Horribly overrated. Mediocre foood. Worse yet, I have celiac disease and the waiter brought me a glutened birthday dessert. I will never go back. read more

Came here for drug presentation dinner, and had the opportunity to try different plates. Overall, the ambiance is classy. Nice decor, and great place for a romantic date or anniversary. For appetizer, I had Central Seafood Platter. Get ready for a lot of food! Enough to share among 4 people. Everything on it was really good, especially smoked salmon with American caviar. Then the Caesar salad came out. Meh, nothing special. I didn't like that the leaves were uncut, and you had to cut it to make it bite-size. Finally, the best part was the ribeye. Large portion, with mashed potatoes, veggies, and onion strings. My only complaint was it didn't come out medium as I requested. It was more medium well. Finally, the tres leches was good as well. Not as sweet as I am used to, but you could taste the rum. Overall, great place to try if you want a great steak in a classy place. read more

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Basked in elegance and charm in downtown El Paso lays Café Central. Aesthetic Appeal & Ambiance: Its décor is sophisticate, chic, and refined. Its décor certainly resonates to everything it offers. Service: My service for lunch was impeccable as the hostess opened the door upon entering, was gracious in her speech, and led us promptly to our table where staff provided a stand for my girlfriend's purse to rest upon. Our waiter was named Claudio and he was excellent in giving suggestions of the restaurant specialties, helping my girlfriend with her wine selection (which is extremely extensive), and was prompt and showed great class at all times. Meal & Drinks Quality: Quality cuisine takes time to prepare and we know to expect this. We both ordered their well-known cream of green chile soup to start and were both very impressed. After I finished the soup, I only wanted more. I ordered their entrée of chicken breast accompanied with baby squash and whipped potatoes. The entrée was delightful as the chicken was accented by delicious mustard. My girlfriend ordered the portabello burger and it was much to her delight. Then came time for a selection of dessert whereas we simply had to try their tres leches cake as this is a signature dessert in El Paso...and it was marvelous! Simply marvelous! I could not have been any more pleased with our lunch. Upon exiting, our waiter held open the door and stated that he truly hopes that we return again sometime. We certainly hope to do so on our next trip to El Paso. Aesthetic Appeal & Atmosphere: 5 of 5 Service: 5 of 5 Meal & Drinks Quality: 5 of 5 read more

Cafe Central - Chicken breast with baby squash and whipped potatoes - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Perfect Brunch! Exceptional meal, fantastic service by waiter Adam...a wonderful afternoon meal! Highly recommen!

Cafe Central never disappoints. Food is amazing drinks are great. Lovely ambiance and great location.

Delicious restaurant! Everything was perfect and service was spot on. I had the scallops and they were done exactly how they should have been. Wait staff was kind and knowledgeable about the menu and items. read more

Cafe Central - Seared scallops! - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

Food was not served hot. Octopus was very small Portion and burnt in parts. Busy, tables close together. Not worth it read more

To start the Valet cost $10 but considering wearing heels it was worth the price. We immediately noticed the hectic environment. The piano was too loud as well as the background music. The staff was running around frantically which created chaos. The ambiance of a fine dining restaurant should be quiet and romantic which was not the case. For an appetizer we tried Escargot for the first time and were pleasantly surprised. We also were able to try their bread, which they walk around and offer and were very happy with the jalapeño cornbread as well as the raisins pecan bread. For drinks we did a half bottle of wine as well as a Moscow mule and Bloody Mary. The cocktails could have been stronger but they were decent. For mains we both got the Colorado Lamb Rack with garlic Parmesan potatoes. The lamb was cooked medium and was VERY good I would recommend this dish. The potatoes were not a repeater. They tasted over seasoned and the only taste was of cheese and not the good kind. I didn't end up finishing them. Lastly, the dessert platter was phenomenal with the Mango Colada Pie being the absolute best as well as the Chocolate Mousse Tower. I would not skip dessert. Overall, decent experience especially considering El Paso's options which are slim to none. May not be coming back but the experience was decent. read more

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food is great! Service good! But music!!! I couldn't imagine in my worst nightmares that in such a remarkable place instead of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss ... even Shostakovich or Tchaikovsky, that I would have to listen to Russian trash songs like "Murka". Such a shame!!! read more

