I came here wanting more homestyle cooking on my first visit And they did not disappoint. My first impression coming inside was a welcoming one. Have come here several times since then. Located by the troubled part of Aurora Ave N, they are a nice refuge from the chaos often happening outside their doors further down the street. It seems this restaurant could add an outside grill and drinks and there would be an incredible party. The staff seem to tone down the current atmosphere. Would love to have a grilled meat, arepas and drink cerebration. Just feel the staff are holding back on meat and drink party time. Or, it is just my wistful thinking about what happens when they close. First,I ordered the Guacamole and chips. Ooh, guacamole was freshly made to order and so good. I inhaled this. Found this fresh and delicious. Probably not South American, but I have no clue. Ordered some Arapeas, these were nicely filled with different meats and cheese. Could have made a meal of these, they were fresh, handmade and cooked to order.Love any type of cornmeal deliciousness. Next, had ://www.yelp.com/menu/el-patio-seattle/item/bandeja-paisa. It appears meat is well done in South America. Delicious, but quite chewy. So I enjoyed this place, to come and have home style food. I was given great service and even better food. Nice atmosphere. Bright and happy, transforms you from gloomy Seattle to a place of warmth. I refrained from ordering more drinks and coaxing staff into an impromptu party. I'm impressed with their food and drink selections. read more

I wanted to try this place for a small lunch while out working and my test for this kind of cuisine is a Papusa. Like Mexican restaurants if you can make a good taco, a lot of the other food is worthwhile. I got it to go and when I got to eat I basically had to deconstruct it so I pick out the bad parts. I ordered a chicharon con queso papusa. I really know chicharrones well and regularly buy them from small carnicerias and Philippine delis and though the style is somewhat different from place to place I know what is good and not. This was a bunch of fat gristle mostly with a weird cheese consistency. My first clue in this horribly dangerous neighborhood was the outside but I didn't trust my gut. Instead I punished it! I'm not sure if El Patio is named after the big outdoor area in front that is right on the worst part of Aurora with hookers and homeless but it's a horribly run down building. That doesn't always deter me if the food is good. I also felt like they don't like white people or perhaps the attitude from the lady was just because I got a small order to go?? I've noticed now that their reviews going back to say 8 years ago show generally good reviews and pictures of outside that show brightly painted patio type seating and umbrellas and a clean exterior. Fast forward to now and the place is a dump that shows that they don't care. I truly felt that in their service and food and many more recent reviews say the same. I call this "alternatives to traditional Mexican food" and there are so many other great choices for that in our area! read more

El Patio - Front "patio" not being used on a sunny day in June for obvious reasons - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

I ordered a burrito , Classic one a carne asada arroz con frijoles. And then I started eating my food the first one was okay, second one... I started to puke . The service was good tho. Everything in the room was kinda messy read more

El Patio - Burrito - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place was extremely disappointing accept for the server...I ordered the enchiladas which weren't enchiladas.... very bland and had potato in it. .... my fiancé had the 4 tacos, he asked for rice and beans , never received it. Then gettimg the check they charged me for 2 enchiladas and 4 tacos... charging me 65.00 ... luckily they changed the check after we confronted Them. We are not confrontational people. This ruined our night . FIRST AND LAST TIME GOING. read more

El Patio is amazing ! I walked in for pupusas . The staff was kind , Lizzy helped me on a Thursday morning . I had the best pupusas , the flavor was delicious It was also a very low bill for all ordered . I would come again :-) I used to go to the "cabaña " But it's not same neither on price or service ...: read more

See all

Here's the deal. The menu isn't pretty and underplays the quality and quantity of the food. They're really wonderful here. Service, food, and laid back vibes, all of it. read more

See all

Last night was my third time at El Patio - it did not disappoint! It's a smaller, family run business. I ordered and shared the pan fried garlic shrimp plate and plantano frito. All was delicious. Very fresh and clean. My other friend got a taco plate. We all had left overs. And, reasonable prices. I will be back!! read more

