El Cuartito Azul

First time coming to this restaurant and I must say that the food was exquisite. I strongly recommend it. The service is great, and the atmosphere is relaxing.

This place was sooooooo good. My boyfriend and I shared a spinach and a 4 cheese empanada… they were to die for !!! I got the pesto chicken and he got the tbone steak they were also amazing. It’s a small, intimate restaurant and truly a gem… I’ll be coming back many more times.

Not to be dramatic but this was hands down the best dinner I’ve had in a long time. First we had the 4 cheese empanadas which were wonderful and I would recommend getting at least one to start off. I then had the white wine grilled salmon and it was extremely well cooked, a great portion size (honestly too much salmon so I packed some for home!) and the seasoning as perfect. And the the tres leeches for dessert was a great finish to a great dinner. Service was top notch. Restaurant is small so definitely call ahead with reservations.

Everything we tried was fantastic, from top left to bottom right on menu the best. Can’t say enough about the staff. The sangria white and red yummy, steak, chicken and fries.

Great little hidden gem, if you are a carnivore, you are going to love this place. It small intimate perfect for a date, yet casual enough to take the whole family. I liked every there Argentina sausage, yet that is the meaning I like the least. Every single dish I have tried many in this place way over exceeds my expectations, meat are cooks to perfection and the «empanadas» are the best appetizer I’ve had in a while. I hate highly recommend this restaurant a must try.

Argentinian. You think bold flavors, exciting contrasts, Bloody steaks. When El cuartito azul kind of delivers. Three stars because the steak was really good and properly cooked. I had the fillet. The sides on the other sides dissapointed me. It came with mushrooms cooked with a red wine sauce and garlic and spices mashed potatoes. The red wine sauce in the undercooked mushrooms was basically the cabernet sauvignon that was going bad and they couldn’t sell by the glass no more. And i have no problem for this kinds of wines to be used in the kitchen but come on!!! Evaporate the alcohol properly, add some butter and spices. It just felt like they put bad wine that taset like vinager to the mushrooms. The mashed potatoes was meehhh. Boring and dry, so sad when a side like mashed potatoes can be so much more if cooked properly and ends up being a space filler. As I said when i started great steak which I paired with a good tempranillo and enden up being lovely.

This is our new favorite restaurant. Tonight was our first time here and it was the most wonderful experience. We have been in El Paso 3 years and this is by far the best experience we’ve had anywhere. MUCH better than Garufas.
To start off, we tried to walk in for a table last weekend & they were booked solid… So we made a reservation for today :) so first tip, make a reservation!
Today we walked in to a room filled with wonderful tango music & were greeted and taken to our reserved table. The server introduced himself, explained wine list & brought us toasted bread with olives– delicious. We ordered their house merlot, it was only $ 5 a glass and we really liked it, it was light, fruity & smooth. We ordered Salmon Carpaccio as our appetizer– the salmon was perfectly prepared & fresh. Absolutely wonderful. We both ordered churrasco as our entrée & loved it– cooked to medium perfection, served with crispy, warm goat cheese & spinach croquettes and asparagus with cheese. Really, it was perfect! We had tiramisu for dessert and it was light, fluffy and delightful– not too sweet or overwhelming. A perfect end to a perfect meal. The servers were beyond serviceable, they explained to us the history of the restaurant and demonstrated how glad they were that we chose to dine with them. At the end of our night they even shook our hands! Outstanding all around.

I only tried their empanadas. The meat empanadas could use some more flavor as they were too bland. On the other hand the chicken empanadas were too salty. I would definitely give this place a second chance based on what the food looks like in the pictures on here and the customer service when I visited them. Small place so book a reservation if going with a group. Ample parking for the size of the place.

El cuartito azul is exactly what it claims to be: a little blue room… It’s small and cozy and lovely. The owner is very involved and the service is great! We went there for lunch and their prices are very reasonable. You are given bread with some spread, infallible chimichurri, and delicious empanadas even before the main entrée. The food is overall delicious and even though is not suppose to be an exact replica of the food you find in Argentina, as I’m sure exact ingredients are hard to come by, it comes pretty close to it and reminds me of home. They even have quilmes cerveza if you are down for some argentinean beer!

I’ve now dined here about half-​a-​dozen times. Every time I come, I’m happy that I did. The meat dishes are delicious and generous, the empanadas are to die for, and I’ve never ordered anything I wasn’t pleased with.
Tonight I had the salmon salad and my fiancé had the De Lomo steak. The salad was nice and light and what I wanted, but I was having major food envy re: the De Lomo. It was the perfect combo of red meat, marinated mushrooms, and delicate mashed potatoes. After I had the first bite, I told my fiancé our New Years resolution should be to come here more.
My favorite empanadas are the ham and cheese and corn and cheese. I’ve yet to try a pasta entrée, but I look forward to the time I will. This place is an absolute must.
Do make reservations or call ahead. I’ve seen them turn people away at the door.

