If you’re in on the food magic that exists in El Paso, Texas, you’re already one step ahead of the rest. If you’re not, you got nothing to worry about because you just stumbled into the perfect corner of the internet to learn about it. I may be biased because I’ve lived here for 20+ years, but the best El Paso restaurants will absolutely have you coming back for more and more and more.
I’m certainly not a food citric. But if you know me, you know food is one of my top-three passions in life. Perhaps, top two. I have a steady rotation of specific dishes from the best El Paso restaurants (in my opinion) that never do me wrong. Use my current tasty rotation of the best food in El Paso to decide where to eat next — with addresses and honest recommendations!
Quick Guide to the Best Restaurants in El Paso
This is an ever-evolving and growing list. It’s by no means an exhaustive list as there are so many places I still have to find and try. Y’all should see my Notes app list of places I want to try. Let me know what other El Paso restaurant should be on this list in the comments below.
Best Tacos in El Paso
Best Breakfast in El Paso
Best Pizza in El Paso
Best Pho in El Paso
Best Sushi in El Paso
Best BBQ in El Paso
Best Restaurants for Dinner in El Paso
Best Coffee Shops in El Paso
- Bravo Coffee House
- Glia’s Coffee
- Savage Goods
Best Indian Food in El Paso
Best Wine Bars in El Paso
- Pilón Wine Bar
- Poco Wine Bar
Best Boba in El Paso
Best Restaurants in El Paso (Full Reviews)
ELEMI — EL CAMPESINO TACO & ESQUITES
OK, listen, I held out on Elemi for as long as I could. Personally, the idea of a fancy taco sends me out of orbit (derogatory). But I recently celebrated my mom’s birthday at Elemi and I was blown away.
The Campesino taco — wow, that’s how you make a veggie taco. It’s made with cremini mushrooms, grilled eggplant, Oaxacan black beans, grilled avocado and caramelized quesillo. Seriously, it’s mouth-watering. The sopa Tarasca, guacamole and suadero tacos are also really tasty. The Gaonera de Lomo taco is another absolute standout — a thinly cut NY strip with grilled onions, fried potatoes and aguacate salsa on a warm, freshly made tortilla. It was a pricy $23 for two tacos, but I’ll say the flavors, textures, details that go into this taco feel worth what you’re paying. I was also upset that I loved the esquites — as an total esquite connoisseur, the flavor on these ones is appropriately deep and complex.
So I’ll definitely be trying out more of their menu, and I hope they continue to warm up their tortillas.
ADDRESS: 13500 Eastlake Blvd., Horizon City, Texas 79928
Neighbor Good Kitchen & Bar — SPICY RIGATONI & BURRATA
Honestly, it’s not often that a pasta dish blows me away. But Neighbor Good’s spicy rigatoni is seriously out of this world. Experience pure bliss through a bite of perfectly cooked rigatoni pasta in an actually spicy vodka sauce and the creamiest burrata. Add either their grilled chicken or their crunchy chicken milanesa for an even more perfect pairing.
Neighbor Good is currently one of the best restaurants in El Paso for dinner in my personal opinion. I’ve tried many of their dishes and continue to love everything I’ve tried. I’ve seen people say the dishes aren’t consistent — and I haven’t personally experience this, but I also don’t discredit their experience. Try Neighbor Good’s charred broccoli Caesar salad, lemony pasta prima, creamy green chilaquiles, fries and dips, and their panino classico. Their roasted garlic dip is SO good. The crispy lasagna is also absolutely decadent! At this point, I’ve tried maybe 70% of their menu hahaha. But tell me what you think of it in the comments below this post!
ADDRESS: 801 N. Piedras St., #6, El Paso, Texas 79903
ROSIE’S DHABA — CURRY CHICKEN & BUTTER CHICKEN
I had been dying to try Rosie's Dhaba for so long and I finally got the chance recently. Of course, it kinda changed my life. This is a local El Paso food truck that serves quality Indian food. And let me tell you, those flavors are EXQUISITE! They follow traditional Indian food recipes and make everything fresh in-house. As of right now, my favorite dish on their menu is the curry chicken, made with ground spices, tomatoes, onion, yogurt and chili. It’s served on a bed of basmati rice and topped with onions, cilantro and a chili pepper. Their made-in-house naan is also delicious as is their butter chicken. I love how complex the flavors of the curry are and it has such a perfect kick — it’s all so YUMMY!
They have limited hours at different spots in El Paso. So check their current schedule and where they’ll be that week on their Instagram.
