Good local Mexican food restaurant on El Paso's west side. Used to come here regularly before I moved out of El Paso. Still a good place. Had the Mexican Plate and loved the taco and the rellano. Service was a little slow but it was lunch time. Would recommend anyone looking for Mexican food on the westside to stop by and check it out. read more

Ay Caramba Restaurant - Mexican Plate: Taco, Chili Rellano, Cheese Enchilada. - Mexican Near Me - El Paso, Texas

Very spicy salsa. Quick attentive friendly service. I ordered the steak ranchero. I was glad to see the whole menu was available, even before 9AM. The steak ranchero meat was the consistency of ground beef (although not ground beef, thankfully) the fries were very good but the ranchero didn't taste very good, it tasted more of oil than almost anything else, and was a small portion. The capper was I asked for mayo and it came in packets - no problem there - but the mayo was no good at all, it had been stored improperly. Rice and beans: nothing special one way or the other. Flour tortilla was thick like is common in this area. read more

Order breakfast and the bacon, sausage and ham on the plate was burned. The staff seemed like they were too busy to check on us even though the restaurant was empty. read more

Highly recommend caldo de res. My go to , neighborhood eatery . Enchiladas montadas. Green chile enchiladas and flour Gordita's are delicious very friendly staff , comfortable environment read more

My wife and I and some friends stopped by for a morning meal. The place was busy, we were promptly sat at a table, we ordered our meal and drink - in a short while, were promptly served. As We waited we listened to a young guitarist who played and sang very well. All of our dishes were beautifully prepared and were all delicious. read more

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It was early evening when we continued our search for good mexican food in this area. The place was almost empty that should have been an indicator. I also neglected to consult the all mighty Yelp. Had I payed halfway attention or done my due diligence in checking in my fellow Yelpers I would not have ever taken part. The place was rather large and was not that clean, the floor was dirty as I have ever seen. The waitress took our drink order and the Michalada is the only reason this is a 1 star. The drink was in an Ice cold glass and was well prepared. There were 3 of us and we had some large orders. Our server didn't write anything down. I thought dang, this will be impressive. I was wrong, badly wrong. Nothing about our orders were correct. The food was stale and flavorless, its like no salt or even pepper was used. I do not recommend this place at all read more

Everything from the food to the service is amazing. Been there many times will definitely go back

Ay Caramba. It's in a good location and I like to try new things, but I don't know that I'll be back here anytime soon. I didn't leave this restaurant with some kind of horrible experience, in fact I really loved the service and I thought the chips and salsa were decent, but the food was just lacking. My fiance had been here before maybe once and he didn't really seem to remember a whole lot about it, but being the adventurer that I am, I was more than willing to give it a shot. We walked in to a space that actually seemed a lot smaller than what I imagined from the outside. We were greeted at the door and led to a booth. A short time later our waitress came over and spoke incredibly fast Spanish. I was like "Who? What? What?" We all got a good laugh, turns out she's from Venezuela and they just tend to speak a lot faster. She switched over to English for us. Even if she hadn't though, I wouldn't have been upset. It's all part of the experience. I ordered the shredded beef tacos on fried corn tortillas. I really like that they give you the option of flour or corn and fresh or fried. I also opted for cheese on top and I know (for some unknown reason) cheese on tacos isn't really typical in El Paso, but nothing goes better with a fried tortilla than cheese. How could I not? Our plates arrived and I found that my tacos were sprinkled lightly with cheese, but had a whopping amount of iceberg lettuce. No bueno. There was more lettuce than anything else on my taco and that added to my dissatisfaction. The shredded beef was shredded beef, sure. But it lacked flavor. A little salt would've taken it up a notch. I deconstructed the taco, spooned on massive amounts of the salsa, and attempted to remove the cheese from the lettuce so I could reapply it to the taco. Better, but still not great. The plate for me was just lacking. Honestly, the chips and salsa were my favorite part of the meal. I don't think they make either in house (which is totally okay if they're great... they were okay). The salsa had a lot of heat and the chips were alright. Service by far is their forte. It felt very friendly and inviting. The food left a lot to be desired. Not El Paso Mexican food (which is also totally okay because we have room for other types of Mexican), but regardless needs work. It did look like they have a bar so this might be more ideal if you're just looking for a place to grab a beer. read more

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Since I moved to El Paso years ago, I have always enjoyed eating here. The service ia good and the food is even better. You can't go wrong eating here. read more

Hadn't been to Ay Caramba since before COVID. We were pleasantly surprised that our visit was excellent! Service was fast and even though it was busy, our server was attentive and friendly. The salsa and chips were brought out right away and were very good. We had an appetizer of Queso Fundido and it was spot on! Our meals of the Ay Caramba Combo and Mexican plate came soon after and were not only fresh and beautifully plated, they were delicious! Restaurant was clean and they had multiple TVs on with varying sportscasts, while Mexican music was lightly playing in the background. Great authentic Mexican food with awesome service. Would definitely recommend everyone try it out. read more

ordered the gorditas , 3 different ones, the tortillas were tough, hard to chew or cut, had a reddish color, the picadillo one was ok the other two were awful, the chicken and pork were dry left overs from last week, just a few bits of tomato, almost no cheese. The salsa tasted like some cheap factory made ____ from a jar. I will NEVER return. Good riddance !! Should be ZERO stars read more

We ate here recently and liked it so much we came back a couple more times! We thought the food was very good as well as the service.

