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Hours
Sun
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Mon
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tue
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wed
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thu
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Fri
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sat
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
Travelers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Food and ambience
Local cuisine, Mexican, Southwestern, Latin, Spanish, Vegetarian friendly
Special occasions, Large groups, Bar scene
Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?
Details
PRICE RANGE
₱290.00 – ₱870.00
CUISINES
Mexican, Southwestern, Latin, Spanish
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night
FEATURES
Takeout, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Dog Friendly, Gift Cards Available
Contribute
4.5
1,716 reviews
Excellent
1,084
Very good
420
Average
137
Poor
46
Terrible
29
Cheryl S
Albuquerque20 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
We received a tip to try this restaurant out while on our very first visit to El Paso. We heard even Martha Stewart had visited there recently! It lies across from a cemetery in an unassuming building with not much parking close by. Because of the Sunday afternoon popularity, we had to park 3 blocks away and walk over. There was a 25-min. wait, but it was worth it. We got a table for 4, and had a some great tortilla chips (not too salty thankfully) with a 2 small bowls of sauce (red and green). The sauce was smooth in texture and not the chunky salsa. Excellent for both with unique flavors and not too spicy hot. We ordered the guacamole which was plentiful served over a bed of lettuce. My husband had an enchilada plate, and I had the chicken burrito with queso and green chile on top. This was not the queso you find in a can at Sam's Club. It's a white-ish melted cheese with Hatch green chile and was excellent. I also had a side order of a chile relleno. I've had it more crunchy at other restaurants, but the flavor was very good. My husband said the enchiladas were good. We were with friends who both got salads served in a big flauta-type bowl. They said they were good. One got the a cold brisket salad, and I had a taste. Had a good vinegar tang to the taste (my opinion). Food was plentiful. Waitress was at our table often to fill glasses and clear table or bring food. Very nice wait staff.
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ann C
Nashville3406 contributions
Dec 2019 • none
L & J cafe in El Paso seems to always be crowded. The staff do a very good job of handling the crowds.
Lunch prices are fair and quality is good.
I enjoyed the chicken mole on this visit $9.89, included rice and beans, chips and salsa...choice of flour or corn tortilla.
Excellent honey drizzled sopapillas!
Opened for 92 years!
Written January 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert I
El Dorado Hills877 contributions
Feb 2020 • couples
A very good place to eat but be ready to wait about 45 minutes, it is worth it. The atmosphere around the bar is great and the service is good. We had steak tacos and they were great. They give you lots of food and the prices for both the food and drinks are extremely reasonable.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
matt2lee
Boston558 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
This Mexican restaurant was ranked high and we felt like we had to try it out while in El Paso.
We came on a Saturday evening around 5. There was a good amount of people waiting and our wait for a party of 3 was around 30 minutes. They have a text messaging system that they use to notify parties when their table is ready.
The menu had tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and combo plates along with a “happy hour” menu that had pretty much bar foods like mini quesadillas, mini cheeseburgers, and more for ~5.
I ordered the chicken enchilada with green Chile sauce. Really big and generous portion and lots of chicken. The food was just okay to me despite the raves on the food here.
We had two vegetarians in our party and the food was somewhat limited to them - the red and green sauces had meat in them so the option was to have an enchilada dry which was not very good.
However, with the chips and sauce that they gave us, our server gave us an order of pico on top of the red and green sauces which was a nice gesture.
I thought this place was okay - I probably would look into another place for dinner. However, this place seemed popular amongst locals whether it’s for dinner or for a drink at the bar.
Written April 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
4realfoodies
Chadds Ford48 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
We ordered takeout via the website. It was a really easy system that allowed us to customize the order as needed and then curbside pick up was a breeze!
The food was very good. Chicken Enchiladas were fresh and flavorful. They allow you to get half red/half green sauce so it was a great way to try both. The steak tacos were delicious! The grilled long green onion was a great addition.
Written April 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
Phoenix14 contributions
Jan 2021 • none
We got to the restaurant and had about a 25 minute wait, but after we ate I don't know why the wait isn't 3 times as long. We asked the waiter what his favorite meal was and what was the most popular. We all went with the chicken enchiladas with green sauce and chilis. It was an AMAZING meal. We all cleared our plates. Food served fast and hot. Cooked to perfection. 100% would recommend to anyone. The weakest part of the meal was the silverware( it was fine but I'm not going to fault anything we ate). After the meal we ordered the sopaipilla. We all loved the main meal but the dessert was better. We even ordered two more to go. The waiter was great. It might be a small location in an out of the way spot but I will be back again. Of all the times I've been in El Paso I can say that this is the place to eat at.
