Elegant fine dining restaurant in the currently and continuing revitalized nicest area in downtown El Paso which feels as if you've had stepped back into the 1920's. This restaurant has a 100 year old history and I was told was known for its Chili soup as prompted by the bartender and I had the pork chops. Just a bit on the salty side but excellent nonetheless with a Malbec served at the correct temperature chilled, not room temp. as so many "good" restaurants so often do. On a Thursday night sitting at the bar with an appropriate volumed pianist who was soon accompanied by a wonderful and beautiful singer who carried her song and the dress with complete elegance and class. One downside, the wine guy I think he was, you'll know him he has an annoying laugh and was a bit crude in his banter with the table next to the bar and there was a young lady at the table. The gentlemen may have told him to save the locker room talk or better yet never utter it. read more

Cafe Central - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

After weeks of anticipation I took my wife to Cafe Central for Mother's Day last night. This was our second visit and highly anticipated because of the great experience we had during our initial visit. We are both public servants and parents, so a meal at a high-end restaurant is a luxury. However, a luxury my wife, the mother of my child, deserves. With that being said...she did not get what she deserved. We will start off with the service. It was horrendous. Our waiter, Manuel, was disconnected, rude, and unapologetic. Then the food did not measure up to the price. It was disappointing to see my wife unable to enjoy her night because of actions of a select few. Our waiter from the very beginning was not of the caliber you would expect from a place like this. In my personal opinion, he was only content with receiving a paycheck. No pleasantries or discourse. I write this next portion in great discontent. My wife received her salad with unripened tomatoes and a balsamic reduction lacking any luster. She ordered a steak well-done and received a steak that was bloody-rare. We are not ones to complain, but there's a huge difference between bloody and a mild pink middle. The manager acknowledged this, however, our waiter incorporated resentment into his persona upon hearing about our request to return the steak back to the kitchen. The rude, disconnected, and resentful waiter brought my wife's steak back and with a slight change. It went from rare to medium rare and far from well-done. Finally, my salmon dish was underwhelming. Since we are not ones to complain, we took what was given to us and made the best our night. We took a $200 loss. However, there was one great positive. Their Sommelier made the best of our weary night. Hats off to him and the energy he brings. Only if everyone at this establishment loved their role as much as he does. He was amazing. To conclude the evening we had desert at Olive Garden since we did not want to pump another cent into this establishment. These are $200 that we will long remember since we work so hard to earn. We will not return, due to the fact that we can't afford to take another chance in hopes of a better outcome. I should of just taken my wife, the mother of my child, to Pot-au-Feu, which has always been a constant in great food and service. read more

Hadn't been to cafe central in years and wanted to see if it was as good as I remembered. We started with the dungeness crab cakes and beef tenderloin carpaccio , the crab cakes were velvety and delicious but small and halved, which we didn't understand. The beef carpaccio was perfectly paired with a salad vinegrette and was delicious.I also ordered the soup, salad, and tuna. I thought all of them were just alright. My boyfriend ordered some beef tacos and they were overfilled with a black bean purée that was very overpowering and he only ate a few bites. read more

This place is trying really hard to be "elegant", and it comes across as cheesy with rose petals and purse caddies. The menu was alright, nothing jumped out at me. I had the Cesaer Salad and the Chile Colorado, both were fine. We ordered the dessert platter, the Chocolate Mousse and Creme Brule were great, the rest were eh. This place got two stars because the service was so appallingly bad. The hostess was dressed like she was going to a nightclub it was really inappropriate. She sat us and a few minutes later we had to flag someone down because she'd forgotten to give us menus. We had to ask someone to bring our server every time we needed someone. We had to ask our server for the check twice. The food was too expensive and not extraordinary. The bad service was the real downfall of this place. read more

I always come here for Chilean Sea Bass tacos, but I tried the green chile soup for the first time and it's excellent! They bring a stand for my hand bag, have a great selection of breads and muffins. Great service, reasonable prices, beautiful ambiance. read more

