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El Patron

3.6 (601 reviews)
ModerateMexican
Closed 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

Order El Patron Takeout or Delivery

El Patron Photos

Business Info

EL PATRON ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - El Patron

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Reviews With Photos

Brian H.

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.

Joey R.

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.

Green eggs and ham!!!!
Wendy T.

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

Tacos asada
Vince R.

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.

Tostada
Christine C.

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.

Chile relleno rice and beans
Jennifer M.

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!

Lizzie D.

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.

Tacos 2 pastor 1 asada
Sunny O.

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.

Crispy taco, carne asada taco
Angela A.

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

Ensalada De Camaron/Shrimp Salad
Nathalie N.

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!

Beef taco and cheese enchilada combo

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7 days ago

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7 hours ago

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

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6 months ago

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1 month ago

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

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5 months ago

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1 year ago

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

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El Patron Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - El Patron

Did it survive the fire?

Yes!!!! They just re-opened a few days ago and the food is fantastic

View All 2 Questions

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Had no idea that this franchise even existed, but it's apparently a Texas kitchen in SoCal (so all…read morelocations are in SoCal). I want to cry out Texas larp, but I'm just being a funny little guy. My friend wanted to try the Parachute taco as it's a Hayley Williams collaboration item. It's neat because $1 from each taco benefits the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, so I'm glad that our super late night dinner had some overall meaning to it. Since they also serve breakfast dishes here, I'm feeling like it's more of a brunch place as this location closes at 9 PM. Not for the late night alchies people. We ordered online and everything was ready super fast for us. Just a note, that Parachute taco was on the mobile order, but strangely not on the menu on the website. They also ask you several times regarding salsa so make sure you get extra for free (red and green salsa in small sauce containers). Not super spicy in the slightest, but adds another layer of fresh acidic taste. I'm used to red sauce being searingly spicy, but not the case here. This location can be a bit easy to miss since it's on a main street and the turn in can get a bit tight. But you can always get street parking. No issues since we went right before they closed, but it looks like it can get really packed and tight around breakfast/brunch time. It's a very chill and relax ambience. Welcoming and warm. The outdoor area is very well lit and nice in the evening. Loved the lemon tree and I think the olive tree that they had there too. It's vibes as they say. PRO-TIP: Get the corn tortillas. You can taste the delicious corn flavor of the dough. For our dinner, we got the: 1) The Parachute by Hayley Williams: -The reason why we visited and surprisingly the best of the three. A huge surprise since it was the only one we ordered without meat. -This taco comes with mushrooms, black beans, lettuce, tortilla strips, Monterey jack cheese, and tomatillo ranch. -Creaminess from the cheese, slight chew from the mushrooms with a roasted taste, love the crunch from the tortilla strips, and everything came together really nicely. 2) Vaquero: -This comes with brisket, pickled jalapenos, onions, cilantro and lime. This was the one my friend and I both were eyeing as an additional taco. -It was sadly the most disappointing of the three. You'd think with all those toppings inside, it'd be more flavorful. Sadly not. -The brisket was dry and both of us used the most of the salsa on this taco in particular. I'd skip this one. 3) Forth Worth by Leon Bridges: -As a mild neurotic person, I don't listen to music that much, so I have no idea who this is, but I chose this taco since it had chicken and it's a different protein from the rest of the tacos. -This was the most stacked of the bunch, filled to the brim with ingredients and by virtue of that, the most messiest. Have lots of napkins on hand. -This comes with slightly spicy chicken (moist and yummy), bacon, pickled jalapenos, pico de gallo, lettuce, and tomatillo ranch. -I actually liked the bacon in this taco, slight crispiness with some of the rich fatty bits of bacon thrown in too. It's not just lazy bacon bits tossed in. Overall not bad! The tacos weren't the most visually appealing and a bit messy, so FYI. Overall not bad and it goes to a good cause. It's not the most authentic best tacos out there (for that I'd just go to a street stall, but it's great for the more unique combinations).

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El Patron - mexican - Updated May 2026

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