El Patio Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Sahuarita

Great Food and Staff We visited on a Saturday evening at about 5:00. We had about a 15 minute wait which is no surprise for a Saturday night. We have been here before and it is one of our favorites for Mexican food. Complimentary chips and salsa are brought to the table right away. Diners have a choice of mild or spicy salsas. Both are very flavorful and the spicy does have a bit of heat. They have a full bar with several reasonably priced beers on tap and diners near us were really enjoying their Cadillac Margaritas being made to order by a very personable bartender. My wife ordered her favorite Garlic Shrimp dinner. 6 large shrimp and vegetables in a tomato butter garlic sauce that is to die for, served with rice, refried beans and warm tortillas on the side. I opted for the Menudo which is typically only available in Mexican restaurants on weekends as it takes a long time to make. I wasn't sure if I've ever had it before so they gladly gave me a sample to try and I liked it. The 'meat' in Menudo is tripe. Tripe is animal stomach lining and is light in flavor and tender having cooked for a long time. The broth is light, red from chilies - not spicy and contains hominy (corn). The menudo is brought to the table in a bowl with a side plate of chopped onion, cilantro, lime wedges and a shaker of oregano. Instead of tortillas, it is accompanied with bolillo, a grill toasted buttered bread with a somewhat crunchy outside and soft inside. The menudo exploded with flavor after I added a few shakes of oregano, squeezed in a couple lime wedges and added all of the onions and cilantro. The bread adds a little tasty textural factor to the meal. Both meals were 5-star and for as busy as the restaurant was, service by the staff is attentive...

This is a Mexican restaurant that impressed me for the following reasons:

1. One of the few Mexican restaurants in Green Valley open on Sun.
2. Server had a big group of 10 people, but still managed to give my table of 2 excellent service. RARE FIND. Wish I could remember servers name. It started with a K. Name tag would have been helpful. BIG thank you to our server. She gets it!
3. BEST tasting margarita I've had in years and NOT stupid expensive. I'm not a drinker, but would make the 45 min trip back for this alone it was so perfect.
4. They offer both MILD and SPICY salsa with your low salt homemade chips (chips were excellent) upon being seated. First time I've had mild salsa offered to me without having to ask.
5. Flan... thick, creamy, and dense, with lovely caramel accent. The personnel that make this truly know what they're doing.
6. Meal was excellent for both of us.
7. Interior is warm and inviting. Very cute.

Why am I telling you this and risking lines out the door when we visit? Because we are rarely in the Green Valley area (after this visit that might have to change!). NOTE: All tables were full on a Sun at dinner time. You can tell this place is popular for...

This review is for the service we received tonight. We’ve come here quite a bit and it’s always been great food and fast service, which is the best when you have a baby that doesn’t want to sit in the high chair very long. Tonight however we were seated and it took almost 10 minutes to come take our order (the waitress even apologized for how long it a wait it was). We then waited for a ridiculous amount of time for our food (to which she also apologized). In that time two separate tables were seated and ordered and received their food at almost the exact same time. After finishing our meal we waited for over 10 minutes for her to come bring our box and check. I had to get up and find her (she was behind the bar drying glasses) just so we could pay and leave. I was so unhappy I called the restaurant, after leaving, to speak to the manager about our experience and told him we wouldn’t be coming back or recommending them to anyone anymore. He said he’d talk to her and hopes we come back.. without offering any sort of compensation or a free dessert or meal? No thanks. We will take our...