Villa del Mar on Interstate 10

For years Villa del Mar has been a popular destination in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico for locals and people crossing the border from El Paso. Known for its “Boquilla bass” (fresh water bass caught from the Boquilla Lake in Mexico) and other seafood items such as shrimp and oysters, it has always been fresher and better prepared than just about any seafood place in the borderland.

Villa del Mar is actually one of my long time favorite restaurants, even though I only ate at the El Paso location for the first time in 2005 (it is located on the frontage road to I-10–take the Yarbrough exit on the east side of town). The original Boquilla bass is long gone, I think both in El Paso and in Juárez. I have heard that the lake is now contaminated, but I don’t know the full story.

The large dining room with TV screens and a bar area

I am impressed, though, that Villa del Mar continues to look for sources of fresh tasting fish, and there are not only more choices available now, but they seem to be better. Just as in the early days when Villa del Mar found good sources of fish that most other restaurants did not serve, I also think the same is true today.

Villa del Mar used to serve whole fish using both bass (that I think was farm raised) and snapper. They now use tilapia from China for the fillets, but I am not sure if this includes the several styles of whole mojarra fish on the menu (Wikipedia explains mojarra as several types of shallow water fish including tilapia).

I don’t know… after a meal I had in Matamoros, Mexico on the Gulf coast I don’t think anything in the desert could ever come close to that experience. However, I do enjoy the fillets at Villa del Mar. The concept of the food here seems to be that they will use whatever is the freshest.

One waiter indicated to me that the fillet is now their highest quality fish rather than the whole fish, but I am sure it is best to ask any time you go. I know I certainly have had good results ordering the fillet.

Freebies

Fish soup and salad come free with dinners

A salad comes with dinners, and it is hard to complain about anything that is free. I did enjoy it, though, especially because of the dressing.

The Fish Soup was outstanding, though, and was also free with the dinner.

Chips and salsa are excellent

The Chips and Salsa are excellent (but I like the regular salsa better than the pico de gallo style).

Appetizers

Fish ceviche

The Fish Ceviche is one of several choices from the appetizer menu. This had good fish, but I did not think the ceviche came off quite as well as others I have tried. I recommend the half order as an appetizer, but for a meal I would go with the fish or shrimp dinners rather than a full order of ceviche.

Shrimp quesadilla

The Shrimp Quesadilla makes a flavorful appetizer, although appetizers are usually the idea of my dining companions because I get quite full from the meal itself.

Filete Veracruzano

Filete veracruzano

The Filete Veracruzano has traditionally been one of my favorites that I order at different restaurants. Many times the topping covers up the taste of a less than premium fish. Here, though, the fish not only tasted fresh, but the tomato, celery, and olive topping was one of the best, if not the best, I have had in El Paso. Although this is not a spicy dish, the olives, tomatoes and other ingredients make it interesting.

Lemon Pepper Fillet

Lemon pepper fillet

The Lemon Pepper Fillet had a great breading that brought out the flavor of the fish, and was very well prepared. It came in a large serving that was very satisfying, but not expensive compared to other restaurants.

Filete Diabla

Filete diabla

At other restaurants I have enjoyed the Filete Diabla with a spicy chipotle sauce, but I found the one here to be a bit overwhelming in the spiciness. It was also a bit surprising considering that the other fillets I have tried have been markedly on the mild side.

Side Dishes
The mashed potatoes that come with the fillet are excellent, and the rice is just there (nothing special). This is apparently the traditional way to serve Mexican style fish.

Additional Comments
It should be obvious that the fish here is not like it is in Baja California or the Gulf Coast, but they do a pretty good job for an inland seafood restaurant. The fish has a good flavor, but mostly what I like are the toppings and side dishes that come with it.

I particularly like the veracruzano style fish here because it seems to be very traditional and in my mind sets the standard for the way it should be done.

This restaurant is actually Villa del Mar #2–the original is in Ciudad Juárez, and a third is now open on Mesa Street in west El Paso.

RATING: 23

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index:
Cooking Oil:	N/A

 

Special Ratings

	Filete Veracruzano
	Lemon Pepper Fillet
	Filete Diabla
	Shrimp Quesadilla
	Fish Ceviche
	Fish Soup
	Salad
	Chips
	Salsa
	Pico de Gallo

Chubby’s Bronx Deli

1830 Joe Battle Blvd.
El Paso, TX
(915) 626-5373

Chubby’s Bronx Deli

With all of the items I eat and new dishes I like to try, sandwiches comprise a surprisingly small portion of this. It is not that I am averse to them, but I hold a high standard for what I like to eat (probably more than with other types of food).