Super disappointed in Cafe Central! I've never had this experience before and honestly really made me upset. I came for appetizers and dessert. Ordered some corn bread, they were out. Ordered the mango colada pie, also out. On top of this our drinks took 20 min to come out. Since they didn't have my original desert, we ordered a tres leches cake (which I do not recommend) the cake was extremely dry. It tasted old and as if they had just defrosted it. Sadly I was looking forward to the food but after this I don't think I'll be coming back anytime soon... read more

Came here for my birthday and it was delicious! You will leave spending $150-$200+ but it's a great experience. The sommelier is so fun and personable! Our waiter was amazing and is studying to be a sommelier himself! read more

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This is such a special place with some serious flaws. Theres nowhere quite like it in town. It's rather fancy feeling and moody. The atmosphere is great, music is smooth, and the lighting is low. On top of this all, it's the best, more attentive service you'll find in El Paso. I've never been so well taken care of in this city and it's servers and other staff are there exactly when you need them. The major downside to this place and the reason its getting 3 out of 5 stars is that the food is massively overpriced, quantity and quality. You can easily spend $200 here for two and feel disappointed in everything plated. Cocktails also need some work. Wine menu is expansive though. read more

Cafe central is so good when ever i visit elpaso I always want to get as an appetizer I love to get snails sound gross but they are delicious then some steak and they have wonderful tresleche cake read more

Such a nice place if you want a fancy meal. We absolutely love the lunch specials here. Dinner is great too. The crab cakes are the absolute best! read more

Cafe Central - Lunch Menu - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

This place is amazing, the service and the food both were great!!! We have several top scale restaurants in DC and this gives them all a run. read more

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There are so many great things about cafe central. Yes they're slightly higher priced but the wonderful food and service more than makes up for it. Granted the menu hasn't changed in years but many of the dishes are classically done and delicious. Bread heaven with their array of choices. The service is fine dining service at its best. Beautiful interior and that purse tree can't be beat!! read more

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My husband and I made a reservation to this restaurant via telephone. Unfortunately we arrived 30 minutes late and the staff was very amenable to still saving our table. Upon arriving we were promptly seated and greeted by our server. My husband and I ordered the Cafe Central Meat Platter which was a LOT of food, it serves about 2-3 people with different types of meats, New York Strip, Rib Eye and lamb rack. The meal was served with a cup of smashed potatoes, a cup of vegetables and a side of guacamole. The meat was delicious! Definitely a lot of food for my husband and I, we ended up taking the rest to go. The smashed potatoes were also delicious. They served the meal with tortillas also. If you love meat, I highly recommend this plate, it was fantastic! Definitely a lot of food! We started with a starter of escargots and they were also delicious! The only remark I have was that according to our server, the chefs are not amenable to adding sides to their dinner items such as the Cafe Central Meat Platter, my husband and I wanted to order a different side but the Chef will not make changes or accept substitutions. The environment was great, live music with piano and jazz. Overall, delicious food, great environment and staff is fantastic! Definitely will return. read more

Cafe Central - Baked Escargot - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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For being the original fine dining location in El Paso, this restaurant is a major let down. I have been many times before and as of late I have been severely dissatisfied and disappointed in this restaurant's staff and customer service. Managers treating customers with very poor manners is indicative of a systemic, top-down problem that should be fatal for a restaurant aiming at this market share. On top of everything, the food is no longer impressive compared to newer offerings with awarded chefs. Manager Diana Carillo should be immediately relieved of her duty or the restaurant should be shut down until they can manage a presentable and appropriate staff. read more

We had the most beautiful and enjoyable time ever last Saturday evening! We had reservations for 4 to celebrate my daughter's birthday . Once the valet parked the car, we were seated in a lovely location looking out to the patio. We ordered drinks ( which were fabulous) and pondered the menu. They have a nightly "chefs creation" but we chose off the menu. For appetizers we had the portobello mushroom, and the crab cakes- they were wonderful and not too much to make you too full to eat your entree! I had the tenderloin steak - wow it literally melted in my mouth, and I could've cut it with a butter knife! It came with layered potatoes and sautéed spinach- the spinach was wonderful. My friend had the prawns which were large and juicy. For dessert we had the sampler platter and wasn't as fond of it. The creme brûlée was great, but tiny on the sample plate- just order it by itself! We had a great dinner with a wonderfully attentive waitstaff and great ambience! The music was good but not so overpowering that you couldn't hold a conversation. This place is $$$ but well worth the experience! ThereIS a dress code , formal or business attire only. They actually called to verify my reservation- classy! I can't wait for my next encounter! read more

The food is overpriced for what they serve and they have horrible entertainment. I do not recommend.

