My dive bar before I knew what dive bars were. How have I not written a review here?!?! Probably the most interesting thing about El Patio is the crowd. It's most definitely a spot for regulars and 'locals', but there are often a lot of people from out of town. Every time I go I see people I know, as well as make a few friends. Every time I come home I tell myself I'm not going to have "too much fun" here. But the drinks are super affordable and strong! There's a jukebox as well as live music occasionally. This is somewhere you would come with friends. You could take a date here, but it gets pretty crowded and loud. So first dates could get a little awkward. Fun location for everybody over 21. I've come here with a variety of friends and it's impossible to have a bad time. Bartenders are always cool. The important thing is to emphasize how slammed it can get. There's just the one bar and the area behind the bar is fairly small. With the prices, everyone wants a drink at any given moment. Bring your patience if you come on a Friday or Saturday night or random weeknight when they're having a band or specials. Cash only. One of the only major drawbacks. :-( If you do forget to stop by the ATM, they have one inside. Just don't forget the fees. read more

Terrible service, especially that wrinkled lady working as a bartender is the SLOWEST and dumbest bartender I've ever met, second of all there is always a ton!! Of MINORS. For last all three of there bouncers absolutely disgusting, they reeked like they haven't showered in 3 business days!!! Worst bat experience of my life read more

Small nice little bar in Mesilla. Staffs always friendly and service is great. They don't serve food here, so just enjoy a drink in this historic building. Always a must. read more

Had a Mexican friend who came in with their Mexican ID. Bartender denied service (which is okay, any business can deny service to anyone) because their ID was not American. Proceeded to make comments to my friends that were unacceptable. "Ya cabron" when he tried to plead his case, for example. When the bar closed, staff said "GTFO" to all patrons and gave the middle finger to the whole bar. Exactly what to expect from NM. read more

El Patio Bar - Bartender - Bars Near Me - Mesilla, New Mexico

Great little bar, the staff is even more amazing. They are super friendly and it has a very chill vibe. A definite place to hang out and enjoy your afternoon and evening. read more

Best dive bar in New Mexico!! Stop in for a cold beer and enjoy some of the best bartenders in Las Cruces. read more

If they were smart they would build two more bare and hire more bartenders. The place is big enough inside and it gets so packed with locals, college, military and visitors. You would think by now they would upgrade it to accommodate the people for drinks music and a small dance floor. It would bring in more revenue. read more

Good local and historical dive bar. There are only 2 pool tables, but lots of seating. .......

Initially a bit unsure of El Patio because of some of the reviews. It was drag night though, and my birthday, so figured it was now or never. Great dive bar! OMG! Had the best time. Bartenders were on the move and the drinks were good. It looks as clean as a bar that age can (except the bathroom, which other reviews were right about: atrocious). Classic old bar, even smells "old bar". The drag show we saw was so fun. Great evening. Now that we know about El Patio, we'll be back. read more

El Patio Bar - Bars Near Me - Mesilla, New Mexico

This place claims to close at 2AM but closes at about midnight or earlier every time I attempt to show up, it's lame

just a great local 'dive' bar. User friendly, fun, open and great to relax, watch games, enjoy friends read more

If I lived in Mesilla, this would be my local watering hole. El Patio is the best kept secret of Las Cruces; the perfect dive. They have live music; which every time that I've been has been lousy; but the cheap beer and whisky makes up for it. But what really sets this place apart from anywhere in a 50 mile radius is the good 'ol TouchTunes jukebox! Love the jukebox and allows you to be the DJ. Bartenders are friendly and courteous and when I was recently in town, they let us park our horses outside. A real NM bar that doesn't mind if you ride your horse to the bar. Billy the Kid once drank under this roof. It's a piece of history. When in Las Cruces, be a Cowboy. read more

Cheap pours way over priced didn't even get a buzz. Very disappointed only la posta when I come here for now on la posta u can get strong drinks and food for cheap and The food is great!'n read more

