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    El Patio

    4.2 (763 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    El Patio Photos

    Business Info

    EL PATIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Patio

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    Dont come here
    Veronica M.

    Customer service .very unprofessional..we wherent offer a table. We where there first before another party..a couple came in. Looking Caucasian .mind you. We are mexican. Yes at a mexican restaurant. We ask why we got passed. Young hosts in front looked clueless. Then they offer us a table after they realized there mistake. We felt uncountable. .our first time coming here..and never. MANHATTAN NEXT Door have better Customer service and is a dive bar...come one el patio .do better!!

    Freshly made ice cold lemonade, frijoles à la charra, fresh guacamole, flavorful rice, with chips & fragrant.
    Celeste H.

    This spot has a beautiful yet classic eating establishment founded in 1954. Great old school nouveau vibes. Wonderful service that is worth the wait, I promise. The food is prepared when you order fresh & as you desire. We love our date nights here and the chamango margarita is amazing! Highly recommend this spot!

    Caldo de Res!!
    Thomas H.

    The food is awesome here and it reminds of Texas. My wife gets the Fiesta Flautas and I get the Caldo de Res. The service is great and will not be disappointed. I also the decor and lighting. it really sets the mood for a great date.

    Menu- vegetarian options, sides and drinks
    Heatherlyn L.

    Walked into a lit up dining area with colorful pictures and walls. The service initially had a rough start but got better. It took way too long to get our drink orders. The great food is certainly not by mistake or that the chef got lucky cooking it this time. All four of us loved our food! I got flautas, my hubby ordered the short rib plate, and our friends got a seven bean dip(?), queso chorizo, and enchiladas. We ALL liked our food and would finitely come back. My friend who went with us remembered going to this place when she was a kid. So cool.

    Chilaquiles Breakfast special.

    To start out my grandmother was from Sonora Mexico and my other from Chihuahua, I had experienced Mexican breakfasts all my life so when I ordered the chilaquiles with a egg and carne asada I figured ok let's give it try. My wife had eggs and carnitas , she says was very good , meat very tender. My meal showed up well garnished with diced tomatoes , a scoop of avocado and a pile of what looked like tortilla chips. First I tried to cut the slab of carne asada , the knife was either dull or the meat was tough. I then went caveman and forked the meat up to my mouth and had to tear the tough steak. Strike -1 , I then tried the chilaquiles and the red chile sauce looked just like the salsa served with the chips , there was no real chile flavor or color and No Cheese. It felt like I was eating a pile of wet tortilla chips. I took a few forks of the refried beans and they were decent. Our server Mimi came by and asked if everything was ok , I replied the meat was tough and the chilaquiles had no cheese or red sauce. To me this dish is an embarrassment to the chilaquiles name , it should me called A pile of tortilla chips wet. Our Server did apologized and she did not charge us for the plate. Please note my plate was 3 stars , my wife plate was 4 starts. The staff works extra hard and enjoy your time ! Next time I'll stick to the Albondigas

    Shredded beef burrito with the famous cheese sauce
    Ric M.

    I've been coming here since high school...yikes 50 years ago! The menu is pretty simple, as with the place. Service and food is top shelf. My go to is the shredded beef burrito with their famous cheese sauce (#17 The Original Famous on the menu) and don't forget a cerveza.

    Interior design
    Jerry C.

    Found out this place just recently opened so came with coworker on our lunch break to check it out! It was decorated with lights just in time for the Christmas season, giving a cozy vibe! Very popular with a lot of people. Food was so good!! I got the carne asada fries and fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and big portion too!! Their churros is especially amazing! It's crusty outside with cajeta inside which was so good!

    El Patio entry: been eating here 40+ years
    Art H.

