Feeding a Hungry Table in Orlando? Here's What Comes on Our Nachos
At El Patron Restaurante Mexicano, our Nachos come with tortilla chips, refried black beans, queso blanco, lettuce, pico de gallo, Mexican cream and pickled jalapeños. Picture the plate landing in the middle of the table after a long park day, and every hand reaching in at once. You pick the protein (grilled chicken, chicken tinga, ground beef or vegetarian), then share it here or take it home through pickup or delivery.
No park ticket needed: we're in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property, family-owned since October 2007 and open daily for lunch and dinner.
Key Takeaways
These 5 facts cover the plate, the protein and the trip home.
- Our Nachos come with tortilla chips, refried black beans, queso blanco, lettuce, pico de gallo, Mexican cream and pickled jalapeños.
- The protein choices are grilled chicken, chicken tinga, ground beef or vegetarian, and our Nachos page also offers pork belly, steak or adobo shrimp as substitutes.
- Nachos date to 1943, when Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya created them in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, according to Wikipedia.
- For leftovers, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says to refrigerate them within 2 hours, and The Takeout recommends the oven over the microwave for reheating nachos.
- We're in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property, so sharing a plate doesn't take a park ticket.
The Short Version
If your group wants one plate everyone can reach into, order our Nachos, pick the protein most of the table will eat, and dig in fast, while the chips are at their crispest.
What comes on our Nachos?
Our Nachos come with 7 components: tortilla chips, refried black beans, queso blanco, lettuce, pico de gallo, Mexican cream and pickled jalapeños, plus your protein. Each of those words carries a story in Mexican cooking, from beans that are fried only once to a fresh salsa named for a rooster's beak.
Plate anatomy, component by component
| On our plate | What it means in Mexican cooking |
|---|---|
| Tortilla chips | Corn tortillas cut into triangles, then fried or baked; Wikipedia says they grew out of Mexican cuisine, where similar items such as totopos and tostadas were well known. |
| Refried black beans | Frijoles refritos, literally "well-fried beans": boiled, mashed, then fried or baked only once. Wikipedia notes northern Mexico usually uses pinto beans, while other parts of Mexico use black beans, among others. |
| Queso blanco | Spanish for "white cheese." In Latin America, the name covers various white cheeses, with the exact type varying by region, according to Wikipedia. |
| Lettuce | Wikipedia calls lettuce a less common nacho topping, and on heavily topped nachos it says cold toppings like shredded lettuce go on after the cheese melts. |
| Pico de gallo | Spanish for "rooster's beak," also called salsa fresca. Wikipedia says it's traditionally chopped tomato, onion and serrano peppers with salt, lime juice and cilantro. |
| Mexican cream | Crema is the Spanish word for cream. Compared with sour cream, Wikipedia says crema has a softer, tangier flavor and a thinner texture. |
| Pickled jalapeños | Jalapeño is Spanish for "from Xalapa," the capital of Veracruz, and Wikipedia notes that pickled jalapeños are often served on top of nachos. |
Put together, the menu line reads like a short tour of the Mexican pantry, from beans and white cheese to fresh salsa, crema and pickled chiles.
Recipes for each component vary from kitchen to kitchen, so ask us when you order if you need the specifics of ours. Nachos sit in the Starters section of our menu, and you'll find the dish on our Nachos menu page.
The border-town snack behind every plate of nachos
Nachos were born in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, when Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya topped fried tortilla triangles with shredded cheese and sliced pickled jalapeños for American customers. Pickled jalapeños still sit on our plate today, and everything else on it builds on his idea.
By Wikipedia's definition, nachos are tortilla chips or totopos covered with cheese and finished with toppings that often include meats, vegetables and condiments like salsa or sour cream. The same Wikipedia entry says Anaya created the dish in 1943 in Piedras Negras, across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas, using just those 3 components. Asked what to call it, he answered "Nacho's Special," Nacho being a common nickname for Ignacio.
Wikipedia also dates the first known English use of the word "nachos" to 1949 and says Anaya's original recipe was printed in the 1954 St. Anne's Cookbook. Ours has 7 components, plus your protein. On our Nachos, tortilla chips, queso blanco and pickled jalapeños share the plate with refried black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo and Mexican cream.
Which protein should your table pick?
For our Nachos, choose grilled chicken, chicken tinga, ground beef or the vegetarian choice, matching the protein to whoever's sharing the plate with you. Grilled chicken keeps things familiar, tinga brings a dish tied to Puebla, and our menu also lets you swap in pork belly, steak or adobo shrimp.
| Protein choice | What it brings to the plate | Who at the table it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled chicken | Wikipedia names grilled chicken among the meats nachos often carry. | The friend who wants something familiar and easy to love. |
| Chicken tinga | In Mexican cooking, tinga is shredded chicken in a sauce of tomatoes, chipotle chiles in adobo and sliced onions, with a presumed origin in Puebla, per Wikipedia. | The curious eater who wants a regional Mexican dish on the chips. |
| Ground beef | Wikipedia counts ground beef among the most common toppings on modern nachos. | Anyone who grew up on beef nachos and wants that feeling back. |
| Vegetarian | The menu's name for the fourth topping choice. | Anyone who wants the fourth option; ask us what goes into it when you order. |
The right protein depends on who's sitting around the plate, which is exactly why the menu gives you 4.
