Literally the best Mexican food in ABQ! The bartenders are attentive, and knowledgeable. Try the tequila flight! So fun! Really good happy hour prices at the bar area. Cinco de Mayo is super fun. Love the ambiance with live music! For sure a place we come to often since moving here. read more

Service was at best horrible and if possible all four meals were worse than that...Chicken FajitasSopasFresh Sopaillas

Service was great but the food was not. My boyfriend got the (3) tacos and they tasted "like something he'd feed our dog"...as an appetizer we ordered the ceviche and let's just say if my boyfriend makes it thru the night without getting sick..I'll be amazed. My food was tolerable. I had the enchiladas and it's kind of hard to mess those up so I suppose that was the highlight of the night. Our server was absolutely wonderful though!! read more

El Patron - "Ceviche".... never again. - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Recently ate here, and the food was amazing! Definitely coming back! The food was fast and the waiter was always on top of drinks and checking on us. read more

The food is OK but the waitstaff is just awful. Hard to tell if they're lazy or distracted because we've had this same experience here before; . Early afternoon with few customers, we waited for our four taco order for 25 minutes before we just got up and left-- and we'll never be back. read more

How happy was I when I heard they were opening another El Patron restaurant? Super duper happy. The second location does not disappoint. They have very delicious food, great service and it's closer to my house - so right on! What do they have? Usual New Mexican fair - yes NEW MEXICAN - not Mexican. That is not to slight Mexican food which I love but it is distinctive from New Mexican food. Good margaritas too!!! Can't wait to go back for another delicious meal. Check them out and you won't be disappointed! read more

Food is great, customer service needs MAJOR help. We placed an online order at 6:15 and they gave us an estimated pick up time of 6:37. I arrived at 6:30 and they had not even started my order yet. I waited an additional 40 minutes, no updates from the staff. Finally I went up to the bar and asked about my order of course it was ready. I asked how long it had been ready since no one had informed me. The woman behind the bar, presumably the manager, gave me a lot of attitude and was offended I was even questioning it. I said I was worried about the food being warm and she simply told me "feel it then." The only saving grace of this entire interaction was the food. read more

I had high expectations that were dashed quickly. Ordered the beef taco plate. Meat was flavorless and dry refried beans seemed to have been sitting out for a a long time had a hard crust on top and they lacked flavor Rice was ok. Salsa tasted really good and the sopa was good only reason for two stars Likely won't be back read more

I can say the queso was very good!!!! The service was OK, the rock in my meal really ended it for me. Small black rock towards the end of my meal. Luckily, I found it before I really bit into it. The meal was removed from my bill, there were apologies from the wait staff, no manager on duty. I'll steer clear of this place, your mileage may very.... read more

El Patron - a small black object on a white tablecloth - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Small restaurant but always good service, food and drinks! I love their sopapillas and breakfast! Nice that they have a patio now!

Early dinner before 5:00 Service somewhat off. Two servers with about 24 tables that's going to happen. Food very mediocre. Tacos not up to Taco Bell standards. Carne huge portion. Rice was runny and gross. And what is it with the loudmouth at the bar. Nick you need to spend some time here. It's not your standard of food or service. read more

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! We had a party of 7 and I understand we had to get two tables. We waited outside for 15-20 minutes and my wife felt as if they had forgotten us because several tables were being seated before us. A nice lady took the initiative to seat us, we had 5 at one table and 2 at another - completely separate from each other. I looked outside and saw a group of 7 that came after us seated at two tables within a foot apart from each other. I told the lady that looked like she was in charge and she said "ohh". And that's it. So we left. Horrible. read more

This was often a go to for a fresh lunch- not anymore- hard to relax with the very loud conversation- every time - amongst the employees - but now the food is just bad! also - convenient location so bummer but today was my last try. :( it was pretty gross. read more

Ordered two breakfast burritos #3 and #4. The #4 had every ingredient in its own section of the burrito. Took one bite of all eggs and another of sausage. You get the drift. The #3 had a long disgusting human hair throughout the burrito. Absolutely disgusting. read more

