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Johnny's Pit Barbecue

4760 Doniphan Dr.
El Paso, TX
(915) 833-2828

Johnny's Barbecue on Doniphan near Mesa, next door to Casa Jurado West

Just as the State of New Mexico excels in its own style of Mexican food, it seems that just being in the Lone Star State almost ensures that any barbecue restaurant encountered will be top notch. These are usually small restaurants that are quite casual, prices are cheap, orders are taken at the counter, and food is either served on paper plates or just plain paper. With the meat already cooked, barbecue restaurants seem to be Texas' answer to the fast food restaurants that would probably be the alternative for busy people on a budget.

Johnny's Pit Barbecue is barely in Texas, located near the state line about three miles from Santa Teresa, New Mexico. It has all the characteristics of a Texas barbecue restaurant with its own smoker where the meat is slow cooked until it reaches a state that it almost falls apart. Several types of meat are served, and side dishes are available on plate dinners or sandwiches can be ordered separately.

The beef brisket sandwich is probably the restaurant's most popular item

Beef Brisket is probably the most popular item. This is melt in your mouth beef without any noticeable fat or pieces of waste material that need to be trimmed away. Compared to Mo'Z Barbecue, Johnny's has a less noticeable smoky taste, and in fact I would say Johnny's is very similar to several other El Paso restaurants. There is a subtle smoky aftertaste, but the indoor smoker Johnny's uses seems to make it less pronounced than at the places where outdoor cookers are used. The quality of the brisket is quite high, with the good flavor of the meat being probably the outstanding characteristic of Johnny's. This is almost closer to a roast beef sandwich than the traditional barbecue, but of course the smoky flavor brings it into the barbecue category.

Johnny's is also famous for its choice of toppings, that include mustard, pickles, and/or barbecue sauce. I have experimented with different toppings, and the fact that many customers choose mustard or other non-traditional condiments makes me think that the beef sandwich here is regarded much like a roast beef sandwich, with a subtle enough smoky flavor to allow it to be served different ways. The point is that the meat really stands on its own and the toppings are just for variety or extra flavor.