Tinga already has friends on this plate: Wikipedia says it's often served on a tostada with a layer of refried beans and can be topped with Mexican crema. The same entry traces the first known published tinga recipe to the 1881 cookbook La cocinera poblana. For a mixed group, we'd start with chicken tinga, because beans and crema are the company it keeps in Mexican cooking.
Will nachos stay crunchy for pickup or delivery?
Nachos make a good pickup or delivery order when you eat them soon after they arrive, since the toppings soften the chips as they sit. Open the order and get it on the table before anyone starts hunting for plates or seats.
Wikipedia describes heavily topped nachos as served right away once the cold toppings go on. Writing for The Takeout, Joe Hoeffner points out that even fresh nachos can turn soggy under a heavy load of toppings. For a pickup order, we'd plan to eat the Nachos first, because the crunch is the part that waiting takes away.
Keeping leftovers crunchy at home
If any are left, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat them to 165°F, measured with a food thermometer. For texture, The Takeout suggests scraping off cold toppings such as sour cream, pico de gallo and lettuce first. Reheat the nachos in the oven under foil instead of the microwave, the piece advises, then put the cold toppings back on.
Nachos for the table, no park ticket needed
Our Nachos fit the day after a park visit or a break between park days, and no park ticket is needed to share one. We're in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property, open daily for lunch and dinner.
Hours can shift, so see the current hours on our homepage before you head over. Our address is 12167 S Apopka Vineland Rd., Orlando, FL 32836, (407) 238-5300. Check the drive in your maps app with that address, and our contact page has directions.
If you'd like to reserve a table for your group, use our booking page. For a bigger celebration, see our private events page, and catering is available too. On select nights, live mariachi fills the room while the plate makes its rounds.
When the table can't agree on a protein, we'd order a second plate with a different one, because it settles the debate faster than a vote. If the Nachos are only your opener, our full menu has the rest of the meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the nacho questions people ask before they order.
Why is it called pico de gallo?
Nobody agrees on one answer. Wikipedia reports that many people in Sonora say the salsa is named for the serrano pepper's resemblance to a rooster's beak. Food writer Sharon Tyler Herbst, it notes, traces the name to people pinching it up between thumb and forefinger. In Mexico, the same entry adds, it's normally called salsa mexicana.
When is National Nacho Day?
National Nacho Day falls on November 6 in the United States, according to Wikipedia. The same entry says October 21 was declared the International Day of the Nacho in Ignacio Anaya's honor, and that Piedras Negras hosts an International Nacho Festival between October 13 and 15. Either date makes a fine excuse to order a plate.
Are nachos an appetizer or a full meal?
Nachos can be either. Wikipedia calls them a snack, appetizer or main course, noting that the most basic versions are served as an appetizer or snack while others are substantial enough to be a main. Our Nachos sit in the Starters section of our menu, so we'd order them as the plate the table shares while everyone decides on mains.
Where is El Patron, and how do I get there from the parks?
We're at 12167 S Apopka Vineland Rd., Orlando, FL 32836, (407) 238-5300, in Orlando's Lake Buena Vista area, just off Disney property. Check the drive in your maps app with that address before you leave, and our contact page has directions if you'd like them in one place.
What's the difference between Mexican cream and sour cream?
Mexican cream, or crema, is thinner than sour cream and has a softer, tangier flavor, according to Wikipedia. The same entry says crema is made with heavy cream and buttermilk, sometimes with salt and lime juice, and that its fat content can range from 18 to 36 percent. Wikipedia adds that crema can be spooned or drizzled over all kinds of dishes.
Bring the whole crew hungry
Whether you share a plate here or take one home, our Nachos are ready for pickup, delivery or the middle of your table. We've been family-owned since October 2007, cooking a modern twist on traditional Mexican cuisine, and we'd love to feed your crew next.
Pick your protein, grab extra napkins and order our Nachos for pickup or delivery through elpatronorlando.com/online-ordering.
References
- Wikipedia. "Nachos." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Tortilla chip." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Refried beans." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "White cheese." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Pico de gallo." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Crema (dairy product)." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Jalapeño." en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia. "Tinga (dish)." en.wikipedia.org
- Hoeffner, Joe. "How To Reheat Nachos So You're Not Left With A Soggy Mess." The Takeout, 8 March 2025. thetakeout.com
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. "Leftovers and Food Safety." fsis.usda.gov
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.