Restaurant and Cantina in El Paso, Texas
“Dicen que si te colocas una caracola junto a la oreja, puedes escuchar el sonido del mar.”
Stepping Inside La Caracola
During our second week in El Paso, my brother and I stopped in to check out a new restaurant called La Caracola. We saw signs that said it had newly opened and we were curious.
Decor
I’m not sure how to describe the interior of La Caracola. Eclectic, colorful, playful, and welcoming are adjectives that come to mind. Colorful paintings line two walls and painted gray bricks offset the color. Televisions broadcast sports on one end of the horseshoe-shaped bar. The paintings and the barstools add to the cool, retro look.
Lunch at La Caracola
We split a plate of “pastor” tacos and were instantly fans. The plate costs $7 and comes with four corn tortillas and perfectly seasoned pork, raw onion, cilantro, sweet grilled pineapple, and three of the best salsas you will find anywhere.
While we were having our late lunch, a band was setting up equipment. La Caracola becomes a popular cantina in the evening.
Grand Opening
July 1st, 2022 was a proud day for Claudia and her husband. He came up with the name and liked the double meaning. A caracola is a large sea shell, but the word can also mean heads and tails.
The grand opening of La Caracola was Claudia’s life-long dream. Coming from a working family, she and her husband have put their life savings into this venture and both continue to work full time outside the restaurant.
La Caracola is a family-run business, with Claudia and her husband setting the tone for excellent service and a personal touch. They take time to speak with their customers on a personal level and it shows in the restaurant’s increasing popularity.
La Caracola Menu
The menu consists of appetizers, tacos, and a special Sunday brunch. On Sunday menudo and chilaquiles are on the menu (remember the post about Chilaquiles in the rain?).
Claudia’s grandmother was a great cook who loved preparing food for family gatherings. All of the food at La Caracola is made from her recipes. Those three amazing salsas? Yep. The savory seasoned meat? Absolutely.
There might be one exception. The Wizzie Dog. What is a Wizzie, you might ask? It is Claudia’s son’s version of a Juarez-style footlong hotdog, wrapped in bacon and served with all the fixings. I haven’t had one yet but I’m told they are amazing.
Second visit
Today I took my mother and brother back to La Caracola to talk to Claudia and try some more delicious food. We got the Caracola Platter to share. The platter included three tacos (yay!), three jalapeño poppers, a quesadilla, nachos, and french fries. But wait! These familiar-sounding foods were extraordinary.
The poppers were whole jalapeños, stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. The quesadilla was made with soft, sharp, Mexican mozzarella and a meat of your choice. We chose barbacoa and it was the best quesadilla I have ever eaten. The “nachos” were actually house-made tortilla chips and a bowl of queso fundido. The same cheese as the quesadilla I believe, with some secret ingredients melted in; green onions, jalapeño, and garlic? I’m not sure but it reminded me of fondue and it was so good I dipped the fries in it too. All I can say is that it was fortunate there were three of us because I ate way too much.
The dream
Claudia’s dream is to bring the vibrant taste of authentic Mexican food to Texas. La Caracola uses her grandmother’s recipes and Mexican spices. The restaurant also uses locally-sourced meat and produce. They even serve a local tequila.
If you ask me, Claudia should be very proud. La Caracola is a special place. If you are in El Paso, make sure you stop in for some great food and some night life, depending on the hour.
Address: 1506 Lee Trevino Dr., El Paso, Texas 79936
Phone: 915-444-8453
Hours: Tues-Sat 12pm-2am, Sun 12pm-8pm, Mon closed
Your review makes me want to go there from CA just to have the same experience. Sounds fantastic.
Thanks, Mike! I hope El Paso is on your bucket list!