Solid meal a small place but the food and atmosphere were both very good, next time I think I’ll try a thicker cut steak.

The empanadas here are really good. The corn and cheese empanada is ridiculously bomb. I got the tuna steak as a main. Generous portion and perfectly cooked. Cool little place tucked in the West side.

Had a wonderful, 2 wine bottle dinner here. Had the T bone which was tasty, but on the plain side. The asparagus were good, smothered in cheese with fresh tomato and basil. The 33 dollar wine was good but it retails for 12 bucks the atmosphere was nice with jazz then Spanish music
The four cheese was decadent. The egg plant appetizer wouldn’t been much better had they peeled it but was quite good.

I like options, I like variety. El Cuartito Azul is options and variety. For a long time Mexican food was the domineering restaurant in El Paso and now American (with an El Paso flare) is making a run for the #1 spot… and don’t get me wrong, I like Mexican, I like American. But I like options, I like variety.
Food of the Argentine persuasion, that’s what you’ll find at El Cuartito Azul. There are only a handful of places you can go for Argentine food in the EP area and if you don’t have Garufa money for your night out, head straight to ECA. I’d rank them pretty damn close in taste and service, but you’ll spend a little less at ECA.
True to it’s name, ECA is a little blue room. They take reservations. Make one, you’ll need it. It will save you a lot of hassle, I promise. We once tried to walk in and were told the wait was over an hour. Yikes, but if you must wait, it is worth it. There’s maybe 8 – 10 tables that seat a max of 4, but I did notice they will combine tables if you have a larger party.
We have a knack for ordering white wine regardless of if one or both of us is ordering a steak. Staying true to ourselves we ordered white. We went with their Moscato, Kame from Spain. If I remember correctly, it was $ 21 for the bottle. It was light with a touch of sweet. Luckily for me, this actually paired perfectly find with my meal (but then again I’ve never had a good glass of white wine that didn’t pair perfectly with absolutely everything I was devouring… including that second glass of wine).
We started with the Christorra, a dish I’ve never even heard of, but had a very enticing description. I absolutely loved the Christorra. Served along side the complimentary bread, this all came together in a happy marriage of bread, spread, olives, cheese, and meat. Ummm… yes, it was perfect with the wine. So the bread comes out warm with olives and pesto. Two things I never thought of eating alongside bread, but surprisingly good. The Christorra is a nice portion of small chopped sausage with a goat cheese for topping. This was the best use of goat’s milk I’ve ever had. So smooth, so creamy. Honestly it was like a really, really thick marscapone (which had me baffled because usually when a restaurant uses a goat cheese it has a more crumbly consistency… closer to feta cheese, this was not that). Love, love, LOVE the Christorra!
I was really surprised to see ECA serves up gnocchi, but they do and I wasn’t about to pass. If Ned Flander’s ate here he would call it «Scrum-​didly-​umptious» and never, ever use that word to describe anything else. Ever again. I ordered mine with a mix of the Alfredo sauce and the Tusco sauce. I was having issues committing to just one sauce and the server said they’d happily give me a mix of the two. Hell yeah! The white sauce mellowed out the acidity of the red and the red gave the white the oomph it needed to be on top of a dish that had no proteins. Great mix! I stole a few bites of my better half’s steak and I gotta say it was pretty dang good, the only complaint I had was the cut itself was very grisly. Oh and how could I forget, my meal came with the option of soup or salad. I chose the tomato basil soup and it was delicious. Not too thick and just the right amount of basil.
Not the cheapest place to eat (also not that expensive… somewhere in the middle), but well worth the price. This is a dream date night spot!

