Beyond Jersey · Tessa's travel notebook · El Paso
Cafés in El Paso, TX: 9 Coffee Shops From Downtown to Kern Place
The best cafés in El Paso, TX: 9 coffee shops downtown, in Sunset Heights and near UTEP, from a shipping-container café to Yemeni lattes and roasters.
By Tessa Moretti, our virtual host
Researched and edited by the Chefbouyon team
Updated · 8 min read
Quick picks
- A downtown landmarkCoffee BoxA café built from two stacked shipping containers across from San Jacinto Plaza.Directions
- For brunchSalt + Honey Bakery & CafeAll-day breakfast, brunch and lunch with an ever-changing pastry case.Directions
- With a patioSavage GoodsA Sunset Heights café serving coffee, baked goods and patio-ready beer and wine.Directions
- For Yemeni lattesThe House Coffee ShopKnown for Middle Eastern-inspired drinks, including Yemeni lattes and Turkish coffee.Directions
- Near UTEPViejo CoffeeA Kern Place shop near campus, known for coffee served in a bag.Directions
El Paso is where Texas begins, at the state's far western tip. The Franklin Mountains run right through the middle of the city, and Ciudad Juárez sits just across the Rio Grande. It's a border city with its own rhythms, and its cafés reflect that: a shop built from shipping containers, a family café in a century-old neighborhood, a Yemeni latte downtown and a coffee company with its own farm in Puerto Rico. If you're looking for cafés in El Paso, you'll find more variety than you might expect.
This page from my travel notebook is the El Paso coffee day I'd plan. It's for travelers on a road trip to White Sands or Big Bend, visitors in town for a UTEP game or a downtown show, and anyone who wants to slow down in a city most people only drive through. The picks cluster in downtown, Sunset Heights and Kern Place near UTEP, with two roasters farther out for coffee people.
How I picked these
These picks come from research, not from years of El Paso mornings. Many of the city's best cafés live mostly on Instagram rather than websites. So I checked each one in 2025–2026 against its own website where it has one, plus the listings from Visit El Paso, the city's official tourism office, and recent local coverage. If I couldn't find recent evidence that a café was open, it isn't here. Several cafés on older El Paso lists didn't make the cut for that reason. I haven't printed prices or hours, and a few of these shops keep short or changing schedules, so check the café's own page before you go.
Downtown El Paso
Downtown is compact, walkable and full of Trost-era architecture, with San Jacinto Plaza at its heart. These four cafés are all within a few blocks of each other.
Coffee Box
Known for A café built from two stacked shipping containers across from San Jacinto Plaza, known for carefully curated coffee and baked pastries.
401 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX 79901
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Coffee Box is the downtown café most El Pasoans will name first. It sits at 401 N. Mesa Street, right across from San Jacinto Plaza, and it's built from two stacked shipping containers. Visit El Paso calls it "nothing short of unique." The tourism office also says you'll come for a carefully curated cup and stay for the baked pastries.
Coffee Box has a long run as a local favorite. In a July 2025 roundup, 93.1 KISS FM noted it had been named El Paso's best coffee shop since 2017. The station also said it serves globally sourced premium roasts. Because it's on the plaza, it's an easy first stop on a downtown walk, whether you're heading to the El Paso Museum of Art, a show at the Plaza Theatre or a ride on the streetcar.
Who will love it? First-time visitors, architecture lovers and anyone who enjoys a café with a story built right into the walls.
Salt + Honey Bakery & Cafe
Known for An all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch café with an ever-changing pastry case; a grab-and-go Express sits inside the Working Capitol at 311 Montana.
1125 Texas Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Salt + Honey Bakery & Cafe is the downtown pick for a proper meal with your coffee. It serves all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch at 1125 Texas Avenue. The pastry selection changes constantly, and the coffee menu is built around local favorites.
The menu has real personality. Salt + Honey highlights its Tacos Borrachos, made with michelada-braised brisket and house-made green chile cheese hash browns under a cilantro-lime crema. It also calls out its trademark Salt + Honey fries, drizzled with house-spiced honey and feta. There's a grab-and-go Express inside the Working Capitol building at 311 Montana, next to Taconeta, with wraps, bowls, breakfast items and the same coffee. Salt + Honey also caters, from charcuterie boards to office lunch boxes.
Who will love it? Brunch people, groups and anyone who wants a long, lazy late morning downtown.
The House Coffee Shop
Known for A downtown neighborhood café known for Middle Eastern-inspired drinks, including Yemeni lattes and Turkish coffee, plus pastries and desserts.
218 E Mills Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
The House Coffee Shop brings something different to downtown. Visit El Paso describes it as a cozy neighborhood café at 218 E. Mills Avenue, known for Middle Eastern-inspired drinks, including authentic Yemeni lattes and Turkish coffee. It also serves fresh pastries, desserts, teas and light bites.
The tourism office mentions its warm ambiance and late-night hours, which make it a rare after-dinner coffee stop. It's close to downtown's attractions, so it's handy before or after a show.
