La Patrona Mexican Kitchen — Restaurant in Murrieta

Rarely do I follow up with a business' poor service but I’m at the point where I feel “enough is enough”. I usually just figure its a "bad day" and let it go. However... last Tuesday (May 9th), I called for a quote for a la carte tacos “to go” expressly for Mother’s Day. After a brief hold, I was given their “Taco Tuesday” price of $1.99 each. I re-iterated that I needed the regular price as I would be placing an order for Mother’s Day and would be picking up the order. The updated price was $2.50 each. I had just called a competitor and was quoted the same price. We are regular customers of Carnitas Express so I placed our order with them on Thursday the 11th. The total was quite a bit higher than I had anticipated so I questioned the gal working at the counter. She said the price per taco was $3.45 each. I told her I had been initially quoted $1.99 but then $2.50 and now it was $3.45? All she could say is that prices “went up” and shrugged her shoulders. Honestly, I had an inclination to cancel but let it go because I was already there and we are frequent patrons. However, my irritation set in and I called Friday evening about 9 pm and explained why I was upset. Just prior to making the call I had looked on their website and noticed a fourth price of $2.95 for a la carte tacos. She said they were now closed (btw, the website says they are open until 10 pm) and that there was nothing she could do and that the price is $3.45 per taco. I asked to speak to the manager or owner – someone else to discuss this with. After a brief hold the shift manager came on. She also said there was “nothing she could do”. I asked who else I could talk to even if it was the next day – perhaps another manager? Owner? Or? I was told the owner would not be in the entire weekend but that another shift leader would be in the next morning about 8:30 – followed by “they wouldn’t be able to help either”. See where this was going??? I did not go in on Saturday as it would have been a waste of my time. Now fast forward to Sunday. Our pick-up time was 2:00. My husband and son in law arrived at the restaurant about 2:00 plus or minus 5 minutes. Personnel could not even find our order much less it not being ready!!! My husband said they eventually found "our order" on their computer but it was actually a completely different order for a completely different party. So, he told her what the order was supposed to be. Luckily, I had given my husband the paid receipt. Magically they “found it” and said it would be prepared immediately and be ready in about 10 minutes. 45 minutes later it is FINALLY ready!! In the mean time I have hungry adults and grandchildren waiting at home. This was not a huge order – 20 tacos and salsa – that’s it! Keep in mind there was never any apology. No offer for a price adjustment, no anything. My husband said the restaurant was somewhat busy. However, there were empty tables and only 2 parties waiting in the lobby area. Its not like the restaurant was slammed. We have been patronizing this restaurant since it opened – quite a while. Sometimes we go once a week. The food is good and the service is usually at least decent even when it is busy. I am not happy at all. I need to cool off before I even think about returning and for sure will not be ordering for a large party. We felt like we were a “nuisance” both on the phone and in person when attempting to pick up the order. That is in addition to the price discrepancy and getting 3 different prices for tacos (actually 4 if I count the website)! I realize we are just one couple, but still. No one could help? No one was even willing to talk about a price adjustment? 45-minute wait for a lost order? No apology whatsoever? Poor service all around. Very irritating and very...

Got seated and recieved our food in a good time. This place has a salsa bar, but the waitress said not to worry about getting our own because I was there with 2 toddlers. She told us repeatedly time and again that she was going to bring us salsa and it never happened. After realizing it was not going to happen, I got my own, no big deal. I thought it was because they were busy so I looked around and seen 1 group of 8, and a few other small groups of 2 and 3. So, they weren't really busy. I then had to wait for my waitress to come around again for a refill, which I did eventually get. After finishing my extremely dry, and flavorless carnitas plate, I sat there for 15 minutes waiting on my waitress to bring me my ticket. She looked at me several times but kept at the table of 8. She even told me several times,"I'll be right with you." I guess she was looking for what she thought would be a bigger tip or maybe she just wasn't that experienced. I then got up with my 2 children and went and waited by the front desk, hoping that someone else may take time out of their life to assist me. After several waitresses walked by, and 10 minutes later, a lady finally came and asked me if I just wanted my ticket. I said yes, and that it is sad that I had to wait over 20 minutes to leave. She said sorry, handed me my receipts with an ink pen, and walked away. Would have liked to talked to a manager, but didn't think that waiting another 25 minutes with young children justified...

I got really bad diarrhea after I ate here. The place is really dirty too, I don't think they prioritize cleanliness here.

The food is sub par. Costco quality ingredients, probably shipped in fresh every couple weeks.

The crowd is typical Murrieta tattooed white trash. I came in just before 10 A.M. and there were several obnoxious tattooed white trash families hooting and hollering, slamming down margaritas in front of their kids like they were at a dive bar. It was very sad to see, even more so knowing that they were going to drive home drunk with their innocent childrens lives at risk.

It's obvious this place caters to poor trashy people who want to get drunk and eat cheap. I really think it's irresponsible to be serving alcohol before noon however. It's even more irresponsible to be double fisting margaritas in front of your kids before 10 A.M. It ought to be illegal.

This place is probably so popular because it's cheap. But it's not doing the city any good to allow these tattooed hillbillies to get wasted in front of their kids at 10 in the morning.

Needless to say, I won't be back here ever. But most restaurants in this area are pretty much the same cheap, dirty, trashy greasy spoons trying to appear upscale, so you're really limited if you want to have a nice experience and quality food.

And I'll never understand why Murrieta seems to be a mecca for loud obnoxious tattooed...