Basico Bistro Cafe

Really disheartening experience. If you have a special needs child perhaps this is not the best place to include them in your family meal. If you do don’t forget their scarlet letter that identifies them as disabled! Food was mediocre service was as expected for mediocre. I remember when this restaurant was very inviting and a class act.

Horrible service. Our server greeted us with a disgusting dirty shirt. The bar tender brought my husbands drink in a shot glass and was upset when he asked him for a different glass.
The server forgot to bring my coffee I didn’t even get upset and ordered a regular mojito. She brought me a berry mojito and then was upset when I reminded her it was regular.
Our appetizer sat on the counter for at least 20 minutes I had to ask her to get it for us. She had such a bad attitude I just asked for the check and left.
This was by far the worst experience I’ve had in El Paso!
I’m not really a fan of this place I had a horrible first experience. However, it was a great location for an event. Las Latinitas had a great turnout for their event. It almost made me want to return and try some of their food.

I LOVE BASICO! This cute little restaurant located on the first floor of the Coronado tower is a little gem. I love getting the turkey caprese sandwich. It come with buttery toasted bread, turkey, fresh mozzarella, and fresh tomatoes! As if this weren’t enough food you get a pile of freshly made truffle fries which happen to be AMAZING! You can’t go wrong with ordering a burger here either or for that matter anything on the menu! A definite must try!

While researching places to eat out that fit my current restricted diet, I was so happy to find Basico Bistro’s «Fit Menu» on their website. This menu offers Paleo and gluten-​free options and, on their site, is listed as a separate menu. Tired of cooking, I was eager to try options off the Fit Menu, and my husband was thrilled to get to eat out again.
We were handed menus that didn’t feature the Fit Menu. When I asked about it, they told me those foods were only offered on their Good Morning menu, which is served from 8 – 11:30 a.m. The waitress brought the other menu, which has their breakfasts on one side and the Fit Menu on the other. Now, I’m used to eating leftover dinner food for breakfast on my diet, but I can’t believe they have that much demand for things like grilled shrimp, steak, and ahi tuna for breakfast! The waitress kindly checked with both another waiter and the chef, and she confirmed that those entrees were only available for breakfast. The waitress also advised me that they were out of many of the ingredients on the Fit Menu, including the gluten-​free breads.
To their credit, the chef did offer to make me the shrimp with grilled vegetables on the side. The dish was delicious. Unfortunately, the food was immersed in a sweet and savory teryaki-​style sauce. No sugar or soy for me, so that was a diet disaster for me. The menu doesn’t mention the sauce, but since they’d made the dish especially for me, I didn’t want to complain. I also ordered sweet potato fries, which were a little burned.
My husband had the fish and chips, which he said were delicious. The atmosphere is pleasant, the restaurant seems very clean, and service was very good. But if you’re going for the Fit Menu and/​or have dietary issues, this is not the right place.

Not only is this establishment modern and chic, but the staff is professional and friendly. The food was delicious! I was discouraged by the small mini choice; however, the cooks have perfected each menu item. Absolutely delicious!

We love the Basico Bistro. We went there tonight for the first time for dinner, normally we just have breakfast or brunch there. Well, a couple of visits for lunch. I had the BasicoCobb Salad which was quite large with excellent ingredients. The bacon was cooked nice and crisp with a great flavor and the avocado was nice and ripe. I also had a bowl of the soup of the day, chicken and red pepper. I was surprised how good it was and how much chicken was in it. It truly was one of the best soups I have ever had.
It was a Thursday night so the house specialty drinks were only $ 4. I had a mojhito and my wife a berry mojhito. They were very good. My wife’s fish and chips was cooked perfectly with not too much breading on the fish. There were enough french fries for both of us.
It was not very crowded and the service was excellent. We definitely will be back.

Had brunch for a family birthday gathering. .it was really nice… had the smoked salmon omelet and of course if you have brunch you have to enjoy mimosas

Somewhat friendly wait staff but the service was painfully slow. I wish the food had been good enough to make up for the wait but it wasn’t. As for the pricing, it feels that I paid for the presentation but not the taste or quality.

