You don't come here for the food, you come here for the vibes. It attracts an older clientele. The food is not amazing, but the pricing is reasonable. The margaritas are weak and sugary, but the price reflects that. Our server, Francis, was incredible! read more

Let me start by saying: $20 margarita pitchers on Thursdays for college students!! While I am no longer a college student, this is an awesome deal - definitely will bring in a packed house and enticed me. I did not get to try the margs, so perhaps an update once I can. The restaurant itself is quaint with longhorns decor everywhere you look. A college town hang out for sure. Parking pretty was easy even on a Friday night. Pros: our waiter was very nice and the salsa & queso dip was very yummy. Queso was smooth and like a warm mouth hug. Also the food came out very hot as soon as it was ready. Chicken in the enchiladas was very flavorful. Cons: it took quite a while to place our order (possibly because of the large birthday party at the table next to us). Understandable. But the biggest reason for the rating was that the food was standard - not my favorite rice & beans (but it's a hard standard with all of the Austin options). We got the queso-covered enchiladas which were also a little overwhelmingly cheesy, but some may love that. Overall, despite the dishes we had just being ok, we will be back to try more (including some margs). The staff was truly very nice, and it would be such a fun place to watch a longhorns game. read more

El Patio - Guacamole chicken enchiladas, with queso dip + chips and salsa. Chicken enchiladas in the background - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Husband & I love their chips & salsa. Its our grocery store "go-to". So, we decided to give the restaurant a try. It wasn't bad, but there are a few things to consider. Its "Tex-mex", the tacos may confuse you as tostadas. I had the "Seniorita Plate" and my husband got a variety of enchiladas. He was pleased with the verde sauce. Unfortunately, his stomach didn't agree. I thought the cheese enchilada reminded me of the skillet queso at Chili's. Anyway, I give it a 3. Not bad, but have had better. The chips and salsa are so good- they sell them at the register counter. read more

Yoooo I had the Chalupa. omg it cleared, literally my plate was cleared afterwards. like i didn't even get the chance to take a before pic (my bad y'all ). but if you're sitting in the restaurant rn reading the reviews, get two Chalupas. it slapped so hard. you might need a side because i wasn't full full off of that. but it was so immaculate. & if ur there on a Thursday, treat yourself to a margarita pitcher. bring 3 more friends too. if you need a sign to choose this place, this is it right here. read more

El Patio - there was a Chalupa there - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

It was so lame of me to never have eaten here after so long in Austin. It was one of those places that are just part of the landscape, perhaps, despite that I love Mexican food. I ordered the El Patio no. 2 dinner. First to come out was the beef taco, which I ordered with a flour tortila. It was stuffed with enough ingredients for two tacos, although I'd added the scoop of guacamole that came with it, atop shredded lettuce, on the side. So much tasty! Before I finished eating the taco came the cheese enchiladas with rice and refried beans. Good thing that I like cheese - its inside and all over the top of the enchiladas. I devoured. The rice was really well-cooked and -spiced. The waitess told me that she'd used to come to this restaurant with her family when she was a little girl, and now she loves working there because the food is so good. Service? Informal and for-real. Ambience? A family-style restaurant sparsely-occupied at the middle of a Sunday afternoon with the temperature of 100 degrees outside. I almost succumbed to heat stroke on the way home, but the food at El Patio made me feel so good inside that that was no big deal. EAT HERE NOW. read more

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I've been an El Pat fan since my college days in the 70s. Yesterday was my first time since the "going out of business" fiasco a few years ago. It's still ok, but not what it used to be. Doesn't have "pilgrimage" status in my book anymore read more

This place is about as old school Tex Mex as you can get. You may need to be over 45 years old to appreciate this form of original Tex Mex cuisine. And for this old guy, El Patio reminds me of my childhood at Felix's Mexican Restaurant in Houston. In fact, the cheese enchiladas were like a time machine. The combo of yellow cheese and thin con carne sauce was magical. The chips came hot, crispy, and a perfect level of thickness for me. The salsa is thin and spicy which I loved. The tacos are open face and piled with shredded lettuce. I needed some queso to anchor them down and the guac was great. Prices are low and ambience feels like throw back decades ago. Service is fine bland everything got to our table but took a bit ong to get some beers. read more