Lovely service, atmosphere and food! Warmed my soul on a cold winter day. Will be back. read more

El Patio - Tacos al pastor, de azada - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ayer fui a comer ahí con mi familia. Nosotros vamos muy seguido porque la comida está súper buena. Pero esta mesera desde que llegamos nos atendió horrible. Pasaron10min y no vino a preguntar que queríamos de tomar oh si ya estábamos listos para ordenar! Ojalá que cuando valla ella no esté. Avia un pelo en la popusa de mi hermano y ella dijo que nosotros lo pusimos ahí. Grasias alas otras meseras no las cambiaron pero ella no queria. Y dijeron que mucha gente se queja de carácter de atender ala gente. read more

El Patio - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

LOVE the pupusas here. The chorizo y queso pupusa is what keeps me coming back well over half a dozen times now. The tostones and (whatever the call the spicy Salvadoran Cole slaw) are also highlights. Everything is made with love and there's a welcoming, casual family atmosphere. read more

Good solid brunch/lunch spot with parking lot in the back! I met my friend here for pre-holiday gift exchange and lunch as it was midway between the two of us in terms of fighting holiday shopper traffic. I'm so glad we chose this spot! When we arrived, there were few open tables, but they quickly filled up! Argentina had just won the World Cup and the owner/manager got on the mic to cheers the winners over France. There was lively music played throughout our meal and families gathered for a delicious meal together. I had the spinach and cheese pupusa and a taco salad, and my friend ordered the beef enchilada. We, of course, started with chips, salsa, and guacamole. We probably ordered too much food but it was all very flavorful and better than we could have hoped for. I always think a pupusa will be small and not filling and then end up having too much to eat! I look forward to future visits here so I can try some of their camarones dishes! read more

El Patio - Pupusas Espinaca Queso - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Rarely do I have a scathingly negative review. Very interesting and authentic-looking menu. I ordered a michelada which was tasty and came with a spiced candy straw. it went downhill from there. 12 dollars for a michelada and no prices on the menu? There were a lot of side-eyes from the other patrons and restaurant staff when I came in. I wanted dinner, and it's on a busy road in Seattle. Relatively new, and I was intrigued to venture from standard Mexican fare. Everyone is welcome? Menu prices are very high for Central American fare in a diner-class restaurant. After ordering my drink, the waitress couldn't seem to understand anything I said in English or Spanish. She called someone else over. I explained I was vegetarian, and he stared. He asked if I wanted a burrito. Several pupusas options were all veg. I offered to have a few of those and pointed out the ones I wanted. He wandered off. 15 minutes later, he came back and asked me if I had decided. I decided I would pay for my drink and leave. All of the above, coupled with several drunk patrons, made for an unwelcome experience. I drove up to El Camion where the food was fresh, and reasonably priced, and the service is always friendly. read more

El Patio - I did not feel welcome. - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This isn't located in the best place on Aurora, but I was craving something different, and getting a Central American dish seemed to fit the bill. I didn't feel super welcome upon arriving, but the menu was expansive and looked good. I ordered the Enchiladas Hondurenas, which took some time for them to prepare, but came out looking great, and tasted solid as well. I still felt a bit uncomfortable dining there. It's hard to describe, but it felt like they didn't really want me there, or felt awkward serving me...no idea why. The thing that felt really off was when I paid the check. I gave them a credit card, which they took, and then about 10 minutes later they told me they don't take credit cards, only cash. Luckily I did have enough cash to pay the bill, or that would have been very awkward. BUT THEN - later on, I noticed online that they ran my credit card after all. The charge was run, then reversed. So - I didn't get charged twice, but that was VERY sketchy to me. Clearly they DO take credit cards...just not from me, apparently. Maybe they were trying to avoid paying credit card fees, or something else. Not sure, but that was creepy! read more

