El Paso, TX
(915) 532-2450
View of Angry Owl from the rear parking lot
As my mind gets to the point where I am forgetting more things than I am able to learn, I am glad I made notes of many of my great food experiences and put them in my various food journals (the latest being Steve’s Food Blog). One of these great experiences was the Tampico sandwich which was served at Jaxon’s, a small local chain with about three restaurants. Jaxon’s also left a legacy of great buildings which have become other popular restaurants, one of them being Angry Owl at what I think was the original location of Jaxon’s.
When Angry Owl opened I thought they were trying to bring another Jaxon’s experience, something that nobody could really do, and that I would be disappointed. Of course I am a sophisticated food blogger and I should know better, right? Once I realized logically that Angry Owl is its own restaurant and is not trying to be another Jaxon’s, I tried the food and became a fan. I do not think it has its own version of Jaxon’s Tampico sandwich, their special version of chicken on rye with lettuce and tomato, Jack cheese, green chiles, and mushrooms. It does however seem to have a really good idea of how to do Southwestern cuisine. El Paso has been called the Mexican food capital of the world (because of my failing memory I don’t remember who said this so I think I’m not required to give a citation). There is no reason why the city should not also be considered a hotbed of Southwestern cuisine as well. Angry Owl would be a good place to start on this Epicurean journey.
Appetizers
Chips and salsa
Chips and Salsa are not given automatically at every meal but they are available. The salsa is somewhere short of being medium spicy, but it has a good flavor of tomatillo.
Classic nachos
The Classic Nachos were surprisingly good with a cheese that was in a flavorful melted state and jalapenos that were mild enough that I could eat and enjoy without getting too far up on the Scoville scale.
Burgers
Chicken sandwich
In pursuit of some type of dish that would be similar to Jaxon’s Tampico sandwich I ordered a Hatch Valley Burger with chicken substituted for the regular patty. I don’t even know if what they served me is on the menu, but it was good. The green chile here is on of the best in town.
Hatch Valley burger
On a later visit I tried the real Hatch Valley Burger and this was even better than the chicken, both with the meat and the way the chile complements the hamburger. It actually tasted more like a steak, with a double patty of thick meat that was as tasty as it was voluminous. This is really one place in town that rivals many of the green chile burgers that are served in New Mexico.
Almost as good as the burger were the Fries, which had a good seasoning and the right amount of crispiness.
A Wrap-up
The bar is probably the reason a lot of people come, but the food is definitely elevated for bar food. The burger served here would compare favorably to just about any others.
The menu has a large quantity of items, and I feel pretty confident in saying the quality of the food will be consistent with whatever you order.
RATING: 24
Cuisine: Southwest
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Full Bar
Most Recent Visit: Jan. 31, 2025
Number of Visits: 2
Best Items: Hatch Green Chile Burger, Nachos
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Hatch Green Chile Burger |
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Hatch Valley Chicken |
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Nachos |
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Fries |