Alison C.
Yelp
I was super excited to hear about the opening of San Patricios, an unique fusion restaurant combining the flavors of Irish and Mexican cuisines and being launched by the team behind the famed Manhattan cocktail bar, The Dead Rabbit. We happened to be in the area for the All About Downtown Street Fair the day after the spot opened, so I definitely wanted to try it. Well, I was not the only person who had had that idea, as the place was packed! As we approached the host staff, who were waiting in the entranceway, I noticed that there were two stools that were facing out onto the street through the large open windows. When we got to the front of the line and asked about the wait for two people, we were told that it would be an hour and a half to two hours for a table. We asked about the bar, which they said was full also. Then, right as I started to point out that there were two counter stools in the dining room, a member of the waitstaff came to tell them the same thing. Somehow the stars aligned, and we were gifted those window seats.
The decor in the large bar and dining room was more symbolic of the Mexican culture than resembling something like an Irish pub, and the menu skewed that way as well. In line with their reputation, their cocktail (and mocktail) list was massive, so it made it challenging to decide on something. I wound up starting with the Sol y Raiz, a sparkling blend of pineapple and ginger, which was infused with mezcal. The drink was supposed to be a lighter, spritz-like beverage, but it was extremely sweet and syrupy to the point where I could not finish it, even after I poured water in the bottom half of the glass. For my second round, I needed to transition to something else and went with the Tierra y Pátria, which contained Oro de Coyame Sotol, Pineapple Vermouth, Yellow Chartreuse, pineapple, and angostura bitters. The crisp and alcohol-forward cocktail was much better than my first one. In addition to my beverages, I had a few sips of my companion's drinks. The Margarita Helada was a frozen mango margarita with ripe fruit flavor and a heated tang from its Tajín rim. The Los Colorados was essentially a tasty, spicy margarita that was garnished with a pepper that was much hotter than expected, so please only eat it with care!
It was the middle of the afternoon, so we preferred not to eat a full dinner, but we wanted to balance our drinks with some food and decided to share a few items. First, we opted for the Beef Birria Tacos, which were topped with diced white onions and cilantro. The pulled meat was well-marinated and flavorful, but both the tortillas and the sauce were extremely oily. Each bite dripped grease all over the place. Plus, the tacos were miniscule! The fact that they were charging $18 for these three bites was absurd. We also ordered a side of fries, which were perfectly salted, but also very greasy.
We were glad that we were able to get into San Patricios and enjoyed the vibe, but our thoughts on the food and drinks were mixed. We would be willing to go back, but would not place it high on our list.
