Nobody makes food quite like mom.

“This is authentic Mexican food. I don’t have any recipe. I just cook.  I don’t know.”

And nobody cooks authentic Mexican food quite like Mirna Cazares’ mom, Maria.

“She doesn’t follow recipes.  I think it’s her passion and her love for the kitchen that she puts in each dish that people can taste when they’re eating her food.”

And you find Maria’s homestyle food at El Patron.  Located in Worcester, El Patron offers real deal Mexican dishes using old Cazares family recipes.

“My mom is the lead cook in the kitchen, followed by my cousin, who is also a chef. And their assistants are my aunts. In the front, I am the manager and I also have my brother, who’s a bartender, and a cousin and another brother, who are the waiters.  You name it. Family members are either in the front end, in the kitchen, or in the back, helping with prep.  I think it makes a difference when you have family that truly care about the business because they are dedicated and very passionate about what they do.  They’re very dedicated every single day that they’re here.”

And in their festive restaurant, decked out in south of the border swag, they want their customers to feel like family too.

“I want them to feel as though they’re coming to my house. That warm feeling, great service, great food, great attention.  They’re my guests, so I want to treat them as such. Not only as customers, but as friends of our family.”

The menu at El Patron is lined with all of the Mexican favorites Mirna grew up with.

“100 percent of the dishes are the ones that my mom used to cook, when we used to have parties at her house, picnics, barbecues.  So it’s definitely what I grew up on. You have to try it.”

So there are fresh tortilla chips made in house, served with salsa and chunky guacamole&
Or topped with a blend of ground Mexican sausage and melted cheese for the perfect way to start your meal.

“You basically just dive into it with the chips. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s something very tasteful.  They are so good.”

There are tons of tacos you can order a la carte& stuffed with fillings like slow cooked pork or

chicharones.   Or you can just go for an entire plate of fish tacos, served with rice, beans and pico.

“We use cod which is dipped into homemade batter and then deep fried. They are served over corn tortillas topped with chipotle mayo, and then we make our own pico de gallo salad.”

“They are delicious. People rave about our fish tacos.”

People have also taken to El Patron’s Drenched Burrito. Smothered in white cheese, soaked in a tomatillo sauce and drizzed with sour cream, this baby is more than a mouthful.

And if you looking for a taste of Mexico stuffed into a sandwich, order the El Patron Torta.

“A torta is basically a sub.”

Packed with chorizo, carnitas, melted cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and guacamole, it’s all stacked on some fresh bread baked on site.

“We make our own bread, which is actually baked every morning.  It is fresh and it’s nice and toasty.

Entrees at El Patron come in one size: Grande.

“The thing with my mom you have to understand is that she has this thing that if you come to eat, she doesn’t want you to feel like you’re leaving on an empty stomach.”

So there’s a colossal carne asada, big enough to share. Chicken enchiladas smothered in a complex mole, and the Enchiladas Rojas- a favorite of Chef Maria.

“I think it’s her favorite because that’s the type of food that she grew up on, so it brings back her childhood memories of one of her plates that they used to have only on special occasions. I think it’s just brings back lots of the family memories.”

And at the end of your meal, make sure your remember to try El Patron’s Bread Pudding Flan; a dessert that will leave you speechless.

“The flan is delicious beyond explanation. You really have to come and try it. Words cannot explain how delicious and thick and flavorful this piece of flan is.”

And while the Cazares family loves cooking their time tested recipes and serving their customers, the fact that they do it together as a family means everything.

“This is everything for me. Being here with my mom, and us working as a team, and then getting the support we get from other family members that come in and help and have the same dedication as we do.  It just made us aware of how much we love each other and we’re willing to support each other. This is everything for us and everyone seems to be so proud of us.”