The Lunch Box

Food was very good the place is small but everything is fresh I'll go back. I had the flautas my…read morehusband had a burrito it was stuffed with meat beans and rice he said it was very filling he almost Couldn't finish it he said it was delicious beans and rice are the best I've tasted.

Typical business trip to El Paso and had a couple hours before heading to the airport. My co-worker…read morehad been here before and insisted on trying this again. It's a little hard to find tucked back in a little strip center. The inside is interesting decor with different theme walls. What was nice is that the staff was very friendly. It was close to closing time so we ordered fast and got our chips and salsa quickly. Loved the homemade chips and that they were still warm. Salsa was ok. I liked my fajitas but I wasn't as blown away with the taste as my co-worker. I had a few pieces of meat that had grizzle when I bit into them. It wasn't as seasoned as I was hoping too. The beans and rice were ok but didn't appear scratch made.

Wall art

Santa Fe tacos

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Barbacoa Tacos and Cantaloupe Fresca, you can't go wrong!

L & J Cafe

4.4(2.4k reviews)

5.9 mi

This is a staple here in El Paso Texas, it's great food, drinks, lots of history all around you and…read moreover all a great atmosphere. Perfect for family, business, or just be out with friends.

Everyone you ask says this place is the one place you HAVE to try in El Paso. My relatively little…read moreexperience in this city can't speak to that, but I can assure you this place is worth going to. The salsas offered as a complimentary appetizer are excellent, with varying spice levels and flavors. The waitresses are both extremely friendly and hasty, a delightful combination. My colleague and I both ordered the combo plate, which seemingly was a sampling of every popular dish on offer at the restaurant, all of which were excellent. I was disappointed I didn't get to the experience what appeared to be an extremely active bar scene here, though I will absolutely be back to rectify that. Highly recommend this spot.

Inside

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Red Beer

Kiki's Mexican Restaurant

4.0(668 reviews)

7.3 mi

The green enchiladas with beef was so filling and good, we got our order quickly and was so…read morerefreshing living in austin to come home and have some real Mexican.

I was very excited to try this place for the machaca and green chile combo. Unfortunately the…read morespecial seafood crab one (it was basically the crab sticks) wasn't as good as I thought. It was very heavy and very cheesy. There was something super heavy about that I cant describe. The staff was super nice and got us our food and drinks and refilled our salsa n chips often. My friend had the mole item and felt it was way too sweet/cocoa on it. Overall I would've wanted to try the other machaca items and other things. The vibe is very homely and chill, bit of a hole in the wall atmosphere.

Inside

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Los Bandidos De Carlos & Mickey's

3.7(589 reviews)

4.6 mi

"Simply Amazing" Wow!!…read moreFrozen Margarita a favorite. Steak tampiqueña taking me to the next level! "Simply Amazing" Food great Service great Ambiance great Parking...well that's a challenge lol

I've been a loyal customer of this establishment since 2008. While the food was never the primary…read morereason I returned, the excellent margaritas and outstanding service kept me coming back for nearly two decades. Unfortunately, that loyalty came to an end after a recent experience that was both disappointing and unacceptable. My family and I chose this restaurant to celebrate a birthday. Every guest paid separately, and there were no issues during the evening itself. However, as the event concluded, multiple attendees, including family members and in-laws, overheard servers making derogatory comments about our party. Among the remarks were that we were "ungrateful," "cheap," and "broke," along with other inappropriate comments that no customer should ever have to hear. I brought the matter to the attention of ownership, hoping for a meaningful resolution. While I was told the employees had been reprimanded, the proposed remedy was a $25 gift card. After nearly 18 years of patronage, the response felt dismissive and only added insult to injury. What disappoints me most is not simply the behavior of the staff, but the lack of accountability and concern shown afterward. This was a place I once considered a reliable and welcoming destination for family gatherings and celebrations. Sadly, that trust has been lost. As a result, I will no longer be returning or recommending this establishment to friends, family, or colleagues. Respect for customers should be a fundamental part of any hospitality business, and in this case, that standard was not met.

Mini Flautas-chicken

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Recommended

Tacos Chinampa

3.9(379 reviews)

4.0 mi

Don't pass this place up. The food is delicious. So much salsa to choose from and great drinks…read more The service was excellent. When I return to El Paso I will definitely come back here to eat.

Everything was just average. We stopped in El Paso for the…read morenight while traveling. The restaurant was close to the hotel we stayed so we devout try it. Food was ok but nothing really good. The service was decent. The waitress took our orders fast but did not come to offer to refill our drinks. If we travel through El Paso again I will look for another place.