Who will love it? Anyone curious about spiced Yemeni coffee, night owls and friends who want a café rather than a bar after dinner.
District Coffee
Known for A small downtown shop serving specialty hot and iced coffee, lattes and teas.
222 Texas Ave, Suite F, El Paso, TX 79901
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
District Coffee is a small downtown shop at 222 Texas Avenue, Suite F, serving specialty hot and iced coffee, lattes and teas. Its website keeps things simple, with a full menu to download and a note that it's hiring. That's a modest, quietly confident approach. KISS FM's 2025 roundup also included it among El Paso's local favorites.
It's on the same street as Salt + Honey, a short walk west, so it's an easy second stop on a downtown walk. Who will love it? Anyone who wants a quick, well-made iced latte without the crowd. In El Paso's sun, that's most of us.
Sunset Heights
Just northwest of downtown, Sunset Heights is one of El Paso's historic neighborhoods, a hillside of older homes a short hop from the city center.
Savage Goods
Known for A family-owned neighborhood café in Sunset Heights with handcrafted food and baked goods, locally roasted coffee, and patio-ready beer and wine.
1201 N Oregon St, El Paso, TX 79902
- Outdoor seating
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Savage Goods is a family-owned neighborhood café at 1201 N. Oregon Street, in Sunset Heights near downtown. It calls itself a welcoming gathering place with great food and even better people. It serves fresh, handcrafted food and baked goods, locally roasted coffee, and what it calls patio-ready beer and wine.
That mix makes Savage Goods a natural weekend brunch spot, and the kind of place where a coffee can turn into a long, sunny lunch. It also offers online ordering and catering, and it posts dietary and allergen information on its site. Savage Goods keeps a short weekly schedule and isn't open every day, so check before you go.
Who will love it? Patio people, brunch people and anyone who likes a neighborhood café with a strong sense of place. Afterward, wander a few blocks of Sunset Heights to see its historic homes.
Kern Place, near UTEP
Kern Place sits just west of the University of Texas at El Paso, at the foot of the Franklin Mountains. These two cafés are a block apart on N. Stanton Street.
Viejo Coffee
Known for A Kern Place coffee shop near UTEP known for iced coffee served in a bag, which moved here from downtown.
2519 N Stanton St, El Paso, TX 79902
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
Viejo Coffee began as a pop-up, opened its first café downtown, then moved to Kern Place, at 2519 N. Stanton Street, near UTEP and just off Mesa. According to a 2022 KISS FM report, it's run by Jose Arevalo and his childhood friend Miguel De La Rocha.
Viejo is best known for serving coffee in a bag, a playful twist on iced coffee that has become its signature. KISS FM also reported that Viejo sold cold coffee in recyclable glass jars customers could return, and that it focused on organic coffee and biodegradable products. You can buy its coffee by the bag, too.
Who will love it? Students, anyone visiting UTEP and anyone who wants a fun, photo-worthy iced coffee. Viejo hasn't kept a full website, so check its social pages for the latest hours.
787 Coffee
Known for A Puerto Rican-founded coffee company that grows coffee on its own farm in Maricao, Puerto Rico, and roasts in El Paso.
2419 N Stanton St, El Paso, TX 79902
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
787 Coffee is the El Paso café with the farthest-flung roots. It's a Puerto Rican-founded company that grows coffee on its own farm, Hacienda Iluminada, in Maricao, Puerto Rico, at about 3,000 feet. It roasts its beans in El Paso at its Montana Avenue facility. If the name sounds familiar, that's because the company says it has cafés in New York City and New Jersey as well as Texas, Puerto Rico and Mexico City.
Its café near UTEP sits at 2419 N. Stanton Street, a block from Viejo. That makes the two an easy Kern Place pair. 787 Coffee has several other El Paso locations, including cafés on Alameda Avenue, N. Zaragoza Road (with a drive-thru), Doniphan Drive and at The Canyons at Cimarron. On its own blog, the company says it was ranked El Paso's top coffee shop in a 2026 list of the world's 100 best coffee shops.
Who will love it? Anyone curious about Puerto Rican coffee, and anyone who wants a farm-to-cup story with their cortado.
For roaster fans: the Westside and the Eastside
El Paso is a long city, stretching around the mountains. These two roasters take a drive, but coffee people will think it's worth it.
2Ten Coffee Roasters
Known for A local roaster that chooses its coffees by cupping and builds its menu on seasonal roasts with clean, complex flavors.
145 E Sunset Rd, El Paso, TX 79922
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
2Ten Coffee Roasters takes a careful approach. Visit El Paso says it prepares every cup with a passion that comes from understanding the long journey to the perfect cup. It chooses its coffees through traditional cupping, and its menu is built on seasonal roasts with clean, complex flavors.
The tourism office lists 2Ten at 145 E. Sunset Road, on El Paso's Westside. Local news reported in 2021 that it took over a former westside donut shop as it grew, so 2Ten has more than one café. Check its current listings for the location closest to you.
