Mediocre food, weak drinks and erroneous charges (which were corrected) made this a disappointing meal, all the more so for the price. No need to return.
(1)
Kira M.
Pretty unhappy with my experience with El Patron. I was really craving Mexican food during our stay here in Delray Beach and decided to get takeout from El Patron. What a disappointment. The staff was very nice, but the food took forever (and all I ordered was 1 fajita). When I finally got back it to my hotel room, I realized that they had not put silverware or napkins in the bag with my food! That's kind of essential. After I had tracked down napkins and silverware from my hotel, I dug into the food. Really bland flavors, a weird bone in my chicken/veggies, and overall unappetizing.
(1)
Laura S.
I am from Texas and can get awesome mexican food. We went to El Camino and they were packed so went to El Patron. Are expectations were not high because of the reviews. We had the most amazing dinner. Everything was so fresh and delicious. Drinks were not so good. Mahi tacos were the bomb!! Fajitas were also very good. Atmosphere was so awesome too! This place I will choose over El Camino anyday.
(5)
C Coleman B.
First time at El Patron and have mixed feelings. It's working off of La Bohemes kitchen and I think that makes it hard to get covers done. We had a larger table but everyone around us was waiting as well. Having children, we asked if we could leave off some additions to the tacos such as beans or mushrooms off the quesadilla. Unfortunately the response was initially 'no' but when we said we would leave they accommodated. I don't think it's too hard to leave things out of a taco or quesadilla. Our server was very nice but young and overwhelmed. Neither of which are her fault. The food was actually good. Despite the long wait and discrepancy between the website menu and the real menu, we ended up enjoying the meal. They really need to work on their planning though. If you are going to have as many tables as you do, you need to have a bigger kitchen and more staff.
(3)
Elana B.
I can imagine this may be a nice place to get a drink, but the food was terrible and overpriced. It's as if someone thought, "tacos are popular now, and how hard are they to make?" Well, very hard for this place. The ground beef was over cooked and chewy. Tacos this plain should at least come with sides. Oh, the queso was gross too; think bright orange chewy cheese.
(1)
Toni H.
Last night we happened onto a delightful dining experience. El Patron Cantina. The Fish tacos and the shrimp fajitas were beautifully prepared and presented and as delicious as they looked and smelled. The price was right and parking was not an issue at 7:30. Outdoor venue makes it the perfect spot if you don't feel like big box chain dining or braving the crowds further west on Atlantic.
(4)
Jorge B.
It was a really good surprise after the reviews read here that the place was great!! Really good ambience, the waitress and host were really kind and the food was delicious!! Give it a try!
(5)
CP P.
Food portions are huge! The nachos are delicious and the sangrias are just perfect :)
(5)
Gigi S.
I was craving Mexican & didn't feel like heading all the way to El Camino, so i figured I would give this place a try. Bad idea. Firstly, I stood there for a full 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged me. I was finally seated & ordered a Mojito. By far, the worst Mojito I have ever had in my life. So bad that i actually returned it & instead ordered a red Sangria. By far the worst Sangria I have ever had in my life. I proceeded to order chips & guacamole. It was just ok as it was obviously not fresh guacamole. For my meal I asked for the pulled pork burrito... Only to be told they were "out of pork". Ok... Well then i will have a chicken burrito instead. Well, let's just say I have had better burritos at Chipotle. Seriously. So disappointed in this place!!!! DON'T GO!
(1)
Christina S.
Nice stop near the beach for a drink with a nice outdoor patio. Mexican food is just ok. We have had some just ok dishes, and some better dishes. We were not fans of the queso fundido or the chicken tacos, but the shrimp tacos were good and the nachos were also. The soda seemed flat both times we were there. Service seems very slow, but I think it has more to do with the kitchen as each table was waiting on their food.
(3)
Julie B.
Great food, great atmosphere, and great service. Both locals and tourists come to enjoy the authentic cuisine. We even got a free belly dancer show because we luckily came to eat during someone's surprise 50th birthday. Get the carnitas or fajitas!
(4)
Megan P.
