L&J Cafe

The overview

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.

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

Google Maps
Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. L&J Cafe cleared every one.

✓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 full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Mexican Restaurant in El Paso El Paso, TX · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for L&J Cafe →

Visit L&J Cafe

Websiteljcafe.com ↗

Location3622 E Missouri Ave, El Paso, TX 79903

In business since1927

Find them onFacebook · Instagram · Tripadvisor · Yelp

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about L&J Cafe — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

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 L&J Cafe cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

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.