Green Enchiladas

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Neat and clean and decorated nicely.

El Toro Bronco

4.7(73 reviews)

7.7 mi

I ordered the 5 person combo chicken and steak. To go. It…read morecomes with 5 prebuttered baked potatoes- average sized, a large serving of Charro beans, one small queso fundido with Chorizo, ( they charged me for the chorizo and the queso did not have it). About 8 large chile toreados, grilled onions.and plenty of corn tortillas. The charro beans were mostly bean soup. I actually poured some of the bean soup into a bowl so we could serve ourselves to avoid some spilling. The baked potatoes were generously bathed in butter. They did not provide any other toppings for the potatoes. Personally I think some sour cream, or Mexican crema de la Mesa, some chives, some other toppings would have been nice. The queso fundido was good but also a disappointment. It was missing the chorizo that I had paid extra for. The meat was very good. Well done but not dry or hard to chew. I was pleased to see that the chicken was not cooked into dryness. We did come across a couple of meat grisel or what in Spanish is called "nervio". This place has a small sign that states that if you pay with a credit card a 3% service charge will be added to your bill. I am pretty good with math and I pointed out to the cashier that they actually charge 4%. He did make a correction on my bill. Be ware of your bill. Otherwise they do give you plenty of food. It reminds me of a Mexican parrillada/ grilled cook out. The food here was very good, good tasting, and in spite of the small glitches worth it. We will be returning again.

Decided to try this little hole and the wall and man oh man does this place pack a punch in terms…read moreof flavor! The flavor of everything was really really good. From the meats to the sauces. Amazing! Only thing I didn't like is how dang small my tacos were. Other than that, great spot!

Beans + Chips and Salasa

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2 steak 2 borbaco

El Cometa

3.9(292 reviews)

1.5 mi

I discovered El Cometa in 2019 through a friend, and it quickly became one of my favorite places to…read moreeat whenever I am in El Paso. Looking back, El Cometa is what started my taco obsession. Their tacos al pastor con queso are so good. The marinated pork is perfectly seasoned, a little greasy in the best way, and topped with melted cheese. One thing I love is their salsa bar. I always grab the red salsa, green salsa, and guacamole. I pile all three on my tacos, and every bite is amazing. Their tacos remind me of my favorite tacos at the resort my family visited every summer in Cancún. Even though it has been years since I have been there, El Cometa brings those memories back with every bite. The staff is incredible. Last summer, the hostess recognized me right away and seated me immediately. She even remembered my order. I order the exact same thing every visit: tacos and two cans of Sprite. The fact that she has been there since I first started coming in 2019 makes every visit feel like coming home. From 2019 until I moved away in 2022, I went there almost every week. To eat here, everyone lines up at the cashier to place an order, but somehow I always felt like royalty. The staff knew me, and every visit felt welcoming. El Cometa never disappoints. The food is outstanding, the service is excellent, and every visit reminds me why I fell in love with tacos in the first place.

Quick pit stop in El Paso for Mexican food. Very casual ambiance you order first and they bring the…read morefood to your table. While you wait you can go to the salsa bar which has a good variety. I'm always a sucker for green sauce and both green sauce were my favorites one mild one a little spicy. Service was quick. Food was decent. First and second menu items were our choices. The tacos al pastor were great, decent amount of meat on the tacos and flavorful. Flautas are more like taquitos very crunchy on the outside and the meat was tender. Price is affordable.

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Carlos & Mickey's

3.6(80 reviews)

4.5 mi

$25 for a very small steak and shrimp fajitas with awefull looking canned beans, flautas were…read moretasteless my wife did not eat the rest after tolerating eating only one. Too expensive for small portions and horrible food! And margaritas ....$17 dlls ? Wow!!! I'll never go back to the one on mcgruger

We were in town for a few days to visit family for the holidays and couldn't believe how early many…read moreplaces close on Sunday night! Unfortunately the place we really wanted to eat at closes early on Sundays. So we hesitantly decided to go to Carlos & Mickey's since it was open. My boyfriend said the margarita was good but the food was very subpar. We added the free salsa that came with tostadas to the guacamole. It needed something to give it a decent taste. Then my flautas were not very good. I asked for more salsa so they brought me a different version. The salsa made the flautas somewhat more palatable. My boyfriend had a combo plate and ate it since he was hungry but didn't say he really liked anything on it. I say this to those from out of town esp when visiting for events like the Sun Bowl, there are other restaurants that serve fantastic Mexican food in El Paso. You truly should consider those!

