El Patron Mexican Food Restaurant

We wanted to support Altadena businesses so we found El Patron Mexican Food restaurant on Lake Street. The service was excellent! The food was very good. The chicken mole was a savory meal, instead of sweet. It had a good flavor. The beef soup was tasty with carrots, potatoes, cabbage and large chunks of very tender beef. The prices were reasonable.

Great food and atmosphere. A casual Mexican restaurant fairly priced and with tasty options. Be aware that they don’t have tequila, margaritas and other drinks are made with agave wine. All the rest was great!

Came here to eat on the weekend. The atmosphere is nice and gives a nice vibe. The hostess however was not that great. She seated us in a tight spot and we had to move around because she complained about not being able to get through. The chips and salsa they start you off with are great though. The chips were fresh and crunchy and the salsa was flavorful, and not too spicy. The rice and beans that come with the combo plates are good. But the enchiladas rancheras I ordered came with no red sauce or green sauce which was disappointing to me. The burritos are HUGE and according to my family, they were decent. The fish tacos though, stay away from them. They microwave the tortillas and the fish is a tiny skinny breaded piece. My grandma and aunt were disappointed in that. Also, they don't serve their margaritas with tequila. They stated they only have wine and beer. The mango margarita was still good though. Also, I gave 3 stars because I had read a review that said they found a hair in their food. WELL, A CUSTOMER ACROSS FROM US FOUND A LONG HAIR IN HER FOOD TOO SO IT KINDA RUINED THE MOOD FOR US.

We had an amazing lunch at El Patron! The carnitas tacos, plus everything else our group ordered, were delicious. Highly recommend checking this spot out if you’re looking for great service, atmosphere and food.

Great place, awesome atmosphere and great service

Neighborhood restaurant with friendly services, reasonable priced. Small but very cozy interior, charming without being tacky. Server are friendly and attentive, it was a very pleasant experience for us. Street Tacos are my favorite, you cannot best the $1.75 price. Good eats!

5/4/2025 Today was our first time dining in this restaurant, it was recommended by a friend of mine who has enjoyed meals here before the fires in Altadena. I am glad to say we were pleased to have had the opportunity to support this family-owned business this morning with our group of 9. Maggie the owner appeared to be the only one working the tables this morning, and she handled every table in a timely manner; many of us enjoyed the Machaca breakfast, Jamon con huevos, and Chorizo con huevos. Good company and good food, excellent service. We will keep this restaurant in our breakfast rotation.

Wonderful staff & food was delicious! El Patron’s whole team was attentive, caring & quick to our big group and felt at peace the rest of the day with my blissful food coma.

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!

I've been to El Patron many times over the years and loooove the food and friendly service! So glad it wasn't one of the buildings that went down in the fires this winter!!!

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.

Thank goodness they survived the fire. It may take a while for them to get back running but go and support them as soon as they do! Their tamales are the bomb! Light, fluffy with just right amount of filling. Muy Bueno!

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?

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!!!

Great food. Nice servers. A little pricey at times for me but I still come all the time anyways. Love the bean and cheese burritos. Glad they didn't burn down in the Altadena fires despite the park next to it being on fire on January 7th.

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

Great food. Great people. A neighborhood treasure. Check it out! You won't be disappointed.

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.

Excellent Mexican food. The ambience is amazing and the service is next to none. I highly recommend the tamales.

Waitress lovely. Chips and salsa fine. Beer cold. carnitas just dreadful. Boiled pork maybe. Full of fat with ugh flavor. Beans and rice are better at del taco. Maybe something else is good but, gentleman I chatted with said his was really bad as well. It's southern California. Mexican food should not taste like it was made in Ohio.

We have been coming to El Patron since it opened and have always enjoyed it. The staff was as always, very nice and we were served in a timely manner. The outdoor seating is enjoyable. However, the food was very bland and heavy on sauce.

Not worth the money. Way over priced Mexican food. They definitely serve to the gringos who don't know better. 3 meals to go cost $60. Seriously, it was rice and beans And then what e.ver meat we ordered. I told my friend not to go there and to go to Kings for breakfast but he didn't listen and he is out $60.

This spot in the Alta Dena hillside area is legit! Chill vibes & authentic Mexican food, but the star of the show? A killer creamy spicy sauce they serve with everything. It's next level--adds just the right amount of heat & flavor to whatever you're eating. I'd like to describe it as like a spicy mayo but I can tell it doesn't come from mayo. It's more like a dip-like cream. If you're in the area, don't sleep on this place. That sauce is a game changer.

The food is so authentic and very tasty. The service is top-notch customer friendly and welcoming. The ambiance is so beautiful and amazing feels like home. Maggie the owner is so awesome! On the weekends they have Menudo. They also have happy hour Monday through Thursday. Please give this place a try, you will not regret it!

