L&J Cafe
Best Mexican Restaurant in El Paso · TX
The old place by the graveyard
L&J Cafe has poured margaritas and plated border-Mexican classics since 1927, making it El Paso's oldest continuously family-run restaurant and bar. Long known as 'the old place by the graveyard' for its perch beside Concordia Cemetery, it's famous for enchiladas, chile con queso, and a fiercely loyal following.
Four generations of the Duran-Bonart family have kept the room going for nearly a century — a genuine El Paso institution where the recipes, and many of the regulars, span decades.
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; L&J Cafe met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in El Paso since 1927 — 98 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in El Paso.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: El Paso has kept L&J Cafe busy for 98 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by El Paso regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best Mexican restaurant in El Paso for 2025 for four generations of family cooking beside Concordia Cemetery since 1927.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Mexican Restaurant in El Paso El Paso, TX · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit L&J Cafe
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about L&J Cafe.
- Legal / trading name
- L&J Cafe
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1927, El Paso, TX
- Location
- El Paso, TX
- Centurion Award
- Best Mexican Restaurant in El Paso — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for L&J Cafe against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is L&J Cafe?
Opened in 1927 and still family-run, L&J survived Prohibition and became El Paso's defining plate of enchiladas.
Is L&J Cafe award-winning?
Yes — L&J Cafe is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Mexican Restaurant in El Paso, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best Mexican restaurant in El Paso for 2025 for four generations of family cooking beside Concordia Cemetery since 1927.
Where is L&J Cafe?
L&J Cafe is in El Paso, TX.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.