This place use to be the best spot! It was divey and cheap and fun and the music was good. Now it is a cold day in a New Mexico July that you have a band that doens't suck, and on top of that you have to pay $5-$15 covers to try not to listen to whatever joke of a band is on stage. Second is the service, jesus christ are the bartenders the most miserable people you have ever encountered they are mean, and petty and will most definatley make you feel like you are small and unimportant. And if you happen to go on a night that a popular band plays expect to find no standing room and about an hour and a half wait to get a drink, given that the bartender like you cuz if not you might as well go home or have some one try to buy you a beer. This place WAS awesome but the crap music, crazy cover prices, and awful bartenders are enough to make any fan turn around and never come back. read more

Its hard to imagine that places like El Patio still exist, with its ancient facade appearing to be crumbling in on itself, but with the sustained confidence in architects and carpenters of years long passed. The bar is archaic with a long and L-shaped counter, plenty of historical memorabilia adorning its walls, dim-yellow lighting, and a jovial staff slinging beers and conversation; a mood that spills onto its lively patrons. The beer in this establishment is criminally cheap, so much so that I wonder if it truly is stuck in the William Bonney era. I hope that I sat on his barstool. I hope that this bar never, ever goes away. Places like this need to exist. read more

Worst service EVER. The bartenders yell and scream and cuss at costumers. Totally unappreciative losers. The acoustics suck here, so even if they have a band playing, it sounds horrible. Bad service = bad bar! read more

Truly a great locals place that welcomes everyone. It ain't pretty ranks in the top 50 dive bars. However it go great prices and amazing people to meet read more

Dump. Unfriendly people behind the bar - nice to me but I watched how they treat people. Whatever happened to manners? read more

Well whenever you come here its either hit or miss!!! This used to be the place to go to a few years back but i think it is finally going dead. This is most likely due to the new places opening up serving alcoholic and entertainment. There are a few things guaranteed here: Dirty bathrooms, dirty floor, getto people, slow bartenders, average music. And i don't really understand why they have a cover charge!? RIDICULOUS The only reason this place gets 2 stars is because the drinks are cheap read more

One of the best dive bars in the world. I always stop here when I am in Cruces, and it is timeless. One of the oldest bars around - drinks are stiff, cheap, and the music is always pretty good. Bring cash though, they don't take cards (although the ATM inside only charges $1.50, which is a helluva deal). read more

We were passing through the Las Cruces area and were directed to this neighborhood bar. LOVED it! The patrons were friendly and welcoming and the bartender Stephanie was awesome! I would definitely recommend. Hole in the wall atmosphere with a decent selection of beer on tap. Much larger than it appears from the outside. - Starkey (the cop-haha!) and Shelley:-) read more

You wouldn't want to go to a dive bar with a 5 star rating would you? Just pop in, have a shot and shoot some pool already. Dark, dingy, a little dirty, and perfect. read more

Great dive bar! Bar staff is friendly. Drink specials are always on point. Happy Hour is a blast! read more

El Patio Bar - Saturday night! - Bars Near Me - Mesilla, New Mexico

Extremely poor service. Poor drink quality. Although this is a historic establishment there is no excuse for unhygienic lavatories. This dive bar does not set the standard. read more

Cheers this place is not. Bartenders act like they are inconvenienced serving you. I had some newbies with me and they weren't sure what they wanted. Asked the tender to suggest something( perfect opportunity to up sale) and she responded with, "I'm busy, I don't have time for this." Awesome. The eye roll that was added was a nice touch too. Someone told this girl she was pretty too many times, so her personality and social skills lack heavily. Luckily, another bartender came to the rescue and made the experience somewhat salvageable. Thus, one star. read more

IF YOU ARE NOT FROM SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO, this place will be hard for you to wrap your head around. If you want CHEAP drinks and a true dive bar atmosphere in Old Mesilla, come here! Old, run down, and true hang out when all you want to do is drink and watch time pass you by. They have great bands from it to time as well. read more

