Maggie makes you feel like family. Here for their 16th Anniversary and Cinco de Mayo. They hired mariachi band to celebrate and arranged their customers. Great beers and cocktails. Had their margaritas. You know a place is authentic Mexican food based on their salsa, and theirs hit the mark. Had Ceviche and Chile Relleno! Fantastic and huge portion! Maggie went around passing fans and gave tequila shots for anyone who was game! She also introduced and brought around her beautiful grandbabies! What a treat! We should all support Altadena small businesses whenever we can! read more

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Resilience! Perseverance! El Patron is the epitome of those 2 words! As is the owner, Maggie. It all started with a doomed location. In my life I had never seen any business succeed there. Many restaurants opened, all closed not long after. El Patron is working on 17 years now. COVID took its toll but the Eaton Fire was/is the true test. Being one of the few restaurants in Altadena to survive, El Patron still stands as a pillar of the community. I personally went through Altadena the day after the fires to see firsthand the devastation. It was indescribable! Horrific! But when I got to El Patron my heart lit up. Not only was El Patron unscathed but there was Maggie out front looking things over. I stopped to talk with her and we shared a tear of joy amidst all the destruction. They reopened almost 2 months later to an incredible response. Since then business has waned. It is hard to run a community based restaurant when 80% of your community is gone! It has been a struggle but Maggie is doing everything that she can to keep those doors open. We went on Sunday (2/15/26) for lunch and it was yet another great experience. Aleen was our server and she was super on top of it. I have many favorites so deciding on my meal is always time consuming. Our pitcher of Margaritas and plenty of Chips and El Patron's Special Salsas helped that along. I kept it simple and went for a Grilled Chicken and Mushroom Quesadilla à la carte. Delicious and stuffed with lots of flavorful Chicken , Mushrooms and Cheese. Add the fantastic Guacamole and some outrageous Habanero Salsa and .....YUMMM! I got 2 meals out of this one. Annemarie raved about her Pork Tamal and Cheese Enchilada, and my Mom Loved her Fried Fish Taco and Grilled Chicken Taco with their fluffy and tasty Rice. Maggie and El Patron are a staple of Altadena and I wish nothing but success for them. Please support Maggie and the entire team at El Patron! Salut! read more

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Great air conditioning at this corner eatery. Ordered juries ranchero with corn tortillas & taco y chili relleno. I liked my rice but hubby thought it was on drier side. He thought beans could be better. I liked the pico salsa. I asked if they had different salads and was brought four others! Service was nice i like the location next to a quant little parkscape. Come drive up to Altadena Forever this is on lake Ave. Taco Tuesday $2.50 read more

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Wanted to support a local family business in the area. I wanted a non chain restaurant. Glad this restaurant is still standing after the fires. Quaint corner restaurant. I like their atmosphere and ambiance. Food is good. Service is good. I enjoyed my lunch. Good stuff. read more

El Patron - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

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I stopped here today for a late lunch this way I didn't have to wait, this place has indoor seating and outdoor seating, plus there is a park in the rear with picnic tables, This place has WiFi and I sat down to eat so I would not get any food on my clothes like I do when trying to eat in my car. The seating area inside has very comfortable seats and the tables are large and spacious, so it is not tight against my belly. I highly recommend eating at this location. read more

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the owner is very sweet! the food has a delicious flavor to it the horchata is so good aswell i recommend

Omgeee I fell in love with this place!!! My granddaughter loves dr. Seuss books, and she's been very fascinated with green eggs, and ham!! my granddaughter, kindly asked the server, if they had huevos verdes con jamón because my granddaughter is fluently, Spanish and the server said no. I'm sorry we don't. Obviously we knew they weren't gonna have green eggs and ham. so, we had our order. We were eating, and the young lady came to us,and said guess what we have on the menu. Sure enough it was green eggs and ham. This is a kind of service that you love because they go above and beyond without knowing you. And it's very appreciated. Thank you read more

El Patron - Green eggs and ham!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

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Street taco supper delicious, service is excellent. Come join their taco Tuesday and try it out!!

