A Carnival Themed Diner Is One Of El Paso's Best Hidden Secrets

One of El Paso's best-hidden secrets is a 1940s carnival-themed diner featuring old-school memorabilia and a vintage game room.

Marcos Rey

For a little over a decade, Wrap and Roll, a carnival-themed diner and attraction made up of parts of a once traveling 1940s carnival, has been serving delicious eats and thrilling El Pasoans with its unique, eclectic vibe.

Gary Monteleone is the owner of the Italian restaurant Monteleone's, the Blue Moon Outdoor Theatre, Monteleone's Haunted Motel & Restaurant, and Wrap & Roll, all part of the local and ever-growing Monteleone brand in Central El Paso.

The carnival-themed lot packs a ton into one fun space: from old-school memorabilia, a vintage game room with a life-size animatronic clown, a funhouse mirror, to a retrofitted trailer featuring roller coaster seating in the main dining area.

Gary has worked for Disney and Universal for decades as an Imagineer. After collecting memorabilia over the years, he decided to display his impressive collection and vintage pieces in the back lot of Monteleone's Haunted Motel & Restaurant.

Classic pieces include one of the logs from the Knott's Berry Farm water log ride dating back to the 70s. Other curios include a purple hippo and an original teacup from Western Playland before the amusement park moved to New Mexico.

The space is also home to many other characters like a giant Disney ant and cats, hand-painted mural reproductions, and even a mini carousel currently being renovated on-site.

When you walk up to the space, you are greeted by a giant clown face that makes up the arch of the entrance; there's also a different clown on the back end that greets visitors on their way out.

There is so much to see and do at Wrap and Roll, and coming up this summer; the team is preparing to unveil a freakshow featuring vintage carnival classic geeks and freaks.

Check Out The Carny Fun

Wrap and Roll fully opens in May on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and for Last Thurdsays El Paso, and the Kaleidoscope Art Market pop-ups. Plus, it's also available for rent making it perfect for celebrating anyone of all ages and for any occasion.