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The chips, salsa, and Queso are quite literally unmatched! So beyond happy they sell the salsa and chips at Royal Blue and Foxtrot. If they were to ever sell the Queso somehow I presume that was also be a major hit. Intrigued by the chips and salsa, we finally dropped into the restaurant and we were pleasantly surprised with the lovely bartender and cozy appeal to the restaurant. Ironically, they do not have a patio, but it's a very nice set up. The tacos and quesadilla were very good and the margarita flight was very fun! Highly recommend! read more

I'm passing through town and stopped in for a quick lunch. Best ever!! This is a hidden gem! Great service love the waiter Francis! Hip, efficient, polite and honest. I had two enchiladas with guacamole verde sauce, one beef and one chicken. I also had rice and beans. I never feel that something is a 10/10 but honestly I loved everything about this place. The chips were light, crisp and airy. The salsa was tangy with a smoked garlic flavor, fantastic! I was slurping it up so fast they poured me a second round from the hilarious syrup container. The main course was served piping hot which I prefer. The verde sauce was tangy, colorful, sweet and blended with the protein perfectly. If I had to choose I would go for the chicken first. The guacamole was fresh, homemade, real and not puréed. Thank you, thank you, thank you! The manager walked by to check on me and she was bright, cheery and sadly her last week. It's time for her to put her feet up and train the younger generation. I have only two complaints, you need 3xl in your T-shirts and can you open a restaurant in East Tennessee?? Thanks for a fabulous lunch!! stuffed read more

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5 stars... Every. Single. Time. We celebrated my grandfather's 89th birthday here and there were 16 of us. It was wonderful food and he ordered the exact same plate he'd been ordering since 1963! Senorita Special. read more

El Patio - Papa Wiley and his great-grandchildren. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Terrible food and miserable new owners ruined it. Even the parking is terrible wouldn't waste my time going again. At least it's not over priced I guess. read more

Another one bites the dust. The cold plate was fine, but my hot plate was over cooked, or I should say over microwaved. The rice was stiff, beans burnt, and the enchiladas so tough I could hardly cut them. What a disappointment. 70 years gone to hell. read more

We stopped by on a recent weekday evening to check out an old fav! Haven't been to El Patio since the COVID scamdemic. In short, it was REAL good. The gratis chips and salsa were a good as we remembered... spicy salsa and the chips are light and fluffy! The house margaritas were awesome! Our entrees included the chicken fajitas and the El Patio #1. WOW! Deelish... we'll put this back on our "regular stop list" ... it was as good as ever! read more

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came out of state and thought this was a good idea..... i was wrong first off the tortilla chips were like costco chips, second off the enchiladas were one of the worst meals i have ever tasted. The enchiladas tortilla was kind of hard and they had minimal taste. Next the rice was almost burnt... some rice in the dish was hard. Lastly the cheese tasted like nacho cheese out of a can..NEVER COMING BACK, very disappointed with this . read more

Our first visit and it doesn't get anymore Classic then this..it's been so long since we have even tasted a basic chili con carne sauce and it was super good...food was so hot it was still bubbling when it can out...wife had the beef enchiladas with rice and mine was a combo with cheese enchiladas, rice, beans and a beef taco and guac salad on the side..now the crunchy tacos are served basically like a tostada...made in house shell with a great flavor. The service was some of the best we have had in awhile...we asked for a container for our Queso and she even brought some chips To go as well. Outstanding visit all around!! read more

