El Patron (the patron) Mexican Restaurant in Mentor-on-the Lake, Ohio
I am so ecstatic that we FINALLY have another Mexican joint close to home. I love the food and am still hoping to find those flavors I remember from my three months in Mexico City in the early nineties. I know it has been a great deal of time and my tastebuds have probably dropped off a bit, but I still hold a hope that they can be found, the flavors as well as my tastebuds. Anyway, I found out about this place on Father's Day as I walked to Marc's and noticed a new sign reading, "Grand Opening." I had a horrible premonition that it would also be their "grand closing," as there were no cars in the lot. I walked in to get a take-out menu and no one was inside either. I was immediately saddened.
We finally were able to get things together and go on July 5th at about 6:30 in the evening. One of my perennial companions and fellow foodie was there as were her husband (the winner of the Osborne Pool clock contest in GN) and my Godson whom I am NEVER able to get to go anywhere with people. This was a coup before it began, so I was excited. When we arrived I was immediately impressed by a completely different vibe than it had when it was JD's Posthouse. I felt oddly more inviting and less warehouse-like. The colors and arrangement made it more comfortable. We were quickly greeted and seated with salsa and chips on the able within maybe 30 seconds, as it should be in a good Mexican spot. The menu was huge with countless combinations ranging from vegetarian to seafood to steak and chicken. There were also burgers for the less adventurous. Even having a menu for tow or three weeks prior it was difficult to determine what I wanted to get, AND, with my kid who is nervous in public, it was doubly difficult. Oh, I want to add that what the husband of the party liked was the fact that all of the differing food stuffs were explained in the menu so one did not have to just guess when ordering a chalupa (flat tortilla with beans, lettuce tomatoes and cheese).
We began with what was supposed to have been two orders of the queso fundido ( a white cheese dip with chorizo, spicy Mexican sausage, and a health sprinkling of cilantro. Honestly the cilantro was wasted on this dish as it did not add to the flavor. Only one came out but it is so full of fat that it was better that way ( I love the stuff, but it is SOOOOOoo bad for a healthy diet). Three of us decided to order from the "dinner menu" which allowed for a choice of three things. Maybe a chalupa and a tamale and burrito, or taco and chimichanga and taquito, or... you get the picture. I ordered a chicken enchilada, vegetarian burrito and tamale, while my kid ordered a beef taquito, chicken and beef burrito and tamale. The companions ordered one combination and a fajita quesadilla.
While waiting we dined on chips and salsa. I was thoroughly unimpressed with the salsa as it had very little flavor. Mostly tomato puree and a slight bit of heat, didn't detect any onions or garlic and absolutely no cilantro. I would say it needs a little work. When the food arrived one of the first things noticed was the fact that everything was not "swimming in gravy" as one person put it. I had to agree. The sauce was just a covering rather than the pool it often is, a bonus in my book. My tamale was excellent, done just as it should have been. The vegetarian burrito, again, excellent. The chicken enchilada was no quite as good. The chicken was much too dry, as was the pork in someone else's burrito, and the enchilada sauce tasted like everything else. The rice served with everything was as usual quite bland but that is the nature of the beast. Now on to the sauce. Although I did like the lesser amount, it was no more than a tomato sauce. In fact, it kept reminding me of tomato soup. The fajita quesadilla was raved about from the beginning, except for the onions of which there were too many according to the "husband."
Oh, there was one thing that was really not good. The server, dropped a straw, yes it was wrapped but still, then picked it up off the floor and put it on our table. Though the straw itself could not have gotten dirty, the dirt from the floor was put onto our table. That is something that should NEVER happen.
All in all, it was well worth the fifty dollars we spent in total. I would definitely go back and have already told other to do so. The wait staff was quite pleasant and on their game. I just hope there is enough business in this area to keep them open. There are few kinks they need to work out, but I think it is a good place to go, AND how many times have you seen a Mexican place that had healthy alternatives? I know I haven't. Good job. Keep working on it and I will be back.
We finally were able to get things together and go on July 5th at about 6:30 in the evening. One of my perennial companions and fellow foodie was there as were her husband (the winner of the Osborne Pool clock contest in GN) and my Godson whom I am NEVER able to get to go anywhere with people. This was a coup before it began, so I was excited. When we arrived I was immediately impressed by a completely different vibe than it had when it was JD's Posthouse. I felt oddly more inviting and less warehouse-like. The colors and arrangement made it more comfortable. We were quickly greeted and seated with salsa and chips on the able within maybe 30 seconds, as it should be in a good Mexican spot. The menu was huge with countless combinations ranging from vegetarian to seafood to steak and chicken. There were also burgers for the less adventurous. Even having a menu for tow or three weeks prior it was difficult to determine what I wanted to get, AND, with my kid who is nervous in public, it was doubly difficult. Oh, I want to add that what the husband of the party liked was the fact that all of the differing food stuffs were explained in the menu so one did not have to just guess when ordering a chalupa (flat tortilla with beans, lettuce tomatoes and cheese).
We began with what was supposed to have been two orders of the queso fundido ( a white cheese dip with chorizo, spicy Mexican sausage, and a health sprinkling of cilantro. Honestly the cilantro was wasted on this dish as it did not add to the flavor. Only one came out but it is so full of fat that it was better that way ( I love the stuff, but it is SOOOOOoo bad for a healthy diet). Three of us decided to order from the "dinner menu" which allowed for a choice of three things. Maybe a chalupa and a tamale and burrito, or taco and chimichanga and taquito, or... you get the picture. I ordered a chicken enchilada, vegetarian burrito and tamale, while my kid ordered a beef taquito, chicken and beef burrito and tamale. The companions ordered one combination and a fajita quesadilla.
While waiting we dined on chips and salsa. I was thoroughly unimpressed with the salsa as it had very little flavor. Mostly tomato puree and a slight bit of heat, didn't detect any onions or garlic and absolutely no cilantro. I would say it needs a little work. When the food arrived one of the first things noticed was the fact that everything was not "swimming in gravy" as one person put it. I had to agree. The sauce was just a covering rather than the pool it often is, a bonus in my book. My tamale was excellent, done just as it should have been. The vegetarian burrito, again, excellent. The chicken enchilada was no quite as good. The chicken was much too dry, as was the pork in someone else's burrito, and the enchilada sauce tasted like everything else. The rice served with everything was as usual quite bland but that is the nature of the beast. Now on to the sauce. Although I did like the lesser amount, it was no more than a tomato sauce. In fact, it kept reminding me of tomato soup. The fajita quesadilla was raved about from the beginning, except for the onions of which there were too many according to the "husband."
Oh, there was one thing that was really not good. The server, dropped a straw, yes it was wrapped but still, then picked it up off the floor and put it on our table. Though the straw itself could not have gotten dirty, the dirt from the floor was put onto our table. That is something that should NEVER happen.
All in all, it was well worth the fifty dollars we spent in total. I would definitely go back and have already told other to do so. The wait staff was quite pleasant and on their game. I just hope there is enough business in this area to keep them open. There are few kinks they need to work out, but I think it is a good place to go, AND how many times have you seen a Mexican place that had healthy alternatives? I know I haven't. Good job. Keep working on it and I will be back.
posted by johnathan e at 4:49 PM
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