4 New Eateries That Opened During The Pandemic In El Paso

These four new eateries took the plunge and decided to open their doors even during a global pandemic.

In the middle of a historic pandemic, four El Paso eateries went ahead with their plans to open their doors, knowing full well that their chance of survival would be slim. Still, they forged forward, adapted, and have sustained their businesses through sheer perseverance, patience, hard work, and faith.

La Empanaderia - 5380 N Mesa St Suite #114

La Empanaderia, located in West El Paso, signed their lease two weeks before the pandemic hit. Locked into their contract, they had two choices: falter on their contract and fail or push forward and succeed.

Without looking back, the father-daughter duo opened their doors in October and now have plans to open a second location in East El Paso sometime this summer.

The Food: La Empanaderia specializes in in-house freshly made empanadas filled with savory meats, cheeses, sweets, and much more. They also offer vegetarian options, and family and catering packs are also available.

Standout Empanada: Humita, filled cheese, green bell pepper, sour cream, white corn, and onion.

Price: Empanadas start at $3.60

How To Order: Order in person, pickup, or via Uber Eats.

Veggie Jackson - 204 Rio Grande Ave.

Veggie Jackson opened their doors in the middle of the pandemic too back in October, taking over the food truck next to Monarch (bar) off Rio Grande Ave. by downtown El Paso. They change their menu, so follow them to stay up to date on their menu and operation hours. Vegan or not, Veggie Jackson will win you over with their delicious vegan comfort style food.

The Food: Veggie Jackson serves up various sandwiches, including BBQ and Hibiscus on Texas Toast. They also offer Samosa potato and Fried Fish tacos and plenty of tasty sides to pick from, such as their mac n cheese and street corn.

Standout Choices: The Korean BBQ Hibiscus tacos are the perfect balance of sweet and sour and pairs up well with a side of their vegan mac n cheese.

Price: $3 - $9

How To Order: Order in person or curbside to-go

Porkchops - Food Truck

El Pasoan Sonny Stackhouse opened Porkchops after being laid off from his management position at Dave & Buster's. In less than a year, Porkchops has been selling out most nights thanks to word of mouth and consistently great food.

The Food: Porkchops Food Truck offers authentic, Cajun and Creole-based dishes, including gumbo, fried catfish, Po'boys, and of course, mouth-watering pork chops.

Standout Choices: Everything is delicious, but my favorite is the fried fish Po'boy with a side of red beans and rice.

Price: $3 - $13

How To Order: Follow Porkchops on Facebook to see where they will be located that day, and you can also order online for pickup: open Wednesday - Sunday.

Flautas Y Tortillas - 1201 myrtle 79901

This eatery came on to the scene by offering 100 premade uncooked flautas for $20, perfect for families on a budget, where every penny counts during these unprecedented times. Thanks to YELP and word of mouth, Flautas Y Tortillas is thriving.

The Food: They offer picadillo (ground beef), shredded beef, potatoes, and chicken flautas. They also offer salsas, sauces, and sour cream for an extra fee.

Standout Flautas: All choices are great – it just depends on your preference

Price: $20 for 100 flautas

How To Order: By phone with curbside pick-up and delivery available, Lone Star card accepted too.

Helping local businesses such as these who continue to give it their all, providing amazing food, while trying to keep their businesses afloat, is why supporting local is so important for our community, especially right now as we continue to adapt to an ongoing global pandemic.

Thanks for supporting local whenever possible.