Barrigas on Sunland Park

Note Jun. 2019: All of the Barrigas locations in El Paso have now closed but it is reportedly still open in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

This upscale Ciudad Juarez restaurant has recently branched out into El Paso, and provides some of the most authentic Mexican food around. Probably the best feature of Barrigas is the varied menu, with many items not traditionally found in the U.S. Mexican restaurants (although this type of menu variety is increasingly found in El Paso restaurants).

Barrigas seems to specialize in meat items, particularly in finding flavorful ways to combine meat, cheese, and other ingredients. It is also a good place to go if you like a variety of salads, appetizers (such as queso fundido), desserts, and shrimp. Margaritas and other drinks are served.

The background noise and music at Barrigas can sometimes be at such a high level it is hard to hold a conversation. When they have had live mariachi bands, though, the quality of the music has been such I have not minded the temporary inconvenience in trying to converse with others at the table.

Chips and Salsa
The Chips are somewhat greasy and the Salsa has sometimes been too spicy with jalapeno peppers, but the salsa seemed to improve a lot starting about 2006. In fact I would say it is now very close to the classic El Paso and Ciudad Juarez style salsa that is spicy and flavorful, and perhaps a little heavy on extra spices that are thrown in.

The Pico de Gallo that is sometimes served in addition to the salsa is quite good, but it is usually not offered.

Enchiladas
The Red Enchiladas are good, but they are not my favorite in El Paso and I prefer them on a combination plate with other items. While they are a good example of Ciudad Juarez style enchiladas, I prefer the New Mexico style chile that does not have as many spices that modify the flavor as the Mexican style red chile. These enchiladas may be more suitable than the New Mexico style, though, for people who do not like them extremely spicy.

Chicken enchiladas

Green Enchiladas are made with puréed green chile that is normally very easy to make too spicy and not very flavorful, but the ones at Barrigas are an exception. I find the green chile here to have a flavor that is very similar to the New Mexico style green chile, although milder. These enchiladas also use melted Mexican cheese on top of the chile as well as inside the enchilada, adding to the flavor and making them among the best green enchiladas in El Paso. The green enchiladas seem to taste better with chicken inside and a side order of sour cream to make Enchiladas Suizas, not on the menu as such but is one of the better versions of this dish.

Flautas
Flautas here are well above average using thick, flavorful chunks of chicken and a large quantity of guacamole in which to dip it.

Mole
Chicken Mole is served the traditional Ciudad Juarez style, with chicken mixed into the mole, and Barrigas is one of the best. The mole sauce is not too sweet and I think has a very smooth and delicious taste. Some say mole is an acquired taste, but the one here is a good place to start if you want a more authentic version.

Enmoladas

Enmoladas, or mole enchiladas, are a way to enjoy the sauce without the chicken (enchiladas are served either with cheese or chicken). With a side order of flour tortillas I really like the mole sauce just as well as on the chicken dinner. To me, though, the enchiladas have a strong corn oil flavor that makes this a less desirable dish than the chicken mole dinner. I am tempted to go on a rant here about the less nutritious and less well balanced food customers frequently receive when they try to order vegetarian dinners, and this is a clear example. One alternative would be to order a mole burrito which is not fried (and would probably have little or no corn oil). In my opinion, though, the best flavor comes with the chicken mole dinner. Mexican food seems to be at its best when you order it with meat.

Chile Relleno
The Chiles Rellenos have been quite greasy at times but other times have been quite good. The yellow tomato sauce served on top of the relleno is flavorful. For the most part I would recommend against ordering it here–other restaurants have much better rellenos.

Puntas de Filete

Puntas de filete

Puntas de Filete is a dish of sirloin tips that is served with a choice of several sauces. I enjoyed it not only because of its flavor, but because it is something that is not served in a great number of restaurants. I suspect all the sauces are good, but if you have a hard time deciding I think the waiters will give their suggestions.

Side Dishes
Rice and beans are very good, and overall you should expect a good meal here. Barrigas does not take the time to make Mexican style agua fresca drinks, but I have been pretty happy with the food, and the prices are not bad.

