Take a tasty bite at the best restaurants outside El Paso's city limits

These days, if you're going to take a drive, you want it to be worth your gas. And since eating out is one of the most popular pastimes, we've compiled a list of restaurants outside the El Paso city limits that are worth a visit.

Some are familiar and on the list because we'd be remiss if we didn't include them, while some are old favorites we might sometimes forget in our daily work-life balance. And, hopefully, one or two will be new to you.

Cattleman's Steakhouse, Fabens

It's still surprising to find El Pasoans who have never been to Cattleman's, 3450 S. Fabens Carlsbad Road, so that is why we are starting with this famed steakhouse in Fabens. Longtime El Pasoans should already know this is a great place to go anytime you are celebrating someone, have an anniversary or have guests in town.

They have a wide range of steaks, from small filet mignon to the 2-pound porterhouse Cowboy steak. The challenge here is how to pace yourself, between biting into a great steak and enjoying the sides of baked potato, coleslaw with bits of pineapple (one of the best in El Paso), and spicy ranch beans. You are sure to need a doggie bag!

And there is much to enjoy on the property, so make sure you go with enough time to walk off your meal. There is a man-made lake, a children's zoo, an Indian maze, a children's playground and wagon rides on Sundays.

Billy Crews, Santa Teresa, New Mexico

Tucked in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, Billy Crews is a restaurant that feels reminiscent of another era, with dim lighting, and tables set with white tablecloths and red cloth napkins folded into wine glasses.

The longtime restaurant, at 1200 Country Club Road, is popular in the area, drawing both couples on dates and those who fancy fine steaks and wine for dinner. We stopped by during the day and discovered the bar lounge, which has tables as well, is used for lunch.

The lunch menu is smaller but still offers some steak platters, as well as sandwiches and tacos. We learned the caldillo, $7.95, is made with prime rib, so we had to sample it and it was delicious, chock-full of steak bites and big potato pieces. It is served with a flour tortilla.

Billy Crew's Classic New York Steak platter, $17.95, also was a good choice, with a juicy, grilled steak, served with a choice of two sides. We chose the onion rings and garden salad and were not disappointed.

It must be mentioned that our servers were super friendly and amenable to conversation about the establishment. Also, live music is returned to the lounge July 15. Performer Louie will be playing at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, so be sure to check it out.

Edge of Texas Steakhouse

If you're headed to New Mexico through Northeast El Paso, you will probably see the Edge of Texas, a steakhouse restaurant that has been serving rib-eyes, New York and top sirloin since 1997. The restaurant is Texas style, with a lot of hardwoods, dim lighting and country music playing in the background.

Expect to meet some friendly waitresses with unforgettable names, like Preciosa and Azul, who bring you two of the softest complimentary rolls and butter.

We ordered the rib-eye, an 8 ounce to stay in the Times budget, ($26.00), which comes with a choice of two sides including mushrooms, mashed potatoes, baked potato, salad or french fries.

The steak had slight marbling, great grill marks and was juicy. The greens salad surprisingly was more than just greens and tomato, with lots of dried cranberries, croutons, and even some strawberry slices, and served in a chilled plate. Nice touch.

We added scampi for $4.16, three plump shrimp in a buttery, garlic base.

La Posta de Mesilla

If you have time a for a day trip, Mesilla, New Mexico, is the perfect place for some old-time charm, and some great spots to eat.

La Posta de Mesilla, located in the square, is popular with both New Mexicans and tourists. It looks busy most days with plenty of patrons sipping on margaritas, chitchatting and laughing and friendly waiters greeting customers with a bowl of crispy tostadas and a delectable, spicy tomato-based salsa.

Our server said the combination plates are the most often ordered because people like the idea of sampling a variety of staples such as enchiladas, tamales and chile rellenos.

There are few wrong answers as we decided to try the marinated steak fajitas. The fajitas, $16.95, came piping hot, steam coming up through the iron griddle, and were super tender and flavorful. It was a filling dish served with tasty refried beans and rice, a dollop of guacamole and cheddar cheese.

The restaurant itself is colorful and touristy, with different rooms in the 150-plus-year-old adobe building decorated with paper flowers, piñatas, plants and other knickknacks.

Double Eagle, Mesilla

Another option in Old Mesilla is the Double Eagle, 2355 Calle De Guadalupe, which is a great experience if you enjoy ghost stories. The ornate place, with lots of antiques, is supposedly haunted, after a young man and his lover, a maid, were stabbed to death with sewing shears by the man's mother years ago.