Came in for an early dinner. Some great weekday happy hour meal specials. $7.99! Carne Asada tacos were delicious. Tap Modelo was ice cold and service was fast and friendly. Charming little place that survived the fires. Lots of family and cultural pics on the walls. Come support this great little Mexican food spot in Altadena. read more

El Patron - Tacos asada - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Nice Mexican restaurant on Lake Ave in Altadena. It's a casual place with indoor and outdoor seating and friendly staff. The food is good and I love sitting outdoors because of the nice mountain view. My sister tried a tostada and I had the quesadilla. Please support this business, they barely survived the fire and need the community to come through so that they can stay open. read more

El Patron - Tostada - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

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Went here for lunch today to support local Altadena small businesses --- and to have an amazing meal! I had the Chile relleno, and a soft taco with Shredded beef. It was exactly what my taste buds were looking to have. Not every day a craving itch can actually get scratched! The portion was big too! I couldn't eat it all. More to have later :) The server was very helpful in choosing my meal. I wasn't sure what I wanted; just simply I knew it wanted Chile relleno. Well, she took care of me and was extremely sweet while doing so. I am glad el patron feels like it's unharmed by the fires ((even though I know it has)). What i mean is, the ambiance is still welcoming, music is playing, and you're comfortable once you take a seat. El patron, keep going strong! read more

El Patron - Chile relleno rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

I can't say enough how much we love El Patron. It's our go-to for take out and just simply the best local Mexican in the area. Everyone here is so lovely and welcoming. Their margaritas are worth mention and my favorite dish is the Chile rellenos. It's simply perfect. Their outside patio is cute and it's a nice reminder of what we are holding onto. read more

El Patron - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

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When I say this place hits the spot; this place hits the spot. The Paloma is a MUST try. The service is 10/10. In a returning customer. This business has persevered through a lot and is still thriving and putting out great food and service. Give them a try. read more

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The staff is rude is already a red flag but the food is overpriced for the quality and portion of it. Wish I wasn't in a rush to leave or I'd make a bigger deal for a refund because it was that serious. On top of all that I go food poisoning shortly after very disappointing experience read more

All the one star reviews are close to accurate. A zero star would be exact. Only positive thing about this place is negra modelo draft and the architectural design and adjacent park. read more

Whenever my friends and I get together, the vote for "favorite Mexican food" is always El Patron! Breakfast, lunch, dinner--the meal never fails to be classic Mexican style and delicious. The restaurant has a family feel, with servers who never fail to be courteous and friendly. El Patron will continue to be our favorite! read more

Elvis impersonator was awesome! The food and service were great! Our waitress was so attentive. We hadn't been in a few years (don't know why) so she helped us a bunch. read more

This is one of my favorite places for homemade Mexican food! The shrimp enchiladas and goat birria were AWESOME! The team is so sweet and sincerely grateful. After the devastating fires in January, please consider driving up the Lake Avenue corridor to support them if you're in the area. Not only is the food fantastic, but let's all keep this and all local small Altadenaean businesses going since so many of their customers, who've become extended family over the years, have had to relocate. read more

Food was delicious! Family-owned restaurant that survived the fires in Altadena. Everything our table had was so good. Definitely recommend! read more

El Patron - Crispy taco, carne asada taco - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

I've been coming to El Patron for many years and have always loved the food and service. Today was the first time I came in since the fires, and can confirm the food and service is still great! Thanks to everyone at El Patron for a great experience! read more

El Patron - Ensalada De Camaron/Shrimp Salad - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Had lunch at El Patron today. It was my first time there. Am trying to support as many Altadena businesses as possible. Cute place! Food was tasty. I just had a taco/enchilada combo. Loved the spicy salsa options! Service was outstanding. Go and support small businesses in Altadena! ‍‍‍‍ read more

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Excellent food! Meals prepared beautifully with large portions, faithful to originla family recipes. A clean and friendly environment, family owned restaurant. Located at the feet of the San Gabriel mountains. Have a great meal with spectacular views of nature. read more

Tamales were excellent. My husband usually picks it up at all the favorite eastside Boyle Heights, ELA places but we have to admit El Patron beats them all. Also got taquitos but my son scarfed it down before i got a taste. He loved it. read more

Love this place. Took a long time to finally go there and now we are and will be weekly customers. The best Carnitas tacos I have very tasted. We love this place. So nice, so gracious for the business. It survived the fires. It is a 5 in my book. I am 80 and know my restaurants. read more

I came here with a group of five, and it was honestly a huge disappointment. From the start, the staff made no effort to accommodate us -- even though we called ahead because I had my service animal with me. We were told that the owner of the establishment does not allow the staff to move tables to seat bigger parties. This came as a shock because the owner asked us to consider returning with our church. We brought close to 40 people from our church to help this business and sadly they were not able to accommodate all in attendance. As a whole we will not return. The food was average at best and definitely not worth the hassle. With so many other restaurants nearby that actually care about their customers, I wouldn't bother coming back. read more

Amazing food! Amazing owner!!! We all need to support our local businesses and this one is easy to support with its delicious food and customer service we love! read more

