We love El Patron! We were concerned going in due to some of the reviews on yelp, but our expectations were exceeded and we quickly realized those reviews were either outdated or a bit dramatic. The service is great, and always kind and swift. It's a cute inside, we prefer the bar side for a little quieter of an experience, but both sides are good! The food is always phenomenal and always meets expectations. Chips, salsa and white sauce come complimentary! Our favorites are the TCP & Quesadillas but there's nothing we've tried we haven't liked: Overall, great restaurant choice in chester. read more

One of the best Mexican restaurants in Chesterfield. Louis and his staff are the friendliest and most generous welcoming people in the industry. The atmosphere is energetic and immersive as a Mexican Cantina is. We have been coming to El Patron for 20+ years. The food is plentiful, delicious, authentic and delicious. Well done All. read more

El Patron Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

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Ordered a hard taco, was disgustingly, grease poured out of it as I picked it up, took a bite and it tasted like the beef was burnt I told the waitress about it and told her to remove from the bill which the Did Not Remove it from bill. The service was just as bad as the food the other two people with me had edible food but were not impressed by how terrible the food was and service. The Three of us will never eat there again!!! read more

My friend and I were met with smiles by the team at El Patron Cantina in Chester. We were given a choice of two seating areas. Both dining areas are nicely decorated with good lighting (just enough/not too much). It is a wonderful family environment (yes, even the bar) We were quickly seated and given a choice of a couple tables. We opted for a high top table in the bar. Our lovely server greeted us with a smile. We were promptly served water along with warm chips and delicious fresh thick salsa. We ordered "Top Shelf" Margaritas. During different visits the various margaritas were excellent. There are many great choices. I usually judge a Mexican restaurant by their chimichangas. The beef tip chimichangas were beautifully presented and hot.The "chimis "had excellent texture and flavor. High marks for the flavor, size and presentation. I just returned from Houston and loved the Tex-Mex there. Given that recent experience, El Patron rates highly. I visit often and recommend that you do the same. It is a real treat every time. The only downside is the background noise. When the dining area is crowded, the noise is problematic. El Patron should invest in some noise reduction. read more

El Patron Cantina - Two Beef Tip chimichangas - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

The food is great! My favs are the shrimp ceviche, nachos & soft fish or shrimp tacos. The staff is always friendly but when I call on to place an order I am barely understood so that can be frustrating at times but eventually they get my order and everything is good. The food always comes out super fast so I definitely appreciate that. Definitely try one of their frozen margaritas! They are so good! read more

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Food was great! Service was not the best but the food made up for it! It wasn't too crowded so it was not super loud. read more

El Patron Cantina - QUESABIRRIA TACOS - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

I came with a friend last night for dinner. The restaurant was pretty busy, but we got a table in the bar and were promptly greeted by our server, who brought over chips and salsa. We were having a difficult time deciding on beverages so we each ordered a magarita flight. All four frozen drinks (mango, strawberry, lime and orange) were super yummy. The woman at the next table ordered a flight after seeing ours. I decided on the Burrito Chipotle with chicken, which was served with chucks of corn cut off the cob, giving a sweet touch to the spice. We asked for some deep fried ice cream for dessert, but they had run out, so we decided to share a piece of Tres leches cake (which was huge and delicious) and an order of churros (which were just ok). The staff was super friendly and it was easy to see why this is such a popular restaurant. read more

El Patron Cantina - Margarita flight - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

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10/10 Food, The owner of this restaurant is amazing - he blessed me twice with food - 1st. Time he wouldn't let me pay and the - 2nd time while picking up a order to deliver - Out of nowhere outcomes this huge burrito stuffed with everything under the sun Literally he didn't even know how much he helped me out on both of those times. Thankyou much You should definitely stop here and enjoy the love that is shared from the time you pull into the parking lot all the way to the time you leave read more

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I can't give it 0 so I gave it 1. The service was nice. Seated quickly and friendly enough. But the food ...... I could be biased because I grew up in Texas but this was disgusting. How can you mess up fajitas? Absolutely zero flavor. Like none. Not even salt. And the chicken was weird orangey stringy pieces - idk - pretty sure they just shred it and then boil it in a giant pot until it's squiggly and tough. It was gross. Not normal. Also, they don't even make their tortillas fresh in house so they were weird tasting like sour chemical. Also they give you this nasty creamy looking stuff with your chips that looks and tastes like mayo - it's still unidentified at this point but 10/10 DO NOT recommend. This place had so much going for it as far as appearances but if a restaurant can't do food right?? Sorry, but it's a no for me. read more

