Desert Oak Barbecue

Out visiting my son in El Paso so we ordered in some BBQ.The order was hot when it arrived.I have to say the pulled pork was really, really good.The cheese rice and corn were out of this world.I was not happy with my slices of brisket but my son had nice long thick slices and they were much better. I guess I just got some end pieces.I would definitely recommend it if you're in El Paso!

My wife and I came in on a Monday evening, around 6 PM. It wasn't busy and we were able to get seated right away. Desert Oak has a very spacious dining area, great for small and larger parties. Our server greeted us quickly and she was very attentive throughout our meal. I had a strawberry lemonade to drink--wayyyyy too sweet to my liking. Would recommend a glass of water on the side to give you some balance just in case. To eat, I ordered the Carnivore--1/3lb chopped brisket and pulled pork piled high with all the fixings. The meat was tender and moist, and with the pickles and bbq sauce, it all was so delicious. Portion-wise this option is great if you're coming in very hungry. On the side I had macaroni and cheese--also very good! We ordered an additional cornbread to accompany our meal. It was good, but would have been great had it come out warm, but every restaurant is different I guess.Overall a good experience!! Would definitely order again and come back.

A BBQ spot in El Paso is hard to come by, but Desert Oak is a true gem that you don't want to miss out on.I ordered the sliced brisket sandwich with creamed corn and it was so good! It was evening time when we came by for dinner and the brisket still tasted fresh and moist. Service was excellent and the food came out quick. I also appreciated the friendliness from the kitchen staff as we were leaving the restaurant, it was very kind of them to acknowledge us and thank us for stopping by.The cream corn was good, however, I could do without the peppers. We also asked for some cornbread and that was good too, wish it would've been warm though. My only critique is that the barbecue sauce wasn't my favorite. Both the original and spicy one had a strong vinegar taste at the beginning and I couldn't get over it.Thankfully the brisket was so delicious and moist enough that it didn't really need the sauce.But you have to have a good sauce!! It's not a dealbreaker and the experience overall was great, so I'll definitely be back!

The highlight of this meal were the cornbread, green chile rice, and the BBQ sauce! The spicy BBQ sauce had a nice peppery kick to it. Instead of white bread, we were able to get the green chili corn bread which was perfectly made - wasn't too dense and the edges were crispy. Green chili cheese rice was cheesy and provided a nice balance to the meats. While I appreciated the peppery flavor of the ribs, it was pretty dry. The brisket and sausage were solid though! The brisket had a balance of fat and lean parts! Service here was subpar! Our server was attentive and came to check on us a couple times throughout as well as had such a friendly welcoming attitude! If anyone is in El Paso and is looking for a solid BBQ place, I would recommend Desert Oak!!

Good Texas BBQ.It is a great place for large or small groups to enjoy the various roasted meats. My wife enjoyed the pork belly appetizer... I barely got to taste one, but what I did get was enough for me to want to try the next time.I also tried some of the brisket nachos. This was portioned out for more than just one... even for an entree. It was good, and it was loaded with a lot of toppings, and even more brisket than anything else.I ordered a two meat entree, which was plenty. The ribs were good, but they were not exactly fall off the bone. The flavor was pretty good though. The brisket was great. Huge chunky slices and the texture and flavor was really tasty. I tried the cole slaw... it was okay. It was different in that it was had pineapple and mayonnaise. The beans were great... I should have asked for more picked dressing. The pickles, jalapenos, and onions were a great add to the bread and proteins.They have a kids menu. My daughter enjoyed her mac and cheese and burger. My son finished his roasted bbq wings and fries.The place is large, they have bench seating indoors and outdoors, and they also have some smaller tables and chairs towards the entrance. They have a full bar, and table service. Our server did very well managing our group of about twenty folks for the hail and farewell.If you're on the east end of town... it's worth a try.

My friend recommended this place. She said it was her favorite barbecue in El Paso. We went early around noon, and there were not many people on Martin Luther King Day. The service was quick. The waitresses were very attentive and kind. The food was excellent. My ribs were very tender and moist, I didn't care much for the barbecue sauce on the ribs, because maybe the ribs were just excellent on their own. my friend liked her bowl and The sandwich was also very good. We split a banana pudding, which was different than any banana pudding I have ever had, but it was very delicious . We were able to talk, sat next to a door/window which led some nice sunlight in on a cold winter day.

