State Line Restaurant
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
13 Reviews for State Line Restaurant
A mere shadow of its former self. Used to be one of the best barbecue places on the planet, now it's just another barbecue place. If you're there on an "off" night, you can get meat that was made yesterday. Oh, trust me - I can tell when ribs were made yesterday. They freeze their leftovers (that weren't eaten, of course) and then re-heat them the next day. Their smoked sausage was excellent the last time I was there.
Years ago (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), there was a place in Ranchland called "Herman's Pit Barbecue". Now that place was REAL smoked barbecue. Alas, that place is long gone. The default was always State Line.
Still in all, State Line is probably the best of all the barbecue places in El Paso. There's always Chris' place in the Lower Valley, but it's not open on weekends.
Overall: I'd still go there for the brisket...
The State Line should be considered the best Bar-B-Que in El Paso, which is nice that the company expanded this way, but also sad that a Texas chain, 600-miles from ground zero can steak claim in another Texas city and reign supreme.
Still, their combinations are excellent, and the Mixed Platter (1 rib, brisket, sausage link, beans, and cole slaw) is a fantastic value for $14. Their meat is always tender, ribs are huge, and sides very complimentary of the main dishes. Their sauce (for the non-purists) is nice and tangy and plentiful.
The building itself takes from the style of the County Line and provides a very comfortable, relaxed setting for its patrons. Its also pretty interesting that half of this restaurant resides in New Mexico, while the other half sits in Texas.
I was expecting much more than I got - in terms of flavor and flavor. The brisket was dry, the turkey was moist and good (and I didn't want it - I wanted the other 4 meats that came on my plate :) ) - the beef was ok - tender - but could have used more spice? as with the pork rib. And I think I prefer hot links to sausage - which ws cooked fine - I just was in the mood for something spicy...) the cole slaw was really good - and refreshing to the meat - but I don't really like potato salad or beans - so I only tasted them...was eh....
oh and I wished I had gotten the bbq sauce on the beef rib on the side - so I could have tasted just the beef - didn't go well on it for me - but went great on the pork ribs.
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The biggest portions you will find anywhere of some of the best food you will ever eat. Hands-down, a great Texan BBQ.
The ribs, chicken, brisket, and even veggie kabobs are amazing. State Line gives you the freshest, warmest, biggest Texas style bread to munch on (piece after piece, not for anyone doing low-carb!) before your very large meal.
I have my first Michelota here - a light beer, lime juice, and a salted glass rim.
I love the decor, the service is great, and the food is to-die-for!
This place is great and wonderful for small parties. The food there is excellent - great ribs, brisket and sides. If you are in the mood for traditional Texas BBQ (meaning getting really messy) go here and get the ribs. Big portions and reasonably priced for all you get.
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State Line, right there on the border of Texas and New Mexico in El Paso. Since it's right down the road from the hotel we were staying at for business, we decided to give it a try. I really liked the decor and the courtyard, and the boisterous atmosphere. The barbecue mixed plate was pretty darn good, and I've been eating a LOT of barbecue this year. The sauce was tangy and tasty, and portions were generous. Drinks are big and tasty too (this IS Texas after all). The menu has lots of other options for non-BBQ lovers.
Setting: Just like a BBQ place should be, loud and busy! The walls are busy too, lots of eye candy. All in all a fun place to be. And it's kinda cool how it is right in the border of Texas and New Mexico. You can literally be in both states at once.
Food: One of the best barbecues I've ever had. I had a half rack bbq ribs and it was big. The drink was huge too! Highly recommended.
Service: Very friendly. Heck, everyone in Texas and New Mexico were very friendly to us that weekend. They all make you feel very welcome.
The food here was excellent! It would have been nice to be able to have a BBQ sandwich anytime as apposed to just lunch, but it still was good, Reasonably priced and worth the trip!
We went here on a trip to El Paso and Mexico a few months ago. Since it was a while back, I don't remember all the details. But it was a fun place to eat. We were only there for a few nights and it was with a group of people who kept pointing out all the chain restaurants we have at home. I wanted to make sure to eat somewhere unique to where we were so I found out about this place and dragged everyone here. Afterwards, everyone was glad that I did.
The atmosphere is totally Texas. Longhorn horns hanging in the bar, lots of people in cowboy hats, etc. As for the food, it was lots of good food for cheap. I got one of the combinations that comes with a little of just about everything. Ribs, brisket, I think some chicken, three sides, etc. Everything was quite good but not as incredible as you think it'll be when you see TV shows showing how great Texas barbecue is. And the bread was good like everyone else said.
We had a big group, the service was quite good, and we all enjoyed the food and the atmosphere here.
Three stars doesn't seem like many, but keep in mind I'm a vegetarian. Even I can eat at the State Line. Good times...
I'm going to dissent. I don't like to, and I know that the locals will dismiss this as an outsider who doesn't know what BBQ should be. So, lemme get this out of the way: I've eaten and enjoyed good BBQ from one end of the state to the other, and I know what good meat tastes like.
The ribs, sausage, and brisket plate that I had the other night was not great. Good, but not great. The brisket was very very lean, and tough. Too lean, really. The ribs were ok, not great. The meat was not tender, and there was silver skin that had been left on the ribs.
The sausage, on the other hand, was tasty and redeemed the meal.
The coleslaw was good too. Not too much mayonaise, and crunchy, so it hadn't been swimming in dressing all day.
Service was a little lackluster, but that was not a big deal, I was just there to eat, not to dine. I got what I needed.
Also, if y'all ever make it to Austin and think that County Line looks new and interesting, note that you'll have already eaten there if you've been to State Line.
Sorry State Line fans.
If all TX BBQ is this good, then why the hell do I not live in Texas? (100-degree heat, the desert, the big hats and hair...oh yeah. Never mind.)
The bbq here is amazing. I forget what I had the first time, but last time I had the extra moist beef brisket - unbelievably good. Literally the best beef I have ever had. The waiter warned me that it was fattier than their lean brisket (wow, no kidding?), but I got it anyways. So worth the extra fat I'm now carrying on my butt.
Everything is BIG here. You ask for bread and you get not just a few pieces as per most other restaurants, but an entire LOAF, white or wheat. (Just be warned that the bread is not free - a loaf is $5, half a loaf about $2.50). I asked for extra sauce once, and got a cereal bowl's worth of it. Their water glasses are about the size of my calf.
The side dishes - seem to normally be coleslaw, baked beans, and potato salad - are a little disappointing. They're just not that tasty. But I can't see how anyone would still have an appetite for those after polishing off their meat anyhow.
And everyone is friendly here, from the hostesses down to the busboys. It's such a welcoming, down-home atmosphere, replete with old-time photos of Texas on the log cabin walls and what looks like an antique cash register in the main dining room. Such a nice change from the impersonal, run-of-the-mill Applebee's of the world.
This restaurant gives me a darn good reason to look forward to my trips to El Paso. Otherwise, I wouldn't have one.
What can I say about the State Line? Only that it's the best BBQ in town... heck, the world as far as I'm concerned. First off, the bread is simply amazing; don't go without trying the bread. Second, the only menu item for me is the Country Style. All you can eat BEEF ribs, sausage, beef brisket, turkey, beens, etc. The food comes out extremely fast so you're arms deep in BBQ sauce in no time. My recommendation: watch what you wear unless you want it painted with red gooey goodness. The atmosphere is western and adds to the experience. It fills up on the weekends so be prepared to wait. They also have a website where you can get their BBQ shipped anywhere in the world!
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