BRAVO COFFEE HOUSE — CHILAQUILES & FRENCH TOAST
I loooove finding new breakfast spots in El Paso — especially as someone that’s not the biggest fan of breakfast in general. Y’all, I don’t even generally like French toast that much. Bravo Coffee House‘s French toast is out of this world. and you absolutely need to try it. I also tried their red chilaquiles and they were sooo good. If the chilaquiles sauce stands out, it means it’s done right. And this one was perfectly delectable. Bravo Coffee House blends culture, great food and even better coffee in central El Paso. It’s a casual little spot with an airy vibe that I plan on adding to my food-fixation rotation.
ADDRESS: 2323 Alameda Ave., El Paso, Texas 79901
Pearl Divers Oyster Bar — Basically Everything on their Menu
Pearl Divers Oyster Bar has only been open for a few months in Downtown El Paso, but they’re already revolutionizing my El Paso food go-tos. This laidback oyster bar serves an assortment of fresh oysters, martinis, bubbles along a few other tasty seafood hard-hitters on their menu. I’ve been twice and have tried like half of their menu and here are my thoughts on it! Starting off with the top stars on the menu — the oysters are so good and I looove the Clamato mix they use for the oyster shots. The Boquerones y Jamón are the absolute perfect example of girl dinner with chips, white anchovies, jamón serrano, guindilla peppers, olives,
créme fraiche, chives and parmesan. Yes, please! The fish and chips AND their lobster roll are also great. I love the little gem Caesar salad too. And of course, their fries are amazing. The Mediterranean crudo — with tuna, salmon, scallops on a bed of olive oil, lemon, capers and red onion — is another absolute banger.
Definitely check Pearl Divers out because it’s definitely a unique concept that was missing in El Paso. In the meantime, I’ll be anxiously waiting until my next girls’ dinner so we can order and share everything on their menu — my favorite way to go!
ADDRESS: 115 Durango St., Suite C, El Paso, Texas 79901
El Taquero Comer — My Current Best Tacos in El Paso
I owe you photos on this one, so you’re gonna have to just trust me that these are some of the best tacos in El Paso. El Taquero Comer started out as a food truck and they’ve since grown to have a walk-in location — which they recently expanded too!
You gotta try their quesadilla with al pastor meat (marinated pork) — it’s huge and delicious. You can add asada (beef steak), barbacoa (shredded beef), chicken, carnitas (shredded pork), chorizo (ground pork) or deshebrada (beef brisket) to your quesadilla. The asada and al pastor tacos are my other go-tos. I bathe them in their orange sauce because it adds the most scrumptious spicy kick. And y’all, the asada fries are also to die for.
ADDRESS: 3260 N. Zaragoza Road, El Paso, Texas 79938
Deserto Pizzeria — Hot Stuff Pizza
I LOOOVE pizza. If you’re looking for an indulging, decadent, tasty as hell pizza with a kick, check out Deserto Pizzeria‘s Neapolitan-style, wood-fired pizza. Their pizzas are consistently good — made with high quality ingredients and that hometown of El Paso love. Their Hot Stuff, Funghi, Cheese ’em All and Bianca pizzas are chef’s kiss. Their balsamic salad is also really good. Add Deserto Pizzeria to your list of best restaurants in El Paso and head out to one of their two locations (central and westside).
ADDRESS: 2829 Montana Ave., Building B, El Paso, Texas 79903
CHINA TOWN —Hong Kong Beef Chao Fen & Szechuan Chicken
I wish I didn’t live 40 minutes away from this place because omg, I have a new obsession! China Town is a new El Paso restaurant that celebrates authentic Chinese cuisine. With fresh and fine ingredients, you’ll delight in flavors you haven’t seen from a Chinese food place in town before. The Hong Kong Beef Chao Fen (sliced sirloin stir-fried with rice noodles) was heavenly. The noodles had the perfect texture and were deliciously tasty. The sirloin was tender and juicy. And my god, the flavors! We also tried the Szechuan-style chicken, and I was so pleasantly surprised by it. It had a crunch like I’ve never tasted before with the right amount of heat. And I can’t wait to have it again. They are new in town, but they’re absolutely going to become one of the best El Paso restaurants soon. El Paso China Town is 100% worth the drive across town for me.
ADDRESS: 7451 Paseo Del Norte C1-C3, El Paso, Texas 79925
VIET — VegGIE Pho with Fried Tofu & Fried Wontons
This is my No. 1 food fixation of the moment. Viet has hands-down THE best pho in El Paso, Texas. I LOVE THIS PLACE so much. I will never stop recommending it! (Yes, it’s even better than that one spot, you know which one). Viet’s pho is so good that I was able to turn my traditional Mexican parents into pho lovers like me! My go-to order is the rice noodle soup with fried tofu and beef broth (#48) and an order of the fried wontons (#7). The pho is light, tasty and always well served. Ask for their chili oil and have yourself a heavenly time. Plus, the crisped-to-perfection fried wontons come with a tangy sauce that really ties it all together amazingly well.