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Did I just eat restaurant quality food, or a TV dinner? The Vibe: Feels like you're in a relative's old house. All the tables are close to each other which makes it feel crammed. It's also super loud because of the amount of loud obnoxious college kids in the dining room. The decor is also very confused. There's beautiful artwork accompanied by a collage of mix match picture frame. It make the restaurant seem clutter and busy. The Food: This is Tex-mex at its worst. I could see just by looking at other peoples plates that they food wasn't going to be that great, but I was optimistic and decided to give them a shot. The food tastes like someone is just warming TV dinners in the back. Our food took forever to come out so we put some of our order in a to go pan. The food was basically spread out on the plate to make it look like a decent portion but this was it. Drenching everything in nacho cheese is not culinary excellence or very Mexican. This seams like a place for broke college students. The entire meal was a complete waste of money. The drinks were great. We were able to get the burnt entree of the bill and still ended up paying $54. For a quesadilla, entree, and (1) cocktail. What a rip off. Service: Our server was great. He was a really nice guys who appeared to be working very hard. Wouldn't recommend. read more

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You aren't allowed to park your car there if you're not; immediately going in and having food and immediate getting in you car and leaving their parking lot. Their parking restrictions are ridiculous, for a restaurant surrounded with shops all around at walking distance. My plan was to walk to a near by shop and purchase an item, literally only took me 10 mins and then grab a bite at el patio. I come back to my car with a boot and $200 fine. I expressed my frustration about this misunderstanding with the "boot putter on-er"-- he can't do a thing about it. Mind you they are hired to wait around and boot you as soon as you leave the lot, to walk else where, BY EL PATIO. (I saw a yelp reviewer giving this place too much grace and saying it's not on the restaurant, it is. They hired this team to do this to potential guests. The "boot putter on-er" confirmed this himself) Anyway, I bring up this misunderstanding to a manager at el patio, in hopes that she's unsterstand. And she too did not want to hear me out. In fact she said "what if a guest wanted to park there, to eat here" --YES ME! I am that guest who wanted to eat here and now you've lost me as a guest. Her response? "Well then we've lost a guest." read more

When we went they were out of chicken, verde sauce, rice, and half way through making our meal beef. Didn't care to notify that they ran out of fajita beef, so they put the most greasy ground beef in the food. Overall the food we got was ok. My taco was more 90% onion 10% beef. Our waitress was very nice and apologetic. But they should've know what they were out of. The only thing I'd come back here for are the margaritas. read more

If I were truly objective, El Patio is probably a 3 star Tex Mex joint with inconsistent food. But I'm not objective. I grew up with El Patio TV dinners and the flavor of the enchilada sauce is still there... except when they overwhelm it with cheese, which happens occasionally. The cold beers, the margs, the tequila shots menu up to and including 1942, and the now OPTIONAL basket of crackers, and pretty great warm tortilla chips all work to force me into accidentally and consistently keep going back and giving it 5 stars. Please don't ever go away... read more

El Patio - Nachos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I saw so many people talking about how this is an austin classic and a go-to for mexican food, so I decided to go with a group of friends. the service was extremely slow and even after waiting for far too long to receive my food, it was more than just disappointing. I ordered the #2 which came with enchiladas, chili con queso sauce, a taco, and the classic beans and rice. the beans were dry and cold. not sure how you could mess up beans, but it was what I received. then the rice was less then average and lacking flavor. but here is where it gets extremely disappointing, the enchiladas. the cheese within was hard, contrary to the usual melty cheese that is expected with any cheese enchilada. the food itself seemed like it had been sitting out or was merely a microwave meal. the taco was just like any other and nothing special. chips were also cold and stale. also far from authentic mexican food and fits the tex mex description better, but even then you are better off going elsewhere. if you are seeking mexican food in the austin area just go to mama betty's, chuys, or even el rey in dripping springs. anywhere but here. read more

Very old school a step back in time it appears this place never changed which is one of the best things about it. Walked in and eventually had to ask to be seated, once seated the service was good. The chips and salsa were pretty good, ordered a combo, nothing stood out as exceptional though the cheese enchiladas are true Tex-Mex but not the best, ordered a flour tortilla which was likely store bought and not worth reordering. I felt the prices were high, I'd return but not out of my way. read more

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If I hadn't ordered an enchilada, this meal would've been a 2 or 3. The chips are nothing special and the queso is just so-so. The beef enchiladas, however, were amazing. This is the first time we had been to el patio, but we agreed that the enchiladas are the way to go in the future. They were cheesy and the sauce was delicious. Prices here are reasonable and the staff are very nice. Quick service! read more

El Patio - Seniorita special - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