El Patron - Human Hair in the burrito! - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Ate at the location on Paseo today. What a disappointment. The food is soooooo expensive and it is the worst food I have had. We waited 1/2 an hour for the worst quezo . Then, waited another 1/2 hour for our meal. The beans were dry the spanish rice was rummy and tasted like tomato sauce. The chili relleno was soggy and the cheese inside the relleno was runny not stretchy. Please don't eat here if you want good new Mexican food. I don't mind spending money for good food but I'm so upset and disappointed. read more

Tried El Patron at the La Cueva town center for the first time today. Even though it was around 3 p.m., every seat at the bar was filled and there were 6 tables including ours. The young man behind the bar was serving everyone, but even with a full bar and the tables, he did a great job. This location uses the same full menu that the original El Patron location uses so if you're looking for a menu, check out the original location's website. I forgot completely to take photos, sorry. We ordered the mild guacamole to eat with our complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were great, thin, just the right amount of salt and crunch. The salsa was good also, as was the guacamole. My issue with the guacamole was that there was more lettuce on the plate than guacamole. There was an ice cream scoop sized serving of fresh guacamole, which was not a lot for $4.75, in my opinion, especially since they made it fresh. It only takes about 1/2 an avocado to make a serving that size. Hubby had a combo plate from the senior menu that included a chile relleno and an enchilada along with rice and beans. He really enjoyed it and said the flavor was great. I had the veggie fajitas which was 95% green peppers, which surprised me. Onions are cheaper and usually found in fairly good quantity in fajitas, but I think there were 3 or 4 pieces of onion, a small handful of zucchini and yellow squash and a few pieces of corn. The flavor was good and the server, noticing I asked for veggie fajitas did mention that the rice was made with chicken broth and asked if I still wanted it. Major kudos to him for thinking of that. Many servers don't. I was impressed. Overall I would definitely visit this location again. I would NOT order the guacamole, based on price vs. amount of guacamole. I might order the fajitas again, but I'd ask if there could be less green peppers as I'm not a big fan of those. The reason for 4 stars? The guacamole and the fact that the vast majority of my fajitas being green peppers. I can't stress enough what a great server we had. He was on the ball and very knowledgeable about food preparation and the menu. read more

Yuck. What happened? We are sitting here on a Friday night and there is nobody here. No wonder the food is meh, the service is worse and the atmosphere is pathetic. There used to be music and dancing. There used to be great bartenders and a lively fun atmosphere. You would think the owners would want to know how badly it has become. I guess they don't give a shit. We are done here after many years. Rip off. read more

My friends and I havent been to El Patron in a while because the food wasnt that good last time we went. Well it was even worse this visit. The 4 ladies I sat near were all disappointed in our food. I had the senior meal with one tamale and enchilada. The tamale was old and tough. I could barely cut it up. The sauce was bland. Not good at all. The same on my friends enchiladas - bland and blah. They were very very busy. Maybe that's why our orders weren't all correct and the food prepared was like cafeteria food. read more

Glad there are two of these for me to review because never once have I actually ordered and gotten what I wanted. This time it was cheese on my meal, we specified that I couldn't have dairy or cheese four times and they still put it on. The other el patron is great no problems but this one is a mess, really bringing down the brand by letting this happen so frequently. On top of this they were incredibly rude to us when we asked for another one with no cheese, the manager just fully hung up on us. If there was any way to give a zero I would this is truly disappointing and they have lost 8 customers for life over this last incident. read more

Holly Cow ! This great little restaurant operates on such a large scale. Never mind that the owners of Nick & Jimmies, Mykonos and the original El Patron Senior are old school and hold the entire operation accountable. The Restaurant is fresh and clean, full of local color and flavors. Beautifully painted colors with wonderful murals. Our waiter Kirt was on it from the moment we walked in, serving fresh corn chips and salsa throughout the meal. Linda and I had the Fajitas which we were very glad we split with our small salad. The food was excellent, plentiful and we even received a visit from their wonderful manager Femi. Femi made sure that all was to our liking adding additional sopapillas to our meal before we left. We look forward to enjoying there patio once the dust settles... read more

