If you drive by fast, it looks like the sign says Tequileria. Closer inspection reveals Taqueria, and La Patrona is all about tacos (featuring handmade tortillas) and other street food including gorditas, sopes, huaraches and elote in a former Captain D’s converted into a spiffy bar and grill that could double as a shrine to Frida Kahlo.
Portraits of the artist adorn the walls and the color scheme channels her Blue House in Mexico City. And while La Patrona Taqueria gladly serves tequila (heck, its name sounds like a big brand), it prides itself on myriad Micheladas (beer meets Bloody Mary).
1153 Lynnhaven Pkwy., Virginia Beach. 757-301-4527. Facebook.com/LaPatrona757
Marisa Marsey
Marisa Marsey is a food, beverage and travel writer whose awards include 1st place Food Writing from the Virginia Press Association. A Johnson & Wales University representative, she has sipped Château d'Yquem '75 with Jean-Louis Palladin, sherpa-ed for Edna Lewis and savored interviews with Wolfgang Puck and Patrick O’Connell.