We moved to New Orleans in 2014 and since then I’ve been on the hunt for tacos al pastor like the ones I frequently (like, three or four days a week, no exaggeration) enjoyed in Texas. (Specifically the areas in and around Austin, San Antonio and Houston.)
While New Orleans has beyond amazing food from countless cultures all over the world, the Tex-Mex and Mexican food scenes here have been just OK. This is despite a robust population of residents from all over Latin America. We’ve had some wins to be sure (I’m looking at you El Pavo Real and Taqueria Guerrero) and options continue to grow and improve, but the tacos al pastor of my heart and mind still alluded me until we popped into La Patrona recently for lunch.
The unassuming little restaurant next door to Cooter Brown’s sports bar had been on our “to-try” list for a bit and we took it as a great sign the day we ducked inside that smoke was actively billowing out of the huge smoker out front. The aromas were out of this world. Long story long, when I bit into the taco al pastor (in a housemade corn tortilla), I was instantly transported to every delicious Mexican and Tex-Mex joint I loved in Texas. Come to find out, the wife of the husband and wife owners is the chief cook and she hails from — drumroll, please — San Antonio, Texas.
Hallelujah, y’all.
I’m officially the happiest taco lover in New Orleans and if you want to go have lunch or dinner with me going forward expect my suggestion to be La Patrona.
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