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    El Patron Grill and Cantina

    3.9 (110 reviews)

    El Patron Grill and Cantina Photos

    Business Info

    EL PATRON GRILL AND CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Live music
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - El Patron Grill and Cantina

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    Reviews With Photos

    Steak tacos
    Sarra P.

    My steak frites were delicious, my husband said the steak tacos were 7/10. the service was excellent though and very attentive! the Ambience is confusing because it has multiple styles of decor inside, the ceiling is peeling and the chairs and tables have damage significantly but then the chandeliers are gorgeous. All in all; we will go here in a pinch but will continue to look for our go-to spot!

    After work mojito
    Bridgette S.

    We've been looking for a Mexican food resturant, that wasn't Tex-Mex or a food truck, since we moved to Tampa and we finally found it! Small, cozy, and beautiful building right down the road from us with delicious food and amazing drinks! The waitress was very nice and helpful! We will definitely come back soon! I will say, the only downside is the 20% gratuity they added to our bill of just 2 people... I didn't question it since our service was great, but next time I will be asking why.

    Chips and salsa
    Amy P.

    This place was surprisingly amazing. From the decor and signs, to the music and food. The service was good too and she made great recommendation. All of the food tasted authentic and the drinks were strong. The appetizer was probably the hit of the night, the queso fundido. It was sizzling as it got to our table and was packed with flavor. The chorizo inside of the gooey mozzarella was amazing. The drinks were great, i ordered the fruit pebble drink but my favorite was the coco margarita. I ordered one after i finished mine. Def will be coming back since the waitresses told us they have hookah and a dj on certain nights.

    Please read the health inspectors reports on this place, it has been shut down several times for rat infestation. This started in September and as of the most recent reports in November there was still rodent activity (and roaches). If it were just once I wouldn't even bring it up because things happen but they can't seem to get this under control. My husband and I used to love this place and go once every couple weeks. The food and ambiance was always good and the servers were nice, I just so happened to look up their reports one day and see the multiple closures over time and the same violations over and over, makes it seem like not a safe place to eat anymore.

    Under $80 bucks for 2 meals and 2 drinks!
    San R.

    MOLCAJETE AKA Mountain of Meat! This place is pretty awesome. If you're hungry and want good Mexi-Sexy food then come to joint and order the molcajete and a Michelada; you wouldn't be sorry! As long the quality of food and price don't change then this place is GOLDEN!

    $18.99 for an appetizer sized ceviche
    Jerra B.

    Update- unfortunately I have to change my review. I still love the margaritas but the ceviche I usually order went from a meal sized bowl to this guacamole dish, still the same price. They want to tell me that it's the same size. It's definitely not. It still tastes good but it's an appetizer size for $18.99. Very disappointed. Looks like we will have to find another Mexican restaurant. I love this place. Try their ceviche and one of their margaritas. Also their steak fajitas are so good! We have had the best experiences with their staff. Definitely try them out.

    Zeena A.

    Riverview needed a good Mexican spot and this one IS IT! The food was great, big portions, the drink are amazing and strong! Top shelf liquor. Inside is also very cute with a big bar and lots of seating.

    Jeff R.

    Really cool place with great authentic Mexican food and atmosphere. I ordered steak, chicken and ground beef enchiladas combo. It came out as three chicken enchiladas. Was half done before I caught it. They brought me out the correct combo and I walked away very full, with tomorrow's lunch already made. All six enchiladas tasted fantastic. Hence...the 5 stars.

    Housw Margarita
    Marjie M.

    Last night, we discovered this new place right on 301. We really love the decor and the music. The food was good and not expensive, and we enjoyed our drinks. The service was good. The parking lot is not big and it's a little dark. Apparently, they have live music , therefore, I will probably give it a try again on a weekend.

    refried beans
    Max E.

