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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Mexican Restaurant in El Paso El Paso, TX · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit L&J Cafe
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for L&J Cafe (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.