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    El Patio

    3.5 (310 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Tex-Mex
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    El Patio Photos

    Business Info

    EL PATIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Enchiladas Verdes
    Sandra D.

    El Patio Restaurant is in my opinion a good Tex-Mex spot to come, offering good food since 1964. We came for a birthday celebration and came booked a table on the "No Minor" section, which is like a speakeasy where only adults can get in and good food and good times happen. I was told that Thursday through Saturday they have live music and it's a big party here but we came on a Tuesday so we missed that part but we still had a great time. Our server was good, I wouldn't say that they excel on their customer service but it's ok, they get you what you need. The food came out fast, and the drinks faster, btw be careful these drinks are stiff!! Omg I was surprised how strong the drinks are! I got the enchiladas verdes and they were good, the rice was a bit dry but nothing that the charro beans couldn't fix. We will do a do-over and comeback when the live music is happening and experience the wild side of El Patio (No Minors). Parking... plenty Location...questionable

    Date night!! Enjoyed ourselves.  My husband's first time.
    Christie S.

    Love El Patio! Food I'd very reasonably priced and is very good. Club No Minor is so much fun, make a reservation to eat in the. Be careful with the Marg's though. Trust me on this one!!!! They're very good! The service was really good .

    Felix Mexican dinner #1 2 plates 16$!
    Micfly F.

    Awesome TexMex. Get the blue Margahrita Food is awesome, service, awesome. Highly recommend

    Armando Especial Crispy Tacos Pastor!!!
    Goose G.

    Everything is great here for years EXCEPT Ceasar the waiter he's a total jackass. Honestly why hasn't he been fired?

    Chips and salsa (super cold).
    DeWayne R.

    This past Saturday was my first time visiting this restaurant since 2004. Even then it was about having drinks over a meal in the so called, club "No Minors." So, I made certain that I had dinner in the resaturant, so that I could concentrate on the food without the blinding effect of a potent margarita...which may not have been in a good idea. Michelle ordered enchiladas and a margarita. I ordered fajitas and a Pineapple flavored margarita. First off, the drink: The Pineapple Margarita was very, very sweet and took away from the margarita experience. I've had pineapple flavored margaritas from other restaturants and they did not taste like this one. It was not good! Second, food: Michelle had said that the Spanish rice had little or no flavor. It didn't remid her of any Spanish rice that she's made or ever had (she's Mexican-American, buy the way). My fajitas (been and chicken) had little or no flavor - even though they were accompanied by the searing onions and peppers on the skillet that they were served on. The rice was also lacked flavor, too. The one thing that was good about the visit was our waitress, who was very nice and very attentive. If you've never been here, BEWARE that the parking lot is pretty small, with a thrid of it being used by the other stores in the small shopping center and half of that is paid valet for the restaurant, which seems to be less than 20 steps from any parking space. The nostalgia is over and I can't see returning, not even for club No Minors. Sorry.

    This house margarita on the rocks is excellent on a hot day.
    Tom C.

    If I was a teacher, this is how I would grade our meal here: A for chips and salsa and queso. A+ for house margarita on rocks and Texas Tea. A for tortilla. D for rice and beans. The beef in the tacos al carbon gets an F (use better quality beef and season it properly and don't over cook). Their cheese enchilada gets an A-. Now for the infamous blue frozen margarita.... it's ok. Nice and strong, so if you want to get messed up - this is your go to drink. All together, this place is good and bad. They deserve 2 1/2 stars, but I'll round up to 3. If you like bland Tex-Mex, you'll love it here.

    Ciara D.

    Honestly, there was nothing exciting about this restaurant. I felt like the service was good. However, the food was bland. There was no love in the making of the food. The salsa didn't even taste homemade. I ordered enchiladas verdes and the verde sauce was super tangy. I also ordered a margarita which I returned (the swirl) which comes mixed with sangria - and it was salty salty.

    Felix tacos with famous Felix chili con queso

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    2 years ago

    The restaurant was so much fun but when my mom walked into club no minor they were so rude to her probably won't be back because of that.