    Trying this new Mexican restaurant. The building where this restaurant is located used to be some other Latin restaurant, as a matter of fact, I want to say this is like the 3rd different restaurant in the past few years, but, compared with the previous ones located there, this one has a much better chance of making it. Their food is pretty good. They give you complementary chips and salsa, the chips where not hot, nor did they tasted fresh, but it could have just been that I received the bottom of the basket pile. Place was pretty pack around 8pm on a Friday and service was pretty fast. The staff is friendly and always checking up if anything else is needed. We ordered a Chipotle burrito which per my son it was pretty good. My other son ordered the Tacos De Birria which he enjoyed and I shared the chimichanga with my wife. Ordered 1 shredded chicken and the other one ground beef. The tacos and the chimichanga came with a side of rice and refried beans or beans. Now, the refried beans looked more like soup beans as the consistency seemed a bit too watery. Food overall was good, inside the restaurant felt a bit too dark, almost like a club vibe. There is parking all around the building, the doors are located on the long side of the building, at night, they blend in with the wall décor murals. I know my review may sound a bit negative, but is not. The food was good, and the prices were on the average side, not too high, not low. I would definitely come back for more.

    Enchiladas Supreme before
    Frank N.

    Finally, a good Mexican restaurant! Having lived in California most of my life with excellent Mexican, moving here with the poor Mexican choices was a major disappointment. We tried El Patron based on other Yelpers' reviews and boy were they right. I had the enchiladas supreme, 4 enchiladas -cheese, chicken, ground beef and shredded beef. All excellent. Wife had the beef chimichanga's which were loaded with shredded beef. It's a little pricey but so is Taco Bell now. This is 10 times better, no comparison. Take if from a Mexican food snob, El Patron is the real deal.

    Queso Fundido!
    Paola A.

    Visited El Patron on a Friday night around 7pm and it was the beginning of a rush. After we sat at the bar tons of people starting to come in. We were able to order with no problems. The staff took great care of us and they tried their best to keep up. I thought they handled it great! THE FOOD WAS GREAT! And even better the margaritas! 10/10, very excited to have a local mexican spot in Riverview. Will definitely come again!

    Molcajete patron
    Peachy W.

    We ordered Birria tacos and Molcajete patron! Yum!!! We enjoyed the food and ambiance. We wiuld recommend and would come back. Our food came fast since there was not a lot of people there time we went on a Sunday around 1 but people started coming after that.

    Steak Burrito at its best!

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    1 year ago

    Great service and great food. I had the steak chimichangas. Definitely try one of their strong Margaritas

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    1 year ago

    Horrible food! No flavor, no seasoning. The staff was fine. The facility was fine. Drinks were ok.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - El Patron Grill and Cantina

    How are the Margaritas?

    They have good drinks, and the margaritas are great.

    Do they sale birria tacos?

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Joia Fabulous Pizza & Martini Bar

    Joia Fabulous Pizza & Martini Bar

    3.5
    (309 reviews)
    1.5 mi
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    When I was little, watching "The Love Boat" on Saturday nights and eating frozen pizza with my…read moresister, I dreamed that my future Saturday nights would be coming to places like this. Good food, immersive environment, smooth jazz-yes, this was worth growing up for. Joia is comfy and casual enough for the family-but also sleek and sophisticated enough for date night or girls night out. It has a roomy bar area to the left when you come in, with extra high tops. I almost sat there-but since it was my first visit, I opted for the dining room-which is actually several different areas, making the space even more inviting and sort of intimate. I'm clearly crushing on the vibe of this place... and the food lives up to the atmosphere. The complimentary bread is so tasty you don't even need the oil and spices that come with it, but they're tasty, too. I came hungry and ordered the fried cheese as an app. It's excellent... pillowy bites with soft, super shredded cheese on top (like snow). Ohhhh, so good. Now, I'll admit, I was full after this. But Joia has been on my list for *years... and I didn't want to risk not getting the chicken piccata. Ohhhh, I'm so glad I did! It comes with mushrooms and spaghetti with the same lemon sauce. So, so good. My server Sheila was excellent-so friendly and easy to talk to. She made me feel like a regular-and knows the menu inside out. They have a 2-for-1 martini special, Tuesday-Friday, 4-7. Parking is plentiful (Joia is in a shopping plaza, at 301 and Gibsonton) and there's covered patio seating. The live music was so smooth and just the right volume. Honestly, I can't wait to go back. It feels like a special occasion going there, but it's not priced that way. I've gotta bring friends and family here... often.

