The Magic Pan

They are no longer in service. Closed.

Excellent atmosphere and food. Food was very good also. I’d go back but probably just for a special occasion. Food was pricey (18.00−30.00+ per person). The live music on Friday night was awesome! (I gave 4 stars because prices were higher than expected, otherwise I would have given 5)

Though hard (er) to find, The Magic Pan is worth the look. The food is incredible and the atmosphere on the patio is perfect. It was not too hot out and the waterfall made it all the better. I had the chicken tortilla soup and half of the Gobbler sandwich. Wow! The passion fruit iced tea was great as well (not over sweetened). Overall it is highly recommended.

What a gem of a place! We found the Magic Pan because it was reviewed well and I sure agree! If it’s not too warm, definitely sit outside-​great little atmosphere and there was even a gentleman playing some lovely tunes on his guitar. There are some neat southwest twists on menu favorites. Portions are not at all stingy and are priced well for fantastic quality, service, and ambiance. Go a little dressy and you’ll be just fine… we felt entirely too casual, but once there, it didn’t matter.

Nice patio. Good lunch place. Beer (craft) and wine only. Roast beef aandwich was best. Chicken salad was so-​so. I don’t understand why this place gets such good reviews on Unilocal

YES! Easily a top 5 restaurant in El Paso. If you can swallow paying $ 10 – 20 per dish in the sun city when flautas are a dime a dozen (almost), then you will fall in love with this establishment. The portions are large and scrumptious with plenty of desserts to choose from. I am not sure what the weekend crowd is like, but for a Thursday night patio meal, I could not have asked for more.

One of the best restaurants in El Paso!

I have been here on several occasions, I actually prefer the Cincinnati location due to the amazing tapas specials and happy hour. But that’s another review for another time. I have been for lunch and dinner. Sometimes on Friday nights they have local musicians playing music and a wonderful ambiance.
As it has been noted, their salad portions are huge. If you’re looking for something you can take home to munch on later, I would suggest a salad. No matter how hungry I am, I always seem to have some left over. The Alcapulco Chicken Salad is amazing. Sometimes they can over season their dressing and that pepper can really get to you. Their sandwiches are always tasty too!
Save room for dessert, but do yourself a favor and skip the Cajeta Crepes. I know reading the ingredients sounds amazing, but the execution is poor. As soon as the ice cream hits the warm crêpe, it freezes it up and it turns into a tough, unflavored, mess.
Save your pennies up, because their main entrees for dinner can get pricey. I usually stick with salads and sandwiches because no matter how tasty the entrees look, my bank account won’t fork over the necessary funds. I do have to pay bills you know ;)

To find this very hidden gem, turn at the sign and keep heading back through the parking lot, it will be on the left.
Are you looking for some new american food which is well thought out, has balanced flavor, and is executed well? Head to the Magic Pan, this was a very nice surprise in a town dominated by predictable Mexican flavors.
I was working in El Paso for the week, and ate Mexican food (good and bad) for about three days straight. I am not a big fan of chain restaurants, but was about to cave and go to a Chili’s or Olive Garden, but decided to check this out instead. Needless to say it was the right choice, and my only 5 star rating from the trip!
We initially were going to be seated inside, but decided to wait until a table was available in the courtyard. It was very much worth the wait, shaded and relaxing.

Found this place while Unilocaling on I-​10 Eastbound during a road trip. Got great reviews, so we ventured off the feeder (but not too far off the feeder) to try it on our way to Houston.
It seemed like 85% of the staff were either loaded or getting loaded. We were the only ones besides the owners eating in the dining room at lunch. Part of our order included a peanut butter sandwich without jelly. Our sweet waiter had to come back twice to ask «did you say no peanut butter or no jelly?» Not once, but twice. Then? When the sandwich arrived? It was a jelly sandwich, with no peanut butter. The owners or managers or whoever (clearly related to the restaurant because they were going into and out of the kitchen) were drinking goblets of wine while another server was vacuuming the floor WHILE we were eating. Just crazy!
Lastly, the food was NOT good. The bread was good, but the sandwiches we ordered (the highly touted albacore, a vegetarian option, and the aforementioned pb sans jelly were nothing to crow about. In fact the pb sans jelly was on stale egg bread. The sides were just gross. I had the «black bean salad» (beans mixed with mayo? and white onion).

I’ve visited this restaurant for lunch probably 5 times before. I love their salad and sandwich selections. They have great soups and my favorite: sweet potato fries. This was my first visit for dinner. We requested the patio. They had the misters on to make the patio feel cooler. They had a guitarist/​singer playing, which was really nice. If you haven’t been here before, the patio is an excellent escape to make you think you are somewhere other than El Paso. I would say I prefer their lunch menu and prices, but the attentiveness of the servers is great at either lunch or dinner. Enjoy!

I LOVE THIS PLACE! I could live on their Tlapeno soup for the rest of my life. I never have room for dessert.
Please open an East Side location!

