From Crave’s new digs to La Madeleine’s drive-thru: Top El Paso restaurants to try in August
Maria Cortes Gonzalez El Paso Times

New Crave opens at West Towne Marketplace

West Side El Pasoans now have a new Crave Kitchen and Bar, right across Flix Brewhouse, at West Towne Marketplace, at 6470 Desert Blvd. North. This is the fifth location and the largest at 2,400 square feet. West Side El Pasoans now have a new Crave Kitchen and Bar across from Flix Brewhouse at West Towne Marketplace at 6470 Desert Blvd. North. This is the fifth location and the largest at 2,400 square feet. The restaurant, which opened Aug. 12, is owned by partners Rudy Valdes, Octavio Gomez and Nick Salgado. Valdes said he believes the restaurant has been able to expand thanks to loyal customers and signature items. “It’s El Paso. We have loyal Crave customers who like the Chilaquiles and Chicken and Waffles. We put a lot of heart and thought into everything we do and stay true to what Crave is,” Valdes said. Popular dishes include Huevos Rancheros and chilaquiles and pancakes for breakfast. The restaurant was named Best Pancakes in Texas by Eat This, Not That in 2022. “At Crave Kitchen and Bar, they are making chorizo pancakes. The pancakes are studded with spicy chorizo and served with two eggs, bacon, and sausage for a meat lovers’ breakfast,” noted the article. For lunch and dinner, guests can continue to count on favorites such as chicken and waffles, tuna ceviche, burgers and chicken pesto sandwiches. Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

La Madeleine opens on East Side with drive-thru

The French restaurant la Madeleine officially opened its fourth café and bakery Aug. 20 in El Paso at 13395 W. Gateway Blvd.  in the Eastlake Marketplace Center. The 4,500 square-foot new café has capacity for nearly 150 guests and is the first la Madeleine in El Paso to include a drive-thru, making it the second drive-thru location systemwide. “The new El Paso Eastlake café gives locals another opportunity to enjoy a little escape to France with classic French pastries and breads plus la Madeleine’s famous French comfort food,” said La Madeleine Vice President of Marketing Kerri McLeroy in a press release. “We have seen so much enthusiasm throughout the community about our new location and look forward to serving the area for years to come.”  The French café was founded in Dallas in 1983 and has grown to over 80 locations across the United States. All-day breakfast options, sandwiches, soups, salads, entrées, and traditional French bakery and retail items are all available for dine-in, to-go, and delivery. The café is open daily from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Rib Hut to expand with third restaurant

The owners of Rib Hut, at 2612 N. Mesa St., have announced on their Facebook page they are opening a third restaurant. The estimated plan is for it to open mid-September. The longtime El Paso barbecue restaurant will be opening a restaurant inside West Towne Marketplace at 6470 Desert Blvd. North. A sign for the restaurant popped up on the former Salata Restaurant location. The restaurant, which offered built-to-order salads, struggled from the beginning, opening in October of 2020 after delays during the pandemic.