On our way back from hiking Old Rag we serendipitously stumbled across this restaurant while we…read morewere looking to recover from the intensity that is Old Rag, and boy were we lucky! They are a lovely establishment with FRESH tortillas and pupusas that are quite wonderful. The grilled meats in my tacos were to die for (although I was really sad they ran out of lengua) - the al pastor in particular was SO GOOD. The horchata was also quite refreshing and creamy. Would come again 100%.

I absolutely hate dinging small local businesses, but this spot was a disappointment…read more Stopped in a few months ago for a late lunch - probably between 2-3 p.m. - & found the entire staff eating lunch. No problem there, & they were very friendly & interrupted their repast to put in our order of a few chicken tacos to go ($3 each). I asked for my tacos with "everything"; husband ordered his with "no onions". Took about 20+ minutes, so we wandered around the space which looked to be under renovation as they seemed to be putting in an adjoining bakery. They did have a bakery case, but none of the offerings were labeled or priced, & frankly did not look fresh, so we didn't bother with any of that. Took our tacos home & really were disappointed. Yes, the tortillas were fresh, but the amount of chicken (a bit overcooked) was stingy & my "everything" tacos consisted of chopped onions & cilantro. No cheese, no tomatoes, no sauce, no nothing else. Husband's "no onions" tacos had NOTHING. Not only "no onions", but no nothing. Just the overcooked chicken in dry tortillas. Sorry folks, but La Chiapeneca serves up 100% better tacos than this place.

The food here is delicious! I've been to the previous El Patrón that was a block away many times…read moreand I was so anxious to check out the new spot. This is the bigger and newer replacement. It's absolutely beautiful and it's very clear that there was a lot of detail that went into the new restaurant. It's called el gran patron and it's definitely "gran" (great). Upon arrival, you will likely be annoyed with the parking situation. It's a long row with more space further from the restaurant. It's busy and rightfully so. Once you enter the restaurant, you arrive to a pretty entrance. Depending on when you come, it could be very full and that's what happened to me and my family but we got sat way faster than expected. We asked for a server named, Camilo. He's really good and was the best at the previous location. His seating area is near the bar since he's also a bartender. The seating areas include outdoor seating, indoor seating of booths , and indoor seating of chairs. The ambiance is very chill and with the mariachis (Friday) and likely the weekend, it is very fun and lively! The prices are very reasonable and the portions are respectable. With food prices rising and restaurants taking advantage of it, it's currently a great deal (10/11/24). I ordered the fajitas Texanas which are fajitas consisting of steak, chicken, and shrimp. The fajitas include seasonings of onions, tomatoes, and sliced bell peppers. My meal is also served with rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and tortillas . The other meals ordered were the burrito de pony which is a Patron Special (filled with grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, bacon, Mexican white rice, and black beans. It's topped with chipotle sauce, guacamole, and pico de gallo) and the patron quesadilla (includes grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. It's served with lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole.) Our dessert was the churros which includes deep-fried pastry, apple coated cinnamon sugar and chocolate, and a serving of a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Alright, this part might sound weird but the bathrooms are very clean and look very clean. Some times, there is a correlation between cleanliness in areas that are not often used and the restaurant. We don't know how the kitchen area is and how clean it is but it's ALWAYS a good sign when the bathrooms are very clean and taken care of. I feel if they care that much about the bathrooms, then even the more important things will be cleaner and taken care (i.e. kitchen area). I will absolutely continue to come back, especially since this place is 3X better than the previous one regarding the size and ambiance.

The new location is very nice. Much larger. The food is the same, tasty. The staff were attentive…read more.

The food truck was fast with service and friendly. I like that I can order individual tacos. The…read moretacos were stuffed full of meat, yay! The sauces were good and I like that it comes with a lime. They package your to-go order thoughtfully. They have some bar stools outside if you want to eat food there and not juggle it in your car or elsewhere. I would try more things.

Nice food truck. Tacos are delicious! Very authentic and the guys are nice. I would highly…read morerecommend the Pastor tacos! They also serve pretty quickly.

One of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to in the area over the last 20 years. Taste very…read moremuch like a home cooked meal, almost calming effect. You can tell they put an effort into each component, everything is hot and from scratch. Atmosphere feels like eating at someone's house, in the best way possible.

