Had a margarita that was nice and strong. Really appreciated it. Fajita meat is not steak cooked then sliced. It's cut then sautéed. Not the traditional method, but still tasty. Portion sizes are huge! I got a double fajita for two and definitely could have gotten a single. Service was really good. Quick and attentive. Vibe was as expected. read more

El Patron - Chicken and steak fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

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Went here with a group of coworkers (about 12 of us) and even though it didn't seem like they had our reservation down, they still managed to seat us during the Friday lunch hour. The food was really good. I got the birria tacos and they were definitely worth it. I was surprised that they came with a side of rice and beans because it didn't say that on the menu. The menu is huge, so there's a lot to choose from no matter what you're into. Overall, I'd come back and would recommend it if you're going with a group or just want options. I know for a fact that I'm gonna be ordering one of their specialty cocktails! read more

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Had to run some errands in Holland and stopped to try out El Patron. My husband and I love Mexican food so wanted check it out. They have pretty standard Mexican fare. I had the quesabirria tacos which were delicious. They had nice sized margaritas that hit the spot. Restaurant was clean and not too noisy. Our server was very friendly and service was prompt. We had an overall great experience! read more

El Patron - Quesabirria (Cheese-Birria) - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

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I love a marg. Don't tell my buddies but a marg tower is my favorite. Got my tower quick and finished it in 3 minutes. I'll give $10 bucks to whoever beats my record. read more

El Patron - Marg tower - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

Had a party of 6 they came to take the order. Waiter did not write anything down. 5 dinners and a Spinach dip appetizer. Waited 25 min before food was brought to the table. Orders were wrong staff seemed put out because the had to take them back. Appetizer came after 1/2 the food was delivered. No one came to refill drinks. The only thing they were fast at was bringing the bill. The chips were hard salsa had no flavor, spices were off on the protein. read more

Always clean The food is fresh and hot The chips are good but salsa a bit spicy. Quesadilla fajita was EXCELLANT but not a lot of sour cream The El Patron fajitas had steak, chicken & shrimp and was excellant. One of our favorite places and the servers are always great. read more

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DATE & TIME OF VISIT: July 18, 2025 @ 4:30pm. They were not busy (there was no wait line) and only a couple of tables of people. AMBIANCE & CLEANLINESS: Decorated inside like most other authentic Mexican restaurants. Music wasn't too loud, we could talk without screaming over music. HOSTESS & SERVER: The hostess was fine, not the friendliest. Our server (male he has been there for a long time because we have had him before) was very nice, explained anything we had questions on. Once you order food is out to your table fast (may be different if super busy). Server checked on us a few times. FOOD: This is what we ordered.... Chips & Salsa -- Taste: good flavor for salsa, not to spicy and chips were fresh. Price: $0. (Complementary) Special Dinner (beef enchilada, pork tamale, chile relleno, beef taco, tostada (they list it as a chalupa), rice & refried beans) -- Taste: everything was delicious, chile relleno was perfectly cooked, I have no complaints. Flavor was great for every item! This is true authentic Mexican (not American Mexican!!) Size: large portion of food (could split with someone very easily). Price: $18.99 (2025) Burrito Monterey -- Taste: very good flavors, do wish the peppers were cut smaller (diced instead of fajita style), we ordered it with only the cheese sauce and not the trio sauce that comes on it. Size: Huge! You can split this with someone. Price: $17.99 (2025) OVERALL THOUGHTS: Paid $35 (w/o tip included) for two people. Service was fast. WOULD I RETURN? Yes (this is not the first time we have eaten here). read more

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My hubby and I came here for a spontaneous date night and it was no bueno. We got seated pretty quickly in our server was very quick to try to get us to have some drinks as we sat down Margaritas, whiskey, and tequila shots. He was doing his job and nice enough and very on it with my hubby's Coke refills. I settled for a Horchata no ice as it was already cold and it was freezing outside. This was huge and pretty good. My husband got the tampiquenia steak that came with a beef tostada, rice and tortillas. I got what looks like the Mexican seafood boil. I don't know what I was thinking, but it was very salty. The first bite of the mussel I had was also frozen. I just felt a cold ice chunk in my mouth. Everything thing else like the shrimp, scallops, crawfish, corn, and sausage I actually were overcooked. I ended up eating my husband's tostada which was surprisingly plain and maybe I couldn't taste it because of all the salt I had. I improvised and had it with the grilled jalapeños and onions by mistake so it worked out OK. The rice was decent and the steak was just OK. I definitely don't think we're coming back here. read more

