Jacques I.
Yelp
There's a reason Guy Fieri came to eat at Desert Oak Barbecue while in El Paso - 'cause it's freakin' delicious! My partner found out about this place as we were making our way back to El Paso from southern New Mexico and needed some dinner before flying back home. Thus, we found ourselves at Desert Oak Barbecue.
The location is a little odd. It's located in a kind of industrial, business strip, which is right off a busy highway. But we most definitely were in the right place when we walked inside where it was spacious with plenty of picnic style tables, a bar in the middle and TVs playing sports. It's my kind of place.
To start, I had a jalapeno margarita, which was needed after a day of hiking. They have a full bar here, with lots of local taps, so wet that whistle! My partner ordered the double brisket plate, half a rack of pork ribs (the beef ribs were sold out when we visited), with the mac and cheese and green chile rice. I had to try the El Paso stuffed potato with a hot link, which is what Guy Fieri ordered here and is what this place is known for.
Holy moly, the food was delicious! The El Paso stuffed potato with a hot link was smothered with brisket, beans, cheese, green chiles, cheese and sour cream. I don't really care for baked potatoes, but this one has me thinking twice. If all baked potatoes were stuffed like this, I would happily devour this again and again. The brisket was tender and flavorful, the hot link had a nice hint of spice and the green chiles added some nice zest. For one person, the El Paso stuffed potato is massive. My partner enjoyed his brisket and ribs, and I had a bite of his green chile rice side, which was outstanding. The cheesiness with the green chiles added some oomph to the rice. I highly recommend getting it as one of your sides! For dessert, my partner ordered the key lime pie pudding, which was a small size, but is a good amount after you've stuffed yourself with meaty goodness.
Our server was the sweetest. She was happy to make recommendations and constantly checked in with us, especially since she knew we were headed to the airport afterwards, so wanted to be mindful of time. Why can't we have BBQ places like Desert Oak in the Seattle area? UGH. Don't mess with Texas and its BBQ. Eat here when you're in El Paso!