Trip Ideas

Texas Monthly’s Best Tacos: El Paso

Texas Monthly did the research so you don’t have to! Whether you want DIY carnitas to share, classic al pastor, or any number of high-end interpretations, here are some of the best tacos in El Paso.

Lucy's Restaurant
Photo by Texas Monthly
Lucy's Restaurant
4119 N. Mesa St.
(915) 544-3922 

Tender as your mama’s pot roast, the shredded brisket comes in a freshly fried tortilla that’s sprinkled with russet-hued seasoning salt. Cabbage ribbons and avocado wedges keep it interesting, while grated Muenster—a local substitute for Tex-Mex’s yellow cheese—gives it an El Paso signature.

Hours of Operation

Sun: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Mon: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Tue: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Wed: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Thu: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Fri: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM Sat: 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Flores Meat Market & Restaurant
Photo by Texas Monthly
Flores Meat Market & Restaurant
1781 N. Zaragoza
(915) 857-6666 
 

At this restaurant/butcher/tortilla factory, the options are many, but the taco that stands out is the copper-toned colitas de pavo (fried turkey tails). Crunchy and brightened by lime, cilantro, and onion, it’s a fun choice that’ll stretch your, ahem, wings.

Hours of Operation

Sun: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM Mon: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM Tue: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM Wed: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM Thu: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM Fri: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sat: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Tony's Barbacoa
Tony's Barbacoa
12370 Edgemere Blvd.
(915) 307-4137 

Silky beef with a touch of gaminess sets Tony’s barbacoa apart from the mob of bakeries, mini-marts, tortillerias, and drive-throughs doling out innumerable pounds of the meat. At $6.99 for four tacos, it’s a bargain too.

Hours of Operation

Sunday: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Monday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Thursday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Saturday: 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Sofi's Mexican Restaurant
Photo by Texas Monthly
Sofi's Mexican Restaurant
4907 Crossroads Dr.
(915) 219-7706 

“Alambre” means “wire,” and this mixed-meat filling is named for the skewer on which it was once traditionally cooked. Sofi’s version combines grilled beef, soft bacon, and sweet bell peppers (red, green, yellow) under a lacy cap of melted Muenster.

Hours of Operation

Sun: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM Mon: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Tue: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Wed: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Thu: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Fri: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Sat: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Tamaulipas Tacos
Tamaulipas Tacos
12025 Rojas Cr.
(915) 849-7276 

You might be put off by the idea of offal in a taco, but at this little hut, the tripitas—fried bovine intestine are as crisp as pork rinds and just as savory. Trust us.

Hours of Operation

Sun: Closed Mon: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM Tue: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM Wed: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM Thu: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM Fri: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM Sat: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Avila's Mexican Food
Avila's Mexican Food
6232 N. Mesa St.
(915) 584-3621 

With its ornate Mexican tiles and hand-carved wooden sculptures of saints, Avila’s has been an El Paso institution since 1952, offering border cuisine favorites to multiple generations of local families. (Some servers have been on staff for more than forty years.) What keeps customers coming back? One item is the excellent picadillo taco: spicy ground beef studded with potatoes and chiles in a crisped-to-order hard-shell tortilla. It has snap but doesn’t crumble at the first or second bite, and the white cheddar, lettuce, and tomatoes that cap the meat aren’t frigid but served at room temperature (the lettuce is even crisp!). It’s a wonderful take on a Tex-Mex classic.

Hours of Operation

Sun: 10:00 AM - 3:15 PM Mon: Closed Tue: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM Wed: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM Thu: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 4:30 PM - 8:00 PM Fri: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Sat: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Taconeta
Taconeta
311 Montana Ave A-1
(915) 303-8038 

Come downtown to Taconeta and enjoy a great selection of Mexican cuisine, coupled with their famous blue corn tortillas, made by scratch in their kitchen.

Hours of Operation

Mon: Closed Tue: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Wed: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Thu: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Fri: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Sat: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM Sun: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

ELEMI
ELEMI
313 N. Kansas St.
(915) 532-2090 

Featured on Padma Lakshmi’s “Taste the Nation”, ELEMI is inspired by El Chuco culture, la agricultura along the Rio Grande, y maÍz that is cultivated from within the navel of the moon.

Hours of Operation

Sun: Closed Mon: Closed Tue: 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM Wed: 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM Thu: 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fri: 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM Sat: 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM

L&J Cafe
Photo by L&J Café
L&J Cafe
3622 E. Missouri Ave.
(915) 566-8418 

As one of the oldest family-owned establishments on this list, it’s only fitting that L&J Cafe serves some of the most well-respected food and drinks in town. With enchiladas that are to die for, it’s widely agreed that L&J is a cornerstone for quality Tex-Mex meals in El Paso, including immaculately made classic margaritas. If you don’t try L&J Cafe at least once during your time in El Paso, you’re seriously missing out.

Hours of Operation

Sun: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mon: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Tue: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Wed: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Thu: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Fri: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM Sat: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Lick it Up International
Lick it Up International
114 E. Mills Ave.
(915) 291-4976 

As seen on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive In’s and Dives,” Lick It Up is located in the heart of Downtown EL Paso and serves some of the best authentic vegan Mexican + American street food.

Hours of Operation

Sun: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM Mon: 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM Tue: 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM Wed: 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM Thu: 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM Fri: 12:00 PM - 1:00 AM Sat: 12:00 PM - 1:00 AM

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