Promises unfulfilled

Despite occasionally sullen service, El Patron Bar & Grill offers some pleasurable surprises. The first is that a restaurant can survive here on this stretch of Folsom Boulevard—kitty-corner from the famed Famous Burger on 65th Street. One reason for its success appears to its proximity to Sacramento State, students of which form a respectable chunk of the joint’s clientele.

Nonetheless, on weekdays and weeknights the large back room is dark and empty. All the action is in the high-ceilinged, full-frontal windowness of El Patron’s bar area. And what a bar it is—expansive, mirror-backed and glass shelved, chock-a-block with tequilas of myriad stripe.

El Patron sets forth its culinary philosophy on its extensive menu. To quote El Patron: “South of the Border? Whatever. Why is it that a Mexican restaurant always has to present some kind of ‘just like Mexico!’ image? Here’s a concept: What about something original?” This seems like a sound approach, particularly since it would be near impossible to outdo Lalo’s Restaurant in replicating the tastes of the Distrito Federal, or El Abuelo when it comes to tortas.

That said, El Patron tries, offering both molcajete, one of its signature dishes and a Lalo’s standout, as well as tortas and gorditas. Its philosophy also leads to offerings such as Philly cheese burritos, burgers draped with poblano chilies and a pasta entree.

Such a stance also dangles the promise of more traditional Mexican entrees prepared outside the tomal, a traditional skillet used to, among other things, char the chilies for that nice smoky taste. That promise is kept, although unevenly. While panuchos de cochinita pibil is a common Yucatan dish, the chef brings some zest to the shredded pork marinated in lime and orange juice, which gives the mini tostadas a cooling, fruity tone that’s amplified by its topping of pickled red onions, queso, lettuce and, almost gratuitously, sour cream.

El Patron’s $14.99 molcajete—in its monstrous dish of volcanic rock—is tasty, particularly the al pastor spicy pork version. The bowl’s rim is draped with paper-thin flaps of zucchini, wilted scallions, avocado slices still in their skins and a mat of chewy nopales cactus. To the uninitiated, molcajete can seem like one of the dishes served at the bizzaro dinner in the second Indiana Jones movie. The bottom of the bowl is papered with slices of fatty pork skin. The green sauce rings a mound of rust orange ground pork. Unlike Lalo’s, this molcajete does not arrive bubbling madly and, like several El Patron dishes, seems less spicy than it should be.

The chorizo empapelado is wanting from the presentation standpoint. It is served hidden in a square of foil that sits starkly beside a spread of refried beans not hot enough to melt the chunks of queso scattered on it.

Opening the foil is a delight, however, because within is an idyllic taco filling of sausage, onions and tomatoes. Sprigs of cilantro are also inside, but they are difficult to chew and, after several attempts, end up being discarded. Costillitas, Mexican short ribs in short hand, is another more-than-enough-for-one meal. The tamarind salad, an attempt at healthier, less caloric intake that sounds spectacular when described in the menu but tastes more like chicken tenders positioned atop artsy coleslaw.

The complimentary chips are unremarkable; the smoky salsa provocative but not scalding. When asked, the servers bring a creamy green salsa that looks a bit like guacamole. Thinking it is leads to painful discovery of its habanero heat. Service is uneven. Natali, however, is spot-on about urging the ordering of the molcajete. The flavored lemonades are bright and brisk—especially with a splash of club soda. And on Taco Tuesday each is a buck is a cost-effective way of determining if El Patron’s take on carnitas is as memorable as claimed.