We were so happy to find this little gem. The owners are originally from Long Beach CA. I ordered a chicken tostada and my husband got the chicken tacos. Both were delicious and the salsa was soooo good! They know their stuff! Delicious margaritas too. read more

Excellent, Mexican food. The salsa was nice and spicy in the free chips and salsa they offered when bringing the menus. The menu offered a wide variety of Mexican options. I was pleasantly impressed with the standard burrito and taco I went with. The restrooms were very clean. All in all, great place read more

Our new favorite! Excellent service. Food comes out fast and is really good. Fajitas are the best! They have a great corona margarita at a decent price. Easy to find and the restaurant itself is clean and comfortable. read more

Rarely do you find yourself in the middle of nowhere and stumble on a place like this. We were on our way to Minnesota and looking for a quick bite that wasn't fast food when we stumbled on El Patron. I ordered the chicken tortilla soup and a chicken taco which were both awesome! Taco fixings were pretty standard but the chicken itself was amazing- super moist and flavorful. The tortilla soup was not your average soup either. It had broccoli carrots cauliflower and zucchini in it which I've never seen. The broth in the soup was a little dull - could have been more spice or flavor. My friend got the Mexican flag Enchiladas which I took a bite of and I thought it was better than mine! He said it was top 3 enchiladas he's ever had! If you're in the area, I think this would be your best bet for a good meal! read more

I found a 1/2 inch screw in my taco salad! No apology from the owner or waiter, and they insisted I pay for it. Keep an eye on your food before you bite it. What bothered me the most was how unapologetic the staff were. read more

Went there on a recommendation from my son. It was everything he said it would be. Friendly service, warm chips and great queso and salsa. Placed our order and within about 10-15 minutes food was on our table. The most authentic Mexican food I've had since moving to Iowa. If you haven't been, you're definitely missing out. Go support a local family owned business. You won't be disappointed! read more

Worst Mexican food I've ever had. Don't come here if you like flavorful food. You can tell they don't care about what comes out of their kitchen. Staff just sitting around not very helpful. Overall terrible experience and will not be returning. read more

Best Mexican since I left Missouri! The food was fresh and I didn't think about a picture sorry! The shrimp dishes were great! read more

El Patron Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Waterloo, Iowa

This place is pretty legit. Been there several times now. Good food and great drinks. Everything is priced right. My only complaint is the cleanliness. I felt it was a bit dirty. But hey, made lemonade out of it. AND if you pour enough tequila on something it sanitizes it right? read more

Loved the prices and portions! Flavors were on point! Def will be coming back ive tried alot of other mexican restraunts trying to find one of the best around waterloo and cedar falls since where im from San Francisco we can find really great mexican food and anything else as well all over the place so this is def a good place to eat! read more

Generous portions of tasty lunch options. Maragritas were delicious on Wednesday. Friendly staff and welcoming interior. Hand painted floor tiles featuring lizards and flowers! read more

The food was fast and good. Much better than many Mexican restaurants. Decent atmosphere and clean. Sit inside or outside. They have a grilled chimichanga on the menu. Tasty. Great lunch specials for 5 to 6 bucks. Easy to get to, not far off 63 downtown. read more

My favorite Mexican in the Cedar Valley. The margarita's, the service, the food is all top notch. My favorites are the fajita quesadilla, chili rellenos, it's all good!!! read more

We came here after church on Sunday for lunch. I ordered a shredded beef burrito, my husband a chicken burrito, and a kids quesadilla for our son. We're from San Diego, so we know good Mexican, and this place definitely hit the spot! It's pretty authentic Mexican food and the prices were super good for a sit down. Also, our meal came out really fast. Glad we were able to find good Mexican food out here in the Midwest! read more

My party was in the mood for a margherita and dinner. We stopped at El Patron, a nice family restaurant in downtown Waterloo. The margheritas were amazing. My wife had the traditional and I had the mango. We had the steak fajitas, quesadillas and shrimp fajita burrito. All were delicious. Service was prompt. Our server (possibly an owner) couldn't have been nicer. The place is clean and cheery. We sat inside since it was a little warm, but they had nice Al Fresco seating. A nice laid back place for a drink and some comfort food. read more

Get the queso! Yum. Margarita was also good. Huge plates of food. Friendly staff. Decent prices. Bathrooms clean. Nice location. Probably wouldn't return As it is just your standard Mexican food. I prefer authentic taco truck food. This place is good though. read more

Called ahead for to go meal. They left me on the phone for almost 10 minutes. I went in to order and stood there about 7 minutes when one of the waiters came up to me and said "what do you need" I told him I wanted to place an order to go. He said just a minutes and never came back for 10 minutes. He acted like I was bothering him. I walked out! read more

Rolled into town on a Sunday night close to closing time the waitress was great and patient with me and the kids we all had great meals. The relleno was good and so was the carnitas had to wrestle a bite away from my son. Churros for desert. I go to waterloo quite a bit and this may become a regular stop. read more

Great food and service!!! Fast, friendly and we had a lot of fun!!! Best in Cedar Valley!!! I will be sure to come back!!!

An excellent authentic Mexican restaurant with personable service, delicious food, and perfect drinks. The best spot in town!

Excellent service and food! They can accommodate any Chili-head by making special hot salsas.

The food was great but the waitress was rude( I think she is one of the owners) and kept ignoring us, She wouldnt clean the empty bottles or dishes off our table. It took us over 10 minutes to get our checks. There are plenty of Mexican restaurants in Waterlloo to eat at. We won't ever go back to El Patron read more

They have a great menu, quick service, good drinks from the bar and an outdoor patio if you prefer. We stop in every so often and always enjoy whatever we order. Tonight I had shredded beef Flautas and hubby enjoyed steak fajitas. There are 3 nice sized flautas per meal, 2 more than I could eat, hubs really liked the fajitas. The reason I only gave 4 stars is the salsa could be better to my taste, but isn't that awful. We ordered churros for dessert - light and luscious ending to our dinner. read more

We have several good Mexican restaurants in the area but Patron's is the best. Great food and great service every visit.

This is a very good Mexican restaurant. My son and I shared the triple fajitas, and my wife had the chile relleno plate. Everything was excellent. Definitely will return when in town again. read more

We used Yelp to find a new Mexican place to try that was not completely Americanized cuisine. We were thrilled to find El Patron, great food, great service and easy to find. Best Mexican food we have found in Waterloo/Cedar Falls when we visit from out of state. Servings were huge, steak tacos the meat was very tender. We will be visiting again when we are in the area. read more

Great food and friendly staff. Try the chilli relleno, best I have found anywhere. El Paton Margaritas are very good.

Great place! Good for a lunch meeting. Food was tasty and quick. Server took my food away too quickly but I think it was just a miscommunication. Would go back every day if I could! read more

Very good. I went boring and got the burrito, and it was good. I went there with 12-13 people from work and the service was still very quick and efficient. I'd definitely come here again. read more