Hacienda El Patron — Restaurant in Fredericksburg

We have been here several times prior- initially when it opened and even for a few weeks after the food came out super hot, excellent portion sizes, and delicious. Unfortunately, Customer service seems to be declining and food quality. I hope the owners see this and address these issues because we have a ton of options of other Mexican restaurants in our area.

The chips and salsa is amazing. I love it. They are a little stingy with the salsa and chips tho- filled up about half way. Regardless- still thankful for free chips and salsa so not complaining but making it known considering that is a staple at most if not all competitors.

I love that we were able to get seated fairly quickly. Even when it was busy. Unfortunately our server forgot about our food because she was serving a party for a birthday. ( more people typically means more tip). This made me a little sad that my food took forever to come out and when she came by and said oh you still haven’t got your food- I forgot. I understand that. Serving can be super challenging. However the food came out cold and mediocre. Nothing worse than cold beans- cold Mexican food. The T-bone steak was just ok. It had random French fries on it- with shrimp and a sauce. I don’t think it was supposed. To have French fries on it??? That was a little disgusting to be honest and made me wonder what else was going on with quality control. The fiesta enchiladas is personally my fave- however it too was cold. We didn’t bring this up because clearly our server knew it had been siting out as she admitted she forgot and was surprised none else brought it to us.

House margaritas are $10.99. A little pricey I think and taste was just ok.

Overall I have been to this place when it was at its best. I raved about it. But the last three times, there was constant decline. Sadly. I keep going back because I do love supporting local small biz and I know its potential. Unfortunately, service and quality is steadily going downhill.

I’ve been at lunch and dinner.

Overall. Love the environment. Beautiful authentic Mexican decor and happy vibes. Can get loud when there are various birthdays tho. It’s great for the person celebrating. We chimed in and sang - as did other diners. But one after another after another takes away the vibe for me.

This had easily become my fave Mexican rest in the area- but that is no longer the case for me and I will probably go back to Mi Rancho as that is where we am enjoyed prior. Customer service, saying hello, goodbye and not being ignored makes a difference in where I spend my money. And of course, hot...

My wife and I have eaten here a few times, and the food was fine and the service was good those times, which is why I gave those things good marks. But we didn't eat at all this time. We had to leave before we even got our drinks.

When we got to the restaurant this Sunday evening, there was a Mariachi band playing a birthday song for a family. It was loud...like, really loud. But we figured, OK, it's a birthday song, and Mariachi is on brand, so fine; we'll just wait until it's over, and then we'll be able to have a quiet dinner.

Nope. As soon as the birthday song was over, they went into another. And then another. And it looked like they were going from table to table...and they were heading our way. During all of this, our server tried to take our drink orders, and even with her leaning over our table and us screaming at the top of our lungs, she could barely hear us.

As the band came closer and closer, and the music got louder and louder, we realized that not only was the kind of music absurdly loud for such a small space (a trumpet three feet from your ear is insanely loud)...not only was it naturally loud...they had amplification. They had portable, amplified speakers that were making the already-too-loud music even louder.

When we realized that the evening was going to do nothing but get louder than it already was as the band got closer and closer to us, my wife and I agreed (using hand signals, because there was no talking that was going to work) that we had to go.

I had to scream to our server to get her attention to let her know (again, using hand signals) to not bother making our drinks, because we were leaving.

On the way out the door, I motioned to the hostess that we had to go because it was too loud, and she mouthed "I'm so sorry".

It certainly wasn't her fault, nor was it our server's. But our experience was bad enough that I don't know if we'll ever...

We went to Hacienda El Patrón this past Sunday to celebrate the birthday of one of my closest friends. Our party of 20 was seated with ease — several tables pushed together right in the middle of the main floor. The place was lively, and with multiple large groups dining around us, it was clear this restaurant is a go-to spot for celebrations.

From the moment I walked in, I was struck by how vibrant and fun the atmosphere was. You can tell someone put real thought into every decorative detail — it all felt carefully chosen to create the perfect vibe.

Our server was fantastic — sweet, attentive, and handling multiple big parties like a pro. The drink menu was extensive, with tons of margaritas and cocktails to choose from. I landed on the Peach Clawrita, and let me tell you… it might be one of the best drinks I’ve ever had in my life! 😂 I ended up ordering a second because it was that good. I’m absolutely coming back just for drinks soon.

As usual, my boyfriend and I started with cheese dip, chips, and salsa, and it did not disappoint. For our entrées, we both ordered fajitas, while my little one enjoyed a kids’ chicken quesadilla — everything was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked.

For dessert, I got my son the berry tacos, and they were gone within seconds (the kids loved them!). I also ordered churros to go, which reheated beautifully at home. They were filled with apples — I’m not sure if that’s standard, but it was a sweet surprise and absolutely delicious.

If I had one small complaint, it would be the noise level. At times it was very loud, making it hard to talk to anyone more than a seat away. That said, the mariachi band was phenomenal and added such an authentic, festive touch that it completely elevated the experience.

All in all, Hacienda El Patrón is the perfect spot to celebrate with great food, strong drinks, and lively energy. I’ll...