    My friends and I finally got a chance to try this restaurant. We were so glad that we did! The…read morestaff was kind and we got seated quickly. There's an option to sit at the bar or at the tables they have available. My friends started with Shirley Temple, which they liked. One of them also had the jolly apple martini, which she raved about! They had a great two for one deal, which they have multiple days through throughout the week. We started off with the bruschetta, calamari, and crabcake sliders. All three of the appetizers were a hit at the table! The calamari was cooked to perfection. The crab cake sliders were bursting with flavor. We then moved on to our entrées, which were spaghetti, gnocchi with vodka sauce, and Margherita pizza. We all enjoyed our flavorful meals for the most part. The only downside would be the gnocchi with the vodka sauce. They don't give you much gnocchi, but there's a lot of sauce. The gnocchi normally comes in a Bolognese meat sauce, but because I don't eat meat, I asked for a different sauce not knowing I would be charged for it, and the unfortunately the waitress never stated that. I wasn't too fond of that since it didn't have meat, which means I was charged for both sauces. Other than that, it was a good experience, and hope to go back again one day.

    Photos
    The bar area. January 2026
    The bar area. January 2026
    Personalized
    Personalized
    Brussel Sprouts

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    Gran Agave

    Gran Agave

    3.6
    (333 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    A pile of chips, bowl of cheese dip and two skinny margaritas-there's balance there's somewhere!…read moreWelcome to Gran Agave... a colorful, cozy Mexican restaurant at Providence and Bloomingdale, where Brandon melts into Riverview. I've been here before with friends a few times, years ago but somehow never wrote a review and hadn't been back. It was time to fix both of those problems. . I stopped in for lunch on a Monday and had my pick of spots in the large, festive- rustic dining room. There are tables and booths aplenty-along with tall stools at the large bar. They bring you a generous basket of chips and salsa right away. The first round is free-they charge after that. The chips are usually fresh and crisp. To me, the salsa needs more heat or spices-but don't go by me-I have tomato issues. My server arrived soon and was so sweet when handling my questions. She helped me make good ordering decisions and also checked on me often, but didn't hover. I went with one of the lunch specials, which was a good deal. I had the Speedy Gonzalez: a beef taco, beef enchilada verde and rice (you could have also chosen beans). It's tasty and filling-and goes down great with those aforementioned skinny margs. I ordered the cheese dip and a side of flour tortillas to dip in it. I just can't resist a bowl of cheese. All this merriment on a Monday afternoon? Si!!! The menu is big-and has echos of the Vallarta's restaurants here in the Bay Area. I'm wondering if it's a sister restaurant. It's in a strip mall, with some parking in front and maybe more in back. There's outdoor seating-and I know they used to have mariachis on certain nights-and people would dance. I should find out if that's still the case. I love mariachis even more than a bowl of cheese. Gran Agave has been here a long time. I think it has a strong local following-and I need to become a regular.

    We visited Gran Agave while in town visiting family and chose the restaurant based on the strong…read morereviews we saw online. We had a group of nine for a family dinner and waited about an hour for a table, which was understandable for a larger party. Once seated, however, the service was unfortunately very slow. It took about 15-20 minutes just to receive our drinks (seven waters and two margaritas), and our food took roughly an hour to arrive at the table. The restaurant didn't appear to be overly busy, so the long wait times were a bit confusing. Because gratuity was automatically included, it felt like our server may not have been as attentive as expected. The prices were also on the higher side, which made the slow service even more disappointing. That said, I do want to mention that the food itself was very good, which was definitely the highlight of the experience. Overall, while we enjoyed the meal, the customer service left a lot to be desired. I'd consider returning in the future, but only if the service improves.

    Photos
    Gran Agave
    Gran Agave
    Main entrance

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    Main entrance

    El Patron Grill and Cantina - mexican - Updated June 2026

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