They have a lot of vegetarian options and the service is always quick and wonderful. You gotta head to Viet to try the best pho in El Paso. If Viet has a million fans, I’m one of them. If Viet has one fan, I’m that one. You get what I’m saying!
ADDRESS: 1700 N. Zaragoza Road, #108, El Paso, Texas 79936
EL BESO TAQUERÍA — tacos, tacos, tacos pls
When El Beso Taquería opened their second location in Far East El Paso, my life changed. This is still one of my go-to taquerías in El Paso. I like their old-style taquería aesthetic reminiscent of a Mexico City taquería with the red-and-white branding all over. Let me tell about the tacos though! Their costra de asada is to dieeee for. The perfectly fried cheese with tender carne asada all on a traditional corn tortilla is a combination to write home about. I also love their al pastor tacos, and their quesadilla with al pastor meat is delicious too. They have an assortment of salsas to give your tacos a little heat. I wish their salsas were a little more spicy!
Their aguas frescas are also refreshing and they taste like they’re made with real ingredients and not from concentrate. My only complaints are the wait to get your food and that they’re not consistent. The wait didn’t take away from how much I love the food here, but I do wish they were more consistent about heating up their tortillas.
ADDRESS: 2301 N. Zaragoza Road #109&110, El Paso, Texas 79938
GLIA’S COFFEE — Strawberry Matcha
I’ve yet to visit Glia’s Coffee location in Downtown El Paso, and I had been dying to try their strawberry matcha for a long time. I recently checked out the Upper Valley Artist and Farmers Market, and I was super stoked when I saw their truck there. I literally ran to this damn coffee truck and promptly ordered the strawberry matcha. It was soooo good! The strawberry foam was surprisingly tasty — it had so much more flavor than I expected. And the matcha had just the perfect amount of sweetness to it. They add a little sugar cookie on top and I love that little detail. I’m definitely checking out their brick and mortar very, very soon!
ADDRESS: 404 Arizona Ave., Suite 1, El Paso, Texas 79902
PILÓN — Prosciutto & Brie Sandwich and Caesar Salad
Although these are in no particular order, Pilón deserves one of the top spots because I literally live for their prosciutto and brie sandwich and their caesar salad. I know what you’re thinking, “Ceasar salads are for basic bitches.” Sure, they are. However, I can guarantee you’ve never had one as good as Pilón. I would put money on it. They make the caesar dressing from scratch with THE secret ingredient that gives it that very specific delicious flavor. (Psst, it’s anchovies!) There’s a little bit of spice that really takes the flavor all the way home. Plus, the wine options are extensive af! The people who work there are incredibly knowledgeable about wine and can always provide a great recommendation if you’re undecided. 10/10 do recommend.
ADDRESS: 2430 N. Mesa St., El Paso, Texas 79902
PIEDMONT CAFE — Bang Bang Broccoli
Y’all, I — they’re unbelievably good. So, so good. I don’t think there’s anything like it in El Paso. Listen, I know Piedmont‘s prices are a little bit more on the higher end here. But you’re getting quality that’s absolutely worth it! The bang bang broccoli is so sexily crunchy and the spicy heat is simply effortlessly perfect. The first time I went there, our group was so obsessed that we asked for a second order of broccoli after we devoured the first one. Their nachos, kimchi fried rice and grilled cheese sandwich are also standouts. I love Piedmont as one of the best El Paso restaurants because their menu items are so unique and very yummy.
ADDRESS: 4172 N. Mesa St. Suite A, El Paso, Texas 79902
Cafe Cocol — Elotito & Brisket Nachos
Located at Hacienda Apodaca in the historic Socorro area of the El Paso Mission Trail, Cafe CoCol is a cute and cozy coffee shop that is perfect for a relaxed breakfast or lunch. Their menu is relatively small and you’ll be able to get typical breakfast items like eggs, french toast, coffee, matcha lattes, etc. But their true standouts are the elotito, the brisket nachos and their tortilla soup. The brisket tastes like a Mexican birthday party — it’s really tasty! If you’ve been around long enough, you know I live for anything elote-related. And it should come at no surprise that I bee-lined straight to the elotito as soon as I saw it on the menu. It’s basically cut-up baby corn topped with aioli, queso fresco and chile. It’s tasty as hell.
ADDRESS: 10180 Socorro Road, Socorro, Texas 79927
DESERT OAK Barbecue— El Paso Potato
Have you ever tasted something that felt like home? Well, Desert Oak‘s scrumptious, enormous and completely divine El Paso Potato feels just like that. It’s no mystery that this hometown BBQ spot has some of the best ribs and brisket in El Paso — it’s going to be a home run 10 times out of 10. But the true star in my eyes is the El Paso Potato. Picture this: a humongous baked potato layered with all the yummy-ness of shredded cheese, beans, sour cream, chives, salt and pepper, and warm brisket (or your protein of choice). What more can I say? It’s heaven and you’ll definitely need a nap after. The lines tend to be long, but the flavors are most definitely worth the wait! Desert Oak is a hometown treasure in my heart and stomach, and they definitely serve some of the best food in El Paso.