Written January 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MDM
Norwalk283 contributions
Apr 2022 • solo
After all the reviews, plus recommendations from two different Uber drivers, I figured I just had to try this place. I am a Mexican food fanatic and especially love chile rellenos.
All of the food was disappointing. The tortilla chips would have been good if they hadn’t been saturated with salt. The green salsa was great but the famous red salsa was runny and tasted funny. Worst of all was the chile relleno plate. None of the food looked appetizing, or tasted good or authentic.
The good points were that (1) I got seated right away (albeit at the last, back corner table in the furthest room), (2) prices were extremely reasonable, and (3) my server Stephanie was great. Other than that, I am baffled by the popularity of this place. With so many good Mexican restaurants in El Paso, I would not repeat this one.
Written April 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Smurf52
Albuquerque311 contributions
May 2021 • none
L&J is a classic. The place has been around since the 20's and hasn't lost a step. Great food, great service and the red sauce is simply the best thing to tickle the taste buds.
In an age of franchise chain stuff... it is a great treat to have an original that can still hold its own with service, selection and deliciousness.
Written May 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas M
Kennesaw2538 contributions
Jun 2021 • family
My first time and glad we went. Six of us from Atlanta visiting my niece and husband. We wanted good Mexican food and they knew exactly where to take us, L & J cafe. With 8 of us we had a long wait for a table but it was well worth the wait. Our server, Edgar was truly amazing. He was friendly, courteous, patient and very helpful. He really took good care of us. The menu was large and food portions were really big. I had the Chile Rolleno plate and it came with 2 giant battered peppers which were the best I have ever had. Two had the Mexican combination, two the beef Freitas and two had the chicken burritos. Everyone enjoyed everything we ordered. I had a margarita that I enjoyed. Service and price very good. Rice and beans came with most of the meals plus your choice of a flour or corn tortilla.
Written June 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kathryn A
Irving168 contributions
Mar 2021 • business
Green chile enchiladas were good but cheese was very scare... rice was a tad salty but the guacamole was Delicious!! We only saw server twice..beginning and end meal... no chance of drink refills... but food was so filling 😋neither i or my office partner could finish our food.
Written March 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CougLiz
Spokane28 contributions
Dec 2021 • none
We had several Uber drivers recommend L & J for an authentic local Tex-Mex experience. We went the evening of New Year's Eve. The place doesn't look like much from the outside, but as soon as we opened the door, we could see it was packed. The food was really great and the servers were excellent. Wish we were spending more time in El Paso so we could go back and try some of the other dishes!
Written January 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thesarahbella
Tennessee118 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
I had read many places that this was an incredible restaurant with a rich history and decided we needed to go. We were very excited to try some traditional family recipes and get some drinks. The restaurant doesn't serve liquor, only beer and wine, so their "margaritas" are made with an agave wine. It's a very strange flavor and tastes like a powered lemon-lime drink. The enchiladas are filled only with cheese and the meat is put on top, so there's not much of it and the flavor was lacking. Servers were very nice, but overall, I would not return.
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sam B
South Carolina350 contributions
Jul 2021 • couples
My wife and I visited L&J Cafe during our El Paso trip. When I travel, I enjoy eating at places that are representative of the cities I visit. For me, the L&J Cafe is a DON'T MISS in El Paso. Families and couples are eating while older veterans are swigging beers at the bar. It's Ametica, baby. I had the chicken mole enchiladas while my wife had the caldillo. We finished everything and ate till we about popped. They dont take reservations so you may have a wait for 20-30 minutes. You may have to hunt for a place to park too. Just take 3 deep breaths and lean into it. Your L&J meal will be worth it. Bueno appetito.
Written July 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith Chemist
Las Cruces244 contributions
Oct 2023 • friends
A vert busy place at 3:15 PM but they have an efficient call your cell phone application that got us a table in about 20 minutes. The wait line was much shorter at 4 PM. Guess I should not be surprised when slicee avocado cost $3.99 when a chain fast food charges nearly $6 for a large French fry. Enchilada $12.42 plus an egg $1.50 and a beef burrito at $10.99 e. g. lunch for two $31.36 plus a good tip for the excellent service.
Written October 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adassa
7 contributions
Aug 2020 • friends
The food was absolutely amazing and so were the margaritas! The wait wasn’t extremely long and we got there about an hour or so before closing. You must do temperature checks due to covid as well. The green chili enchiladas are a personal favorite because they have amazing flavor, perfect amount of cheese, and it melts right in your mouth.
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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