Luby’s Opening Downtown El Paso Location This Month

Next time I get called for jury duty or find myself downtown at lunchtime I know where to get cubed Jello and fool myself into thinking I'm eating healthy because I added green beans to my plate of creamy macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes with extra creamy gravy.

Luby's is taking over the cafeteria space inside the El Paso County courthouse.

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Once Upon a Time There Were Three

Currently, the beloved cafeteria chain’s only El Paso location is on Hawkins across from Cielo Vista Mall.

There was a time, though, when there were 3 Luby’s restaurants in El Paso. The Chelsea Street location was the first to close permanently in 2020. This past April was the end of the buffet line for the one on N. Mesa.

The west side location had been open since 1960 and did not close for lack of business.

It was reported at the time of its closing that the property owner wanted to sell or redevelop the property and because of that did not renew its lease with Luby’s parent company.

A couple of months ago a fence went up around the property and it appears some sort of pre-demolition work is going on. The property owner has yet to announce any specifics plans for the high-profile property at the corner of Mesa and Sun Bowl Drive.

When Will the Courthouse Luby's Open?

The downtown Luby’s will be a scaled-down version of the sit-down restaurant model, per El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego. I’m assuming that means the food options will be limited.

But, as long as they serve the golden fried square fish, macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes, classic chicken fried steak, and jello are available I’ll be a happy prospective juror.

The new courthouse location will open on August 25, according to Samaniego.