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THIS WAS AMAZING!!!!!! I've been dieting, eating plant based and i've missed the queso, BBQ and wonderful delights that Austin offers. But a friend asked me to go to an early dinner after work and i couldn't say no. I'd never been here and looked forward to it all week until today (saturday 12/11) and boy was it worth the wait! Walking in, you can definitely tell it's an ATX relic. No gentrification, no upselling to out of towners. It's just down home US. We were seated quickly but right off I could tell service was going to be a bit slow. It wasn't crowded, but I think that's just the pace of the place. Being in good company I was totally fine Warm crispy chips with cool (NOT cold) salsa that was slightly spicy. Man they did it right! My friend's food came out VERY quickly. I believe she got the #1 Patio plate. It was beautiful. Cheese, guac and a taco that looked more like a tostada. She said it was a bit odd for her but that it was VERY tasty. It took a bit longer for me to get my 2 chicken guacamole enchiladas in verde sauce. But man when they came...they CAME! I don't order enchiladas often because they're usually a let down. Too thick tortillas, cheap filling and bland sauce leaves me less than enthused to try them over and over. But here there was none of that! First the plate came HOT. And the food was so pretty!!! the guac was so nice and green. Something I look for when ordering because that's not always the case. The consistency of the verde sauce was light but not runny. It coated the enchilada beautifully. And most importantly, the tortilla....IT WAS SO PERFECT!!!!! It was somehow slightly crispy but when taking on the sauce it softened a bit. It was so wonderful. It also had some mild white cheese on top and a tiny bit of cheddar inside. Just enough to add something extra as you're eating. The only draw back was the chicken. It was a bit dry. But not so much that it threw off the dish as a whole. It's VERY satisfying. I highly recommend these enchiladas. I also tried some of the sauce from my friend's enchiladas. She got the cheese with chile con carne. It was so flavorful! I think this is the enchilada spot that you're looking for...just trust me...I've gained so much weight in such a short amount of time that I classify as an expert! LOL We also tried their margaritas. They have a special EVERYDAY for $5 house margaritas! We got the regular frozen and it was great. They are definitely not stingy with the alcohol even though these are a special! I felt the first one. But we saw a woman who had one with chimoy on the rim and we had to have it! Turns out you can get flavored margaritas at the special price with the chimoy!!! We did a mango frozen margarita with chimoy rim and BOIIIIIIIII!!!!! I polished that bad boy off so fast and even though I was very full and a bit heady by this point I could have had another. I didn't though. I restrained myself. Mainly because we agreed we'd be back...for a Thursday night when they have $20 margarita pitchers! Yes, that's another thing here. I can't wait to return. The food is great. The atmosphere is great. The people are AMAZING. Come to this Austin old school staple to get a reminder of what we used to be as a city. Laid back family enjoying each other while enjoying food, family and football. This is truly Texas. read more

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Well, what can I say?! Haven't eaten at El Patio in literally 13 years-we're a Maudie's Stan when it comes to local TexMex. BUT decided to give it another shot and it was DELICIOUS! The service was great and so was the food. I had a cheese enchilada with con carne, queso rice & beans along with a guacamole taco. So yummy and will definitely be back. read more

I REALLY was looking forward to this Austin staple. The hostess was an absolute sweetheart. Kudos to the long brown haired gal with the beautiful smile and warm welcome!!! Unfortunately the bartender seemed so bothered by our simple existence. I had no idea how horrible it was for her to be in her presence. She seemed annoyed by any question we had. I'm sorry to take so much of her time asking if the served a Chile Relleno... her response, "I don't even know what that is"... my apologies sister...didn't mean to annoy you with a simple question! We noticed it wasn't just hercustomers she hated but she was rude to her coworkers. To this, I ask, why are you even in the service industry? The chips weren't great and the salsa was even worse (ketchup heavy). As a vegetarian... there were limited options to say the least. Sad, sad, disappointment. read more

Zero stars, rude employees, nasty food, vibes were gross. It's rundown. I do NOT recommend. read more

El Patio - The building - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

sad to see such an austin staple become so gross, in every aspect. atmosphere: -1, attitudes: -1, food: 1.5

