Got to have me one more Michelada at this cozy patio before the shut down. I'm enjoying the delicious house-made chips and salsa. The soy vey is also bomb.com! Staff is friendly and service is fast. Parking sucks! read more

El Patio - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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OMG! The appetizers are the bomb! The elote rib Keyes were super yummy all smothered in garlic butter. The yuca fries are the best I've ever had! The salsa is tangy with a hint of citrus. Will be coming back! Yum!! read more

El Patio - This was the elote ribletes, yuca fries & chips, salsa & guacamole - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

Once a month I treat myself to a Reina Pepiada Arepa and a Tepa. I like their chips, but be warned that it is a LARGE server. I wish they had half-orders, but if you bring a friend or two, you might be able to plow through it. I've had other items when I came here with my boyfriend, but nothing drives me to fever dreams like the Reina Pepiada Arepa. Really nice servers here! Just remember to ORDER AT THE BAR BEFORE YOU SIT. It's a bit of an odd system, but it's what they do there, so hopefully you read this and it saves you the walk of shame from your chosen table back to the bar you passed on your way in to finding your ideal table, and then losing it because you didn't realize you had to order first. The one thing I wish the owners would add are some hooks under all of their tables and especially for their bar seating. The space can be small and ladies don't want their purses sitting on a restaurant floor! It only costs $2-$3 per seat and will end up allowing more seats to be free for other patrons instead of holding coats, bags or backpacks. read more

We came for the bar and the outdoor seating. They have an outdoor patio in the back. Dog friendly. Order at the bar. (It's a full bar, btw.) You gotta buss your tables before you leave.. on the way back to the building, you'll see buss tubs on your left. Staff was friendly and the outdoor patio has a nice ambience. read more

El Patio - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great Mexican restaurant in Berkeley! Ambiance is nice inside and they have a backyard patio for dining! Service is good and very friendly staff! Solid collection of tequila and mezcal on display for shots or cocktails. Suoer carne asada burrito pictured is HUGE! read more

El Patio - Super carne asada burrito! - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

YOU HAD ME AT VENEZUELAN CUISINE! When my fellow Elite friend Shayla B. said we should meet up here before a show at Berkeley's Repertory Theater, I'm like heelllllzzzzz yeah! Hence the name, there's a lovely patio to enjoy such colorful dishes and drinks. We opted for the bar, and the gracious owner himself Hamei made some strong arse booze from his signature Mezcal cocktail, which is one of the winners chosen to compete in Mexico. I didn't care for the Mezcal drink at Copper Spoon, but Hamei's was refreshing and rejuvenating. The margarita creeps up on you, soooooo good! I love me some Yucca fries, and Chef Tony does it right with aioli. Duck fat fries, 'nuff said. Tacos were tasty and fresh, not overly salty. The Arepa de Pabellón shared with Shayla was flavorful. This place uses high quality ingredients. I'm not fond of pungent cheeses, yet all their dishes filled with cueso, I couldn't even taste it - score! Love the charming atmosphere along San Pablo Ave. Why can't Marin have something like this? Can't wait to come back for more happy hour tacos and arepas. Hamei is a stellar mixologist and wine maker; he knows his stuff! His specialty sangria is calling my name. I will cross the bridge for unique and diverse foods. 'Til next time ~ salud & see you on Yelp (SYOY)! read more

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It was awesome!!! Service, food, ambiance and parking. I highly recommend this place!!!