The staff is so nice and everyone is always happy at El Patron! We are proud to support a local business that cares about the community of Altadena. We enjoy the margaritas.

Delicious little gem of a place. Go there for fajitas and bottomless chips after a hike just north at the Cobb Estate.

Great location and outside seating area, cute restaurant, decent service, but unfortunately, none of the food was good. I think my favorite thing was the rice on my plate. The salsa served with the chips was super bland. The potato taco tasted like straight up canola oil. I had to spit it out. The beef crunchy tacos were just okay. Sadly, I would not return.

What happened here? I've been a fan and regular customer since El Patron opened. Love the people that run the place, but today my food was just awful. The carnitas taco was a chunk of pork with no flavor and chopped lettuce, Al pastor wasn't any better, little meat and tasteless. Beans and rice could have come from a can, again tasteless. The only good thing is the salsa, which hasn't changed since they opened. Uggghhh, too bad. Hope they can get a new chef.

We tired this place 3 times. So disappointing. Terrible food. I wish they'd improve or change owners because this restaurant is within walking distance from our house. I don't understand how people like this place. It's either people love it our hate jt (and I get the latter). Sad!

January 24, 2023 My fiancé and I have been going to El Patron since they opened, and I absolutely Love the place! The food is always delicious, the service is great, the Margaritas are to die for, and the atmosphere is authentic and festive.! My fiancé, over the years, has gotten to know the owner (Maggie) and they have built a pretty good friendship. Whenever we go, we try to make sure that Maggie is there so we can see her. We were planning on going for my birthday celebration, so we called her to see if she was going to be there. Sadly, she wasn't going to be. We had a great night, as usual, though. I have had just about everything the menu has to offer and Love it all. This night I went for my "go to"......Chicken Mole, Rice and a Salad. The Mole is always tender and delicious, and their Rice is not your typical Mexican Rice, it actually has some flavor to it (and NO Peas and Carrots). So, we're all done, leftover food is wrapped up and the Margaritas were draining so it was time for the check (see picture). I was more than surprised when I saw our bill. It was not what I expected at all. I am more than appreciative of (and impressed by) this woman than I can express. She is very hardworking, has done wonders in the community and has made El Patron one of the best Mexican Restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley. Thank you, Maggie and everyone at El Patron!

The chicken mole is absolutely fantastic! Enough said. Quaint little place and sat outside which was really nice last time.

First time visiting El Patron but have been wanting to try this place for years! located on N. Lake Ave in Altadena, this is a very cozy, homey restaurant with several comfy booths. We got there on a Fri night, around 5:30pm and were the only diners there. Welcomed by a friendly staff person, chose our booth and got served warm, crispy tortilla chips with delicious spicy salsa. Great start! We ordered the mushroom quesadilla and chicken fajitas. Delicious! The place started filling up by the time we got our dinner served and I really enjoyed the staff--very accommodating, friendly and helpful. I also thought the prices were fair for the food quality and amount we got. Had to take home the leftovers. Highly recommend!

Food was unfortunately not to my standard. It was missing flavor and had very little meat. It was more of a rice and bean burrito than an Asada burrito. The service was terrible. I literally had to wave the waitress down twice just to get a refill on my coffee and also some more tortillas for the table. Our whole party kept wait for refills which never came. I shouldn't have to flag down a waitress every time I need something. The guacamole was not mashed properly and it was displayed in tostada bowl on a bed of lettuce. It was seriously missing flavor. Their pico de gallo salsa was 80% tomato chunks. Ambiance was super crowded and loud. I wouldn't recommend this place if you are looking for authentic Mexican food. The service was literally the worse. It was my first time here and unfortunately it will be my last. I hope they can improve on their service.

I am so disappointed in this place. This place used to be really good 10 years ago. And I was really happy to have authentic Mexican food and when I ordered something to drink, I ordered an agua fresca and that was not even authentic!!! The salsa was terrible! So i ended up just getting a beer and leaving bc i was afraid to taste the food.

We LOVE El Patron. Maggie the owner is a huge supporter of the community and we love their food. Give them a try, you'll be glad you did.

Nice looking place and good location and that's the only positive thing I have to say. My wife and I ordered a carnitas and lengua burrito and we both maybe got a tablespoon of meat. I thought it was a joke. Beans and rice tasted ok but we ordered burritos with meat. I am really curious as to why such praise for this place. We have gone there at least 3-4 times giving the benefit of doubt but it didn't make a difference. Unfortunately I do not recommend this place unless you want flavorless Mexican food. I hope the owners read this review and respond. Yes I am picky especially when I grew up eating good Mexican food and have standards. Honestly you are better off buying carnitas from Vallarta and making your own burritos. I will be giving this place a call to hear what they say about my experience. Almost forgot, the chips were oily and stale.

