I walked through the gate into a small courtyard, and then into the restaurant itself.  The place had a nice feel to it, good atmosphere...  I was quickly seated by a very courteous (to an extreme, actually) young woman, and after a few distractions, I ordered the quesadillas as an appetizer, and the daily special, which was fish tacos.

So much for my good feeling about the restaurant.  The Quesadillas arrived quickly, and I bit into one.  Fajita and cheese, and nothing else.  Plain quesadillas?  The menu specified various add-ons for the quesadillas, for additional cost, but I'd thought there would be SOMETHING else.  There was some salsa in a dish on the plate, but it didn't look all that appetizing to me.  Ah well.  I ate my cheese sandwich, mexican style, and awaited the main course.

It didn't take long.  I was presented with a plate containing three tacos, and sparing portions of beans and rice.  The tacos were filled with bits of fried fish; it was impossible to tell how fresh it was.  The tortilla shells had been fried as well, and were a bit on the soggy side.  I was seriously underwhelmed by this meal.  Afterwards, I asked about dessert, but wasn't in the mood for the only dish available (sopapillas).

I'd heard good things about Avila's Mexican restaurants, and was surprised by what I received.  It's difficult to screw up mexican cuisine, but somehow they managed.  Serving so-so food as the special of the day is even more egregious.  With dozens of other better Mexican restaurants in El Paso, I'm amazed Avila's survives.