El Paso – If you’ve never been to the far west of the Lone Star State, there are a few things that will surprise you. Believe it or not, the drive from El Paso to Las Vegas takes just as long as the drive from El Paso to Houston, but they still have a lot of Texas pride! Another interesting thing is that Mexican food is prepared very differently there. “Everything we do is true to Mexican culture and Mexican cuisine,” said Rosa Saenz.
Rosa owns Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey’s, and her family has lived in El Paso since the early 1900s. Her father was the first to get into the restaurant business, and he founded a place that most Texans have gone to at least once in their lives. “With the money he made in World War II, he started a little business called Pancho’s on Alameda Street,” Rosa said. “And so we’ve been restaurateurs since 1944. Yes. That Pancho’s. That’s where we fly the flag.”
Rosa followed in her father’s footsteps and in the ’90s bought this old restaurant that had been on the market for some time and was in dire need of renovation. “It was in really bad shape,” Rosa said. “We sold it for $600 a day. There were no phones, no signage. The kitchen was a terrible mess. But I could see the beauty of this restaurant. I just brought my mother and grandmother’s recipes here and here I am 30 years later.”
“It’s like tradition,” said guest Edgar. “It’s something that a restaurant has had for many, many years.”
Carlos and Mickey’s traditional flavors are what keeps customers coming back. In other words, never say the phrase “Tex-Mex” here. “You don’t have to go to Juarez,” Rosa said. “You can come to El Paso and experience what a Mexican restaurant feels like and you can taste it, too. I truly believe El Paso is the Mexican capital of the United States.”
Rosa’s grandmother’s recipes are all unique and many of them will loosen your sinuses. “Our food is spicy,” Rosa said. “And that’s how my grandmother cooked. So you have to be prepared. When you eat spicy food, you know it’s good when you cry or your boogers come out. Then you know you’re eating.”
The other big hit at Carlos and Mickey’s is their big old margaritas. “30 years, the best margarita in El Paso,” Rosa said.
“The best-selling product in El Paso,” Tony Nassri said. “A lot of people come out of town just to get them, man. You’ve got to try one, Mr. Shane.”
Tony Nassri is a manager at Carlos and Mickey’s, and before we could pour ourselves an absurdly large drink, we had to cook some food with him, and since it’s authentic Mexican food, I went with the carnitas. “Tender on the inside and crispy on the outside,” Tony said. “It’s really good. The best-selling carnita. We marinate it in a special sauce for 24 to 48 hours. We also add some milk and spices. It’s really tender, really juicy. What makes it special is the tenderness it gets from all that time of sautéing and marinating.”
After the carnitas are cooked in the oven, they are fried for a while before being placed on the flat top. “Look at these pieces, man,” Tony said. “See all that? They’re caramelized.”
To go with these amazing carnitas, Tony whips up a few special sauces. “We have a salsa borracha that’s really spicy,” Tony said. “You like it spicy? This is great, man. This is our homemade guacamole sauce.” Okay. “And this is our borracha sauce. It’s really tasty.”
Tony was also very nice and threw in some Queso Fundido. “This is a real queso for you,” Tony said.
Things got really fun when Tony added chorizo and Hatch peppers to the mix. “And a Hatch, all the way from New Mexico,” Tony said. But don’t tell my wife I can cook. Hey, make me some of that queso fundido tonight!”
After the carintas and queso were ready, there was one more thing to do: make a giant margarita! “This is the best part of the trip, man,” Tony said. “44 ounces, bro. We’re going to use a local tequila. It’s called Perro Grande. It’s a Chihuahua, but they’re grandes around here.”
Well, it’s safe to say that you’ll feel like El Presidente here at Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey’s. While we wait for our plate to cool down, we prepare our palate with this absurd margarita. The fresh juices mixed in it are amazing. “This is the best place for margaritas,” said Edgar. “That’s why we come here every week.”
Alright. We’re going to take these carnitas. We’re going to chop them up a little bit. A little bit of carnitas will almost fill a whole taco. Put a little bit of green onion on top and add the borracha sauce. We’re just putting a little bit on because Tony said, “Just a little bit.” This is great. “First bite,” said customer Nicolas. “I mean, you can tell there’s a difference between the meat and the carnitas themselves.”
Rosa didn’t lie about the borracha sauce either, it has quite a kick! “Nice and spicy,” said customer Jessie.
Time to cool it all down with the queso. The chorizo provides the saltiness and the hatch provides some spice. The cheese, I mean, it’s melted cheese. It’s fantastic. “They love the queso fundido,” Edgar said. “Me too, but I try not to eat too much because otherwise you get fat quickly.”
If you’re looking for excellent food in El Paso, Los Bandidos de Carlos & Mickey’s is a perfect stop on your Texas bucket list thanks to this authentic Mexican meal. “I know I’ll be gone one day, and I can only hope it’s still there and continues to exist, because it’s a beautiful restaurant,” Rosa said. “It has a lot of beauty in it.”