Chubby’s is worthwhile, though, serving Boar’s Head meat and other ingredients that are high quality. I have been eating Boar’s Head at home for a while, and I can vouch for its quality, flavor, and lack of the preservatives that nutritionists say we should avoid. It is more difficult for restaurants to serve this type of meat, with a small window of time that the meat will be fresh and not wanting to have too much of it that they have to throw away because it does not sell.

Reuben

Reuben with sauerkraut and Russian dressing

The Reuben sandwich seems to be the specialty of Chubby’s (I gathered that both with on line comments and from what employees were recommending). Although you can build your own sandwiches here, I think the standard reuben with sauerkraut and Russian dressing is a good bet. It is very fresh, and of course each person will judge whether or not it tastes good (but I thought it was pretty good considering that I generally like things like turkey or tuna).

Other Comments
Although Chubby’s is very good, I find the choices limited for what I would expect in a deli. Some delis I know in Oklahoma prepare their own dishes in addition to the sandwiches, and I am not sure if Chubby’s is really a deli or whether it is just a sandwich shop. Yelp has reviews for their cheesesteak sandwiches and chicken salad, which take more preparation than merely throwing a sandwich together. Still, I think the choices are limited for a deli.

Having said that, I cannot argue with the quality or flavor of what Chubby’s serves.

RATING: 23

Cuisine: Sandwiches
Cost: $$
Hours: Open Daily except Sun. evening
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: No

Most Recent Visit: Dec. 2, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Items: Reuben

Special Ratings

Reuben

La Choza Menudazo & Tamalotes

1155 N. Zaragoza Rd.
El Paso, TX
(915) 872-1486

La Choza

My visits to La Choza span more than a decade and the length of El Paso, but the result has always been the same–good food that is “authentic” as the restaurant claims. In 2006 and 2007 I made several visits to the west side La Choza which is now closed, and recently I was able to go to the original restaurant on Zaragoza Road in east El Paso (although I believe the original restaurant is actually in Ciudad Juarez). Both El Paso locations have stayed true to the original Chihuahua style tastes, and have not changed at all because of being located north of the border.

The El Paso Times spotlighted La Choza in its 2006 Best of the Border awards as serving the “Best Menudo” and as a runner-up in the “Best Tamales” category (as is reflected by its name Menudazo y Tamalotes). La Choza is certainly one of the city’s better Mexican restaurants, and especially in the category of what I call “Chihuahua style Mexican food,” or food that is more authentic and served the style that people tend to eat every day in Ciudad Juarez and throughout northern Mexico.

Probably the best thing to get here is a combination plate. They make it easy with about eight different plates on the menu, and an almost unlimited variety if you make substitutions (which they seem to make very easy to order). On the plates I have ordered the tamales seem to be a “must include” item.

Chips and Salsa

Chips and salsa

The chips and salsa are usually a tip-off as to the quality of the meal that will be served. The Chips at La Choza were more than impressive– home made, thick, crispy, not too greasy, and only a bit too salty. In fact, these may be viewed as the classic El Paso and northern Mexico style chips by which others can be compared.

The Salsa may be even more impressive–a thin liquid with just the right amount of diced chiles and not too much cilantro or other spices that typically ruin a good salsa.

Appetizers and A La Carte Items

Small order of chile con queso

To me a very special meal would include a small order of Chile con Queso. A lot of restaurants serve this dish, but other parts of the country do not compare to the northern Mexican style that is typified by La Choza. This dish is served with a thick cheese that does not turn either too hard or too gooey, and fresh green chile strips that taste as if they come from the local area. Some people get the full order as a dinner, but my stomach is not prepared for that much green chile at one sitting. I loved the appetizer, though, and thought it was one of the best versions of chile con queso I had tried. Others in El Paso serve very good queso, but I thought the one at La Choza was probably closer to the ones I have eaten in Mexico.

Special tamales

They frequently offer special tamales that are not regularly on the menu, such as the green and red ones shown here. I do not know what they are called, I only suggest getting the ones freshly made no matter what they are.

Combination Plates

Combination plate no. 6

The Combination Plate Number 6 has what I normally consider to be some of the best items to order, but here the best one is the Tamal. All the items together, though, made a very enjoyable dinner.

