City: El Paso, TX

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (915) 633-9877

Address: 9077 Gateway West

Description: Originally opened in Ciudad Juárez in the 1980s, this restaurant’s name comes from its original specialty dish, carnitas, or kettle-cooked pork. The restaurant has since expanded to three locations in El Paso—the massive cartoon pig on the sign makes them easily recognizable—each as good as the next, with a divine selection of Mexican dishes. The great thing about the menu at Carnitas Quéretaro is that there’s a little something for everyone. Many families come here to indulge in Mexican comfort foods, but there are plenty of familiar items on the menu, such as tacos and burritos. However, if you want Mexican cuisine served in the traditional hearty style, including a lot of dishes that aren’t typically found on Mexican-American menus, this is the place to go. Lamb barbacoa (barbecue), mole, and buche (stomach) are among the more adventurous offerings, and these are really the reason to eat at Carnitas Quéretaro, as opposed to the more typical Mexican-American items, which aren’t as good here. The prices are truly divine, and despite the restaurant’s expansion, it still tastes and costs similar to a hole in the wall joint. A second and third location are at 10801 Pebble Hills Blvd. (915-644-6545) and on the Westside at 6516 North Mesa St. (915-584-9906).