The one star is for the cold fresh water, the chips and the nice chunky salsa. Oh, the rice was OK. But that's where the star stopped. I love Chile rellenos but i was somewhat hesitant about ordering one because of their mixed reviews, half one star and have five stars. We ordered a bowl of albondigas soup. I made it clear that we wanted the soup well before the dinner plates and the server repeated my request. When our dinner arrived, the waitress told us the soup would be up shortly. I told her to forget it that we no longer wanted it because we wanted it as an appetizer soup which I made very clear to the server. She took it off the bill. My Chile relleno was not a chile relleno at all. It was a tough, undercooked poblano chili with a sprinkling of tough cheese on the top. There was absolutely no egg breading around it. I even looked underneath the chili, but there was absolutely none. I could not even cut through it even using a knife. I needed a steak knife. I moved on to eat the crispy taco. Another disaster. The "Crispy" taco tortilla was a half-cooked, mushy and still tough shell. The meat had little seasoning, and the whole taco was an edible mess just like the Chile relleno. The refried beans were tasteless and covered with a layer of melted tough cheese that almost had to be cut with a knife and fork. When the waitress came back to ask how the food was, I told her it was inedible and please take it back. She gladly took it back and offered to bring me another plate of something. I told her no thank you I was afraid to eat anything else in the restaurant. Having just about lost my appetite, we left and drove further and ate a delicious fried fish taco at Tacos Ensenada. (See review). I REPEAT: NEVER, NEVER EAT AT EL PATRON. YOU WILL BE SORRY!!

I sat down and ordered a taco salad. I know not really Mexican food but I enjoy the edible shell. so it's basically chicken in a bowl. Well if you've ever seen Bar Rescue where the food is frozen and out of a freezer. unfortunately that was my experience. The chicken was cold like out of the freezer. I let the owner know , and she brought me some heated chicken, my experience by then was already done. if I am not important to the proprietor then I am not interested in spending my money here

Great food! Great service! Accommodating to food preferences! Enjoy visiting here for lunch.

I can only provide the highest possible recommendation for this restaurant. I take all my visitors there, some on a repeated basis. The service is superlative, the prices are very reasonable, the menu is top notch. I refer to El Patron among my local neighbors and friends. Those who have gone to El Patron were equally as satisfied along the lines I identified above. I will continue to highly recommend El Patron to anyone who is interested in knowing about an excellent restaurant within Altadena. Peter

This is the 3rd time I've eaten here in the month since I moved here. Everyone that I know dislikes the food and the service. But, I like their Chile verde. Tonight, I ordered a Chardonnay (no choices of brands) and the Chile verde. My wine arrived with two fat dead fruit flies. I got my food and asked where my replacement wine was. They reluctantly brought it out. They do not have an attentive staff here - nor do they care about the right thing to do. When I was charged with the wine, I protested it. Any good restaurant would give you the glass as an apology. She threw the bill at me and said "Never again". Well, I will not eat there ever again. And I will tell everyone I know. Hire a staff that knows customer service. ‍

Located on the corner of the street with a little park behind it, it's hard to decide whether to dine in or take out. However, whatever choice you make, the food is AMAZING! The owner is a young lady that really loves her family and the community. All of this is evident with the pictures and several letters of appreciation on the walls. Although the menu is filled with delicious options and choices, I'd highly recommend asking for recommendations from the owner. She'll ask you some basic questions about what you're craving, then provide you suggestions. I just said, "I'll take whatever you recommend." I couldn't have been more delighted with my meal. The fresh chips and salsa are so good, but be sure to save room for your meal. Thankfully the owner graciously offered to pack my leftovers, as well as a bag of chips and salsa for me to enjoy later. The dining room is very family friendly and clean. Just sit back and enjoy the food and atmosphere.

I really wanted to give this neighborhood restaurant a good review but I just can't. There's not a single thing I can say was good. The chips and salsa were not bad but not good either. The service was awful (hello! We're here!!) and the food was utterly blan. I got fish tacos. They seemed store bought not fresh made and were severely over cooked. Think burned fish sticks covered in cabbage. My companions food was blan as well. So sad I can't give this place a good review. It's my hood.

Was around the area so went in to this place because of the nostalgics atmosphere. The food was mediocre. We ordered the lengua gorditas and the goat chili Colorado. The goat dish was good and the gorditas was very bland. The salsas had no flavor at all. Just a bunch of diced onions, tomatoes and cilantros mixed together and that was it. Added hot sauce on the table to spruce it up but didn't improve the taste at all.

