This place is so good. I literally drove my teenage daughter 3.5 hours from our house to come back and she 100% agrees that it is worth the drive. Their Birria tacos are amazing. She absolutely loves the Chipotle Shrimp Salmon. We love the nachos, the taquitos, and the chimichangas. There is probably more but I've only been here twice and at some point I have to stop eating. They are super friendly and the atmosphere is perfect. Definitely will make the 7 hour round trip again just to eat here. Go here. read more

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Until yesterday, June 30, 2026 I would have given El Patron a 5-star rating. Unfortunately, my bad experience left me feeling hurt and unwilling to return. I was with a group of 12 who came in for my birthday lunch. Our table didn't have napkins for our drinks so because no waiters were close by, I went to the bar thinking I could get some napkins without bothering our waitress or other waiters. There wasn't a stack of napkins on the bar (as many other places have) but I noticed some napkins on a lower shelf behind the bar. I took a few and returned to our table. Just as we began to sip our margaritas an employee (manager or owner?) came up to me and accused me of breaking a small decorative piece of pottery! There's absolutely no way I broke the piece! I'm an honest person and if I'd broken something I would have noticed it or heard it break, apologized and offered to pay for it! I was very offended by the nasty accusatory tone that was used toward me. Needless to say our group will take our business elsewhere. There are may other good Mexican restaurants in our area that treat their customers politely! read more

It was a little slow on actually getting seated but to be fair the gal was working solo. That being said, it wasn't busy when we stopped by. The food was amazing, the restaurant was very clean and nicely decorated. We ordered the Tacos De Barria's and the Street Tacos Pastor...you get four of each and we split them two and two for the each of us. The Pastor Street Tacos had the perfect amount of char on the meat and the little sweetness from the pineapple was perfect...good quac sauce to boot! The Tacos De Barria were the first we've had up in the area and they were outstanding! With the barria dipping sauce adding even more to the flavor! Service was better once we were actually seated and we'll definitely be back again as the menu has alot of options that look delicious! read more

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The Server was friendly, service was quick. We sat outside on a beautiful fall day so the ambiance was perfect. The food was 10/10.

Sorry food was not good. Ordered chicken enchilada with a chili relleno. The portion was HUGE. Zero complaint there. The enchilada was acceptable. The chili relleno looks good - loaded but it was mushy and too much batter and the flavor was not right. Beans were bland. Rice was mushy. The service was pretty good. I ate about 1/4 of the plate and left it. They seem like nice people. Maybe it was a bad day. read more

El Patron Mexican Restaurant - Chicken 1 Enchilada and 1 Chile-Relleno. Looks good but not. - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Found El Patron on yelp and went for it. The service was ok. I really wanted a chimichanga but they couldn't accommodate vegetarian even though they had a vegetarian burrito on the menu. My friend and I split the spinach mushroom enchiladas with queso instead of green sauce. The enchiladas themselves were excellent. The sauce was creamy and the filling had excellent flavor The beans were also quite good with savory seasoning. The rice was meh, tasted like a box mix. The queso was ok and got spicier as it cooled which seemed odd. It was way too runny when it was set down on the table. It did thicken with time. We paid separate for guacamole and sour cream which were both good read more

El Patron Mexican Restaurant - Chips and queso. Queso is a bit runny but with a good flavor with a back spice that hits after you eat it - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Love this place! The food is great-we've tried so many different things and they've all been yummy. Service is excellent; Juan and his team always make us feel so welcomed and well taken care of. read more

Took mom there for lunch. She had the enchilada and I had the fajitas. Generous portions on the food and it tasted good. The lunch was reasonably priced for the amount of food. My only complaint was with the margaritas. Lot of ice, very little drink. About two sips is all we got. They were almost as much as the food, so it detracted from the overall value of the meal. Lesson learned - lunch w/o cocktails next time. Pleasant server. read more

Great service and food. Cute little Mexican place with outside dining and bar. Food was great! GF items were marked however the chips were not GF, which I personally felt was extremely odd. read more