We had a groupon for this wonderful restaurant, so we couldn’t pass it up on my last visit to El Paso. The ambiance is cool. It’s got an old school feel, sort of like having lunch at a friends house or something. There is a little shopping area when you walk in so as well as plenty of shops around the location. There is both outdoor and indoor seating which I like, especially when it’s nice outside.
The wait staff was wonderful. Friendly, informative and really seemed to enjoy working. It made the meal even more enjoyable. Our waiter recommended the sweetened green tea, so I decided that sounded great. It was not overly sweet, with just the right amount of bitterness. I had three glasses before the meal was complete.
We started off with a tabouli salad that was great. It included Bulgar wheat, cubed tomatoes, green onions, and parsley with a lemon and olive oil dressing served over a bed of lettuce. I didn’t go after the lettuce quite as much as the rest of the plate as the tabouli was so fresh and amazing with just the right amount of lemon flavor. Great starter on a hot day.
Next came the Pastrami Magic. Beef pastrami topped with caramelized onions, melted jack cheese, served on a ciabatta bread with creamy Dijon basil mayonnaise. The pastrami was thinly sliced with no fat. The mayo was wonderful and added as it added the nice freshness of basil with the bit of a good Dijon mustard. The ciabatta was soft and went perfectly with the meal. The sweet potato fries were great too. Crunchy with the right amount of sweetness.
The final dish we shared was the Pulled Pork Sliders on Hawaiian sweet rolls. The pulled pork was tender and served with fresh slaw and a really nice raspberry BBQ sauce. The raspberry was very slight, so it added a nice fruity flavor to the BBQ. The sweetness of the Hawaiian roll went perfectly with the dish. We got a side of black bean salad which was pretty tasty. The beans were seasoned and mixed with mayo served as a cold salad. Nice for something new to try.
Dessert meant our favorite, Key Lime Macadamia Pie. There is this wonderful light wafer crust containing crunchy macadamias and filled with key lime cream. It is a lighter dessert with a wonderful key lime punch. They don’t even color it, so it’s the way it looks when you order it in Key West. This may be my favorite dessert in El Paso.
For a great meal, nice waiters, and a cute restaurant, this is the place.

I can’t believe that my hubby lived around the corner from here for a year while we were dating, and we never stumbled in!
What a great find — the food was awesome and I loved the feel of the shopping center that surronds the restaurant — an old Southwest vibe. Even though it’s been 3 months since I visited, I can still remember the chicken tortilla soup since it was the best chicken tortilla soup I’ve ever had!

This place is hard to find. Tried to meet some friends here but couldn’t find it. Finally saw the sign from the road and pulled into the parking lot. Couldn’t find the place. Obscure sign.
Inside really cool setup. Menu was great. Good calamari and spinach dip. Salads are 2x the size you’d expect. Martini was great here. Think my Johnny Black was watered down.

I’ve only been for lunch, but man is it good. Best Talipeno soup and tuna sandwich on ciabatta w/​sweet potato fries… Delish! Their Gobler is yummy, too. Well, everything I’ve ever had there is great.
Don’t forget about their homemade muffins/​breads– Amazing!!!
Glass of pinot grigio or their italian soda or their passion fruit tea… You can sit and sip on the tree covered patio and enjoy the dry desert air.
The staff is super friendly (and cute!). Their kids menu is actually kid friendly w/​healthy options and if you like fresh, greens rich salads — you’re in luck.
Enjoy + know they have a cute gift shop w/​great prices… Candles, jackets, wine bottle stoppers, cocktail rings, flip flops, cute napkins… Tons of great gift things for friends or yourself!

The Magic Pan is one of my family’s favorite restaurants in El Paso. It has earned it’s reputation.
It is an awesome local gem that deserves the hype. The food is great, the restaurant is cute, and the patio really cannot be beat. Everything I’ve had here has been fantastic, including the service.
They have an AMAZING chicken tortilla soup. They also will cook your food basically to custom order. They appeal to any diet you may be on, even if you just order lettuce on a plate.
You will definitely run into the super mom tennis players here, so be prepared to see a bunch of very posh super women socializing. It’s just that kind of place.
They also have a cute gift shop attached that has some very cute things, and some very typical crafty type gifts.

OK, so I’m siting in the Magic Pan which is totally quaint and charming by the way, and here comes Laura Bush’s best friend and her gang for a bite and some refreshments.
So if this gives you an idea that it’s a wonderful eatery to entertain out of town guests and business lunches, you are 100% correct.
The outdoor patio area is equipped with misters, which allow a pleasant amount of mist and air to your cooling needs in the hot Texas sun, this has proven to be effective for comfort hands down.
Enjoy the mescalin salad and the fresh soups, they are simply to die for!

The Magic Pan is a gem! I’ve been to both locations and am equally impressed with both. The food is delicious, the décor tasteful, the service prompt and attentive, and the overall quality at both restaurants is superbly consistent.