El Patio Mexican Restaurant in Waterford, Michigan has by far the fastest service ever at a sit-down Mexican restaurant. I literally walked in, was seated, had chips and salsa on my table, and drinks served before my husband came in from parking the car.

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Family owned, the staff is great. And they offer some very competitive prices too! I went during lunch time and the Lunch specials ranged from $4.50 to $5.25 for a full meal. Basically, you can get a burrito and a taco, and rice or beans all for $5.25. Plus, you get the complimentary homemade chips and salsa. I was surprised I could get made-to-order Mexican food for cheaper than I could get at Q-Doba and faster than I could get at McDonalds!

I typically judge the chips and salsa served at Mexican restaurants and the quality has me predicting what the food will be like once it's served. At El Patio, the chips and salsa were really good. The salsa was more pureed than chunky (just how I like it) and had a good spicy kick. The chips passed my chips test. Definitely a homemade taste and nothing commercial about it. I can never find a store bought chip that compares to the restaurant ones. Luckily, El Patio sells theirs by the small, medium, or large sized bags.

We started with the bean and cheese Nachos appetizer and it was a little on the low end in terms of quantity, but still tasty with a creamy white cheese sauce.

For an entree I had a chimichanga (topped with the same awesome white cheese sauce) a guacamole salad (a scoop of fresh guac atop a bed of lettuce and diced tomatoes) and rice all for $5.25. It was worth every penny.

El Patio is not an extravagant restaurant. It's completely casual and somewhat of a diner-style with a Mexican touch in its decor.

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Its atmosphere is suitable for anyone. We saw lots of families, kids, couples, and even some local officers out for a quick bite to eat. The menu is both expansive and affordable. El Patio features more than 20 dinnertime combo plate choices for $7.75. They have an extensive kid's menu where dishes are only $3.85.

They have Cholula Hot Sauce at each table (if you haven't tried Cholula yet, you'd be surprised how it can accent a dish), along with another hot salsa sauce option, Tapatio.

The El Patio Waterford location does not serve alcohol, but the Farmington Hills location has a full bar.

El Patio Mexican Restaurant has three locations:
7622 Highland Road
Waterford, Michigan 48327
(248) 666-5231

36083 Plymouth Rd.
Livonia, Michigan 48150
734-525-7626

39241 Grand River Ave.
Farmington Hills, Michigan 48335
248-471-9590

El Patio Mexican Restaurant hours:
Mon - Thur 11am-10pm
Fri 11am-11pm
Sat 11am-10:30pm
Sun 12pm-10pm

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