On a very slow Saturday afternoon, we stopped for lunch at El Patron in Ocala. We had been trying to get here for a while and finally made it for a lunch. Place was far from busy, which was surprising until I saw the sign saying they did not have alcoholic drinks yet, but they were coming soon. We both ordered the chimichanga (one with chicken and one with steak). Our server, Melissa, brought the food out amazingly fast on super hot plates and overall it was pretty good. Really good flavors and served with a smile. The decor' was what you would expect from a Mexican grill, bright colors, upbeat Spanish music, etc. read more

Elpatronocala.com - Chimichanga (chicken), no pico - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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Stopped in for lunch and was disappointed that there is no lunch menu. Everything,all day was the same. After taking awhile to decide on a spinach and mushroom dish I was disappointed again being told they don't serve it, that they are changing the menu soon. Took awhile to find an alternative and decided on a vegetarian quesadilla. When it came I was defeated! I enjoy lunch because usually the size is smaller and I'm more able to enjoy it! This was not only huge I came with 2 beans, refried and black. The veggies were bland, the rice over microwaved. I've never salted and peppered Mexican food before. Service was fine but there he never told me the specials. Probably won't go back, too many choices in the area that are constantly good. read more

Elpatronocala.com - Quesadilla rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

We like to support local businesses and our first stop here will be the last. My first warning sign was the odd odor I experienced walking back to the ladies room. It was a mix of rotten food and garbage. The restaurant itself was really in need of repair and cleaning. We both ordered a steak taco salad which looked pretty good when it arrived, but my first bite of meat was nothing but gristle and fat. As we mixed the contents we noticed a soup mixture in the bottom of the tortilla bowl. I think we took about four bites and that was four bites too many. Please note the included picture. My poor husband passed out and hit his head and face on our front stoop trying to get into house because he needed to throw up and had diarrhea. We tried but will not be returning. We really try to give places the benefit of doubt, but this was just too much. read more

Elpatronocala.com - Steak taco salad - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

The food was not good. Rice was was hard and cold. Cheese dip came with meal instead of before as an appetizer should, plus it was also barely Luke warm. Chips are served cold and we prefer warm. My green sauce was brown, which may be correct, but I have never had it served at any other Mexican restaurant that way. And we watched our food just sit in the service window. Had to get up and ask for it!!!! Positive was they did give you lots of food. My friend said the beans tasted good. (I hate beans so I didn't try them) and the gave you 2 kinds of beans. And they offer a discount if you pay cash.... Which brings us to a HUGE issue. They do not have change. So they short you when cashing you out and had no small bills to give so a tip could be left! We will definitely not be back; wasn't worth giving a second try. Was very disappointed as I read good reviews. Oh yeah, salsa wasn't that flavorful. Cute interior inside. read more

Elpatronocala.com - Dry, cold rice, any 2 kinds of beans. - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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Being from Houston, we've struggled finding quality Mexican food in Ocala. We stopped for lunch to evaluate El Patron. And, I'm happy to say that it is as authentic Mexican as 40 year Houston residents could hope for. Wife had a carne asada taco and quacamole. Excellent. I had burrito supremo. As good or better than any I've eaten in Houston (or elsewhere across Texas). Super lunch. Reasonably priced. We'll be back again for dinner to try fajitas as this is a major downfall at the Mexican restaurants we've sampled here in Florida. Most have used sirloin instead of skirt and it's just not the same. read more

I can't say enough of this place. Been back here 6 times since my first review. Great Food, Great Service, Price is Great!! Come on by and check it out you won't regret it! read more

Elpatronocala.com - Carne Asada with corn tortilla - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Good food. The salsa tasted fresh and had a nice kick to it. I had some enchiladas that were covered in a delicious tomatillo sauce and a very good mole. One of the enchiladas contained cheese and was covered in cheese sauce. I felt like this was a bit of a cop out. Don't bother ordering guacamole. It tasted premade and looked like something from a package. I'm hoping management will reconsider their guacamole. This place could be dynamite with a few changes, despite the weird location. read more

