El Patron Mexican Grill and Cantina - Robertsdale, Alabama

Zach R.

This new restaurant, located behind the old (and frankly sad looking) El Rodeo in Robertsdale, has gotten off to an interesting start if my initial dining experience is anything to go by. The new place is much nicer both inside and out, decorated in bright colors and whites. It feels open and welcoming.

This area is overrun with Mexican restaurants of one type or another, but it's always nice to have another choice, especially one with a more expansive menu than just "tacos, burritos and enchiladas, oh my". They have all those things, but a lot more, too. And even the standard fare is offered with more choice of meats than just shrimp, chicken or steak. There's quail, al pastor, lengua and more!

July 2025 update: the restaurant is temporarily closed due to immigration raids.

My party tried a mix of new things and old favorites, and even one non-Mexican thing for the picky eaters out there.

I always give the mole poblano a shot at any new place. There are as many moles as there are old Mexican grandmas making it, and even the simplest ones seem to be really hard to get right. On the plus side, the mole here is good. But it is far from great... The only restaurant around here with a great mole so far is El Paisita in Loxley. This may be home made but is more likely to be from a mix. It's light on flavor (moles should all be a punch to the face with more flavors than your tongue can decipher) and smoothness (this one was slightly gritty).

One of my dining partners got the carne en su jugo, which is a soup that's completely new to me. It's diced steak and bacon with pintos, onions, cilantro and jalapenos. Served with tortillas, it's a hearty bowl of Jalisco, but again kind of light on flavor. Good, but not excellent. Still, I think it would be competitive with the more standard soups like caldo de res and menudo for a warm hug on a cold winter's day.

The picky eater picked the Gringo burger. It's as disappointing as you'd expect a hamburger to be at a Mexican restaurant, but should be good enough for unloved aunts and kids who don't know better. The beef patties were gristly and probably from frozen; the fries were flavorless and it comes with cheese even though it's not on the menu that way.

Sides were just okay. The rice was pretty decent, not too tomato-y and with a few bits of peas for color. The refried beans were very bland and boring. It's basically what you'll get at any Americanized Mexican restaurant, which is strange for a place like this with such an interesting, diverse menu.

Service was decent but not great, the same as the sweet tea. Our server was really sweet and friendly but was kind of scarce throughout the entire meal.

Overall, it was a mostly positive first impression. I'll definitely be back to try some other items, if for no other reason than they offer some things that you won't find at local stalwarts like El Paso or Pedro's up the road.

LUIS X.

Cheese dip was good as the guacamole but the seafood cheese dip was a disappointment.
Steak fajitas was no good at all and Aaguachile rojo was more onion that actual shrimp.
Service was slow, they were not busy at all

StayInFairhope C.

Super clean and fresh , brand New Mexican restaurant in Robertsdale , we loved the extensive menu which had so many different dishes , guaca pico time was outstanding we also loved the Burrito bowl , Brianna and Braxton made the best cocktails we have had in a long time… great new addition to Robertsdale

Lisa A.

The food was great! From the cheese dip, to the chicharones, to the tostada, to the wings, everything was fresh and flavorful. The only issue I had was with the server. He brought drinks, no straws. Getting his attention to get refills took a little bit, getting his attention to get boxes took a little bit. I know they've just opened and are having those new place issues. I'll definitely give them another try!

Lynne C.

The older place was better in the front. This was our first visit to the new business. Our food was above a fast food style place. Just the decor was very nice. We both felt the same way. Service was good.
Tip. Do not order a margarita unless you are willing to pay for all ice in the glass. We were disappointed to say the least.

Denise D.

Second time dining in at the new location since they’ve been open, and they’ve been consistent with great service and delicious food. Tonight we visited for Father’s Day dinner and even with it so busy our server (not sure of her name), but she was wonderful. 10/10 recommend.

Stephen B.

Best part of the visit was the drink. I don't think I've had a worse salsa ever. Cheese drip on the low end as well. The food pretty bad pretty bad. I've had better meals out of the back of a car.
Nice, beautiful, clean new restaurant.I expected a lot more.

Anonymous U.

Loud music, the food is way down hill, there is absolutely no service. The waitress came to the table, didn't write anything down, didn't bring everything we ordered, then disappeared. We never got a single drink or chip refill. We couldn't even escape until I went and found her sitting in a chair by the front door twirling her hair and laughing with her coworkers.