My cousin treated me to lunch here today, this was my 1st time eating here and I must say the food is amazing and fresh. I ordered the enchilada lunch special, it came out hot like I like my food to be. The waitress was nice & patient as I didn't know what to order I will recommend this restaurant to my friends and family. And to say the least, I WILL be returning!!! read more

Always have amazing service here. Our waitress was so kind and went above and beyond to serve us. The queso is so yummy and so is the fresh salsa. I ordered the Quesadilla Fajita and it was sooo good. Enough food for 2 meals! Only thing I don't like is that they serve Pepsi products, as a Coke Stan, this is unfortunate but definitely doesn't take away from the good food! read more

El Patron Cantina - QUESADILLA FAJITA - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

Great service! Everyone in our party ordered the Lores Shrimp taco's and they were great. We will be back again.

Realized I never left a review but I visited in 2021 with my son who still frequents this establishment. We sat at the bar and we had no issues with service. The bartender was friendly and helpful. I was undecided on what I wanted and the bartender made a recommendation. It was ok but not sure I was a fan of the sauce. My son enjoyed his meal as it was a dish he had previously. I also decided to try flan and the bartender warned me it was a cold dessert so I may not like it and yea maybe a little too cold for me. The decor was nice, loved the lighting fixtures. The owner was onsite and he was extremely nice and chatted with us for awhile. I gave them a three because of my food choices but I would go back to try something I am more familiar with and provide an update. read more

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One of our favorite spots in Chester! Great food and service every time. Their tacos diabla simply can't be beat. The spicy and tender steak is possibly the best flavor and heat level I've had in a taco. The owner, Luis, always comes around and greets us and is so kind. This will always be a go-to spot for my family. read more

Our server, Carolina, was on it the entire night! Quick and observant as well as able to appropriately apply my dietary restrictions of GF/DF. I appreciated her greatly. The food was DELICIOUS. I got del rancho tacos with corn tortillas and no cheese and they were perfect with a light spice. My drink was the peach caliente of which I ordered a second because it was so tasty. The atmosphere is very "Disney mexico" which brings a great ambiance to the dinner! read more

El Patron Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

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Food was ok ordered the hamburger taco plate it was ok also had nopoles which were grilled and delicious. The mojito was really good's

Service was awesome, they just redid the drink menu and I absolutely love! I will be definitely going back. read more

El Patron Cantina - Blueberry Margarita. SOOOO yummy! - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

I was happy to be a patron at El Patron!! This festive, brightly appointed Mexican restaurant cheerful and colorful! Although it was sparsely occupied due to the Covid sitch, we donned our masks and went into this clean, fresh cantina. The staff wore masks, and we were led to one of the many gorgeous, artfully carved wooden booths, with comfy cushions. Our server, Kaylyn, was on her A game! We were brought chips & salsa and drinks super fast! I would have preferred paper menus, but I had my handy purse sized Lysol and wiped the menus down. They looked clean, but my OCD was kicking in. The menu listed typical Mexican cuisine, but the carnitas burrito bowl caught my fancy. Kaylyn defined poblano rice (not white or Spanish rice, but a greenish rice with spices and cilantro) for me and I was sold! I love cilantro! This lunch special was superb! It was a huge, hefty portion and it came with avocado, cucumber, black beans, corn, pico de gallo, cheese and sour cream! Move over Chipotle, this bowl rocked! My friend ordered the chile relleno with retried beans and she devoured it! Our other table mate chose the beef burrito & Spanish rice. It was smothered in a yummy cream sauce and he enjoyed it! Kaylyn instinctively brought us extra napkins without being asked! She's got that server radar! Our drinks were consistently refilled and we were brought to go cups on our way out! The prices were reasonable, especially with the lunch specials!! From start to finish, the experience here was superior! Taco bout hitting all the high notes, El Patron was in another realm!! read more

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We've dined at El Patron on several occasions, almost always for dinner. The decor is relatively basic, yet fitting. The service is almost always good, not great & the food has been consistently good. Our visit over the weekend was our first since the pandemic and it seems very little has changed. They appear to have done some painting & freshening up, but nothing earth shattering. We were seated after about a 20 minute wait. Our server got our drink order & appetizer order, but we waited a while for that. Our drinks (& our appetizer cheese dip) beat the chips & salsa to the table by a long shot. Honestly, that was uncharacteristic for them though. The drinks were good, but no water was offered (idk, are we not doing that anymore?). The cheese dip appetizer seemed a bit watery as compared to other Mexican restaurants in the area. Our entrées came out hot, very hot. I'm always happy to get my hot food while it's that hot. The food was tasty and plentiful (enough for leftovers). Nice enough restaurant & it'll continue to be an alternate for us. read more

El Patron Cantina - Southern Grill Special (with beans substituted with black beans) - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

Best Mexican food around and drinks are fantastic!! I love coming here and plan to return as a regular!