Everything was very clean ,food was great . I even forgot my wallet and they were willing to put in my card info manually .

went at lunch hour and there were a half dozen tables that had not been cleared of plates from previous customers. we were moved to another table whwn we sat down, because that table was also dirty (I guess there was no one trained to wipe a table clean). ordered the special-- pork carnitas torta. I expected a french bread bun, but instead got a small (very small) amount of pork in what looked like a hot dog bun. the fries looked and tasted like fried fish. the tortilla soup it came with was cold. very disappointing. save your money and go elswhere. read more

Amazing food- awesome people...try the steak! Seriously I think the best Mexican food on the west side.

Tasteless, bland, watery warm mess.... When I arrived the place was not busy at all maybe 3 or 4 other tables were being used. I ordered the "Ay Caramba" seafood cocktail. Initial presentation was ok, however I could tell something was wrong at the first taste, cocktail was warm, watery and bland. After adding much salt and Tabasco it was still not good. I took maybe 3 spoonfuls and left most it there, I would not recommend it to anyone. read more

We went into Ay Caramba on a Friday evening, it wasn't too busy. It had typical El Paso Mexican restaurant decor, clean and bright. We ordered our drinks which came presently along with the requisite tortilla chips and salsa. I ordered the 'Baja Tacos, steak tacos with onions, tomatoes and lettuce. We started the chips and salsa and Ay Caramba! The chips were stale, the salsa was okay. Then the main course came. My Baja steak tacos didn't really have all that much steak or onions, they were more like lettuce tacos. And they were cold. The order came with three but I gave up at two. The waitress never came back to see how we were doing, she only came back after it was obvious that we were done to give us the check. Ay Caramba? Ay Caramba indeed. read more

Where to begin.... The restaurant was open for only a couple hours and I felt such a depressing atmosphere in the room, , as did my family. The horrible thing was they were playing Christian music in the room and I consider myself one. My little 18 month old had to sit in a busted up high chair, because we were told they were all that way. The food was too spicy too easy, my husband received literally three spoonfuls of beans on his plate, & my tortilla holder smelled of lysol. Talk about loosing an appetite. When I went to the restroom, the stalls didn't even have toilet paper! When I told the lady at the register, all I received was an eye roll and an ok. Holy crap...are you serious? So after coming home for the holidays to visit family, I told them this place is so the dumps. Sorry. read more

Amazing food great traditional taste a real gem in El Paso in both locations all the foods add great areas of spice to sweets in all for great prices hard to find such good food now A days read more

One star is being generous. The worst place ever. Food was cold and tasteless. Thankfully, after complaining ,they took the food off my bill. I asked for a manager and they said they didn't have one. REALLY??? read more

What a sorry place. They kept serving my tostadas in dirty bowels . If you need to hire a dishwasher for taco Tuesday I'll go and show you what's up. read more

This is absolutely ridiculous, aside from the cartoonishly slanted table, our party of 4 ordered 45 minutes ago, the first plate came out 10 minutes ago, the next one just got placed on the table, wrong by the way, we ordered crispy beef tacos and got soft chicken, after 20 more minutes we had to leave and they still got angry instead of comping anything and apologizing!!!! The little food that arrived was mediocre at best! DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!!!!!! read more

I was a frequent customer. It used to be a good place to go eat but recently it has become a place I would go only when everything else is closed. Last time I was there I ordered a large caldo de res and it came back with one small piece of meat. Prior to that I've had tortilla soup with the avocado almost black it was so old. It's become a not so good place to eat. read more

Showed up at 9:00 PM and they Close at 10:00 PM but they seated us and served us. The shrimp enchiladas were great, I got one red and one green. My husband got a chicken enchilada and a cheese one and did red and green sauce as well. Kids loved the tortilla soup. Everything was VERY fresh and very good read more

Good Mexican comfort food and great caldo de res great table salsa and chips

This place is disgusting. Dirty and outdated decor with slanted tables is what you'll find here along with old, dusty chairs. It's so rare to find a good Mexican food restaurant in El Paso. :/ The waitress had an attitude. The salsa was salty. The food is tasteless. Do not eat here!! read more

When a restaurant only has three tables filled on a Friday night, that is a red flag. Unfortunately I had to eat here with a group. Most bland, tasteless Mexican I have ever had. Limited variety on the menu. read more

Please stay away. So bad, from wrong orders to LITERALLY cold burritos arriving at the table. Just say NO.

