Blackbird Cantina Deluxe

This place is a classic dive bar, which can be a great time, but it wasn’t. Wait times are horrible… When I complained, the bartender actually started arguing with me and became very aggressive. It’s like a house and drinking in the living room. Lol

Talk about a cool hidden gem in EP!!! I had a great time at this place with my fiancé!!! We were on for a night out and thanks to Unilocal we ended up a Catina. That has two twins with massive beards, but they can make drinks like no body’s business. I am not even much of a drinker but after Anson 11 mojito and the lemon pucker drinks yes drinks I had here well that was it I was down for the count! My fiancé had some kind of ale that got stronger as you let it sit and drink it. Great Great customer service!!! I really enjoyed my time here. My hangover not so much

Very cool bar that is modified from shipping containers. Good selection of draft beers. Love the outdoor patio with lots of picnic tables for seating. Inside has a long bar with booth tables along the walls.
I like the bar and I think its fun with friends but its quirks hold it back from a higher rating. Bartenders can be a little less than friendly in my opinion (that general coldness was present both times I went). Me and my friend came in at about 930 on Saturday. Asked to see a cocktail menu. Bartender refused to give it saying they don’t show the menus on the weekends cause it gets too busy. While there was a good amount of people in the total restaurant (maybe 20) it was no where close to being busy yet. He made me an old fashioned (and it was pretty good) but did so almost grudgingly. I guess getting cocktails on busy nights is a no-​go.
Cool bar especially the patio but service is so-​so.

Three for atmosphere and friendly service… However I’m quite concerned with the cleanliness of the tap lines.
A few weeks ago, I went out and had two draft beers with my sister. TWO in the span of three hours. The next day, I had a horrible headache and was sick to my stomach. I figured it must’ve been a hangover… Allergy to the beer? Idk. I did notice the bartender had trouble filling the glass because there was excessive foam, I just figured the keg was nearly empty/​bad tap, and I didn’t give it much thought. Last night, my husband and I went for a drink and we each had one beer. His beer’s tap also had excessive foam and mine didn’t. Today, my husband is sick the same way I was a few weeks ago. Headache from hell and sick to his stomach. I really like the place, I just don’t think I’ll be ordering tap beer again!

I just visited from Denver and although I would like to give them 5 stars because seriously they have put much thought into their beer menu (yes I am a beer snob, I hope that people realized that by me saying I live in Denver), location and even more their pretty awesome container-​made building, I just can’t. Coming from the Mecca of good beer and even better bar management and good customer service, this place needs a lot to change. They ran out of some beers that night after the game, yes it was a baseball game but yes the game schedule was announced long ago. They need a chalk menu or at least to cover the tabs they run out of (time wasted informing some patrons that their choice is out) and even more to serve beer faster or have more waitresses on the floor. All of those mixed drinks take a lot to make. I have never waited more than 5 mins to get a beer in a room packed full of people DURING a broncos game. I can’t believe that after a Chihuahuas game, I had to wait 15 minutes to get what I wanted. Lastly, change the music selection, if that’s what the owner or bartender likes, sorry but it is not very good.
You are on the right path because seriously there are a few bars that I would go to here in El Paso since apparently bud-​light and lone star are the selection in the south. Just make your service more efficient, El Pasoans deserve good beer but better service too

Blackbird Cantina is another perfect example of the changing culture in El Paso. The relaxed atmosphere and the quality of drinks, both specialty cocktails and craft beers, make you forget that you’re in downtown El Paso. I love the fact that you can actually have a conversation with friends since the music isn’t bumping so loud. The selection of craft beers on draft is awesome and it helps when the bartenders are well educated in the beer’s taste and style. Everyone i refer to Blackbird has no idea it exists because of its location (i think it used to be a laundromat) downtown. Most people think there’s only clubs downtown. Part of the structure is also made up of old railway containers! I recommend anyone to go check it out if you’re in the mood to have quality drinks and have a conversation!

Great low key place for drinks with friends. Only negative is the location. Hopefully this area will get renovated as the apartments are a bit run down.

Love this bar! Great drinks and beer. Staff is wonderful! Check it out! Something for every drinker!

Fantastic drinks, fantastic service. The staff is very knowledgeable, and makes fantastic cocktails. The atmosphere is great, and the quality is high. If you want a cocktail made with care, go here!