More About the Restaurant
Barrigas is open late (10 p.m.) on weekdays, and later on weekends. The outdoor patio is an excellent idea to take advantage of the El Paso weather, but smoking is allowed making it unusable to me. Because of this, the usually cold air inside, and frequent loud noise, I would have to give low marks for the restaurant’s atmosphere. Still, though, it is one of the better places to get good Mexican food in an upscale setting.

RATING: 23

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index:
Cooking Oil:	Vegetable

 

Special Ratings

	Red Enchiladas
	Green Enchiladas with chicken and sour cream
	Flautas
	Mole
	Enmoladas
	Chile Relleno
	Puntas de Filete
	Beans
	Rice
	Chips
	Salsa
	Lemonade

The Mission Trail in the Rio Grande valley east of El Paso is one of the area’s biggest attractions, bringing visitors to the historic churches in Ysleta, Socorro, and San Elizario. The Socorro Mission forms the heart of the community and incorporated area of Socorro, and next to the mission can be found El Meson de Oñate, a small restaurant that provides a gastronomical experience to complement the cultural one.

Serving comida de corrida lunches, El Meson relies on local patrons to stay in business (a sign that the food is authentic), yet the ambience and the food will please even the most discriminating visitor. The owner used his carpenter skills to construct the entire building in 1999, ensuring that the architecture blended into the historic neighborhood.

When you enter, it looks as if they are serving a buffet– different items are covered in serving trays with a glass window in front. Actually, this is the kitchen which is open to view. On my first visit in March 2005 I was very impressed that the food tasted home made, and the flavor far surpassed the normal “restaurant food.”

Mexican Plate
My inagural meal started out with a complimentary Sopa de Fideo, a soup made with a spaghetti-like noodle, chunks of chicken white meat, and Mexican spices. When I tasted it I thought it must be the highlight of the meal, since it is the best I’ve ever had, but I thought the same thing about the Pico de Gallo served with chips (I liked the regular salsa also, but not as much).

The Mexican plate offered the variety I like and allowed me to review more items. The Red Enchilada was excellent– not the best in El Paso but possibly had the best cheese. I ordered a Flauta that is not normally one of my favorite dishes, but this turned out to be the best item on the plate. Perfectly fried with large chunks of meat, the crema was excellent, and the guacamole turned out to be the highlight. I saw another party who had an order of Guacamole, and I would recommend this if you are not ordering flautas or another dish that comes with guacamole.

Changes in Management
In summer 2005 the restaurant was closed for remodeling, and when I returned after that time I did not find all the food to be the same as before. The fideo and flautas were still excellent. The enchiladas, rice, beans, chips, and salsa tasted more like mass-produced “restaurant food” that you can find almost anywhere in El Paso, and I did not even get the pico de gallo that I had liked so much on my first visit. The Chile Relleno was the biggest disappointment– I had enjoyed it on my first visit but the second time it was bland, greasy, and not very flavorful (although the cheese was still good).

The Latest Information from Other Sources
Other sources said that the owner sold the restaurant after my first visit in 1999, and that is the reason the quality went down. Now, though, the original owner is back (as of 2007). Yelp reviews as of 2015 and 2016 are mostly excellent (as I would expect they would be). I am increasing my rating of the restaurant based on this new information, and I think my first visit was more indicative of the way the restaurant is now.

RATING: 23

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index:
Cooking Oil:	Vegetable

 

Special Ratings

	Red Enchiladas
	Chile Relleno
	Flautas
	Sopa de Fideo
	Chips
	Pico de Gallo

Elmer’s Restaurant

Established in 1959, Elmer’s seems to have discovered a “time warp” whereby nothing inside the restaurant ever ages. It is still the same 1950’s era diner style family restaurant complete with leather booths, salad bar, juke box, and a pie display case. The waitresses are the only thing in the restaurant that do not look as if they are left over from the fifties. Customers are treated with the same friendliness that the ones among us who are nostalgic would have expected a half century ago.

Some of Elmer’s awards on display

The food is also a throwback to the 50’s and 60’s, when there was no such thing as “healthy” restaurant food and restaurants did not have cuisine that was as specialized as it is today. Elmer’s became popular by serving both Mexican and American food, and a wide variety of each, so each person in a family could get what they wanted. If desired a person may order a Mexican plate with a salad bar or an American dish served with chips and salsa.

