Villa’s Patio Mexican restaurant expands to Cedar Rapids

Fans of Villa’s Patio in Marion will find the same south-of-the-border specialties from various regions of Mexico along with their favorite margaritas and tequilas in its newly opened second location in Cedar Rapids. But with indoor seating for up to 200 and a bigger patio outdoors, you’ll have more room to spread out in the Cedar Rapids location.

Anyone who visited the Cedar Rapids site when it was home to another restaurant will be surprised by how much brighter and more spacious the space feels. That’s due to the removal of a raised platform and lowering room dividers, plus switching the ceiling from black to white. The feeling is enhanced by a 10-foot ceiling raised to 16 feet above the bar.

The decor, a collaboration between the owners and their contractor, was created for the Marion location after a June 2019 fire prompted a renovation. In Cedar Rapids, that translates to 5,000 square feet of tile and stone, wood and metal accents.

“It’s a little modern. I think it’s classy and a little bit industrial,” said co-owner Gama Hernandez.

Everything is custom, including locally made booths and metal artwork depicting the long, pointed leaves of the agave azul (blue agave), the plant used in the production of tequila.

A tequila wall with cubbyholes for dozens of bottles was co-owner Andres (Andrew) “Taco” Torres’ idea. With the restaurant’s tagline “House of Tequilas,” it was a natural addition.

Rather than pack the floor with tables, the owners chose to leave extra room in the area leading from the entry to the bar and outside to the patio. Outdoors, tables with umbrellas seat more than 40 with a view of a pond featuring a water fountain. That water feature caught the eye of Hernandez as he drove to and from a nearby gym.

Ownership changes

Hernandez and Torres met working at another Cedar Rapids Mexican restaurant. When they opened their restaurant as Tabasco’s in 2003, Hernandez was 23, Torres 19. A lawsuit from the famous red-hot pepper sauce prompted the name change to Villa’s Patio in 2004.

There were other part owners, but Torres and Hernandez eventually bought them out. Kitchen manager Antonio Juarez was brought in as a part owner after the Marion fire.

They were in their comfort zone for years, Hernandez said. After all, their original restaurant was busy with loyal customers. But people from Cedar Rapids kept asking when they were going to open another site in their city. When they began looking for another location, Hernandez remembered the location near his gym.

Front manager Epifanio “Cruz” Cruz became part owner of the Cedar Rapids site. Hernandez and Cruz run front of house operations, Juarez the kitchen, and Torres the back of house, including their online presence.

“People like our product, they like our service,” Hernandez said.

Evolving, diverse Mexican menu

Since the owners or their families were all from the Mexican state of Jalisco, which has influenced their food and the concept of tequila agave, which grows in Jalisco.

About two years ago, Torres’s mother, Teresa Torres, was brought in to cook traditional specialties.

“I think she enjoys it,” Torres said.

Under the “Abuelitas/Grandma’s Kitchen” section of the menu, you’ll find her mole and other sauces. Some days you’ll find her posole and menudo. (She’s also the cook behind the addition of time-intensive birria tacos every other Saturday in Marion.)

Their menu is a combo of family recipes and other Mexican foods with a lot of seafood and on-the-grill specialties. In Mexico, it’s hard to find a place with all these types of foods together, Hernandez said. The food is moving away from the Tex-Mex influences of ground beef and shredded chicken many Americans associate with Mexican food.

“It’s getting more traditional,” Andres Torres said.

Under “From the Grill” on the menu you’ll find carne asada (rib-eye steak), Arrachera asada (skirt steak), and steak Americano (T-bone steak). Seafood specialties include camarones (shrimp) and tilapia in various sauces, including iztapa (creamy chipotle), a la diabla (spicy chipotle), and al mojo de ajo (buttery garlic). Of course, you’ll find your favorite enchiladas, fajitas, burritos and quesadillas, too.

“It’s like a fusion of all Mexican food,” Hernandez said.

MARGARITAS & TEQUILAS

There’s a type of margarita developed in Cedar Rapids several years ago. It’s heavy on the triple sec, which gives it more of an orange taste. Its golden color is much like beer. At Villa’s Patio, this is referred to as a barrel margarita.

The traditional margarita found everywhere else — and at Villa’s Patio — is heavier on the tequila and lime. At Villa’s Patio, this is what they call a cloudy margarita.

Villa’s Patio’s tagline is “house of tequilas” and the Marion location is known for its selection of fine tequilas. Cedar Rapids showcases this with a tequila wall. One of the most expensive is Don Julio 1942 REAL, which costs more than $400 a bottle.

“The customers are starting to get into the different types of tequilas,” Torres said.

Tequilas are starting to evolve like whiskeys, he said. Some are barrel-aged for up to five years to give a dark caramel color with “fancy flavors,” Torres said.

A typical tequila is aged for at least two to four weeks.

Several Villa’s Patio owners own acreages in Mexico planted with agave tequilana, also known as agave azul or blue agave), the plant used in the production of tequila. The plants, which resemble giant aloe succulents, take five years to grow to maturity. Villa Patio’s owners are willing to wait: their dream is to someday create a branded tequila.

“People live on dreams. You’ve got to have dreams,” Hernandez said.