ADDRESS: 11411 Gateway Blvd. W., El Paso, Texas 79936
2TEN COFFEE ROASTERS — Breakfast Nachos
Listen, when Block Table and Tap got rid of the breakfast nachos on their menu, I was completely devastated. That is until I discovered that 2Ten also has breakfast nachos on their menu! And I’ve since forever moved on because 2Ten’s breakfast nachos bring the brightest, yummiest, most-indulgent light to my foodie life. 2Ten’s a perfect brunch spot in El Paso, and you tell me what could possibly be a better combination than crunchy tostadas, queso, avocado, toreados, queso cotija, black beans, bacon AND a fried egg on top?! I’ll wait. 2Ten has three locations in El Paso, but I usually go to the one in Central. ALSO, consider this my very official petition for them to open a location in the Far East. Pretty please!
ADDRESS: 3007 Montana Ave., El Paso, Texas 79903
TACONETA — Tacos & Elote
Taconeta is just one of those spots — they’ve got major hype and they usually stand up to that hype! From all of the best tacos in El Paso, Taconeta earns its spot high on the list. This is my very official foodie recommendation and must-eats order: El Teófilo taco (shrimp a la diabla with melted cheese), Suadero taco (brisket confit, salsa Goku, guacamole, onions and cilantro), Baja fish taco (tempura-fried cod, cabbage slaw and chile mayo), and of course an elote en vaso with extra chili powder. Pair their tasty tacos with a refreshing jamaica margarita and you’ll be thinking of me!
My only grievance with Taconeta is that they seem to refuse to warm up their tortillas. And it’s a shame because their blue-corn tortillas go hard. But almost every single time I’ve been there, the tortilla is COLD by the time we get our tacos. Other than that, they deserve their spot in my list of El Paso food fixations.
ADDRESS: 311 Montana Ave., A-1, El Paso, Texas 79902
VALENTINE’S BAKERY — Quesadilla con Asado de Rojo
This is a breakfast staple in my house. When they do it right, they do it so right! Valentine’s quesadilla is not your regular quesadilla. They toast the cheese on a homemade tortilla de harina until it forms a light crust, and then, you can add their delicious asados to perfectly complement it. I always go for the asado de rojo — shredded pork and potatoes in a spicy red sauce. You gotta make sure they toast the cheese though. Otherwise, it just doesn’t hit the same. And this is another one of the best food in El Paso that just tastes like home!
ADDRESS: 11930 Picasso Drive, El Paso, Texas 79936
TEAPIOCA LOUNGE — Lemonade SlushEe with Blueberry, Boba & Mango Agar
Yes, this isn’t a restaurant. But Teapioca Lounge is my favorite boba spot in El Paso! Their menu is super extensive and there’s bound to be something for everyone. My go-to is a lemonade slushie with blueberry, boba and mango agar. It never disappoints! Whenever somebody asks me to recommend a chill place, I always send them to Teapioca.
ADDRESS: 2601 N. Zaragoza Road, Suite 101A, El Paso, Texas 79938
KOZE — El Paso Sunday Roll
Is this place a staple in EPTX or what? Koze teeters back and forth between the first and second spots of my top sushi places in El Paso. Their sushi is always fresh and they don’t really skimp on the size of the rolls. It’s definitely worth the price! Plus, the teppanyaki is always fun and delicious too. I always order an El Paso Sunday roll and the Vegas roll — absolute YUM! This spot is perfect for dates, birthdays and other special occasions. It’s one of the best El Paso restaurants in my opinion. Additionally, Koze has two locations on opposite sides of the city.
ADDRESS: 127 N. Mesa St., Suite B, El Paso, Texas 79912
El Sazón de Cecy — Authentic Mexican Food
El Sazón de Cecy is a small-but-shiny jewel in central El Paso where you’ll find freshly cooked, authentic Mexican food that’s perfect for breakfast or lunch. The owner, Ceci Arzaga, is super sweet and you can tell she puts all the love into the food she makes. I had their enchiladas and my friend had tacos dorados, and we both really enjoyed them. It truly felt like I was eating at my mom’s house. Plus, it’s incredibly affordable. And I’ve heard their menudo is delicious.
Address: 805 N. Clark Drive, El Paso, Texas 79905
You made it to the end of the meal today! But my food fixations change often — make sure you stick around on my Instagram and this blog to hear all about my current foodie obsessions and travel adventures! Let me know what you think is the best El Paso restaurant, and I’ll go check it out. Until next time, fellow unicorns!
-V
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