Had a terrible experience twice in a row two years ago...but then a few of us were taking friend out for lunch and Cafe Central was chosen as the place of choice. The place had the standard smattering of suits and a welcoming hostess who seated us promptly. We all asked for water to drink and were promptly asked if we wanted bottled water. We all said not..tap water is just fine thank you. At that point we were asked by no less than 4 people if we wanted something else to drink OR bottled water?? WTF?? Upselling is one thing...but power upselling is a bit much. Anyway we had two wait staff. A waiter who took orders and was generally one of those fake cheerful people and then a sub waiter who did all the work. Offering us break, filling our glasses etc. etc. and was very pleasant and attentive. First of all it strikes me that the place is pricey...but given the nice surroundings that was pretty allright. We ordered a Cobb salad with dressing on the side and was assured that the salad would be dressed perfectly (it was!), salmon two ways and the waiter was really good about presenting options not on the menu for the vegetarian guest who ultimately ended up with fettuccini in their version of a puttanesca of sorts which looked really good. The food all came and looked great and tasted good with the exception of the salmon which apparently was topped with spinach sauteed in bacon...which was not mentioned on the menu, which resulted in it being sent back. When the new salmon arrived we all tucked in. The salmon and pasta was pronounced great by my co eaters. The chicken in the Cobb salad was perfectly cooked and the lettuce was well dressed...the problem is the rest of the stuff. The tomatoes were flavorless and the bacon was chewey. But what I missed the most were blue cheese crumbles which have become a must for a Cobb salad. Throughout the meal we were never asked if the food was okay ...except if they took a chance to swing by and sell us on some other addition to the meal. The end of the meal was a disappointment since the so called espresso I ordered was more like a small cup of not so good coffee. No crema on the espresso and just a terrible cup. To his credit the waiter did procure Chamomile tea for one of our companions. Overall food pretty allright (not truly worth the price I think)..nothing there was better than anything at say G2 OR the Greenery for that matter. Service was spotty. Waiter..not so good. Sub waiter ...outstanding. Would I go again..maybe. read more

I am giving 4 out of 5 instead of 5 due to the fact our food took FOREVER. Granted, we had bread and an appetizer but it still took far too long. The wine list was extensive and generally provided only bottles as they had a page of by the glass wines. The fresh bread brought around was wonderful. The garlic bread was delicious with chunks of roast garlic. The rosemary and the cheese bread were both delicious as well. All were fresh and soft served with specially salted butter. I had a glass of house merlot for 10 dollars. We started with garlic butter escargot, stuffed mushrooms, and crab cakes. Whatever sauce came on the crab cakes (spicy remoulade?) was delicious. The crab cakes actually held a decent amount of crab! The snails were wonderful but is anything in garlic butter any different? My entree was 4 large sea scallops with crisp pork belly tucked between. The pork belly was melt in your mouth perfect and topped with a sweet streusel almost. Fabulous. Scallops were fresh tasting and perfectly done. This came on top of some braised chard, roast carrots, and potatoes. Served on the side was a pumpkin sauce that complemented the slightly sweet pork belly especially well. I finished my plate. For a glass of wine and the scallops I paid 53 dollars. The appetizers were covered by others. Our table was charged gratuity of 20% also. Overall not bad but not perfect due to the wait for our main dish. read more

This is by far the best restaurant in El Paso! Me and my family try to come here for every special occasion. The food is always superb. The service is impeccable and the atmosphere is inviting. I've never been disappointed. It is very pricey. That being said, you get what you pay for and this establishment serves the best quality food. read more

Chilean Sea Bass. That's all you need to know. Alright, maybe the cream of green chile soup as well. Cafe Central is pricey, but I've never had a bad meal here, and they easily have the best Chilean Sea Bass in town. The wait staff are always exceptionally nice, and it's easily one of the few places in town where you actually feel like you're eating somewhere "fancy". read more

My mom came to ELP to visit us and took us out here the night before she departed. Yes, it's expensive. But it's really good!!!! I had the sea scallops which I loved. Each dish was delicious and the service was absolutely excellent. I was pretty underwhelmed by the desserts though. Everything had "rich chocolate" ice-cream and I'm not a huge fan of either. I'd rather a nice strawberry shortcake or a cherry pie or some sort of custard. The service was excellent and the location is right in downtown ELP. Overall, I enjoyed it and I would go back. read more

From DFW, so we have never been here before. That said, what a great place! We showed up at almost closing time but they welcomed us in and I am so happy they did. The green chili soup was amazing, my husband chicken was simple but full of flavor. Service was professional yet relaxing and impeccable. We sat inside but the patio looked wonderful. If we happen to be in El Paso again, we will make reservations and really enjoy ourselves here. read more

Perfect ambience, engaged staff who provided excellent recommendations and the food was so delicious!!