This food place was okay. I got the arroz con pollo and ordered the adult size, but they gave me the kids size. Service was pretty good, it only took about 15-20 minutes after ordering. The area and look of it is good looks pretty organized. Overall 3/5 read more

I came here with a coworker when we were in town for work and had spent the entire afternoon talking about tacos. There are 2 restaurants in the Chester area with similar names however one is closed. The restaurant had no problems accommodating a large party at last minute. However, the rest of other group went to the closed restaurant and then somewhere else. The chips, salsa and Mexican ranch came out quickly and were very tasty. My coworker enjoyed the Mexican ranch as this was a relatively new concept to him as Mexican restaurants near him in Michigan do not normally serve the ranch. The chips were fresh and the right amount of salt. I ordered tacos given the afternoon discussion about tacos. I had tacos Chuba Chabras and I would completely order them again. In fact, I'm not sure I would try any of the other tacos. If I were in the area more often, I would be back. read more

El Patron Cantina - Tacos Chuba Chabras - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

The food and drinks are absolutely delicious. We all had the Tierra Y Mar which had grilled shrimp, scallops and squash on a bed of rice covered with cheese. The shrimp and scallops where cooked to perfection the entire dish was delicious and large portions. Be sure to ask for the drink flights I had margaritas flight very good as well not weak at all. Ordered side of guacamole which was fresh. Now here is the part I didn't understand it was only 3 of us an they added gratuity to each of our tickets. Wasn't expecting that since we where not a large party be sure to watch your ticket. read more

El Patron Cantina - Tierra Y Mar - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

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Top notch food, drinks, and service! The owner Luis is was so incredibly nice! Can't wait to come back to try the rest of the menu!! read more

El Patron Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

The atmosphere was nice! Alot of seating areas! Loved the tacos! Friendly service! Will come again! read more

El Patron Cantina - a plate of enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

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I met a couple friends for a quick dinner and landed here. The restaurant has a very cool cultural vibe, and a nice roomy space for tables. we were seated within 5 mins and our server came right over. we munched on the complimentary chips & salsa until our entrees arrived. It was good and we were almost full by the time our food came to the table. lol. I ended up with a shrimp quesadilla and a side of rice. while it tasted very good, the quesadilla appeared full but was literally empty. there were 1-2 small shrimp inside with melted cheese and that was it. all the fixings were on the side. I guess I should have put it inside but it looked like a bunch of shredded lettuce and cut up tomatoes. I just expected more inside my quesadilla like maybe rice or beans. Again, it tasted good to me because it was shrimp and cheese which are great together, they were just too empty. I would definitely go back and try something else. read more

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Is the food worth the wait? We walked into a 15 minute wait, that turned into a 30+ minute wait. I believe the wait would have, or could have, been a lot shorter. When you check in, you're asked to wait out of the dining area in a wait room. This room is away from the folks that are managing the people flow. So, we felt forgotten as people were leaving the wait area, back into the dining area, and were being seated. When we did the same...BINGO!!! Suddenly there was a seat available. So much for playing by the rules. Once seated, all was well. The food was good, but was it worth the wait? We had the burrito grande and the tacos diabla. The burrito was different, in that the ingredients (stuffing) was hot while the tortilla wrap was cold. Taste and value were fine, just different from what was expected. The taco diabla was three tacos, consisting of spicy beef. That's all! Served with a very small portion of onion and cilantro, it was literally spicy beef in a soft taco shell. Nothing to write home about. The answer to the question...I don't believe the food was worth the wait. I would recommend that you try this place, and hope the wait staff is on their game. read more

El Patron Cantina - Taco Diabla - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

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Came in to catch up with friends and had a good meal. I don't think they're anything spectacular but tasty Mexican food with about average service. They do have a clean, well maintained restaurant. Their helpings could be described as both "large" and "a lot". That's a big plus of El Patron. They serve all of typical Mexican food and drinks, including Margaritas. They don't skimp on their drinks, either. Some places make you wonder if they just dropped a splash of tequila in them, but not here. read more

Great food, Drinks and friendly employees. Wonderful place. The restaurant is always clean and restrooms clean

