The Best Restaurant in West Texas and the Panhandle, Texas

Background Illustration for Restaurants

Due to a mix of geographic isolation and Hispanic heritage, the food is a redolent, sumptuous mix of north Mexican cooking and Southern home cooking, giving area dishes a very rich, heavy and spicy character. Sometimes the menus are in Spanish.

Tex-Mex, Mexican, and Southern cooking are what this region does best. In general, steer away from East Asian; stick with items like country-fried steaks, barbecue, and Mexican dishes like burritos, asado (a tangy dish, often pork, cooked in oil and ground-up chiles), chiles rellenos (raw green chiles that are stuffed with meat, cheeses, and spices and then baked; can be hot or mild), and barbacoa (slow-cooked beef seasoned with tangy marinade). (Note that some barbacoa is actually from the head of the cow [called barbacoa de cabeza].)

Café Central

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The old saw "evolve or perish" has served this restaurant well. In 1918 Café Central opened in Juárez and served alcohol (and tasty food) to the Prohibition-weary masses from the United States. Once Prohibition ended, the café moved north across the border, changed hands, and became part of the local scene. Today, bold decoration, an airy courtyard, and innovative Southwestern–Asian food combine to make this urbane eatery a popular destination for the city's hip crowds. The menu changes seasonally, according to the availability of ingredients. Although you can enjoy a gourmet experience for about fifteen dollars by ordering a soup and a salad, it's worth the splurge to explore other menu options. Lunch is a bit less expensive than dinner, yet equally tantalizing.