El Patio | 425 Stony Point Rd Santa Rosa, CA 95401 | (707)-578-4757 | Most entrees under $10
5 of 5 Oak Leaves
Review
West Santa Rosa’s El Patio is sure to satisfy a variety of customers with its large menu and affordable prices.
El Patio offers all the Mexican-American classics, such as burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and nachos with the personal flavor of a family-owned restaurant. There are a variety of meat choices, but the carne asada, el pastor, and carnitas have a more unique flavor than the chicken, fish or shrimp. The carnitas is cooked with a crispy exterior making it an excellent choice for the fajitas plate.
Burritos are served with meat, cheese, beans and rice, or can be “supered,” which adds sour cream and guacamole. All burritos, even the chimichanga, have an option of a wheat or flour tortilla. The tacos come with different toppings depending on the meat, which makes each a different flavor experience. The carne asada and carnitas tacos are topped with guacamole while the al pastor tacos are topped with onion, cilantro and salsa and chicken tacos are topped with lettuce, cilantro and pico de gallo.
El Patio also has a selection of more healthy-minded dishes in its vegan “McDougall Menu,” dishes that use no grease, oil or lard for cooking. The veggie menu has items with cheese or sour cream, including a “low-carb burrito,” which substitutes rice and beans with steamed vegetables, or the “low-carb plate,” which substitutes lettuce for rice and beans.
El Patio offers eight breakfast burritos to choose from, served all day. Ingredients range from bacon, sausage and potato to chorizo, rice and beans.
The proportions of each dish are large. Two tacos fill up a plate and a burrito can be cut in half for two small meals instead of one. Only the heartiest of eaters will finish a chimichanga or fajitas plate in one sitting. Most dishes hold their flavor well for more than a day and are tasty served cold or reheated in the microwave.
A bag or two of chips from behind the counter and the red and green salsa are both “must tries.”
The Breakdown
| Category | What were we looking for? | Score out of 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging | Neat? Sustainable? Did they remember cutlery? Napkins? Condiments? | 5 |
| Hygiene | Was clerk wearing gloves? A mask? Both? Neither? What were the pick up and waiting areas like? Clean/neat? | 4 |
| Speed and accuracy | Food was on counter ready for pickup | 5 |
| Portion size | Was it filling or were you left wanting more? | 5 |
| Leftovers | Were there leftovers and, if so, did they reheat well? | 5 |
| Quality of Food | Freshness, quality of ingredients | 4 |
| Tastiness of Food | Flavor, spice and texture | 4 |
| Customer Service | Friendliness, responsiveness | 5 |
| Overall Rating | With 5 being a perfect score, this restaurant rated: | 5 |