Central American spot on Aurora in North Seattle. We went in during lunchtime and were immediately seated. Our servers were helpful, friendly, and attentive, providing excellent service. We ordered only one entree since my friend told me that the last time he called the Desayuno especial, he couldn't finish it. We also ordered two pupusas to accompany our entree, unaware that a single pupusas came with the meal. My favorite team from the entree was the sausage. It had a lot of flavor. I also liked how all the other items added different tastes to it. Man, I loved the pupusas; they were soft and had lots of cheese. I do wish it had some other item besides cheese in it. Our meal was enough for two, and we had to take a pupusas or two home. Overall, I like this Central American spot and will try to come back to try other items on the menu. read more

El Patio - Desayuno especial and pupusas - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Service is so bad. They only treat you good if you're Hispanic. Older lady with glasses was super rude would just stare at us when ordering.

Omg this was the best tradition breakfast I've had in a long time. Diego & Stephanie we're my servers and they did an awesome job. The plantains were so sweet, the crema paired well, and a little piece of the fresh cheese! The steak was tender, those beans may look runny but god damn the flavor was incredible. Everything on my plate was exceptional. Thank you chefs! read more

El Patio - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Love this place I've been going here since I was young and they have never failed with the perfect food and amazing customer service

They have wonderful food, authentic and fresh. My Guatemalan husband said the rice tasted like his mom's!! Super friendly and gracious. Can't wait to eat here again! read more

This was my first time trying pupusas and El Patio, but I absolutely loved everything I ordered. I ordered the Pupusas Revuelta, which you can choose from maíz (corn) or arroz (rice) flour. This particular pupusa is filled with cheese, pork, and beans. The pupusas are served alongside curtido (cabbage slaw) and tomato salsa. Each pupusa is $4.50 and for me, two pupusas was more than enough! The tamale was soft, rich, and flavorful and the same price as the pupusas. You can choose either chicken or pork as your protein. Each bite melted in my mouth and had the texture of almost butter. The Platano Frito is fried sweet plantain served with beans and cream. It was not too sweet and went well with the sides. I preferred eating it with the beans and didn't think the cream was necessary. This was a good portion for the price. I called in my order, but you can definitely order online via Grubhub for pickup and delivery. El Patio seems to have happy hour deals quite often and amazing drinks (both non-alcoholic and alcoholic). I'm interested in trying the Atol de Elote and Horchata de Morro. El Patio is located on the busy main street of Aurora Ave N, but I believe they have limited parking in the back. read more

See all

When they brought out fresh made masa tortillas for the breakfast platter I knew this was going to be different. It did not disappoint! Their pupusas also made fresh and big. Making fresh made masa tortillas is so rare I'm surprised there's not a line out the door. It's probably the location on Aurora, but if you're a foodie, you know location won't stop you and there's plenty of parking in the back. My friend ordered a quesadilla, we also ordered a chicken tamale, which was wrapped in a banana leaf - meaning not dried out. Everything is excellent, staff are super warm. We'll come back to try the dinner entrees. read more

Food was so yummy the quesadillas were tasty with the beans and rice and also the tortillas service was with clean tables and floors

This is what I got for $22... there was way more rice than chicken. Chicken was average i would really only pay $15 tops. read more

El Patio - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Good food high prices for the food. Overall if you enjoy Guatemalan food. Check this place out! Pretty authentic read more

Their especiales every thing yummy in a hot stone half pig. Burbling with sausage chicken, carné asado, chorizó, dos types of fish, barbecued peppers, corn meal. Unreal Comida excellante. read more

El Patio - Their Especial in a hot stone half pig. Burbling with every meat fish and Camarones Empanizados - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Looking for a great Central American cuisine? Look no further this place has it all. Not just the food itself are delicious but the whole staff are great and are very attentive. Highly recommend it to everyone. read more