I don’t use the word best lightly, but they have the best old fashioned I have ever had in Texas. Every cocktail the staff makes is made in the same mindful manner so I recommend exploring their menu. Love the atmosphere and décor, I only wish that there was more room indoors, though there are plenty of heaters outside. Come summer, the roomy outside would be perfect spot for those lazy summer afternoons. With their list of seasonal cocktails, a huge rotating draft selection, alongside the friendly and knowledgeable staff, Blackbird easily has become one of my favorites in El Paso to get a post life haze on.

They will carefully craft a cocktail even when crazy busy. And they know how to pull a beer from a tap. Fight the urge to tug on their beards. It’s tough but you can do it.

This place is off the chain… you can walk in and not know anyone and leave with new friends. Specializing in craft beer and specialty drinks… this place is built from mil-​van and recycled materials. I don’t come here much but love it when I do…

Absolutely fell in love with this place, tasteful setup, with a classy Dive Bar vibe. Ask for Eddy, dude is well educated and makes some of the best cocktails in town. Craft beer selection is top notch. Sunsets Heights was a great location for this gem.

While thinking aloud, I came to the realization I can no longer say «This makes me feel like I’m somewhere out of El Paso» because this is it… this is El Paso NOW. We have mixed-​use communities, a growing downtown (that’s starting to look spectacular!), phenomenal restaurants sprinkled throughout the city, and so much more that would take me entirely too long to list. We’re there. I’ve never been more proud to be an El Pasoan than when I entered Blackbird Cantina Deluxe.
I first heard about BCD through a Downtown El Paso website and even though from the picture it looked like it was going to be just another hole in the wall, I was enticed. The front of BCD is extremely misleading, EXTREMELY. They took what was once a laundry-​mat in a low income area, revamped the inside, and attached a couple of shipping containers. Uhhhh… grool!
Once I got inside this grool cantina my mind started to explode. There is so much attention to detail put into BCD that I’m sure I missed half of all the intricacies. I was infatuated with the use of stained glass as a light shade above the booths. It cast this gorgeous mosaic shadow on the wall. Once I had finally stopped ogling the light, my boyfriend and I made our way to the bar which is simply brilliant. The bar counter is copper… haven’t seen that in EP before. There’s a few beers on tap, but they don’t limit themselves to just domestics or just craft, they seem to have a huge appreciation for alcohol in general. My kind of place. Every little detail gives BCD an added touch of sophistication. Calling BCD a cantina is almost wrong. BCD is the equivalent of a gastropub minus the food, but with all the class you desire in a casual atmosphere… so a gastrocantina.
I had to make a trip to the ladies room and normally I don’t care about reviewing a bathroom (unless it’s absolutely atrocious) because if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all, but BCD’s bathrooms are hella cool! One wall has a white and blue wall-​paper that somehow just goes. The sink is this pipe and metal contraption that I love and the stalls are made from shipping container material. Much like the rest of BCD, it’s the perfect mix of old and new. I love that they didn’t skip out on keeping the same flow in places that people don’t always expect it.
After my quick detour we were ready to order. I always ask for the signature cocktail menu cause that’s what it’s all about, man. I landed on the Badass Sidecar which was expertly made by a tall, bearded bartender. As our bartender took a quick left to the end of the bar, he returned only a second later on the opposite side. I had to do a double-​take. Twins. Ahahaha, I don’t know why that made this place so much more magical, but it did. Our drinks were executed in a very short amount of time and were perfect in my opinion. Mine was rimmed in sugar at my request and was well balanced. Prices were on the low end for signature drinks so that made my inner 20-​something, penny pinching self happy.
The whole time we were there, there was a pretty good amount of people, but it never became overwhelming. This is the kind of place that you have to have some insider info on to even know about it, but it’s totally the kind of place you want to spend a night at grabbing drink and shooting the breeze with locals. The mix of ages and professions were amazing and it’s casual enough that you can walk in with some jeans on or go in dressed to impress. I’m not sure if there’s a dress code, but I would not recommend wearing flip-​flops here if you catch my drift.
Before we left this mythical location, I wanted to do a quick walkabout. The patio area blew me away too. They kept an older tree towards the back which was a great idea since it will provide tons of shade in those hotter months and it’s just nice to see a tree every once in a while (take notes, EP). Outdoor heaters were going, everything was lit up. It’s just all designed very well and if you’re lucky enough to know about this place, I know that you’re already a regular.