El Paso Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Bailey

Uninspired. Mediocre. Bland. Lukewarm. There are the top four adjectives I would use to describe this restaurant. I've eaten at tons of American/Mexican restaurants in my life, and this one is definitely one of the least favorite. Their Shrimp ala Diabla is just some spiced-up tomato sauce with a few slivers of uncooked onions, peppers, a small portion of refried beans, and lightly seasoned rice. There was a proportionate amount of shrimp, and they seemed to be (barely - still a bit too soft) cooked properly. It was supposed to include sour cream, lettuce and tomato, which evidently the prep chef conveniently forgot. The taste combination borders on disgusting, especially when combined with the bitter bite of uncooked onions - of not the sweet persuasion. I don't even know if there was any cumin in the sauce - for sure it did not taste "Mexican" at all. My wife got some sort of beef tortilla salad looking thing, and hers was also very bland. The worst thing about both of our dinners; it took well over 20 minutes to serve, and both meals were slightly above room temperature. Add to all of this the atmosphere of sitting right next to the kitchen (most of the restaurant is right next to the kitchen), somewhere just under a bazillion candlepower of harsh, very high color temperature LED lighting everywhere inside and outside (poor neghbors who have to deal with the lights shining in their front windows!) and 50 cents for a glass of water (guess what's not on the menu, nor are there any signs indicating the cost?), and what one ends up with is a place that I will never...

4 Stars – A Small-Town Gem with Room to Shine

El Paso in Bailey is exactly what you want in a local Mexican restaurant—warm, familiar, and satisfying. It doesn’t try too hard, and it doesn’t have to. The food speaks for itself.

The staff? Friendly. The kind of service that makes you feel like a regular, even if it’s your first time. The atmosphere? It’s got just the right touch of charm—comfortable without trying to be something it’s not. And the food? Generous portions, well-seasoned, and exactly what you’re craving when you walk through the door. The El Paso for 2? That’s how you do it—big, bold, and meant to be shared.

So why four stars instead of five? Not because they’re doing anything wrong—because they’re so close to greatness that I can’t wait to see what five stars looks like. A few refinements, a little more polish, and this place won’t just be the best option in Bailey—it’ll be the kind of spot people drive out of their way for.

But even now, if you’re looking for a Mexican restaurant that delivers on flavor, hospitality, and consistency, El Paso is the place. Keep an eye on this one—it’s only going...

The Good: Fantastic service, orders come out super quick, and the food is decent (basic Americanized Mexican fare; nothing special).

The Bad: They literally charge you for hot sauce, which is utterly classless for a Mexican restaurant. It should already be on the table when I sit down, so if I have to go out of my way to ask for it then it should at least be free! Getting charged to put hot sauce on your food at a Mexican restaurant is like getting charged to put ketchup on your fries at a burger joint or getting charged to put ice in your drink at a bar. It just makes you go: “wtf?!”

The Ugly: The drink menu is available NOWHERE online (except here), and even then, the menu that you finally get to see when you physically arrive at the restaurant has ZERO prices listed...