El Patio - CA 94702

Very cool place - plenty of seats by the bar and along with tables inside. One of those places without a server where you order ahead. Drinks and food are really well made with lots of flavors. Prices are reasonable and I will come here again for sure. They have a photo booth inside the restaurant which was a plus.

The pastor nachos are hands down the best nachos I’ve had. The Juan night in Bangkok drink is also delicious. Five stars just for those nachos.

Great cocktails, really really good chips and guacamole, delicious arepas. Reasonable prices *****3rd visit tonight, brought another group of friends and it did not disappoint! Soooo good*****

Update: I came back here and sampled what is now my favorite drink in the east bay, the RANCHERO, is now my first place adult-oriented superdrink in the east bay, with my other favorite drink here being the Arabian Knight served at Zaytoon on Solano. The Arepa, a Venezuelan-Colombian comfort food festival in a thick tortilla, with black beans, plantains, meat, onions and various other ingredients is a mind-blowing cross cultural experience disguised as a stuffed tortilla, but don't be fooled. This is Latin soul food, in West Berkeley. The Staff, K***** ( I never name staff without their permission), is a great mixologist, and the kitchen staff is on fire with their food. Great people, Great vibe, and great drinks, makes for a great night. I hate to share this place, but duty demands that I recommend this place for all east bay folks who like great food and drink, with no pretense and at a great price. Now, on to my full Mezcal Review: I didn't get a chance to try the food tonight, as I came in to do some serious drinking with a friend. That will be for later review. But I can say that the staff here is absolutely dynamite, and initiated me into the maze of Mezcal (Tequilia's deeper brother), with a couple of fantastic shots, and a house drink, called a "Tepe", named after the famous Mexican drink "Tepache", a low alcohol fermented pineapple and fruit drink, from pre-Columbian times loved by both the Maya and the Nahua The star of the night, was a shot of Bozal Pechuga Mezcal, made with Agave Cupreata (only on mountain slopes of the Rio Balsas basin) as a limited release from Mazatlan, Guerrero, and actually has a cooked chicken added to the second distillation, giving it an incredible flavor that I seriously had to stop and take in, as I had never tasted anything like that before. It was exotic, and rich, and for some reason reminded me of Charanda, a sugarcane liquor from the State of Michoacán, that I had one night that had been infused with the flavor of Carnitas. You might think that savory meat flavors and distilled alcohol do not go well together, but I'm sure someone at some point said the same thing about chocolate and peanut butter. Luckily for me I had good instructors tonight. Gian, Hamei, Stacy and the staff, are some of the nicest people I have met in the bar business, and the location, (a former notorious brothel from the 1960s where my mother worked), now has a back open-air deck, perfect for having a nice drink during a summer evening. I was told by the locals that the kitchen staff make incredible Venezuelan comfort food, (nearly impossible to find in the East Bay) and I'm definitely coming back to check it out, and to continue my education in the mysterious, magical, mercurial world, of Mexican Mezcal. I apologize for the lack of photos. I was too busy getting lit. Lol. Next time I promise! Piero

Best Mexican food near Berkeley! I went there with two of my girlfriends, and we sat at the patio, which had a pretty good vibe. The lady was super nice, and the food was VERY GOOD! All of us loved the food so much! The cocktail as pretty good as well.

Very friendly place, don't come in expecting you will be served though, we liked the donut yourself style for picking up utensils or water etc Food was very good, you have to try Guacamole and Salsa w home made chips - delicious We shared 2 arepas - one beef one chicken - they were good, chicken one could use some spice We had Tepa and Ranchero 64 (nice and spicy) Do come in - you will enjoy the food

This is an excellent pan-Latin America restaurant that has menu offerings ranging from Venezuela to Mexico. (Arepas, Empanadas, Tacos, and Latin plates). Excellent cocktails, food is made with care and not overly filled with grease or fillers, the setting is SUPER casual but the food comes with higher quality than I would have expected. Prices are very fair and you get a good deal for amazing food and cocktails. The restaurant has indoor seating, bar seating, and outdoor patio seating in the back. You order at the counter here then take a number and sit at your table. You are free to order more from the table as you please. The servers were friendly, the space was clean, and I never felt rushed to leave as I enjoyed my final cocktail. Highly recommended for the east Bay Area if you are someone who enjoys sit down Mexican food or Latin American food. 10/10 worth the trip to Berkeley. Great coffee places and little shops to see afterwards to burn off the alcohol!

Delicious food in a fun, casual atmosphere. El Patio has some unique dishes on offer, such as Elote Ribs, Mushroom Ceviche, and Duck Fat Fries. It's definitely not your typical Mexican restaurant, but definitely give them a try. It's a no frills place. You order at the bar, find your own table, and they'll bring your order to you. But that's part of the charm with this place. The staff is extremely friendly. It was a good experience overall.