The food here is delicious! I've been to the previous El Patrón that was a block away many times…read moreand I was so anxious to check out the new spot. This is the bigger and newer replacement. It's absolutely beautiful and it's very clear that there was a lot of detail that went into the new restaurant. It's called el gran patron and it's definitely "gran" (great).
Upon arrival, you will likely be annoyed with the parking situation. It's a long row with more space further from the restaurant. It's busy and rightfully so. Once you enter the restaurant, you arrive to a pretty entrance. Depending on when you come, it could be very full and that's what happened to me and my family but we got sat way faster than expected. We asked for a server named, Camilo. He's really good and was the best at the previous location. His seating area is near the bar since he's also a bartender. The seating areas include outdoor seating, indoor seating of booths , and indoor seating of chairs. The ambiance is very chill and with the mariachis (Friday) and likely the weekend, it is very fun and lively!
The prices are very reasonable and the portions are respectable. With food prices rising and restaurants taking advantage of it, it's currently a great deal (10/11/24). I ordered the fajitas Texanas which are fajitas consisting of steak, chicken, and shrimp. The fajitas include seasonings of onions, tomatoes, and sliced bell peppers. My meal is also served with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and tortillas . The other meals ordered were the burrito de pony which is a Patron Special (filled with grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, bacon, Mexican white rice, and black beans. It's topped with chipotle sauce, guacamole, and pico de gallo) and the patron quesadilla (includes grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. It's served with lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole.) Our dessert was the churros which includes deep-fried pastry, apple coated cinnamon sugar and chocolate, and a serving of a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Alright, this part might sound weird but the bathrooms are very clean and look very clean. Some times, there is a correlation between cleanliness in areas that are not often used and the restaurant. We don't know how the kitchen area is and how clean it is but it's ALWAYS a good sign when the bathrooms are very clean and taken care of. I feel if they care that much about the bathrooms, then even the more important things will be cleaner and taken care (i.e. kitchen area).
I will absolutely continue to come back, especially since this place is 3X better than the previous one regarding the size and ambiance.