I’ve come here for dinner a few times with my family and the food is always very good. My mom gets the fish and chips which are battered and fried and very delicious. I usually get the ahi tuna burger with sweet potato fries which never disappoints. Everything is served on a cute little wooden cutting board.
The ambience of this place is also really nice. During the summer the patio is beautiful especially at sunset and during the winter the inside is cozy and intimate. The only reason I didn’t give this place five stars is because the service can be a little shoddy at times.

Cute brunch place, but sloppy service and management.
My waitor was clearly new and possibly flustered because he was terrible. Although he was adorable to look at and also well-​dressed, he flubbed basically every aspect of serving us, to include asking us to order immediately after handing us menus, almost spilling our drinks, did not bring cream/​sugar for the coffee, did not know who ordered what, failure to refill coffee, ringing up our order incorrectly, and taking 20min to bring us the check (I timed it).
Also they were out of pistacios for the pistacio french toast, which was the reason we came in the first place, I was so excited to try them. We did instead get the eggnog french toast which was light and amazing.
Honestly, the food was very beautiful to look at, but could definitely have been better. The house migas were dry. All they would need to do is cut back on the tortilla strips and add some sort of sauce or even a bit of olive oil. The scrambled eggs on the migas were very flavorful. The berry and mascarpone pancakes were beautiful with delicious toppings, but the pancakes were bland and lacked a creamy texture. The eggs of the omelette needed salt or something else in the mix.
I hope they get a manager who can make the small improvements they need to be a top-​notch brunch restaurant. Especially to train up and monitor the wait staff, because our waitor seemed untrained and directionless. The ambiance is beautiful, the restaurant is clean, trendy, good use of space, bright, and honestly perfect for brunch. The food looks picture perfect, great presentation. Tighten up the staff and make some small changes to the food, and this will be a much more competitive and high quality restaurant that matches the presentation.

Sometimes a place just isn’t for you. For me, this is that place.
I spent the morning helping my mom run some errands and as we finished around lunch time, I suggested we grab a bite at Basico. We don’t get the chance to spend much time together anymore, and a Realtor we had spoken to earlier in the day has her office in Coronado Tower. I had taken the opportunity to ask said Realtor about Basico, and she recommended it (specifically the truffle oil fries), so mom and I were both eager to try it out.
So, we drove up, and headed inside.
We walked into a sea of beech or birch wood (or some other light colored wood– much of it literally suspended in midair), wicker, and naked concrete. All very «modern» I suppose.
The waitstaff were also very modern, as it appeared to consist entirely of Justin Beiber lookalikes in skinny black jeans, suspenders, and dress shirts that in any other restaurant would be considered… overly snug.
One of the Justins took us to our table near the kitchen where I spent the duration of our stay fighting the wobbly table, sun in my eyes (which is unavoidable in a building with that much window), and a curious urge to pop open and drink the bottle of pinkish «lemonade» that was apparently adorning our table as a decoration.
Mom ordered the fish and chips, I got the poblano chicken sandwich; and of course we both got the truffle fries.
The food was all good! The fries were indeed tasty, and my chicken sandwich was far from lacking in any sense. In fact I had to eat the second half of it with a knife and fork since it was impossible to keep everything between the bread at that point. Mom said the fish was a bit on the greasy side, but good. The portions were fairly substantial, and the price reasonable.
The service was good too. I mean objectively speaking. The many Justins kept our drinks full, checked on us regularly, and cashed us out in a timely manner. Subjectively though, there was nothing to be found from any of them. No hint of smile, personality or indeed individuality amongst the lot. They did their jobs though.
And that’s the thing about this place. I feel like I’m forced to give it four stars because it delivered on every measurable level; but mom and I both left saying we weren’t likely to return.
Maybe we’re just too old for the hip modern crowd it’s trying to cater to. Maybe all the crazy angles and layout of the place lack any comforting sense of feng-​shui. Maybe the service was too sterile for our liking.
In any case, by all means if you’re curious go check it out. You might like it (especially if you’re a «Belieber»). Just don’t expect to find me there.

Came to the restaurant for dinner with my family. The meals were good. I had the burger and was full after eating it. My wife had the salad and it was good.