Chips and salsa

Even though Elmer’s serves just about every type of food, I have usually stuck with the specialties– red enchiladas, fried chicken, and breakfast dishes. This is probably not a great restaurant for American food– because of the fact that most things are fried this is not the type of food I would normally eat at home (but it is one of the few options for American food in El Paso). With the exception of enchiladas and a few other items it is probably not a great place for Mexican food either. It is a place, though, where both are served, and in this sense it is somewhat unique.

Mexican Food

Taco, rice, chile relleno, red enchilada, beans

The Red Enchiladas served at Elmer’s are some of the best in El Paso. While there is nothing exceptional about them, it is rather strange that so many restaurants in the city fail to make enchiladas that match up with Elmer’s and the handful of other restaurants that set the standard for this dish. The red chile at Elmer’s is spicy but not overly so, and they have the deep red flavor and color that is almost New Mexico style. The cheese is Mexican style, and this is just a good all-around enchilada.

The Chile Relleno is good by El Paso standards, but still a little greasy. It is topped with green chile that is flavorful but pretty generic. The main thing I did not like about it was the chile relleno itself– the topping neither detracted nor added much to the enjoyment of the dish.

The Beef Taco was plain and lightly spiced but good quality. It comes as part of the Mexican plate, which I would recommend as a way to try a variety of Mexican items.

Refried Beans were flavorful and not greasy. I would guess that they are cooked in vegetable oil. The Rice was not very flavorful, and could have been a lot better.

Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is the most famous dish here, and the menu proclaims it is the “best in the Southwest.” I might believe it is the best in El Paso, mainly for lack of competition, but I found it dry with a thick, greasy crust (a lighter crust might be better). The main disappointment came from the side dishes, though, since the whole point of eating fried chicken is to have a “fried chicken DINNER” (not just the chicken itself). It’s cheap, though, and well worth what you pay.

Additional Comments
Mexican breakfast dishes likewise are excellent and cheap– not the best in the city, but definitely better than average.

I have been going to Elmer’s for so many years I was afraid my past experiences might cause me to overlook some of its current shortcomings. The food I have eaten recently, though, has been pretty much like it always has been, so the shortcomings of Elmer’s have probably been there from the beginning. The good thing about Elmer’s is that you get exactly what you expect– a diner style restaurant that is better than the chain restaurants and less expensive.

Elmer’s famous pie display greets customers upon entering

To go along with the mix of Mexican and American food, customers will likely want a slice of Elmer’s pie. The pie display located next to the front door creates a double temptation, both when entering the restaurant and before leaving. Several varieties beckon the diner, and few are able to resist.

RATING: 19

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index:
Cooking Oil:	Vegetable

 

Special Ratings

	Red Enchiladas
	Chile Relleno
	Beef Taco
	Fried Chicken
	Beans
	Rice
	Mashed Potatoes
	Cole Slaw

Griggs Restaurant on Doniphan

Griggs Restaurant is probably my all time favorite restaurant in El Paso, but I say this with qualifications.  Today I do not eat as much Mexican food as before, so I would regard it as more of a “special treat” restaurant.  Another qualification is that the quality was not consistent.  I could always count on Mr. and Mrs. Griggs producing top notch food, but when they retired the restaurant closed and then reopened with the younger generation managing it.  Also there was another Griggs Restaurant in East El Paso that was sold to another owner.  The end result is that I have the best memories of the original restaurant on Doniphan.  The others were good as well, and occasionally as good as the original.

I know that there is a somewhat sizeable group of people who remember the restaurant fondly and miss it, but what I want to do here is explain the food rather than just do an article on El Paso nostalgia.  I have a copy of the Griggs family cookbook with recipes used in the restaurant, but rather than try to post the recipes I will include a link to a blog that has already done so: Won’t Read Directions

Mrs. Griggs cookbook published in 1968

One thing to understand is that Mr. Griggs grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and the restaurant served New Mexico style Mexican food.  More specifically, it came from the recipes developed by his mother Josephine Griggs.  Her children operated some very well known New Mexican restaurants in 1968 when the cookbook was published–Griggs Restaurant in El Paso (Edgar), La Posta in Mesilla, NM (operated by Katherine and her family but founded by Katy’s uncle, George Griggs), and El Pinto in Albuquerque (operated by Consuelo, another daughter, along with her husband and six children).  The other daughter operated a restaurant in Rancho Cordova, California named La Posta de Rancho Cordova.

