Matsuharu Japanese - El Paso

Unassuming little hole in the wall in the middle of a somewhat more run down part of town. Needless to say, don't let the outside deter you from coming in. I've learned that this place has been around for over 3 decades and the lady who owns theplace is the actual cook. It gets busy for dinner so come before the dinner rush. Sometimes it will take awhile for the food tocome, but thankfully they have a TV set showing some anime to keep you occupied if you don't prefer being on your phone. Theflavor of the food is better than most places I've been to in El Paso, but, coming from San Francisco and Las Vegas, it ispretty average compared to those two places' standards. I enjoyed the korroke, shoyu ramen and chicken katsu. I was not a fan ofthe takoyaki (lacked flavor and the oil seemed old) nor the udon (it was a bit too salty). Service however, was quite nice, theemployees there are hospitable and polite. Interior is in need of some TLC, as the place looks a bit run down and very outdated.We come here because there aren't very many decent and authentic Japanese food in the area. Wish they still served sushi.

This was the third time we had tried to eat here, and the first that they were open! The menu was full as was I when finished. The food was very flavorful and we will be coming back. The major negative was the temperature. Eating hot soup in a hotrestaurant doesn't work for me.

I like the food and price, friendly staff, they tried to keep it simple and good. If im correct this is the only restaurant that offer Onigiri for 2.50 only. It was a long wait like 40 mins since i ordered. Maybe they r experiencing shortage of staff. Ifthey can work on the waiting time, I would be giving 5 stars.

Worth the wait!!! Get there early as there are only two people working. One in the kitchen, and one servicing the tables, door, and takeout- wowza! It is no longer cash only, but it might be nice to bring cash because you can just leave your payment andtip on the table and not have to wait to cash out. Onigiri is delicious, fried chicken app was to die for, spicy miso was thebest ramen I've ever had, and the chicken katsu curry plate was just what a cold day ordered. They don't have alcohol, but theywill let you BYOB. No regrets here!!

What Matsuharu lacks in charm and atmosphere, it more than makes up for in service and food. Thanks to other reviewers, I expected a bit of a wait for my meal. That proved to be accurate, as the server warned there would be a bit of a wait as there was only one cook working the kitchen that night. There were two servers, and both were very friendly and attentive. I ordered the chicken katsu curry and an unsweetened iced tea. The warm, unassuming dining room was mostly full of jovial diners, a good sign that the food would be worth the wait. After all, it would be easy to feel agitated in those conditions, but everyone seemed in good spirits. After some time, my food arrived. The miso soup that accompanied my entree was very savory and flavorful with the perfect consistency. The chicken katsu was a thick cutlet, nice and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. There was a generous helping of curry to go with the cooked-just-right rice. I ate until full, and had a good amount leftover to take with me. Overall, a wonderfully pleasant meal. Please note: I was informed that the restaurant does not accept takeout orders on Friday evenings, which was my original intent. Fortunately for me, I decided to head to the restaurant anyway, and was very glad I did.