I know a lot of us long for the "good old days," but when it comes to the traditional style of El Paso Mexican food that is sometimes hard to find nowadays, Lucy's Restaurant is still turning it out for a large group of devoted customers.

Formerly located downtown, it is now has two locations on Mesa Street (the one closer to downtown is only open for lunch) and one on the east side. My "number of visits" is stated as being over ten times, but it has actually been well over 50-- most of them at the old location downtown when I used to go there on my lunch hour. Even though the locations have changed, the food remains the same.

Probably well over half of my visits have been for the Milanesa; a pan-fried steak, but much better than most American versions. I have not tried all the versions of milanesa in town, and there may be some better ones, but the one at Lucy's is my idea of its authentic representation.

Any attempt to go vegetarian at Lucy's will probably be less than satisfying. The Red Enchiladas have left me totally unimpressed. The Green Enchiladas are better, but do not come close to the wonderful ones at the Little Diner or L&J Cafe (but the ones at Lucy's are still much better than the El Paso norm). They are made with the puréed green chile, and are extremely spicy (almost too much so!). Diners should keep in mind, though, that the enchiladas are cooked with lard, so they are not vegetarian. I really cannot think of anything that can be ordered at Lucy's that is not made with meat products.

One of the best items I've had recently has been the Chile Relleno. The chile was somewhat tasteless and full of seeds. The batter was not too exciting either; it just did not have the best flavor or texture. The sauce poured on top of the relleno, though, was wonderful, even though I normally don't like rellenos with sauce. Surprisingly, the relleno did not have a noticeable amount of grease. El Paso style rellenos are prepared differently than ones in other areas, and this enters into my opinion. Considering that I generally prefer New Mexico style rellenos, though, it is somewhat surprising that I like the ones at Lucy's as much as I do.

Lucy's caldillo served in a bowl with rice and tortilla on the side

The "bar" part of Lucy's is actually much larger than the dining room, and for me personally the atmosphere detracts from the restaurant. I like Lucy's open kitchen, though, that is visible to customers, as well as the friendly staff (some of whom I have known from the days when the restaurant was downtown). It is easy to see why Lucy's is such a favorite with locals. I am not sure of the restaurant's hours but it never seems to be closed when I want to go there.