As you travel to down town Eau Claire you notice the smaller streets, the stores all crowded and packed together, and more of an abundance of college age kids all around. As you turn down the ever so infamous Water Street, a little ways down the block you come to this small little restaurant called “El Patio.” With its convenient location and Mexican theme you’re sure to experience a different culture fiesta right here in Eau Claire.
As the name suggests, you get the Mexican feel right from the start. With its open atmosphere, wrap around store front windows and the antique wooden furniture, make the indoors feel like the outdoors as well. Ever since this tiny place has opened on Water St., it has given college students and the after work crowds a chance to experience a new culture right in the heart of Eau Claire. As you walk in you notice the mosaic tiled floors, and the textured and exuberant peach colored walls, making you feel like you have just walked into a restaurant in Mexico. The wait staff is very enthusiastic, greeting you in Spanish and joking with you, giving you a welcoming feeling. As you are seated you hear the Mexican music playing in the background, making images of “fiestas y bailes” pop into your head. Before you even begin to look at menus you are offered the best tortilla chips with salsa that you will ever have! Just to get an idea of what I am talking about, a few of my table mates mentioned “These are so addicting!!!” Having to get 6 baskets of the chips I would have to agree with them. If you are not quite sure what you want or what something is, the waiters may offer some of their favorite dishes and give a good explanation of how the food comes prepared. So, no worries about language difficulties here, though with the Spanish accents you do seem to get lost in the culture shock of it all.
Having arrived at 5:30 p.m. we were able to beat the 6 o’ clock rush. The place soon became bustling with people of different ethnicities including some Spanish speakers which I thought was nice because it is a place where all people can go and feel welcomed and even give a sense of home for some people. As we took our order, I felt like trying something I have never had before, so I got the Enchiladas El Patio. This simple yet flavorful dish is a Mexican favorite. It is three enchiladas, one beef, one chicken and one with cheese, served with a side dish of rice and also comes with lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and sour cream.
Even with the 6 o’ clock rush the wait staff still remained fast and efficient, even though they only had two people waiting on tables. With about a twenty minute wait, we soon had our Mexican home-style dishes. The smell of spicy flavors soon hit our noses and we were ready to dig in. My enchiladas were drizzled with a mild spicy red sauce that gave them a little bit of a kick, and then on top, they were covered with melted cheeses. Just looking at this made my mouth water. The Mexican rice was placed neatly to the side of the enchiladas with the lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream all placed next to that in a pile. As I was digging in, I tried each of the three enchiladas each one with its own unique flavor. The beef and the cheese enchiladas were by far the best, especially when mixed with the lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. The chicken was a little sketchy; having a sense it was the leftover chicken parts didn’t really satisfy my tastes. The Mexican rice was probably some of the best rice I have had in a long time; it wasn’t hard like most places have. It was soft chewy and you could tell it was cooked at the right temp. Having had a few chips first, along with my filled plate full of food, I finished my meal with a satisfied stomach.
Overall, this small Mexican restaurant gives you a warm greeting with a full stomach in the end. The service was good, but it was a little bit chilly in the restaurant throughout the meal, which surprised me because you’re suppose to get the whole Mexican adventure, which I thought it was warm in Mexico, but since we were in the single digits that evening that probably didn’t help the fact. The pricing I thought was very reasonable for getting a good version of a Mexican home-style dish in the Mid-West area. So in all, I would rate the restaurant with three stars. Being able to get an authentic Mexican dish for a reasonable price with good service is hard to find in the Midwest. But the El Patio of Eau Claire does just that for those of you who like to try new things and also experience what a different culture is like. So I would highly recommend stopping in some time to experience a new culture and try out some great Mexican food.
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