I loved this place. It's right off frwy very friendly. Good customer service. See Ashley she's amazing. Love love love

i stopped in recently, jazz dark and smokeless. friend gathered with their beers, scattered crowds. pool table and the bathrooms were clean. it was a great time. good ol' el patio. read more

I can't believe that this place charges a cover. I mean, yeah, it's really cool to hang out in a REALLY old, kinda grimy dive bar with awesome drink prices, but a cover?? Really? Yeah, the prices are great, but whatever you do, don't wear flip-flops because they'll more than likely get stuck to the floor at some point and the evening won't end so pretty. read more

Good people ( other than scowling bartender- particularly rude to women), good vibe, a lot of character. Used to be my home away from home with great service- if I didn't have charm pre- embedded would have ranked lower for that bartender named Michelle. read more

Small, dark, dingy, cheap beer and crumbling adobe. All things a good bar should be. I read the reviews about the service, which is probably what you get on a Friday night unless you have a DD bra or are a regular. That's expected from college student bartenders. It's a small old school neighborhood bar with great history. If you want to relax and experience it, get there early or go on a slow night. If you're sitting at the bar and tipping well, you'll be taken care of! read more

This is a great local bar with a lively scene. The beer was cold and the bar service was great in so many ways. We went there 2 of our 2 nights in town and I will stop in for a beer next time I am in town. read more

This is a fun place to go after eating at La Posta! I went when they had live music, good atmosphere. I would go back again with friends :)

The El Patio is the most relaxing bar in the Las Cruces area. I shoot pool there with my friend now and then. The drinks are strong and cheap and if you are not careful you get a dose of attitude with it from the bartender but what the hell..... some of the jokes on the walls in the men's room make up for it. Check out the chewing gum comment on the condom machine, classic....... read more

If you are in the mood for a dive bar with local color, this is the place to go. We've been here twice on trips that take us through Las Cruces, and loved it each time. If you are looking for upscale or fancy, don't waste your time. read more

Went in with my minor niece... they waited till we (three adults) ordered drinks to tell us she could not be in the bar ( 2 in the afternoon)... 25 dollars later... we asked if we could finish the drinks... the rude bar tender said... no you have to leave now...WOW read more

OK ..OK..How shall I do this? In 1998, I was singing at El Patio with a jazz band led by Chip Roman, a sax teacher from Las Cruces. (This was back in 1998, I don't know if they would still remember me, the band or the staff at the bar, figure?) Anything can happen in 11 years. The band told me, they expected me back within 3 months, maybe 6. haha, I married a young man 18 yrs younger, so who would think we lasted til 2001. hah! Anyways the band was correct, we got divorced. Let's go back to El Patio. El Patio was a hole on the wall, but a classic hole on the wall. It was a very popular place when I lived there. Its location was by the church, 2 great restaurants next door and nice turquoise and jewelry stores around it--on the affluent side of town, Mesilla. But you're right, the bathrooms were small and the mirrors at the ladies room was bigger than the stall doors and there was always a line, running out of toilet paper always but the service was good. I don't know why the reviews before mine complained about service. If there are 10 ppl in line, well yeah, it would take a while if they chatted while serving! When I sang there, I had a hell of a good time because I was told that I was the ONLY Filipino person who ever got to sing on that stage since it opened. I also knew the original owners...it was a beautiful family, kind of like everybody else's --disfunctional. But it was getting better, I think they began talking to one another before I left in 1999. Oh, also I sang jazz. Blue Notes Quintet, I think this was our band's name. One more fellow I remember, Anthony Mancilla, was the lead guitar player...it was a long time ago. Sorry. But one thing I can say is, El Patio was an original classic bar. When you come in, you'll sense nostalgia, the smell of the wood, original...you start wondering if Pat Garrett, Doc Holliday and Billy the kid ever hung around here with Wyatt Earp..Couldn't have happened or it would be like a gunfight at OK Corral. I like that place and the restaurants nearby, The Golden Eagle served very sumptous food! That's where I had the best Chicken Tortilla soup OF MY LIFE...No one can compare.. til NOW. And tip for everyone who wants to eat the best Mexican food in the Southwest. Make a trip to Las Cruces. The chilis they use are homemade --harvested from the chili farms around Cruces. The grocery stores have the roasters in front, selling them by the pound. From 1992 til 1999, I had the opportunity to live there after we retired in the Navy, the opportunity to graduate at New Mexico State Univ after the first divorce. So, after graduating, when I got the spot to sing at El Patio with Chip and his group, I gave it my all. El Patio is and was a nice bar. I haven't been back. If the newcomers think or thought it was poor service, well, everything depends on how you look at things in life. What is bad to you might be good for me. And what is good now that is not bad? or vice versa? It's how you look at things. I know. read more