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spacious seating with a little fire place setting on the inside. Plenty of patio for warm days. I got the combination plate. I do like rice and beans being automatically included in dinners. Here you have to go up a few dollars for that. I got the combo plate that listed them. Flavorful chile relleno. It's my standard go to . This one is mixed with the sauce a very runny plate glad to have had tortillas for dipping. The chips and salsa comes out with two bowls and a small jar of pour your own salsa. And they have the hot sauces on the table for you to add. This feature alone might be a reason to come here. Friendly staff. Quality food. read more

El Patron - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

Margaritas were great . Food was great and service was great ! Was visiting the area from out of town and this place popped up with positive reviews and decided to check it out. So glad we did! read more

The food was delicious! The service was excellent! Enjoyed the atmosphere and experience!

Ordered steak tacos, very good. Service was fast and friendly. It was pretty slow at lunch , but clean and nice. A Giant menu. read more

El Patron - Steak tacos, chips. - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

Update6.23.23 Takeout wasn't the best experience. We got a few large orders of nachos along with a few other things and the same quantity wasn't reflected as it would be with in-person dining. Probably a little less than 2/3 the amount of food and very little cheese. We received (3) 2oz cups to cover two large nacho portions -not enough for the amount of chips given even though the portion of chips was way less as well. One of the things I liked about dining in (and others have agreed with me) is that the nachos weren't dry, dining in there is a good cheese to chip ratio. Staff were friendly and the food was prepared quickly -but I highly recommend dining in over getting food to go. My other family members agreed. We likely won't do take out again. read more

El Patron - Fajita Nachos Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

My favorite part about this place is the alcohol! It's the biggest thing that stands out from the rest of the Mexican food Holland already has to offer. They have tequila bottles and towers and all sorts of fun ways to consume your alcoholic beverages:) The food I've had here has always been good. The service has been lacking. Barely able to communicate well with a language barrier. Not attentive to our tables. Last time we went they wouldn't let my group of ten have separate tabs and made us go all on one and it wasn't explained. They were not busy at the time either, it was so strange and all my friends were upset. Hopefully they can get that issue fixed and continue to have people attend their restaurant. The inside of this place has always been clean and like I said the food was decent. Just overall haven't had a good experience here yet sadly. read more

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Pretty average Mexican food. Had the pollo and chorizo dinner and my wife had lunch taquitos. Chorizo was good but chicken was so so. The taquitos were good, her shredded chicken had great flavor. The rice lacked flavor. The salsa was standard out of a bottle tomato salsa and was as bland as the free chips. Guacamole was okay. Told the waiter that I love chorizo and asked if I could get that in a burrito. He pointed at the burrito section of the menu and said no. Asked for no beans with my meal but I got anyway. Men's restroom was dirty and this was just after they opened. Women's restroom was apparently clean. Parking is ample. Prices are okay and decor is standard Mexican restaurant. read more

Food Quality Good Service a little slow Experience Good A little above average Authenticity scale 1 to 10 7 read more

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I had chicken enchiladas and they were awful. Peppers and onions were in the enchiladas and the sauce was altered, but it was not an improvement. Also had refried beans but the sauce they used was very bland with a tomato taste. Do not need to go back to give this place a second chance. read more

Food was good. They were busy but the waiter was friendly. We wanted a place with a dog friendly patio. It was perfect even if the music was a bit loud. read more

