it once was)
Brisket
Rudy's has central Texas style
brisket that I think is very good (and overall I think Rudy's is probably the best BBQ restaurant
in El Paso); Mo'Z on Fred Wilson is good; I remember Tony's on Myrtle as being
good from the past (but I have not been there recently)
Rudy's
FINE DINING
There is quite a bit of overlap between restaurants that could be classified as "fine dining" and
those that could be identified as "upscale Mexican." Those that I consider to be more Mexican
influenced have been listed above, but are included in this section as well.
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Mexican Style
Cafe Central (this is both Mexican and American, and is probably my favorite of the two);
Aroma (serves upscale interior style Mexican food)
American Style
Billy Crews Santa Teresa, NM (this is more of a traditional steakhouse with a
wine bar); Ripe (would be classified as "upscale" mainly on the dinner menu)
Magic Pan; Geske's
PIZZA
There are at least two pizza restaurants that I think are not only good for El Paso, but that
would be considered good in any city. Cafe Italia serves Italian style wood fired pizza,
and after comparisons in Oklahoma City and some other cities this is still the best pizza I
have found. Hello Pizza serves New York style pizza, and some readers have told me that
the pizza is as good as in New York.
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Italian Style
Cafe Italia (wood fired Italian style pizza-- one of the best I have tasted anywhere)
New York Style
Hello Pizza
Hello Pizza
SOUTHWEST
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Overall Picks
Greenery Restaurant and
Market is more of an American than Southwest restaurant, but I have always liked the
tortilla soup and I imagine it has other good Southwest dishes as well
Green Chile Cheeseburger
Great American Land & Cattle has a GCC to which I give a moderate recommendation;
I hear that Toro Burger Bar also has a good GCC
STEAKS
I have limited experience with steaks at upscale restaurants. However, the traditional
steakhouses are generally more well known, and I think are quite good.
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Upscale Restaurants
Cafe Central (puntas de filete is good)
Steakhouses
Great American Land & Cattle (Alabama or Mesa Hills) is my favorite, and I have been
going there for over 30 years;
Cattleman's in Fabens used to be my favorite but I think the steaks are now not as good
as at Great American (however, its location on a working ranch 30 miles or so east of El Paso is
spectacular);
Billy Crews in Santa Teresa is excellent, but I have not tried the steaks there (only the
chicken)
INTERNATIONAL AND ETHNIC
This is one of the most popular categories of food in El Paso other than Mexican, and it has
gotten much better in the past few years. My favorite category is Chinese, and there was at least one
restaurant that I think had food that would be competitive on a national level (Moon Day), but it closed
in 2012. Red Lantern is a Chinese restaurant that I think would be considered very good in
just about any city, although its menu is very limited compared to west coast restaurants.
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Chinese
Red Lantern serves Hong Kong style food, and is very good for banquets, Chinese New
Year, items from the Chinese menu, etc.;
Oriental Cafe is very good for ordering from the menu, and has moved the food away from
the American style served by the former owners to a more traditional Cantonese style;
Moon Star has a large selection of authentic Cantonese dishes (some of which are not
on the menu but can be specially ordered);
Shan Dong has a very good northern Chinese style noodle soup as well as the best
egg roll I have ever eaten;
Sam's used to have very good authentic Chinese food but I could not get any the last time I
went, so I'm not sure what is happening with this restaurant (out of the three original owners of Sam's one
has since opened Moon Star and works full time there while another opened Red Lantern and is
there full time)
Sun Garden 6600 N. Mesa (where Moon Day used to be)
German
I currently have no favorite German restaurants, but
Marina's German Bakery is excellent for bread and pastries
Peter's Bakery (bread)
Greek
Casa Pizza has excellent pizza, but the Greek food is even better-- this is a casual
place where customers order at the counter
Tiffany's Las Cruces
Hawaiian
Aloha Hawaiian BBQ provides a good version of Hawaiian "plate lunches" that is
a popular type of informal dining on the islands. Aloha has two locations (east side and west
side), and I like both of them. My best experience, though, was at the east side restaurant.
