El Patron Cantina

As a chef who appreciates the art of a well-executed dish, I was curious to see what El Patrón had to offer. The experience was... decent, though far from remarkable.I started with the queso, which was good--smooth and flavorful--but certainly not deserving of its elevated price tag. A great queso should evoke comfort without the feeling that your wallet is being gouged.I also tried two margaritas. They were well-balanced, but again, overpriced for what they were. At that cost, I'd expect a more unique presentation or premium ingredients to set them apart from the countless other margaritas available in this city.The ambiance? Serviceable, but lacking the warmth or atmosphere that makes a meal feel special. There are more affordable Mexican restaurants nearby with richer flavors and more inviting settings.El Patrón might suffice for a casual outing, but for those seeking a memorable Mexican dining experience, there are better options to explore.

I was looking at this bar as a possible spot to celebrate my wife's birthday. After reading reviews of patrons being oppressed and harassed for being trans, I will never come here. I hope that anyone who is LGBTQ+ or an ally would avoid a place like this. Thank you those who reported this, you kept others safe. I am so sorry the staff of El Patron made you feel so unsafe and made you pay $20 to reenter. How disgusting! To El Patron, I hope your sales are ass without our money for as long as you stay open. Have the financial quarter you deserve

HUGE SAFETY WARNING TO THOSE WHO WISH TO COME HERE!I felt the need to leave a review to warn others and ensure this issue gets more visibility. These kinds of places must be held accountable for their actions. It's crucial that businesses respect all identities and create a safe environment for everyone, not one rooted in hatred.Last night some friends and I, some of whom are trans and non-binary, were harassed by the "security" staff for simply using the men's restroom. After being confronted and asked invasive, harmful questions about their identities, things ESCALATED TO THREATS OF VIOLENCE. They demanded $20 each from them or security would FIGHT them???????The hatred toward the trans community was blatant and terrifying. My friends were treated with hostility simply for existing and trying to use a restroom where they felt safe. The actions of the security staff were not only transphobic but also dangerous, perpetuating a harmful environment that made them feel less than human. Also, this makes me question how other situations are handled at this establishment. Is everything handled with violence?Please consider this as a warning for others, especially for trans and non-binary folks. This experience is one I'll never forget, and I hope this serves as a reminder that we must all stand against hatred toward the trans community.

Finally made it to El Patron Cantina to celebrate my Husband's birthday. First, I just want to say, don't even bother to make reservations. I made a reservation 5 days in advance; pending. I called to inquire about the reservation the day of and staff claimed that it was never received. I was instructed to text the business line with my name, time and size of my party. Upon arrival, reservation was never received. We had the option of choosing where we'd like to sit and our waitress was pretty good yet patient. We started off with drinks, chips & salsa and chips & guacamole. The salsa was great. The guac could've had some salt/lime juice. Our friends ordered coconut margaritas (came in an actual coconut), Palomas, & old fashioned. For food, I ordered the carne asada sopes, husband had the El Patron cheeseburger & chicken quesadilla, friends had patron nachos, quesabirria tacos, carne asada and the taco bowl. The food was tasty; no complaints. The ambiance was great for the birthday celebration; perfect party lighting and good music. Our waitress provided us with a sparkler as a candle before cutting the cake that we brought.

This is my favorite lunch spot downtown! Great service and food. Rocio, Felix, Eric and Victor make our team feel like we are family. Mondays lunch special is a really great deal too! Also excellent chicken tortilla soup.

I went here for the first time during late lunch hours on a Monday; overall it was a good experience!We didn't order any drinks but we did see they were doing Halloween cocktails for $16-18. It seemed delicious from the description! For food, we got chips & guacamole and the quesobirria tacos: delicious! The tacos came with a super spicy chilli oil sauce on the side. And we ordered another round of chips for $2 but our server gave us alot for a refill so we appreciated it! She was very sweet.Giving it 3 stars just because I only got to experience it minimally, but I'd go back when it's more lively. I've seen the place packed at night. But id go back!

I have never in my life experienced what I experienced today , I came to this bar not knowing what I would endure . First things first I ordered a beer and me and my friends headed downstairs as we had a long drive and needed to use the restroom , shortly after going downstairs we had "security" come down and harass my friends and I . My friends are trans and non binary and when they saw us using the "men's" restroom they started to get very aggressive , I asked them if it was okay for trans people to use the men's restroom as we feel more comfortable and they responded "what were you assigned @ birth " when we didn't feed in to their rude and bs comments they said "20 dollars each for you to go back or fight us in the alley" basically saying if we didn't pay them 20 dollars each they'd have to fight all of us individually. I was extremely uncomfortable and so were my friends so in our desperation one of my friends offered them 50 dollars which they automatically snatched off her hand . After the incident I felt so uncomfortable so I asked the manager if it was something they usually do , the manager said they have never experienced something similar so I said why did I just go through this , shortly after telling the manager my concerns he confronted the "security" while I was still in the bar area pointing me out which led to the the "security" approaching me and making me feel extremely uncomfortable and scared when I expressed my concerns to the manager he said he needed to tell them who I was so they can "admit" to it . I was then harassed by the "security's" who kept circling around me and saying things and not letting me leave the bar as I was frightened and uncomfortable. I then asked the "manager" to please ask them to step away for me to leave the establishment and he didn't I had to step away when the employees weren't near the door as I was terrified because they kept making phone calls and getting near me . I would never recommend this place to anyone , as an la native who's been everywhere in LA this is the worse place I've been to . Please consider hiring a staff that can deescalate a situation and can make customers feel safe rather than scared and uncomfortable. I felt I was being held hostage the whole time while being here , cops were called but it took forever for them to come so there was no resolution. I am leaving this review in hopes other women will see it .

Never would go here after reading what happened, how disgusting. If you are apart of the community or support LGBTQ+ don't spend your money here.

Good food me gusta mucho ir al patrón porque siempre me atiendo muy bien y me complacen alo q quito de bebidas

I want to share my experience w/ this bar where my friends and I, some of whom are trans and non-binary, were harassed by the "security" staff for simply using the men's restroom. After being confronted and asked invasive, harmful questions about our identities, things escalated to threats of violence. They demanded $20 each from us or said they would fight us.The hatred toward the trans community was blatant and terrifying. We were treated with hostility simply for existing and trying to use a restroom where we felt safe. The actions of the security staff were not only transphobic but also dangerous, perpetuating a harmful environment that made us feel less than human. After this incident, I felt the need to leave a review to warn others and ensure the issue gets more visibility. These kinds of places must be held accountable for their actions. It's crucial that businesses respect all identities and create a safe environment for everyone, not one rooted in hatred.Please consider this as a warning for others, especially for trans and non-binary folks. This experience is one I'll never forget, and I hope this serves as a reminder that we must all stand against hatred toward the trans community.