El Mirador Rooftop Bar

This was on the 10th floor, looking out over Mexico, and unlike the lobby bar, the bartender did his job. 

Would Like To Have Had a Beer Here

This was in the lobby of my hotel. It looked like a pretty place to get a beer, so I sat down and asked for a menu. 

And then I was ignored for several minutes 

The bartender helped every other person at the bar, including a couple who walked up long after I had sat down, and then she started doing the dishes. 

So I left.

Pearl Divers Oyster Bar

Another wonderful stop. I should have eschewed the first three bars and drank more at the last four. Next time I spend the night in El Paso, that's exactly what I will do. 

Just kidding. I'm never spending another night in El Paso. 

I am glad I took this trip but, as I suspected from the outset, it wasn't as much fun as any trip I have ever taken to Colorado. 

The Tiki Room

I am glad I stopped in. The mojito was good, though not as good as the previous one, and the place was wonderfully air-conditioned. 

Tibors Craft Cocktails

By now it was 5 o'clock in the afternoon and 100º. 

A mojito sounded good. 

And holy hell, was it. 

Unbranded Tavern & Kitchen

Thrice I suffered shipwreck. 

I did not hate any of the first three bars I visited, but I did not like them either. And, to be fair, they probably didn't like me: I am likely twice the age of their ideal market. 

This fourth stop, however, was great. It was large, light, and had an easy-going vibe much more in line with what I was looking for on this afternoon. 

The menu looked really good; if I had not eaten that pizza for lunch, I would have ordered food here. 

And I had a cold Pacifico, the first one of those I have had in 2025. I had forgotten how enjoyable they are with a lime on a hot day. 

NOW I was starting to relax and feel the border vibes on a summer day. 

Shifty's Corner Dive

Three notes on Shifty's: 

1) It is located right next door to Church Bar. It felt like someone just put up a partition and cut the two places in half, so I inquired. Turns out, that's exactly what happened. 

2) There are photos of naked women on the men's room wall. Now, I don't have anything against naked women. I've seen two of them in my life, and both were enjoyable experiences. But this just feels... trashy. Maybe I'm just getting boring in my old age. 

3) They have cans of Boddington's in the fridge. I do not remember the last time I saw Boddingston's in a bar. I asked the bartender if they sell many of them. She said "It's rare that people order that, but when they do, they drink a lot of it." 

Church Bar

 

Building on yesterday's comparison of a bar to McMurphy's, I will compare this place to the 35er. Lots of TVs showing sports, cold beer, and a patio right on the street. It's a good place to have a drink or two on a hot summer day, but not the kind of place I would hang out for hours.