El Patron

El Patron will blow your mind. It just will.
If you want Mexican food, authentic, flavorful in a quaint, restaurant setting coupled with excellent, attentive service and reasonable prices, this is it! And to my knowledge the only place in the entire Lehigh valley that combines all these traits so successfully.
Usually, unless I pay more than 100 $ for a mean for two, I NEVER comment on the service or the ambience. For traditional, authentic ethnic cuisine, I usually care only for the taste, but I cannot help myself here. The ambience was a faux mexican village/​town. Nice clean tables and chairs, not too claustraubhobic. An extensive menu with enough options for everybody.
Before vegetarians complain, this is NOT a place for vegetarians, please go to salad works! I am so tired of people who come to eat Mexican food and complaining about limited vegetarian options.
Anyways, I digressed from my actual purpose here. To review my experience (5 till now) at El patron. The waitress is probably a family member of the owners. She was very helpful, very competent and makes excellent suggestions. We have had quite a few of their menu items. While you wait for their appetizers, you can enjoy nachos with home-​made, fresh salsa. They offer the usual tacos, sopes, tamales, enchiladas, fajitas etc along with some really authentic items like Molcajete (Grilled chicken, steak, chorrizos and shrimp cooked in ranchero sauce, with a cheese quessadilla), Pollo al mojo de ajo (marinated chicken in garlic sauce sauteed with sweet peppers and anejo cheese) and Mar Tierray aire (charcoal grilled sirloin, shrimp, achiote marinated chicken served with spicy tomato sauce).
They make their own tortillas and that absolutely accentuates most of their food. The tacos are absolutely perfect. Fresh, home made tortillas, perfectly seasoned meat, marinaded with delectable flavors, garnished with fresh cilantro. My personal favorite is the lingua (tongue) and the carne asada (marinated pork) taco.
I usually order an order of tamales with tacos for appetizers. The tamale is made fresh and to oder. Moist, well seasoned corn meal, steamed just right. I usually order pork tamales with a mix of their home made sauces (both red and green, just order two tamales and one each of the sauce). Their home made sauces are extraordinary. Their verde (green) sauce is milder and very fresh. A hint of citrus, explosion of cilantro and a mild heat of green peppers.
Their red sauce is richer, smoky and has a wonderful heat of jalapenos, paprika and ancho/​pasilla peppers.
Just try their molcajete. My favorite on their menu along with their Mar Tierray. It is served in a heavy, stone crucible. It may look a little intimidating, but the flavors are to die for. Moist, flavorful steak, perfectly seasoned, juicy chicken breast, 5 – 6 pieces of shrimp pieces and one grilled chorrizos cooked in a wonderful ranchero sauce (basically a very traditional mexican sauce and has many variations, their sauce is a flavorful, rich sauce with a mild heat in the background).
After their appetizers and mid-​way through their entrees you will be very, very full. Take my advice and pack the left-​overs and save space for their tres leches cake. It is made in house and is as good as I have ahd anywhere in Mexico and mexican neighborhoods in New York.
Overall, a gastronomical experience at El Patron will sate every culinary cravings you might have. A complete meal for two will rarely exceed 40 $.
In summary, the absolute best of Mexican food in the Lehigh valley (as good and sometimes better than places in Mexico) made fresh in a beautiful family owned restaurant. The food is authentic, un-​pretentious and does not compromise to cater for the American palate. Bravo! El patron you are the best in what you do and you deserve every accolade you get!

Definitely the most authentic Mexican food I’ve ever had in allentown. We shared the el patron nachos and I had the shrimp rancheros for my meal. Everything was perfect, homemade, and delicious! Byob.

El Patron is as authentic as it gets. Wonderful food and a lovely wait staff. We have enjoyed many delicious meals and they can serve gluten free if requested.

I wish the family that runs El Patron would adopt me so I could eat their incredible food every night. We had the chicken tamales (creamy and divine), soft tacos (the perfect size, and seasoned to perfection) a fajitas plate with chicken, steak and the best chorizo I’ve ever had, and what looked like 10 pounds of gooey goodness in the queso fundido. And our waitress? She’s the daughter of the owners and the sweetest, most attentive young woman you’d care to meet. We’re definitely going back. And we’re bringing friends next time.

Outstanding and attentive service. Very flavorful chicken taco. Guac has a bit too much onion for my tastes, but fried tortillas in tostadas were perfectly crisp. Would definitely return!

I ate dinner here for the first time this past Saturday with a friend. We were seated right away and our waitress was incredibly friendly. I ordered the traditional enchiladas with green sauce and they were delicious. There’s a Mexican restaurant around the corner from where I live in Coopersburg that charges a good amount more for the same dishes, so it’s safe to say I’ll be coming to El Patron more often. The ingredients are fresh, the dishes are reasonably priced, and the décor is nice. I recommend taking a trip to 7^th street to try this place or any of the other diverse restaurants.