Maracas

Great lunch! Cool place with a very tasty pulled pork sandwich. Excellent price point! I’ll be back!

There are a lot of great sandwiches out there, but make no mistake, Maracas is unquestionably Sandwich Royalty, their Cuban Sandwich is in fact the King of Cuban Sandwiches, All Hail Maracas!
This is no exaggeration, for I too was once a skeptic, reading tales of this great Cuban Sandwich and thinking «well, if it’s so great, why is it so f**king far away?!» But it takes a great man to admit when he is wrong, and I was wrong, which makes me great, as great as the aforementioned sandwich.
I love how perfectly pressed their sandwiches are, they get that light crisp, flaky, buttery texture, not just the Cubans, and the roasted pork is tender and delicious, as is the Bistec they use in the Tripleta sandwich. And the sandwiches are also big and satisfying (if I had a nickel for ever time I’ve heard that…), I recommend buying a large, eating half and saving the other half for your next meal.
Maracas also introduced me to the idea of eating hash browns in a non-​breakfast meal, which is freakin’ weird at first, but they are darn good! (is this a New York thing? A Puerto Rican thing? Just curious)
I honestly worry that I’ll never get to fully explore the menu because I will always be ordering sandwiches, but if all I ever get is their sandwiches I am more than cool with that. I also really, Really, REALLY wish Maracas wasn’t so far away!

Amazing Cuban sandwich !! Was in search for one after watching «chef» on Netflix lol and I came across this place on Unilocal ! Great service, delicious food and fair price considering the portion size ! Will definitely be returning!
PS– if you’re a fan of the Puerto Rican spicy sauce known as «piqué» bring your own ! Although they will accommodate you with jalapeños upon request ! Lol

If you’re ever near the Outlet Mall, this place is definitely worth stopping by. It’s literally only a couple minutes away. I just got back from Puerto Rico, so I was hoping they had some dishes (Mofongo, Carne Frita, etc.); however, I think their specialty is in sandwiches.
We walked in about 45 minutes before they closed and they told us they only could serve the Cuban and the Pernil. Not a problem because that’s exactly what we wanted. We took one of each. Okay, so I’ve never been to Cuba, but I’ve had a few Cuban Sandwiches in Miami. This is not Miami Cuban Sandwiches, this is El Paso Cuban Sandwiches. Just to manage expectations and by no way do I mean that negatively because it’s actually really delicious.
I noticed they closed at 6PM that day, but they started locking their door at around 5:30PM. One poor guy actually tried to walk in around 5:45PM, but the door was locked. With that said, come early. I live in Far East EP, so I probably won’t be coming here as often as I’d like, but if I’m ever in this area, I’ll definitely stop by here.

Oddly enough, I’d never tried a «Cuban Sandwich» until last year… In Okinawa… Japan lol. But I fell in love with them. Fast forward 1 yr, now in El Paso Texas. My wife found this little gem right near the outlets. She remembered me raving about these things called Cuban sandwiches, so she tried it. She came home saying dude, we have to go! So we went… And again, and again, and again. I know I’m late writing this review, as I’ve been 4 times. But today I knew for sure this was something special as I caught myself (didn’t stop myself though) ordering one to eat there and ordering another one to eat at home for dinner lol. Yea dude, it’s THAT good.
Get off I-​10W or TransMountain Rd and head like you’re going to the outlets. Don’t turn right though. Head straight, but BARELY straight, and then hard quick left into what looks like a little shopping center. Pizza OK and some battery replacement place is first thing you’ll see. Casually skip by that nonsense and then BAM, you’re at Maracas.
Now I’m not Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Miamian or whatever, you get the point. So can I put my stamp on this and say it’s the real deal? No, I’m not qualified to do so. But what I can do is put my stomach on this biz and tell you real or slightly different, the sh*t is DELICIOUS! Like seriously… I can’t go in anymore without ordering extra just so I can take it home.
They have other things on the menu, Phillys and such… But honestly, I don’t care… (I bet $$$ it’s all good though) cuz I’m just here for these amazing things called Cubans… I can’t get enough! It’s so freakin perfect!!! And you can get fries with it, and the fries are dope… But dude. They serve a garlic hash browns with it…
O-​M-​G. They’ll change your life. Get the hash browns… No, wait. Get TWO orders, one of each. Then you decide. If you even can lol. It’s so good man.
Staff /​owner is hella friendly … He’s a good dude and always interacts with the guests. The lady does too. Nice people. I like them.
Clean establishment. Nice decorations all over the walls. TV usually playing NFL on Sunday’s. Bathroom is crazy clean.
All kinds of beverages available. Some kinda soda named Materva? Am I spelling that right? I dunno but my wife loves it. I think it’s a sugar cane kinda drink? Maybe not though. She’s from an island that’s all sugar cane. It appealed to her. Or even just plain old water, which I prefer. Don’t wanna dehydrate as I stuff my face lol.
I highly recommend this place. Clean, affordable, friendly, and most of all, the main reason you should come, it’s DELICIOUS! And locally owned. Well, they are Puerto Rican, but obviously they live here. So, you know, locally owned.
And speaking of price, they give military discount. And dude knows. He’s smart. I came in FULL beard like 2 weeks into leave and didn’t say nothing and he still have me military discount. He knew. And I appreciated. Said thank you and he said, «No. Thank YOU»…
I’m down with that. Respect.
Das It Mayne