Enjoyed a Sunday Brunch with my Girlfriend and Daughter. I have been here a few times and the food is consistently delicious. I had the steak pita (steak cooked to order) my GF had fish and chips, and my daughter had waffles with nutella. We did experience a longer than normal wait but when you get your food, you’ll understand. We chose to sit on the patio as it was earlier in the day and the El Paso Sun was not scorching yet. This is a great stop to meet friends after a morning workout! I recommend this place but not if your in a rush!

My wife and I have always counted this place as one of our favorites. Read my earlier reviews and you’ll see the high esteem I’ve held it in. That is … Until today. We were really looking forward to a wonderful brunch after church. When we walked in the greeters first words were, if you want to eat you’ll have to wait. We only have two severs and they are very busy. How long a wai I ask, and he says five to ten minutes. That was acceptable so we asked to be seated. Inside or out on the patio he asks. Inside we reply. He says sorry but we’ve got a large group on their way here and we’re reserving the seats for them. Goodbye we say. We’re leaving. Not even a sorry or please try again. Never before has any establishment made us feel less welcome. So kiss my grits, I’ve got many other breakfast choices in El Paso. same for lunch and dinner.

Terrible service
A group of friends had arrived and they had already ordered. Once I arrivied the server asked me if I wanted a menu. Once I said yes, he gave me the menu and told me if I knew what I wanted to order (a second later) so I just told him no and I didn’t order.
Not getting my service anymore.

This place is definitely on par with all the other nice restaurants in El Paso! I went during MLK day.
The service could definitely improve, although I didn’t mind my waitress’s attitudes on a few occasions, but overall she was nice. Started off with the pistachio French toast. My friend was making of my French toast dish because it was almost $ 12 for three slices of battered baguette-​like bread. Although bread is cheap but the way this French «toast» is prepared is worth a few bucks more.
I also ordered their lunch special that’s available only starting at noon. $ 12 for a two course meal plus a drink. I had the potato soup, it was too thick for my taste for soup. It was more like a stew or gravy topping of a dish. It was also very salty. Soup was meh…
For main course, I picked the burger of the day. The burger of the day was a Chicken Parmesan with basil and all kind of goodness. It was very good. It did take a while for the burger to come, by then I was ¾ full on my French toasts that I couldn’t finish my burger. I took the chicken Parmesan to work next day, the smell of the basil and marinera sauce was praised by many of my coworkers.
Overall I would definitely go back to this place. I am not sure why this place doesn’t get the same rave reviews as other restaurants locally, it is definitely on par with its competitors, with the food and ambience and restaurant decors.

Best pistachio crusted french toast! Tried this place for dinner and didn’t quite enjoy that menu. I’m a vegetarian so its often hard to find food I can eat safely. We came here for breakfast and that was a good choice! Now whenever we want amazing comfort food for breakfast we come here. Plus the price is just right. They also serve illy coffee which I have fallen in live with.

This place is awesome and a great little surprise. I had been wanting to check this place out and I was glad I made a lunch stop. I’ve been for breakfast and it’s divine as well but I will dedicate this review to the Bacon burger they have here.
It is one of the largest, most palate pleasing burger I have had in a loooong time. The burger is ridiculously huge and I could barely finish it. The burger is topped with an onion ring, bacon, cheese, and to be honest, words don’t describe the pleasure you will get biting into this bad boy. It’s juicy and flavorful and enough to split if you don’t have a large appetite. The fries were phenomenal as well and consisted of truffle fries. They were crunchy and pleasantly flavorful with the truffles adding an unique flavor to what you would expect a fry to taste like.
The atmosphere is another treat in itself and is a unique commercial minimalist style. You can see all the air ducts and original cement ceiling leading to an industrial feel but the original hanging art offsets the décor nicely and provides some eye candy while you wait for your meal.
The service is a little sub par and sometimes when you walk in it can be awkward because you don’t know if you should just sit down or wait to be seated. But don’t let that make you turn away from going here.
You can get an excellent meal, enjoy the atmosphere, and get a full belly all at a great local spot that is far from basic in flavor!

