The history of Elmer’s Family Restaurant dates back to 1947, when Elmer Poulsen and his wife Jewel Poulsen opened their first restaurant in the Five Points area in El Paso.
With a growing reputation for good food and wonderful home-baked pies, the Poulsen’s soon expanded into a 70 seat restaurant.
In 1957, recognizing the need for an economical drive-in restaurant in El Paso, the Poulsens opened “Elmer’s Drive-In” on Hawkins Way. The couple later built “Elmers Chicken Cottage” which quickly became an El Paso favorite.
Then, in 1962, missing the close contact they had previously had with their customers at their first restaurant, Elmer designed and built Elmer’s Family Restaurant, at its present location. Many customers fondly remember having a cup of coffee personally served by Elmer, who most likely, would also sit down and chat with them for awhile.
Today, Elmer’s Family Restaurant continues its tradition of home cooking and heartwarming good service. It continues to serve made-from-scratch dishes, prepared from the Poulsen’s special recipes as well as made from scratch pies, freshly baked in its own bakery.