Spice Up Your Taste Buds at El Patrón Tequilería & Cuisine

Mexico City-born Luis Escudero grew up eating nopal — paddle cactus — prepared on the grill, served in salads or stuffed in tacos. Try Taco Nopal ($5) at his El Patrón Tequilería & Cuisine restaurant, which opened in downtown Akron in 2021.

“A lot of the things we showcase on our menu are like recipes that my mother has developed, things that we would eat at home growing up,” says Escudero, who came to the U.S. at 5 years old and grew up in Wadsworth. “I wanted to develop a menu that stood out, that was different, that brought that traditional street flavor in a more modern and upscale environment.”

One of over 20 street tacos offered, Taco Nopal starts with paddle cactus, de-spined and pickled in vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt and a house Mexican spice blend. Grilled and salted, it’s served on a sweet yellow corn scratch-made El Milagro tortilla and garnished with pico de gallo — crafted with diced onions, cilantro, tomatoes and serrano peppers — as well as crumbly dry-aged cotija. “It’s a sharper cheese, and it complements some of those char notes off the grill,” he says. “That smoke complements that same flavor profile, sharper flavors, with some acidity … and citrus notes in the nopal as well as that fresh crunchy texture from the pico de gallo.”

El Patrón highlights seafood influences in Mexican cuisine through other dishes, such as Taco Langosta ($10).

Maine lobster is poached on the grill, buttered and seasoned with house Mexican spices, salt, pepper, garlic and paprika. It’s topped with avocado, cilantro, onions, cotija, chicharron pork rinds and red chile crema — made of habanero peppers, sour cream and chile de arbol, it packs some heat.

“That pork rind gets crumbled, and it gives it this crunchy, salty texture to that buttery poached lobster,” Escudero says. “It’s a very rich taco.”

Escudero is Tequila Regulatory Council certified, serving over 120 varieties of tequila and mezcal at El Patrón. Pair Taco Nopal with the equally smoky Código 1530 mezcal and the decadent Taco Langosta with smooth, buttery Ocho Reposado tequila.

Add a unique side of agave berry guacamole ($6.50-$13). The avocado, onion, garlic and cilantro base gets a sweet boost from raspberry, blackberry and blueberry compote, made with agave syrup. It’s another surprising discovery that makes El Patrón distinct.

“Being able to showcase my culture, food and tequila,” Escudero says, “and bring a different approach to the Mexican culinary experience is our main goal.”

54 E. Mill St., Akron, 234-231-1665, elpatrontequileria.com