I’ve never had Cuban sandwich so I can’t tell if it’s authentic but it sure was delicious! Perfect crispy sandwich with some juicy meat inside. Just by writing this review makes me want to go back there. (And yes we are going back there tomorrow. I’ve already talked with my husband…)
Service was great too! The owner was a very nice guy. If you don’t know what to get, you should ask him. He was happily answering questions about their sandwiches.
I felt strange but when you go inside, you go to the counter to order. But you don’t have to pay at the time. You sit down and wait for your food to be served. If you want a drink you can go get one from the fridge. When you’re done eating, you go back to the counter to pay for whatever you got. (speaking of their drinks, try the mate soda. I’ve only had mate tea in my life but the soda was pretty good)
I can’t wait to go back for some more sandwiches… :)

Good sandwich. I would said excellent. But the owner had not manners or education to care for the customer. Very rude to me and my sister. He try to be funny but to me was rude when I tell him I don’t want onion in my sandwich. Then when we were eating he interrupt us asking about the food and when my sister said was good he jump saying «oh just good» in a rude manners. He piss up my day. In the other hand the lady was so friendly, kind and helpful.

Portion size is good they have extremely quick service. The to stones are a bit dry but other than that it’s the most authentic I’ve had in El Paso.

Not bad, not good. Just a little run of the mill sandwich shop. I had the Cuban. In reality, I guess I just don’t like Cuban sandwiches. Wife had hamburger, said it was fine, not great. Daughter had Philly with next to no meat. And the garlic hash browns Unilocalers have been raving about? Greasy, cold, and under seasoned.
In addition, the inside was (literally) about 100 degrees. They had a big industrial fan blowing the hot air around. It seemed to be cooler outside, and it was 95 outside!
To wrap up, I won’t return.

Great food, made fresh, right off I 10. Cuban sandwich has crispy bread, tender meats, really savory. Garlic hash browns are a perfect accompaniment. Super friendly family run place.

I am torn about this review. I think the food is good, but for some reason it seemed to taste better when the restaurant was located in the gas station.
I don’t like the fries, nor the hash-​browns. The fries seem undercooked and reheated. The hash browns lack flavor. I do enjoy the sandwiches, however. I normally get the Cuban, or the Tripleta. I usually eat a portion of my sandwich there, and take the rest home. I can say that it makes for a good leftovers.
The bathroom was a huge disappointment. I took my son in and the toilet was dirty, so I had to hold him up high in the air in order to let him potty.
The owner seems invested and wants customers to be happy. He doesn’t seem very friendly, but that may be a NY thing.
Overall, because the owner seems so committed and the sandwiches are good, I rate it a 4.

This is only my second time here and I already know I’m gonna become a VIP of this place. Is the Puerto Rican style joint. Their sandwiches are delicious:-). So far I’ve tried The Cubano and The Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches and they both have been delicious.
The owner is always around and he always makes you get treated like royalty. So that makes service great.
The owner mentioned that typical Puerto Rican dishes are served on Fridays but I haven’t been here on a Friday. I will definitely come back to give it a try.
And to top it off, prices are very affordable. You should definitely give this place a try… You wont regret it!