What a wonderful place. Wonderful atmosphere and great service ( thank you Andrea ). I had the pork chop and it was delicious. Tasty, cooked perfectly and big. I will be coming back to Cafe Central every time we are in El Paso. read more

Really good food and excellent service. However, the fine dinning experience is not up to par due to the ambience if you are seated near the bar. It felt like we were in a dive bar. I would not recommend this place for a special occasion. read more

Though the restaurant itself is very beautiful , from beginning to end this place was a disaster ! I live in the Buffalo area and my daughter lives here in El Paso and she could not wait to take me to this restaurant she had heard so many wonderful things about it so we went, let's start with the fact that there was what I would describe a pubic hair in my appetizer considering I have long red hair it definitely was not mine . I ordered my $49 ribeye rare it came out medium at best the side of whipped potatoes or ice cold literally tasting like they just came out of a refrigerator . My daughter ordered the scallops and they had a very distinct ammonia / chlorine smell it was so pungent you could smell it throughout the table , the manager had come over and apologized how about though she was very nice this restaurant was a complete and utter disappointment from the beginning to end . On a side note even if you dress very nicely in a nice pair of shorts , shoes and shirt you'll be sitting in the garage portion of the restaurant where you can look out and see all the homeless people walking back and forth throughout your meal. As we were told shorts are not allowed in the dining room . While they had wonderful piano music playing in the restaurant portion they had club music playing in the garage , though the manager did come over and remove the scallops and the appetizer from the bill. The waiter was polite when he came to the table , and we did leave our credit card on the table and respectfully they called us to come back and get it that was a pretty solid move considering nearly the entire experience in this restaurant was a disaster ! read more

Not bad, but just not good. Overpriced for what you get. Tables are close and cramped. Expect to be hearing every word of your neighbors' conversations. Waited 20 minutes for a drink from the bar, then another 45 minutes for the dinner to come out. To top it off, the $50 ribeye was served cold. Better food, ambiance and service elsewhere around the plaza. read more

Unfortunately my husband and I came to cafe central to celebrate our birthdays and were so excited for a great dinner. Our reservation was at 7:15 and we did not leave until after 9 because the service was horribly slow. We then went home and my husband and I both had food poisoning all night. Needless to say I was very disappointed since we spent over 200 dollars. read more

Tenía mejor espectativas del restaurants pero fue una deception. Salí de ahí con dolor de estomago y ya saben lo de más. No quiero ser tan grafica. Ordene la chuleta y estaba seca, sin sabor y me enfermo del estomago. El mesero nunca fue a preguntar y si necesitaba más bebidas y les tube que pedir mi bebida tres veces para poder bajar la chuleta. Como eramos 7 personas el tip de $125 dolares ya estaba incluido y ahí entendí, pues para que esforsarce en dar un buen servicio! Definitely primera y Ultima ves que me paro ahí. read more

We had a 6pm reservation and got there at 5:30, no problem, immediately seated. From start to finish this was an amazing experience. The staff was top notch, attentive and understood on how to bring a perfect dinning experience. The food we had, crab cakes, Chilean sea bass, Dover sole and 24k bar and tres leches cake were amazing, all were prepared to perfection. Our server was very informative and helped us through the whole evening. This was our thirty fifth anniversary and they gave us a happy anniversary card. They understand that the little things matter. Parking is a little fun but they have valet. Thank you. read more

Visited El Paso after several years away. Cafe Central used to be one of our faves. Not anymore. Wait service and attitudes some of the worst I have encountered in a long time. Food was still pretty good. The bar is part of the main dining area and very loud. Try someplace else when on the Border. read more