We were in the mood for Mexican food, and since we had already been here once before and had a good experience, we decided to come back a 2nd time. Wow!! What a disappointment. We asked for our order to go, when we got home 1/2 our older was missing, we also asked for a PORK meat green wet burrito and when we started eating it we discovered it was BEEF we love their food, but what happened to customer service? When we went back and talked to the little gir that took our order, she didn't even apologized for our inconvenience she wast rude, obnoxious and thinks she's doing us a favor. I am leaving 2 starts because their food IS VERY good.

Honestly a bad experience, i came for lunch to get a grilled shrimp taco and horchata. I asked for chips also so i can sit down and enjoy my lunch but this was terrible. I sent the drink back cause it was bad. They brought out some sort of fish taco but bagged everything including cold chips as i was ORDERING FOR HERE. I sent back the taco and they brought me this shrimp taco. Ive never had a shrimp taco come like this ever.. i never will come back. Thx

Great way to start a Sunday morning. Great service by Margarita. Sat inside in a very nice booth. The Chile Verde was delicious and the Chile Relleno-Al La Carte was outstanding.

Great service great food came for my lunch break and couldn't finish the plate it was so big aha will definitely be coming back

Maggie and her crew are the best! The service is great and food wonderful. You won't be disappointed.

Great fast service, solid food reasonably priced. Limited on time for lunch, this is your place.

Food is average at best. Please don't put anymore banners, flags, umbrellas, signs, multi-color junk in general on the outside. Its not necessary, WE SEE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! How can we NOT see you with all that stuff???? We may have to change the name to El Eye Sore. Sorry.

Good food quality and portion. Reasonable price. Always friendly staff. Love their guacamole!

The staff is friendly and the food is good. Nice, simple atmosphere in the restaurant and on the sidewalk seating. Good margaritas. We come here at least once when we visit the area. Haven't had a bad dish but some are better than others. I like the wet burrito but wished it came with more lettuce/salad/salsa.

I'm here and they totally botched the strawberry margaritas. First its soooo strong it doesn't taste of strawberry at all. I asked them to fix it and now it's soooo sour!! I ordered two chili relleno and they came back with one. I couldn't eat the rice so they brought salad. The other waitress was so confused telling me I "ordered a different combo" and I told her I did not. I ordered the 2 chili rellenos! I just couldn't eat the rice because they stupidly soak it in chicken sauce. I can't believe they have horrible tasting margaritas here! God awful!! Then she adds "Normally we would charge if the person has already sipped the drink". Normally I'd FIRE YOUR ASS if I was your boss for talking to customers that way. The margaritas was UNDRINKABLE and I tasted it to KNOW that. The rellenos are nothing to come back for (they don't taste the way they used to) so this ends my frequenting to this low level crap establishment! P.S. Just added before I leave: another rude rule they have here. I asked for more chips to drown out the disgusting taste of the SOUR margarita (cleanse the palate as they say) and she said "normally" they replenish the chips after they've all been eaten!!! How f**king abnormally RUDE!! YOU'VE ALREADY ruined my experience here! How insensitive and what a lack of hospitality!! They'll probably kick me out next since I'm still here reporting this horrible dining experience!!!!

The food, the service, the ambiance are all very very good!! We have been coming here as regulars for a while. Every single item we have ordered on their menu has been consistently the same/as expected and so yummy (whether it be ordered 7 days ago or 6 months ago). Have tried their tamales, chile verde, burrito mojado, tacos, etc and they are all delish! It is a mom n pop owned place as far as Mexican food is concerned....IMHO this place is one of Altadena's "best kept secrets". They serve fresh-made salsa which does vary slightly from visit to visit but it's still got a good balance of heat and flavor, so you know their salsa does not come out of a can or jar. Love this place, and Maggie is the most gracious and humble hostess/server/owner. Highly recommend checking out this place if you are in the area.

The chips were perfect and the salsa that came with it was kick ass. It was actually a more chunky pico de gallo, but it defintiely had a nice spiciness to it. I ordered a tamale enchilada combo. The tamale was perfect, very fluffy and fresh with tasty chicken inside, and covered with a nice green sauce with some cheese. Cheese enchilada was perfect. I asked for NO sour cream and they got it right. RIce and beans were perfect. My friend had two enchiladas and he was happy too. The service was excellent and the patio felt great. Folding chairs weren't that comfy but acceptable. The wine margarita.....well, let's just say I prefer tequila. But all in all it was a very pleasant lunch and better than the other Mexican restaurants we've been going to in the area. And we were able to split checks with absolutely no problem. She brought the POS terminal to the table.

Solid. Not spectacular. Solid. Consistent product coming out--not a lot of variation which is important to a neighborhood staple--just deliver what you deliver well. Decent Mexican food. Isn't going to change your life but, sure beats Jack In the Box.