El Patio Taqueria

It was our family’s first time there. Sadly, it was not very good at all. I ordered chicken fajitas which weren’t terrible but I got sour cream which was rotten. She offered to bring more out but I wasn’t feeling it, so I just got rice. I’m also pregnant so biting into completely rotten sour cream was awful. The waitress wasn’t rude or anything but also the fact we were charged full price wasn’t good. My oldest son also said his beans and burrito tasted «funny» I wouldn’t recommend them.

Food lack flavor and spice, soda was water downed and flat, never got the flour tortillas that came with the meal. Chips were stale and salsa did not have any kick or flavor– more like water down tomato purée. The air freshener from the bathroom was over powering and spilled out into the dining area. Just say no and don’t waste your hard earned money to a business that takes no pride in what they do and don’t care about what they serve their customers.

I would give zero stars if possible! Messed up multiple times on our meals. Over priced! 2.25 for a small side of sour cream and 4.50 for small side of guacamole. Sub-​par food. Don’t waste your time. Go elsewhere.

Fresh chips and salsa — with lots of kick!
Orchata, despite it looking like it came from a mix, awesome!
Tacos tasted phenomenal! Fresh everything (minus the tortillas but they didn’t taste stale)
Price is average but from the basic dishes it’s well worth it.

I went there tonight and the worst food ever. The service wasn’t that great. My kids sodas were flat. The meat in my taco and enchilada was bland and just tasted like hamburger. I asked for chips and salsa and took forever to get. Bad food, not so great service and for the quality it was way over priced. Never go there.

Discovered this place over two years ago and this establishment has gone downhill dramatically. After two subpar visits, my wife coaxed me into giving this hole in the wall joint one final chance. After only 20 minutes we both made up our minds and wanted to leave immediately. I ordered two beef burritos with no rice all beans and wound up getting rice anyway. Maybe if the waiter actually used a pen and pad he would have gotten the order right even if there were no people in the restaurant. On top of all of that the meat was not seasoned and extremely bland.
My wife received some very disgusting guacamole; we both took a bite and detested it. My wife asked the waiter to take it away and was told the following «I still have to charge you for it.» I don’t mind paying for something we ordered, but what a way to respond to an unhappy customer.
Lastly my son avoided his chicken taco, I took one bite and what a surprise! Unseasoned dry chicken! This place is a joke, don’t even bother eating here! Please save your money, unless you want to spend $ 40 on weak food. You’ve been warned.

Eh… sorry to say but there is nothing special about this place.
The chips and salsa needed work right off the bat. The salsa was bland. I actually added some salt to it. It was also too spicy. My young child could not eat it because it was too hot (spicy).
I ordered chicken chimichanga. Like the salsa it was sort of bland. Not a lot of flavor… same with the rice and beans.
The guacamole was delicious though. It seemed to be fresh.
The place is pretty run down and kind of dirty. I was a little nervous really to eat the food.
The staff were really nice though and the food did come out quickly. However, I don’t really think I will return.

I stopped in around 5:30. The place was empty, which should have been my first clue. The food was over priced and not very good.

I had the 2 taco combination, one beef and the other chicken (neither had seasoning in the meat). I always like Mexican food that comes out on a plate to hot to touch. The salsa was good and gave taste to the tacos. I would go back and give it another chance.

Stopped in here on our way back from Rainier. Service was friendly and nice but the food was flavorless and under seasoned. The salsa has a kick to it and they have this house made hot sauce that was the savior to the enchiladas.

El Patio is really close to our house, and we have a few Mexican restaurants to choose from… between El Patio, El Toro, Hidalgo, etc. I have been to El Toro quiet a few times and I have never had good service, and the food has been very «American», same with Hidalgo. My wife and I go to Mexico a couple of times a year, and we really enjoy the authentic Mexican food… El Patio, although small, has wonderful food with a really authentic feel. Their restaurant is small and personable, and the staff is always very friendly. Their food is phenomenal, and I wouldn’t recommend any other place in Spanaway, in fact this is the best Mexican I have had since my dad worked at Casa Lupita on Lake Union years ago. Today I had the Guadalara tacos, and they were a-​maz-​ing… really. You’d think I worked for El Patio, but I don’t… lol :).
So do yourself a favor, and the next time you want Mexican food that really tastes and feels like authentic Mexican, go to El Patio. It’s those small little hole in the wall restaurants that really make you love food, and this is my favorite. Someone left a one star review, and I read it… and that kind of stuff can happen, but today I went in… I dealt with the manager, he was REALLY friendly and the food was awesome. Give it a shot, you’ll really enjoy yourself. :)
Joe

My wife’s chicken was dry and so was my carne asada. If your idea of a decent dining experience is overcooked food with way too much cheese on it and lousy service, then this is the place for you!
The chips were good and so was the salsa, we would have asked for more, but the waitress disappeared after taking our order. It’s not like they were busy either, it was just us and one other couple in there. What a mistake it was for us to stop in here for lunch. The empty parking lot should have told me to keep going.

We are at the Sprinker Rec in Spanaway for a softball tournament. We just won our 4.00 game and were scheduled to play again at 9pm. A steady rain started to drip. As we were waiting for our game for 3 hours the team began complaining that they were hungry. One of the guys mentioned there was a pizza hut just up the road to dine in. We all jump in our vehicles and proceed to create a caravan of cars. Long and behold it’s only a delivery we cannot sit down. Our mexican friend takes the lead and says to follow me. We go further up the road and turn into this joint.
We fill their parking lot with cars and a army of straggly ballers enter the establishment. They make us a large table to fit our group. Everyone starts ordering beer. modelos, pacifico, dos equis… and the chips and salsa. My friend talks to them in spanish. Next thing you know it we have plates of refried beans, with cheese, and peppers. Grab some chips and start scooping. You don’t hear anything but crunchy sounds. Everyone places their orders. I see an old staple Menudo with hominy. Bam some chicken tacos. And we are all set. As we wait for our meals. Feedback from the games start flowing through the table. I love this part where we comment, make fun, and try to correct each others mistakes.
We laugh, we apologize, we all have a good time.
One by one all our dishes arrive. You can see everyone’s eyes light up. A hot home cooked meal by someones grandmother in the back. Carlos our waiter was very attentive. All you hear is mmmm, ohhh, more lime por favor. When we were done everyone plates were licked clean. I drank my soup from the big phở bowl and wiped out the tacos. This hit the spot for everyone. I didn’t think any one could play after this. AS we watched cops on the TV in the back of us. The phone rang and the games were being called because of RAIN. So we relaxed for a little bit asked for our checks. And my bill came to a whopping $ 12 with tip. How can you beat that…
We all packed into our cars and headed home. A wonderful day indeed.