Ono Grindz Las Cruces
Indian
Chut-ney's is an authentic South Indian style restaurant that is about as good as
I have experienced anywhere
Italian
Italian cuisine is one of the better choices in El Paso, but my favorites are:
Mi Piaci (west) for upscale Italian food
Trattoria Bella Sera (east) is a little bit less upscale but very good
Monteleone's (central) is very downscale (and has a gangster theme), but
IMO with excellent food
El Paso City Grill 504 S. Mesa St. (breakfast & lunch only)
Japanese
Matsuharu would be considered excellent on the west coast, and I suspect even in
Japan-- the main problem is that the selection of fish is limited in El Paso (but the fish I have had
at Matsuharu has been the best I have experienced at any restaurant in El Paso)
Matsuharu
Korean
Han Il's serves very good, home style food (and I think is the best). El Paso is a good
city for Korean food overall, and has several Korean restaurants and grocery stores.
Bull Galbee; Seoul
Middle Eastern
Jerusalem (probably the best overall);
Al-Zaituna (gyros, kaftah kabob, and tabuleh);
Salma Farah's (gyros, falafel, and tabouli);
Su Casa (tabouli and spinach pies, also serves Mexican food).
Overall El Paso is one of the best cities I have found for Middle Eastern food, surpassed only
by Oklahoma City (El Paso is better than Seattle, but I think I just haven't found the right places
in Seattle yet).
Puerto Rican
Maracas Canutillo
Sushi
Matsuharu (I think it is the best in El Paso, but not like west
coast sushi in terms of variety); Hamachi is my second choice; Sakura would have tied
for second but it is now closed (I have not tried Makoto or Sunny's)
Hamachi; Makoto; Sunny's Sushi
Thai
Tara Thai (look for special curry dishes such as the salmon chuchee);
Singapore is really way down the scale from Tara Thai in second place, but it is an easier
restaurant for me because they have good lunch specials, it is less expensive, and I know
what to order that I think has a fairly good Thai flavor. There is a new Thai restaurant on Dyer
that has good comments on Urbanspoon.
Vietnamese
Saigon Taste in first place; Pho Tre Bien in second place (I like them both)
SPECIAL FEATURES
Steve's Recommendations
Readers' Suggestions
Desserts
Cafe Central, Mi Piaci, Marina's German Bakery
P. F. Chang's (Lucky 8);
Le Rendez-Vous 2701 W. Picacho, Las Cruces (pastries)
Vegetarian
Ripe is probably the best place for upscale vegetarian dining (an alternative
would be The Greenery); Chut-ney is excellent for vegetarian south Indian food;
Oriental Cafe, Pho Tre Bien, Saigon Taste,
and Singapore are some of the best choices for Asian food if you want to ensure
that a strictly vegetarian (and flavorful) meal can be prepared (the chefs at all these
restaurants give as much attention to preparing vegetarian dishes as meat dishes);
Jerusalem Grill and Salma Farah's serve flavorful Middle Eastern food,
but Su Casa serves spinach pie and tabouli along with great cheese enchiladas;
Como's has a very reasonably priced spaghetti with marinara sauce as a special
on Tue. and Thurs. evenings; Ardovino's is my favorite vegetarian pizza;
Kiki's is well known in El Paso for offering vegetarian Mexican food (including the beans
and tortillas) with a traditional Mexican flavor.
Lent Specials
Many Mexican restaurants offer fish, seafood, or meatless specials on Fridays during Lent in order
to observe the religious traditions of the Catholic Church. The best Lent specials, such as are found
at El Jacalito and Carnitas Querétaro,
also have special foods such as a vegetarian lentil soup and capirotada for dessert.
Live Music
The Dome Bar in the Camino Real is known for good quality live music
Mariachis
This can be highly variable, but as far as I know Dominguez
Restaurant has them every Saturday night; I have also heard mariachis at Barrigas,
Forti's, and Los Bandidos de Carlos and Mickey's (but I do not know the
schedule)
EL PASO AREA
El Paso County Area Restaurant Reviews
Reviews for New Mexico Restaurants including Las Cruces, Sunland Park, Anthony
Supplemental Articles, Special Topics, and Historical Information