Bean and cheese burrito

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Taconeta

4.4(444 reviews)

7.9 mi

Eat tacos. Sip tequila. Repeat…read more Probably one of the best taco restaurants I've been to in El Paso! I could say so much for you to believe me, and it honestly starts with the speedy (and kind) service, flavorful profiles and the pricing! My first visit I just simply couldn't believe it. Each visit, I try something new and I must say that I'm hooked on the Jamaica Margarita (with the tajin rim), and the pork shoulder taco, as well as the chicken taco! The Baja shrimp taco is also in my top 3! The staff is kind, energetic and will remember you; not just from personal experience but from my observations as well. Service is fast, food is hot and it's a great place to be! There is no wi-fi, but it is a FUN and engaging place for sure! I'd recommend a bar seat if you're lucky Warning: You may leave planning your next visit before you've even paid the bill.

I've always enjoyed coming to Taconeta because the food is great, and the service is usually…read moreexcellent. Unfortunately, my most recent visit was very disappointing. One of the servers, Jonah, threw away my "half-eaten" food without asking if I was finished. I didn't realize that was his decision to make, and when I brought it up, he rolled his eyes and responded with a horrible attitude. On a positive note, Sara behind the bar was fantastic, and Alexis was incredibly kind. They both provided the level of service I've come to expect from Taconeta. I hope management addresses this, because one negative interaction shouldn't overshadow the great staff and food that usually keep me coming back.

Ambiance

Baja Fish Taco

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Located down a side street. You really can't miss it

Andale Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

3.8(348 reviews)

1.6 mi

Shrimp cocktail is my go to or camarones fiesta! I always have a great experience here.read more

Had a great time at Andale. They were able to acomodate for the wheelchair and all 8 of us. We had…read morereally good service, good food, and a great singer. I had chicken poblano and a margarita. The lady on stage was super versatile and had a great voice. Made our night memorable.

Fajitas Los Tres Amigos

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Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

9 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Ed U.

7 years ago

Best green chile stew I've had so far. Wasn't expecting to find such a delicious stew in a Mexican restaurant. Their enchiladas, tacos are also amazing. Oh and gorditas!!! Not as amazing as my Nina's, but they sure are the better than most places I've been to. The staff is great. Clean restaurant. read more

Merle M.

7 years ago

The best menudo in town! Have been going there since I was 12. My grandma and grandpa used to take out the whole fam. Good serving, I think u can still take ur hoya on Sundays and fill it up with menudo at a charge. Try their enchilada plates! And their caldo de res!!!! read more

B P.

9 years ago

Not open at the time posted. Will not come back to try the food. Unprofessional to close long before the hours listed here. Probably a money laundering place anyways read more

Marisol P.

8 years ago

This place was good. Although there was a wait, it didn't long for us to be seated. The servers were not too friendly.

Jennie L.

12 years ago

I lovvve this place. Best Mexican food in town and its very reasonably priced. The homemade tortillas are awesome.

Sergio S.

4 years ago

The food is great the service is great I have done both dining and takeout and the food is always great

Kenneth K.

12 years ago

Good food great service. Every time is great service good food. Nice place inexpensive. I recommend it

Edgar P.

117

5 years ago

This place sucks food sucks service is horrible rude ass people just bad experience all around

Txgal T.

9 years ago

The Lunch Box never disappoints, the food and service are great.

The Lunch Box - mexican - Updated October 2026

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Chilabox

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Fun twist in chilaquiles, You can choose your own toppings and even mix sauces. I had red and green…read morewith cilantro, avocado, onion, and an egg . It was delicious and creamy. If you're taking to go get the sauce on the side.

Service was great. I arrived when there were few people. However, they are pretty quick and…read moreefficient. The rojo and poblano salsas are NOT spicy at all, but very tasty. Next visit I will inquire on spicy options. I love my chilaquiles spicy. Pretty clean and organized. Overall great experience for me.

El Texano Mexican Restaurant

3.5

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Great food!!! Service is horrible at this location going to continue going to the other two…read morelocations The atmosphere is awesome! Unfortunately for one bad waitress who doesn't care. I will never ever come back to this location. She ain't cute with her attitude.

1. Spanish speaking only. They treat you different, you know how they do it…read more 2. Order was wrong. 3. Food was cold, no refills 4. Rice and beans were garbage, no flavor. 5. Wife asks for shredded beef tacos on the menu and the waitress looks at me and says "molida?" 6. No English speaking staff and they are hella rude Never again. There are plenty of other places to eat.

El Sarape Del Valle

3.6

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. I come here to eat the grilled chicken that they have because they sell chicken breast and today…read morewas really unfortunate because I paid for two chicken breast and I did not get my two chicken breast. They gave me one and they cut it in half and try to make it seem like oh it's two chicken breast. No, it's not you guys literally just couldn't gave me one and tried to plagiarize it as two That's not right.