Looking forward to going for special occasion. Received birthday card there. Knew it was going to be a pricey meal. Great food! As advertised: green Chile soup and Chilean sea bass. Good bread. Service could be much much better! Waiter OK But water boy very stiff and seemed nervous. Did not appreciate perfunctory and unsimpatico bread server. Looked at us and treated us with some distain. Speaking Spanish did not seem to help! Dessert platter- a little boring! Unfortunately during the meal and when we left we had to breathe smoke. It is unfair to the customer to have to walk in and out of the restaurant through an area that has cigarette smoke. Overall very disappointed read more

Perfect! I had octopus carpaccio, crab & avocado tower and some deserts (cheesecake and tres leches). I loved it. If I'm in town again, I'll come back. read more

Hello. Please give our thanks to the Chef and his team, and to the staff who made our dinner last night at Cafe Central, really unique. Managing and serving 15 people is never easy but you managed it perfectly. We had an amazing time. The private room was so comfortable, the food at Cafe Central exquisite. Our waiters and the sommelier were just wonderful. What a great place read more

What a disaster. One of the most disappointing experiences of 2015. Finally visited Cafe Central for a graduation dinner, I've heard mixed things about it so I was curious to try it out. We had reservations for our group and were sited promptly, a good sign but the evening went downhill quickly. We had two waitresses throughout the evening and one of the was perfectly nice and competent while the second one was.... Nice. Drinks were forgotten, dishes were misplaced, food took 55 mins to arrive, special requests were overlooked. You name it, they failed. You know where else they failed? The food. It's as if their menu has been in place since the 90s. Not once single ounce of originality. We had the lamb and duck. Both were dry. The lamb being the biggest offender. I tried their famous soup and that was the one redeeming and original item which I really enjoyed. (That's why I'm giving it two stars, the soup was good, fair is fair). Also, can we please take a minute to talk about the waitresses uniform at this "upscale" restaurant? A tight mini bodycon dress with a slip in the middle right by a lady's virtue. For reals! Our poor waitresses adjusted their dresses all through out meal because they kept rising up and the slip was getting into dangerous territory. I witnessed a group of creepy old white guys "flirting" with the waitresses. It gave me the impression this was a regular occurrence. Such an unpleasant and bizarre atmosphere for a restaurant that is clearly desperate to appear upscale and charges you as such. read more

Cafe Central - Seemed like it would be a promising evening. It wasn't. - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

Super nice restaurant. Like wear nice clothes to restaurant. Old school classy with waiters and hosts (great service every time) to attend to everything you could ask for there.Live piano playing. The food is AMAZING and menu changes. It's definitely one of the more expensive restaurants in El Paso but very much worth it in my opinion. read more

I had gotten several recommendations on past visits to El Paso, so I thought I would give this place a look. I started out with the green chile soup which ended up being the highlight of the meal. Smoky and mildly spicy cream based soup left me trying to figure out how to get every drop from the bowl without embarrassing myself. I paired it with an averagely overpriced but tasty Chardonnay. Between courses I was offered a choice of several breads. I chose the three cheese as well as the raisin pecan, both were tasty, but not served warm. For the main course I chose the tomahawk pork chop, but would opt for something else if given a do-over. The sweet potato purée and asparagus were wonderful but the pork was heavily peppered and slightly over done resulting in a tough and dry cut. The mushrooms were also a bit too woody to eat. The place was very empty and service was equally slow and inattentive. This would not have been a big deal, but considering the price point there is an expectation that was not met. I was not overly impressed with this place, but the soup and sides will bring me back to give it another shot. The prices are a bit high but if service and food quality were improved I would not have a complaint. 2 1/2 stars.... read more

Cafe Central - Green Chile soup - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

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Since our 10th anniversary was on 30 Nov, we decided to go here. I will be honest and tell you that if you are thinking about going to Cafe Central, stop thinking and go!! The staff is awesome and warm hearted with all their words. I cannot remember the female who helped us get there, but she went as far as walking to the adjacent corner, met us, and guided us back to the restaurant. This is definitely something that can only be described as dedicated. The food was a 10. The waiter was extremely knowledgeable about the dishes. The food was ordered and arrived quickly with accuracy. At no fault of the staff and owner of Cafe Central, the only draw back was the construction and several blocked off streets that night. I recommend this establishment to any and all! read more