    Been coming here 40+ years. They have the BEST Chili Rellenos of ANY restaurant (believe me I've tried them just about everywhere I travel). My fave order is Chili Relleno and Enchilada (chicken or guacamole) ala carte on separate plates (so the sauces don't mix & dilute) You're welcome

    Love the food here! Everything was so delicious and flavorful. The portions were generous, too. The staff was friendly and attentive, and they checked on us throughout our meal.

    Yummy! Can't wait!
    Cristine O.

    Omg the food here is amazing! The drinks too! This is definitely a place to come to and it will have you coming back for more! Service was great and attentive and the vibe is low lit can go either way, date night or out with friends and family. Place is definitely a go to for us now!

    Santiago Z.

    First time, but won't be our last! I didn't get a chance to take many pics. Once food got to our table, we went right into it and enjoyed every bite! I did take one pic of my plate before devouring it! Service was hospitable-thanks to GERARDO! and restaurants decor was very colorful and welcoming! I'll see you guys soon!

    fajitas

    The fajitas and crunchy beef tacos are amazing! The service is also very fast and friendly!

    Dinner 1/10/25
    Marcia R.

    Came here for some crispy tacos I had the chicken tacos it didn't disappoint load with chicken and tomato, lettuce and some cheese and salsa on the table with chips And she had the fish tacos She enjoyed it came 2 warm tortillas on each taco She was happy everything was fresh and came out hot too. Quite busy too but service is top notch here. With a roomy Resturant and A/C kept all comfortable. We even had free Churros for checking in And they had a filling too Prices are good

    Carne Asada and garlic shrimp

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    4 months ago

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    16 days ago

    Great place, great food, great service and atmosphere. The Mexi mimosa was so delicious

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    17 days ago

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    1 month ago

    The salsa is really good. We got the enchiladas suisas, shrimp enchiladas, enchiladas so good. They were all delicious

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    1 year ago

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    9 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Been coming to El Patio for 27 years best place in town!!! La mejor comida mexicana.

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    17 days ago

    Yummy food, great local recommendation! The servers were so good as well! Fair prices as well

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    24 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

    Amazing food and great portions! The service is great, and everyone was so kind. We will be coming back for sure

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    7 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Good food. Service is awesome. Ordered the garlic shrimp and steak mariscos. Will Definitely come back again

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    5 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Business owner information

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    Lili W.

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    1 month ago

    Delicious! :) left very satisfied, it was a great experience and the portions are amazing

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    Page 1 of 20

    El Patio Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Patio

    When do they serve chilaquiles until - noon?

    Hi RJ! We’re happy to say our chilaquiles are available all day. Provecho!

    Can you make a reservation?

    Hi Anna, due to our small and bustling dining room we cannot accept reservations. Our team works hard to make sure that we can quickly serve as many people as possible and though there may be a slight waitlist at times (especially on weekends) we… 

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    We went to Kalaveras for Happy Hour and we really enjoyed it! This was the Chula Vista location on…read more3rd Avenue, used to be the old Fudruckers. Parking shouldn't be an issue, they have spots in the front but then there's the big garage right behind it, and it's free. There's also street parking but you might have to pay. The place itself is very spacious and clean. They also have an outdoor patio for dogs. I do know later in the evening it gets louder and more like a club vibe, but it's not bad. Service was perfectly fine. I had no issues at all. Staff greeted us with a smile when we walked in. They were always checking up on us when we needed things. No issues at all. I thought everyone was doing their jobs. Happy hour is so worth it here. $1.99 tacos! I had the carne asada, birria and Chicharonnes tacos! While the meat portions look small, y'all need to realize this is happy hour street tacos! Adding some salsa from the self serve bar, it was so worth the price. We had 11 tacos, cheese nachos, 2 beers and 1 margarita and it was about $50! So worth it! I highly recommend Kalaveras for Mexican food. Great vibes. Great happy hour prices. I think this place is good for large groups also. It may not be kid friendly later into the night but it's very worth it!