Blown AWAY, bay-beh! Like a tumbleweed being tossed around in the wind... El Patio just straight DELIVERED and truly showed me who's boss! I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been back to this spot since it was Cafe Venezuela. However... that is most certainly going to change going forward! Well dayum... where does a girl begin? First... the owner Hamei is a BEAST! This man can whip up a delicious cocktail effortlessly, and it doesn't hurt that he is extremely charming and super entertaining! Did I mention that he remembered me even after not being here for months? Extra brownie points for you, Hamei! Gotta put a spotlight on the drinks because this is what you NEED to be coming here for (amongst many other reasons, of course!). El Patio has over 75 different Mezcals available. If you're planning on ordering a drink, you HAVE to try at least one Mezcal cocktail! We had a Mezcal Mule and it tasted absolutely fabulous! My experience with Mezcal is that it can either be well balanced or extremely potent if it isn't mixed right. Most of the time in my experience, the Mezcal always seems to overpower everything else. Well, guess what? Not here Boo! Hamei was seriously throwin' down in that bar. Mixin' and shakin' it up until it was just perfect. He gave us a preview of a Mezcal cocktail that he is planning to serve at one of the world's best cocktail competition in Mexico! Um, WHAAAAT?! You already KNOW that thang was the bomb! Everything from the preparation, to the presentation, right down to the taste was just incredible! I guess all of those years of making wine and cocktails in New Zealand, Oregon, and California really helped Hamei to perfect his craft! Bottom line; you MUST have a Mezcal cocktail here! But, I will add that the margaritas were delicious as well (Wink). Now onto the food: EV-ER-Y-THANG was flippin' AMAZE! Yes AMAZE because amazING is just too cliche for this incredible food. Christine R was with me the night that we came, so you KNOW we were eatin' real good! Too many goodies so for the sake of time and characters, I'm going to list everything we had: *Tequeños: Good LAAAWD! What kind of cheesy goodness IS this?! Literally ate this whole appetizer by myself because it was just so damn good! Cheese just oozing out of its' deliciously baked outer layer. *Yuca: A classic favorite! This was my original favorite when El Patio was Cafe V and it still is. Perfectly friend Yuca complemented with a wonderful cilantro aioli! BOOM! *Duck fat fries: Just too damn good. Christine ordered these but I ended up eating most of them because they were so tasty! The perfect consistency and you can taste the influence of the duck fat with each bite. They give you hella fries, so make sure you have an appetite! *Arepa de Pabellón: Absolutely FANTASTIC! The arepas here are phenomenal! This was first time having the Pabellón one, and damn was it yummy! It's filled with black beans, shredded beef, plantains and cheese. My favorite part were those plantains though. Mmmm! They added such and incredible flavor to everything. *Tacos: SUPERB! Made street style with cilantro onion, radish, hot sauce, grilled pepper and lime. We got one of each; Asada, pollo, and al pastor. They were absolutely delicious with a great kick of spice! The ambience was perfect! Very laid back, low key, and enjoyable. I know it's called "El Patio" but we never made it back there to even see the patio! We were having waaay too much fun at the bar. It's a great excuse for another visit (wink). I am thoroughly impressed and extremely excited to come back to El Patio! read more

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I love, love, love this place. After perusing different menus for lunch, I saw that El Patio had duck fat fries and knew I had to have them. They were everything my heart imagined it would be and more. Everything I've eaten here has been legitimately delicious. I've had the tequeños, little rolls of cheesey heaven... the empanadas, quesadillas, and tacos. I keep coming back because the food is that good. AND as if it couldn't get any better, they have a full bar with almost every type of tequila imaginable. Their micheladas are on point, a perfect drink for a warm day out on the patio. read more

El Patio - Patio seating at El Patio - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Paloma cocktail was great. Tacos were ok, but I did enjoy the rice. Also their plantains (my partner's) were yummy. Bartender/server was super busy, due to the restaurant getting super slammed and being by herself. But she was really nice and was super efficient. We sat in the back patio, which has lots of seating. read more

El Patio - 3 taco plate with spanish rice and Paloma cocktail. - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

It was very easy to self serve and sit down. It has a lively bar and back seating area. My friend and I ordered and sat down at a table near the bar. We ordered the yucas fritas and then a vegetarian arepa and one of the beef arepas. The yucas fritas were fantastic, starchy on the inside yet lightly crispy on the outside. I thought they were the star of the show, and the cilantro dipping sauce was excellent. The arepas were so saucy, tender meat, and cheesy; and the hot sauce provided was pretty spicy, so we used it sparingly. Phenomenal food at a fair price. Something I'd recommend as one of the best bites in Berkeley. read more

I've been here a few times for drinks and they're always good and finally got to try the food. If you like mezcal, try this place! We started with the corn riblets which are amazing. The tacos were really good and I don't think you can go wrong with whatever combination you get. The reina pepiada arepa was also tasty and I recommend for avocado lovers. Pozole was really flavorful and comforting. Not pictured but we got the duck fat fries as well and i highly recommend. We got a margarita pitcher to share. Overall a great place, with great hospitality and delicious food. Looking forward to coming back again! read more