Cafe Central seems to be exactly as I remember it, typically I have stopped by for a meal here once every year or so and the place rarely changes. As others have said, it is not elite dining like you will find in New York, LA, or SF, but for EP, it does pretty well. Anyway, the restaurant is a very nice place. Excellent wait staff, very attentive and friendly. The food was very good, their green chili soup is still one of my favorite soups anywhere. For our main course, I had the paella and my fiance the sea bass. Her sea bass was amazing, a thick cut that was perfectly cut (difficult with thick cut fish). My paella was good, not great - overall, the dish was a little bland for how I think of paella, and the meats seemed somewhat overcooked. Overall, the food was worthy of 4 stars. The neat part of this visit was that it was my birthday, we did not tell the staff this, as I am not a fan of "birthday party" in a nice restaurant. However, we went to the bar area after dinner, and our waiter had a piece of cake with sparklers brought to us there (much more subtle) because he noticed the birthdate on my id when I ordered our drinks. Writing it probably doesn't capture it, but it was really cool that he noticed and cared. So frankly, I do think if you like places like Mesa Street Grill, Crave, Geoske's, etc, then you will like it here. Nice atmosphere, good food, etc. read more

Dont come to this place. Came in with family for a birthday celebration. This place has a history of excellent service and food. The one star is too much. The beef stew appetizer was straight out of a can. The "fresh" peach and "mango", were from a powdered preparation. The puntas de fillet(beef tips) were tough and chewy, I had the half roasted chicken, seemed dry and possibly reheated. The chilean sea bass was not soft or flaky and slightly fishy(old). There were 7 of us and only one chef must have been working, there was about an hour difference between first person and last person recieving main dish. To add insult to injury, the over speakers starting loud elevator type music during the middle of the meal drowning out our conversation completely. read more

We took our managers and team members for dinner and I highly recommended the Crab and Avocado tier salad to one of the ladies. I remember this salad being delicious! They really need to rename it; AVOCADO and Crab! It probably had 1/4th cup of crab and a ton of avocado with probably salt and pepper. I know this item has been on the menu for decades but the recipe has been altered! Very disappointing! read more

Really enjoyed the dining experience here. Was in El Paso on business and reservations were made on our behalf. Highly recommend the green chile soup, it's amazing! Had the scallops for my entree and was served the mango pie as dessert for my birthday. Not sure how they knew but it was a pleasant surprise. Wouldn't normally choose a mango pie but it was to die for. It's definitely not a casual place. I would recommend evening cocktail attire. read more

Cafe Central - Mango Pie - awesome! - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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I was at the restaurant a few weeks ago and witnessed how a furniture in the patio fell on top of some customers. The noise was loud and I went out to the patio to see the people sitting on a river of red wine and glass! I have no idea if the clients will be taking legal action but I would! Terrible first experience at the so called "best restaurant in town" How is it possible that a furniture falls and hits clients? I noticed that some of the women at the table were complaining about having red wine wine on their dresses! What a terrible night out for them! read more

My husband and I recently dined at Cafe Central. This was a fairly regular occurrence before the birth of my son, but not since. We had a wonderful meal. The cream of green chile soup was divine (even more than usual). The salmon/caviar appetizer and beet/goat cheese napoleon were both very good. We drank enough wonderful wine that I don't really remember my entree. My husband got a desert that had cookies that I found a tad undercooked. We had our rehearsal dinner at Cafe Central several years ago and were very well treated. We were very pleased. On another note, the service at lunch has gone down over the years. I remember five years ago when the bread baskets were overflowing. Back then, you could get in and out in a reasonable clip. Hopefully, things will revert... read more

Great place for a "date night". Wife and I came in for our wedding anniversary and we enjoyed ourselves. The plating of the food was really appealing and the our food was cooked well. The atmosphere was classy and elegant. We did not feel like our privacy was being invaded even though there where other people sitting next to us. My only complaint is that the waiter, once we had gotten our drinks, took a long time to give us the menus. Nor did he offer or ask us if we would like "starters". All in all I give it a 4/5. We will definitely return. read more

This could've been a great experience. The food was really wonderful, which is the only reason I'm giving this 3 stars. We'd never been to Cafe Central and wanted to go for dinner after getting married at the courthouse. We informed staff that it was a celebratory meal for our marriage when they asked. The only problem with the experience was the service- the waiter was highly inattentive and uninterested in our 3 person party. It took 15 minutes to get food menus after being seated, which sort of started the experience off to a rocky start. We decided to get our order in quick so we wouldn't have to be waiting around for the waiter to decide to stop by our table (he had other tables in our area but would visit them and not come to us). Once the food started coming we were having a nice time, we had plans after dinner too we were excited about. But at the end of the meal, the waiter dropped off the comp dessert without any words or kindness and then ignored our table for the next 30 minutes. It took us about 10 minutes to finish the cake, we were very much ready to go and continue our night but he would not come over even after we tried getting his attention when he tended to the other tables. We eventually did get his attention and asked for the check, but when he came back into the dining area he went and saw all the other tables and then left again without seeing us. We sat down for this meal at 7:15 and did not leave until after 9, and after sitting for so long waiting for the check, we were pretty tired and cancelled the after dinner plans (plus all the stores we needed to pick up items at were then closed after 9). All in all, extremely disappointing experience especially for a special day- if you want to feel special and enjoy a good meal don't eat here or get takeout. read more