Went to El Patron this evening for a cocktail after walking around the shops at Del Ray beach area. They had happy hour drink specials ($5 margaritas $5 mojitos $4 draft beer and $5 house wine) so I tried the skinny margarita, and it was quite good. Our guacamole and chips were good, but a little boring. I personally like my guacamole to have a little personality and heat, but this was very simple and mild. We sat outside in the courtyard area, which was very nice on a comfortable afternoon. There are two bars; a small one outside in the courtyard a larger one indoors. Both the interior and outdoor areas were clean and we had a very nice and attentive waitress.
(3)
Casey M.
This place is terrible. It is part of the crap triumvirate of Boheme Bistro, El Patron and Restauraunt L'hermitage... Kind of like when a gas station has a Taco Bell and a KFC together. It's about as good as that. Bad service. Bad food. Bad time.
(1)
Cecile D.
Very pleasant place. Good food, good location, good music! Love it and highly recommended!
(5)
Shana S.
We stopped in this place while walking up Atlantic Ave. Great food and get service. Had awesome service. Heather was a great waitress and very attentive. Our food came out quickly and was delicious. I'd definitely come back!
(5)
Jene I.
Terrrrible! Stopped here on the way home from the beach on a Sunday afternoon to have a couple drinks and an app with my boyfriend. We had two beers, two shots of tequila and the absolute worse queso fundido I've ever tasted (how do you mess up melted cheese???). I mean, my dog could've whipped up a better dip and she doesn't have any thumbs...but enough about that. This place felt like they weren't even trying & figured they didn't have to because of their prime location. Service was horrible & slow and there was only one other table in there. Worst part? A few quick drinks and a crappy app cost us $60!!! We won't be back even if it is only a 2 minute walk from home and the beach.
(1)
Deb F.
The service was good but the food mediocre .... Taco Bell has more flavor! Enchiladas were dry and had very little sauce and filling... Definitely not good value.
(2)
Michele G.
Discovered is place after walking around Atlantic Avenue looking at some of the quaint shops of Delray Beach. At first glance, it seems very like a very cute and cozy place to possibly start off your evening...... with a couple of margaritas. And who doesn't like a good Rita? If you happen to discover this place between 4pm and 7pm, enjoy $5 margaritas, $5 mojitos and $4 beers! This is a great meeting place or happy hour starter. No, the service is not the fastest, it's not the friendliest, but the place is perfectly situated and very cute. At night, it is a very romantic spot to cuddle up on the couches in the outdoor patio. The special only covers your regular ole margarita, nothing fancy. But for $5, it was a decent margarita. I think the charm and the location of the place...and the drink specials, is what drives people in. So, if you're looking for a $5 margarita after spending the day on the beautiful beaches of Delray Beach, and service isn't very important, then El Patron is your place.
(3)
Marta S.
Worse service I had ever experienced. The waitress was in a bad mood the entire time we were there and after we left her a 16% tip of the total bill, she had the nerve to follow us outside the restaurant to ask for more tip, demanding 18 to 20. It was rude and embarassing. I would never go there again or recommend it to anyone.
(1)
Seth B.
I have never been to a bad Mexican restaurant until last night at El Patron. I ordered the grilled chicken burrito and my wife ordered the pork tacos. I asked for white rice and black beans instead of Spanish rice and black beans and I received a small side cup of each for $8. That was more than half the price of my burrito and the waitress didnt mention that it was a charge for those sides either. The burrito was not good either. It had some sort of spice that was so overpowering that I couldnt even finish the thing. My wifes tacos were as dry as a saltine in Nevada so we asked for a side of hot sauce. The waitress said we only have a pico de Gallo so we said ok. She didn't mention anything about a charge for that and $3.50 later she dropped up a sorry looking ramikan of pico that was enough for 1 taco. The flavor of her tacos were terrible too. I'm not sure how a restaurant could mess up Mexican this bad while nickel and diming people for items you typically receive at every other Mexican restaurant in the world. Ill be shocked if this place makes it in that spot a year.
(1)
Megan J.
