The Gonzalez family left Colorado Springs, Colorado, in July 2015 and knew they were coming home to southeast Texas. However, Patron Azteca owner Arturo Gonzalez and his daughter, Jackie Gonzalez, toured a large number of different locations last summer before deciding to open a restaurant in Magnolia.

Jackie said her father moved to Texas 40 years ago and has always  considered it home.

“This is the first place he ever came to when he came from Mexico in 1976,” she said. “He was just ready to come back home.”

In Colorado Springs, Arturo owned a few franchised restaurants, Jackie said. However, in his 20 years in the restaurant industry, Arturo did not have a restaurant to call his own until he opened Patron Azteca in March in Magnolia.

Patron Azteca, located in the former space of Texas Beer Garden on FM 1488, serves Mexican cuisine and uses quality ingredients, said Jackie, who is also the restaurant’s general manager.

“We don’t put any lard in our beans, our tortillas don’t have any preservatives [and] we don’t marinate our meats,” she said. “A lot of love goes into picking all of our ingredients. Beans, rice, salsa—they’re all made fresh in the morning.”

Jose Gonzalez, Jackie’s older brother, is the restaurant’s only chef, allowing Arturo’s high standards for quality food to be met, Jackie said.

“There [are] no shortcuts taken,” she said. “[My dad] is really big on that.”

She said the most unique menu items include chile verde pork, lean pork braised in a green sauce; chile Colorado, beef simmered in a red sauce; Angus beef fajitas; and Patron Azteca’s tamales.

“These are some of the most important plates that are on our menu that I can say are on nobody else’s,” Jackie said.

Other menu items include salads, soups, chimichangas, enchiladas and burritos. The restaurant also offers a variety of margaritas and mixed drinks and features a bar, covered patio and an open dining room with TVs.

Jackie said her father chose to open a restaurant in Magnolia because of the people and the wide open spaces.

“The people, the calmness, the community—it just felt right. We looked at over 100 different places,” Jackie said. “From the moment we walked in, he just really, really liked it. We kind of got our heart set on it.”

From floor to ceiling, each member of the Gonzalez family helped bring the restaurant to life, Jackie said. Furniture pieces came from Mexico, and the outdoor patio tables were handmade by Arturo.

Once Arturo chose to name the restaurant Patron Azteca, Jackie said the design for the restaurant came together. However, it took a lot of work—from choosing the color scheme and designing the logo to repurposing rooms and building the dividers between seats.

“Every single thing in here we did,” Jackie said. “Every piece in here has something I can tell you about, so I guess that’s the magic for me.”

7214 FM 1488, Ste. 101, Magnolia 713-772-8766 www.facebook.com/patronaztecamagnolia Hours: Sun.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.