Their Signature Cream of Green Chile Soup $6 was great. It was a little on the spicy side as you'd expect with having any semblance of chile. However, it was not too spicy. It was just right. The quantity could be more but still great. The Central Burger $14 was very good. Quite large especially taking account the side of fries. The burger consisted of a 1/2 pound angus patty, Confit Pork Belly, Organic Baby Arugula & Truffle Aioli. The Cubanito $12 is a great Cuban sandwich. Exactly what you'd expect in quality and taste. The sandwich included Roasted Pork Carnitas, Black Forest Ham, Swiss Cheese, Pickles and Spicy Whole Grain Mustard. The finishing dessert was their Chocolate Mousse Tower I believe $6-8. It was topped with fresh caramel & raspberries. Definitely worth it. I have yet to be disappointed here and hope that day never comes. Their variety is good, so far so good. Until next time... read more

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I had lunch at Cafe Central with some coworkers today and had a decent lunch. The selections are fairly decent and you can choose from a lite or heavy meal. I picked a the lunch combo which was green chili soup, Turkey and cheese sandwich and French fries. This is a good place for a meal. read more

Cafe Central - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas

Hubby took me here for my birthday. All dressed up we went. He did his reservations via Yelp but when we got there we were told we didn't have a reservation. I was a little ticked off as we have an email confirmation. They said no problem, we will seat you right away. Ok Roe, breath! We got seated and the water came really quick. Next the bread guy came along with a basket full of freshly baked bread with 5 different kinds: garlic, sourdough, flat bread, corn bread and jalapeño with cheese. I'm in heaven! Bread, bread bread!!! Yes please!!! Our waitress came and asked for our drink orders. I asked if I could taste the house white, she brought me a tasting which I didn't liked. I asked to try another one, yum, a little bubbly a little sweet. I said I wanted the 2nd one. They poured me a glass and I took a sip, it wasn't the same as the one I picked. They got me another glass, again, not the same one. Third time was a charm. My server gave me a half a glass apparently because she came back with a full glass and a major apology. Hmm.. No wonder I'm getting a little tipsy. We ordered calamari but 15 minutes later we were told they were out. They offered us crab cakes on the house of course. We said ok. We got the food we ordered before the appetizer came about half hour later but we were so hungry already so we didn't care at this point. Hubby had the steak with the lime butter and I ordered the pork chop tomahawk. The steak was melt in your mouth and that lime butter! Yum! Gave the steak more richness. The mash potatoes were great but the onion rings lacked a little flavor. My pork chop? The best pork chop I've ever had!!! Easily! Perfectly grilled but very juicy and tender. The sweet potato purée was so smooth, I wish they had a bigger serving. The roasted Brussels sprouts were sooo yummy! Needless to say, I finished all my food and I don't normally do that. The crab cakes finally came but they were a let down at this point. The service was slow but they were nice enough to comp the appetizer. They were apologetic but they could do better. We did wait quite a while and they were running out of food. I think management needs to look at what's happening in the kitchen and the service if they want people to keep coming back. read more

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It is one of my favorite places to go. However, last night the food was not good at all. for two out meal was just about 400.00. The drinks were the only reason for my star because they were made very well. the server never even filled our glass of water and we sat with nothing for what seemed to be hours. The meat plate was extreamly over cooked. we were never asked if we needed anything, if the food was cooked correctly, litterly nothing. so we had burnt meat and nothing to drink or sauce to use to help eat the horrible food. read more

This is my third time to dine here. Each time I've asked for a recommendation from my waiter and been very pleased. Juan Carlos has been my waiter this time and once before. He remembered the wine I ordered last time and after recommending the rack of lamb, which I was not in the mood for, recommended the chicken, one of the least expensive menu items, which was superb! The selections of wine by the glass are very delicious and reasonably priced, especially considering that you get an almost 6oz pour. The service was excellent. At the table as soon as you need something but not intrusive. I can't understand the bad reviews. Wonderful service. Great food. Good sized portions. Relaxing quiet dining room. I love this place. read more

Cafe Central - Dining room. - Salad Near Me - El Paso, Texas