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    2 years ago

    The food was incredible and the staff was so delightful. Cesar was very helpful and kind!

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    Candente - Museum District

    Candente - Museum District

    4.1
    (641 reviews)
    6.2 mi
    $$

    What better way to kick off a Texas trip than getting some highly-regarded tex-mex! Some coworkers…read morerecommended this spot to me so I had to try! It's in the Museum District/Montrose area, so pretty accessible and with plenty of parking. We got seated immediately, and there was a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating, the latter of which was great even on a humid day. The menu was pretty extensive with your Tex-Mex classics like fajitas and enchiladas, with a special for every day of the week. This time was a free upgrade to a large fajita, so I went with the chicken fajitas! It came out after about 20 minutes with all of the fixings and this very yummy buttery sauce. I haven't had too many fajitas, but I'm pretty confident this is a top spot!

    Ambiance: The restaurant is huge and there is tons of seating. The service was also decent. There…read moreis a wide selection of food on the menu as well. Queso: The queso was pretty good! I saw the social media videos of them using real blocked cheese. It was good if you like white cheese queso. There was some tomatoes in there and you can add any meat. The chips were also good they weren't too greasy. Chicken/beef fajitas: This is such a classic dish! The onions on there were really good and had a slight smoky flavor. The beef was good as well and it was cooked to like a medium rare. The chicken was okay it lacked depth.

    Photos
    Candente - Museum District
    When in Rome
    When in Rome
    Skinny margarita (large)

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    Skinny margarita (large)
    Maria Rita's Tex-Mex

    Maria Rita's Tex-Mex

    4.4
    (197 reviews)
    14.7 mi
    $$

    Great food excellent service I will be back.Didn't have to wait long for my food.Close to homeread more

    I was in a facility getting a minor procedure and I had to be lightly sedated which did not allow…read moreme to drive myself to and from my appointment, so my wife drove me there and hung out while I was getting the procedure done. Neither one of us had eaten and we were both starving. We had decided that when I was released we would just go to the restaurant that was in the same parking lot as the facility. I had been to the restaurant before, had fajitas and they were served bloody raw and was just disgusting so I Never went back. We mentioned where we were planning to go to some of the staff members and they said do not go there and that it was too expensive for the type of Mexican food that they serve you. Then they all suggested Maria Rita's. My wife and I had never heard of it before so we asked where it was and it was located 2min down the street. When we got there it was packed, but we decided to thug it out and wait for a table, this also gave us time to troll the parking lot and land a killer parking spot as people left. We finally got the notice that our table was ready. The inside was clean, awesome and had a savory aroma mixed with a Smokey grill Oder that just made us even more hungry than we already were. We both ordered this dish that came with fajitas and bacon wrapped shrimp with a cheese sauce that was Truly Amazing! When I finally was able to take a bite of one of the four gigantic shrimp after I completely destroyed my fajitas, I thought that I was going to pass out from the ecstasy that the flavor profile from that shrimp that overwhelmed my senses! We both enjoyed our meal,(obviously) and I can't end this review without mentioning how attentive, nice and unexpected table side manor that the staff had displayed despite being overwhelmed with a full house crowd. A truly epic experience. Please dig deep for a tip, they deserve it. Enjoy!!

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    Maria Rita's Tex-Mex
    Maria Rita's Tex-Mex
    Hibiscus margarita

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    Hibiscus margarita
    Pappasitos Cantina - Downtown

    Pappasitos Cantina - Downtown

    3.4
    (584 reviews)
    8.3 mi
    $$

    Great food. Very knowledgeable and friendly waitress…read more Amarachi was professional, and very knowledgeable about the menu and drinks. She always had a smile and always had suggestions.. She kept our drinks filled, and the food arrived in a very timely manner. Amarachi made our dining experience at Papasito's a very wonderful night filled with good memories. The ambience in the restaurant was very nice, and very vibrant. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Talk to the manager and informed him about our great service and dining experience. The manager was a very pleasant and happy person. I highly recommend this rest