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Tried El Patio for the first time. I had the al pastor arepa. It was perfect greasy deliciousness! The arepa was crunchy on the outside and soft inside to soak up all the flavors of the pork. Also ordered the corn riblet elote. Great idea to make elote a finger food. The flavors are not the typical elote from a street vendor but definitely elevated and tasty. The staff behind the bar are super friendly and helpful! read more

The ambiance and service was amazing and friendly. The food was delicious, it was fresh and very flavorful. Without any doubt I would recommend this place to anyone. read more

4.5 stars Man this should be a great place. We came in for dinner knowing we'd be sitting outdoors. During COVID there is no table service. So you have to stand in line to order at the bar before you can sit in their patio. That's okay. I get the control of the tables so you don't have freeloaders occupying the tables. We ordered at the bar. TH main guy makes the drinks and takes the orders and checks to make sure there are enough tables. SO he's busy. We ordered the duck fries and camarones and the super burrito el pastor. We got our number and wen back and grabbed a table. Everything was cool. There were the heat lamps but they were not lit because it wasn't fall yet. Well it felt like fall and we were freezing in the patio. The duck fries came out first with the chili sauce. The fries weren't crisp and they were a bit soggy. I think they put too many in at the same time. Plus they weren't double fried. They were a disappointment. The portion size was good but the limp soft fries aren't very appetizing. The camarones came out first. The portion size is good. Lots of shrimp atop rice and onion slivers with beans on the side. The shrimp weren't completely cooked. The ones that were cooked were decent. But the uncooked part was a turn off. My super burrito came out. It looked lie it had been dropped for a few seconds in the deep fryer. I liked that. The burrito is huge. The meat to rice ratio was decent with a few undressed greens on the side. The pork was tender and slightly spicy which was nice.. read more

I can go back at Absolutely any time!!! Just delish!!! Staff is super cool !!! Drinks are bomb I find it warmer to sit outside in El Patio.. they have heaters back there!! read more

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Stopped in at 5:00 AM today to watch the World Cup matches. The staff was welcoming, hospitable, and the bartender really took care of us all day. We were there for over 8 hours, watching 3 different games . We ordered arepas and pozole. Both were excellent! The bartender made some great Irish coffee. There were lots of people and it was a great atmosphere for watching the World Cup. They even bought everyone donuts on the house for the early morning game. Credit to the bartender today for taking care of the whole place on his own. He was holding it down and provided outstanding service the whole time. This is a great place and has a great vibe! read more

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Very consistent, really tender and flavorful chicken. We've enjoyed the tacos, empanadas and chips with guacamole on a few occasions. The drinks are good too, the only note I could offer would be some kind of table service might speed things up but realize staffing could be tough. read more

This is a great place to grab a margarita and sit in a nice patio. You order at the counter and then a server brings your food and drinks to you. The margaritas are good and the appetizers such as the chips and guacamole are great. The arepas are also good. However, I think this is a place where you should stick to the appetizers and avoid the entrees. My fiancé ordered chicken burrito bowl and it was really bad. The chicken tasted horrible and had a really bad consistency. The rice also tasted like the shelf stable microwaved rice you can find at the grocery store. It was a very bland and bad tasting bowl. However, the appetizers and drinks have all been good. read more

Came here for drinks and ended up getting some food too. Friend ordered the camarones a la diablo which is a prawns over rice with onion in a red spicy sauce with a roti type bread. This wasn't too spicy but was tasty. Chips/guac are a good snack. Next time, will have to try the duck fat fries. The margaritas aren't too strong but a hidden gem is the Mexican whiskey. Service was a bit slow at times since the bartender was the server as well. Chef Tony is a magician in the kitchen. Will definitely be back. read more