My go to place for Mexican food in Waterloo. Very friendly and attentive staff, fast service, and great food. What more would you want when you need a Mexican food fix! read more

El Patron Mexican Restaurant - Starters always a winner :) - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Taco birria had absolutely no flavor. The beans and rice were generic. Nothing special about them. Rice was dried out. Beans were flavorless and thinned out. read more

I usually get shrimp tacos, or a bowl. The veggie tacos are also very good. Overall: Food is delicious and hot, service is friendly. Good vibes I'd go so far as to say. read more

We were at a hockey camp and my son wanted Mexican food. This restaurant was right near the rink. We stopped in and were waited on right away. Chips and salsa right from the start and an amazing peach coconut margarita I ordered from the drink menu. The food was amazing! So flavorful and delicious. Plus the servings were huge. We all had a late night snack left over. Please try to get here if you are in the Waterloo IA area. So good!! read more

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Love the environment and service is great! Their food is soooo delicious. One of my favorite spots.

Just average hole in the wall mexican food. Did what it needed to do. I was full and the price was fair.

The tortilla chips were served warm and their salsa had just the right amount of kick. Prices were reasonable on their lunch menu. The chili rellenos I had was cheesy. Their frozen margarita was potent. A nice experience. read more

I haven't written a review on Yelp for years but this little gem in Waterloo deserves some love. Friendly and good service and authenticly great food, it's the whole package. The homemade chips were crunchy and warm & the salsa had a little kick. However, the topper was "Miguel's Tacos" which were too large to finish but simply outstanding- shell inside of another shell with melted cheese in between, with grilled chicken (or other options) and doused with fresh guac, pintos and more. Plus I tried a cheese and onion enchilada which was outstanding as well. Most highly recommended. read more

El Patron Mexican Restaurant - Miguel's Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Nice people and good mexican food! There are many gluten free options and vegetarian ones.

Authentic Mexican and amazing at amazing atmosphere. True family atmosphere. Everyone feels welcome.

They have gluten friendly options available, delicious margaritas, and a great atmosphere.

Nice little Mexican restaurant. The tacos burria tacos are absolutely awesome! The food is really good, solid Mexican fare. The margaritas are just ok. Worth a visit! read more

Two things makes this a 5 star in the area. #1 Their pitcher of margaritas was served in a Patron bottle with a spout. #2 their street burrito is probably the best burrito in the area. & third vinous is their outside seating is in the shade at night, 6pm on a June evening we were shaded by the building. Good stuff read more

This is based on take out- on two occasions- items have been left out of our order, this last time was an order of rice and beans! The container of cheese, for chips is considerably small for $3. Over all the lunch items all taste the same- with small amounts of lettuce, tomato and guacamole. read more

We came to Waverly for a soccer tournament and I was just searching for places to eat in Waverly and Waterloo. Decided on this restaurant. It was like a 25 min and drive and arrived at 12:20 pm for lunch on a slightly cold Saturday afternoon. I really liked the decor of the place and the brightness thanks to the sun. The servers were wearing mask and the food arrived within reasonable time buuuuttttt.......the portion!! Looot!!! I was pleasantly surprised looking at the plate my kid got the chicken chipotle burrito and I got chicken chipotle with some side order of that fried/ baked jalapeño with salt on it and my hubby got the spicy Diabla camaron ...it was SPICY!!! this coming from someone who orders for four spice level in a Thai restaurant ( with 1 being mild and 4 being spicy) well let's just say the sour cream idea from the kiddo helped . The quantity and quality of the food was really good and will definitely visit this place whenever we are passing by during mealtime or happen to visit nearby for a soccer tournament. read more

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14.00 and I was full. Excellent food and service. I tipped 50%!!!! I have never wrote a review in 40 years. But people should know of this great value And the fantastic food. Go and enjoy!!! read more

The food is great authentic Mexican and the portions are generous. The servers are very friendly.

