Judson is strategically located near a number of fast-food restaurants. Among them are the two family-owned Mexican spots: El Sabrositos and El Patio. The pair of restaurants are very similar, located less than 300 feet away from each other. The close proximity has led locals to choose their preferred Mexican restaurant: the yellow building, or the-building-on-the-corner-behind-QT? With the help of my friend, senior Jade Gallardo, I set out to find the objectively best family-owned taco spot between the two.
To get an accurate comparison of each taco spot, we kept our order the same at both locations: horchata, a bean and cheese taco, a bacon and egg taco, and a chorizo and egg taco. We determined those items were the most commonly ordered, and would be used to test the flavors at each restaurant.
El Patio
El Patio is located on 805 South Seguin road, a small yellow building tucked beneath a tree. The spot doesn’t have a drive-thru, and houses fewer than 10 tables. The little restaurant may be hard to spot, but it packs tremendous flavor within its walls.
The restaurant opens at 6 a.m. and closes early at 3 p.m. With the help of a translator, the owner, simply known as Julia, said Judson High School students make a big difference in her family’s business. She also said she loved the restaurant because of the “good money” she makes working at El Patio.
The test order totaled at an affordable $9.51 with each taco under $2, and the horchata coming out to $3.12. The nine dollar order came with one green and red salsa, napkins and a straw. All three tacos arrived hot to the touch, wrapped in aluminum foil.
Every taco was impressive, but the truly outstanding taco was the chorizo and egg. The chorizo and egg took the cake for being the most flavorful and delicious taco of the three. The horchata was ice cold, sweet and tasted freshly made.
As of publication, El patio currently holds four stars on Yelp. Many reviewers described the food as “good,” “great,” and “delicious,” which accurately recounts our experience at the restaurant.
Overall, the food was phenomenal. The price and the flavor of El Patio makes it a hard contender to beat.
El Sabrositos
El Sabrositos opened its big yellow building on 9141 Farm to Market 1516 in April of 1999. The inside was clean and well-decorated, but quiet compared to the bustling drive-thru.
The test order came out to a higher total of $11.52. Shockingly, the prices of the individual tacos and horchata were not on the receipt.
The tacos arrived notably larger than El Patio’s, lukewarm with red and green salsa. Each taco was unfortunately mediocre and lacked flavor. The best thing about the entire order was the decadent horchata. Unlike El Patio, the horchata had a more refreshing concentrated cinnamon and condensed milk flavor.
The size of the restaurant, the convenience of the hours and the inclusion of a drive-thru makes it easy to stop by El Sabrositos. Journalism teacher Jillian Romero stated, “If it doesn’t have a drive-thru, then I most likely won’t go there.”
Final thoughts
Tacos are a food of convenience, hand-held and ready to grab and go in a hurry. If you don’t want to get out of your car and don’t mind spending an extra buck or two, El Sabrositos is your taco spot. If you enjoy flavorful, homecooked tasting tacos, stop by El Patio.
For Gallardo and I, El Patio won over our tastebuds and hearts. The welcoming atmosphere and tasty food is something that makes it the objectively best family-owned taco spot.