I'm a regular. Hands-down one of the best restaurants I've been to anywhere in the United States or Europe. Service is amazing. Valet is not very polished and can use some training (always get the ladies door, speak up, smile). Inside, it's very romantic, perfectly lit. The food and service are impeccable. They place you at the center of everything they do. No place in El Paso even comes close. read more

I was beyond satisfied , I had my birthday dinner and they made it special with great food service and chocolate strawberries :)

So tonight was my first time here and it was a good experience. The price for New Years Eve was a flat $80 for a 4 course meal. It was a special menu I think because of NYE...normally I think the meals are around $30-$50. There were several options for each course and they would prepare each course, serve it, pick up the plates, and then serve the next course. The food was very good. I never had any of the items on the menu, so it was a treat to try new things...I'm a big foodie. There was some raw food but I didn't know it was raw until it was served...it was delicious though. A basket of variety bread was served with the meal and refilled as needed, it was also very good. Reservations via there website should be done and require a credit card. There is a bar area, dining area, and outdoor patio area. My dirty Martini was 12.50, a crown and coke was $9, and water (sparkling/bottled) was $6 flat rate for the entire meal just to give you a price reference. For 2 dinners, 1 crown/coke, 2 martinis, waters, and gratuity our bill totaled around $270.00...yes, you read that correctly. There were not any prices on anything so we had to ask. I was al little concerned with the dress for guys. I called and was told it was casual and jeans and a polo shirt were fine. This is what I wore however I was the most underdressed person there, haha. Jeans are fine, as many men wore them, but I would recommend a sport coat and some kind of dress shoes, a tucked in button up shirt, nice belt. Most women wore cocktail attire, such as a dress with nice heals and accessories. This is probably not a good place for children unless they are maybe older and well behaved. The service was nice, the atmosphere was great, and it was a good place to have a conversation with people. Our group was there for about 2 hours however it seemed there was a point when service started to slow down. The waiters stopped tending to our table, slowed down on refilling waters, and it was difficult to get drinks. Maybe this is normal for this kind of venue. Valet parking was available for $5. You pay after you pick up your car to leave (tips are appreciated). All in all, it was a good experience and I would like to go back at some point. Enjoy your time. read more

We enjoyed dinner celebrating a graduate! The staff was very hospitable, polite, and we felt well received. I had the pleasure of ordering a ribeye that lasted through breakfast (it was huge)! I had enough to share with my husband and have leftovers for breakfast! My steak was tender and savory! We will be coming back:)! read more

Cafe Central would have received 4 stars from me but for its lack of consistency. I have had 5 star visits and a few 2 star visits. The only thing I have had consistently good is the green chile soup. Steaks can be great or so-so. Often over cooked. I would love to try the tomahawk pork chop, but they are always out of it. The service is equally bi-polar: sometimes great, sometimes spotty. The service at the bar is usually reliable. The decor and atmosphere are nice. Sometimes, they have pretty good music. read more

This place is a gem in El Paso. I loved the service, food was great and I must mention the amazing dessert they offer. Definitely a place everyone should try! Cafe central is in the top five in my list in El Paso. I was really happy to have found a good upscale restaurant here. read more

Had the Chilean sea bass everyone I go because I know how delicious it is with the miso sauce the rice with the greens on top is perfect combination of flavor not overpowering the flavors of the bass as it is already a milder taste compared to other fish and meats. The breads are excellent recommend the jalapeño cheddar and rosemary both great options the osso busco veal is also another spectacular dish. The service was excellent as well this place is the definition of fine dining read more