If the host or hostess is not busy, they will give you a tour of the specific rooms where strange things occur, such as the lights flickering or employees' names being called. The restaurant is in a home with an indoor patio that was built in 1849 that was converted into the restaurant in the 1970s.

There is one room, Queen Carlota, in particular with a circular table and several chairs, which guests can request to dine in. Customers are advised to not sit in two particular living room chairs because they may cause nightmares. Apparently, people don't listen.

There are interesting facts tied to the building, such as the Gadsden Purchase was originally signed in one of the rooms. Original copies as well as a piece of wood signed by Billy the Kid hang on the walls. Apparently, the bandit hid in a trap door feature at the bottom of a wall.

At this restaurant, we decided to try dessert and ordered a slice of Southern pecan pie ($7) with bourbon caramel sauce drizzle and a flan wedge with a toasted coconut topping. Both filled our super sweet tooth, including the whipped cream and cherry on top.

Inn of the Mountain Gods, Ruidoso, New Mexico

If you are in Ruidoso, New Mexico, you already might have heard the resort has revamped its food restaurant options with the Market at the Mountain food court. The food court has six new exciting options including Wahlburgers, the franchise owned by the famed Wahlburgs. The restaurants are led by chef Paul Wahlburg but feature menu items favored by the various Wahlburgs, including actor Mark Wahlburg and singer and actor Donny Wahlburg.

We decided we had to try a Wahlburger and ordered the Double Decker ($11.45). Employees ask you how you want the patties cooked, which is a nice feature for being a food court setup. The Double is made up of two beef patties, "government cheese," shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and Paul's signature Wahl sauce. The french fries, onion rings, and tater tots are separate and $3.75 each.

The burger was a definite handful to hold and the buns were soft and warm. One bite in and we had notions of other famous burgers, like Roscoe's and a freshly made Burger Hut burger on its best day back in the day. Suffice it to say it's a good burger to try if you are in the area.

If you are looking for something fancy, go up to Wendell’s Steak & Seafood, which offers great views of the golf course, lake and mountains. The dinner menu offers a variety of signature selections from smoked salmon, and slow braised elk to pan seared duck breast.

On this food tour, we only had room for dessert and tried the Chocolate Lava Cake ($10), after not being able to order the creme brulee, as it's popular and hard to get. The cake was beautifully presented with a strawberry cut like a rose on top, and served with a side of vanilla ice cream with two long cookie wafers. It was absolutely delicious.

D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro

If you're looking to get away from the daily grind, D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro, at 1720 Avenida de Mesilla in Las Cruces, is a great place to escape.

The winery and restaurant offers great views with lots of windows facing a gorgeous patio. It could be great for a special date or to catch up with friends over a glass of wine and a nice meal. The menu offers a variety of dishes from pasta and meatloaf to steaks and burgers.

We tried the Pasta New Mexico ($15) and recommend it highly. The linguini is prepared with Hatch green chile, cream sauce, some slices of sun-dried tomato, provolone and red pepper flakes. The flakes give it a little kick and the combination of green chile and cream sauce stands out.

Another noteworthy menu option is the wine flight. You can order a trio of signature reds, whites or a mix for about $12 to $15. The flight is a fun way to try different wines without the risk of overdoing it. Each pour is 2 ounces.

Sparky's Burgers, Hatch

Whether you're going to New Mexico or just want to take a longer day drive, you will want to make a pit stop at Sparky's Burgers in Hatch.

The barbecue restaurant at 115 Franklin St. is quite famous for its green chile cheeseburger, and its owners Josie and Teako Nunn were nominees for a James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southwest category in 2020.

Among our favorites are the wood-fired shredded brisket sandwiches (combo with side and drink, $13.99) and for the heartier appetite, the Oinker, which is a green chile cheeseburger patty topped with a quarter pound of smoked pulled pork in between two super soft buns. The combo, which includes a side and a drink, costs $16.49.

Sparky's serves its sweet, tangy barbecue sauce on the side, so you can pour it on or dip before each bite. Pickles and onions also are available for self-service for those dining inside.

Inside the diner, there is much to see as the walls are decorated with old neon signs, vintage telephones and trophy animals.

Since the pandemic, the owners added an outside window for orders, whether dining in, eating in the patio or taking it to go.

Restaurant hours: 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The restaurant also is bringing back live music from noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @EPTMaria on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Here is our guide to the best restaurants outside El Paso city limits