    Came in and was told that there was a 45 minute wait but they might get us in sooner. Not ideal,…read morebut we had enough time so we decided to wait. After having concerns after at the 45 minute wait mark that I saw several parties come in after us and get seated before us, I asked at the front counter and was told that we were 5th in line. Another 20 mins come and go, and I watch another party get seated much faster than us. I also watched countless parties walking in and just going to seat themselves in the bar area which I had asked about numerous times and was told no, that it was not self seating so we had to wait. Also watched many parties say they were a party of four and then have 8+ people and need a second table and it was accommodated. A big wow, I'm irritated moment was when a group of our own friends got seated before us and I had texted them 10 minutes after we got here telling them it was only a 45 minute line and then they had to walk here, putting them here at least 30 minutes after we were and they got seated long before us. At this point, I talked to the general manager about it and he told me he would go find out what was happening, but also told me that most of the tables in the restaurant we were set for large parties so because we were a small party we had to wait. He also admitted that many parties had joined together and had not notified the staff until being seated so that was pushing us back. I asked him how that was fair and shouldn't they be moved to the back of the line or denied the second table since people had been waiting literal hours for those tables? He told me he would be right back after he checked and of course he never came back. This conversation really made me watch even more that And I saw that tables that had already gotten their food were calling over friends from the cheer competition that they knew and then asking the they could grab the empty small tables near them and they were being told yes. So in essence, the manager was correct.... the big tables were unavailable to us because we are only a party of three and the small tables were also unavailable to us because they were allowing big parties to grab the small tables and bump all of us down. I heard it countless servers complained that people had just gotten in our station and were told just to serve them anyways. After waiting an hour and 45 minutes, we asked again and even though it had been a full hour since I last asked and were told that we were fifth in line they said there were four people in front of us... so it essentially meant that we hadn't moved up at all in placement . I finally spoke to another man who seated us within 10 minutes and told us that we would be able to order fast so we could be in and out of here in less than an hour.... Yet we saw another 20 minutes before anyone even came by our table. The food was decent at best. Lack of flavor was a big issue. Not worth the wait at all. Our waiter was nice which was good since everyone else was incredibly rude. One member of our party got something else rather than what she ordered and we did not have time to correct it however were shocked when we saw the price was over double than what she had actually ordered. The cheese enchiladas have meat in the sauce which defeats the purpose and when I had asked about vegetarian options when I got there, the cheese enchiladas were recommended and the vegetarian in our party ended up not being able to eat after waiting over 2 hours. Our fault for not waiting for menus since we were going to be VERY late, but why a staff member recommended it as vegetarian is beyond me... staff should either be familiar with the menu or say they do not know as allergies and things like being a vegetarian are non negotiable when it comes to food. Prices were super high for what we got. Got WAY more food for less at Ninfas and their food was a billion times better.

    Photos
    Pappasitos Cantina - Downtown
    Pappasitos Cantina - Downtown
    Pappasitos Cantina - Downtown

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    Hugo's

    Hugo's

    4.1
    (1.8k reviews)
    5.9 mi
    $$$

    It was one of the great experience . Service was top notch , servers were well dressed and very…read moreattentive. Ambiance was great and well maintained . There is option of valet parking . We were five and half of them were vegetarian. Pan fried potatoes Tacos was very tasty . My son got two more . Presentation was awesome. Enchiladas was best . Fish was fresh and tasty . Churros was best I have ever had Cocktails were well thought .