Went yesterday to visit with a friend. Never been there before. Place looked nice and welcoming and was quite crowded, and very loud, at 6 pm. My friend had ordered a Margarita, so I did too. First, the Margarita was the most watery (and worst) Marg I had ever had. Friend said it was a bit sour (too much lemon) and it was. Nice bartender gave us some agave syrup to pour in. Didn't make much difference. It is as if they don't actually make a sweet and sour syrup (what it seemed like) but just add the sweet and sour separately. That's what it tasted like, some tequila flavored water with some lemon. Awful. Couldn't really even be bothered to drink it!! Then, each of us ordered the Kale Cesar Salad. Brought in two soup bowls piled high with a few croutons on the top, it would have been impossible to toss (and get the dressing well mixed). So ordered two plates to tip the salad onto. Given that what I could see of the salad was a bunch of ripped up kale (as if it was from a bag from Trader Joes) I was hoping there would be a whole nest of delicious cesar salad dressing buried under the pile of kale leaves. But no! It was just a pile of kale leaves, a few croutons, and barely any dressing which seemed to be more lemon juice, with maybe a few shreds of parmesan...NOT a cesar, NOT a cesar dressing. So basically a bowl of kale with 3 croutons or something and the most boring and almost non-existent dressing on it for $12 The nachos were passable, barely...again with the bowl, so that the toppings are only really on the top and underneath it is just chips... The people working there were pleasant. And the bartender comped our drinks, even though we did not continue to complain. However, the food and the drink was the very worst version of those things I have ever had. I can't quite understand how you could do that! I hate to write this review, but I will not be going here again. read more

This place is good but I think the food is a bit overrated. Recommend: - El Pastor Arepa: this is THE arepa to get here! Crunchy, oily, and flavorful. Just OK: - Corn Riblets: Interesting concept, but not enough flavor, and the corn was kind of soggy. - La Reina Arepa: Basically an arepa with avocado and chicken. The chicken was a bit dry, and I thought overall there wasn't enough salt or acidity, kind of meh. The size is maybe the coolest thing about this arepa - it's huge. Not Good: - Pozole: Don't get the pozole here, at least not to go, because they don't give you any of the standard toppings (onions, cabbage etc)! I'm pretty obsessed with pozole and it's not the same without toppings. - Duck Fat Fries: I've ordered these twice, and both times they were limp and soggy. read more

This place is the BUSINESS. Great food, great ambiance, fun bartenders. Mezcal selection on fleek!

Food and service was great. Lots of gluten-free options! One thing to note however, if you are on an auto immune or AIP diet, most of the products are corn. The Arepas are not made with Yucca as they are made with corn. I would recommend getting the garlic aïoli sauce. Yummy! read more

Really good arepas ! Believe me. I often get the vegetarian one; it has a good amount of platanos. Fun decor and very pleasant staff. read more

Went on a whim and was really impressed with the food! Pozole was delicious as was the duck fat fries. Will definitely be back again!

My 2 friends and I visited El Patio for the first time last night and were blown away! Fun space, delicious mixology program but best of all... the food was AMAZING! Omg. So fresh, quality ingredients, layers of flavors-very creative menu. It was busy, with only the super friendly bartender and one server but they really made us feel welcomed. Thanks for a great night! We will definitely be back! read more

Real kool vide here. The patio seating is perfect on a sunny California day. Follow them on Instagram they do a theme pop up once a month.. great food and good times here ya dig read more

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This place has the best empanadas you will ever find. Every flavor of empanada is good, and the elote ribs are my absolute favorite. Super friendly staff, quick service even when it's super. Cute restaurant decor, super cute outdoor back patio. The drinks are also really good. read more

The service was good and fast, the food was delicious and the drinks were strong and hit the spot! read more

El Patio - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great food and atmosphere! Love the mega margaritas! Stephanie was an awesome host! We love bringing our family here! Definitely coming back! read more

I had this place on my bookmarks for awhile. After happy hour at La Marcha, my bf and I decided to go somewhere else for dinner. After walking down to Missouri Lounge and not finding any restaurants, we walked back to El Patio since they had a sign advertising 90+ mezcals. After being advised we'd have to order at the bar, we decided to skip the patio and have a tasting of mezcal and some eats. The bartender didn't seem too interested in providing that or any knowledge of any of the other mezcals there besides the one in the signature drink. We ordered some eats: yuca fries, pozole and an al pastor arepa. Fries were good. BF said pozole portion was small especially since he had to ask for more cabbage. I really liked the arepa. Drinks were okay. Food 4 stars. Service 2 stars. Overall 3.5 stars, knocked down to 3 for the dog sitting on stool at the bar. read more

