There is a new restaurant in town called Taqueria La Patrona, a new authentic Mexican restaurant. Replaced by Jade Dragon, the place had its grand opening a few weeks ago, so I took some of my friends, Cassidy Johnson and Jacob Kremer to help me test out this new cuisine in the strip mall near The Scotts.

To start off, I have to say that the service was second to none. We walked in and were able to choose our seating. We got chips and salsa almost as soon as we sat down, and the server was ready to get our drinks and food out for us. Obviously, you get your complimentary chips and salsa as with most places, but what made La Patrona special was their complimentary salsa bar.

We were able to pick and choose our own dips for free. We opted for the cactus pico de gallo, the avocado and jalapeno dip, and a mixed queso and bean dip.

The pico de gallo was a mixture of cactus, cilantro, tomato and onion that was equally unique and refreshing. The avocado and jalapeno dip reminded us of the green takis, with the spicy jalapeno being tamed by the fresh avocado. The mixed queso and bean dip was new and honestly very yummy, even to our friend who doesn’t like beans.

Deciding what to eat was the longest part of the process because there were so many different options that sounded amazing. After ordering, it took about five minutes for our food to be ready and at our table.

Starting off with the carne con chile, which had steak and spicy green sauce paired with a side of rice and beans, eaten with your choice of corn or flour tortillas. If you love some spicy and genuine cuisine you can build yourself, this dish is definitely for you.

Kremer had gotten the grilled chicken plate, Mexican rice topped with grilled chicken and queso.

“The chicken and rice are tender and well seasoned, although slightly overpowered by all the queso,” he said.

My other friend, Johnson, ordered a carnita street taco and a carne asada gordita. The street taco was made with an authentic corn tortilla, tender pork, and adorned with fresh cotija and cilantro to create a taco that melted in your mouth.

The gordita, also dressed with cotija and cilantro, had sliced, juicy steak all wrapped up in a crispy, sandwich-like tortilla.

At the end of our stay we paid at the register where they had set up a small drum set meant for customers to play if they enjoyed their food. Rest assured, we all played those drums.