Molcajete Grill gets mixed-beverage license for El Paso restaurant
New Capabilities El Paso, TX localEast El Paso spot clears a licensing hurdle before opening
August 31st, 2026: TABC issues mixed-beverage license to Molcajete GrillNew here? Follow stories to track developments over time. Create a free account to get updates when stories you care about change.
Overview
Updated 41 minutes agoA new El Paso restaurant cleared a required legal step: Molcajete Grill, at 3143 Lee Trevino Dr, received a mixed-beverage license from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on August 31, 2026. The permit lets the business sell wine, beer, and liquor by the drink.
The license is one approval, not the whole process. The restaurant still needs food-safety, occupancy, and other local permits, and the record does not confirm it has opened. But without this permit, the spot could not legally pour a margarita or a beer with a meal.
Why it matters
The license is the difference between Molcajete Grill opening with margaritas and beer or serving food without alcohol.
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Organizations Involved
The state agency that licenses and inspects every seller of alcohol in Texas.
A restaurant applying to serve alcohol at 3143 Lee Trevino Dr in east El Paso.
Timeline
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TABC issues mixed-beverage license to Molcajete Grill
Latest LicensingThe Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission granted an MB permit at 3143 Lee Trevino Dr, allowing the restaurant to serve liquor, wine, and beer by the drink.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
End of Prohibition, Birth of Texas Liquor Control Board (1933-1935)
Prohibition ended in 1933 with the 21st Amendment, and states built alcohol regulatory systems. Texas created the Liquor Control Board in 1935, later renamed the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, to license and inspect every alcohol seller.
Licensed retailers became the only legal channel for liquor, wine, and beer in the state.
That licensing system still runs today; every bar and restaurant that serves alcohol holds a TABC permit.
The mixed-beverage license Molcajete Grill received is an output of the 1935 framework.
Texas Allows Liquor by the Drink (1970)
Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1970 letting cities choose to permit liquor by the drink. Before that, much of the state relied on private clubs and mix-your-own setups.
Bars and restaurants could finally sell full-strength cocktails by the glass.
The measure created the modern mixed-beverage license category that restaurants use today.
Molcajete Grill's MB permit is the direct descendant of the 1970 vote.