This place has potential because of location and ambience, but there is a reason it was relatively dead on a Friday night in a busy part of Delray. You can get much better quality food and better service for the money you'll spend here. When we arrived, there was no one to greet us. I know I looked lost, and the server helping the tables didn't even acknowledge me until I stopped her. Turns out, their hostess was also the one standing in front of Bohemme Bistro. I'm pretty sure our server was the only one working, and also the bartender. When she finally came and took out drink order, we were going to order chips/guac but she walked away without asking and before we had a chance to speak up. The guacamole is $10 and comes out in a 3/4 cup size ramakin, and salsa is an additional $3, which comes in not even a quarter cup size ramakin and was basically chopped tomatoes. Not to mention, the chips/guac/diced tomatoes took nearly 15 minutes to be delivered. There was no kids menu, so my 3 yr old son had a $13 cheese quesadilla. My husband ordered the beef tacos, and they brought out shredded pork tacos. Not only was it $15 for three pork tacos with no side, they did nothing to compensate for the fact that they brought him the wrong meal that was more expensive than the one he ordered, which he didn't even really like but didn't want to wait a long time to get the correct meal. They charged us $5.95 for a fountain diet coke and $5.95 for a chocolate milk for my son. Overall we paid $82 for a burrito, pork tacos, a cheese quesadilla, a chicken/spinach/mushroom quesadilla, and chips/guac/diced tomatoes. $12 for a soda and a milk. And to top it off, when someone came to clear the table, they went to take a plate with half of a burrito left on it without even offering a box. Had we not spoken up, we would've lost the leftovers we didn't finish. And for that price, we were not about to waste what we had left. Save your money for some place with better than mediocre food and service.
(1)
Bryan B.
The tacos are great, very large portion(not so great for some) and tasty. The place obviously has issues in terms of service but when we went, they had 1 server who was also the host, I think she did an awesome job considering she was by herself. I am not much of a fan of Boheme Bistro so it doesn't surprise me that they own or are part of the El Patron, but if you want great tacos, this is the place.
(3)
Carlo V.
Great location, good music, setting is just perfect, close to the beach, Kristen our server was friendly and attentive. Very good cocktails and the food was delicious, the shrimp taco was so good!! we will be back again soon!
(5)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :1122 E Atlantic Ave
Delray Beach, FL, 33483
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Paid Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
J C.
Mediocre food, weak drinks and erroneous charges (which were corrected) made this a disappointing meal, all the more so for the price. No need to return.
(1)Kira M.
Pretty unhappy with my experience with El Patron. I was really craving Mexican food during our stay here in Delray Beach and decided to get takeout from El Patron. What a disappointment. The staff was very nice, but the food took forever (and all I ordered was 1 fajita). When I finally got back it to my hotel room, I realized that they had not put silverware or napkins in the bag with my food! That's kind of essential. After I had tracked down napkins and silverware from my hotel, I dug into the food. Really bland flavors, a weird bone in my chicken/veggies, and overall unappetizing.
(1)Laura S.
I am from Texas and can get awesome mexican food. We went to El Camino and they were packed so went to El Patron. Are expectations were not high because of the reviews. We had the most amazing dinner. Everything was so fresh and delicious. Drinks were not so good. Mahi tacos were the bomb!! Fajitas were also very good. Atmosphere was so awesome too! This place I will choose over El Camino anyday.
(5)C Coleman B.
First time at El Patron and have mixed feelings. It's working off of La Bohemes kitchen and I think that makes it hard to get covers done. We had a larger table but everyone around us was waiting as well. Having children, we asked if we could leave off some additions to the tacos such as beans or mushrooms off the quesadilla. Unfortunately the response was initially 'no' but when we said we would leave they accommodated. I don't think it's too hard to leave things out of a taco or quesadilla. Our server was very nice but young and overwhelmed. Neither of which are her fault. The food was actually good. Despite the long wait and discrepancy between the website menu and the real menu, we ended up enjoying the meal. They really need to work on their planning though. If you are going to have as many tables as you do, you need to have a bigger kitchen and more staff.
(3)Elana B.
I can imagine this may be a nice place to get a drink, but the food was terrible and overpriced. It's as if someone thought, "tacos are popular now, and how hard are they to make?" Well, very hard for this place. The ground beef was over cooked and chewy. Tacos this plain should at least come with sides. Oh, the queso was gross too; think bright orange chewy cheese.
