Lucy’s Restaurant

4119 N. Mesa St..
El Paso, TX
(915) 577-9049

Lucy’s Restaurant next to King’s X

I know a lot of us long for the “good old days,” but when it comes to the traditional style of El Paso Mexican food that is sometimes hard to find nowadays, Lucy’s Restaurant is still turning it out for a large group of devoted customers.

Formerly located downtown, it is now has three locations on Mesa Street (the one closer to downtown is only open for lunch) and one on Dyer Street. My “number of visits” is stated as being over ten times, but it has actually been well over 50– most of them at the old location downtown when I used to go there on my lunch hour. Even though the locations have changed, the food remains the same.

Chips & Salsa

El Paso style chips and salsa at Lucy’s

Meals here get started with complimentary Chips and Salsa, even for breakfast.

The Food
Probably well over half of my visits have been for the Milanesa; a pan-fried steak, but much better than most American versions. I have not tried all the versions of milanesa in town, and there may be some better ones, but the one at Lucy’s is my idea of its authentic representation.

Any attempt to go vegetarian at Lucy’s will probably be less than satisfying. The Red Enchiladas have left me totally unimpressed. The Green Enchiladas are better, but do not come close to the wonderful ones at the Little Diner or L&J Cafe (but the ones at Lucy’s are still much better than many in El Paso). They are made with the puréed green chile, and are extremely spicy (almost too much so!). Diners should keep in mind, though, that the enchiladas are cooked with lard, so they are not vegetarian. I really cannot think of anything that can be ordered at Lucy’s that is not made with meat products.

One of the better items here is  the Chile Relleno. The chile was somewhat tasteless and full of seeds. The batter was not too exciting either; it just did not have the best flavor or texture. The sauce poured on top of the relleno, though, was wonderful, even though I normally don’t like rellenos with sauce. Surprisingly, the relleno did not have a noticeable amount of grease. El Paso style rellenos are prepared differently than ones in other areas, and this enters into my opinion. Considering that I generally prefer New Mexico style rellenos, though, it is somewhat surprising that I like the ones at Lucy’s as much as I do.

Lucy’s caldillo served in a bowl with rice and tortilla on the side

The Caldillo is a green chile stew made with pork, and is one of the more flavorful dishes at Lucy’s. I think I like it in spite of the fact it is made with pork rather than because of it. Otherwise, though, the green chiles, tomatoes, and spices floating around the soup were all very enjoyable. The broth was the best part of the dish, with a soup so infused with the different spices used it was almost like one of the very good Chinese soups that I try to make a regular part of my diet. I had the idea that caldillo is supposed to be a thick stew that sometimes is put on a plate as part of a comida corrida lunch special or a caldillo dish. The thin, soupy version at Lucy’s, though, seems like a worthy alternative, and certainly a delicious one.

The Beans are greasy as are most of the ones in El Paso, and I’m sure are loaded with lard.

The Rice has a nice flavor and is usually fresh and not overcooked.

One high point of Lucy’s is the deep red Chile de Arbol salsa that is quite hot and served only on request (thanks to fellow Chowhound Amy Sue for recommending it). It is not always available but certainly worth requesting.

Breakfast

Machaca is one of Lucy’s most popular items

“Lucy’s Famous Machaca Plate” (this is the way it is listed on their menu) attracts many people to Lucy’s including Shane Mc Auliffe, host of the Texas Bucket List. Many like the Lucy’s Chile con Queso slathered on top, and a few other restaurants make machaca the same style. For me the queso was good but not enough to make up for the meat which seemed too dry.

Drinks
Special drinks can be requested, and Lucy’s is very accommodating in trying to fulfill special requests. When available the home made Mexican style Lemonade is excellent–probably better than at most restaurants that include it on the menu.

An Overview
Lucy’s has always seemed to serve good, solid El Paso style food, with the meat items being the most memorable. The salsa and other items are great, but I do not like the “lard” aftertaste of some of the food. I would mainly suggest staying away from the enchiladas and the beans to avoid the aftertaste.

I like Lucy’s open kitchen that is visible to customers, as well as the friendly staff (some of whom I have known from the days when the restaurant was downtown). It is easy to see why Lucy’s is such a favorite with locals. I am not sure of the restaurant’s hours but it never seems to be closed when I want to go there.

Lucy’s Web Site

RATING: 21

Mexican Food Details

Chile Index:
Cooking Oil:	Lard

 

Special Ratings

	Milanesa
	Caldillo
	Chile Relleno
	Machaca
	Chile con Queso
	Rice
	Beans
	Chips
	Salsa (Chile de Arbol)