Called to place an order. Was hung up on. Called back and spoke to 2 different people and when we drove to pick up our order it was wrong. Then they redid our order while we were waiting and got home and it was still wrong. My husband is allergic to onions. The employees were told 3 separate times, no onions and when we got home, still onions. Also ordered queso and got home and had a small side of queso that we were charged for! Not the size we ordered. Well could not eat the meal. What has happened El Patron? There are so many places in Albuquerque to receive a great New Mexican meal, but El Patron is not one!!! Check your to go order before you leave. read more

Yuck! I ordered a breakfast burrito w/bacon and had to get up to restroom to spit out what I had in my mouth! Bacon had thick, nasty fat!! Just plain nasty. And the chilaquiles were a joke. Not real chilaquiles :( and the OJ was questionable as well. Will not be going back to this place. Stay away! Go elsewhere. read more

They have the best chips and salsa in town. I love their chicken and cheese enchiladas smothered in red chili. Their well margaritas are tasty and a good deal. read more

Poor service and mediocre food. Who is the guy that carries on at the bar? He must live there. Very distracting.

It took about 20 minutes for the server to bring us a menu or waters... that's the only bad thing I could say about this place. The waiter was very good after that. & the food is delicious, definitely recommend the nachos! read more

This place is a little hidden gem! Wonderful service with a neighborhood feel. Great happy hour food and drinks specials. A wide variety of local brews and an excellent selection of appetizers. More than just Mexican food, Greek as well! read more

This place was not bad, but a lot of the food was dry and kind of bland. The quesadillas were not that great and very dry. The salsa was extremely spicy. The dish that I got was ok, I took a couple bites out of it and set it aside. read more

First time to visit this new location which has recently opened. They did an excellent job remodeling the old Whataburger. It is small and comfortable. What stands out is the customer service I received from the waitstaff and manager. I called my order in ahead of time and my table was set and ready upon my arrival. Including chips and salsa! I had my order within five minutes. My sopapilla was served warm at the end of my meal. I look forward to some lunch specials in the future. Yes, I will be back. read more

Food was good. Never would have stopped by except places were closed by 8 on the 4th. Young girl delivered water to each table. Cute until she was picking her nose walking through dining room. Staff wearing masks & cleaning doors & surfaces. read more

I was excited for this place to open close to the house. Last Sunday I decided to try the takeout and ordered the Tamale plate and quesadilla for my son. The chili and sides were very good, but tamales were like dense bricks (ate 1/4 of 1) and the quesadilla not cooked well...unmelted shredded cheese inside. Maybe avoid takeout as the other reviews look solid for this establishment. Really bummed since my expectations were high though. read more

Excellent food and friendly service - ask for Mikayla, she will take great care of you...

Great food great service. We went early so didn't have a long wait but I can tell it gets busy. Popular local place. Definitely will visit again. The tamales are packed with meat unlike some other places that barely put meat in it. Great selections for drinks although we didn't order anything. I don't typically eat the pinto beans but these beans got a good flavor to them. Red and green chili is delicious! read more

Had lunch here. Pisole was ok. I'm sure the dinners. This place is good if your lookng for traditional Mexican food. Not really a "New Mexican" experience. Although they did serve sopas after the meal. Ambiance is nice. They had two guitarists playing traditional Mexican music. read more

Went here, on a recommendation. Food was mediocre at best, and some items undercooked. I will not return, as the menu was unclear as to substitution/additional sides in addition. Was then overcharged for subpar food. I'd rather eat big chain, than eat at El patron again, and was not treated well by the staff, which was not a surprise, when I found out who owned it. read more