We were told to support El Patron since its been hard to get going after all the fires. We celebrated a birthday there and the food was good! Nothing oily or overly greasy. Just good, tasty food with excellent service. We will definitely go back. Support local business and have a taquito or tamale! Yum!! read more

I strongly recommend this restaurant last night it was my first time went there with my girlfriend every single thing about this restaurant is amazing very nice employees nice and clean high quality and delicious foods I really enjoyed it and foods with that quality weren't expensive at all this is why I give 5 stars every weekend I'll go there read more

First... the place is really cute. Comfy booths, small cozy size, adorable photos... but, there were no Latinos eating here... it was definitely the worst tasting Mexican food I've had in years. The margarita was undrinkable, the mole was swimming with oil and very bitter, maybe it was old, the chicken breast strips were cooked hard... the server said "I hope you enjoy it" with concern in her voice, because she knew we wouldn't. My boyfriend had the fajitas. The meat was overcooked, but the vegetables were cooked well. The beans were ok, but the rice and guacamole had no flavor. The waiter knew we weren't happy... but didn't offer to fix anything. My boyfriend said he wished he'd taken us to Carl's Jr.'s. Well, you've been warned... might I suggest trying your luck with any of the fine taco trucks on Lake instead? read more

I love the soups, salsa and chip is so yummy I almost get too full. Please support them to continue their business in Altadena read more

El Patron is the best! The service was great and the carnitas tacos were delicious. Highly recommend checking out this neighborhood gem, perfect for lunch with friends and family. read more

El Patron - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Nice atmosphere, Mexican food here is bland, chips were stale & tasted like they were fried in old oil, food had no flavor, Jamaica drink was bland & pink, should be a deep red, horchata was from a dispenser, too sweet & not authentic , bleh food, should have gone to Cabrera's where food is better, they need to add seasonings at least some salt, truly disappointed, if you like microwaved food-this is your place read more

El Patron - Bad Jamaica drink - Mexican Near Me - Altadena, California

Very friendly service and yummy food. Very happy to support them! We will be back for sure.

THEY'RE OPEN!!! Delicious lunch and friendly service. We got fajitas and taco salad. Yum. Very pleased with meal and glad to be now-regular patrons. read more

My first time eating here. I live in Altadena and wanted to support their business. My first impression was that the restaurant didn't come off as being clean. The waitress barely spoke and sat me at an end table near a wall. I had to push the table to get in and out. The margarita was more sweet rather than flavorful. I now know from other reviews that they don't use tequila. It would have been nice to know that before spending $15 for a faux margarita. I ordered the shrimp salad and was surprised they placed hot veggies and shrimp over a cold bed of lettuce, it was just ok. Disapointed I spent almost $40 for a mediocre cocktail and meal. Not going back. read more

Good old school family style Mexican spot. The burritos will fill you up! One of my go-to spots, and I'm thrilled that they survived the Eaton fires. read more

My first time at this quaint restaurant and despite great service and a cool atmosphere the food was severely disappointing. Chips and salsa were good and so were the rice and beans that accompanied my meal, El Patron shrimp. The plate came with about a dozen shrimp that at first glance I assumed were peel and eat, however, I quickly realized they weren't cleaned at all! Not deveined or anything,! At least devein the shrimp, please. I can't recommend this restaurant. read more

Sending some love to this neighborhood family owned establishment. More than dining here, they have been great for catering family events. Nothing exotic or extraordinary here - just consistently good basic mexican dishes from an establishment that you can always count on to come through. But now it's 2025... I'm not sure when El Patron will be back in business - or IF they will be back. Locals, please help these long time businesses make it through this event. So many of us have lost our beloved homes. Altadena has taken a BIG blow with the wildfires of Jan 2025. The Eaton Fire wreaked havoc on homes and businesses alike. Altadena has always been a little hidden gem at the bottom of Mount Wilson and the alluvial planes of the San Gabriel mountains. Do what you can to help support the businesses that have survived the ravages of the fires and winds of Jan 2025. read more

El Patron just re-opened after the fire and it's fantastic! The place is all cleaned up and they are running air purifiers. The food: As good as I personally ever had at a Mexican restaurant. Chile Relleno had an amazing blend of cheese and you can really taste the pepper Enchilada: you can taste the butteryness of the tortilla and the pork filling was perfectly spiced and had just the right amount of pork. The cheese was very tasty and the sauce was fresh and hot We noted that the refried beans were really superb-great spicing and just the right consistency. Rice was perfectly cooked and really tasty. Today was my first time but I am going back!! read more

Absolutely delicious food! Tacos are amazing. I'm so glad it didn't burn down in the Eaton fire! I specifically searched for information about it because I love this place so much!!! read more