Food is prepared laying in kitchen wide opened. Manager fires employees and doesn't wanna pay them his excuse is "we don't have money" very unprofessional. Employees were stealing money.Cooks have to like you to make your food. Kitchen floor gets cleaned with water and water doesn't get swept out so there's probably mold in there. read more

Best chips I've ever had and I'm in San Antonio. Can't wait to be back to visit in person. read more

El Patio - Best freaking chips ever. BEST. THE BEST. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

This has to be the worst Mexican restaurant I've ever experienced. The food was awful and even the margarita was terrible and the most disturbing thing was paying for it. Everything about this place was so wrong. read more

Met a man who works here in HEB and was selling their corn chips. He was very nice and was telling us the neat story of their restaurant. Best parts are that it's family owned and that they use all non GMO corn which is becoming rare these days. He said they strive to use all non GMO ingredients, so cool! Chips are great, well made and airy and just right. Other food is also top notch. read more

We came for HH and ordered the queso. Man, I wanted to like it so bad but just couldn't. The cheese tasted like nacho cheese from a concession stand. I was so perplexed. We decided not to eat anything else and get the check. Our wait staff was so nice. That's why I'm giving them two stars. read more

All of the above. Tvs we're on blood and guts movie with sound. And music was way loud hard rock. The food left a lot to be desired including a hair in salsa. Eve the pralines ad sherbet. Aren't fresh. I sorry that these young people here care nothing for traditions. The ones the Joseph Family made. Been coming since David and Rosemary were very young but won't come back again. Rest In peace Joseph's as should your restaurant. You'd be so disappointed in what it's become. We are!! read more

Hands down the best enchiladas in Central Texas!!!! My family and I have been eating there for years! In fact El Patio enchiladas was the first solid food my son ever had and he will be 18 on Tuesday!!! read more

I came here on a Friday night and the staff was friendly and attentive, however the food was TERRIBLE. I have never had such terrible Mexican food in my life. The cheese looked like Kraft American cheese, it was so greasy, the chicken was incredibly dry, and the enchiladas were so small. I sadly will not be returning to this particular establishment. read more

El Patio - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

2 stars for being an institution. Otherwise just not that good. Overpriced margs at this dive. Chips and salsa are good, everything else is just meh. Better if you're already drunk, otherwise good money says this should be a pass. Looking for something Austin-y for you and your drunk pals, OK, but if you're fully alert and want food Cabo Bobs is around the corner. read more

Came in for a retirement celebration/lunch of a coworker the other day. Service was good especially for the number of us there. However, I would say this is the worst Tex-mex I have ever experienced. I got enchiladas that were so bad I didn't finish them. So much cheese and not even good cheese, nasty. My only two thoughts on why a person would come here is that they love nacho cheese or they are drunk and looking to absorb some alcohol. Don't recommend. read more

I have been going here for 40years. Its not good my food was cold the place had 2 tables at 630 that should of said something. After sending our plates back it took forever the service was bad . The manager sit there never came to check on anything it was taking forever .for the food to come out .I remember when before you got done with your tacos your plate would be hot an out.an the place was packed .not anymore. Miss David an his sister's. God hope yall make changes to the way it use to be food did not taste the same at all . read more

Great food and great drinks! Old Austin restaurant vibe. Will be going back soon with friends new to Austin!

Right, I'm just going to cut to the chase. Our server was inattentive, lacked mannerism, and was absolutely rude. We had to ask everyone else for refills and she chose not to bring us tortillas (even though it came with our meals) because she said "y'all have to tell us." The entire time she had a bad attitude and it showed on her face when she just looked mad and as if we were inconveniencing her. As human beings, we understand that everyone has bad days, however, in the service industry you sometimes have to put on an act and take care of your customers right. And let me leave you with one last thing: the only time she chose to talk to us (besides asking for our order) was when she said "Ya'll are so great, we have a big party coming in and we didn't know where to seat them." It was unbelievable, mean, and rude. -In case you were wondering, the food is mediocre. You could cook these dishes much better at home. -Host was nice but that's it. read more