Authentic Mexican family-owned drive-thru restaurant opens in Tyler

Published 5:40 am Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Shrimp dish at La Patrona Mexican Restaurant in Tyler.  

South Broadway is home to La Patrona, a new family-owned authentic Mexican drive-thru restaurant with a variety of unique platters.

Owner Eden Gutierrez runs the business with his wife Isabel and his sister Elsa. With roots from Guerrero, Mexico, the family is happy to open its doors at 2301 S. Broadway Ave., for the Tyler community, while finally making their dreams come true.

“We’ve always had that idea and dream to open a restaurant and we didn’t want to just open it but we wanted to do research on the market, costs and everything necessary to open it,” he said.

Gutierrez and his wife have been in Tyler for seven years and have been in the food business for many years beforehand serving in places such as El Paso, California and Mexico

Menu items of the newly established restaurant includes food from roots of the Mexican city Tierra Caliente. Gutierrez describes the restaurant as “real authentic” Mexican food.



“It has an authentic Mexican flavor, there’s no mix of Tex-Mex, it’s authentic Mexican food. We have unique food platters for customers that can’t be found in other places. We tried providing something new and new options for people to come in and want to taste,” he said.

Menu items include a variety of meat options such as beef, chicken, fajitas shrimp, fish filet and pork, Caldos (Mexican soups), menudo, pozole, tamales (red pork, chicken, and cheese) tacos, burritos, breakfast tacos and more.

Popular items include champurrado, a thick Mexican drink, mini pastor trompo dish, fish or shrimp ceviche with a unique recipe, shrimp platters with flavors in mango habanero, bbq, spicy, and regular, and also fresh made tortillas that can also be bought separate.

Customers can also enjoy beverage options of Mexican sodas and natural flavored fruit waters of horchata, cucumber with lime, pineapple, jamaica, and mango that vary on the day. Guitierrez mentioned that along with the food, waters are prepared fresh on an everyday basis for customers.

Customers who attend the restaurant are offered indoor seating, a patio, and there’s also a backroom available for private events, birthdays, or special events that are offered by reservation and can fit from 22 to 26 individuals.

Those who don’t want to get out of their vehicle can also call beforehand or order through the drive-thru windows available on the side of the restaurant.

The restaurant has been open since Nov. 21, and has received positive feedback, said Guitirriez.

“We feel good, we’ve had a good response and a lot of support from the community,” he said.

He also said customers can expect the restaurant to serve alcohol and beer soon and will see new platters to be added to the menu.

The restaurant will have an inauguration ceremony for the restaurant on Friday, Dec. 16 from 3 to 5 p.m., and he invites families and community members to attend. The event will have bounce houses, a DJ, and samples from some menu items.

La Patrona is located at 2301 S. Broadway Ave. in Tyler and it’s open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The number to call and make orders is (903)630-4750. For more information on the restaurant and to see a full menu go to La Patrona Mexican Restaurant on Facebook.