Taft-Diaz — Restaurant in El Paso

Few places in El Paso offer an experience. Without a doubt, Taft-Diaz fulfills that desire. Upon entering the Stanton House, you know you’re not stepping into a small venue. The high ceiling and marble surfaces, complete with large front windows make for a well-lit welcome. While I do enjoy the Taft-Diaz breakfast and lunch menus, I believe my dining experience truly shines during dinner service. As the late afternoon gives way to the evening, the lights are lowered everywhere, you will find that the open kitchen concept of Taft-Diaz will bring you into the dining area as it illuminates the dining room like a warm, cozy hearth. The following is a short recollection of one of my visits to this gem in the heart of downtown El Paso. One Tuesday evening I’m craving something different, something tasty and (honestly) upscale. As I enter the hotel lobby, Bryan welcomes me with a courteous ‘hello’. I tell him I wish to dine in and he directs me to the Taft-Diaz dining room. Alan, one of the servers, escorts me to an available table and asks me how my day had been. I tell him it had been a long day and I was there to put myself at the whims of his recommendations, to which he happily obliges. As an appetizer he recommends the aguachile. I agree and order a glass of sauvignon blanc, slightly chilled. About five minutes later, I get my appetizer. Served in a small wooden bowl, with a collection of shrimp and crunchy, fresh vegetables, Taft-Diaz’s aguachile proved a magnificent item with which to pair my glass. Even though the veggies were thinly sliced, they did not loose an iota of crunchiness and the bay scallops practically dissolved upon taste. Bold in flavor, yet not overwhelmingly so, it proved to be a tasty way to open my appetite. No visit to Taft-Diaz is complete without having at least one of Chef Ortiz’s tacos. This was not to be an exception. I requested Alan for a suggestion, to which he proposed a ‘Sea Donkey’. Essentially, a delicious shrimp taco prepared ‘al pastor’. If I am to assume correctly, the protein was seasoned the same way al pastor tacos are. Whatever the case may be, the taco did not disappoint. I was brought three different salsas. The first, an ‘arbol’ salsa, not for the faint-hearted, as it packed a long-lasting punch. The second, a habanero ash salsa, oily in texture and full of the signature ‘sting’ of a habanero chile, with a shorter life-span on the palate. The third, a personal favorite, the diced toreado chiles, tasty and tangy. I tasted all three with separate bites of my Sea Donkey. Not a bad way to enjoy a taco. Noticing a bit of a pattern, I decide to order a glass of chardonnay and succumb to a third suggestion (and undoubtedly a dish to remember): Al Mojo. This cooked pez escolar earned a special place in my food memories from the very first bite. Soft, juicy, tasty, and with just the right texture, al mojo is something I will forever suggest to anyone visiting Taft-Diaz so long as it is in the menu. The fact that this small slice of deliciousness sits atop a creamy layer of risotto made every single bite more savory than the last. I suggest you ask for some ciabatta bread, it goes great with the risotto. Five minutes, and one al mojo, later, Alan brings over the aptly-sized flat plate containing my dessert. Both soft and crunchy, as well as coupled with the taste of dairy and sweet strawberry, I was ready to finish off my evening. Whether you feel like having a large meal or simply a taco or two, Taft-Diaz has something to satisfy the palate. The service is always prompt, apt, and courteous. I would be remiss not to mention the people who make all of the Taft-Diaz food possible from the kitchen (Lucho, Rocha, Quique, David, and of course, Chef Ortiz) to the servers (Paulina, Mari Pau, Alan, and Christina) to the talented bartenders (Natalie and Monica), and the many others that create the dining experience that is Taft-Diaz. I look forward to many more delicious meals and the new items this wonderful kitchen will surprise...

On December 23, 2019, my daughter called Taft Diaz to ask if they could seat our party of 6. Upon arrival, I was disappointed with the casual dining atmosphere of the restaurant. When the server asked for our drink orders, I ordered a Bloody Mary. I was informed they were out of tomato juice, then ordered a Mojito. My husband ordered 7 & 7 which most people working in the bar/restaurant industry would know is bourbon and 7 up. The server looked very puzzled when he ordered. He had to explain what 7 & 7 was. The server said all they had was sprite, which was fine. When our drinks arrived, my mojito was flat & my husband’s bourbon & sprite was also flat. The server indicated something was wrong with the soda gun, but it had been fixed. The drinks were sent back for another try and again, returned flat. When it was time to order our food, my daughter ordered a filet mignon and was informed they only had one left, a surprise, since it was only 6:30 p.m. and very few patrons in the restaurant. Upon requesting our check at the end of the evening we noticed we were charged $42.00 for 6 bottles of water. When the server asked for our water request at the beginning of the meal, we ordered still water, thinking we would be served house water. One of my daughters requested to speak with a manager and was informed they had no manager or assistant manager on duty. The server said she would try and call him and later informed us she couldn’t reach him. My daughter left her contact information with the server believing a manager would contact her. As of today no one has contacted her. Upon paying the bill we were informed by another server, the $42.00 in bottled water had been removed from our bill. We we’re recommended the restaurant by several friends who shared their positive experiences and love for the new restaurant. Unfortunately, our expectations did not meet their recommendations. The food was was mediocre nothing memorable, but with a check reflecting prices of Cafè Central...we would have much rather spent our time and money at the Central. Perhaps the restaurant was having an “off” night but we were underwhelmed and frankly disappointed in our meal and...

I'm terribly sorry not to give a great review, my expectations were high but the manager's attitude really ruined my day! I've made a reservation in open table and when we got there we were told the place closes at 2, so I guess open table have no idea about the hours, I asked for the manager and he said their hours are posted all over the media like I was supposed to know and kind of started arguing with me,, the waitress however, was super kind and patient but we were only offered the bar menu and it was ordinary and dull.I ended up ordering a burger, the fries were awesome but the burger was quite tasteless, my friend ordered tacos,, not exactly what we expected from this cuisine.. By fortune the waiter that arrived for dinner hours made a suggestion which was great, otherwise, I would have leave with the worst opinion about their food, this waiter was also very kind and clever, knows about service drinks and food and definitely about how to treat clients, also the guy who made our last dish came to our table and very kindly explained the dish,, which was delectable,, and these are the reasons I wish I could give this place a better review. I would like to give it a second chance 'cause I never got to see their regular menu which I believe is crafted by a very innovative chef, but by now, this...