El Patio

The portions were huge and so delicious. The menu offers so many choices at such a great price it was hard to choose just one. We got the carnitas tacos and carne asada burritos and enjoyed every bite. Can’t wait to come back for more

First, the prices they charged me were no listed properly on the menu. How hard is it to change prices on a menu? Secondly, the food was terrible. The mofongo tasted extremely weird, almost like it was cooked with burn oil. It had an after taste. I had a bad experience overall and unfortunately I won’t give it a second chance, I’m sure there are many more mofongo places in town.

THIS PLACE IS AWFUL! First off they weren’t welcoming or friendly. Secondly they decided to charge me more than the price that the two items I ordered were listed for on the menu, which is illegal by the way. When I asked why they overcharged me they fed me some total BS answer which made no flipping sense. Change your damn menu prices if you wanna charge more. It”s that simple. Next the meals I ordered, Mofongo con bistec encebollado and tostones con bistec encebollado, were cooked in oil that was so disgusting and rancid that after two bites I had a nasty after taste in my mouth that I could get rid of for about 45 minutes afterward even after eating half a Kind bar to cover it up. Needless to say that the aftertaste repulsed me soooo much I couldn’t take more than those two bites. I won’t be going back here as there’s definitely better Latin food all over Tampa.

Why 4 stars? Because this is the best mofongo I’ve found.
— — —
When the truck was called La Guaguita, I made a trip over and my mind was blown. It was the best mofongo I’d ever tried, and ever since my visit, I ordered mofongo any time I saw it on a menu. Unfortunately, it never lived up to my first experience.
I recently found out that Chef Sal (formerly of La Guaguita) was now cooking at El Patio. Maybe he’d been there for a while and I was just unaware… but I was at El Patio 24 hours after learning this information.
And yes sir, it delivered. I love it and can’t wait to return.

It’s like a Puerto Rican food bus parked in front of a Colombian bodega as a permanent fixture with wooden ramping built around it. Well, that’s exactly what it is. Unsure of it’s actual mobility, but it would do nicely at say the Ybor Cuban Sammich fest next week, and be able to hold it’s own. They’re doing something right to keep a steady flow of patrons after some rain. (there are picnic tables outside and nothing more) Might be chillable with some music outside, some overhead cover, or some cold beers, but for what it is, it’s pretty darn good. Que bueno!

I can only go 3 stars here until I try more items. I stopped in today just to try a little something. What I ordered was a jibarito de bistec. For $ 6 this thing was pretty big. The steak was a little tougher than I like on a sandwich, but the flavor was on point. They topped it off with grilled green peppers and onions, which excited the hell out of me for some reason. I think it’s better than the jibarito at El Mofongazo, and that’s saying a lot.