Came on a Thursday at lunch based on a recommendation....so glad we did! The food was really good! The portions were huge, especially for lunch. The prices were very appropriate. Food was closely authentic with slight Americanization. I had a combo plate #1with a chicken taco and Chile poblano, came with refried beans and a guacamole salad. Ate it all before I thought of placing a review. My spouse got the steak fajitas, pictured. Ate about 1/3-1/2 and then I took the photo. Very well seasoned and strips of steak were tender. Service was perfect. Not too hovering and not too elusive. The atmosphere and decor had Latinx music and decorated nicely with paintings and festive murals. Warm, wood finished wood. Might be loud on a busy night, but was just right during lunch. Overall..... Highly recommend! read more

El Patron - Steak fajitas (the LUNCH portion half eaten) - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

I've had lunch here a couple of times and felt the food and service was pretty good. If I had reviewed this restaurant then it probably would have been a 4 star review. After going to dinner I my overall feelings changed. I know they were much busier than than when I had been there before, but everything seemed to be completely confused, especially managing the waiting list. The best I can tell, they tend to cater to larger parties as several parties of two seemed to have a longer wait than other groups. Even making reservations on line is only available to parties of 4 or more. All in all, the food is pretty good but the food I received at lunch time was better than what I received at dinner. I imagine the kitchen struggles a bit more when crowded so maybe be sure to visit at lunch time. read more

Decent food. Pretty slow and inattentive service. Asked for no Guac but still got Guac. The environment is good though. read more

El Patron - Victoria Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

Decided to try this place out. We have another Mexican place we really like, but I have to say El Patron impressed us. We dropped in on a Saturday evening and we promptly seated. Ordered a couple Negra Modelo drafts...awesome! The food was plentiful and delicious. There was plenty of guacamole (very tasty) and sour cream with the meal which is a nice change from other restaurants. The service was friendly and timely throughout the meal. We will be visiting again! read more

We arrived and were quickly seated near the warm fireplace. The waiter was quick to take our drink orders and bring chips to the table. The menu is massive-so many options and they all looked delicious! The entrees were also very speedy and tasted delicious. The restrooms were clean as well. read more

Went to celebrate a birthday- called ahead to reserve for 7 they sat us at a table for. 6 they dropped off half our food and didn't come back with the rest of the table for around 10 min The food was cold and the waiter was no where to be found A few of us got sick When mentioning that they triple charged us the cashiers response was I'll give you the fuck change for it absolutely horrible!!!! read more

We stopped in for dinner and we're pleasantly surprised, the atmosphere was lively, everyone was smiling and friendly, our server was great and the food was so delicious!! I am a Texan and missing my Tex mex food and I was in heaven! The guacamole and cheese sauce was unbelievable!! We didn't have drinks but the tables next to us were having a celebration and the margaritas looked so good! I wish I would have taken pictures, I forgot as I was too busy licking my plate clean! Did I mention the prices were great too!!! read more

Second visit. Slipped from outstanding to just good. Ordered the same enchiladas Ranchero and must have had a different cook. Couldnt identify individual items and was only luke warm .the cheese was not melted. Maybe our expectations were to high. Service was courteous and prompt. Maybe why food was under cooked. Left overs heated at home were excellent. read more

Good service and Excellent Food I recommed coming back for more!!!! Wonderful music and Decor place was packed and only a 10min wait

Have you ever been to a place, and when you leave, you wish you never went? This is how I felt about El Patron. It got pretty good reviews on yelp, so I decided to try the place. When I walked in, I noticed it was very clean and the decor was really nice. Mexican music was playing. I ordered a number 13 dinner, which was a poblano pepper, a burrito, and an enchilada. A server brought me chips and salsa. The salsa was pretty good, but the chips were not homemade. Strike one for me. When my food came, I tried the enchilada first. I ordered a cheese enchilada, and the cheese was not even melted. The tortilla, itself, was hard and chewy. Obviously, not very good tortillas. I also ordered a steak burrito. The steak was very chewy and extremely salty. The poblano pepper, which is what I would call a chile relleno , was probably one of the best things on the plate. That's not saying much. The pepper itself was very tough. I don't think they took the skin off which makes it very tender. Meal: strike 2. If you are looking for authentic Mexican food in the Holland area, this is not the place for you, as I found out it was not the place for me. Before I ordered, I even asked my server if the taco shells were homemade. He kind of stared at me. I don't think he understood what I was saying. I tried to get into a little conversation at the end of my meal, but I still got blank stare and a smile. He didn't understand anything I was saying. Strike three! Needless to say, I will never go there again. What a waste of my time and a waste of calories! read more