Very disappointing during this time. Made a call for pick at 6:40pm 4/17/2020. The person who took my order told me that it would take 30-35 minutes. Arrived at 7:08pm. Waited at the window for 5 mins until they got around to acknowledging that I was there and during this time a line formed behind me. Once they did a woman with shorter hair (who has helped us in the past) opened the window and asked for the name on the order. After 20 sec of looking for the order she says "$22.13", I hand her my card and I begin talking with my wife and didn't see that she was holding the credit card receipt out for me to sign. I take the receipt and sign it quickly feeling bad for seemingly ignoring her for a few seconds. She then says after I pay for it, "it's going to be a while, is that ok?" I nod my head yes. She then tells me "go park over there [motions ten feet away] and I'll call you over when your order is ready." I drove off thinking how is she going to call me? Does she have my number? Maybe she'll yell out her drive thru window since I'm very close, so I roll down my window. Now remember they told me 30-35 minutes over the phone for an order of nachos and chips/salsa. I drove from RIO RANCHO and was on time. So, I wait 10 feet away for an additional 30 minutes, during which time I see countless cars pull up and leave with their orders and not a single car in that timeframe had to pull to the side and wait. So I allow 30 mins to go by, it's 7:40pm and I start my car and pull in line with 4 cars ahead of me and wait and additional 10 mins in line. Remember this whole time, this woman has NOT "called for me". Has NOT LOOKED IN MY DIRECTION WHILE I WAIT 30 additional minutes. HAS NOT MOTIONED FOR ME TO COME OVER WHILE I WAIT AN ADDITIONAL 30 MINUTES. Once I get back near the window she has our order hanging out the window. I grab the food and she says nothing, absolutely nothing. No thank you that you have a job today in an otherwise environment where she would have lost her job unless folks like us use this sorry excuse for a service. I work in retail at a major essential retailer 5-6 days a week during this whole COVID outbreak. I see all types of people and most treat us very well, but a small few trash us for being open, or trash us for having some employee not change their gloves enough, or have someone not visibly counting how many customers we have in the store (there is a system that counts), but bottom line, I was tried and could have used a very different experience after a 12 hour shift. People like this woman who works at El Patron, don't get it. They don't care. Their entitled. Their selfish. They don't deserve the job they have, because they don't truly understand where their paycheck comes from. The fact that the management at this restaurant thinks that this person is the best they could put as the face of their business. The only face of their business during this time when drive thru is the only option for their business, SAYS VOLUMES ABOUT THE LACK OF TRUE CARE FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS AND FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE GREATER ALBUQUERQUE AREA. I'll let you figure out how out where we go the next time we want Mexican food, because truly El Patron by no means corners the market on Mexican food in Albuquerque. Service matters and let's be honest, there are lots of other places with a better understanding of service and same quality of food. read more

Worst breakfast in town. Eggs in huevos rancheros runny, potatoes old and greasy, beans from yesterday. Plates were filthy and waitress loud and rude. Find another place to eat! read more

Stopped in on Sunday Morning - got seated quickly - server was very nice but not very attentive- we waited too long to be greeted, too long for our food and too long to close out our ticket. Soiled dishes stayed on our table until we left - had to ask for coffee refills. Food was very good and portions were good - Sopapillas and pancakes were delicious! Overall a decent restaurant because of the food- three stars because of non-attentive Service - again very friendly service but could improve. read more

I ordered a breakfast burrito over the phone and the guy taking my order was talking to another employee the entire time. I ordered a burrito with egg potato bacon and red and green chile. I was given a bean burrito... the same guy who gave me my food also was having a conversation with other employees the entire time I was waiting at the window. read more

Wow- I really wanted to like this place - right in my neighborhood! The service was slow and terrible! I was served the wrong dish, and the server insisted that it was what I ordered, ever though our bill showed the dish that I did order. We won't return. read more

Came here with my family to celebrate my birthday and all in all we had a good time. A couple of guys were singing mariachi songs and they were very entertaining. They came to our table and serenaded me with a happy birthday song and some other songs that we requested. The food, however, wasn't as great as I remembered the last time I visited. I had their special meatloaf... I don't know why I did that but it really was terrible. The others seemed to enjoy their dinners. Husband had the tacos and they were good. My cousin had the green chile chicken lasagna and it was delicious, she said. We also shared a few desserts around the table... First off, don't eat their blueberry bread pudding! Maybe it was me, but it didn't even taste like bread pudding. It was thin, dense, and drenched with some sauce. Their churros were very hard... Why?? Were they old? Re-nuked? Now the chocolate cake and the mousse... yum! That helped my palate big time . I know for next time that I will definitely not be ordering meatloaf! yuck... or any other weird menu item. They should really take it off the menu! This was disappointing because my experience in the past was good. But I know now to not venture out into something other than their typical plates. All in all it was fun -- it was a birthday party and we had a good time. read more