I don’t know what happened to this tiny neighborhood place since my last visit. It has to be hard to ruin such a simple concept – a small bar, about a dozen tables, simple, but terrific menu, all tucked in to about 2,000 square feet. The manager, small kitchen crew, wait staff and bus staff can see and must walk past every patron (all 12 of them) on every trip to and from the open kitchen.
So, why is it that when something isn’t going absolutely terrific, every staff member shouldn’t know? Such was the case last night when my party of 5 was seated as the train began to derail.
Small as their kitchen is, it is large enough to accommodate the modest number of guests seated last night. Why then, after an obviously uncomfortably long wait due to the slow kitchen, wouldn’t the waitress or manager stop by for a chat, provide us an update on our order, offer us some bread, perhaps a drink, or at least some banter to acknowledge the uncomfortable wait time?
When, after what seemed and probably was close to an hour, four of the five in our party were served entrees. The fifth, me, who had ordered a salad and an entrée received nothing.
When the salad arrived, I sent it back, because the other four were already midway through their entrees. Apparently befuddled, the manager finally shows up and asks if there’s something wrong with the salad. The fact he didn’t know in advance this experience had been a train wreck in slow motion is inexcusable. As if it needed to be explained to him that the salad was being returned because everyone else was now half through their main courses, I received a lecture about how the waitress misunderstood the order – and thought I wanted my salad served with my entrée.
Okay, then. Now at least there’s a stupid explanation – better than being ignored for another hour, I guess. No harm, no foul. I asked the manager to just bring out the entrée in that case. After calling his bluff, he shows me his cards. Oops. It WAS a bluff. No entrée. After wiping the egg from his face he concedes the entrée had not been prepared at all.
Within ten minutes, when everyone else was about finished with their entrees, mine was finally served, I scarfed it down and stuck my friends with my tab so I could tend to an emergency back at the house.
As ill equipped as the young server was to deal with situation, the responsibility for this experience falls directly on management/ownership’s «Laissez-​fair» attitude toward training, quality control, kitchen over site, guest relations, and crisis avoidance.
Too bad, the food is great!

I say it like a gringa, basic-​o; but it’s [supposed to be] pronounced bah-​si-​co. I’m just telling you this so you don’t look like a ignorant newb when you order the Basico Burger. Just looking out for #1, yo!
I get it, the Coronado Tower itself is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but does every high rise need to be? And really Basico spurs your interest when you see lights and seating on the side of what would otherwise be an extremely plain building. I don’t know who designed Basico, but they did a superb job making an extremely hip and welcoming joint.
I was tasked with the dilemma of finding somewhere that was fresh, super good, and wouldn’t give my friend Ben a second glance just because he was in unfitted blue jeans and a [faded] black tee (we’re still working on his fashion choices). Somewhere among my 200+ bookmarks, Basico was hidden and popped up as my first option for eats. All hail, Unilocal for showing me the path to deliciousness! GPS-​ed the address and found ourselves in front of a brightly lit bistro on Mesa.
Wood and metal. Wood and metal. Wood and metal. Did I stand under the metal light chandelier for a ridiculous amount of time snapping pictures on an iPhone for Instagram as other patrons stared at me uncomfortably? Yes. I’ve talked to my architecture major buddy, Adam, and it’s seems like this is totally acceptable behavior for such an incredibly beautiful, yet simply designed establishment. I had a quick stare down with the fat cow behind the bar and took my seat (there’s literally a picture of a fat cow behind the bar… I wasn’t talking about the staff obvi).
The menu encompasses quite a few different things like burgers and pasta, so not exactly American or Italian or any specific genre of food, other than good food. I settled on the Fettuccine Alfredo with Sun Dried Tomatoes. In all seriousness, yummmmm. The sauce is a bit thicker than what I typically expect, but the flavors are well balanced so I love it. And like so many places are doing nowadays, there are two options for fries: sweet potato or regular. I tried both cause I’m addicted to food. Both were fine, but my preference is definitely the Fries with Truffle Oil (even though truffle oil in anything is a total gimmick because the flavor it supposedly adds is almost undetectable).
The meal was well prepared and I loved the ambiance so I’ll be visiting frequently. I really want to go back for breakfast, brunch and lunch just to try everything they offer. If you see me at Basico (and because you made it through this whole review), drinks* are on me.
*Drinks include water only.