I am fully planning on being a regular here! I found El Patio while searching Yelp for a cute place to get margs after work. Some of the cocktails on their drink menu spoke to me so we headed over and were greeted by a refreshingly friendly and welcoming bartender- sorry didn't catch your name cutie with the good facial hair! We ordered a pitcher of margs which had a sprinkle of tajin on top- nice touch. Delicious and perfectly strong, they hit the spot! We ordered an al pastor arepa because this spot seems to be known for them, and it was absolutely delicious! Also ordered the sweet potato fries which I'll be dreaming about for years to come- sweet fries tossed in duck fat?! Yes please. The elote riblets were so good that they converted my non-corn eating friend into a believer! We also got chips and salsa because how do you skip that essential addition, especially when the chips are house made. Great chips and tasty salsa. We sat on the back patio which was slightly chilly but they turned on the heating lamp and it was perfectly cozy. The ambiance is like a hidden oasis with great food and drinks and friendly and helpful service. Can't wait to come back! read more

Portions are huge. I do think the price for gauc is stupid dumb but it does seem like the going price. The flour tortilla seemed to be shallow fried in lard which is fine by me. The pastor was nice and smokey. I was sad I only got like one piece of grilled onion tho, wish there was more. I also do wish sides are printed on the menu like a side of gauc or sour cream. It just makes it easier to order. read more

El Patio is one of my favorite spots out in Berkeley! Their Arepas are what I come here for always, I really enjoy the Al Pastor one and the Chicken one here. I've stuck with the Al Pastor one on the times I've visited, but I got to try a little of a friend's Chicken Arepa recently when we came-- Super fresh and bright, especially with the generous amounts of Avocado spread across the top. You've got to eat the Arepas hot though-- I think the corn based bun has a nice crisp outer shell when it's fresh, as well as a moist fluffy interior, not too far off from a mochi donut (maybe that's a reach, but it definitely felt that way for me!) They only have their back open for seating right now, but it's a nice little patio space that isn't too fussy-- minimal but cute decor. You bus your own dishes at the end of the meal. I also had one of their drinks as well, the Tepa-- I enjoyed it quite a lot, the sweetness was very present but was cut through with the apple cider vinegar. I don't love excessive amounts of sugar, but that felt like an adequate balance, very drinkable and just enough to have a good time~ All in all, I highly suggest El Patio! Can't wait to come back and try some of their other drinks as well. read more

They're open during the pandemic and they have outdoor seating. We came maybe 30 min- 1 hour before it got busy. I love this place! Went with my friend and we got some appetizers together. We shared the chips and salsa, and duck fat fries. Omg I love their duck fat fries! It's the perfect amount of crisp and potatoes! And the sauce was fire! The chips and salsa were house made and fresh! Love it. My friend got the super burrito which was HUGE!! He literally had to cut it in half just so that he can save the other half. I got my FAVORITE thing here which is the Camarones el diabla (spicy shrimp over rice) with a tortilla. I love it so much and this time they gave an orange slice. Chef Tony surprised us by giving us our food and talking to us. He's funny and awesome! Had a great time and I recommend this place! Their alcohol choices are also pretty superb! read more

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Delicious food and kind staff. Nachos and arepas are to die for! Al pastor is so flavorful. Will be coming back!

First time at this restaurant. Tried the Arepas and they were delicious. Pastor was one of the best I've had and I don't like pastor. My son tried the super burrito and boy is it super. Was great flavor with pastor. We are definitely coming back. We live in Tracy but we'll with the drive. read more

Nice find on San Pablo Ave. Our drinks were really nice, and perfect quantity. Food was great too. Giving 4 stars only because the Chicken Arepas I ordered was too salty. Will definitely return another time. read more

El Patio - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yuca: We ordered this dish as an appetizer but it came out a little later after our entree was already served. I thought the yuca was crispy and went well with the garlic aioli. Regarding the value of the whole dish though, asking for $6 is high. (Perhaps the appetizer would have gone over better if it was served in the beginning.) 3/5 Pozole: This was an savory, tomato-based soup with shredded pork, hominy (yellow-ish corn kernels) served with a lime wedge, cabbage and onion (all raw). I put it all in the soup which made the texture pretty interesting. However, my main issue with the soup was that it was mostly hominy and not much pork. There were shards of pork bone in the soup (fine with me) but I was a bit disappointed to find only a few shreds of actual meat in the soup. 2.5/5 Ambiance/location/service: This is in a bustling location on San Pablo but it's away enough from University Ave. to escape the hectic traffic. Parking is on the street as far as I can tell. Service was excellent and warm. The ambiance is casual and inviting, although slightly outdated. (The restaurant is really trying though.) I'd like to come back and try the Patacones since D. ordered that one and it actually looked quite delicious. In time I'll give El Patio another shot! read more

El Patio - Pozole - Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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