    Was visiting San Diego for the weekend and my friend recommended Kalaveras for Sunday Brunch…read more They opened at 10, and we were one of the first to get there. The brunch buffet is definitely worth the price. The food was excellent, the service was attentive and fast and the music and indoor area was cool. I can't wait to be back in San Diego to have brunch at Kalaveras again. Authentic Mexican food, friendly service and great vibe.

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    El Pueblo Mexican Food & Bar - Carmel Valley

    El Pueblo Mexican Food & Bar - Carmel Valley

    4.5(583 reviews)
    23.3 mi
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    Just in case you didn't know.... I need to update…read more.......... El Pueblo is still amazing as always it's the perfect place to grab a casual bite and a tasty cocktail at a relatively reasonable price The service is always stellar here. Yeah they're slammed and they make mistakes and sometimes it takes longer than others but there's generally a reason for it. I can get loud and rowdy on game days so be prepared. There are days that are quiet and calm, and you can have a great conversation You have a choice of sitting at the bar or indoors or side patio with high tops or back patio with tables and fire pits. All our excellent choice Choices. If you want to sit down and order from your seat, the bar is your only option. Other than that, you can order food from either the food counter or from the bar. drinks must be ordered at the bar. Salsa and water are self serve. Soft drinks are also self served after you've bought the cup. Come on in and have a fabulous time and don't expect some five Diamond treatment. Just a good time.

    The El Pueblo $1.39 fish taco deal cannot be beat! Their fish tacos are the same price all day 7…read moredays a week. You can choose between corn and flour tortillas, and the tacos are a good size with good flavor. There is also a self serve salsa bar. The restaurant is typically pretty lively in the evenings. They have both a large indoor and outdoor space. They always have a sports game playing on the television and a bar in the middle of a restaurant. The staff are also very kind and efficient. Definitely a place worth checking out!

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    Order at Registers

    El Pueblo Mexican Food & Bar - Carmel Valley - Fish tacos!

    Fish tacos!

    El Pueblo Mexican Food & Bar - Carmel Valley - Best fish tacos (on flour tortillas)... and even better for $1.50 each

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    La Puerta - Combo Tacos

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    4.2(4.8k reviews)
    6.7 miGaslamp
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    Five stars all the way!!! Amazing food, fresh chips and salsa oh and service that cares the taco…read moreplate was full of flavor and the portions were spot on! Everything tasted good

    I'm so mad about this place!! Hubby and I headed down to SD…read moreto get away from the heat in the OC. On the drive, I decided I wanted Mexican food. I picked a place off Google but when we landed there we were not comfortable stopping to park, so we looked again and decided to check out La Puerta not realizing it was in the Gaslight District. I am not a fan of the Gaslight District, which is why I am so mad!! I'm going to HAVE to go back to the Gaslight District!! The food was AMAZING!! I HIGHLY recommend the Potato Flautitas. It's the kind of dish I'm going to dream about, I'm salivating now just thinking about them. I also did the Pick 3 Street Tacos (and actually ordered a 4th). The Ranchero Shrimp and Grilled Veggie were top notch. The Conchinita was recommended by our waiter, and it was interesting, tasty but different. It could have used a little more pickled onion. The only one I would not recommend (shockingly, I thought it would be the easy pass) was the carne asada. It was too greasy. My husband ordered a carne asada quesadilla and said the same, it was too wet and soaked through the tortilla. But there were no many other delightful options, I would say just don't go traditional. But honestly my favorite thing on the plate was the side dish rajas con crema, seriously, that alone is going to drag me down to the Gaslight District. I'm even considering going to a Padres game just for the excuse. I'm salivating again! As for our waiter, Colin, he was fantastic. Very informative, made great suggestions and seemed genuinely pleased by our satisfaction. He was smiling the whole time, friendly and stayed very present. I highly recommend you get yourself through the door at La Puerta and sit down for a meal ASAP. (We ate the food so fast I forgot to take pictures.)

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    El Patio - mexican - Updated September 2026

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