Stay warm with a hot caldo de res, pollo. Where to go in El Paso
Forget sweater weather. Around these parts, it's caldo (soup) weather when the temperature drops in El Paso.
The good news for El Pasoans is that the options to warm up with a good bowl of caldo abound in El Paso. There are various types of caldo, too, from caldo de res (beef soup) and caldo de pollo (chicken soup) to tortilla soup and albondiga (meatball) soup.
No matter your favorite, many Mexican restaurants in El Paso serve caldo as part of the daily special or as the main dish, accompanied by corn tortillas and rice.
Most Mexican restaurants offer a daily caldo, such as this caldo de pollo, with corn tortillas and Mexican rice.
Here are some of our favorite places around El Paso to get a bowl.
Cafe Mayapan, 2000 Texas Ave.
Cafe Mayapan, 2000 Texas Ave., offers a variety of caldos, including caldo de res, sopa de fideo with turkey meatballs, the Sopa Azteca (the classic tortilla soup with cheese, avocado and chipotle), and Caldo Tlalpeno, a chicken and vegetable soup with avocado and chipotle sauce. And for vegetarians, they also have vegetable broth.
Hours: Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Los Jarrones, 801 Paisano Drive
Los Jarrones Mexican Food and Bakery, 801 Paisano Drive, offers a large caldo de res topped with cilantro, vegetables, and beef cubes. It also comes with rice, plenty of lime slices and corn tortillas.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Sunday.
The Lunch Box, 667 N. Carolina Drive
Celebrating 40 years in 2025, The Lunch Box is one of the favorite family-owned restaurants in El Paso. The restaurant offers caldo on its lunch menu.
Relatives of the Rios family also own Martita's Lunch Box, at 3623 Buckner St., which offers a similar menu for East-Central El Pasoans.
The Lunch Box, 667 N. Carolina Drive and Martita's Lunch Box, 3623 Buckner St, serve caldo de res and pollo as part of the lunch special. The restaurants are family owned by related siblings.
Or you can order a caldo de res or pollo as a full meal, with tortillas, limes and rice.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday.
L&J Cafe, 3622 E. Missouri Ave.
L&J Cafe,3622 E. Missouri Ave., serves many popular dishes. And the caldo is just another one. You are sure to run into someone you know when you drop by or even spot a celebrity.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday to Saturday; closed Monday.
Carnitas Queretaro, 7410 Remcon Circle
Carnitas Queretaro, with four locations, including 1451 N. Zaragoza Road, offers a variety of soups. In addition to the caldo de res and pollo, other good options are the chicken tortilla soup and the Posole Tapatio.
Hours: Open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; [email protected]; @eptmaria.bsky.social on Bluesky, and @eptmariacg on TikTok.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Stay warm with a hot caldo de res, pollo. Where to go in El Paso