The Chile Relleno surprised me by coming plain without sauce on top. It also surprised me by being less greasy than most. I did not find it as flavorful as most of the ones I consider to be “New Mexico” style, but I think using the type of chile, cheese, and breading that are consistent with Ciudad Juarez style food, La Choza did a very good job.

The Red Enchilada had good cheese, but came with a rather weak red chile that was diluted with too many spices. If you are used to the ones in Ciudad Juarez you will feel right at home with the enchiladas here. Personally I prefer the ones that are more popular in El Paso using stronger chiles and without as strong of a cumin flavor.

Combination plate with a gordita, chicken tamal, flauta, rice, and beans

The Flauta on this combination plate was also among my favorites. It was notable in its lack of greasiness. The guacamole, served in a small container, was excellent. I was served sour cream that was still cold and hard to use as a dip, but it was better on a subsequent visit. La Choza also provides a third topping that completes the colors of the Mexican flag: red, white, and green. The red container has a special red chile that is more robust with flavors than it is spicy (if you want something extremely spicy you can use the salsa served before the meal). Ciro’s has been known in town for serving the same style flautas with three toppings, but I thought the one at La Choza was equally good, if not better.

The Gordita was enclosed in a soft flour tortilla shell, with roast beef inside (other types of meat are available). While this type of meat seems superior to me than the ground beef used at Little Diner and other restaurants, the unfried shell made this a different type of food than the border style gordita–really it is more like a soft taco. I enjoyed the way La Choza made it but it was not really the same dish as the deep fried ones served at Little Diner and JJ’s.

The Chicken Tamal with green chile was the first thing I ordered after I read that La Choza was one of the best places in town for tamales. It had the traditional corn husk that was opened to reveal a moist masa outside with chicken and green chile inside. I thought the chicken was the weak point of the tamal, being a little dry. The green chile was not as robust as at other restaurants, but it was one of the better tamales I have tried. While there are different styles of tamales in Mexico and throughout the American Southwest, it is not easy to get a masa that tastes just right. I think the one at La Choza comes pretty close.

A Melón (canteloupe) drink I ordered was very good– not too sweet and a good representation of this type of agua fresca drink.

Combination plate with beans, rice, flauta, red enchilada, and chile relleno

This combination plate does not present any new items, but it shows how you can get just about any combination of items that you wish.

Combination plate with green enchiladas

Green Enchiladas made Ciudad Juarez style are milder than the ones with New Mexico chile, and sometimes have a different flavor. The trick I have found to ordering them is to always get a chicken filling, and when possible get them with sour cream (enchilada suiza style). At La Choza it turned out I had nothing to worry about, since the green chile was quite good (although still not very spicy). The Mexican white cheese added a flavor dimension that is not found in New Mexico enchiladas that use yellow cheese, so in my opinion the green enchiladas at La Choza are on par with some of the city’s New Mexico style enchiladas. I enjoyed them served with chicken and a container of sour cream that was served on the side, although I think ones without chicken might be my first discovery of a truly good meatless dish at La Choza.

Other Notes
The prices were a little higher than are normally found in El Paso Mexican restaurants, but I thought were a bargain for the quality of food served. Even the items that I thought did not have the best flavor were very fresh and of good quality.

The service has always been outstanding even though I have gone to different locations and have had different servers.

Breakfast is available from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

This is a “late night” restaurant for Fridays and Saturdays since they are open 24 hours both of these evenings. This is also a time when they sever the “special” tamales.

Even if a restaurant stays true to “Chihuahua style” cooking, there is still a great allowance for individual recipes and cooking methods. I like the way La Choza prepares the food, and I have found the total meals to be a pleasurable experience that makes up for any specific shortcomings found in individual items. To me the only real shortcoming has been in the red enchiladas, but this has been my general experience with Ciudad Juarez style restaurants. The green enchiladas and just about everything else, though, have been outstanding.

More than being good, though, the food has been very enjoyable–something that is intangible but very important. I hope others will enjoy it as much as I have.

RATING: 24

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index:
Cooking Oil:	Vegetable

 

Special Ratings

	Tamales Green
	Tamales Red
	Flautas
	Gorditas
	Chile Relleno
	Red Enchiladas
	Green Enchiladas
	Chile con Queso
	Chips
	Salsa
	Beans
	Rice
	Melón Drink