El Paso Restaurants

I was so hungry that I didn't pay attention to the ambience. The prices were cheap and the food is great. Be aware that there is limited parking and tight spots.

Favorite Dish: Thursday Special -Two Chicken Tacos $4.25

The first bite was savory, juicy and just plain wonderful.

Hooters is an American original. Established as a wing house, they've done much to bolster their image. Throw in gorgeous waitresses in short shorts and extra-tight tops, and you have a restaurant that lives up to its motto: 'Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined.' That said, the clientele is a pretty even balance of male and female. And no, nobody can help but stare at the servers. The menu is pretty decent, but just stick to the wings. It is, afterall, what they're *really* known for....; )

Favorite Dish: Buffalo wings! That's what almost everyone gets when going to Hooters. Having recently made the decision to try the Buffalo shrimp, I believe I'll be sticking to the wings on future visits. One warning though...all those sauces you want to dip your wings in are not free. They go for $.55.

The Brown Bag Deli has two locations in El Paso, and I'm fortunate enough to live two minutes away from one of them. It's in a little strip mall right outside the gates of Ft. Bliss, and man, can it get busy. The place looks like it could use a housekeeper (not in a bad, notify-the-health-department kind of way!), with boxes piled up everywhere and old newspapers on the tables, but I think that adds to the ambience. The menu is absolutely astounding....31 types of cold subs to choose from, 5 hot subs, and in 6 different sizes (mini, regular, large, jumbo, family, and regular sandwich). Add to that their assortment of fresh bagels, old fashioned milkshakes, cake (carrot and cheese), and salads, and this place has my business forever. On top of all that, they deliver and cater too! There is *nothing* not to love about this place!

Favorite Dish: I'm quite fond of the mini subs. They're only $2.99 for a 6 inch sub. I usually get two different kinds, eat half of each, and save the rest for the next day's lunch. My favorites include the #7 (Genoa, Mortadella, Cotto, and Provolone) and the #9 (Turkey, Ham, Cole Slaw, and Swiss). But with this many choices on the menu, I can try a new sub every day and not repeat myself for over a month.

The New Clock Family Restaurant looks like an old 1950's-style American diner. I honestly don't think any of the tables or decorations have been updated since then, so that's not surprising! And, true to the name, there are clocks hanging everywhere inside the restaurant...not that they all tell the right--or even the same--time. All of that aside, this is one of those great, homey places where the servers remember you and someone will always leave a newspaper on the table. The food is a little bit Mexican, a little bit American, and all-around outstanding. The coffee is always fresh and tastes great, and chips and homemade salsa are a free appetizer...even for breakfast.

Favorite Dish: Like I mentioned before, the Clock serves Mexican and down-home American food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My favorite on the breakfast menu is the Salsa Verde Chilaquiles. They come with sides of refried beans and hash browns, with your choice of toast or a tortilla. I recommend the tortilla. Another favorite on the menu is SOS, which my Southern eyes recognized as biscuits and gravy. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with anything you choose from the menu. As for lunch and dinner, well, I haven't made it there that late in the day yet. One of these days I will, but I just cannot stop myself from bellying up there for breakfast.

It's a hole in the wall in a frankly questionable neighborhood, yet as everywhere in El Paso, good Mexican food awaits at la Poblana. I had carnitas tacos for lunch, and they were dynamite. Really tasty.

While the name threw me off, and the location by the airport seems a bit sketchy, one sip of C&M's award-winning margaritas made everything better. I had a bit of an odd experience here. In El Paso for business, I was doing the typically businessman thing: eating alone. They persuaded me to eat in the bar, which I did, although the low light kept me from reading (which people who eat alone do to compensate for being ignored and forgotten -- it's sort of an "I don't care, I'm reading" reflex).

Anyway, the bar was dimly lit by neon signs and a big screen TV showing CNBC, while a terrible two-person Mexican lounge act played "Margaritaville" in the corner. The couple at the table next to me kept sending back their drinks, one after another. This one smells funny, that one has a spot on the glass, this one is flat, that one is gin, not vodka. The whole thing was laughably bizarre.

Favorite Dish: But again, C&M's ensured that I would give it a thumbs up, thanks to a truly stupendous tampiqueno. Perfectly grilled steak covered with onions, peppers and guacamole, accompanied by a gloriosuly simple chesse enchilada. A taste sensation even your Tia Maria would have a hard time denouncing!

If you have to be in El Paso, then take the opportunity to visit the best local greasy spoon. Try these rolled beef tacos in a secret sauce, smothered in cheese! They are a local legend.

Favorite Dish: Double order of tacos

If you think of Texas, you think of beef. However, if you think of El Paso, you have to think of Mexican as well. So I have two restaurants - a steak house and a Mexican restaurant.

The Cattle Baron is a nice mid-market steak house. And Marie's Pastries & Bake is a small Mexican Restaurant.
The Cattle Baron is relatively inexpensive for what you get (compared with like restaurants in the US). They have an warm atmosphere which is similar to an old west cattle baron's house.

Marie's is a low cost fair who regularly has soliders from Fort Bliss eating their for lunch so arrive early. There's not much I can say about the atmosphere as you're not paying for it - just the food.

Favorite Dish: The Cattle Baron (as the name implies) does beef and they do beef well. However, they also have a massive salad bar and the selection was impressive. You can't go wrong with any of their entries because they all include either a Ceaser salad or the salad bar. Their salad bar has everything from stawberries and cream to fresh peppers.

As for Marie's, you'll find real Mexican food on the menu - nothing like Taco Bell. I had their $4 lunch special which includes a little of everything and its all you can eat. Just watch that green salsa - its HOT!