    Mildly frustrating. However I had patience. The server JESUS acted like he didn't like his job…read more We went in for my cousins birthday on Saturday , reservations at 630. I didn't want to order off the restaurant week menu so I ordered off the regular. My cousin and his friend ordered off the restaurant week menu. I was last to order and then Jesus goes "you don't want a salad or anything?" I said no thank you. Then he goes "but every body else is going to be eating and you're not." I said I understand and he chuckles and says "ok"Like mf I know what I'm ordering smh ‍. Then he says at the end of the meal that he cannot bring out the dessert for my cousins birthday because he already ordered off the restaurant week menu. Then he says "you know what I'm going to bring you all a dessert." Then Jesus bring us A Spec of a piece of flan. as if it was a joke to him. Please get a server that has light inside of them and that actually wants to make the experience memorable for their guests. Jesus needs work. God bless him tho. I can only hope management brings this up to his attention. I tip well too btw

    Photos
    Hugo's
    Lechon
    Lechon
    Special margarita

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    Special margarita
    Superica

    Superica

    4.1
    (562 reviews)
    6.8 mi
    $$

    Superica didn't impress me on a first dinner visit, but since then I've been back multiple times…read morefor weekend brunch, and each time has been consistently good. Parking can be challenging on weekends, but there is complimentary valet and a few extra spots in a lot across the street. There's interior and exterior seating, with cozy booths and tables. Service is friendly. Chips and salsa: Superica has some of my favorite chips, crispy and thin and perfectly fried. The avocado crema salsa and warm serrano pepper salsas are delicious with a mild kick. The bottled red salsa is fresh and green salsa packs a nice punch. Migas: Scrambled eggs with tortilla chips and cheese, choice of chicken versus chorizo on top, finished with fresh avocado. I really enjoyed this combination and the generous portion for the price. The eggs are well scrambled without being dry, and the pairing with cheese is proportional. The chicken was a touch dry, but some salsa solved that well. I enjoyed stuffing each component into a fresh tortilla and devouring it as a breakfast taco. Refried beans and rice: Really delicious. The refried beans are of the smoother variety without as much chunkiness, which I prefer, and topped with creamy cheese. I could have used a touch more tomato in the rice, but overall enjoyed the texture and flavor. Patatas with salsa roja, topped with egg: I enjoyed the flavors in this dish, but there was sooo much salsa. The potatoes were thus a little soggy, though still cooked well. The over medium egg was cooked nicely and complemented the potatoes with creamy yolk. Bacon: Really generous portion for $7 as a side, and cooked well. Crispy potatoes: I enjoy that these are fingerling potatoes smashed and roasted, but they could be crispier. They seem to be on the blander side on purpose to allow seasoning to taste, and I really like pairing them with the red bottled salsa provided at each table (probably due to their association with ketchup). Hotcakes: The literal star of every brunch, these hotcakes are consistently delicious. They're massive yet somehow cooked perfectly through so that they're fluffy and soft on the inside and just with a slight crunch on the outside. The pairing of the creamy warm (!!!) maple syrup is heavenly. Because of how huge these are, usually one is enough to share between two people, although they also come in stacks of two and three. For reference, we finished 3/4 of three between four healthy and hungry people and it wasn't for lack of trying. Whenever I crave weekend brunch, Superica is always a top option.

    Came here for an early lunch. This place was very busy, but didn't have to wait too long to get a…read moretable. My issue with this place is it seems like the entire lot was used for valet. So if you don't want to pay for valet you would have to park a little further out behind the building. We started off with their Chile con Queso. Anytime I visit Houston, ordering fajitas is a must. We did just that, ordered half steak half chicken. Most places however sell it by the pound, here it seemed you only got one option and it came with one side of rice and beans. Everywhere else I've ordered these, they serve it family style. Usually everyone at your table gets their own rice and beans. No here though. Here the fajitas are offered as an individual entree. The food was very delicious though. Both the chicken and the beef were seasoned snd cooked perfectly. The chicken was very tender and the beef had a nice char to it. The grilled onions were also very tasty. Overall we were really satisfied. It is a bit on the pricey side compared to other Tex Mex, and the unnecessary use of valet utilizing the parking lot through me off a bit. Not sure I'd return on my next visit, especially when I've already enjoyed other experiences a little more. At the least the food here is delicious and ultimately will always be the most important thing.

    Photos
    Superica
    Superica
    Amazing Sauces! The salsa was my favorite! Flavorful with a nice kick!

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    Amazing Sauces! The salsa was my favorite! Flavorful with a nice kick!

    El Patio - mexican - Updated August 2026

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