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Cedar Valley. Great foot. Creative Variety. Wonderful service. Clean and comfortable. What else could you want? read more

El Patron is one of those rare restaurants that care more about quality than for the bottom line. Great food and atmosphere. I

So a little bit of Tex-Mex/authentic on my Mexican restaurant journey I have been on in everywhere Iowa. Been eating at more "authentic" places as most say, this is a bit of a hybrid type of joint. Had a little bit a both elements. They have a very fun and nice atmosphere inside, definitely a sitdown restaurant that you will enjoy. The service was great, food comes out fast, and they do have a very large menu of a variety of dishes. Sure you will find something new here. I myself a creature of habit got two tacos and a cheese enchilada. The beef taco had tons of seasoned flavor, yes it was delicious. The chicken had the same, flavor is a key for me and they delivered on both. The enchilada was loaded with sauce and extra cheese, this is how you do it! Very good on all three items, would love to try more here. The chips and salsa had some spice, I wish more had that in their salsa. Spicy salsa is good salsa. read more

Decided to try this restaurant for Take out. I still won't eat inside. Ordered 2 Fajita's one was Chicken and the other was Steak. Portions were a nice size however the Steak was so tough that it was difficult to eat. Even their tortilla's seamed dried out. Would not order from this restaurant again . Wasn't worth my time to go back and return. Would not recommend this place. read more

had a server Sara , best service we have had here and we come here often. great margaritas and food

I just tried to place a order to go and was asked to hold a second, 10 minutes later I hung up. This is the second time that this has happened. I love you food, but I can't say that I will be trying again. read more

Delicious Mexican Food in Waterloo Iowa. Was very pleased with the flavors and reasonably priced. El Patron Mexican Restaurant was super busy; the front of the house was a little chaotic, but I could see that this is a small business, working super hard, to make great food! read more

El Patron Mexican Restaurant - Guacamole, chips, salsa, margarita. - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

Awesome food. This is more Americanized mexican cuisine so adjust your expectations. Loved the seafood chimi (grilled) and there is some enormous platter that's good as well (I think the patron?). Chile Relleno is the real star here though---got it with the red sauce and it was authentic and one of the best I've had (sorry auntie). Service was good, but honestly I'd take significant abuse if it meant I got another one of those chile rellenos. Seriously, shut up and order one. read more

The food is excellent, but be prepared to wait. Be prepared for staff to assume you don't speak Spanish, (and listen to them making fun of you). So, the food outweighs the rudeness, but only until I find another Mexican restaurant in Waterloo. read more

This is the best Mexican Restaurant in Town. Highly recommend 100% . Margaritas are perfect

If you're looking for a drink stop on in if you're looking for food look elsewhere. I didn't enjoy the appetizer or the meal. The food quality needs to be improved. read more

If you're looking for great, authentic Mexican food with professional family-run staff, this is the place to go! Quiet ambiance with a relaxed feel. Awesome drinks (careful, they're potent;) ). One of my favorites for sure! read more

Great food and the staff was wearing masks to promote safe dining and a healthy community

Service was horrible! I came to el patron on a Sunday afternoon to celebrate my husbands birthday with our family. We were the first people in the restaurant. The teen that took our order was obviously on his phone in front of us, but that did not bother me one bit. As we sat waiting for our food, 5 other groups trickled in. We were surprised because all these groups were served their food before our table was served. Then when they finally served our table, only 2 of the 4 people in our party received their entree leaving the birthday boy and me without food. Once people started leaving, the waiter took notice we didn't have food. They mentioned it would take 2 additional minutes for our food to come out (clear message they forgot to make our food). When they presented a dish, they gave us the wrong order. Another person came back with the same dish and asked if he had ordered this. We both told him no we did not. Come to find out, our waiter offered our food to the wrong table. Mind you, this group was the last to be seated of the 5 other groups at the restaurant. That table didn't even recognize their order was wrong as they were guzzling down margaritas. It was a very disappointing experience. We had our food wrapped up in to-go containers because the rest of our party was already done eating. At least they discounted our 2 meals at 50% off... If you like shitty service come back! read more