Family Dinner Near Me in Orlando: One Table for a Big Group
For a family dinner near you in Orlando, book one table in our main dining room and order three plates to pass: the Botana Sampler, three Artisan Tacos and the El Patron Fajita. We're El Patron Restaurante Mexicano, family-owned since October 2007, in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property. A family dinner at our table means one dine-in meal ordered to share, with a starter sampler, mix-and-match Artisan Tacos and a loaded fajita platter in the middle. Everyone eats from the same spread, so nobody has to agree on a single entree.
Key Takeaways
Five facts to have in hand before you book.
- Our family dinner is a dine-in meal at one table in the main dining room, built on three plates the whole table shares.
- The Botana Sampler puts 8 pieces from 4 starters on one platter: flautas, mini chimichangas, empanadas and tamales.
- The 3 Tacos Mix & Match plate takes any combination of three Artisan Tacos, with Mexican rice and refried beans as an add.
- The El Patron Fajita carries 4 proteins under Chihuahua cheese and comes with 8 accompaniments, tortillas included.
- We've been family-owned since October 2007 and we're open daily for lunch and dinner.
The Family Table: Three Plates Everyone Can Pass
Our family table runs on three plates that pass easily hand to hand: a starter sampler, a taco plate and a loaded fajita platter. Each plate does a different job, so the whole table eats from one spread instead of a row of separate entrees. Here's what comes on each.
| Role | Dish | What's on the plate | Why it fits a shared family table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Botana Sampler | 2 chicken flautas, 2 beef mini chimichangas, 1 cheese and 1 chicken empanada, 1 rajas and 1 chicken tamale (8 pieces, 4 starters) | Small pieces travel around the table and give everyone a first pick. |
| Middle | 3 Tacos Mix & Match | Any combination of three Artisan Tacos; Mexican rice and refried beans can be added | Each taco can be a different choice, so one plate covers several tastes. |
| Centerpiece | El Patron Fajita | Grilled chicken, USDA choice skirt steak, shrimp and bacon under Chihuahua cheese, with peppers and onions, tortillas, Mexican rice, black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and Mexican cream | Everyone builds a tortilla their own way from the same platter. |
Across the three plates, the table gets 8 starter pieces, 3 tacos of your choosing and 4 fajita proteins with 8 accompaniments.
If someone at the table wants a plate of their own as well, the full lineup is on our menu.
Where Can I Eat With a Big Family in Orlando?
Eat with a big family at El Patron in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property and open daily for lunch and dinner. Our homepage sums up the cooking as Traditional Mexican with a Modern Twist, and our main dining room is where a family table comes together over shared plates.
Find us at 12167 S Apopka Vineland Rd., Orlando, FL 32836, (407) 238-5300. You'll find directions on our contact page, and hours are on our homepage.
The rest of our week has its own rhythm. The weekday lunch buffet runs Monday to Friday, weekend brunch fills Saturday and Sunday, and Unlimited Taco Tuesday comes around every Tuesday.
Open the Table With the Botana Sampler
The Botana Sampler opens a family dinner with 8 pieces from 4 Mexican starters, all on one platter that moves easily around the table. On it are two chicken flautas, two beef mini chimichangas, one cheese and one chicken empanada, and one rajas and one chicken tamale.
Order the Botana Sampler as soon as the family sits down, and if the word is new to anyone, here's what a botana is.
Three Artisan Tacos, Mixed and Matched
The 3 Tacos Mix & Match plate gives the table any combination of three Artisan Tacos, so one order can carry three different picks. Add Mexican rice and refried beans when the table wants sides with the tacos. Artisan tacos are what we're known for, and this plate is the simplest way to put them in the middle of a family dinner.
A big group can order more than one plate so the picks keep moving around the table. See the full 3 Tacos Mix & Match plate before you go.
Set the El Patron Fajita in the Middle
The El Patron Fajita is the loaded platter of the family table, with grilled chicken, USDA choice skirt steak, shrimp and bacon under Chihuahua cheese. It comes with peppers and onions, tortillas, Mexican rice, black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and Mexican cream, so everyone builds a tortilla their own way.
Pass the tortillas one way and the toppings the other, and nobody waits long for a turn. The El Patron Fajita page lists every part of the platter, and our guide to what fajitas are covers the dish itself.
Dine In, Kids Plates or Trays to Go: Pick the Right Plan
A family dinner at one table suits a group eating in our dining room, while kids plates and trays to go have their own pages. Private and semi-private parties and birthday dinners are separate plans too. Match your family's plan to the right starting point below.
| Plan | Best for | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Family dinner at a regular table | A big group sharing plates in the main dining room | Book a table |
| Kids plates | Younger diners who want a plate of their own | Our kids page |
| Trays to go | Feeding the family away from the restaurant | Our family-style catering page |
| Private or semi-private party | A booked party inside our restaurant space | Our private events page |
| Birthday dinner | A table planned around one person's birthday | Our birthday dinner page |
If the plan is a shared meal at one table, the three plates above cover it.
For younger diners, our Mexican food for kids page covers kids plates. Trays to go live on our family-style catering page, and catering is available. We host private and semi-private parties in-house, so a family that wants its own celebration can start with our private events. If the dinner is really for a birthday, our birthday dinner page lays out that plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to what families ask us before a shared dinner.
Is there a Mexican restaurant for families close to Walt Disney World?
Yes. El Patron Restaurante Mexicano is in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property, and we've been family-owned since October 2007. We're open daily for lunch and dinner, so a family can sit down at one table and share Mexican plates after a day around the parks.
Is there live mariachi at El Patron?
Yes. We have live mariachi on Tuesday evenings and Sunday midday. A family that books a Tuesday evening dinner gets music with the shared plates, and Sunday midday brings the same live sound to the weekend, so pick the day that fits the meal your family wants.
Can you add rice and beans to the taco plate?
Yes. The 3 Tacos Mix & Match plate lets you add Mexican rice and refried beans next to your three Artisan Tacos. The El Patron Fajita already comes with Mexican rice and black beans, so a family that orders both plates ends up with two kinds of beans to pass around the table.
What cheese is on the El Patron Fajita?
Chihuahua cheese is the topping on the El Patron Fajita. It goes over the grilled chicken, USDA choice skirt steak, shrimp and bacon, and the platter's served with peppers and onions, tortillas, Mexican rice, black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and Mexican cream.
What kind of tamales come on the Botana Sampler?
One rajas tamale and one chicken tamale. Both tamales share the platter with two chicken flautas, two beef mini chimichangas and two empanadas, one cheese and one chicken, so the tamales are two of the 8 pieces on the sampler.
Book the Family Table
Booking the family table comes down to two decisions: the date that suits everyone and the three plates you'll order. Start with the Botana Sampler, pass the Artisan Tacos and set the El Patron Fajita in the middle. That's the whole plan.
Pick the date, gather the family and book your family table.
References
The plate details above come from our current menu.
Disclaimer
Menus, dishes and ingredients can change without notice, so check the current menu on our site before you plan your visit. This guide is general food and culinary information, not allergy, dietary or medical advice.