Food, service, everything was great with very few negatives. My wife and I went here on our anniversary because it was one of the few nicer, more expensive places in town. To start, we showed up and valet parked. I left my iPhone in the door by accident and had meant to grab it to take pictures of us at dinner. Just as we sat down and I was asking my wife if she thought it would be ok left in the car, the valet walked up to us, handed me my phone, and asked if I had forgotten it. I was very impressed that they would go this extra mile. Valet parking was super cheap as well, only $5. Those complaining about the time it takes to be serviced etc - it's a more expensive restaurant. They take their time, they don't rush, they want people to sit there and relax. Our food was great. My wife had lobster ravioli and I had the steak (I forget what they call it though). It was awesome. Perfectly cooked and very tender. Yet all very flavorful. The only negatives that we had were that we ordered the molten chocolate cake for dessert and it was very bland and dry (Chili's actually has much better molten cake). They returned it and brought us some chocolate mousse cake which was superb. The bill is spendy, that's what you get. You can get away for less than $50 a person if you don't get wine, but we got a bottle of relatively inexpensive wine which is why I rated it 4 $ instead of 3 $. It doesn't rival the quality of some of the more expensive places we've eaten in the past (we love to try different places out whenever possible), but for El Paso, it's pretty good. I would make sure for guys to at least wear some slacks/shirt. This isn't really a place for jeans and a tshirt, although one guy had jeans on with a tucked in polo, I certainly wouldn't recommend doing so. One more negative is the music. I don't even know what to call the genre of music. It would be something like a cross between elevator music and heavy metal. Picture "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'n Roses sung by some younger version of Ella Fitzgerald with pianos instead of guitars. Over and over. Really odd choices of music turned into light piano and harp pieces. They'll have something like Linkin Park but it's tuned down so it sounds like they grabbed a few fourth grade girls and someone adept with a flute to turn it into something more suitable for a nice restaurant. read more

This place is not worth half of what it costs. My martini glass was chipped. Terrible service from the bar tender. We overheard staff arguing. One fish dish was over cooked. The dares tuna was stringy. I'd be happy to never go back. read more

Old school place - service is great and the green chile soup may be the best most unique soup I've had. Must get! Great bread too read more

Beautiful restaurant, attentive staff, and the food was unbelievably delicious. We ate there at lunchtime and even though I bought one of the least expensive items on the menu the hamburger, They treated me as if I had bought a $50 steak. And PS the hamburger was one of the best ones I have ever eaten in my life. My friend had a steak and his steak was also very very good. Beautiful restaurant I would highly recommend. read more

My daughter and I stopped in for the first time. The ambiance reminded me of the roaring twenties. The waiters were totally on point. This place had a Michelin vibe to it. I ordered a Cubano sandwich which was so tasty. It was worth the price. Now I can't eat a cubano without comparing it to the one at Cafe Central. Even the bathrooms were immaculate. So if you want a true dining experience go to Cafe Central. You won't be disappointed. I'll certainly go back and I highly recommend this place. read more

First of all, the food was delicious. We ordered the crab cake appetizer, lobster ravioli, and the prawn brochette. All very good! However, if you are hoping for a romantic, intimate setting for a special occasion or date night, this is not the place. The restaurant was overly crowded, even by pre-covid standards, and was so loud we could not hear anything the waiters said and had to speak loudly to each other just to have a conversation. Not what we expected for a fine dining experience. read more

So I have been here a great amount of times and my five stars are for him my fav bar tender Levi i seen him work his ass off tonight but still kept great customer service and presence at the bar. I think he should become a manager of the bar or of The Whole place he is the best read more

The service was great! I loved the bread they offered before the main course. Had really good sea bass as well. The only thing is the valet parking was charged for 10 bucks. It should never be this way in any valet parking restaurants. Overall the experience was good read more

The green chile soup is exceptional, it is a must if you visit this restaurant! Beautifully done Caesar Salad. My beef tenderloin tacos were perfectly cooked, and my husband's Cubanito was fantastic. Service was exceptional as well! read more

This was my second time here and it was WAY better than my first experience here. Our waiter was attentive this time and we had a large group for a birthday celebration. Their cocktails were very delicious. My beet tower appetizer was very good and a good portion size. The best part of the whole meal was the miso sea bass. It is by far the best sea bass in El Paso. read more

Meh... Food is good.... Over priced .... Wine list is extensive (too big in my opinion)... Drinks were meh.... Dessert was meh .... Service was great from Dante .... The place felt stuffy ..... It's not the 90s anymore read more

I was very surprised that after dining this Tuesday 11/10 at Cafe Central I was not able to recover my scarf. I've noticed how quickly they turn tables after customers leave and waiters immediately clean up. I called immediately the day after and they told me in a hurry as if I was bothering them, "No we don't have it." Mmmmh, considering it's a high end restaurant I am surprised at their response. This was not a high end scarf but had sentimental value. read more

Food is good. Staff is very friendly and they are always willing to accommodate. Barbeque sauce is the bomb!! Recommend if you want something a bit fancy, but not too fancy. read more