(1)Toni H.
Last night we happened onto a delightful dining experience. El Patron Cantina. The Fish tacos and the shrimp fajitas were beautifully prepared and presented and as delicious as they looked and smelled. The price was right and parking was not an issue at 7:30. Outdoor venue makes it the perfect spot if you don't feel like big box chain dining or braving the crowds further west on Atlantic.
(4)Jorge B.
It was a really good surprise after the reviews read here that the place was great!! Really good ambience, the waitress and host were really kind and the food was delicious!! Give it a try!
(5)CP P.
Food portions are huge! The nachos are delicious and the sangrias are just perfect :)
(5)Gigi S.
I was craving Mexican & didn't feel like heading all the way to El Camino, so i figured I would give this place a try. Bad idea. Firstly, I stood there for a full 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged me. I was finally seated & ordered a Mojito. By far, the worst Mojito I have ever had in my life. So bad that i actually returned it & instead ordered a red Sangria. By far the worst Sangria I have ever had in my life. I proceeded to order chips & guacamole. It was just ok as it was obviously not fresh guacamole. For my meal I asked for the pulled pork burrito... Only to be told they were "out of pork". Ok... Well then i will have a chicken burrito instead. Well, let's just say I have had better burritos at Chipotle. Seriously. So disappointed in this place!!!! DON'T GO!
(1)Christina S.
Nice stop near the beach for a drink with a nice outdoor patio. Mexican food is just ok. We have had some just ok dishes, and some better dishes. We were not fans of the queso fundido or the chicken tacos, but the shrimp tacos were good and the nachos were also. The soda seemed flat both times we were there. Service seems very slow, but I think it has more to do with the kitchen as each table was waiting on their food.
(3)Julie B.
Great food, great atmosphere, and great service. Both locals and tourists come to enjoy the authentic cuisine. We even got a free belly dancer show because we luckily came to eat during someone's surprise 50th birthday. Get the carnitas or fajitas!
(4)Megan P.
Went to El Patron this evening for a cocktail after walking around the shops at Del Ray beach area. They had happy hour drink specials ($5 margaritas $5 mojitos $4 draft beer and $5 house wine) so I tried the skinny margarita, and it was quite good. Our guacamole and chips were good, but a little boring. I personally like my guacamole to have a little personality and heat, but this was very simple and mild. We sat outside in the courtyard area, which was very nice on a comfortable afternoon. There are two bars; a small one outside in the courtyard a larger one indoors. Both the interior and outdoor areas were clean and we had a very nice and attentive waitress.
(3)Casey M.
This place is terrible. It is part of the crap triumvirate of Boheme Bistro, El Patron and Restauraunt L'hermitage... Kind of like when a gas station has a Taco Bell and a KFC together. It's about as good as that. Bad service. Bad food. Bad time.
(1)Cecile D.
Very pleasant place. Good food, good location, good music! Love it and highly recommended!
(5)Shana S.
We stopped in this place while walking up Atlantic Ave. Great food and get service. Had awesome service. Heather was a great waitress and very attentive. Our food came out quickly and was delicious. I'd definitely come back!
(5)Jene I.
Terrrrible! Stopped here on the way home from the beach on a Sunday afternoon to have a couple drinks and an app with my boyfriend. We had two beers, two shots of tequila and the absolute worse queso fundido I've ever tasted (how do you mess up melted cheese???). I mean, my dog could've whipped up a better dip and she doesn't have any thumbs...but enough about that. This place felt like they weren't even trying & figured they didn't have to because of their prime location. Service was horrible & slow and there was only one other table in there. Worst part? A few quick drinks and a crappy app cost us $60!!! We won't be back even if it is only a 2 minute walk from home and the beach.
(1)Deb F.
The service was good but the food mediocre .... Taco Bell has more flavor! Enchiladas were dry and had very little sauce and filling... Definitely not good value.
(2)Michele G.