The food and service is amazing I truly recommend just about every item in the menu. I have been coming here throughout the years and have never had a complaint. read more

great food and atmosphere super chill again the food is unbelievable it was so long ago i forgot what i had

Place was jumping and all the waiters were very attentive, everyone made you feel very welcomed. Had the pata soup, good flavor, I was expecting more pata like other places I've been to. read more

Decided to come to this restaurant while visiting from San Diego. Wasn't expecting there to be pupusas on the menu, but decided to give it a shot and order. Being Salvadoran, I've been able to have authentic pupusas and most times am disappointed at the quality when ordering from restaurants. I was BEYOND satisfied with the quality of the food at this restaurant. The pupusas were EXCELLENT. This restaurant has very authentic tasting pupusas. The platanos fritos were also super tasty. Will 10/10 be returning to this restaurant next time I'm in the area and highly recommend coming here!!! read more

Loved this place! Came off a recommendation from a friend. Had the chicarron (no veggies; just the place) and pupusas with sides of rice, yuca and beans. Everything was great including the service. Would love to come back read more

See all

What happened? Why changing how you cooked the food?. So disappointing that food is different. This place was so unique! The tipical carne asada especial that you find in other Latino restaurants was soo good here, the beans were out of this world kind of smokey and the tortillas were very different too that from other places! Now is average tortillas average beans nothing stand out from other places. The carne asada special did had a better salad than before but everything else was not as before it was just "ok". I guess maybe management or cook changes happened.. is a shame read more

Consistently delicious; to-go is alway warm and usually given extra sauce. I order takeout occasionally and have never had issues.

Wow wow wow the service is wonderful! I came from Las Vegas and ate here for the first time, let me JUST tell you the FOOD AMAZING!!! The flavor just explodes in your mouth. Must try 10/10! read more

Carne Asada Especial/ pupusa My Husband and coworker went for lunch and they both felt the same and won't be returning. Not only did my Husband find a whole bread twist tie in his rice and beans, they were both being rushed to pay. They replace that portion of the meal with a careless attitude. Mind, my Husband is not picky, as long as the place is clean and the food is good, he is fine. So for him to complain, means they need to do better. Glad I wasn't there. read more

I did takeout from here. Food was ok, but I'm mainly upset about the customer service. When I placed my order, I mentioned multiple times to not put avocado in my dishes because I am allergic to avocado. Despite trying to clearly and repeatedly state this, when I got home to open my food, my salad was full of avocado. A bit frustrating. read more

The customer service is the worst!!!!!! The food is tasty and authentic Central American food but the servers are always talking each other and looking around doing something else than taking care of their tables. I requested for more water and the server acted mad and annoyed about my requests like WTF!!! What are u doing here working? She looks so much happier when a table of guys were talking to her. Sad but they look like are looking for a man instead of work lol read more

We were excited to try this restaurant but hugely disappointed. The person taking our order acted as if he was doing us a favor. The first thing I ordered he quickly replied, "we don't have that right now". The food we did order was marginal and frozen margaritas were just ok. Although we all ordered two tacos, we were still hungry so we went back and ordered chips and salsa. We received 4 tostadas that were stale. I suppose we were suppose to break them apart? This could be a cool place but the front desk needs to up their enthusiasm and the food needs to be a bit better to maintain this cool building location. I hope they make some attempts at improving. read more

No solo esta buenísima la comida sino que el customer service también! Muchas gracias !! read more

El Patio - Antojo ejemplo - Latin American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Checked out El Patio hoping to find new local Mexican joint. Disappointed to say this is not going to be it. Food was bland and way over priced. Be careful, this place does not offer complimentary chips and salsa. When the waitress asked if we liked to have chips and salsa, we said of course because we thought they were complimentary but we were charged $7.99 for it. We will not return for sure. read more

I was so happy to finally find a spot that has pupusas! Also... they hooked it up with the sauces and sides! Such a great deal. Definitely recommend read more