Jarred Salsa Helps Revive a Nearly 70-Year-Old Tex-Mex Institution
Four years ago, El Patio was on the brink of disappearing for good. The modest Austin restaurant opened just north of the University of Texas campus in 1954 and stayed in the family after founder Paul Joseph died in 1995, with three of his children continuing to run the business. When they announced plans to close the Tex-Mex institution in summer 2019, citing the need for a break, there was an outpouring of community support. A team of extended relatives helped reopen the restaurant that fall.