Okay, I'm adding more because I went back to El Patio last Friday. WOW! What can I say. Perhaps some of the worst service I've ever had the displeasure of experiencing in all of my travels around this great country and the world in a bar/restaurant/service venue. The bar was busy, I'll give it that. I expected to wait probably 7-10 minutes for a drink. That's a long time, but reasonable when it's a busy, smallish bar. 3 tenders on staff cut down that time theoretically, right? Wrong. I waited in one line for 20 minutes and felt like I was being neglected, so I moved to another line and waited for 20 minutes. After that, I got some girls to stand in line (maybe it's because I'm a guy?), and THEY waited for about 15 minutes before a bartender asked them what they wanted. Then he got the order wrong. I wouldn't have necessarily minded all of this had the bartenders actually been serving democratically, but they were serving obvious friends and cute, flirty girls first. At one point, a girl walked up to the bar and got served after about a minute and a half. By that time, I had been waiting for about 45 minutes with cash in hand and an obvious grimace. I heard 5 people at the bar say they were never going back and I tend to agree with them. Unless somebody in management can crack down on these rank bar tending amateurs, they're going to lose valuable business. I should say that the blond waitress whom I've seen there often is attentive and prompt, if a little haughty (but I'm there to get a drink, not to discuss the latest issue of whatever magazine someone likes). These yahoos pretending to be bartenders are a joke. I've seen this before, too. The tenders think that serving only the regs and the people sitting at the bar is what's going to bring them tips. They just don't realize that I would've become a regular there and tipped like a man about to die. Too bad. For all of the cool dive-bar vibe and the bands that play there, it gets ruined by a couple of lazy, I'm-too-good-for-this-job, self-important pricks on the wrong side of the bar pouring lix for a select few. The barprentenders. Well, next time I go, I'm bringing my flask and prefunking to make sure I never have the vomit-inducing displeasure of service at the bar. read more

We went here on a Friday afternoon looking for some beers and pool. While the inside has some character, the rest of our experience was poor. The bartender looks like she has a perpetual bad day, and the beer choices were just OK. But our biggest problem was the REALLY LOUD rap music they had playing. We were playing pool in the next room, and couldn't have a conversation. And this was 2pm on a Friday afternoon. Not many people in there, and no one looked liked they wanted the music that loud (or that type). We can say we went there, but there's nothing to bring us back or recommend it to others. read more

Unless you know the bartenders, expect to wait awhile for a drink. I was visiting from Chicago, you know, the most violent place in the states. Not even in Chicago do they treat you as badly as the bartenders did at this bar. It felt like the bartender had to say hi to all his friends, get them all drinks, have a few shots, before he even got to me. Actually, every time he saw me it looked like he was inconvenienced and moved to the next person. Also, the ATM is like someone coming up to you in a trench coat from a dark alley. He opens up one side revealing a credit card machine and then opens up the other side to give you a receipt to give to the bartender, super janky. I love dive bars and hole-in-the-walls but this type of service you won't even get at the douchiest place in Scottsdale, AZ. If you're thinking, "wow, I've never gotten this type of service", that's because you've been there before, this is from a first time perspective. VISITORS BEWARE. read more