On my final day in El Paso, TX, en route to the airport to return the rental car, I was eager to savor some Texas BBQ. I discovered a nearby spot and, being the first customer after opening, was promptly seated. Scanning the menu, I opted for brisket, turkey, pulled pork, green chile & cheese rice, and potato salad. Ready to dive into flavor town, I was delighted as the food arrived quickly, steaming hot, and the service was excellent.Brisket - B+Turkey - BGreen Chile & Cheese Rice - CPotato Salad - B

First time trying Desert Oak BBQ with my husband yesterday for lunch and it was a solid 4 stars! Being in TX I definitely wanted to look for more Texas BBQ establishments but it seems there aren't too many here in El Paso, Desert Oak is one of the top rated places so of course we had to see for ourselves if it lived up to the hype of their reviews.We happened to come on a Friday afternoon for lunch so it was the perfect time to beat any crowds. I can definitely see this place being packed on weekends! Lucky for us there wasn't a wait when we arrived. I will say the vibe kind of threw me off upon entering cause the place was dead quiet. Even though there were a decent amount of customers I was caught off guard by the lack of atmosphere but I wasn't going to judge based off of that one thing. Maybe they could turn up the music a bit? That might help so you don't feel like you're walking into a library.We were seated right away and the hostess was the one to take our drink order, I believe our waiter may have been on break or busy elsewhere at the time. Jesse was the one to come by and introduce himself as our waiter for the afternoon. Very good service and he gave some good recommendations since it was our first visit. No complaints at all with the service. Jesse was great!We ordered the pork belly bites for our appetizer. Upon Jesse's recommendation, we chose the sweet sauce to go with the bites. And boy was it a GREAT choice! We absolutely loved everything about the sauce and how crisp the pork bites were. I would give that a solid 5/5. Jesse did let us know it was a smaller portion appetizer but that was perfect for my husband and I.For drinks my husband ordered their Shiner Bock beer and I tried the strawberry lemonade. My husband liked his beverage. I really was neutral on my choice. I'm not too fond of lemonade that tastes artificial (minute made with a pump of syrup). It was a little hard for me to tell if the lemonade was freshly squeezed or not. But it didn't taste awful so I was more or less ok with it. I would say it was a 3/5.For our main entrees my husband got the BFS which is their brisket, sausage and pulled pork on their sandwich buns. He said he really loved the sausage and the brisket and pulled pork were juicy. We both loved the fresh French fries that came with his meal too. Heavily seasoned with salt and pepper, which we both liked a lot.I ordered the build a bowl with macaroni and cheese with pulled pork on top, along with sour cream and their jalapeño crema drizzled over the dish. I also got a side of their creamed corn.I think next time I will definitely go for their pulled pork sandwich. I understand ordering Mac and cheese at a bbq place isn't really ideal but it sounded delicious at the time. Just my preference but it would be nice to have had a little more pulled pork on top. Not piled high or anything just a bit more than the bit that was given. The mac and cheese was ok, very cheesy and filling. Probably a 4/5 for me.And I would say the creamed corn was decent. The sauce kind of threw me off at first I thought I was given biscuits and gravy. I would also rate this dish a 3/5 just compared to other creamed corn I've had elsewhere.I do also recommend their spicy BBQ sauce but honestly both options provided were good. I just personally prefer a more spicy BBQ sauce.For desert my husband and I decided to share the banana pudding. We're both huge fans of banana pudding and even make our own at home so I was curious how it would compare. Overall it was pretty good! The banana pudding mixed perfectly with the softened vanilla wafers and fresh banana slices. I think it was a delicious end to our meal.Overall I'd give Desert Oak BBQ a solid 4/5 stars. Everything was pretty good in my opinion. Like I said, I would definitely go for their pulled pork sandwich or another more meat heavy option next time we visit. I think I just ordered something they're not really known for so that may be why I wasn't wowed like I expected. Definitely recommend trying!

First impression on the service was not awesome. Arrived right at opening on a quiet Sunday morning. I stood there in front of the hostess for more than 5 minutes before she acknowledged my presence. My order was simple, but I requested point brisket instead of flat. She told me "you get the cut that you get". They won't accompany this request. This really rubbed me wrong. What bbq joint won't let you specifically have point if you request it?The food: the brisket was delicious. Absolutely excellent fat rendering and flavor. They did bring me only point meat which was appreciated. The sausage was very good but not really stand-out. The pork ribs had an excellent flavored and textured bark, but unfortunately were way undercooked. I'm not a "fall off the bone" guy at all, but these were still densely stuck to the bone (see my pic). I do think ribs should retain enough structure to see a bite mark, but the bone should not still be adherent to the meat like this. Too bad bc the flavor was delicious.I highly recommend the side dishes. The green chili cheese rice was delicious and the macaroni was also awesome. The cornbread was very good. Zero complaints about side dishes. Overall, I would give this place for stars for the reasons above. It was certainly three star service, and pork ribs (maybe I just got an undercooked sample). 5 stars for the brisket and sides. 4 stars for the sausage.

Great food and fast service the Texas Trinity was awesome. Spacious restaurant with good beer on tap.