Came to this place to celebrate my bosses birthday, it was the worst experience ever. Food was cold, services was horrible. Took about 1 to get our food and beverages. After talking to the owner, he was rude and disrespectful. Please people don't waist your time and money on this place. read more

The place is empty. My family and I are seated hastily (the three hostesses are in a hurry to get back to their conversation). The food comes out pretty fast. I take one bite of my fish tacos. Decent. I go in for a second bite only to find a hair sticking out of the tilapia. My father cuts into his steak, but has difficulty pulling a piece off. Goes in from a different angle, nothing but nerve and fat again. This place is garbage. Inattentive employees, horrible lighting, disgusting food. Now I know why the place, on a Friday night, is so dead. read more

This place is disgusting don't go here!!! The meat is so gross and all the food is cold and tastes very disgusting I don't recommend at all!

There is good Mexican and bad Mexican. There is authentic Mexican, (which can mean totally different things depending on the regional influence) and there is Tex-Mex, New Mexican, and other American-Mexican styles. This chain would fall under the category of BAD Tex-Mex. I don't know that anything here is made fresh, unless you count mixing a can of tomatoes with a jar of jalapenos and calling it salsa. Nothing on the menu was exciting, and nothing tried was any good. The service was really bad to boot. To be really good Mexican food you need at least a couple of these things: 1) Homeade Salsa from fresh ingredients, 2) Homeade tortillas- preferably from masa, not maseca, 3) House fried tortilla chips/tostadas, 4) Good Mexican beer selection, 5) A server who greets you with Bienvenidos before assuming you don't speak Spanish, 6) For El Paso, you need really good Hatch green chile(it's only an hour away!), 7) Chile con queso/chiles rellenos made with said chile, 8) Guacamole made with fresh avocados, etc. This restaurant and MOST Mexican restaurants in El Paso are lacking in most, if not all, of these categories. I hope someone can open up a place with Mexican food, truly from another region of Mexico, and done well. Juarez/border town food is probably the worst of the types of Mexican food- either go New Mexican(because we basically live in New Mexico), good Tex-Mex (hook it up with the sour cream and cheese, its aight), or do it the right way and make some really good stuff- Oaxacan, Quanajuatan, Puebla, Chiapas, VeraCruz, etc- the best in my opinion is from the central cities. Sorry to take out my frustration on you, Ay Caramba, but you are so representative of what is wrong with the Mexican food scene in El Paso, it had to be said. With that said, there are a few gems in town, look around and don't be afraid to try out the hole in the wall joints. read more

I would have rated 0 stars but that's not an option. We ordered 4 burritos to go and 30 minutes went by and then my boyfriend ask to speak with a manager and they gave him attitude and to wait, so we just asked for our money back. Also was going to use they restroom and they were HORRIBLE!! There was shit all on the top of the seat so I walked right out! Don't waste your money at this restaurant. I would never step foot in that place again. read more

The service was very good but the food was VERY bland. I was craving some steak tacos & they were good but not good enough to make me want to return. I expected more of a "sabroso" taste to the food, especially when eating Mexican food! I was sorely disappointed. read more

DON'T DISAPPOINT YOURSELF! READ THIS FIRST: The staff was completely unorganized and did not speak English well. The service was extremely poor and my order was not taken correctly. The quality and taste of the food was substandard at best. El Paso is one of the best cities in the world for authentic Mexican food and this restaurant is one of the WORST I have ever been to for Mexican food. I'm serious. Unfortunate. I honestly feel that this place will not survive to remain in business for very long given these factors. Furthermore, I only had an hour for lunch, arrived at 12pm, was served at 12:45pm, waited several minutes for my check, delayed at the register because the cashier make a mistake with another customer. Finally, I got out of the restaurant at 1:15pm - I had to call work to tell them I was running late back from lunch because of this poorly managed establishment. THIS PLACE DESERVES NO STARS...it will go out of business i'm sure. :( read more

A previous post was deleted, so I'll repeat it. The staff always seems to be in hiding, as if they anticipate a Border Patrol raid, and probably with good reason. Anyway, the food is good IF you can get it before its cold. They have a rib-eye steak special that is terrible, it is not the Texas Roadhouse. The menudo is hit or miss, everything else is pretty good. My main complaint though is the poor service, with one exception. There is this tall young man who is very attentive and polite, the rest seem to act as though they are doing the customer a favor by waiting on them. Oh well, these factors do not dissuade as of yet. p.s. they have internet for the fidgety. read more

Breakfast here was excellent and cheap! I got a meal sized egg and sausage breakfast burrito for $3. Excellent deal in terms of food quality. The only down side was the service was pretty slow, especially considering the place was nearly empty at 1045 on a Saturday morning. read more