A must eat place when you’re in El Paso! The food is delicious and the owner and staff are incredibly nice! Your order is made fresh in front of you. I highly recommend this place! :) :)

Best Cuban I have ever had, great price and great portions along with some fantastic garlic hash browns. Perfect spot to go before or after shopping at the Outlets. There are so many great places to eat in EP, people need to break away from the junk of Olive Gardens, McDonalds, Red Lobsters… seriously those are 2.5 star places.

So I’m definitely addicted to this place. So far, since my very first visit just a few weeks ago, I’ve had 2 bistecs, a Cuban, a cheeseburger, a Philly, pernil, and sampled a tripleta. For sides I’ve had the fries, tostones, and the garlic hash browns. So far my absolute favorite is the bistec with tostones. I stand by my original review that the bistec should be called the heroin sandwich. And I’m not even ashamed of how much I eat here. The food is amazing.

You. An not go wrong at this place! I hate to say it but El Paso is lacking in culturally diverse food! There is one other Puerto Rican place that I know of its net my home the food was really good there too! I enjoyed this place a nice little treat! I will definitely here first then go shopping lol. I have the pastrami a and it was so good! The bread was prepared perfectly it was like I a panini yep that’s it a Puerto Rican panni! I feel like I couldn’t have made a bad choice. The has Browns had a taste of garlic and they were the best potato anything that I have had ever. I got the six inch because I had a feeling it was going to to be a larger portion
I was right the portion was great and it actually filled me up with half Nd the other half I gobbled up when I got home.
My boyfriend had the Cuban it was good too!

And the angels broke out in a song of ‘Hallelujah!’
El Paso is simply my hometown because I’ve spent the most consecutive years in this city, but that by no means equates to me being less traveled or less culturally foodie educated. I’ve lived in many different states and even a couple of different countries. And if there’s one thing I do a lot of… it’s eating. And I always want to eat something new or different. So luckily for me, the growth of the EP restaurant scene in the past five years has been nothing short of amazing. Hallelujah!
I stand by my original positive three star review because any time I step into an establishment (be it a hole-​in-​the-​wall or upscale) I want the total package. I want the ambiance, I want the impeccable food, I want the above and beyond service, and I want to feel completely immersed in a world outside of my own (whether I’m transported by food, décor, or a mixture of both). Three stars is a good review, mind you, I just wanted more.
And I finally got more!
Enter, the new Maracas! I’m making an educated guess, but I think moving directly next door into the newly built strip mall had more to do with the expanding of Talbot Ave. (and the adjoining street). Their intention to move regardless is a possibility, but I really do think Talbot played into it and honestly they’re in a better location (immediately visible to those headed to the Outlet Mall) with a colorful catch-​your-​eye sign.
After a couple of hours of work, munching on Ritz and Oreos, I decided it was time. It was time to give Maracas another go at this new location. I walked in to a much smaller restaurant. Cozy. More suitable to their needs. And the way it’s decorated you can no longer call it a hole-​in-​the-​wall. It’s more casually trendy now. A faux brick wall that felt kind of New York. The bricks even make their way to the trashcan in a slow «I’m becoming NY» kind of way… or maybe «I’m breaking out of NY» depending on how you look at it. Either way I thought that was a cool touch. Framed photos, news articles, flags, and the like are hung on the walls with purpose. The full menu reads above the counter still and pictures of the sandwiches are still printed on the counter. Just enough improvements without changing completely so it still feels like the old Maracas you know and love, just better.
The owner, Ramon, was there in the entity of both cashier and chef and his attitude is so similar to what I’d expect from a food truck… you know, an owner that has a touch in absolutely every aspect of their business and your experience from start to finish. I absolutely love that, it’s more personal and just makes you appreciate the service. He was pleasantly interested in my overall experience without being overbearing and honestly he comes across as the kind of person you could have a real conversation with while dining here.
I knew I had to give their Cuban another go and this time without a doubt I was getting the garlic-​butter hash-​browns. I grabbed myself a green tea out of the fridge (canned and bottled products only, but I like it because it feels authentic) and unloaded my stuff on a table. Strangely enough, I kind of prefer dining alone so I poured into the book I am currently reading. I was expecting a bit of a wait since everything is made to order, but it was out in under 15 minutes.
The Cuban was golden to perfection and the hash-​browns were yellow ever so slightly (so I knew there would be a discernible buttery taste). I seriously plowed into the hash-​browns. Salty, buttery, garlicy. The trifecta of everything I want in life. No ketchup needed. I should mention I ordered the 8 in. Cuban which should be labelled «Warning: Don’t do this alone.» But your girl can eat. Yes, I finished it… for two reasons, 1. When I eat with a partner I use how much they’re eating as a measurement of how much I should eat, and 2. It was just that damn good! The Cuban was buttered on the outside and layered with all the deliciousness I remembered. It was pressed to the heavenly-​th degree! I kind of wish I hadn’t finished it because that would’ve been amazing to wake up to.
And the angels broke out in a song of ‘Hallelujah!’