An outstanding local restaurant providing excellent food and top-​notch service. The small number of tables (two for larger groups) in this «little blue room» helped promote an intimacy of experience that is rare in El Paso (and in much of the US: it reminded us more of small, exclusive restaurants in Europe).
Rating: four stars for quality of food and drink; one additional star for quality of service and the pleasant intimacy of the dining floor.
The Missus and I met up with friends for dinner. While there were a couple of 2-​tops in the house, we liked our arrangement of dinner for four. There were also two tables that could fit 8 — or, for a friendly family occasion, perhaps 15 would be squeezed in.
I want to start with a note about the high quality of waitstaff. Some Americans who are used to other standards might be put off by the regular, but discreet, attention paid, but service here reminded us of attention paid by high quality restaurants elsewhere. This quality stands out in this particular part of the country. All special requests (and we had some) were accommodated promptly. It seemed like the waitstaff really cared that our dining experience mattered to us.
The food was delicious and, as one would expect from Argentina’s food culture, the beef plates and sauces were especially tasty. Also, finally, a restaurant that understands how to cook asparagus (which is now in season here). Each spear was fantastic and seemed to amplify (not contradict) the other items in either the appetizer plate or the entrees.
The food was served at a competent heat level: the steaks were delivered properly warm, and the vegetables and croquettes were hot.
The Sangria was a delight: it was more subtle and refreshing than one usually gets in the USA. It was a light, fruity drink that didn’t overpower a single appetizer or entrée.
One word of caution: with the bread, olives, brined beans, and the fantastic appetizer plate of mates, pâté, cheese and vegetables, one may feel full before the excellent entrees are served. Fortunately, this restaurant never rushes you ahead, and you have time to absorb your small plates while chit-​chatting with friends and drinking the excellent Sangria, before receiving your main courses.
To-​go boxes are available, as we fortunately discovered.
You have to appreciate a waitstaff that can take, and remember, your order (ours became complicated) without having to stick their noses in a notebook to write things down. You appreciate a waitstaff that recites back your table’s entire order to you, and then delivers it as ordered, with courtesy and professionalism.
Note: the menus that people have posted online are outdated. The current menu is expansive and inviting, and prices have increased. Beef prices, in particular, have increased quite a bit in this area — that reflects any grocery store’s prices in El Paso.
Unfortunately, El Cuartito Azul doesn’t seem to have its own web site online yet.
Reservations: do take time to make them. The Missus and I saw three or four walkup parties turned away due to lack of seating. We sat with a full house on a weekend night. But according to the Missus, reserving five days ahead guaranteed us seating at a four-​top.
Finally: in Unilocal’s system, I noted the Little Blue Room as both «casual» and «classy.» That’s because there were families at large tables dressed up and down, and a couple of couples quite nicely dressed up (dinner jacket, black dress, etc.). All seemed to receive the same high quality of service. It seems like you will be well-​received no matter how you appear at this gem of a local, Argentinian-​Run El Paso restaurant.

This is an El Paso gem. Outstanding food, outstanding service and a sweet atmosphere. My most favorite restaurant yet. The bottles of wine are fairly priced. The amount of food is more than generous.

Fantastic Argentine restaurant run by warm and personable people.
My wife and I stopped here on our annual cross-​country Christmas drive. The place was mostly full, and we were certainly a bit under-​dressed for the occasion, but the service was flawless and the food was amazing.
Best milanesa I’ve tried north of Montevideo; great empanadas, too.

Shared the parillada for two. Comes with fresh salad. Medium done steaks. A great bottle of wine and Aljafores for dessert. Saturday night live music. Small intimate. Make sure you have reservations. Great food and atmosphere.

Absolutely a wonderful lunch experience! My wife and I made the last second decision to try El Cuartito Azul. We have been meaning to try this restaurant for a while since we pass by quite frequently on our daily jaunts around the west side.
I am now wondering why we had not made it to El Cuartito Azul much sooner. The service was excellent and the food was flavorful and plentiful. The appetizers, to include the bread and empanadas, were outstanding. The Chicken Chimichurri was perfectly grilled and juicy. All of this was included in the lunch special for $ 9.99. Can you believe it? Believe it!
A little slice of Argentina in El Paso. Who knew? Now you know, so go at the first opportunity. You will not be disappointed.

Before I begin my review, you need to go make a reservation now. I’ll tell you why after you’ve made your reservation.
Did you make it?
Okay, I’ll continue.
The food here is phenomenal, and what’s amazing on top of the food, is the price. Are you a broke college student? Are you struggling with bills and debt? Money troubles, and it’s your loved one’s birthday or your anniversary? No problem, go to El Cuartito Azul, because it’s completely affordable ($ 7 – 15. WHAT?! GET OUT). Plus, the portions are huge, so there’s plenty of leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.
The steaks are soft, delicious, and perfectly cooked. I also recommend the empanadas. Try the sangria, too! Yum.
So the reason why I had you make that reservation is because the restaurant is very small. It’s also very popular, so there are always customers. If you don’t make a reservation, you will probably have to wait. Lucky for us, we didn’t have to wait too long (10−15mins) for table of 7. But the owner/​manager/​servers are very accommodating and friendly. They gave us free dessert (delicious cheesecake and chocolate cake) after our meal!
Now that you’ve made your reservation, you should go get ready for dinner!