Discovered is place after walking around Atlantic Avenue looking at some of the quaint shops of Delray Beach. At first glance, it seems very like a very cute and cozy place to possibly start off your evening...... with a couple of margaritas. And who doesn't like a good Rita? If you happen to discover this place between 4pm and 7pm, enjoy $5 margaritas, $5 mojitos and $4 beers! This is a great meeting place or happy hour starter. No, the service is not the fastest, it's not the friendliest, but the place is perfectly situated and very cute. At night, it is a very romantic spot to cuddle up on the couches in the outdoor patio. The special only covers your regular ole margarita, nothing fancy. But for $5, it was a decent margarita. I think the charm and the location of the place...and the drink specials, is what drives people in. So, if you're looking for a $5 margarita after spending the day on the beautiful beaches of Delray Beach, and service isn't very important, then El Patron is your place.
(3)Marta S.
Worse service I had ever experienced. The waitress was in a bad mood the entire time we were there and after we left her a 16% tip of the total bill, she had the nerve to follow us outside the restaurant to ask for more tip, demanding 18 to 20. It was rude and embarassing. I would never go there again or recommend it to anyone.
(1)Seth B.
I have never been to a bad Mexican restaurant until last night at El Patron. I ordered the grilled chicken burrito and my wife ordered the pork tacos. I asked for white rice and black beans instead of Spanish rice and black beans and I received a small side cup of each for $8. That was more than half the price of my burrito and the waitress didnt mention that it was a charge for those sides either. The burrito was not good either. It had some sort of spice that was so overpowering that I couldnt even finish the thing. My wifes tacos were as dry as a saltine in Nevada so we asked for a side of hot sauce. The waitress said we only have a pico de Gallo so we said ok. She didn't mention anything about a charge for that and $3.50 later she dropped up a sorry looking ramikan of pico that was enough for 1 taco. The flavor of her tacos were terrible too. I'm not sure how a restaurant could mess up Mexican this bad while nickel and diming people for items you typically receive at every other Mexican restaurant in the world. Ill be shocked if this place makes it in that spot a year.
(1)Megan J.
This place has potential because of location and ambience, but there is a reason it was relatively dead on a Friday night in a busy part of Delray. You can get much better quality food and better service for the money you'll spend here. When we arrived, there was no one to greet us. I know I looked lost, and the server helping the tables didn't even acknowledge me until I stopped her. Turns out, their hostess was also the one standing in front of Bohemme Bistro. I'm pretty sure our server was the only one working, and also the bartender. When she finally came and took out drink order, we were going to order chips/guac but she walked away without asking and before we had a chance to speak up. The guacamole is $10 and comes out in a 3/4 cup size ramakin, and salsa is an additional $3, which comes in not even a quarter cup size ramakin and was basically chopped tomatoes. Not to mention, the chips/guac/diced tomatoes took nearly 15 minutes to be delivered. There was no kids menu, so my 3 yr old son had a $13 cheese quesadilla. My husband ordered the beef tacos, and they brought out shredded pork tacos. Not only was it $15 for three pork tacos with no side, they did nothing to compensate for the fact that they brought him the wrong meal that was more expensive than the one he ordered, which he didn't even really like but didn't want to wait a long time to get the correct meal. They charged us $5.95 for a fountain diet coke and $5.95 for a chocolate milk for my son. Overall we paid $82 for a burrito, pork tacos, a cheese quesadilla, a chicken/spinach/mushroom quesadilla, and chips/guac/diced tomatoes. $12 for a soda and a milk. And to top it off, when someone came to clear the table, they went to take a plate with half of a burrito left on it without even offering a box. Had we not spoken up, we would've lost the leftovers we didn't finish. And for that price, we were not about to waste what we had left. Save your money for some place with better than mediocre food and service.
(1)Bryan B.
The tacos are great, very large portion(not so great for some) and tasty. The place obviously has issues in terms of service but when we went, they had 1 server who was also the host, I think she did an awesome job considering she was by herself. I am not much of a fan of Boheme Bistro so it doesn't surprise me that they own or are part of the El Patron, but if you want great tacos, this is the place.
(3)Carlo V.
Great location, good music, setting is just perfect, close to the beach, Kristen our server was friendly and attentive. Very good cocktails and the food was delicious, the shrimp taco was so good!! we will be back again soon!
(5)