This is the top Mexican restaurant in this area. I haven't had this level of food and great service in a long while. The waitress was super nice and willing to make our experience a memorable one. Fresh guacamole and sizzling cast irons made flavor's. I highly recommend you go to this restaurant and have this experience. read more

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If you're looking for an authentic Mexican restaurant, El Patron in Chester, VA is the PLACE!! The food is Always Amazing.....please try the fish. The restaurant is Clean and the staff are wonderful! I'm here at least once a week. I absolutely LOVE the owners! read more

I ordered the California burrito it should have been served with beans or rice instead I just got pico. I was really upset to find a half of a French fry after two bites. I asked the waitress were they using table scraps instead of rice or beans The ingredients on the menu didn't say fries. The waitress said she didn't know showed her the fry and she apologized and offered to remake it. I declined and left. read more

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This place is open for take out and patio dining with social distancing. It's first come first serve. The servers are wearing masks. The patio could have been cleaner. Making sure the patio floor is swept. It's not that big of a space so it wouldn't take to much time. Salsa was hot enough to kill any virus around. Let's all try and support our local Restaurants . Either with patio dining or take-out. (Whatever your comfort level is) I was giving them 4 stars but I'm changing it to five stars here's the reason My son ask for no lecture on his tacos ( yes I know ... who eats tacos without lettuce) It came with lettuce . I said just tell him son and he'll fix it . My son said no no I'll just pick it off he's busy . Before we were finished and ready to leave he brought my son two soft tacos without lettuce. Great customer service. read more

El Patron Cantina - Yes ... they are open !!! Patio seating only . - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

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Updating because it's been awhile. Our family's go to for Mexican in Chester. Carolina takes wonderful care of us and Luis works so hard to make us feel at home. We will keep coming back. Love El Patron! read more

Came for dinner this time last year, and the service from the bartender wasn't very good. Went yesterday and the same bartender was there. He was smiling, pleasant and checking on me. A complete 180 from last year!! Thanks for the great service!! See you next year! read more

We stopped in with our two boys on a Friday night and the place was busy and lively. We were seated quickly and at first we thought it might be another run of the mill Mexican place. We were pleasantly surprised! The tacos were juicy and delicious and the boys loved the cheesy burritos. Adults had top shelf tequila and fantastic shrimp dishes. One mango sauce the other Diablo. We preferred the mango and loved the homemade chili árbol salsa. The service was quick and friendly and one of the owners Luis brought our boys a fried ice cream on the house. They loved it! All in all a fun and delicious experience. read more

The burrito was large and in charge. I ate on the burrito for days. Service was quick and the restaurant was packed. I recommend El Patron BUT go hungry! read more

Came here a week ago while meeting up with some family members in the area. I always love Mexican food, and while I do have my go-to spots, I was excited to check this place out. When I pulled up, I liked the look of the building. Looks like a new place and very stylish. When I walked in, I asked for a table and was sat promptly. Aside from those things, it just went downhill from there. When giving our orders to our server, we had to repeat things several times, which then made me unsure if my order would be correct when it came to the table. We waited a long time to get our food, which is unusual for a Mexican restaurant. Luckily our orders came out correctly, but mine tasted bland. I had a chicken and a cheese enchilada and rice, which I get often elsewhere. But here, they didn't really have flavor. The server disappeared for a while. After waiting so long for her to come back for our check, I went to the host stand to ask for someone to bring the checks. On my way back to the table, I saw our sever just chatting with another table casually. It still took more time for her to bring the checks. When she did, I had my credit card waiting. I looked my bill and she didn't split them up correctly, even though she asked us who was on each check when she took the orders. So we waited yet again for her to bring the correct checks and she kind of threw them down on the table - maybe because I seemed annoyed with the whole situation, however, I was never rude to her, and her behavior was definitely unprofessional. Got the check back with my card and left. Definitely won't be returning to this place. read more

El Patron Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Chester, Virginia

Delicious food and fast! The dining room was a little chilly but that might've just been that day. Amazing chips, salsa, and guac!!

This was my absolute favorite Mexican restaurant until the owner, (Luis, a really nice guy, friendly and charitable, who helps many local organizations) for business and personal reasons, became more scarce at this location. Now the chefs (don't know if the same actual person or not) has lost his touch. The last 3 times I went there the food was over cooked and extremely salty, to the point of no good enough to eat. Because I liked this place and I like Luis, I kept going but now not as often, I keep hoping to find that they got back on track, no luck so far. read more