130A N. Cotton St.
El Paso, TX
Hallelujah! BBQ is a restaurant with several missions. One is to give El Paso a true taste of Austin style brisket. A second and more important one is to use any profits from the restaurant to help support the El Paso Rescue Mission as well as other local shelters. Some of the Mission’s residents wait tables and perform other tasks. One other way it helps the community is that if you cannot afford to pay for a meal they will give it to you for free. The amazing thing here though is that there are no gimmicks here–you get real Central Texas barbecue.
The Barbecue
The star attraction here is the Brisket although I think some other types of meat are available. I thought the brisket was quite good, and probably as good as any I have had. On my first visit I got a sandwich because it was part of a city wide “915” promotion (all items were priced at $9.15). The meat and the sauce were excellent, and the sandwich serving reminded me of the way I usually ate brisket when I lived in Austin.
Side Dishes
The Mac & Cheese was a little less cheesy than I like, or maybe it was just the type of cheese that was used. Many of the sides here get good reviews, though.
Additional Comments
The restaurant does not serve the variety of meats that are found in most Texas barbecue places, but what they have is quite good. Other things are a bonus, such as the fact that the employees are also residents of the city’s various shelters and they seem to appreciate the opportunity to work in a restaurant that celebrates greatness in its food as well as its mission to serve the community.
Forget about the image many of us might have about eating at a Rescue Mission. Hallelujah! BBQ is in a refurbished building that is cheery and comfortable. Guests find one of the best and one of the least pricey meals in the city.
RATING: 23
America needs more restaurants like Hallelujah BBQ!