Southwestern Cultural Mix Has A New Player

Street side door of Salt + Honey Bakery Cafe

Happening upon a new restaurant in my home town of El Paso, Texas is one of my secret joys, bad for the waistline but great for the spirit.  My husband, Wayne, and I discovered Salt + Honey Bakery Cafe soon after returning from a trip to Ireland, when our fun meter was still going strong.

Salt + Honey Bakery Cafe is located in a restored building in what is known as the Five Points area of El Paso.  The location is in an older neighborhood which has recently begun to undergo gentrification. I have great memories of the area, which used to have one of the few department stores in town, a Sears store, and a movie theater, the Pershing, which always brings pleasant memories of childhood.  Now an upscale coffee shop and several new restaurants can be found, among them our new discovery.

As we walked into the bustling Salt + Honey Bakery Cafe, my first impression was of a well-stocked bakery case, multiple seating areas, and light colored wood. Part of the original black and white small tile floor was still in evidence in the main cafe, and a hardwood floor had been added in another area.

First impression of cafe

Ah, Toto, we were not in El Paso anymore.  I could almost imagine I was in Los Angeles near the Grove/Farmers Market area, where my son, Clayton, and his girlfriend, Melissa, live. My hipness quotient went up considerably just by being a customer at the Salt and Honey.

One quality I like about El Paso is our mixture of people of different nationalities, social groups, and languages.  I wouldn't say we have reached cosmopolitan status, but we are a border city and a bit of a melting pot. The seating in the cafe reflected the concept that all are welcome.  A counter was available for customers who want a quick cup of coffee and one of the scrumptious-looking homemade pastries.  

Counter customers

The counter seating  reminded Wayne of the old-fashioned drugstores of his youth.  We vowed to return some morning soon.

Techies are welcome.

For those of us tied to our electronic devices (and who isn't these days?) stations are available with plenty of light and plug-ins to commune with your favorite electronic friend or even human one.  

Customers wanting a softer seat and a living room atmosphere can sit on a sofa in one area of the cafe, while traditionalists can sit at regular tables.  Seating by the front window would have been perfect for me to look out on the street and watch passers-by. 

But how about the food, you may be wondering.  I found many items on the menu to try, surprising for the picky eater that I am.  The Salt + Honey offers choices for all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch. Breakfast choices include Vanilla Chia Pudding, Baklava Pancakes, and The Londoner. Some of the brunch items are Hummus Avocado Toast (my choice), East Coast Bagel, and La Huevona.  La Huevona is a egg dish (huevos are eggs in Spanish), but the joke is that huevona is a slang word for "lazy" in the El Paso area.  Lunch items include The Black Friday, Summer Burrata, and, of course, a hamburger (not your father's hamburger, to be sure). More information about the cafe is available here.

The Salt + Honey is a place where different cultures and influences come together— 

Middle Eastern, international, traditional, and modern.  I'm ready to return already!