I have come to the following conclusions about the Griggs family recipes and this restaurant “empire”: (1) each of these restaurants developed its own modifications to these recipes, (2) most people who try to cook these recipes find that they are very hard to cook without making some modifications, and (3) if you follow the recipes the food does not taste the same as the food served in any of these restaurants.  I do not know why this is the case, but it really does not matter to me–I had no intention of actually trying to cook the dishes, I only wanted to enjoy the food at the various restaurants.

I have always thought that Griggs Restaurant was more “authentic” New Mexican than either La Posta or El Pinto (and I have been to both of these restaurants multiple times).  One reason I say this is that Griggs used fairly spicy chiles while La Posta is very much on the tame side (I have heard that El Pinto has some very spicy chile but that you have to get this by special request).

The “original” Griggs Restaurant (operated by Edgar and Rita) closed before I started writing reviews, so I do not have a review of the restaurant to include in this article.  Instead, I have various write-ups and bits of information that I can piece together to give a picture of the original Griggs Restaurant (in west El Paso) and the east side Griggs.

Review of the original Griggs Restaurant written 2005 (my last visit to the restaurant was in 2003)

The Griggs family reopened this restaurant with the original recipes, and it has the best New Mexico style food in town. I like the red and green enchiladas, chiles rellenos, and stuffed sopaipillas (I order them with the red chile used on enchiladas). The Griggs extended family originated La Posta in Mesilla and El Pinto in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For some reason, though, only this restaurant seems to provide the rich flavors and spiciness that I think accurately represent the original family recipes. Salsa is the one example of food here that is not very spicy, and probably out of the mainstream of New Mexico style food preparation. This is a minor detail, though, compared to the overall excellent meals that are served.

Review of the East Side Griggs (after my last visit on Nov. 30, 2006)

A restaurant that has been around as long as Griggs runs the risk of falling off the radar screen, especially when it is set back from Montana Avenue and only a non-lighted sign is visible from the street. It has also been through quite a few bumps with the closing of its Mesa Hills location and the on-again, off-again saga of the original Doniphan location (the original restaurant closed, then the children of the owners opened it as Griggs Family Restaurant, then it became became Dos Señoritas under different ownership, and finally a branch of Sombras del Pasado before it closed for good).

Griggs’ dining rooms greet visitors with several pianos and antique furniture

I have felt that the food quality has also been on a roller-coaster ride with the different owners, managers, and cooks. Anyone who knew the Griggs family cannot help associate the friendly smiles they would get and the home cooked style food that was served with the restaurants bearing their name. Of late, though, this has seemed a distant memory as the food seems to get more anglosized, or tourist oriented (as I feel that it always has been) but without the special touches I thought the food always demonstrated when the Griggs family was in charge of the kitchen. A chilehead could overlook the wimpy salsa and mild chiles because of the quality of the food, but it does not seem to have the same quality at the Montana location.

From front to back: Green enchilada, rolled taco, chile relleno, and chile con carne

Certain items at the Montana location (and at the other locations when they were open) always seem to hit the spot regardless of the cooks that are in the kitchen. One is the New Mexico style Chile Relleno, a Mesilla Valley chile surrounded by an egg batter, with no sauce on top. At times the relleno has been beyond greasy (this has been rare, though). It has only been less than enjoyable, though, when the cheese inside the relleno failed to melt (this has been quite rare indeed). I normally order combination dinners at Griggs, but with any dinner ordered I would recommend the inclusion of a relleno.

Green Enchiladas are another standout item, and are rarely less than perfect. Of course, perfection depends on the standard being used. The green chile used is not the spicy variety served at Chope’s in La Mesa, New Mexico, or a number of other New Mexican style restaurants. The one at Griggs is a mild version that even people not used to eating any kind of chiles would enjoy, yet I think the flavor rivals just about any enchilada served in the Land of Enchantment.