When it comes to sandwiches this is my first stop. My favorite and must try is the Cuban and Pernil. But I’ve tried almost every sandwich and they’re all great. My wife loves the Philly Cheestake.

I love this Puerto Rican restaurant. Due to the lack of cultural awareness in El Paso, many people and places are often generalized. Chinese, Japanese, Koreans and Filipinos — they are all called Chinos. Hispanic people… they are all Mexicans. That’s the reason why so many places come and go because most people here will not eat anything if it isn’t Mexican food or Chinese buffet or McDonald’s. For people with a wider base of knowledge in the culinary arena, there are a lot of ‘different’ places to go to in the west side of El Paso where people are generally more open-​minded and awesome restaurants like Maracas have a chance. Maracas New York Rican Sandwiches is one place that I could go to over and over again and not get tired of it.
Now that I have that part cleared. I must say that this place is sooooo good, I’m not even bothering to deduct a star for its location.
Décor — it’s a sandwich shop. Plain and simple. It is bright and it is clean. There are no flies, no roaches, nothing of that sort. It’s not a wine and dine kind of place, but I would take a date there to show her that I know my stuff. If she don’t like it, then I know we’re not gonna get a long and she can walk home.
Service — excellent service. A friend brought me here because I was craving some Puerto Rican /​Carribean food. I only know of one on the East side but it was way too far and a bit on the pricey side. One thing that caught my attention was that everybody smiled and they all had a uniformed greeting upon coming into the restaurant. That tells me a lot — the restaurant has CHARACTER and people who are happy tend to make great food.
Food — they have their usual menu, but also their special of the day (not on the menu). The day I went, they had CHICKEN FRICASE, which tastes just like the way grandma cooked it (except that in the Philippines, it’s called ‘afritada’). They did not have any TOSTONES that day, because the FDA had to turn away a recent shipment that was ruined by bad weather. If you love french fries, but want a healthier alternative (not sure how much healthier), try the TOSTONES!
I have not rated any places in awhile, but this place really… woke me up (and after having my fill — put me to sleep, literally)!!! I also ordered a foot-​long TRIPLETA to go — a sandwich with pork, chicken and ham and your choice of cheese (mine had swiss and it was excellent). I ate ¼ of the sandwich which was much larger than I expected it to be. The rest of it I shared with some of the most closed-​minded people I know and they LOVED it. When a restaurant can do this, you know it’s good. It is rare for me to give five stars, but when I do — it’s because it really is THAT GOOD! TURN DOWN FOR WHAT?!!
Other raters — I don’t care about the other raters who rated less than five stars. The point is… there’s enough people complaining about things not being marinated a certain way or it’s too far or you are having mixed feelings or it’s not spicy enough. Those are too typical El Paso — type criticism. I don’t have that problem. I am not from El Paso, but I do live here and I refuse to be the typical, less-​traveled, often very opinionated El Pasoan who has never been anywhere. If what you complain about has any weight, you have way too many great and not-​so-​great Mexican restaurants to choose from where your opinion may apply. For now, take that taco out of your mouth, brush your teeth and try again. Thanks.

In town for a nice vacation. After leaving Hobby Lobby I ask my brother I wanted something good but different at the same time. He told me about this little place. I’m down let’s !!! OMG glad we stop by this place was so so good! I had the Bistec and my bro had the Pernil :) it was so delicious really good place to eat at!!!