I've eaten at hundreds of Mexican Restaurants over my life and this is the best Mexican food I've ever had. Soooo yummy. I usually don't like the rice and beans and even that was stupendous. I had the chimichanga and wow. No gristle and the sauce was to die for. This is going to be my go to Mexican restaurant from now on. The atmosphere was cool and good service as well. read more

Went there for the first time, after having typically gone to El Rancho. The decor and ambience is nice...however, the service seemed very chaotic. Shouting and hollering from the back kitchen periodically, everyone racing around...chaos. The salsa was okay. Ordered a spicier salsa and that did not disappoint until we were halfway through it and I managed to scoop up long, thick dark hair on my chip (think the Grudge). Immediate disgust. Their tacos are okay, but nothing to write home about. Chips seemed to be stale, with no flavor. My dinner guest ordered a quesadilla and it came out with a small bit of cheese at the center but nowhere else....which, is surprising because the word "ques(a)" (cheese) is literally in the name. Our waiter was kind, but there was definitely a little bit of a language barrier...which isn't his fault and I'm more than happy to be patient with. Long story short: go across US-31 and head to El Rancho instead. Your stomach (and wallet) will thank you. read more

This was the first time we have gone to this restaurant and I have to say we had the best meal ever. We ordered the Hawaiian Fajitas and they were excellent. My husband and I split them because the portions I heard were huge. I cannot wait to go back and I will order the exact same meal. We split and ended up taking some home with us. It had ample shrimp, chicken and steak! read more

El Patron - Hawaiian Fajita - Mexican Near Me - Holland, Michigan

Wonderful food, great prices, pleasant service , large portions,great decor. Will definitely be back!!

Delicious! We had a lovely lunch today. We split the Parrillada and we both feasted and had leftovers. Great food at a good price and our waiter Jose was friendly and helpful. We will be back! read more

We visited for the first time tonight. The good: 15 min wait at 6:00 PM, outdoor patio seating, kind and attentive server, food arrived quickly and was hot, salsa and chips had great flavor, my shrimp enchiladas were very flavorful and my husband really enjoyed his steak burrito. The not so good: for being a new restaurant I was shocked at areas of uncleanliness -- cigarette butts all over the outdoor waiting area, grimy patio floors with scattered food. I watched the busboy quickly wipe a table and scatter food particles onto the floors. Customers will trust the cleanliness of the kitchen when they see the cleanliness of the restaurant. We will return and hope to see it improve! read more

This is truly one worth repeating. The friendly happy atmosphere is a breath of fresh air. The pineapple fajitas are amazing.

Excellent menu. Food was good. Service was attentive but way too fast. We were about a third of the way through our first course when the entrees arrived. The strolling band was way too loud. They parked by two tables next to us for a long time. So loud that it ruined the second half of our meal. We learned to order entrees after previous course is nearly done, and get rid of the band and it's, maybe, a five. read more

atmosphe looked promising, music was way too loud, food was disappointing - portions were huge but non-descript - lacked flavor. ordered the special seafood stew, was warned it would take 30 minutes to prepare, which was great; asked them to bring 5 other members of our group's food first and I was fine with the delay. My stew came out first, not 30 minutes, awful. We were not impressed with their food. Our waiter had a smile on his face at the table but all the staff looked bored and unhappy. will go elsewhere from now on. read more

The food was hot and delicious. The service was attentive and the restaurant was clean and w/o modern. Everything was fantastic!

El patron charged me a mystery $10 credit card charge. I'll not be back.

Really wanted to like this place. Food was bland and my enchiladas were cold. It was over cooked chicken wrapped in a tortilla with some sauce on top. Maybe they were short on cheese today. Husband didn't care for his burrito. When I go out to eat I want something I can't make at home. I could have done a much better job and a better price. Won't go back. read more