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Enjoy two of the most popular cuisines in Texas – Mexican food and Texas barbecue – at the newly opened El Patio!
Located in the Castle Hills “The Realm” mixed-use development (off 121 N headed toward the Lewisville/Carrollton area), El Patio opened up last fall in this area of Far North Dallas. The restaurant owner, Salvador Hernandez, hails from Guadalajara, Mexico and has a culinary career based in Texas. The El Patio concept was born to share his love for Texas barbecue and traditional Mexican food. Guests will experience both cultures from the menu, as well as a unique blend of both in several menu items.
El Patio offers a full bar – so they can whip up whatever you’re in the mood for! I recommend checking out their signature margarita (shown above) and their creative cocktails. Two that stood out to me were:
El Camino
Ilegal Mezcal – Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Benedictine – Orange Peel – Luxardo Cherry
Texas Patio Refresher
Titos Vodka – St. Germain Elderflower, Grapefruit Juice – Topo Chico
They have some great Happy Hour deals to check out Monday through Friday from 4-7 pm.
$5 rocks or Frozen Margaritas
$5 House Wine – $4 House Liquor
$3 Domestic Drafts
It’s not not a true Mexican meal with guacamole! The starter shown here is served with crispy ribeye chicharonnes.
The second starter we ordered was the Torre De Mariscos – a savory seafood tower. The tower was packed with white fish ceviche, boiled shrimp, octopus and cucumber-avocado relish. It’s topped with a drizzle of spicy lime-tequila glaze – Chef’s Kiss! I am not kidding when I say I plan to order this every time I visit El Patio!
As for entrees, the staff highly recommended the Trompo Al Pastor which serves two people. It’s a common, traditional find in parts of Mexico. The presentation was really neat with the box and a live flame inside it, plus a tower of your selected meat- pork, beef or a mini rotisserie chicken (and I chose chicken). Our waiter, tableside, carved the meat in pieces before we dug in. This dish is served with Mexican rice, refried beans, fresh tortillas made daily in the restaurant.
The price wasn’t bad for all that food for $22! Everything made for a fun little show with dinner.
Another popular item our waiter talked about is the CRB Enchiladas. Wrapped in corn tortillas, these three enchiladas were packed with roasted chicken a melt in your mouth Mexican cheese blend. The cilantro-sour cream sauce was the perfect topping on this dish. While normally served with Mexican rice and refried beans, I swapped the beans for Elotes (Mexican street corn) since I’m a huge fan of it.
I’m already eager to go back and order some of the barbecue entrees like the brisket sandwich or Dallas BBQ chicken sandwich!
When I heard El Patio serves up a mini dessert cart, I almost wanted to order this before my meal! Choose from any two: churros, cinnamon sugar sopapillas, chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Don’t miss taking a photo of the Instagrammable Mexican Traditional Paleta Cart!
El Patio is located at the Realm at Castle Hills: 4400 State Highway 121, Suite 140, Lewisville, TX 75056.
Check out their website and Facebook page for details on upcoming tequila dinners, weekend brunch and more.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a menu tasting, and all opinions are my own. Share your fave restaurant and takeout pics with us by tagging #dallasfoodnerd on Instagram.
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