Last time I went it's not the same arrive is slow and we payed 55 for 2 of us should have just went…read moreto Applebees

Dominguez Mexican Food Restaurant

3.8

(87 reviews)

We went for lunch and I ordered the beef flautas and they were super yummy. We were seated quickly…read moreand the staff was so nice and attentive. The place is very nice.

I enjoyed dinner at this restaurant. I had the Mexican plate no. 2. Chips and salsa were very good…read more Green sauce was especially good. Chips are thick but very authentic. Taco, enchiladas and tamales were very good. Service was fast and courteous.

Martha's Mexican Restaurant

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Went for breakfast. Small, homegrown cafe. Fast service, food was good!! Others had the weekend…read moremenudo, it looked amazing! Our egg dishes were spot on spicy....YUM! Would go back!

Great service, fast and efficient. Casual ambiance. The food was good to pretty great. Rice and…read morebeans are rice and beans, but the gordita and taco were excellent. My lunch companion said that the bacon was really great. Definitely check this place out for breakfast or lunch. Also, because I was trying to find out before we went, they serve breakfast all day. Most places stop serving breakfast by 11am, but not here.

Cafe East

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I always get great service at this hidden gem. So glad it's in walking distance from the Toyota…read moreplace too. If they're not too busy, I usually just chill, drink coffee and read while my vehicle is being serviced. Very welcoming setting with nice staff and excellent food! One of my top 5 breakfast locations in El Paso. Locally owned and operated and feels like home.

3.5 rounded to 4…read more Casual Mexican restaurant with a homey vibe. Stopped by for breakfast and enjoyed the huevos rancheros with corn tortillas and hash browns. It was tasty and filling, and there was a lot of customization available. The service was friendly as well. The chips and salsa they gave was just ok. Parking lot out front and bathrooms available inside.

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The food was decent, but for the price you pay, we expected the quality to be consistently good…read moreacross the board. If you decide to come with your family, make sure your kids actually eat. If they don't, you'll still be charged for them. When we explained that one of our kids didn't eat, the staff went into the back to review the security cameras to verify our claim before making a decision. Unfortunately, that experience left a negative impression on us. Based on our visit, we wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

Food is decent, for the price you pay it needs to improve, the dessert for sure needs to be better…read more If you have kids, please make sure they eat because they don't care and will still charge even if they don't eat and it's not cheap.

Alba's Mexican Restaurant

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The food is SO good, the beans are so delicious and the rice is nice and fluffy. The portions are a…read morelittle small unless you get a platter, but they're still amazing. You pick a seat anywhere and sit and when you're done eating, you go up front and pay. It makes for a very nice, low-social setting. Everything is super cheap, I paid for two full meals for my boyfriend and I for only $24 (without tip-- I tipped $10 because the staff is super nice and the food is amazing.) There are varying refill policies depending on what you get- Pepsi products are on tap so they are free. They have horchata, lemonade, and bottled drinks; these are not free per refill if I remember correctly. The drinks are actually pretty large though, so I personally didn't have an issue. I highly recommend this place!!! It is quant, tasty, and inexpensive!

Amazing food, great prices that haven't gone up like every other restaurant, and great service…read more This place is so good every plate you oversee is amazing. Tacos desebrada are delicious as well as the machaca to name a few.

Paseo Del Sol

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Even though it was busy we were greeted promptly. Even though our server seemed new she got us…read moreeverything in good time and all we asked for. It was delicious food and we loved the homemade tortillas! Queso was delicious! Ambiance was perfect for the place. Would highly recommend!!

I have visited Paseo del Sol restaurant many times and have always been pleased. This restaurant…read morehas an ample parking lot, is cozy, has friendly customer service, and delicious home food. Every time I am here, I am always delighted. Throughout the restaurant, there is an ongoing sense of peace and positivity. After you order, while waiting for your food, the staff brings you chips and salsa; the salsa is delicious, not mild, but not too spicy. The food does take a while to be served, but the waiting is worth it. The food tastes home-cooked. They offer various Tex-Mex dishes and true natural aguas frescas such as Piña, Melon, Limonada, Pistachio, and horchata. Paseo del Sol also offers desserts. I saw the Choco flan, and it looks delicious. I'm looking forward to returning on a Tuesday to have a bowl of their Caldo de Res. Tuesday to Saturday. Paseo del Sol restaurant opens at 6 am and on Sundays at 7 am. This is the perfect place for breakfast after a long run or run at McKellingon Canyon.

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