Who will love it? Pour-over people and anyone who wants to taste what a local roaster does with each season's crop.
BLDG 6 Coffee Roasters
Known for An east El Paso green-coffee micro-roastery and espresso bar focused on small-batch coffees.
11385 James Watt Dr, Suite B-6, El Paso, TX 79936
Checked against official sources Nov 2026
BLDG 6 Coffee Roasters is a green-coffee micro-roastery and espresso bar in east El Paso, at 11385 James Watt Drive, Suite B-6. Visit El Paso says it roasts small batches of carefully selected coffees, and its staff takes espresso extremely seriously. The tourism office promises one of the most precise little brews you've ever had. BLDG 6 also offers coffee and espresso catering.
It's in an Eastside business park rather than a walkable district, so it's a destination stop. Combine it with a trip to the Eastside or a drive out toward the Mission Trail.
Who will love it? Espresso purists and anyone who likes to buy beans straight from the roaster.
An El Paso coffee day I'd plan
Start downtown with a cup at Coffee Box and a slow lap of San Jacinto Plaza. Walk a few blocks for brunch at Salt + Honey, or a light bite at District Coffee. In the afternoon, drive or take the streetcar up toward UTEP for a bagged iced coffee at Viejo, then a cortado at 787 Coffee. If it's a Savage Goods day, end on its Sunset Heights patio. After dark, The House Coffee Shop is ready with a Yemeni latte. For the full sunset, drive Scenic Drive along the Franklin Mountains. The city lights spread out below are El Paso's best free show.
Getting around
El Paso International Airport is on the city's east side, a short drive from downtown. The El Paso Streetcar loops between downtown and the UTEP area, which suits a café crawl through downtown, Sunset Heights and Kern Place. Check Sun Metro for current schedules. Plan on a car for the Westside and Eastside roasters. El Paso summers are hot and the sun is strong, so start early and carry water between stops.
Building a bigger Texas trip? My Dallas coffee houses guide covers the other end of the state, and my San Jose coffee shops guide heads west to Silicon Valley. Back home, the best coffee shops in NJ roundup and the Montclair coffee shops guide make for a cozy weekend.
Every place in this guide, on the map
- Coffee Box401 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX 79901
- Salt + Honey Bakery & Cafe1125 Texas Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
- The House Coffee Shop218 E Mills Ave, El Paso, TX 79901
- District Coffee222 Texas Ave, Suite F, El Paso, TX 79901
- Savage Goods1201 N Oregon St, El Paso, TX 79902
- Viejo Coffee2519 N Stanton St, El Paso, TX 79902
- 787 Coffee2419 N Stanton St, El Paso, TX 79902
- 2Ten Coffee Roasters145 E Sunset Rd, El Paso, TX 79922
- BLDG 6 Coffee Roasters11385 James Watt Dr, Suite B-6, El Paso, TX 79936
Questions people ask
What is the best coffee shop in downtown El Paso?
Coffee Box at 401 N. Mesa Street is downtown El Paso's best-known café. It's built from two stacked shipping containers across from San Jacinto Plaza, and local radio has long ranked it among the city's best. For a sit-down brunch, Salt + Honey Bakery & Cafe on Texas Avenue serves all-day breakfast. For Yemeni lattes and Turkish coffee, try The House Coffee Shop on E. Mills Avenue.
Which El Paso cafés are near UTEP?
Two cafés sit a block apart on N. Stanton Street in Kern Place, close to campus. Viejo Coffee, at No. 2519, began as a pop-up and is known for coffee served in a bag. 787 Coffee, at No. 2419, is a Puerto Rican-founded company that grows coffee on its own farm in Puerto Rico. Savage Goods in Sunset Heights is a short drive south, toward downtown.
Where can I find Yemeni coffee in El Paso?
The House Coffee Shop at 218 E. Mills Avenue, downtown, is known for Middle Eastern-inspired drinks, according to Visit El Paso, the city's tourism office. Its menu includes Yemeni lattes and Turkish coffee, plus pastries, desserts, teas and light bites. Visit El Paso also notes its late-night hours, which make it an easy stop after dinner or a show downtown.
Are there coffee roasters in El Paso?
Yes. BLDG 6 Coffee Roasters in east El Paso is a green-coffee micro-roastery and espresso bar. 2Ten Coffee Roasters chooses its coffees by cupping and focuses on seasonal roasts. 787 Coffee roasts in El Paso at its Montana Avenue facility. Viejo Coffee also sells coffee by the bag, so you can take some El Paso coffee home.
Is there an El Paso café with a patio?
Savage Goods, a family-owned café in Sunset Heights near downtown, describes its beer and wine as patio-ready. It serves handcrafted food, baked goods and locally roasted coffee. It isn't open every day, so check its hours first. Coffee Box downtown is set across from San Jacinto Plaza, which is a pleasant place to sit with a cup on a mild day.
Spot something out of date, or know a place we should add? Tell us. Corrections are read first.
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