Not only the best, but the most authentic Mexican food I've had in the state of Virginia. I grew up…read morein a Mexican household in Southern California and it's near impossible to find authentic Mexican food in the U.S. out of California that isn't "Tex-Mex" or in the Tex-Mex style. This is delicious authentic flavor, presentation, and atmosphere that reminds me of home. Extremely pleasant staff and service as well. Also a great place to go if you're Mexican and just want to go be around your culture and people and music

I've eaten a LOT of tacos and these are hands down the best street tacos I have ever had and it was…read morewell worth the trip up from Charlottesville. Have to drag my wife up here, and get her hooked on them. I tried the Al pastor, steak, chicken, carnitas and birria and we got chips and guacamole to share. Getting at least one birria, for the sauce, is a must.

We always love coming here for a date night out, the atmosphere is bright and fun, the service is…read morefast, the food is always on point and hot! Our severs have always been so nice! Our favorite is always a good margarita to end the day! We would definitely recommend as always!

My family's Mexican - we understand some places say "Mexican food" but it's really a blend of other…read moreHispanic cultures ... this however was not that - it was pretty disappointing. We ordered cheese enchiladas, chile rellenos, asada tacos, a fajita plate with all the different meats including chorizo chicken and steak. Most of our group got rice and beans on the side which were pretty good. My issue lies with the cheese - instead of Monterey or shoot, even cheddar! They used some type of American cheese (like white Kraft slices) in ALL THEIR FOOD - that's right, ALL OF IT! American cheese on the beans, in the enchilada, in the chile relleno, and yes - EVEN THE ASADA TACOS!!! I was SO bummed. Other than the food that we'll never come back for again, the service was really good - our server was a young smiley gal - VERY sweet. She spoke both English and Spanish seamlessly transitioning when speaking with our party. The tables and chairs are covered in artistic decor that's very beautiful and decorative. The walls have murals of the Mexican flag and it's really pretty inside - great vibe all around. I got the impression this place was more of a bar hang out - though the drinks were 16$ a pop on special while the tacos were 1$ on a taco Tuesday - there were still A LOT of people sitting in at the bar. Looked like a good time. Someone in our group ordered a dragonfruit margarita and he said it was REALLY good! Well made. So I can see why people would come for the drinks. Unfortunately we will not be returning because the American cheese situation ruined the taste of 80% of the food.

Happy to review not only the fantastic smashed burger, oh so tasty fries, incredible maple sauce…read morebut the perfectly fried cheese curds. I'm a gurl who normally says a big huge hell no to cheese of any sort. The curds deep fried absolutely YES, would need to be on my rotation. The assortment of beverages were terrific I chose cucumber, my friend she picked dragonfruit loved it!! Did I mention unlimited pours on drinks. Extra nice to see the lack of sodas (coke - Pepsi etc) If we lived close by Graze to Griddle We would be weekly customers. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Julie Rose Sawyer

Coming down from a ten mile old rag loop, my dad and I were craving some high quality flavorful…read moreburgers. Graze to Griddle delivered with each bite, taking smash burgers and elevating them beyond the concept. The staff were lovely and informative with my quick allergen questions, and while the seats are close together the AC was a helpful respite from the hot day. If you're in the area, definitely stop by!

I've driven by this place several times, have seen their PUPUSAS sign, and have always wanted to…read morestop. Today I got my chance. I walked in to a family-run hole-in-the-wall and, had the neon OPEN sign not been on, would've thought they were closed. The woman who was sitting in the very small (maybe 16 seats at best) dining area got up to go to the kitchen and the man got up to take my order. The other guy said his goodbyes (in Spanish) and left. The very limited menu was written on posterboards on the wall. I immediately changed my mind from pupusas to quesadillas, $7. They came out quickly and were accompanied with a side of sour cream and pico de gallo. Portion size was just right with nothing extra to take home. Had I noticed the special on another sign, I probably would've gotten that -- pupusas with rice and beans. Anyhow, it was delicious. Mexican/Latino, but my guess is that the pizza is offered to attract the American crowd. But this is a NO FRILLS kind of spot. Plastic utensils and napkins rationed out on the tables already. A/C if they have it, was not turned on. It wasn't hot, but one degree warmer, and I probably would've been uncomfortable. Bring cash; they don't take cards even though they have a VISA sticker on their door.