Elpatronocala.com - Enchiladas banderas - Mexican Near Me - Ocala, Florida

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I had the chicken with salad and it was delicious! I would go again the next time I visit my sister. :)

Below average food that is way overpriced. Margaritas are really good. Stay away from grilled chicken, they purposely over cook it and it will taste burned. read more

Cant speak for the food because we entered after seeing great reviews, after having reviewed the menu online and scanning their food and booze offerings, only to enter and see a sign saying no alcohol served. I love Mexican food. I was raised in SoCal on Mexican food. But enjoying a piping hot dish of authentic Mexican without having a Modelo (or 3 ) to wash it down is near sacrilegious. So we left. 3 stars for sweet hostess and her understanding. She literally said "for a gringo, you are very Mexican). read more

The food had no flavor, I ordered the poblano stuffed with ground beef, and my. Partner ordered the enchiladas. The rice was a funky red orange color and it tasted old, the refried beans were mixed with refried black beans, I couldn't find the ground beef in the poblano. The server took our order and disappeared. Other servers brought our water and napkins. The ambiance was not there, no joy or excitement. I would never recommend it and I pray no one else gets the same treatment or horrible tasting food. I felt like we were literally gonna get sick from this food. Sorry but they do not know how to make Mexican food. read more

The waitress was very kind and attentive and the food tasted amazing! Not bad for a place that opened up not too long ago.

Great food good price. I recommend. Authentic Mexican food. Service was excellent if you like spicy food get the jalapeños plare.

Really good food, flavorful moist and fresh. Their menu is extensive, really reasonable and they serve large portions of. The service is very efficient and the waiter checked on us several times to ask if we needed anything. They now have beer, sangria and margaritas so it's a great place to go for dinner or late lunch. The interior is still a work in progress but we look for good food and not really ambience as long as it's clean. read more

The food was really good, I couldn't tell you what I had but I ate two of the enchiladas and took one home. I love that they have corn tortillas, as I don't do flour. The service was wonderful and we got seated right away. I'm hoping in the future they will have alcohol, maybe a beer and Mojitos would be awesome. Not that close to south east Ocala, but we were in the area so didn't mind driving. We definitely will return when we're down that way! read more

We had lunch yesterday Monday for the first time at El Patron. The food and service were good. The main reason we went was were at the mall and decided to try the new lunch specials @ $9.95. We were seated @1:05 pm and asked for the lunch menu but were told the specials was over. I said already? The answer was yes. On the current web page it says lunch specials from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm. Very unprofessional and deceptive advertising! read more

Looking for an amazing Mexican restaurant? Look no further! We've dined here for lunch and dinner since they opened and every experience is exactly the same ... the most caring happy customer service waitresses and waiters great you as soon as you sit down! The food is the absolute best out of all the Mexican restaurants we've tried in our 3.5 years being in Ocala! Great ambiance with lively Mexican music. Try El Patron .. you won't go back to any other Mexican restaurant read more

Excellent service! Two lunch menus: $9.99 offerings and up to $14.99 offerings. Tostada and taco with rice and beans with food to take home. Hubby had 3 enchiladas, cheese, chicken and beef, with rice and beans. Delicious meal and waitress was wonderful. Person in booth behind us was fussing that her food wasn't what she wanted. Waitress tried to offer another choice plus having manager come over. Complaints continued but she maintained her cool. Great job! Nice new restaurant with beautiful decor. Clean dining area. Definitely worth the trip to eat. read more

My fiancé and I decided stop in on Thursday to try out the food. I haven't ate Mexican food for over a year because I didn't like a couple of restaurants we had here in Ocala. it's a brand new restaurant El Patron. I had the chicken fajita and he had a steak Quesadilla. For dessert we had the fried ice cream. The food was cooked very well and both of us enjoyed our dinner. The dessert was very yummy. We both intend on going back again. The restaurant was very clean. I gave it a five star, one more thing the waitress waited on us was very nice and helpful with us understanding the menu. read more

Food was ok. nothing special. they just opened and hopefully they will survive. Their location is just west of Paddock Mall south side of 200. read more