Bee's Pastry Café — Restaurant in El Paso

Didn’t have a great experience here. I went on my day off thinking it would be a quick brunch date with my husband, but it was anything but that. We told the person at the register that we were dining in and the only the table that wasn’t occupied with filthy and dishes and trash from previous guests on it. In our whole time there, nobody cleaned the table and we had to sit on a bench by the door to wait for our food until one couple left from a different table and cleaned up after themselves.at this point we were already turned off from the place with the lack of customer service. Would like to note that we only saw teens working there majority of the time we waited.

Next, it literally took at least an hour for us to get our food. Well, the be exact, my husband’s food came in a hour and mine came 10-15 minutes after that. Keep in mind we were waiting on the bench by the door for 45 minutes of that hour when we were supposed to be dining in. Before the food came out, we asked to get it to go because we just wanted to get out of there but they still brought the food on regular dishes. Another group came in after us and still only had that dirty table available and they had to ask the employees to clean it off. Smh. Everyone in the restaurant received there food late and one person that ordered takeout waiting as long as us and ended up receiving the wrong order so had to get a refund because he didn’t have another hour to waste waiting for his food since he had to get back to work.

Atmosphere wise, there were tons of games but the cafe is small so can feel cramped when it’s full. Also, there was no music playing towards the guests the whole time we were there, only heard music coming from the back where the kitchen is when we were close to the counter. So it felt awkward and quiet in the cafe and you could hear everyone’s conversations.

Now for the taste of the food. I got the chicken and waffles and the portion was large which is why I gave 2 stars instead of one. The chicken tasted good but the waffles were dry and super thick. I three half of them away because it just felt like I was eating bread with a tiny bit of flavor. Plus there were burnt parts on my waffles. My husband had french toast and he said there wasn’t much flavor in them but the portion was large as well. I tasted them and liked them better than my waffles.

Lastly, I would like to note that towards the end of our time there, an older male employee arrived and get everything in order. He cleaned off tables, drinks were delivered faster and the teens actually began interacting with guests as the tables, asking how things are and if we need anything. Before this, everything was done at the bare minimum.

I say all this to warn people to expect a long wait, and don’t expect the best customer service if only young employees are working. Only dine in or order from here if you have a lot of time to spare. I can only speak to the day we were there and it was a lackluster experience and wasted a good chunk of our day. Won’t...

**Update 11/29/22 Deducted 2 stars due to poor customer service. The young girl with the nose pierce is lacking some major customer service skills. Either she is too shy to do this type of job or she simply didn't care. I really dislike when my coffee, which is supposed to be hot, is not. She served us lukewarm coffee and when I asked if there was a way for her to warm it up more she turned around and left(i wasnt asking for a new one but just to warm it up cause it was pretty much cold).. i thought she was going to ask but she just kept doing her thing and forgot about it. When she came back to pickup our plates she asked if everything was okay and I told her the coffee was served cold.. she just shrunk her elbows and said sorry.. no attempt to fix it or "hey let me give you your money back on that coffe" or atleast make another one.. nothing! Plain cold service and for me that is unacceptable. If I go back and she is there I will walk out and give my business to someone else who cares about a paying customer.

end of update

I am so glad that a place like this opened. We need more variety in the city. Being puertorican attracted me to this place since I heard from coworkers and saw the menu and saw some items that are typically from the island. I went today with my family and we enjoyed it very much. While not everything is authentic from Puerto Rico I can appreciate the quality of the food and the very nice presentation on the dishes. The coffee was outstanding and the pastries really good. I wish they would've had the pastelillo de Guayaba as its one of my favorites but it wasn't on display.. not sure if it was sold out or just that they hadn't me it yet (it was around 845am). One thing I wish I could've seen in their menu is the Bocadillo sandwich and also the Mayorca sandwich which is really good.

Everything we tasted was good.. only thing is I couldn't find salt and pepper anywhere(for the scramble eggs). Other than that it was definitely great. I will be back for some Cubano sandwich and sancocho!Sancho!

One thing that I did notice is that the prices are tipping on the high side.. for 3 people that ate.. a 64 dollar tab breakfast is a bit high.. not that it will keep me away but definitely will limit how frequently ill go. Breakfast is usually the cheapest meal of all. Thats about 21 dollars per person (Yikes!) That's why I deducted 1 star on...

I look forward to visiting here every week. This place has become more than just a spot to get a good meal, it has become my go-to place for comfort food. I know there are a few good Puerto Rican restaurants around El Paso, and I don't mean to take away in any way from any of them, but in my opinion, Bee's Pastries has the most authentic PRican cuisine this side of the Caribbean. Even though they are ostensibly a bakery, and a damn good one at that, their lunch specials are so good they're hard to eat like a civilized person. I usually take mine to eat at home just so nobody can see me scarf them down like a hungry chupacabra.

If you are an expatriate living in the desert you owe it to yourself to come try this hidden oasis of "sabor". Bring maracas and a güiro for authenticity. If you're a local and have never tried PRican food, or maybe have and were not impressed, then I invite you to check this place out. Whether you go for a meal, classic sandwiches or to relax with a coffee and pastry, you will experience some genuine homeland flavors meticulously prepared by an expert. Just watch out if I happen to be around. I might tackle you in a hurry to get to my food. Sorry about that. I swear I'm nicer when...