The Red Enchiladas have never been one of the outstanding items at Griggs. They were excellent at the Doniphan location, however.

Chile colorado, known as Chile con Carne at Griggs had a superior New Mexico style chile at the original Griggs on Doniphan. The one served at the Montana location, though, seems to lack the flavor that made the other one so good. Likewise the roast pork does not taste like anything special, while the meat at the original Griggs seemed to embody the essence of New Mexico style pork that made eating this dish seem like a special experience.

The slaw is outstanding, and I like the fact that whole beans are served rather than refried.

I do not know whether Griggs’ tortillas are home made, but they certainly taste as if they are. I always found this to be a much more pleasant way to fill up on carbohydrates than trying to down the usually stale chips with the practically chile-less salsa.

The food at Griggs may be familiar to those who have eaten at La Posta in Mesilla, New Mexico or El Pinto in Albuquerque. The Griggs family were early settlers in Mesilla, and various family members founded these three restaurants (all of which are still in business, but with different owners). While the current owners of the New Mexico restaurants have made them “touristy” on purpose, Griggs in El Paso has retained the original Griggs family recipes fairly well (they used to publish a recipe book that has some fairly authentic dishes). I cannot say the Griggs Restaurant serves totally authentic New Mexican cuisine, but it is one of the closest experiences El Pasoans can find to the type of food that would be served in Las Cruces or Albuquerque.

Peppe’s Restaurant
6761 Doniphan Dr.
Canutillo, TX
(915) 877-2152

The latest development in the Griggs Restaurant saga is the opening of Peppe’s Restaurant in Canutillo, Texas by a former cook at the original Griggs Restaurant.  I have enjoyed the food here very much, although I think the menu is a little abbreviated from the original Griggs menu.  I have heard that the owners of Peppe’s would like to publish their own version of the Griggs recipes that will be closer to the food served in the restaurant.  I don’t know the progress on this, but maybe if there is a large demand for it, it will happen.  In any case, if you liked Griggs Restaurant, go to Peppe’s (my sentiments are the same as many of the Yelp reviewers on this point).

I do want to stress to readers that the Griggs food is still available at Peppe’s, and for my taste it is still much better than La Posta or El Pinto in New Mexico.  I would probably like Peppe’s to expand its menu, but as long as I can get the green enchiladas, chile relleno, and chile con carne I think I will be pretty happy.

Information for Griggs Restaurant on Doniphan:

RATING: 24

(today I would probably give it 25, but 24 is what I gave it at the time)

Cuisine: Mexican New Mexican
Cost: $$
Alcohol: Home of the “Juan and Only” Margarita

Chile Index:

Most Recent Visit
2003

Number of Visits: 10+

Best Items
Green Enchiladas, Chile Relleno, Chicken Sopa, Slaw, Chile con Carne, Tostada Compuesta

Special Ratings

	Green Enchiladas
	Chile Relleno
	Tostada Compuesta
	Slaw

Hacienda Mexicana (Closed)
5800 Doniphan Dr.
El Paso, TX

Hacienda Mexicana

Date of Review: Mar. 2010

History:  Hacienda Mexicana opened in the building that used to be Griggs Restaurant, a long time El Paso institution.  Really nothing could replace Griggs, but Hacienda Mexicana served very high quality food (that unfortunately, few customers seemed to discover before the restaurant closed).

The photos in this article show the classic El Paso style Mexican food, and I think the rich colors of the food give a good indication of the rich flavors they contained.

In addition, though, the photo of the front of the restaurant is the best picture I have of the way the original Griggs Restaurant looked from the outside.

The old Griggs Restaurant on Doniphan Drive was such a special restaurant that I think it is only appropriate that another high quality Mexican restaurant take its place, and this is what has now happened with the opening of Hacienda Mexicana in 2010. The building resembles a hacienda, with several large dining rooms, outdoor gardens, and a peaceful setting away from other buildings. It is not located in the country as it was when Griggs opened, but it still seems that way.

