Patron Mexican Restaurant faces scrutiny after customer’s shocking encounter; past health violations resurface amid safety concerns.
Sandston, Virginia, April 27:
A Virginia woman’s casual night out turned into a nightmare after she discovered a baby snake inside her margarita at a local Mexican restaurant.
Carletta Andrews visited the Patron Mexican Restaurant and Cantina in Sandston with her husband on April 16, hoping for a relaxing evening. However, things took a bizarre turn at the end of their meal.
“I leaned in to take a sip, and I noticed something hit me in the forehead,” Andrews told 8 News. “When I turned around, I saw the snake in my margarita,” she recalled, describing how the reptile moved and wrapped itself around her straw.
Restaurant workers attempted to remove the snake using a stick, but it was another customer who finally managed to take it outside.
“I left shaking. I was traumatized,” Andrews said, adding that although staff offered to move her to another seat, she chose to leave the establishment instead.
Andrews voiced fears that the baby snake might indicate more reptiles could be lurking in the restaurant. “Is the mom there?” she wondered aloud.
The restaurant’s owner told 8 News that the snake likely entered through an air conditioning unit and admitted that no additional precautions were being taken to prevent a similar incident.
Further compounding concerns, 8 News reviewed health inspection records from December 2024, which revealed several violations at the restaurant, including mold, broken handles, and a missing ceiling tile — although these were corrected within a week.
Patron Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, which operates locations in Sandston and Chester, has yet to respond to requests for comment.