Although I loved the food at Griggs, Hacienda Mexicana has made a change from Griggs’ menu and now serves a large variety of El Paso style Mexican food. I was impressed with the number of items on the menu that included such things as chicken mole (and other dishes that Griggs did not serve). I should point out that the former chef at Griggs has opened Peppe’s in Canutillo (6761 Doniphan Dr.) where the former Griggs recipes are now served. Griggs (and now Peppe’s) is New Mexico style food, while Hacienda Mexicana follows the tradition of high quality flavorful El Paso style food that I regularly experienced in the 1980’s but now I find in fewer and fewer restaurants.

Chips and salsa

Although the chips and salsa are not the most important part of most meals, they can detract from it if they are not good. The Chips here, though, were the first sign that it was a good restaurant. These were thick and well toasted, as they should be.

The Red Salsa was thick with a strong chile flavor, made in a typical Mexican style. Of the two salsas this was my favorite.

The Green Salsa was more spicy, but more runny and hard to put on the chips. The fact that they served more than one salsa was a definite plus for the restaurant, allowing a variety of flavors.

Combo plate with rice, chicken taco, flautas, chile relleno, red enchilada, beans, and salad

When I asked for suggestions about what to order, the waiter suggested a combination plate. This reassured me because on my first visit to a Mexican restaurant I like to try as many items as possible. However, this was still not an easy choice because they serve about six different combo plates, and each can be modified through substitutions. Thus the one I got was more or less my choice for the items I would like to try.

The Chile Relleno turned out to be much like the one Griggs used to serve, with an excellent batter and no sauce on top. It was stuffed with Muenster cheese, and had a little cheese on top, but to me was the utlimate chile relleno in El Paso for its simplicity and goodness. I want to start a list of “best individual items” at restaurants, and I know of no chile relleno in El Paso that could top the one at Hacienda Mexicana (in fact, it rivals the one at Chope’s in New Mexico).

I probably could never pick the best Red Enchilada in El Paso, but the one at Hacienda Mexicana was close. This was made the classic El Paso style, with a flavorful red chile that was not too spicy. I do not like a lot of additives such as cumin, and this was one where the chile flavor was left to stand on its own with only a little help from additional ingredients (in other words, just right).

The Flautas were served in the style of the “Mexican flag” with red chile, white sour cream, and a green guacamole sauce for color (the guacamole was a thin, pureed sauce). Although I thought the sauce was good, the flautas themselves were somewhat thin and dry (but not unusual for El Paso).

The Chicken Taco had the same meat as the flautas, which I thought was rather unflavorful. I ordered the taco with a soft shell (normally it comes fried), but it seemed that the restaurant was really not expert at making flavorful soft tacos as some of the more authentic Mexican restaurants are. Probably when it comes to El Paso style Mexican food the crispy tacos are best (and probably beef should be ordered instead of chicken).

The Rice was very flavorful and not dry. It tasted fresh, and not as if it had been sitting around for a while.

The Beans pointed out the main problem I had with some of the food–they had a definite salty flavor. In fact, this one thing pointed out the main difference to me between Hacinda Mexicana being a very good El Paso style Mexican restaurant (which it is) and possibly being one of the best (such as Casa Jurado). I thought the chile relleno and possibly the red enchilada here were better than at Casa Jurado, and some of the other food could be equally good if they cut down on the amount of salt used.

Hacienda Mexicana serves home made Agua Fresca drinks, including horchata and canteloupe (melón), but they said the lemonade comes from a mix.

Overall it was a very good expeience. The price was very reasonable, and the service was good. The restaurant closes at 9 p.m., so I did not have to feel rushed in trying to get there early as I do at many restaurants. This was truly a worthy replacement for Griggs, especially since I feel they are serving the same chiles rellenos that Griggs used to have.

RATING: 23

Cuisine: Mexican El Paso
Cost: $$
Accessible: Yes
Cooking Oil: Vegetable
Alcohol: Applied for License

Chile Index:

Most Recent Visit
Mar. 30, 2010

Number of Visits: 1

Best Items
Chiles Rellenos, Red Enchiladas

Special Ratings

	Red Enchiladas
	Chiles Rellenos
	Chicken Taco
	Flautas
	Rice
	Beans
	Flour Tortillas
	Chips
	Salsa
	Melón